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Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) launched a major search operation for the Virgo Transport 8 passenger ship carrying 243 people after it lost contact in the Java Sea early Sunday.Head of the search and rescue office in Banjarmasin I Putu Sudayana said the vessel lost contact around 2 a.m. local time after encountering severe weather while sailing from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.A six-person initial response team was deployed aboard rescue vessel KN SAR Laksmana 241 and headed for the ship’s last known position, about a five-hour journey by sea. Source link
An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, struck on Sunday off the coast of Vanuatu Islands in the Pacific Ocean.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that the epicenter of the quake occurred at a depth of 135.1 kilometers, 43 kilometers southeast of Port Orly.In December, an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale struck Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, killing 14 persons and damaging commercial buildings, embassies, and a hospital.Vanuatu, a volcanic archipelago in the South Pacific, lies along the “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates meet and friction between them causes seismic activity. Source link
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed regional developments and ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions and strengthen security and stability in the region during a phone call Sunday with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot.The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that, during the call, the two ministers exchanged views and assessments on developments concerning the Palestinian cause and the latest situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as conditions in Sudan, Libya and Lebanon, and efforts to address the ongoing crises and support political settlement processes.During the call, Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s intensive efforts to contain the regional escalation. He stressed the importance of resuming negotiations between the United States and Iran and underscored the need to prioritize diplomatic solutions and create conditions conducive to resuming negotiations, thereby helping to de-escalate tensions, prevent the conflict from widening, and preserve regional security and stability. Source link
A shortage of air traffic controllers caused flight cancellations and delays at Sydney Airport yesterday morning, the federal agency responsible for managing Australia’s air traffic said, as probes continue into several recent near-misses at the airport.Airservices Australia said it was required to enact Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) measures at Sydney Airport “due to roster constraints” and “to safely manage aviation demand.”The ATFM measures were lifted at 8:15am (2215 GMT on Thursday) after conditions improved, though delays of no more than 10 minutes were still expected for the rest of the morning.”Airservices acknowledges the ATFM measures may have caused some disruptions to airline scheduling, and is working with airlines to reduce delays and the impact on passenger travel as much as possible,” a spokesperson said by email.The agency said it was taking steps to recruit more air traffic controllers and make it easier to call on additional staff when needed.Some Qantas flights faced delays of more than an hour, and six flights were cancelled. Sydney Airport’s website did not specify a reason for the delays, and a spokesperson referred enquiries to Airservices Australia.The disruptions come as Airservices Australia CEO Rob Sharp and other senior executives are due to appear later yesterday before a Senate committee that is examining the state of Australia’s aviation sector and its ability to deliver reliable and affordable services to regional areas.Last week, a Reuters report — citing internal records and a call recording — said several air traffic controllers on duty when two Qantas aircraft nearly collided at Sydney Airport in July had been flagged as facing a high risk of fatigue.One shift manager reportedly described the staffing situation as “a bit insane.”That incident was the first of six near-misses at Sydney Airport in the space of about a month, prompting further scrutiny of air traffic control staffing amid global shortages. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the close calls to determine whether they shared common safety issues or contributing factors. Source link
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their bilateral meeting ahead of Brics Summit in New Delhi, yesterday. (Reuters) India said yesterday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to further strengthen the special relationship between their countries in talks that ranged over areas including energy and defence.New Delhi is engaged in a diplomatic balancing act as it tries to maintain strong ties with the US, Gulf Arab states, Russia, Iran and Israel, while suffering the impact of shipping and trade disruptions due to the Ukraine and Iran wars.The meeting was the second in two weeks between the two leaders. It was held on the eve of the annual summit of Brics leaders in the Indian capital, which Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, among others, are due to attend. The bloc is seeking to raise its profile even as its members are split over the Iran war.Modi and Putin “shared perspectives on … the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers”, a statement from India’s foreign ministry said.Modi reiterated that conflicts should be resolved by dialogue and diplomacy and that India stood ready to assist in peace efforts, it added.”The two leaders agreed to remain engaged in an effort to strengthen further the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries,” the foreign ministry statement said.RESILIENT ENERGY TIESIndia, along with China, is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which is seen as helping Moscow replenish its budget since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was hit with sweeping Western sanctions.India has sought to resist the pressure to scale back the trade, saying its large population and economy need secure, affordable and reliable energy supplies. New Delhi has also said that the Ukraine conflict can be resolved only through dialogue and diplomacy and not by some countries stopping energy, metal or fertiliser trade with Russia.Russia’s share of Indian crude imports rose in 2026, reaching a record 51% in July, as disruptions to Middle Eastern supplies increased Indian refiners’ reliance on Russian oil. That share likely moderated in August as China stepped up Russian oil purchases, Indian media reported.Yesterday, Modi said he presented Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, a revered classical text in India’s Tamil language comprising 1,330 couplets on virtue, governance and love, attributed to the poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.The two leaders also visited an India-Russia industrial fair showcasing Russian technology, AI, aviation, space, nuclear science, heavy engineering, mining and banking companies.India and Russia have said they want to raise bilateral trade to $100bn by 2030 from nearly $70bn in 2024-25. Source link
Japanese military members stand near a Chinook helicopter on the deck of the Japanese JS Kunisaki ship, which will be used to support Indonesia’s efforts to…
Under the theme “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development”, the UN will mark UN Day for South-South Co-operation today, highlighting the vital role of South-South and triangular co-operation in scaling up proven, impact-driven solutions. The 2026 observance marks a major milestone with the launch of the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangular Co-operation, a voluntary mechanism co-ordinated by the UN Office for South-South Co-operation (UNOSSC). The alliance brings together member states, UN entities, multilateral financial institutions, academia, and the private sector to expand the implementation of successful development models. Triangular co-operation involves South-led partnerships supported by developed nations or multilateral organisations to implement joint development initiatives. The initiative precedes the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly (September 18-28), which UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted aims to revitalise global cooperation and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rooted in the founding of UNOSSC in 1974 and the 1978 Buenos Aires Plan of Action, this framework complements traditional North-South development aid while strictly adhering to principles of national sovereignty, non-conditionality, equality, and mutual benefit. Commenting on the strategic value of the initiative, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Qatar University Dr Abdullah Bandar al-Otaibi told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Alliance arrives at a critical juncture marked by rising debt, climate pressures, and shrinking development funds. He emphasised that the platform allows developing nations to translate their expertise into concrete projects while leveraging third-party financing and retaining full ownership over their developmental priorities. Dr al-Otaibi noted that Gulf economies, particularly Qatar, are uniquely positioned to combine financing, investment, and knowledge transfer across key sectors. The most immediate beneficiaries will likely be food security, water management, clean energy, and digital technology, spanning areas such as drought-resistant agriculture, desalination, renewable energy efficiency, e-governance, and artificial intelligence applications in health and disaster management. Addressing potential hurdles, Dr al-Otaibi explained that while securing continuous funding remains a challenge, the primary obstacle lies in adapting successful solutions to varying institutional, legal, and local environments. He concluded that ultimate success should not be measured merely by financial commitments or signed agreements, but by sustainable impact, such as job creation, technology localisation, private investment, and the ability of projects to thrive long after initial funding ends, transforming developing nations from passive recipients of solutions into active producers. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), economist Dr Abdullah al-Khater emphasised that the primary economic value of the Global Alliance for South-South Cooperation lies in bridging the gap between demand and supply by linking expertise, capital, and market needs through a unified, effective network. Dr al-Khater explained that the platform provides incentives for real participation rather than symbolic membership. By creating direct channels of communication among funding institutions, investors, and projects, the alliance dramatically reduces search costs, time, and effort. It builds trust by allowing entities to transparently evaluate partners, review historical project performance, and access vital market intelligence that previously posed barriers to development finance. While noting that the network will require time to fully mature, Dr al-Khater highlighted that economic demands and market indicators will guide its direction. He stressed that adopting modern technology will minimise capital expenditures and improve returns, offering clear performance metrics for investors. To prevent the platform from becoming a political or promotional venue, he urged for transparent reporting, competitive performance tracking, and the active inclusion of the private sector as a neutral, market-driven third party, backed by specialised managerial oversight. The launch comes amid rapid growth in South-South economic engagement. Global South-South trade reached USD6.8tn in 2025, with over half of developing nations’ exports now directed toward other developing economies, up from 38% three decades ago. Furthermore, intra-developing foreign direct investment flows have quadrupled since the 1990s, capturing 32% of global FDI between 2020 and 2023, underscoring the shift toward a more interconnected and self-reliant Global South. (QNA) Source link
A child places a flower near inscribed names in one of the reflecting pools at the 9/11 Memorial during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, in New York City, on September 11, 2026 Source link
A woman walks past country flags outside Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the upcoming Brics Summit in New Delhi, yesterday. (Reuters) India will host the Brics Leaders’ Summit this weekend, seeking to lift the bloc’s global profile even as the US-led war on Iran splits its membership, with Tehran and Abu Dhabi on opposing sides of the conflict. The September 12-13 summit in New Delhi comes more than six months after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, a Brics member since 2024. The conflict has led to a virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key choke points in the oil trade, pushing crude prices to over $100 a barrel. Brics member UAE, after being hit by Iranian missiles since the war began, suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran in August.Foreign policy experts said the key test for the bloc will be finding language on the Middle East crisis that both Abu Dhabi and Tehran can accept, clearing the way for a joint declaration. Such a joint statement was unlikely to influence the current geopolitical landscape, but will demonstrate, for instance, that a forum of emerging countries could be united against economically debilitating policies like Western sanctions, they said. Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend in his first visit to India in seven years, underscoring the importance Beijing attaches to Brics and placing China alongside host India at the centre of efforts to hold the expandedbloc together. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto are also due, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The UAE is expected to be represented by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the differences between the UAE and Iran had a “negative impact” and get in the way of “drafting” a joint declaration, but hoped the leaders will be able to find a phrasing that will be acceptable to both countries. Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and later South Africa, Brics has expanded with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia, reflecting its ambition to represent a wider Global South.Saudi Arabia’s role in the grouping remains ambiguous as it has not accepted full membership but participates with lower-level delegations. Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud will attend the Delhi meeting. “Some of (Brics’) new members, Iran and the UAE, Egypt and Ethiopia are embroiled in tensions and don’t agree much. This is bad news for an entity that operates based on consensus,” said Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. “There is an irony here: Brics expansion reflects its growing appeal and prominence. But that very expansion, because of the divergent views of the new members, could make the group less effective.”In May, foreign ministers of Brics nations failed to issue a joint statement after a meeting in New Delhi due to differences between Iran and the UAE. However, earlier this month, the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) summit offered grounds for optimism because its members found language on the Iran conflict acceptable to countries with differing positions.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi, Putin and Pezeshkian, among others, signed a joint declaration condemning the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran and Western sanctions. Former Indian diplomat Rajiv Bhatia said the joint statement at the SCO summit, which however does not include the UAE, has raised hopes for Brics to be able to bridge the divide. “There has been a significant forward movement in Bishkek at the SCO summit,” Bhatia said. Despite SCO having members that are pro-US, “they were able to bring out a formulation which was acceptable to all sides.”Beyond efforts to secure agreement on the Middle East, attention will also focus on potential bilateral meetings between Modi and Xi, and on scheduled talks between Modi and Putin. A likely Modi-Xi meeting would be their third since ties began improving last year following an agreement to ease military tensions along their disputed Himalayan border.Xi is expected to hold talks with Modi on the summit’s sidelines, with the two leaders likely to review efforts to stabilise relations and deepen economic engagement.Peskov said on Tuesday that Putin would hold bilateral talks with Modi today ahead of the summit, with trade and economic co-operation expected to feature prominently on the agenda Source link
A chilling new documentary about Israel’s AI-powered mass killing of civilians in Gaza from two Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers received a 25-minute ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday.The audience clapped continuously for Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor after the screening, an AFP reporter witnessed, setting what is thought to be a new record in Venice after a 23-minute ovation for another film about Gaza last year.In their film “NAZA”, Abraham and Szor used conversations with 24 different Israeli military or intelligence whistleblowers who spoke on condition that their identities be protected. Directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor attend a photocall for the documentary “Naza” in Competition, at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, in Venice, Italy,…