Briefly

EUROPE

Romania reroutes cooling water to reactor

Romania blew up a rock outcrop on Monday to help divert vital cooling water from the drought-hit Danube River to its sole working nuclear reactor, an unprecedented measure that underscores the scale of an energy crunch across the region. In neighboring Hungary, authorities said they might be able to eke out two more days of power from their only atomic plant, which has been hit by falling levels in the Danube that it also relies on as a coolant. Heat and drought have lowered river levels across large parts of Europe, raising concerns about water supplies, river transport and power generation. Both governments have asked people and companies to cut power use to ease demand.

AFRICA

Ebola death toll rises to 1,700 in DR Congo

Ebola has killed more than 1,700 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease, data showed. As of Tuesday, 3,802 cases had been recorded, with 1,707 deaths, according to latest update. It is not clear when the outbreak will reach its peak, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said on Tuesday.

ETHIOPIA

Landslide kills 14 in Amhara region

Fourteen people were killed in a landslide near a monastery in Ethiopia's Amhara region, the state-run Amhara Media Corporation said late on Monday. The landslide occurred near the Tsadkane Mariam Monastery in Amhara's North Shewa zone, the broadcaster said. Search teams supported by excavation machinery were working to recover bodies, it said. The Amhara Media Corporation report did not say what caused the landslide, but independent news reports said it was triggered by heavy rains. Ethiopia is in its main rainy season, which runs from June to September.

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA