JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers recovered more bodies from the wreck of a ferry that capsized in the Java Sea two weeks ago, bringing the death toll to 64.
A search operation for 71 people still missing, all presumed dead, has been extended for seven days, the National Search and Rescue Agency’s Operation Director Yudhi Bramantyo.
The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 213 passengers and 30 crew members when it lost contact with its operator after departing Surabaya for Borneo island. Only 108 people have been rescued.
Rescue teams recovered four bodies from inside the submerged vessel on Friday, while seven more were found along nearby shorelines, Bramantyo said. The operation will be evaluated every three days to decide whether it should continue. Under Indonesian regulations, search-and-rescue operations typically last seven days but can be extended if authorities believe additional victims may still be found.
Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands where ferries are a common method of travel.
Disasters occur regularly, with weak safety enforcement often blamed.
In this photo released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), rescuers remove the body of a victim of a ferry capsize earlier this month, from a helicopter upon arrival in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)
In this photo released by Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS), rescuers carry the body of a victim of a ferry capsize earlier this month, upon arrival in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (BASARNAS via AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — China and Russia got their turns to speak at the United Nations on Saturday, but that wasn't all.
Watchers from across the globe could find news that affected their lives at the U.N. General Assembly meetings. Here are a few moments:
The foreign minister of Iceland, Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, used part of her time on the world stage Saturday to turn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's words on Friday upside down.
Netanyahu, addressing people who were walking out on his remarks, called them “moral cowards.”
A day later, Gunnarsdóttir was having none of it. Speaking about Gaza, she said:
“We have heard the words ‘moral cowards’ from this podium. To me, moral cowards are those leaders around the world who refuse to sit down and negotiate a just and lasting peace. Those who deny access to humanitarian aid for people in desperate need. And moral cowards are those leaders who repeatedly go against and disrespect international law.”
In a stormy year for the usually calm U.S.-Canada relationship, Canada’s top diplomat stressed to the world that her country is looking elsewhere.
“We can no longer afford to be overly reliant on any one partner,” Foreign Minister Anita Anand told the assembly. She spotlighted the government’s efforts to bolster economic ties with Europe, India, China and African countries, and a roster of new security, defense and economic deals inked with various countries this year.
Canada is increasing its defense spending in line with NATO commitments, and it’s expanding its diplomatic footprint, recently opening a new consulate in Greenland to help foster connections around the Arctic, she noted.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has made a splash in diplomatic circles this year by arguing that “middle powers” need to look out for themselves and for the very concept of international order. He has held Canada out as a pathfinder.
Anand echoed that message, telling the assembly: “In a rapidly changing world, Canada is a reliable partner, and we are ready to work together.”
For a brief moment Friday afternoon, a rumor circulated that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would leave Washington and President Donald Trump and come to New York. Was that true? And if so, would he speak on behalf of China at the United Nations?
As reporters scrambled to meet contingencies, we checked around the United Nations and found a definitive answer. Someone inside the U.N. compound who would know, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were giving out information that would normally be issued by the Chinese, had heard nothing and confirmed there was no Chinese advance team on site — as there would always be if Xi was on the way.
That was definitive. After all, the someone said, “The Chinese don't improvise.”
And that's exactly the way it happened, or didn't. Vice President Han Zheng spoke Saturday, exactly as scheduled, and Xi headed home to Beijing.
Associated Press journalists Jennifer Peltz, Edith M. Lederer and Ted Anthony contributed to this report.
China's President Xi Jinping, left, speaks with President Donald Trump on the steps of the National Archives Museum, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, left, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand of Canada speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Foreign Minister Thorgerour Katrín Gunnarsdottir of Iceland speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
