Body of Indian Sailor Missing After Oman Ship Attack Found

This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows cargo ships anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan. (AFPTV / AFP)

16:30-15 July 2026 AD ـ 01 Safar 1448 AH

This frame grab taken from AFPTV video footage on July 12, 2026 shows cargo ships anchoring near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates at Khor Fakkan. (AFPTV / AFP)

The body of an Indian sailor who went missing after his ship was attacked off the coast of Oman has been recovered, a seafarers' union official said Wednesday.

Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from the western Indian city of Pune, had been missing since Sunday's attack on the Cypriot-flagged GFS Galaxy.

"I got a call Tuesday evening from the company the ship belonged to informing me that Heramb Karmarkar's body has been found by the Omani coast guard," Manoj Yadav, of the Forward Seamen's Union of India, told AFP.

"This was almost 60 hours after we first received news that he was missing."

The other 23 crew members -- including 10 Indian nationals -- were rescued Sunday.

The US Central Command said the ship had been disabled by fire and damage to its engine room, accusing Tehran of attacking it.

India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping worldwide, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to officials.

On Tuesday, the Indian foreign ministry said attacks on commercial shipping in the region were "deeply worrisome".

"The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end," it said.

The attack came as Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbors in retaliation for US strikes.

The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which about a fifth of the world's oil passed before the war broke out on February 28, is a major point of contention between the United States and Iran.

Macron Says Talks with Trump on Red Sea, Ukraine ‘Constructive’

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) walks with Jerome Bonnafont (L), Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations and France’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (C) as they arrive at Trump Tower in New York City on September 21, 2026, ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump. (AFP)

01:12-22 September 2026 AD ـ 11 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

00:17-22 September 2026 AD ـ 11 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

01:12-22 September 2026 AD ـ 11 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

00:17-22 September 2026 AD ـ 11 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Macron Says Talks with Trump on Red Sea, Ukraine ‘Constructive’

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday he had positive talks with his US counterpart Donald Trump on the conflicts in Ukraine and in the Red Sea.

"The other issue we talked about was the situation in the Red Sea... It's important for global prices. Then we had a long discussion about Ukraine and Russia," said Macron after their New York meeting.

"We had a very good discussion. It was very constructive."

Going into the high-stakes meeting ahead of the United Nations' high-level week, a French official briefed that Macron was prepared to face Trump with "total candor."

On Ukraine, Macron said he has pressed Trump on the issue of supplying defensive weapons systems to Ukraine.

They discussed "the need to help our Ukrainian friends faster and more strongly in terms of (missile) interceptors, because that is... a defensive measure," Macron said.

The French president said Trump was "very amenable and we were able to go into detail on these two conflicts, which are obviously important for peace in the world and for our security."

The Red Sea has become a key oil shipping route with the Strait of Hormuz blocked, but the takeover of the Strait of Bab al-Mandab by the Iran-backed Houthi militants has complicated shipping operations there.

The European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea would need more than 10 warships, its foreign policy chief said on Monday, adding ‌that for ‌now there weren’t ‌that ⁠many in the ⁠area.

"When Aspides (the EU military operation) was put in place, then the indication was that ⁠it needs at ‌least ‌10 ships. The situation, ‌I think, is ‌even more grave right now," she told reporters on the sidelines ‌of the annual gathering of world leaders ⁠at ⁠the United Nations.

Kallas last week sent a letter to member states asking them to contribute more naval and air assets in the region, diplomats said.

Macron traveled to New York from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a small French territory off Canada's Atlantic coast, where he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Carney has been embroiled in a war of words with Trump over a failed effort between the US and Canada to strike a trade deal, resulting in tit-for-tat tariffs.

The French president also plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

World

Washington Mobilizes Allies in the Arctic

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, on September 21, 2026. (AFP)

23:31-21 September 2026 AD ـ 10 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

Washington Mobilizes Allies in the Arctic

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media during a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, on September 21, 2026. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday stressed the need for investment in the Arctic while meeting with his counterparts from seven countries in the region, on the eve of signing a security agreement on Greenland.

"Allies agreed that Arctic security requires continued investment to safeguard this vital region and deter strategic competitors," State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said in a readout of the meeting.

"Discussions focused on taking greater responsibility for Arctic security by developing sovereign military and economic capabilities, ensuring investment security, and funding resilient critical infrastructure that ensures reliable access and supports our shared leadership in the Arctic."

The meeting convened top diplomats from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, at a New York hotel on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Greenland, Denmark and the United States are due to sign an agreement regarding the Arctic at the UN on Tuesday, the office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday evening.

The agreement was announced Friday by US President Donald Trump, and has not yet been made publicly available.

But Frederiksen said it recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark, and the right of self-determination for Greenland's people.

Washington said the agreement paves the way to strengthen US military presence in Greenland while ensuring that China and Russia will not be able to establish bases or carry out sensitive investments there without consent.

Monday's discussions also touched on cooperation to develop a fleet of icebreakers between the US, Canada and Finland.

In October, the United States announced the purchase of 11 icebreakers from Finland for the US Coast Guard to add to its fleet of three aging ships.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said recently that Europe needs icebreakers to strengthen its presence in the Arctic, as global warming draws the interest of major powers to the region.

Vast natural resources are becoming increasingly accessible in the Arctic as ice melts and new maritime routes open up due to climate change.

China, Russia and the United States are reinforcing their presence in the strategic Arctic as a result.

World

UK Joins Call for Limiting UN Security Council Vetoes

11 September 2026, US, New York: A wide view of the UN Security Council chamber during a UN Security Council meeting marking the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks and examining the evolving global terrorist threat and international efforts to counter terrorism. (dpa)

23:26-21 September 2026 AD ـ 10 Rabi’ Al-Thani 1448 AH

UK Joins Call for Limiting UN Security Council Vetoes

The United Kingdom has signed on to an initiative urging UN Security Council permanent members to withhold their vetoes on matters concerning mass atrocities, such as genocide, countries leading the push said Monday.

The initiative, first proposed by Mexico and France in 2015, now has a total of 128 countries behind it, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Mexican counterpart Roberto Velasco said in a joint statement.

It is now just one country shy of reaching a two-thirds threshold of UN member states.

The Security Council has been paralyzed on many issues in recent years amid deep divisions between the five veto-wielding permanent members: France, UK, Russia, China, and the United States.

"By supporting this political declaration, states are demonstrating their commitment to ensuring that the Security Council can fully exercise its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security," said Barrot and Velasco.

In May, a diplomatic source told AFP that France was hoping to reach the two-thirds majority before this year's UN General Assembly, which kicks off this week.

Even if adopted with a two-thirds majority, the resolution would be non-binding.

Officials nonetheless hope to make it more politically difficult for a permanent member to use its veto in cases of such dire emergencies.

Body of Indian Sailor Missing After Oman Ship Attack Found

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