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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Alan Vaarwerk

Afternoon Update: dozens missing after ferry sinks off Bali; Creative Australia chair apologises to Sabsabi; and rise of robot narrators

Rescuers searching for victims after ferry capsizes
Rescuers search for victims after a ferry capsized in the waters off of the Bali Strait. Photograph: Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency/EPA

Good afternoon. At least four people have died and dozens are missing after a ferry carrying 65 people sank on its way to Bali, according to Indonesian police.

The vessel sank before midnight on Wednesday in the Bali Strait as it sailed to a port in the north of the famous holiday island, departing from Banyuwangi, a town on Indonesia’s main island of Java. Local police said four people had died, 31 had been rescued and 30 were missing. The boat was carrying 53 passengers and 12 crew members as well as 22 vehicles, the search and rescue agency said, though it is common in Indonesia for the actual number of passengers on a boat to differ from the manifest.

Indonesian politicians have attributed the cause of the accident to “bad weather”. It is understood at this stage that there were no Australians on board the boat.

Top news

In video

After its May debut, Sydney’s Mutual Aid Market returned to Marrickville’s Addison Road Community Centre for a second time on 29 June. Organiser Sarah Shaweesh described the “warm feeling” at the event, where stallholders either raised money for their own mutual aid or for a “common fund” – where all proceeds went to Palestinian and First Nations mutual aid, with 25% held in reserve for urgent campaigns between markets. Guardian Australia reporter Rafqa Touma visited the market to learn more about how the community is organising practical support from afar

What they said …

***

“To Khaled and Michael – I’ve done it in person, but to say it here very publicly, I want to apologise to them for the hurt and pain they’ve gone through in this process.” – Wesley Enoch

The acting chair of Creative Australia apologised to Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino after the arts body reinstated the pair’s contract to represent Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale, after rescinding it in February. The shadow arts spokesperson, Julian Leeser, said Creative Australia and the arts minister, Tony Burke, need to “explain themselves” over the reinstatement.

In numbers

More than 900 earthquakes have shaken a remote island chain in southern Japan in the past two weeks, according to the country’s weather agency, leaving residents unable to sleep and fearful of what might come next. Although no major damage has been reported, the Japan Meteorological Agency has acknowledged that it does not know when the quakes would end.

Before bed read

When we think about what makes an audiobook memorable, it’s always the most human moments: a catch in the throat when tears are near, or words spoken through a real smile. But as demand for audio content grows, companies are looking for faster – and cheaper – ways to make it, leaving voice actors worried the rise of AI will threaten their incomes and lessen quality.

Daily word game

Today’s starter word is: STAR. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.

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