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Philippines starts identifying the victims of ferry fire, but there are still dozens missing
The Philippine authorities started the painful process of identifying the victims of a ferry fire on Saturday. A day earlier, responders had recovered bodies from the burnt-out vessel. This brought the death toll up to 35, and more than 50 others are still missing. The bodies were taken to a port near Coron, where tents were erected for the forensic teams who would process and identify victims. Some family members gathered near the port to watch as responders wearing protective suits moved black body bags from an Coast Guard vessel into temporary tents. Anelyn magbanua was one of them. Her husband, who was visiting their children in Manila, was returning to Coron when the ferry caught fire. The vessel was carrying over 130 passengers. "I hope that he's not among the dead brought off the boat." She said, "I hope he's alive and only drifted over to another island." She said, "It'll be a very difficult thing to accept if it's true." "He loved his kids very much." Firefighters entered a ferry for the first time 'on Friday, after extinguishing a fire that broke out more than a week earlier. This allowed authorities to access areas which had been difficult to reach due to thick smoke and extreme temperatures. The Coast Guard reported that burnt remains had been discovered in the economy section of the ferry. The Coast Guard released images that showed the extent of the damage inside the vessel. Rows of steel bed frames were twisted and covered in ash by intense heat. Some photos appeared to show skeletal remnants among the debris. At a Saturday press conference, Geronimo Tuvilla of the Philippine Coast Guard said that the first priority was to identify the victims and determine what caused the fire. According to a statement by the Maritime Industry Authority, which cited survivor reports, two explosions could be heard on board the ship shortly before it caught fire. GMA News interviewed a survivor who recalled seeing smoke that quickly turned into fire. The fire spread throughout the ferry in seconds. The fate of the captain of the ship was also unclear. At the same press conference, Coast Guard spokesperson Noemie Cayabyab stated that she received information that he was alive. However, the captain's name did not appear on the list. This is just the latest in a series of maritime accidents that have killed people in the Philippines. The archipelago has more than 7,600 island where millions of people rely on small boats and ferries to travel from province to province and island.
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Outrage over land rights and mass graves prompted by plans for a private airport in Syria
The Syrian government's plans to transform a former military airfield in Damascus, Syria into a hub of private jets are alarming rights groups and local residents. They say the redevelopment may disturb mass graves or override land claims. According to an article published by Syria's official news agency SANA, the civil aviation authority of Syria announced last week that it was preparing to reclassify Mezzeh Military Airport for limited civilian use, focusing on private and executive aviation. This would complement Damascus International Airport. The report stated that the removal of rubble and upgrading of infrastructure had already started. The project will test how Syria's newly elected authorities can balance a desire to attract investments and redevelop the state's assets with two unresolved legacy of Assad family rule: the fates of tens thousands of Syrians who have gone missing and the property rights that are clouded after decades of expropriation. NEW DOCUMENTS SHOW AIRPORT'S ROLE AS EXECUTION SITE Mezzeh was home to the Air Force Intelligence Directorate under Bashar al Assad and his father Hafez. It also housed a number of detention centers where government opponents suspected of being spies were tortured, killed, and forced into disappearance. The air base was used to conduct official flights and for presidential flights. Air Force Intelligence documents (AFI), recently obtained by Syria Justice and Accountability Centre, a U.S. based Syrian human rights organization, and shared with exclusively, show that senior Syrian officials approved Mezzeh as a site in 2012 for the execution of detainees who were sentenced to death by field military courts. In one document, it was suggested that executions be moved from Sednaya, the most notorious prison in the country at the time, to Mezzeh due to its "closed security compounds" near Damascus. In subsequent correspondence, a firing range was discussed as an execution site. Later on, a hangar next to the runway was also mentioned. Documents that highlight the central role played by Mezzeh during the Assad era in security show that officials requested a nylon rope, ordered the construction of a platform, and instructed the work to be done "under AFI supervision" with the utmost secrecy. SJAC conducted an investigation in 2025 that identified two graves suspected to be linked to the deaths of people detained at Mezzeh. The report stated more than 1,150 prisoners died there, some from?execution, and others by torture or maltreatment. SJAC sent a letter to the National Commission for Missing Persons in Syria on July 20, 2025, giving the coordinates for the two graves suspected inside the airport. The letter urged authorities to stop construction and excavation until these sites had been investigated. SJAC was told by the commission that Mezzeh had no plans to be refurbished or built. SJAC warned the commission on the 8th of September after the plans for redevelopment were revealed, that the removal of rubble, excavation and other works may damage human remains or evidence vital to identifying victims. SJAC said it hadn't received a reply to its second email. Amer Matar of the Syria Prisons Museum in Germany, an NGO that documents detention facilities, including those at Mezzeh said the planned work showed a lack?of respect for Syrian families, who have still not received answers about the fate of their loved ones held under Assad. Matar said: "Constructing a business airport in a location that could contain mass graves without a thorough investigation prior to construction, without site protection and without searching for missing people and their remains and without preserving any evidence is an act extreme disregard and recklessness." Questions from the?about suspected graves or land claims? were not answered by the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority, Syria's National Commission for Missing Persons, and Syria's Defense Ministry, who operate the airport. SANA quoted a spokesperson from the civil aviation authority as saying that Mezzeh’s refurbishment will take into consideration the surrounding urban area, relevant legal and socio-legal issues but did not mention graves or land right. The airport's development is not clear. Residents protest over land claims The dispute over the land where airports were built dates back decades. Private land was often expropriated by the Assads for government projects without compensation. According to records shared by the Moadamiya municipal land office, Mezzeh Airport was built on land owned by hundreds of private citizens spanning 2.76 sq km (1 square mile). Former municipal officials who did not want to be identified said that retroactive expropriation laws justified the government’s use of these lands in 1956 when the airport was built, and that no compensation had been paid. Residents of Moadamiya demonstrated a day following the announcement of redevelopment plans. Abu Khaled, an organiser of the protest, said: "We welcome investments, but we should sit at the table to discuss our share with investors and not the state." "We have a legal right to this land." Syria is being urged to deal with the confiscation of property during the Assad era. On September 2, United Nations experts on land rights appealed to Syria to suspend and repeal the laws that they claimed had enabled systematic dispossession of property under Assad and either to establish mechanisms to return their legitimate owners' properties or to provide adequate compensation.
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A train derails near northern France, injuring at least 44 people
The French railway operator and French authorities confirmed that a train derailed in Normandy in northern France between Rouen-Caen on Friday night at around 7:30 pm local time. The head of the local authority Jean-Benoit Albertini told reporters that one of the injured was in a critical condition and had to be evacuated via helicopter. A spokesperson for the French police said that the train 'derailed after hitting an unknown object. The French railway operator SNCF said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of this accident. In a post on X, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot revealed that the train carried 180 passengers. He added that 140 firefighters were at the scene to help the injured passengers and drivers. The local authority,?prefecture Seine-Maritime, warned the public to avoid the area. SNCF announced that the train service between Rouen, Caen,?Caen, and Le Havre has been?suspended' and a'replacement bus services will be in place.
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USDA report report fails in its attempt to reverse EU wheat's decline
European wheat prices fell on Friday after U.S. grain forecasts did not provide enough positive news to counteract a bearish mood that had pushed the price to a two-week low in earlier'session. The daily session for December wheat traded on Paris' Euronext ended with a loss of 1.6%, or EUR241.25 per metric ton. The benchmark contract fell to a 2-week low at EUR240.25 earlier in the day, from a contract peak of EUR259.25. The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its monthly "supply and Demand" forecasts for world wheat ending stocks on Friday. These were slightly higher than average estimates. Investors who had built up a large position in wheat were encouraged to take profits by the report's publication. Prices were also affected by diplomatic efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Commerzbank, which announced its forecasts on Friday, increased their year-end wheat prices, citing the ongoing attacks by Russia and Ukraine against each other's port. The CBOT wheat price at the end the year is now $7, up previously from $6.50, and the Euronext wheat price at EUR240, up previously from EUR220. The market is still bouncing between the bearish expectation of a stable shipping agreement in the Black Sea and the bullish expectation that Russia and Ukraine will continue to attack ports and shipping. Importers from Egypt and Libya showed an interest in small quantities of 11.5% protein wheat at $300-$305 per ton C&F for shipment between September/October. According to a trader, Pakistan's wheat tender of 750,000 tons next week will likely?attract mainly Romanian or Bulgarian offers and possibly include Ukrainian wheat that is transported overland to Romania. Pakistan could cancel the tender if prices are well above $300 per ton c&f. As Rhine water levels dropped, ships were only able to sail partially loaded and transport costs increased.
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Poste Italiane acquires Telecom Italia for 66.6% at the end of the offer period
Poste Italiane secured a 66.6% share in Telecom Italia (TIM)'s capital. Calculations based on stock exchange data were revealed on Friday at the conclusion of the main phase for the takeover bid by the state-backed company. Poste, who had previously acquired a 20% stake in TIM, increased its cash component by 18%, to EUR1.97 a share. It also confirmed an exchange ratio of 0.218 newly -issued Poste?shares for each TIM share. At Friday's closing price, the bid was valued at around EUR13 billion. Borsa Italiana (the Italian stock exchange) reported that the take-up of the bid for the former Italian telephone monopoly had reached 58.2%. Poste waived its initial acceptance threshold of 66.67% for this upcoming?week. The offer period will reopen between September 21 and 25.
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Tesla targets European freight market by releasing long-delayed semi truck
Tesla will bring its Semi-electric truck to Europe, expanding its reach beyond North America. It is looking to gain a foothold in the heavy-duty market where competitors already sell battery-powered models. Elon 'Musk-led 'automaker will reveal European specifications and launch information at the IAA Transportation Trade Fair in Hanover Germany next week. It said in a posting on X. The European push comes almost a decade after Tesla unveiled the Semi back in 2017. The company initially planned to produce the Semi by 2019, but this timeline was continually delayed because the company prioritized the supply of battery cells for its passenger vehicles. Tesla began limited deliveries in late 2022 to customers such as PepsiCo, including the United States. Tesla announced in April that the first "Semi" had been produced on a Nevada high-volume line. In its shareholder update for July, Tesla only stated that Semi production would start in 2026 and removed an earlier forecast of volume production this summer. Tesla's German language website lists the version of?truck that has a range up to 550km (342 miles), with a combined gross weight of 40 tonnes and an energy consumption of around 1 kilowatt hour per kilometer. The 'company' said that the truck is able to take off with electric power up to 25 kW and weighs around 9,100 kg without a cargo or trailer. The truck can recover 60% of its range within 30 minutes by using Tesla's Megacharger network, which the company claims is capable of delivering up to 800 kilowatts. Tesla also cited dedicated service centers and route-based scheduling as features that would reduce downtime.
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QatarEnergy is seeking US LNG deals until 2031, according to sources
QatarEnergy has been in talks with several producers about securing multi-year U.S. contracts for liquefied natural gas through 2031. This is to replace the capacity that was destroyed by Iranian attacks, which will take years to fix. Two sources confirmed that discussions are underway with Venture?Global and Woodside. Sources said that the contract talks were part of QatarEnergy's effort to replace volumes lost from its Ras-Laffan facility, after Iranian strikes damaged two of its 14 gas-to liquids (GTL), and two LNG trains. QatarEnergy has also changed its approach from purchasing dozens of U.S. LNG spot cargoes in order to meet commitments made to some of their Asian clients. QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi stated in March that the repairs will sideline 12.8 millions tons of LNG capacity per year for three to fiveyears. QatarEnergy, which halted its production in March, has renewed force majeure notifications monthly. Most recently, they were extended to November. Further extensions are possible if the Strait of Hormuz is closed, according to the sources. QatarEnergy Trading - the trading arm of QatarEnergy - which managed 10 million tonnes of the company's portfolio of LNG - is looking to achieve 2-3 million metric tonnes per annum until 2031. A fourth source stated that "They'll have to buy anything they can." QatarEnergy has not responded to an immediate request for comment. Venture Global and Cheniere declined comment while Woodside LNG stated that it would not comment on speculations about the market. According to research firm Rapidan Energy, 25 million metric tonnes of LNG are available for sale in U.S. construction projects. Rapidan data shows that Venture Global has 10 mtpa of LNG uncontracted. Cheniere, Woodside Energy, and Sempra have 6 mtpa each available. Qatar's pursuit of LNG volumes to deliver to its?customers indicates that Qatar now sees a risk in their ability to export LNG over several years, said Saul Kavonic. He is the head of energy advisory and research at MST Marquee. He added that "it signals that Qatar?considers the Strait of Hormuz disruption may prove to be longer lasting and the damage to Qatari?LNG infrastructure is more extensive than originally hoped, and it may take longer to fix." Around 80% of Qatar LNG exports are usually exported to buyers in Asia. Many clients in Asia began to look for alternatives to Qatari Gas due to the uncertainty of when flows would resume through this major waterway. According to a fifth party, some market participants are testing scenarios where no Qatari gas will be available.
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QatarEnergy is seeking US LNG deals until 2031, according to sources
QatarEnergy has been in talks with several producers about securing multi-year contracts for?U.S. Three trading and industry sources said that QatarEnergy is negotiating with several producers to secure multi-year?U.S. Two of the sources cited said that discussions were held with Venture 'Global, Cheniere, and Woodside. Sources said that the contract talks were part of QatarEnergy's effort to replace volumes lost from its Ras-Laffan facility, after Iranian strikes damaged two of its 14 gas-to liquids (GTL), and two LNG trains. QatarEnergy has also changed its approach from purchasing dozens of U.S. LNG spot cargoes in order to meet commitments with some of their Asian clients. The company is now looking for longer-term solutions. QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi stated in March that repairs will sideline 12.8 millions tons of LNG capacity per year for three to five more years. QatarEnergy, which halted production back in March, has issued force majeure notifications every month. The most recent extension was to November. Further?extensions are possible, as the Strait of Hormuz is still closed, according to the sources. QatarEnergy Trading is the trading arm of QatarEnergy, which managed 10 million tons of LNG for the company. One source said that the company was looking to achieve 2-3 millions metric tons annually through 2031. A fourth source stated that "They'll have to buy anything they can." QatarEnergy has not responded to an immediate request for comment. Venture Global, Cheniere and Woodside LNG declined to comment. Saul Kavonic is the head of energy research and advisory at MST Marquee. He said that Qatar sees a risk in their ability to export LNG over several years. He added that "it signals that Qatar believes the disruption of Strait of Hormuz could be longer lasting and the damage to Qatari's LNG infrastructure has been more extensive than originally hoped and repair may take longer." Around 80% of Qatar LNG exports are usually exported to Asian buyers. Many clients in Asia began to look for alternatives to Qatari gas due to the uncertainty surrounding when flows will resume through 'the major waterway. According to a fifth party, some market participants are testing scenarios where no Qatari gas will be available.
Why is it so simple for Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz?
Iran, following through on a long-standing threat, has closed the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation to U.S. and Israeli strikes. This waterway is vital, as it carries a fifth of all global oil supplies.
The United States has said that it could consider escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which would be very difficult to secure, as the Houthis from Yemen proved last year when they disrupted Red Sea shipping.
According to United Nations data, about a fifth of global oil and LNG normally passes through the Strait. Traffic has decreased by 97% since February 28 when the U.S./Israeli war on Iran began.
Why has Iran cut off the Strait now?
The threat of cutting off the Strait was made before, when a commander from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in 2011 that it would be "easier to drink a glass water".
The Guards warned that they would close the border in the past, especially during tensions about sanctions and Iran's nuke programme in 2016-2018, and also during Israeli and U.S. attacks in June of last year.
Analysts have viewed the closing of the Strait of Hormuz as a last resort due to the strategic changes that it could cause among Iran's adversaries and the possibility of retaliation by its own energy sector.
This equation has been changed by the attack on Iran that began on 28 February with the death of its supreme leader. Iranian officials have described the war as a existential one, with the Guards taking over the strategy.
What is at stake?
Kuwait, Iran Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are oil and gas producing countries. The only sea exit is the narrow passage of water that connects the Gulf of Oman with the Gulf of Iran.
On Monday, oil prices briefly rose to their highest levels since 2022. According to the United Nations, high oil prices may trigger another cost of living crisis like what happened in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
A prolonged conflict may also lead to a fertilizer shortage, putting the global food supply at risk. According to Kpler, about 33% of all fertilisers in the world, including ammonia and sulphur, travel through the Strait.
A prolonged war could cause fears of an economic crisis in the world similar to the ones that followed the Middle East oil shocks of the 1970s.
Why is it so difficult to secure the streit?
According to shipping broker SSY Global, the shipping lanes are only two nautical miles wide. Ships must turn around and face Iranian islands as well as a mountainous coastline that offers cover for Iranian forces.
Tom Sharpe said that although the conventional navy of Iran has been largely destroyed, there are still many options available to the Guards. These include fast attack craft and mini submarines. They also have mines as well as jetskis with explosives.
According to the Centre for Information Resilience (a non-profit group of researchers), Tehran is able to produce 10,000 drones per month.
Sharpe stated that it would be possible to protect three or four vessels a day in the strait using seven or eight destroyers as air cover. However, this would only be feasible for a short time, depending on the reduction of the mini-submarine threat. To sustainably do so over months, however, would require additional resources.
Adel Bakawan of the European Institute for Middle East & North African Studies said that even if Iran were to lose its ability to deploy ballistic rockets, drones, and floating mines, there would still be a danger from suicide attacks.
Kevin Rowlands, Editor of the RUSI journal at the Royal United Services Institute, explained that if the war continues for several weeks, an escort would be formed.
He said that "the world needs oil flowing through the Gulf and there are plans in place to put protective measures in place."
What have the US and other countries promised?
On March 3, President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. will provide protection for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but attacks have already occurred and very little has gotten through.
He said that he also ordered the United States Development Finance Corporation (USDFC) to provide insurance and guarantee for shipping companies.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said that several European countries as well as India and?other Asian nations were planning a mission to 'provide protection. He said that such a mission could only be carried out once the conflict is over.
France has deployed a dozen navy vessels, including an aircraft carrier strike group to the Red Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and possibly the Strait of Hormuz.
A spokesperson for the British government said that British Prime Minister Keir starmer had spoken with the German and Italian leaders on options to support commercial shipping through the Strait.
"We are looking at various options," General Caine said to reporters on Tuesday at the Pentagon without giving any details.
WHAT HAPPENED AT OTHER SHIPMENT CHOKEPOINTS?
Yemen's Houthis - a group allied to Tehran, but with a much smaller arsenal than Iran - managed to close down the majority of traffic through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab strait, and on the way to the Suez Canal, for over?two years despite the protection provided by U.S.-led forces.
The majority of shipping companies still use a much longer route via southern tip Africa. Danish shipping company Maersk announced that it would return to the Suez Route in phases starting January.
The EU-led force that countered piracy off the coast of Somalia has had more success than Iran's Revolutionary Guards, but they were fighting against forces much less well-equipped.
AREN'T THERE OTHER WAYS TO USE THE STRAIT?
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are looking for ways to bypass this strait. They have built more oil pipelines.
These alternatives are also not operational at the moment. An attack by Houthi militants on a Saudi east-west pipeline in 2019 proved that they were vulnerable. (Additional reporting by Rene Maltezou, Kate Holton and Charlie Devereux, Writing by Angus McDowall and Timothy Heritage, Editing by Timothy Heritage).
(source: Reuters)