WORLD IN BRIEF: Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer, ex-gang leader jailed for Tupac murder, Malawi fuel shortages disrupt transport and other stories

Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery, Vatican says

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after undergoing surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican has announced. The 71 year old pontiff underwent a 90 minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday.

The Vatican said the Pope awoke normally after the procedure and returned to his hospital room following a brief period of observation. Doctors removed the entire lower lobe of his right lung to ensure the operation was thorough.

The growth was first detected during routine medical checks. The Pope had previously described the nodule as contained and detected at an early stage, saying doctors had advised him to have it removed. Further tests are being conducted to determine whether the cancer has spread.

The Pope’s schedule has been cleared until 20 October to allow him to recover. Crowds gathered outside the hospital to offer their support as he arrived for treatment, with the pontiff waving and smiling at well wishers.

Trump administration asks Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as US ambassador to Greece

Donald Trump’s administration has asked Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign as United States ambassador to Greece following allegations of misconduct and an inappropriate request for money from a Trump donor, White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has said.

Zacharia announced the decision during a brief media briefing but did not provide further details. Trump said Guilfoyle had done a good job but would no longer serve in Athens, adding that he did not like what he had read about the allegations.

Reports citing text messages obtained by the BBC and first published by The Wall Street Journal suggest Guilfoyle asked Eric Deters, a long time Trump ally, to pay a substantial American Express credit card bill. One message reportedly said the payment would not appear publicly if made by bank transfer.

Guilfoyle, 57, denied wrongdoing and vowed to defend her reputation. In a statement on X, she thanked Trump for the appointment and described the ambassadorship as the honour of a lifetime, saying she would not allow what she called false accusations to define her public service.

Saudi Arabia intercepts missiles after coalition strikes Houthi fuel depot in Yemen

Saudi Arabia has intercepted missiles and drones targeting Riyadh and other cities after its military coalition struck a fuel depot near Sanaa, the Houthi controlled capital of Yemen. Coalition spokesperson Maj Gen Turki al Maliki said the projectiles were intercepted following Tuesday night’s attack on a facility belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Company.

The Houthis had threatened to target Riyadh airport, an Aramco refinery in the capital and the company’s headquarters in Dammam. Al Maliki later said missiles aimed at several cities, including Dammam, had been intercepted, while shrapnel fell in a residential area in Dhahran.

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warned that the Iran backed group would face consequences for its recent deadly attacks. Thirteen people were reportedly killed when a missile struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, while another person died in a similar attack the following day.

The Houthis say their attacks are retaliation for Saudi strikes on areas they control in western Yemen, including Sanaa. The Saudi led coalition has been providing air support to Yemeni government forces fighting Houthi fighters along the Red Sea coast and other front lines.

Former gang leader sentenced to at least 40 years for Tupac Shakur murder

Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a former gang leader, has been sentenced to at least 40 years in prison for orchestrating the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. A jury convicted the 63 year old in September of murder with a deadly weapon over the drive by shooting in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996.

Prosecutors argued that Davis organised the killing even though he did not fire the fatal shots himself. Davis admitted in his memoir that he supplied the gun used in the murder, which remained unsolved for nearly three decades before his conviction.

During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutor Marc DiGiacomo accused Davis of spending years publicly boasting about his involvement. He said the killing had consequences far beyond the immediate victims and their families.

Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa Shakur, told the court that her brother’s death had crippled their family for years. She said he had held great promise and wanted to help his community. Davis has said he intends to appeal the verdict.

Zelenskiy says Ukraine received no warning before Russian missile attack

Ukraine received no advance warning from Western partners before a Russian missile attack on the country, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday, raising questions about intelligence sharing as Donald Trump presses Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian refineries.

Russia did not strike Ukrainian energy targets overnight for the first time since Trump announced an energy ceasefire on Sunday, but it continued attacks on transport and logistics infrastructure using ballistic missiles and drones. Ukraine relies heavily on US intelligence to receive early warnings of incoming missile strikes.

Reports have suggested that US officials threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons sales unless Kyiv stopped attacking Russian refineries. Trump said Washington was still sharing intelligence with Ukraine and working with both sides to end the war.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine had not targeted Russian refineries since the ceasefire announcement. Trump declined to say whether Russia had violated the agreement, saying he would provide an answer later. He also dismissed concerns that proceeds from a Russian diesel supply arrangement could help Moscow finance its war effort, saying the fuel was being released into the global market.

AFRICA

Malawi fuel shortages force motorists to sleep at petrol stations

Motorists in Malawi are sleeping at petrol stations as renewed fuel shortages disrupt transport and livelihoods across the southern African country. Drivers have been forced to wait overnight for supplies, while taxi and motorcycle operators report losing income because they cannot obtain petrol.

“I slept right here, and I am still here waiting to fill my tank,” motorist Harry Jim told Reuters while waiting in a queue. Motorcycle rider Paul Christopher said he had been unable to work for three weeks because he could not find fuel.

Fuel shortages have repeatedly affected Malawi and became a major issue during last year’s election. Supplies improved temporarily after President Peter Mutharika won the vote and raised pump prices, but the situation has deteriorated again since the Iran war began in late February.

The government has blamed the shortages on a lack of foreign currency. Mutharika is hoping that a new loan from the International Monetary Fund will help stabilise the economy, although an agreement has yet to be reached.

Ebola cases in DR Congo exceed 9,000 as outbreak spreads

Confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 9,066, while reported deaths have reached 4,381, according to the country’s public health institute. Authorities are struggling to contain transmission across multiple hotspots.

The outbreak, declared in May, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. The latest figures make it the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo’s history, surpassing the 2018 to 2020 epidemic.

The increase in infections highlights the challenges facing health workers as they try to interrupt transmission in affected communities. The spread across multiple locations has complicated response efforts.

The Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccine or treatment, limiting the medical options available to responders. Health authorities face the task of containing the outbreak while managing the high number of infections and deaths.

Tanzania expects to finalise $42bn LNG deal in coming months

Tanzania expects to finalise agreements for major investment projects in the coming months, including a $42 billion liquefied natural gas development, Finance Minister Khamis Mussa Omar has told Reuters. The project is expected to support the country’s industrialisation plans and strengthen its position in East Africa’s energy sector.

The development is led by Equinor and Shell, with ExxonMobil, Pavilion Energy, Medco Energi and the state owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation also involved. It is expected to unlock 47.13 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.

Officials had previously expected the LNG agreement to be signed before June. Omar said the deal was now close to completion, although Equinor and Shell did not respond to requests for comment.

Most of the gas is expected to be exported, while some production will supply the domestic market. The project forms part of broader regional energy ambitions, alongside Uganda’s planned first oil exports through Tanzania’s port of Tanga in early 2027.

Guinea Bissau says newborn hepatitis B vaccine trial remains unapproved

Guinea Bissau’s transitional government has denied approving a proposed clinical trial examining the effects of administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns. Health Minister Quinhin Nantote said on Tuesday that the study had not received government authorisation.

The clarification followed reports that the trial, funded by the Trump administration, was expected to proceed in the West African country. The proposal has sparked criticism from scientists who argue that withholding the vaccine from some newborns would be unethical.

Hepatitis B can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth and may lead to liver failure and cancer. The vaccine given at birth is widely recognised as an effective way to prevent infection, particularly in countries where the disease is prevalent.

Nantote said research involving human participants, especially children, must comply with national law, international ethical standards and approval procedures. He did not provide details about the remaining steps required before a decision on the proposed trial.

Morocco’s PAM agrees coalition deal with three parties after election

Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has agreed to form a coalition government with three other parties following last month’s parliamentary election, the parties announced on Monday. The alliance includes moderate socialist parties and the nationalist Istiqlal Party.

Together, the four parties control 207 seats in parliament, giving them more than the 198 seats required for a majority. The agreement creates the basis for forming a government after the election.

In a joint statement, the parties described the coalition as a strong political government whose members shared ideological and political interests. They also pledged to pursue a common programme of reform.

The next step will be to propose a cabinet lineup. The coalition’s ability to translate its parliamentary majority into a functioning government and implement its stated reform agenda will be central to its next phase.