Syria demands independent probe into sinking of cargo ship in Black Sea

Syria has called for an independent investigation into the sinking of a cargo ship off Bulgaria, with all 10 crew members unaccounted for.

• The Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan sank in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone after a drone attack, leaving all 10 crew members missing.
• Syrian port authority official Mazen Aloush asked the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian authorities to investigate why the search was halted before the sailors were found.
• The Syrian sailors' union declared Egyptian engineer Mahmoud Kamal Abdelati dead after rescue teams found an overturned lifeboat and lifejackets but no survivors.
• Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency government meeting over the attack on Black Sea shipping.
• The crew comprised nine Syrians and one Egyptian, the Syrian General Authority for Customs and Ports said.