International
Death toll in Malaysia migrant shipwreck rises to 13
Authorities in Malaysia and Thailand have recovered at least 13 bodies and are continuing to search for survivors after a boat carrying undocumented migrants capsized off the coast of Thailand’s Tarutao Island, officials said on Monday.
The vessel, which was carrying around 70 migrants — many believed to be members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority — overturned four days ago while attempting to reach Malaysia.
Police said the passengers were part of a larger group of about 300 people who had set out in at least two boats from Myanmar roughly two weeks ago. The second boat has since been reported missing.
Tarutao Island lies just north of Malaysia’s popular Langkawi resort island, where rescue operations have been concentrated.
Romli Mustafa, Director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for the northern states of Kedah and Perlis, said that rescuers had so far recovered seven bodies, all identified as Rohingya.
“Thai authorities are also conducting search-and-rescue operations, where they have found six bodies,” Romli told reporters. “We expect to find more victims today,” he added, noting that strong currents were likely to carry additional bodies into Malaysian waters.
At least 13 people — mostly Rohingya and Bangladeshis — have been rescued alive, according to Malaysian police. Langkawi Police Chief Khairul Azhar Nuruddin said six of the dead were identified as Rohingya women and one as a young girl.
Romli said at least 12 vessels are currently involved in search efforts across a 250-square-nautical-mile area, roughly the size of Singapore.
The tragedy highlights the growing dangers faced by Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar, often through perilous sea routes facilitated by human trafficking syndicates.
“Cross-border syndicates are increasingly exploiting vulnerable migrants, turning them into victims of human trafficking using high-risk sea routes,” Romli said, noting that traffickers charge as much as $3,500 per person for passage.
Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s more prosperous nations, is home to millions of migrant workers, many of whom are undocumented and employed in construction, agriculture, and domestic service.
Deadly boat disasters are not uncommon in the region. In December 2021, more than 20 migrants drowned off Malaysia’s coast in one of the worst incidents in recent years.
Authorities say search operations will continue in both Thai and Malaysian waters as the death toll is expected to rise.
International
Death toll in South Africa bar shooting rises to 18, police say
The motive for the attack was not clear but the area is reportedly gripped by rivalry between gangs involved in illicit mining for gold.
• Forensic officers and the army at the scene of a mass shooting at a bar in Wedela township, 27 September, 2026 AP Photo
The death toll from a mass shooting at a South African tavern has risen to 18 after one person died in hospital, police said on Monday, announcing at least two of the dead were Lesotho nationals.
The shooting west of Johannesburg late on Saturday was part of a bloody weekend in the crime-weary country, with 10 people killed in another mass shooting in Cape Town on Sunday.
Eight gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed the bar in the semi-rural township of Wedela, around 80 kilometres from central Johannesburg, and killed13 men and four women, police said.
“One more victim has died in hospital, bringing the total number of deceased to 18,” they said.
“Only four of the deceased have been identified, two South Africans and two Lesotho nationals.”
The motive for the attack was not clear but the area is reportedly gripped by rivalry between gangs involved in illicit mining for gold.
Thousands of unregistered miners operate in abandoned mining shafts in South Africa, many coming from across southern Africa, including the kingdom of Lesotho which is within South Africa.
International
Congo military plane crash kills 13, including three officers
“All those on board died; 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot’s lifeless body was found outside the aircraft.”
Thirteen people including three army officers were killed on Friday when a military plane crashed in Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said.
Reuters reported that the plane was travelling to the capital, Kinshasa, from the southwestern city of Kikwit when it experienced a technical problem and attempted to land in Kenge, in Kwango province, said Remy Saki Bokinda, the Kwango vice governor.
“With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot,” he said.
The passengers included General Likulia Bakumi, the army’s auditor general, as well as a major, a captain and other military personnel and civilians, Bokinda said.
“All those on board died; 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot’s lifeless body was found outside the aircraft,” he said.
Congo’s aviation accident investigation authority is launching a probe of the crash, a government statement said.
Congo’s army suffered significant setbacks last year at the hands of Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels who seized large swathes of the east.
International
At UN, 80 countries demand reopening of Hormuz, condemn Iran, Houthi attacks
“Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to threaten international security and navigational rights and freedoms,” said a joint statement read out by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani at the United Nations.
• UN General Assembly
Some 80 countries at the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly on Thursday demanded the urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and condemned Iran and its Houthi allies for attacks in the region and disruption to international trade and energy security.
“Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to threaten international security and navigational rights and freedoms,” said a joint statement read out by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani at the United Nations.
“We also strongly condemn the Houthis’ decision to resume conflict in Yemen, their continuous strikes on Saudi Arabia, and their reckless attacks in the Red Sea,” the statement said.
The statement’s backers included Gulf Arab states and major Western powers.
It added that the Houthis’ advance towards Bab el-Mandeb Strait would also only heighten risks to international shipping, maritime security and global trade.
Both Iran and the Houthis frame their actions as defensive.
Credit: REUTERS
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