Welcome to today’s daily update for Sunday, September 13, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Breakdown
Officials are working to actively rescue survivors after an Indonesian ferry carrying 243 passengers disappeared last night, sparking widespread concern.
The ship, known as the Virgo Transport 8, is a ferry operated by private company PT Virgo Yoel Rihi that regularly travels between Surabaya in East Java and Banjarmasin in the South Kalimantan region of the island of Borneo. Indonesia, as an archipelago, has more than 17,000 islands, necessitating the constant use of ferries to travel between islands.
Last night, around 2 am, authorities lost contact with the ship during a regular journey between the two ports. The captain of the ferry reported encountering bad weather before losing contact, sparking fears that the ship could have run into trouble at sea.
Officials from the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office were immediately dispatched to the last-known position of the ferry and worked to identify its position, but the exact status of the ship remains unconfirmed. Authorities have not released whether the ship has sunk, is sinking, or remains afloat with some sort of other issue onboard.
However, evacuations are actively taking place. One person has been confirmed dead, but 102 others have been rescued from the vessel so far. 140 people remain missing, though, and the death toll is expected to rise if officials state that the ship has sunk or is sinking.
This is a developing story, meaning that the exact statistics noted in this daily update are likely to change over time. Check the latest update for accurate death/injury tolls.
The Global Snapshot
Tens of thousands of people are marching across Germany to protest against Alternative for Germany, a far-right political party that continues to gain traction across the nation. Last week, the AfD won their first state in the group’s history, but they fell just short of achieving a complete majority in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The incumbent Christian Democrats have established a deal with all other major German parties to shut out the AfD because of their extremely conservative policies, meaning that they will likely be unable to form a coalition to govern the state. However, it was still a major landmark for a party that many have considered “extremist” or even “neo-Nazi,” raising tensions and spurring the protests that demanded the elimination of the party.
Furthermore, as far-right ideals gain support across Europe, several cryptocurrency billionaires announced massive amounts of funding for Reform UK – a far-right party led by MP Nigel Farage – yesterday, promising more than $97 million. Together, the donations are worth more than the amount donated to all of the nation’s political parties across the entire year of 2025, which just saw $87.7 million in donations. Members of leftist parties warned that the donations could be a way of attempting to institutionalize corruption, but the billionaires defended the move, citing their beliefs that Reform UK policies could bolster the British healthcare, education, and economic systems.
Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): When Michael Emerson was cast in the major television show Lost, he was only intended to appear in three episodes. However, the producers were so impressed with him that they promoted him to a series regular.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Every day is a gift, and every day is an opportunity to give. (T.D. Jakes)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Hobnob (verb, HAHB-nahb) - To hobnob is to socialize with others, especially with people of high social status.
In a Sentence: A great deal can be learned about the entertainment industry by hobnobbing with folks at film festivals.
Image: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
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