MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials on Tuesday grounded the entire fleet of passenger ships belonging to a company that owned a ferry that sank in the south and left at least 18 people dead, with more than 300 others rescued.
Ten people, mostly crew members and the captain of the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which sank early Monday off an island in Basilan province, are still missing. A search led by the coast guard and the navy continued in waters where an oil sheen was spotted, coast guard Admiral Ronnie Gavan said.
Coast guard divers and a remotely operated unmanned vehicle will be deployed to locate and check the wreckage, which is estimated to be 76 meters (249 feet) below the sea surface, as part of the search, he said.
The steel-hulled cargo and passenger ferry, which had three decks, sank off the island village of Baluk-baluk in Basilan province while en route to Jolo island from the southern port city of Zamboanga with 317 passengers and 27 crew members on board.
The coast guard initially reported that it was carrying 332 passengers but later said 15 of them decided not to board at the last minute, Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.
At least 316 people were rescued and 18 bodies, including that of an infant, have been recovered, he said.
Lopez said the indefinite grounding of all passenger ships of the ferry owner, Aleson Shipping Lines, Inc., would allow an inspection to determine their seaworthiness. Other companies would be allowed to deploy their ferries and the coast guard may provide free rides to prevent a major transport disruption in a region where ferries are the main mode of travel.
“We’ll make sure that this will never happen again,” Lopez said in a news conference, adding that Aleson’s ferries had figured in 32 safety-related incidents since 2019.
It’s not clear how many passengers ships would be grounded. The company did not immediately comment on the government order.
A rescued passenger, Mohamad Khan, who lost his 6-month-old baby, said the ferry suddenly listed to one side, hurling him, his wife and other people into the sea in the darkness. Khan and his wife were rescued but their baby drowned.
The Philippine archipelago has a disturbing history of sea accidents, which have been blamed on storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.
In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker in the central Philippines, killing more than 4,300 people in the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster.
Philippine coast guard personnel carry a body bag in Zamboanga city, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, after M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, an inter-island cargo and passenger ferry sank. (AP photo)
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.
Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.
Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.
Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.
Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.
Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."
Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.
Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."
Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”
Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.
The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.
Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)
Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)
Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)
