ERG’s Congo cobalt site sees return of army-backed intruders

Bloomberg News | September 9, 2026 |

More than three-quarters of the world’s cobalt comes from Congo. (Image courtesy of The Impact Facility.)

Intruders backed by soldiers are again operating illegally at one of the world’s biggest sources of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The recurrence of the incursion at the project belonging to a subsidiary of Eurasian Resources Group, which was first reported by Bloomberg in May, represents a challenge to the authority of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi. He ordered ministers in July to “definitively end all forms of illegal militarization of mining sites,” saying the issue “fosters negative perceptions of the governance of our natural resources.”

In the previous intrusion, a local company protected by Congolese soldiers had taken over a key section of a major copper-cobalt concession held by ERG’s Metalkol unit. An intervention by the armed forces subsequently cleared them out and seized their equipment.

A new “illegal occupation” in the same part of Metalkol’s permit near the city of Kolwezi began on Aug. 21 and is ongoing, ERG’s Africa division said by email. The incursion is being carried out by “armed men in uniform and groups of miners operating without authorization.”

The “government has been informed of the situation,” said the General Inspectorate of Mines, which is part of Congo’s Mines Ministry. “Appropriate measures are being implemented to ensure a lasting solution to this recurring issue,” a spokesperson said.

Congo’s National Defense & Veterans Ministry and Interior Ministry didn’t respond to requests for comment. Nor did a spokesperson for the subnational government in Lualaba province, where Metalkol is located.

The Central African country has some of the world’s richest deposits of copper, cobalt, tin, tantalum, gold, lithium and zinc. Cobalt has rallied sharply since early last year after Congo — the world’s dominant supplier of the battery metal — imposed export restrictions. 

Despite a recent decline, prices of cobalt hydroxide, the main product shipped from the African country, remain more than three times higher than when the curbs were introduced. Copper has been trading at an all-time high this week. 

So-called artisanal miners — sometimes supported by soldiers — often operate without permission, including on licenses belonging to international investors. The Mines Ministry is overseeing efforts to create zones where they are allowed to work.

Metalkol has the rights to reprocess more than 100 million tons of historic mine waste known as tailings and has become one of the top suppliers of cobalt. Only projects owned by CMOC Group Ltd. and Glencore Plc export more of the battery metal. The ERG unit is also a major producer of copper which is mined alongside cobalt in Congo.

The extraction of ore during the first occupation at Metalkol, which started in February and accelerated in April, was so organized that the activity threatened the venture’s commercial future, ERG previously said.

This time, the “theft of tailings” is also being “conducted on an industrial scale” by excavators and trucks operating around the clock, ERG said, estimating that around 700 tons of material is leaving the concession each day destined for nearby Chinese-owned plants. “Metalkol is unable to access the occupied area” due to the military presence, ERG said.

The earlier intrusion was carried out by a firm named Societe Cooperative Miniere Hosanna which claimed it had been authorized by the government, including the Interior Ministry, to clean up alleged pollution in the riverbed that contains most of Metalkol’s remaining reserves. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani previously told Bloomberg his ministry hadn’t granted permission to Hosanna.

ERG didn’t mention Hosanna in its statement about the latest events.

Last month, Mines Minister Louis Watum withdrew Hosanna’s approval to operate as a mining cooperative and issued Metalkol a 45-day notice to take “urgent measures” to clean up the river in its concession, according to letters seen by Bloomberg.

Metalkol is “working constructively” with the ministry’s environmental protection department to review relevant information and determine appropriate action, ERG said. The cooperation is taking place “without prejudice to the company’s position regarding the origin, cause or attribution of the environmental situation under review.”

These incursions “are occurring despite the highest instructions” of Congo’s president, ERG said.

(By William Clowes)

At SMM, ABS Says the Best Green Investments are Agility and Efficiency

Courtesy ABS

Published Sep 7, 2026 2:17 PM by The Maritime Executive

In a panel event just before the opening of SMM 2026, the American Bureau of Shipping updated its outlook for the state of green shipping and came away with a new conclusion: success doesn't depend on picking the right winning fuel - it depends on making the right capital decisions, preparing for multiple scenarios, investing in people and execution capacity, and staying ready to adapt. 

At present, future fuels are constrained by a hard market reality: charterers want the least-cost quality option. One owner told ABS that not one customer had been willing to pay anything over direct regulatory cost in the last three years.

"We want to decarbonize. Very few customers, on the other hand, are willing to pay a meaningful premium for it," explained Rostom Merzouki, Vice President of Sustainability at ABS. "That means there is no guarantee that greener vessels will earn more revenue." 

In this commercial environment, the watchword of the moment is efficiency, he says. Inefficient tonnage incurs present-day costs, and not just in fuel consumption. In Europe, FuelEU and ETS charges now add up to as much as $9 million per vessel per year on Asia-Europe trade lanes. Outside of the EU, vessels with the worst CII ratings charter at a discount to better B-rated ships, and sell at an even steeper discount of up to 15 percent. 

"Fuel efficiency remains the most resilient investment available today. It creates value regardless of which fuel wins, which regulation emerges in the field," he said. "Significant value can already be achieved through the technologies that are available now, like wind-assisted systems, air lubrication, waste heat recovery, digital optimization, predictive maintenance, and advanced voyage management."

Courtesy ABS

Capturing those savings requires "organizational readiness" - the staff capacity to adapt and execute - and a willingness to strike while the iron is hot. Supply chain capacity for efficiency retrofits may be limited by 2030, he says, when more and more operators may have to schedule yard periods to improve vessel fuel economy. Those jumping on the efficiency opportunity in 2027-28, he said, may be more likely to secure economical terms - and can abate the steep base-case compliance costs of the IMO NZF, if it enters into effect.

"Those waiting for more certainty may discover that certainty arrives after the available capacity is gone," he cautioned.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, investing in efficiency now may even be a better idea than casting the dice on a form of dual-fuel propulsion, depending upon fuel type and vessel trading pattern. "In many cases, investing in efficiency generates a stronger business case than investing in fuel flexibility that cannot be fully utilized," he said. 

 

First LNG Carrier with Two Wind Sails Named Ahead of Commissioning

Fujin Sailor built by MOL and operating under charter to Chevron is the first LNG carrier and the first vessel with two rigid wind sails (MOL)

Published Sep 10, 2026 7:21 PM by The Maritime Executive

Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines celebrated the naming of the first LNG carrier fitted with rigid sails, which is also the first vessel to be fitted with two of the sails. The vessel, named Fujin Sailor, was built at Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje, South Korea, shipyard and, when delivered at the end of the month, will begin operating under a long-term charter to Chevron.

Development of the ship required a collaborative effort between MOL, Chevron, and Hanwha Ocean to address the unique challenges of fitting the sails to an LNG carrier. They had previously highlighted that for tradability, the installation position of the Wind Challenger rigid sails aims to minimize impact on the existing design of membrane-type LNG carriers. They said it would enable the unchanged retention of the existing mooring arrangement and thereby minimize impacts on ship-to-shore compatibility, together with limited impact on the vessel's windage area.

It is the first application of a design concept that was approved in 2024 after MOL and its partners conducted a risk assessment that comprehensively evaluated factors such as the placement of the sails, their impact on visibility, emergency operation procedures, and other safety measures, to add the technology to an LNG carrier. It also worked with GTT (Gaztransport et Technigaz), which holds the patents on the technology for the LNG tanks, for the evaluation of the impact on the cargo tank due to the sail installation.

The vessel is 295 meters (968 feet) with a capacity for 174,000 cbm of LNG. It uses an Everllence (MAN Energy Solutions) main engine and is also fitted with air lubrication for the hull and shaft generators. The telescoping rigid sails are made of fiber-reinforced plastic. Each sail consists of three panels and, when fully extended, stands approximately 49 meters (160 feet) above the deck near the bow of the ship. Each is about 15 meters (49 feet) in width. The first images of the ship appeared in May as it was outfitting after the sails were installed.

It is the fourth vessel that MOL has outfitted with its wind sails, after two coal carriers and a bulker. Plans call for a second, similarly sized, LNG carrier to be delivered later this year, also fitted with two Wind Challenger sails. It will be operating under charter to Tokyo LNG Tanker Co., a subsidiary of Tokyo Gas. The vessel is also being built by Hanwha Ocean at the same shipyard.

MOL has currently committed to installing the Wind Challenger rigid sail on a total of 11 vessels. It has also ordered six bulk carriers, each to be fitted with one rigid sail. They are being built by Japan’s Oshima Shipbuilding Co.

It is a further demonstration of the growing trend to leverage wind-assisted propulsion more broadly in commercial shipping and in more categories of ships. Maersk and Anemoi Marine Technologies recently agreed to the first test of a wind rotor aboard a containership. That installation is scheduled for mid-2027.

bound4blue Secures Bureau Veritas Design Assessment for Model 3-24 eSAIL

bound4blue's eSAIL® technology gains independent validation from Bureau Veritas.

Published Sep 12, 2026 12:04 PM by The Maritime Executive

[By bound4blue]

bound4blue has received a Design Assessment from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore for its flagship Model 3-24 eSAIL®, developed to maximise the contribution of wind propulsion on larger vessels.

Presented during a handover ceremony at SMM 2026 in Hamburg, the assessment confirms that the design has been independently reviewed against Bureau Veritas' technical requirements, providing further confidence for shipowners looking to deploy proven, scalable wind propulsion solutions.

bound4blue’s eSAIL® suction sail technology has made significant strides forward across multiple shipping segments in the space of the past year, with more than 50 units now ordered and installations completed onboard 13 vessels.

The Model 3 range spans heights from 24 metres to 36 metres, with the 3-24 becoming the first commercial installation earlier this year onboard Klaveness Combination Carriers' newbuild MV Baltazar. The sails feature an expanded surface area and optimised aerodynamic profile, ensuring even the largest ships can take advantage of compelling commercial and regulatory gains.

“As the market matures, confidence becomes just as important as innovation,” says José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder of bound4blue. “So, as wind takes its place within mainstream fleet investment, independent assessments really do play an increasingly important role in differentiating and substantiating technical solutions.

“Here at bound4blue it’s been a focus since day one. We are committed to engaging with leading Class societies to demonstrate the quality and potential of our proprietary technology. By doing so we provide owners, yards and wider industry stakeholders with the reassurance they need to embrace the wind revolution and unlock significant environmental and business benefits. We’re delighted to achieve this latest recognition from Bureau Veritas as we continue to cement our position as a trusted industry partner.”

The Model 3-24 builds on bound4blue's proven Model 2 platform, retaining the company's hallmark technical simplicity for straightforward installation and autonomous operation.

eSAILs® work by utilising boundary layer suction to draw air across an aerodynamically optimised surface and generate propulsive force up to seven times greater than rigid sails of the same size, while requiring far less maintenance. The result is significantly lower fuel consumption, reduced CO? emissions and improved operational efficiency. In addition, the non-ATEX technology supports compliance with a growing range of environmental regulations, including FuelEU Maritime and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), while contributing towards improved Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) performance and EEXI compliance.

Speaking of the Design Assessment process, David Barrow, SVP for Western Europe and Americas at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, comments: “Wind propulsion is becoming an increasingly important element of the maritime industry's decarbonisation journey, and independent technical assessment helps provide confidence as these technologies continue to mature and scale. Through this Design Assessment, Bureau Veritas is pleased to support bound4blue in advancing safe and reliable innovation, helping shipowners reduce emissions while maintaining robust technical standards.”

eSAILs® have emerged as a solution of choice for many of shipping’s leading names, including companies such as Maersk Tankers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Louis Dreyfus Company, and many more.

Designed as a simple, plug-and-play system for both retrofits and newbuilds, bound4blue suction sails operate alongside conventional propulsion systems while also supporting the adoption of future fuels such as methanol and ammonia, helping shipowners integrate complementary sustainability solutions into their decarbonisation strategies.

eSAILs® are market proven to deliver double-digit fuel savings, with typical payback periods of less than five years.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

 Poten: VLCC Rates Hit Unprecedented Levels Amidst Mideast Conflict

Tanker owners should take advantage of the current market, which may never happen again, says Poten & Partners

Press handout / file image courtesy China COSCO

Published Sep 11, 2026 

 by Erik Broekhuizen / Poten & Partners

Participants in the tanker industry are no strangers to market cycles combined with extreme volatility. However, even seasoned veterans are looking at current developments in the market and scratching their heads. What is happening is truly unprecedented. It begs the question: What is driving this market and, more importantly, how sustainable is it? In this Tanker Opinion we will focus on the market for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), the most volatile and visible tanker segment.

Just to provide a little context, VLCCs are large crude oil tankers, with a carrying capacity of two million barrels, They are the main vehicle for long-haul seaborne crude oil transportation. As per September 1st, the global VLCC fleet consisted of 928 vessels, with an average age of 13 years. VLCC earnings are notoriously volatile, driven by supply and demand dynamics in a highly competitive market.



Chart 1 shows VLCC Time Charter Equivalent earnings over the last 15+ years (monthly averages in $/day). In July 2008, at the tail-end of the shipping “super cycle”, VLCC rates hit almost $200,000/day. On the back of China's extraordinary growth, shipping markets were exuberant, and owners had lined up at Asian shipyards to order more capacity. The orderbook ballooned. In late 2008, the global financial crisis hit, sending the world economy into a tailspin, taking the shipping markets with it. By mid-2009, tanker rates had dropped below $20,000/day.

The market has gone through a few more cycles since then. The next time the market closed in on $200,000/day was in April 2020, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia flooded the oil markets after Russia refused to make the deep production cuts needed to address the demand destruction resulting from the pandemic lockdowns. The oil glut that followed quicky filled onshore tanks and raised demand for floating storage, boosting VLCC rates. This rate boom was also followed by a long period of depressed earnings. A recovery was triggered by Russia’s war on Ukraine, but that benefited Aframaxes/Suezmaxes more than VLCCs.

This brings us to the current rate spike. The war in the Middle East and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, recently followed by significant restrictions transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, have pushed VLCC rates to levels that we have never seen before. Earnings on the benchmark AG-Far East route averaged $600,000/day in August and reached more than $800,000/day in September to date.

It should be noted that these rates are for voyages originating within the Arabian Gulf. Due to the hazards associated with traversing the Strait of Hormuz, only a few owners are willing to take that risk, leading to sky-high rates. However, VLCC rates on other key routes are very high as well. Vessels loading in the Gulf of Oman, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, can earn $450,000/day. Even VLCCs that stay far way from the conflict zone can earn exceptional returns: $380,000/day for West Africa – Far East and $275,000/day for U.S. Gulf to Asia.

Not surprisingly, the exceptional spot rate environment has had an impact on time-charter rates and vessel values as well. Values for modern secondhand vessels are much higher than prices for newbuildings. A 5-year-old VLCC (if you can find one) will set you back $158 million, while you can order a new vessel for $129 million. The reason for the discrepancy is simple: You can employ a newly acquired vessel immediately in the red-hot spot market, while you have to wait several years before a newbuilding is delivered from the shipyard. And while you know what a vessel can earn in the market today, the future rate environment is much more uncertain. If history tells us anything, it is that periods of exceptional rates are usually followed by periods of low earnings, especially if the high earnings have spurred an ordering bonanza (Chart 2).

So, what’s next for the VLCC market? Opinions differ. Some people look at the unusual set of circumstances that triggered the current rate bonanza and with an eye toward the high orderbook (40% of the current fleet), they see another bust following this boom within a few years. Others are more sanguine considering the age profile of the fleet and the large contingent of sanctioned vessels that could be sidelined once the geopolitical conflicts are resolved. On top of that, restocking and a diversification trend away from the Middle East could create a higher ton-mile demand baseline. In the meantime, owners should take advantage of the current market. This may never happen again!

This post appears courtesy of Poten & Partners.

Alphaliner: Economic Pressures to Push Carriers to 27,500 Gigamax Boxships

Just a few years ago, ONE was claiming records when it loaded more than 22,000 TEU in Singapore (ONE)

Published Sep 9, 2026 6:52 PM by The Maritime Executive

Do you want to supersize that containership may soon be the question shipbuilders and owners are contemplating, according to the consultants at Alphaliner. While the industry has plateaued at ultra-large container vessels, Alphaliner sees the elements that could easily lead to a new, ever-bigger class of Gigamax container vessels.

The consultancy is dusting off hypothetical concepts it presented five years ago, saying that market factors may just make the timing right for the new, bigger ship. It foresees a time by 2030 when the world’s top carriers could “theoretically deploy at least one 'full set’ of next-generation containerships on the East-West mainlines.”

“Increased cost pressure might prompt some of the largest carriers to reconsider their fleet strategies,” writes Alphaliner. It predicts some of the carriers will “opt for a novel ship type that is slightly larger than the current capacity record holders.”

The industry has a strong history of moving through these size categories. It went to the 18,000 to 19,000 TEU vessel for economies of scale. The next jump was to 23,000 to 24,000 TEU, but according to Alphaliner, for about a decade now carriers have stuck with that level. The ships are about 400 meters (1,312 feet) in length and have a beam of 61 meters (201 feet). It fits through the Suez Canal, and ports are adapted to handle this size of vessel. Shipyards and naval architects have toyed with the available space, and by making small changes to loading patterns and systems, they have squeezed the capacity by at most a few hundred boxes. The largest official TEU rating now stands at just over 24,300 boxes. 

Carriers have discussed bigger ships, but so far none has made the move. They said the 24,000 TEU load seems "about right" for the market and the operating factors.

 

Alphaliner's hypothetical concept for a 425+ meter container vessel with 27,500 TEU capacity

 

The consultants at Alphaliner, however, are answering the question of why carriers might finally jump the current barrier.

“Especially in very long-haul East-West mainlines,” says Alphaliner, “factors like the increasing price of fuel and the introduction of carbon emissions taxes will give bigger ships a competitive edge in the long run.”

Its Giamax concept would be incremental, adding one hold or possibly two 40-foot bays beyond today’s 400-meter ships. They forecast a length of 425 meters or more, and that would give the ships a capacity of 27,500 TEU.

They believe that the ports that have already adapted to the 24,000 TEU ships would be able to absorb these slightly larger vessels. The applications would be limited, however, as many ports, such as in the United States, cannot handle even the 24,000 TEU ultra-large vessels.

Alphaliner is not the only one working on theories for the next generation of giants. China’s Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute and projects looking at the future of nuclear-powered containerships have also shown the potential to leap the 24,000 TEU barrier.

The concept of going to bigger ships seems to fit with the trends in the industry. As the ships get more expensive to build and operate, more boxes will rebalance the economic equation and potentially help with the anticipated wave of older ship retirements that has long been predicted. 

The container segment already has a record orderbook as carriers continue to order new ultra-large vessels. Alphaliner points out that over a relatively short period of time the industry’s capacity has soared from 23.2 million TEU to a current 34.1 million TEU. It is up 47 percent, and deliveries from the orderbook are likely to continue to drive capacity in the sector.

 

Saudi East-West Pipeline Suffers Significant Damage in Drone Attack

Energy markets are unfazed by the news as offsetting Strait of Hormuz export volume grows

Low-resolution infrared sensing shows a huge plume of heat along a remote stretch of the East-West Pipeline, September 10 (Sentinel-3 / analysis JH Crudeoil231)

Published Sep 11, 2026 3:05 PM by The Maritime Executive

U.S. officials have confirmed that Saudi Aramco's East-West Pipeline - the key bypass route carrying Gulf oil around the contested Strait of Hormuz - has been damaged in a Houthi strike. Satellite imaging analysis shows clear and substantial impacts at two pumping stations, including particularly extensive fire damage at one of them. 

The news confirms early indications seen Thursday: low-resolution satellite photos revealed a large smoke plume emanating from the pipeline route, and spikes on infrared remote sensing in the same area (VIIRS / NASA FIRMS) indicated active fires. The infrared data showed a large number of additional fire locations along the line, either a sign of emergency flaring or of further damage. 

In a statement, the Saudi energy ministry confirmed that the pipeline has been shut down as a precautionary measure after multiple attacks. The strikes Thursday morning resulted in multiple injuries, the ministry said. 

A U.S. official said that the attack involved drones launched from a location in Iraq. If accurate, the drones - typically a slow-moving threat class - would have had to transit large swathes of Saudi airspace without interception, raising questions about detection and air defense effectiveness.

Attribution is as-yet unclear. Iranian-backed militia groups have a substantial presence in Iraq, and Yemeni Houthi forces - operating far from home - have previously used Iraqi territory to launch strikes on Saudi facilities. The Houthis have been using their own operating area next to the southwestern Saudi border to strike key Aramco facilities near the Red Sea, including the massive refinery at Jazan. Axios reports that the Trump administration has declined Saudi requests for military assistance in combating an increasingly aggressive and effective Houthi threat.

Brent crude oil fell Friday despite the news of the pipeline attack and Houthi territorial gains near Bab el-Mandeb, dropping three percent to settle at about $104.

While the attack is unwelcome news for Saudi oil shipping out of Red Sea ports, it has been offset by favorable developments for oil shipping  in the Gulf region. TankerTrackers.com reports that average daily crude oil flows out of the Strait of Hormuz have hit more than 10 million barrels per day, a significant milestone after months of Iranian restrictions on GCC export flow. The shipping surge - controversial at IMO, given the active threat of Iranian attack and associated risk to life and safety of tanker crews - is complemented by a corresponding jump in STS transfer activity off Fujairah. "Shuttle" tankers associated with GCC exporters offload their cargo to long-haul VLCCs at the comparatively safe Gulf of Oman anchorage for final delivery. 

"Even with pipeline transmission now impacted, Saudi crude oil exports have been trending higher over the past couple of weeks after having picked up significantly from the kingdom's heavyweight eastern terminals. Those exports depart via the [Strait of Hormuz] under US CENTCOM protection. [Saudi Red Sea terminals] shall likely export from storage in the meantime. This is not their first rodeo," commented TankerTrackers.com

Decisive Moment in Gulf War: Houthis Position to Close Bab el-Mandeb

Houthi forces are now positioned near the critical passage at the southern end of the Red Sea (NASA)

Published Sep 11, 2026 10:21 AM by The Maritime Executive

The Houthis have accelerated their advance over the past 36 hours in southwest Yemen to complete their capture of the entire Red Sea coastline of Yemen, from their southernmost stronghold all the way down to the Murad Peninsula, rounded off by capturing the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG)’s port at Ras Menhali and the island of Perim, which lies opposite. Neither the IRG itself nor those principally affected by this development, principally Saudi Arabia, have moved in time to reinforce or intervene, notwithstanding that the danger of the Houthi seizure has been apparent for a number of days. Once the Houthis had broken through IRG lines and onto the Tihama Plain, the tactical advantage was with them, as the featureless terrain favors fast movement and lacks defensive obstacles. Nonetheless, the Houthis could have been thwarted, being exposed in the open terrain to air strikes, but airpower never arrived from the IRG’s allies to save the day.

Seizure of the Hanish Islands to the north, and Perim Island midstream in the narrowest section of the southern entrance to the Red Sea at the Bab el Mandeb, has strategic implications likely to impact the course of the wider conflict in the Gulf.  By being able to dominate marine traffic in the Red Sea, the Houthis will be able to interdict Saudi (and Gulf) trade routes to and from Asia, which had switched from the Gulf to Saudi Arabia’s west coast ports.

 

 Locations which Houthi forces are reported to have entered, as at September 11
(Google Earth/CJRC, with thanks to expert input from @BashaReport)

Saudi Arabia’s crude exports will be particularly affected. The ability to use the East-West crude pipeline had relieved much of the strain the Saudis suffered from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and now the only remaining export route will be northwards through the Suez Canal.  Even if the route north through the Suez Canal remains open, costs of diverting around southern Africa if trade is to be maintained with Asia, plus the inevitable congestion which Jeddah and Yanbu are likely to experience, will be major inhibitors of economic activity, and will force oil prices up.  The result is likely to be political pressure on the United States from its erstwhile allies in the Gulf to come to a settlement with the Iranians, so as to get trade flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again.  The actions of the past few weeks have shown a high degree of strategic foresight on the part of Iran and the Houthis, coordinating their actions to best effect, and leaving their opponents looking inept.

As the gravity of the situation becomes apparent, those most affected may come up with a counter-attack plan, and warfare in Yemen over the past decade has shown that front lines can move quickly. But for the moment, the initiative lies with the Houthis. The Houthis have made statements that their action is directed against the Saudis, who they blame for the imposition of the economic blockade on Houthi areas.  But these statements may be designed to assuage immediate fears and to sabotage counter-attack plans.  In the end, if the Houthis are on Perim Island and dominate the coastline where the Red Sea is at its narrowest, they will have the option at any time to close down all traffic in the Red Sea, granting or withholding permission to anyone who wants innocent passage – an option which the IRGC had up its sleeve for a long time over the Strait of Hormuz before choosing the decisive moment to play that card.

The living care for ancestors and wandering spirits at Malaysia's Hungry Ghost Festival

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Malaysia (AP) — For 15 days, devotees pray and make offerings before a towering paper-and-bamboo effigy of Da Shi Ye. The celebration culminates in the ceremonial burning of the effigy, symbolically sending the deity back to the spirit world.

Maria Teresa Hernandez and Vincent Thian

September 3, 2026 

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Malaysia (AP) — It’s that time of year when the living make room for the dead. Malaysia’s Hungry Ghost Festival is held during the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which this year began in mid-August.

“It is centered around the worship of Da Shi Ye, also known as the Guardian God of Ghosts, and has become one of the major traditional Chinese religious celebrations in Bukit Mertajam,” said Lee Kim Fong, general affairs coordinator for the event.

The city is in Malaysia’s northern state of Penang, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur.

“It dates back to 1888, when there was a serious plague in Bukit Mertajam,” Lee said. “After that, our ancestors began worshipping Da Shi Ye.”

For 15 days, devotees pray and make offerings before a towering paper-and-bamboo effigy of Da Shi Ye. The celebration culminates in the ceremonial burning of the effigy, symbolically sending the deity back to the spirit world.

Lee estimated that more than 10,000 people attended the burning ceremony this year, with crowds sometimes reaching 20,000.

“The main purpose is to look after wandering spirits, especially spirits who have no one to worship or make offerings to them,” Lee said. “Some may have died in accidents or may have no family members to pray for them.”

Similar celebrations are held in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. Devotees travel to Bukit Mertajam from across Malaysia as well as Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

A towering effigy stands at the center of the celebration

The Da Shi Ye effigy in Bukit Mertajam is traditionally made about five centimeters (two inches) taller each year. In 2026, it reached 8.9 meters (about 29 feet).

Ng Chi Wong, 69, has spent more than four decades crafting the figures. He said completing the towering effigy takes about a month and a half, with a team of seven or eight people working on it.

“We have the measurements and a general idea of the structure, but there are no formal drawings,” Ng said. “Most of the design and construction details are already in our minds.”

The artisans begin with the head, the part that requires the most work, before building the main frame and shaping the body. The outer layers are then added and painted.

Ng said that the process has undergone some small improvements over time. Yet the craft requires more than technical skill.

“You also need to understand the tradition and the beliefs behind it,” he said.

The festival honors spirits with no one to remember them

Lim Han Cong, a University of Malaya master’s graduate in Chinese studies, described the Hungry Ghost Festival as a counterpart to another traditional Chinese observance: Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, when families honor their ancestors at their graves.

While Qingming focuses primarily on one’s own ancestors, the Hungry Ghost Festival extends offerings to wandering spirits and the unclaimed dead. “This tradition reflects a synthesis of Buddhist, Taoist and Chinese folk religious beliefs,” Lim said.

In Taoist ceremonies during the festival, priests recite sacred scriptures and perform rites to help the deceased find peace and salvation. Such practices are intended to provide comfort, nourishment and liberation to those who have no descendants to care for them.

“At its core, the Ghost Festival expresses the belief that the living and the dead remain connected through enduring moral and emotional bonds,” Lim said. “The living, therefore, have a responsibility to honor, support and help the deceased attain peace.”

An old tradition finds new roles in Malaysia

Offerings and rituals like those held in Bukit Mertajam eventually took on a broader community role. Starting in the 1970s, Malaysian Chinese celebrations incorporated charitable activities such as auctions of blessed offerings and fundraising campaigns for schools.

“As a result, the Ghost Festival in Malaysia has evolved beyond a festival devoted solely to honoring the dead,” Lim said. “It has also become an important platform for strengthening community solidarity.”

That broader role is also evident in Bukit Mertajam. Money raised through fundraising efforts helps the organizing committee provide assistance to people with medical needs and support Chinese-language education.

Alongside that community work, organizers are looking for new ways to broaden access to the tradition. Participation is no longer limited to those who can make it to Bukit Mertajam.

“We introduced online worship for devotees who are overseas or unable to return,” Lee said. “So they can still take part in the prayers and make offerings.”

A professional team documented the celebration from Aug. 14 through Aug. 29. Organizers plan to upload the footage to Facebook so people around the world can see the Da Shi Ye festival in Penang.

“This is a Chinese tradition that has been passed down for more than a hundred years,” Lee said. “As descendants of the Chinese community, we have a responsibility to preserve it.”

___

Hernández reported from Beijing. AP video journalist Syawalludin Zain contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

As the far-right in Germany aims to take power, churches are fighting back

BURG near Magdeburg, Germany (RNS) — The AfD may gain power on Sept. 6 in Saxony-Anhalt, posing a direct threat to refugees and the German churches that serve them. Inspired by past resistance in East Germany, faith leaders are doing everything they can to stand in the way of the far-right group.

The Rev. Ulrike Bischoff, left, pastor of St. Petri Kirche in Burg near Magdeburg, and Zholia Parsi, a women's rights activist from Afghanistan who has been living at St. Petri as part of the church's asylum program, video chat with Parsi's family on August 26, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

Liam Adams
September 3, 2026

RNS


BURG near Magdeburg, Germany (RNS) — Zholia Parsi bounced on a blue-and-white Noxon mountain bike as she rode laps around the fieldstone sanctuary of St. Petri Kirche, speaking to family on the phone and laughing.

Parsi, who led a women’s rights movement in Afghanistan and fled after imprisonment and death threats from the Taliban, is known internationally for her work on human rights. But in her past three months living at St. Petri as part of its church asylum program, she’s careful not to venture beyond the cement wall that encloses the congregation’s chapel and parish house.

But the bike, which she’d never ridden before coming to St. Petri, is enough freedom for now.

“Believe me, learning was not easy. I fell many times,” Parsi said in an interview, using a translation app on her phone.

She rolled up her corduroy pant leg to reveal a scar on her shin as proof of her practice. “Now, whenever I get on my bicycle … I forget all my sadness and worries. Cycling is not just a hobby for me.”

Under the leadership of the Rev. Ulrike Bischoff, pastor of St. Petri since 2023, the church dedicated the parish house to church asylum. As many as 20 people stay there every year, Bischoff said.

She tells the refugees that beyond the church’s campus, they risk run-ins with law enforcement and might be detained. Refugees in church asylum have suffered a particular hardship and are waiting for immigration officials to review their cases more carefully. The outcome of that review determines whether the person is eligible to work and rent an apartment elsewhere, allowing them to leave church asylum.

The day before RNS visited, a family of five who are also refugees from Afghanistan had moved in.

A campaign sign for Ulrich Siegmund, lead candidate for the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt, near Magdeburg, August 11, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

The Rev. Ulrike Bischoff in her office at St. Petri Kirche in Burg near Magdeburg, Germany, on August 26, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

But on Sunday, this could all change if the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has its way. The AfD could gain power in state elections for Saxony-Anhalt on Sept. 6, which would be the first time a right-wing party in Germany has done that since World War II.

If that happens, the AfD has vowed to send police into churches to detain refugees and initiate deportation proceedings.

“We are an open sport right now,” Bischoff said.
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The proposed attack on church asylum is one part of the AfD’s larger plan to oust refugees from Saxony-Anhalt. But it’s also a blow to churches, which criticize the AfD as antithetical to their Christian values.

Amid this conflict, the AfD wants to strip funding from “state churches” — Catholics and a Protestant, or Lutheran, body known as the Evangelische Kirche — that they claim are too liberal and have veered from their core mission.

Clergy participate in a panel about the upcoming elections in Saxony-Anhalt during the “Festival of Hope” in Dessau Market Square, August 30, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

But the churches are fighting back, and fiercer than ever. Local clergy have arranged counterdemonstrations, hosted town halls on defending democracy and, in at least one instance, run for office with the main purpose of unseating a powerful AfD politician in the state parliament.

The Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg, which is the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, and the regional Evangelische Kirche in Mitteldeutschland, or the regional Protestant authority, each coordinated public awareness campaigns, with banners, podcasts and video interviews, and participation in anti-AfD rallies and festivals.

One of those festivals was a week before an election in Dessau on Aug. 30.

Norbert Weiß, left, a volunteer with the Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg, talks to patrons about upcoming elections in Saxony-Anhalt as part of the Magdeburg diocese's “Vote Consciously” campaign during the “Festival of Hope” in Dessau Market Square, August 30, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

Udo Israel, rear left, and Frieder Weigmann help kids stack a “democracy Jenga tower” at the “Festival of Hope” in Dessau Market Square, August 30, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

As thousands of parishioners and clergy enjoyed bratwursts, musical acts and panels with top church leaders addressed the election. As this mostly older crowd listened or danced, kids climbed a rock wall, took selfies with a famous influencer who briefly showed up and stacked a “democracy Jenga tower.”

Klemens Schubert said the tower, imprinted with phrases like “solidarity and human rights,” is a fitting metaphor, whether it stands or falls.

Bishop Friedrich Kramer, the top administrative leader for the Protestant church in most of Saxony-Anhalt, said all this activity is unprecedented for churches, but it wasn’t their choice.

“The churches are not the motor of escalation. In this case, it’s the AfD,” he said in an interview, which a colleague translated from German. “We have to say something against them, and we have to defend the people or the groups that are affected by the AfD.”

The person within the AfD who’s most responsible for the proposals and messaging that’s stirring this outcry among churches is Hans-Thomas Tillschneider.

Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, third from right, a top politician within the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, participates in a “Christians ask politicians” candidate forum on August 17, 2026, in Magdeburg, Germany. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

Tillschneider, deputy state chairman for the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, walked with determination through the state parliament building in Magdeburg, his footsteps reverberating through the halls.

He’s balding but sports a scruffy beard and thick-rimmed glasses, which Tillschneider removed to pause and think of an answer to a question about whether the AfD serves only white, Christian Germans.

“We make politics in the interest of our citizens, and our citizens are mostly German. Whiteness, I am not interested in this race question. And if there’s a Black German voting for AfD, no problem” Tillschneider said. “Muslims of course can practice their religion. But this doesn’t alter the fact that Germany is a Christian country. Hundreds and hundreds of years of German history is influenced deeply by Christianity.”

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies this AfD state branch as a confirmed “right-wing extremist” organization.

Known within and beyond Saxony-Anhalt for his inflammatory comments about LGBTQ+ people and immigrants, Tillschneider was the key figure behind an election manifesto that drew international attention for controversial policy proposals.


Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, deputy state chairman for the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt, at his office on August 17, 2026. Tillschneider has been a top strategist behind the party’s most controversial police proposals in advance of upcoming elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

One proposal that drew attention was a tax incentive for families to have more children. Another is ending inclusive classroom programs for for children with disabilities and restricting some immigrant children to continue attending class.

Tillschneider was in the middle of a firestorm the week before the election after a media interview aired that showed a mug he owns with the insignia of the Russian army ­— a reminder of his controversial visit with others in the AfD to the Russian-occupied Donbas region in Ukraine in 2022.

When he spoke to RNS, he showed off a different mug: It was bright red and emblazoned, “Donald Trump 45-47 USA President.”

Tillschneider has also led the charge on proposals that aim to weaken the Catholic and Protestant churches, which would strip them of two public funding sources and even redirect some of that income to so-called free churches.

This is partly motivated by Tillschneider’s ongoing conversion to Orthodoxy, inspired by a visit last year to a monastery that infuses German language and cultural customs with Greek Orthodox liturgy.

“In the church, prayer should do no more than this. Not talking about parties, not talking about political tendencies, not talking about political agenda,” Tillschneider said. “Only praying for our country.”

The state of Saxony-Anhalt, red, in Germany. (RNS graphic/Kit Doyle/Datawrapper)

Saxony-Anhalt is home to the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. Ironically, it’s now one of the most irreligious parts of an already secularized country. This is because it was one of five states that comprised the former German Democratic Republic, which was part of the Soviet bloc and functionally atheist. Today only about 10% of the total population identifies as Protestant and just 3% as Catholic.

Conflict between churches and the AfD has been growing since 2017, when the Catholic and Protestant churches barred AfD politicians from speaking at the largest Christian gatherings in Germany.

Then, the German Catholic Bishop’s Conference denounced the far-right party in 2024. That same year, the Protestant church demoted a pastor in Saxony-Anhalt who ran for city council as an AfD candidate.

In August, a nursing home operated by the Protestant church’s social welfare agency fired an employee who is running for city council as an AfD candidate.

The Rev. Kate Harris Weishaupt, pastor of EmK-Gemeinde Halle, a United Methodist Church in Halle, a city in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on August 30, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

“I’m really proud the church is taking a stand and, for example, not allowing people to continue in workplaces if they run for the AfD,” said the Rev. Kate Harris Weishaupt, an American pastor who has lived in Germany since 2015. “I’m hoping we can prevent it before it gets too far.”

This past June, a regional United Methodist Church assembly declared it was “incompatible” to be associated with the AfD and part of the UMC in Germany, based on a paper from Harris Weishaupt, who leads a United Methodist congregation in Halle, a city in Saxony-Anhalt.

Pastors in more rural parts of the state are resisting as well.

The medieval city of Salzwedel, pictured on August 25, 2026, is located in the heart of a region in northern Saxony-Anhalt that is geographically isolated from major economic hubs in Germany. It was once the heart of commerce in Prussia. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

In Salzwedel in northern Saxony-Anhalt, the red-brick Marienkirche towers over a medieval village with hidden courtyards and buildings that slouch and slump under the pressure of sinking foundations.

The region, known as the Altmark, was the center of commerce in Prussia centuries ago, and its share of church buildings per capita reportedly outnumbers other parts of the country. But today, its job market and churchgoing culture struggle.

“It’s in the middle of nowhere, and the people have it in their minds they are forgotten by everyone,” said the Rev. Alexander Tiedemann, pastor of Marienkirche.

The Rev. Alexander Tiedemann, pastor of Marienkirche in Salzwedel, a city in northern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on August 25, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

Tiedemann said he’s trying to follow the example of his father and grandfather, who were Protestant pastors in the German Democratic Republic when churches were being repressed. He has sought to embody the tradition of preachers finding clever ways to resist from the pulpit using “parables,” rather than outright denunciations.

The so-called Peaceful Revolution that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall began with protests in 1989 that sprang from churches where demonstrators gathered for Monday morning prayer meetings. That history is on the minds of many faith leaders in their recent advocacy against the AfD.

“Especially when I look at a historic place like this, there are so many difficult times the church went through,” Tiedemann said. “The message nevertheless found a way.”

Marienkirche, a Protestant congregation in Salzwedel, a city in northern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on August 25, 2026. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

The medieval city of Salzwedel, pictured on August 25, 2026, is located in the heart of a region in northern Saxony-Anhalt that is geographically isolated from major economic hubs in Germany.(RNS photo/Liam Adams)

Back in Burg near Magdeburg, Bischoff confronted the current heated political climate when vandals spray-painted a pro-Nazi reference and other divisive phrases on the wall surrounding St. Petri. In response, she organized a party to repaint the wall and focus on “election empowerment,” she said.

Now, the façade is more uplifting, but the refugees inside still struggle as the election nears. Parsi had expected an update on her asylum case by early August, but she was still waiting in church asylum just a few days before the election.

“I don’t know what is going to happen with my case, and the upcoming elections in Sachsen-Anhalt make me even more anxious,” she said in a message. “I just want to know what my future will be and whether I can stay safe.”

Zholia Parsi looks out the window of the St. Petri parish house on August 26, 2026, in Burg near Magdeburg, Germany. (RNS photo/Liam Adams)

 

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Liam Adams is a journalist from Nashville, Tennessee, and is currently based in Berlin, Germany, as part of the Arthur F. Burns Fellowship 2026 class.