Asia

Rescuers in the Philippines recovered another 41 charred remains following a ferry fire. The death toll now stands at 76, and 13 people are still unaccounted for. Forensic teams face the difficult task of identifying victims. The painstaking task had already started after 30 bodies were recovered on Friday and brought to Coron Town, where tents were set-up for forensic teams who would process and identify the deceased. As anxious relatives waited for the news, responders wearing protective suits carried black body bags into tents. Anelyn, 37, was one of those victims. Her husband, who was visiting their children in...

Ayten Bicer felt her daughter, 12, slip from her hand and 'disappear' as a ferry capsized near northern Cyprus on Sunday. At least eight people were killed. Search teams were still looking for survivors Monday in the waters of more than 500 metres (1.640 feet) depth. Her daughter Miray and her 6-year-old Mehmet asaf were two of nearly 20 people who remain missing. "She said, 'Don’t let go.' And I did not let go of my child. I swear, I didn't let her go," Ayten Bicer sobbed. The girl was thrown from her grip when a suitcase fell on her....

Divers joined search teams to search deep waters in search of survivors. Nearly 20 people are still missing after a ferry capsized near Northern Cyprus on Monday, killing at least eight. On Sunday, a double-hulled 'ferry' with 267 people aboard sank and flipped on the seabed just off the port of Kyrenia. The survivors were left clinging onto the overturned hull. The coastguard and passing vessels rescued them. Naif Ezer was one of the anxiously waiting outside the port for news about passengers in the early morning hours on Monday. One of the three friends who were traveling to see...

Satellite imagery and video confirmed that two slicks appeared in Iranian waters. The Caroline Bezengi tanker is currently leaking Russian crude in a marine protected area, creating a massive oil spill that some estimate to be 2,000 square kilometers. The Caroline Bezengi case is not linked to the Iran War. Two new slicks have been detected in the Gulf. Near DOLPHIN SHAPED ISLAND Images from Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites show that a slick is visible near the southern tip Qeshm Island. This large island shaped like a dolphin lies in the Strait of Hormuz, close to Iran's coastline. Wim Zwijnenburg is...

Officials said that 172 Indonesians were rescued on Wednesday, after a 'ferry' travelling from Bali to Lombok caught fire in the waters near the island. The'search continues for any missing passengers. Muhammad Hariyadi is the head of local rescue agency. The KM Putri Yasmin left Padangbai Port in Bali to Lembar Port in Lombok, in the province West Nusa Tenggara. Hariyadi said the incident occurred in the Lombok strait at 4:39 am on Wednesday morning (2039 GMT Tuesday). Hariyadi reported that by Wednesday afternoon one Indonesian was confirmed dead, and 172 people had been evacuated from the Lombok Strait to...

Ship-tracking data showed that four tankers changed their course in the Red Sea Wednesday. Two of them indicated the Suez Canal, after Yemen's Houthi militia warned ships to avoid sailing into Saudi Arabian ports. The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, declared a naval blocade on Saudi Arabia Monday. This opened a new front in the war between the United States and Iran. It also raised the risk of global energy and trade outside the Gulf. The threat of Houthi hostile action against Saudi Arabia has started to have a general effect on the tanker industry, according to a ship...

Shipping data revealed that the number of tankers traversing the Strait of Hormuz dropped to its lowest level in two months in the last day, after renewed strikes between Iran and the U.S.?and attacks against vessels raised safety concerns. Shipping industry sources say that vessels are increasingly turning off their public AIS?transponders. This makes it difficult to count the total number of ships on the waterway. According to Kpler's analysis, based on the data available, oil and gas tanker traffic has fallen to its lowest levels since May 25. In a recent report, ship broker Gibson stated that the world...

Ship-tracking data showed that at least four oil and gasoline tankers had turned back from trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. This was due to renewed attacks against vessels in this critical waterway, which raised safety & security concerns. After reports of Iran firing missiles on ships in the waterway and damaging a Qatari LNG tanker, as well as a Saudi crude oil tanker, the maritime authorities raised the threat level for transiting vessels from "moderate" to "severe." Data from Kpler and LSEG showed that the three LNG tankers – Al Ghariya Duhail Al Ruwais – were all heading...

Ship tracking data revealed that fewer vessels traversed the Strait of Hormuz Friday than they did earlier in the week. This was hours after an Iranian-operated vessel fired on a Taiwanese ship. U.N.'shipping 'agency temporarily suspended its voluntary scheme for evacuating hundreds of stranded vessels and thousands of seafarers out of the Gulf, after the ship was damaged by the attack near the Omani side. Nevertheless, data from LSEG's and MarineTraffic's ship tracking showed that at least four oil tankers, including three very large crude carrier ships, each of which can carry a maximum 2 million barrels, had entered the...

Shipping data and sources indicate that oil tanker operators have made record profits this week after almost doubling the cost of hiring vessels to travel through the Strait of Hormuz or the wider Gulf region. This is due to the increasing demand for the waterway as it slowly begins to pick up. The strait's traffic has been relatively low since Iran lifted the effective blockade after agreeing on a 60-day truce with the U.S. last week. Meanwhile, talks are continuing to reach a permanent agreement to end the war. The number of vessels passing through Hormuz has dropped to a...

Shipping data revealed that four liquefied?gas tanks controlled by Qatar headed into the Strait of Hormuz despite a drop in?ship traffic following Iran's announcement over the weekend that the waterway had been closed again. Shiptracking data by analytics firm Kpler revealed that the tankers - Wadi Al Sadd, Mekaines Al Sadd, and Mesaimeer – entered the strait via Iran for the first since the U.S./Israeli war against Iran began. QatarEnergy's LNG exports, which have been severely curtailed since the beginning of the war on February 28, didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. LSEG data shows that the dry...

The United States and Iran signed a ceasefire agreement on Friday, and Gulf producers are preparing to increase exports in spite of concerns about the conditions set by Tehran. Washington and Tehran have released the text for an interim agreement that was signed on Wednesday, to end the conflict. Donald Trump has warned that he will resume his attacks and "target Iranian officials" if the commitments made are not kept. MarineTraffic reports that at least four tankers with crude oil, oil products, and liquefied gas headed for Iraqi Gulf port entered the strait Friday. After being delayed by war, a...

Ukrainian state forecasters said that the weather conditions for sowing winter wheat in September are still unfavourable, but some farmers have nonetheless begun planting despite the drought. About 95% of Ukraine’s total wheat production is winter wheat. The wheat is sown during the autumn, and harvested the summer following. Forecasters reported late Tuesday that "continued shortages of effective rainfall in the majority of the country have prevented replenishment" (of soil moisture reserves) in the most populated areas. "Soil drought intensified creating unfavourable conditions to prepare land for sowing?winter crop for?the?2027 harvest." Ukraine has experienced droughts in August and September. Farmers...

Families of 129 missing people are becoming more frustrated and desperate as the search and rescue operations continue to be hampered by persistent bad weather, heavy seas, and heavy seas. The Virgo 'Transport?8' was carrying 243 passengers on a voyage of 20 hours from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. It capsized early Sunday morning in bad weather. The official death toll on Wednesday was six, with 108 people rescued, and 129 still unaccounted for. This number has not changed since Sunday. "I hope that we will use our advanced military equipment. We buy them to help the people,...

Saudi Arabia offers more loadings of "crude oil" to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers off Oman's Sohar port, after drone attacks damaged the key oil pipeline into the Red Sea. Sources say that Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, has offered its Arab Light grade as well as Arab Medium, Arab Heavy and other grades to buyers of term contracts in Asia, for loading at Sohar (outside the Strait of Hormuz). These offers suggest that Aramco is moving crude oil out of the Gulf to be transported outside of?the waterway. Aramco made two similar offers to Asian buyers in recent...

Saudi Arabia's air defences destroyed an Houthi drone in Yemen before it could enter the forbidden airspace above the holy city. The drone intercepted Tuesday evening was the second Houthi attack on Mecca following a ballistic rocket launch in July 2017. Turki al Malki, the spokesperson for the Houthi, said this in a press release. This follows a series of attacks by Houthi fighters aligned with Iran that has drawn Saudi Arabia further into the conflict. Mecca, home to the holiest places in Islam, is the focal point of the annual hajj. Its security is a "redline", said coalition spokesperson...

Trade sources report that Saudi Arabia has cut off oil shipments from Europe to the Red Sea after drone attacks damaged its main export pipeline. This prompted top customers, such as Poland, to look for alternatives when cargo prices reached $120 per barrel. Saudi Arabia blamed the attacks on Iraqi militias, forcing the kingdom to shut down its East-West Desert Oil Pipeline on Friday. This has saved it from the worst of impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure over the past six months. On Tuesday, oil trading and shipping sources reported that Saudi Arabia informed European customers of the...

Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy Secretary, told CNBC that crude oil would be flowing through Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline in a few days after it was temporarily closed by Iran-aligned group attacks. Wright told reporters on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Houston that "it's still detailed, but it will be measured by days." He said Saudi Arabia is taking steps to get more oil out the Strait of Hormuz, with the help of the U.S. Military. Since the U.S. War on Iran, the 1,200-km (745-miles) East-West Pipeline that runs across the Arabian Peninsula has served as the primary...

Shippers reported on Tuesday that the delays caused by congestion and long waiting times for entry into the Danube River, as well as the return to the Black Sea, have increased grain delivery times, from 12 days to over a month. This has impacted profitability. After Russian attacks, 90% of Ukraine's exports were handled by Black Sea ports. Ukraine has three major river port on the Danube. All maritime exports and imported, including priority cargoes are now routed through these ports. The Sulina Canal, however, is not used only by ships heading for Ukrainian ports but also by those destined...

Rizky Apriliansyah, who was sleeping on the top deck of the Virgo transport 8, the ferry which capsized in 'Indonesia Java Sea on a saturday morning, was woken up by friends at 1 a.m. to urge him to get a life jacket. Rizky said that the ship was already pointing roughly 30 degrees left at the time. He and his friends fled their room in panic. Rizky was a waiter aboard the vessel and recalled waves of up to 3-4 metres hitting it multiple times. This caused the ship to list even more. He said that no alarm had been...

The price of Malaysian palm oils futures rose?for the second consecutive session on Tuesday. This was due to?a continued rise in crude oil prices. At close, the benchmark palm oil contract for November delivery at 'the Bursa Derivatives Exchange was up 33 ringgit or 0.68% at 4,883 Ringgit ($1,196.08). The Malaysian financial markets will close on Wednesday due to a public holiday. Trading will resume Thursday, September 17 Anilkumar bagani, the research head of Sunvin Group's vegetable oil brokerage in Mumbai, said that BMD CPO futures traded higher today due to gains in energy prices. He added that the expectation...

The Asian Games organizers have committed to address complaints about accommodation from athletes and officials. A cruise ship docked at Nagoya, Japan on Tuesday that will accommodate around 4,000 people during the multi-sport event. Local organisers opted not to build a dedicated Athletes' Village and instead looked for creative ways to accommodate the 17,000 athletes and officials who will be arriving 'for 'the 20th Asiad. The Italian cruise ship Costa Serena docked in Japan's largest port on Tuesday. Other participants will stay in hotels, Airbnbs and shipping container style huts. In a welcome speech, Hideaki Ahmura, President of the Aichi...

According to a calculation based on export and import statistics released by the government on Tuesday, India's merchandise trade deficit decreased to $26,86 billion in August. According to a survey, economists expected that the August deficit would be $32 billion, up from a $31.98-billion deficit in the preceding month. India is looking to diversify export markets. Its trade agreement with Britain has been in force for some time, and an upcoming pact between the EU and India could open up more opportunities for its domestic products. Government data shows that?imports dropped to $70.67billion from $76.22billion in July. Merchandise imports also...

The Danish military reported that a Russian frigate shot two flares at a Danish helicopter on Monday in international waters near Denmark, but the aircraft was only narrowly missed. After incidents such as gas pipeline outages and airspace violations, and drone sightings, the Baltic Sea region has been on high alert. This is due to tensions rising between Moscow and the West following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 of Ukraine. In a late-night statement, the Danish Defence Command said that the Fennec helicopter was on a routine photo mission to take pictures of the Russian frigate. The defence command reported...