Lead Story
Philippine ferry fire death toll rises to 76 as rescuers recover more remains
The death toll from a fire aboard the passenger ferry M/V June Aster off the western Philippine province of Palawan climbed to 76 on Saturday, September 12, 2026, after the coast guard confirmed the discovery of dozens more bodies aboard the burnt-out vessel, with 13 people still missing. The ferry, sailing from Manila and carrying 132 passengers and crew, caught fire in its lower decks on Wednesday evening just 2.2 kilometers from its destination of Coron; rescuers pulled 43 survivors from the water that night. Survivors described hearing successive explosions before flames swept rapidly through the passenger areas, and maritime officials said the ship captain's actions in the disaster's early minutes are now under formal review.
Read more →Lead Story
Philippine ferry fire death toll rises to 76 as rescuers recover more remains
The death toll from a fire aboard the passenger ferry M/V June Aster off the western Philippine province of Palawan climbed to 76 on Saturday, September 12, 2026, after the coast guard confirmed the discovery of dozens more bodies aboard the burnt-out vessel, with 13 people still missing. The ferry, sailing from Manila and carrying 132 passengers and crew, caught fire in its lower decks on Wednesday evening just 2.2 kilometers from its destination of Coron; rescuers pulled 43 survivors from the water that night. Survivors described hearing successive explosions before flames swept rapidly through the passenger areas, and maritime officials said the ship captain's actions in the disaster's early minutes are now under formal review.
BRICS leaders adopt New Delhi Declaration as Modi and Xi meet on summit sidelines
Leaders of the BRICS bloc adopted the consensus New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the close of the 18th BRICS Summit hosted at Bharat Mandapam under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the declaration's adoption in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other bloc leaders, after the group overcame sharp differences between the UAE and Iran over the West Asia conflict; the text stops short of directly naming the US strikes on Iran or Iranian attacks on Gulf states. On the sidelines, Modi and Xi held a bilateral meeting focused on improving India-China relations, trade cooperation and border peace, while the declaration itself outlined cooperation on AI governance, cross-border payment systems, energy security and counter-terrorism.
Read more →BRICS leaders adopt New Delhi Declaration as Modi and Xi meet on summit sidelines
Leaders of the BRICS bloc adopted the consensus New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the close of the 18th BRICS Summit hosted at Bharat Mandapam under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the declaration's adoption in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other bloc leaders, after the group overcame sharp differences between the UAE and Iran over the West Asia conflict; the text stops short of directly naming the US strikes on Iran or Iranian attacks on Gulf states. On the sidelines, Modi and Xi held a bilateral meeting focused on improving India-China relations, trade cooperation and border peace, while the declaration itself outlined cooperation on AI governance, cross-border payment systems, energy security and counter-terrorism.
Zelensky says he is ready to meet Putin at G20 summit in Miami, but Kremlin calls it 'impossible'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday, September 12, 2026, that he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at December's G20 summit in Miami if Putin attends, stressing that any such meeting must produce concrete results rather than rhetoric. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 is 'impossible,' repeating Moscow's longstanding demand that any Putin-Zelensky summit take place in Russia, and said the Kremlin had not yet decided whether Putin would attend the December 14-15 gathering at all. The offer came the same week US negotiators shuttled between Kyiv and Moscow and President Donald Trump and Putin held a phone call, as Washington pushes to restart long-stalled talks over Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.
Read more →Zelensky says he is ready to meet Putin at G20 summit in Miami, but Kremlin calls it 'impossible'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday, September 12, 2026, that he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at December's G20 summit in Miami if Putin attends, stressing that any such meeting must produce concrete results rather than rhetoric. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 is 'impossible,' repeating Moscow's longstanding demand that any Putin-Zelensky summit take place in Russia, and said the Kremlin had not yet decided whether Putin would attend the December 14-15 gathering at all. The offer came the same week US negotiators shuttled between Kyiv and Moscow and President Donald Trump and Putin held a phone call, as Washington pushes to restart long-stalled talks over Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.
Trump predicts Iran war will end 'very soon,' right after the midterms
President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday, September 9-10, 2026, on his way to a GOP midterm convention in Dallas that he expects the war with Iran to end shortly after November's midterm elections, saying 'I think very soon, I think it'll be right after the midterms, actually,' and that oil prices would then 'come tumbling down.' Trump argued that Tehran is deliberately prolonging the seven-month conflict to inflict maximum political damage on Republicans before the vote, while conceding that American gas prices are unlikely to fall before Election Day. It is at least the latest in a string of predictions Trump has made about an imminent end to the war since initially estimating it would last four to five weeks.
Read more →Trump predicts Iran war will end 'very soon,' right after the midterms
President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday, September 9-10, 2026, on his way to a GOP midterm convention in Dallas that he expects the war with Iran to end shortly after November's midterm elections, saying 'I think very soon, I think it'll be right after the midterms, actually,' and that oil prices would then 'come tumbling down.' Trump argued that Tehran is deliberately prolonging the seven-month conflict to inflict maximum political damage on Republicans before the vote, while conceding that American gas prices are unlikely to fall before Election Day. It is at least the latest in a string of predictions Trump has made about an imminent end to the war since initially estimating it would last four to five weeks.
Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to win first US Open title and claim world No. 1 ranking
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final, claiming her first US Open crown, her third career Grand Slam title, and the WTA world No. 1 ranking Sabalenka had held for 99 consecutive weeks. It is the second Grand Slam final between the two this year, after Rybakina also beat Sabalenka for the Australian Open title in January, making Rybakina only the second player in the Open era, after Steffi Graf in 1995, to beat a reigning world No. 1 in two major finals in the same calendar year. Rybakina's win also earned her a record $5.5 million winner's prize, the largest in Grand Slam history.
Read more →Rybakina dethrones Sabalenka to win first US Open title and claim world No. 1 ranking
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final, claiming her first US Open crown, her third career Grand Slam title, and the WTA world No. 1 ranking Sabalenka had held for 99 consecutive weeks. It is the second Grand Slam final between the two this year, after Rybakina also beat Sabalenka for the Australian Open title in January, making Rybakina only the second player in the Open era, after Steffi Graf in 1995, to beat a reigning world No. 1 in two major finals in the same calendar year. Rybakina's win also earned her a record $5.5 million winner's prize, the largest in Grand Slam history.