Families of Indonesian activists tortured by soldiers 25 years ago shocked at general's election win
Families of Indonesian activists who were kidnapped and tortured by the military 25 years ago have expressed shock over the apparent presidential victory of Prabowo Subianto, whom they blame for the atrocities.
Indonesian president launches Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway, funded by China
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has inaugurated Southeast Asiaโs first high-speed railway, which begins its commercial operations on Monday, a key project under Chinaโs Belt and Road infrastructure initiative that will drastically cut the travel time between two key cities.
TikTok says it regrets Indonesia's decision to ban e-commerce sales on social media platforms
Chinese-owned app TikTok says it regrets the Indonesian governmentโs decision to ban e-commerce transactions on social media platforms and particularly the impact it would have on the millions of sellers who use TikTok Shop.
Myanmar won't be allowed to lead Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026, in blow to generals
Myanmar wonโt take over the rotating leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as scheduled in 2026, in the latest blow to efforts by its ruling generals to gain international recognition after violently seizing power in 2021.
Jakarta is the world's most polluted city. Blame the dry season and vehicles for the gray skies
Indonesian authorities are blaming the dry season and and motorized vehicles as the main causes of air pollution in Jakarta, after a Swiss air quality technology company named the city as the most polluted in the world.
Indonesian police crack down on traffickers who sent 122 people to sell their kidneys in Cambodia
Indonesian police are investigating the illegal trade in human organs involving police and immigration officers who were accused of helping traffickers send 122 Indonesians to a hospital in Cambodia to sell their kidneys.
China and ASEAN agree to try to conclude nonaggression pact on sea feud in 3 years
China and Southeast Asian nations have agreed to try to conclude within three years a long-delayed nonaggression pact aimed at preventing frequent territorial spats in the busy South China Sea from turning into a major armed conflict.
Thai diplomat meets with Suu Kyi in detention in Myanmar and says she wants to join talks on crisis
Thailandโs top diplomat says he met with ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in detention over the weekend and she conveyed her openness to engage in talks to resolve the crisis in her strife-torn nation.
Myanmar violence and sea disputes to dominate ASEAN talks joined by US, Russian and Chinese envoys
Myanmarโs prolonged civil strife, tensions in the disputed South China Sea and concern over arms buildups in the region are expected to dominate the agenda when Southeast Asiaโs top diplomats gather for talks this week in Indonesia.
War in Ukraine at 1 year: Pain, resilience in global economy
One year after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the global economy is still enduring the consequences โ crunched supplies of grain, fertilizer and energy along with more inflation and economic uncertainty in a world already contending with too much of both.
FIFA vows to improve Indonesian soccer safety after tragedy
The president of soccerโs world governing body has met with Indonesiaโs president and pledged to help improve stadium safety to prevent a repeat of a tragedy in which police fired tear gas at a match, causing a crush that killed 132 people.
Stadium tragedy exposes Indonesia's troubled soccer history
Gaining the right to host next yearโs Under-20 World Cup was a major milestone in Indonesiaโs soccer development that raised hopes of a turnaround to long-standing problems that have blighted the sport in this country of 277 million people.
Europe, US frustrated with Iranian stance in nuclear talks
European diplomats are expressing frustration with Iranโs stance in talks aimed at salvaging Tehran's tattered 2015 nuclear deal, saying they are wasting โprecious timeโ dealing with new Iranian demands and that โtime is running out.โ.
Indonesia says no evidence of alleged Chinese intel hack
Indonesian authorities say they have found no evidence that the countryโs main intelligence serviceโs computers were hacked, after a U.S.-based private cybersecurity company alerted them of a suspected breach of its internal networks by a Chinese hacking group.
Indonesia holds mass vaccination to scale up virus fight
Thousands of Indonesians have lined up at a sports stadium to receive a COVID-19 vaccine dose in a one-day, mass vaccination event thatโs part of a push to dramatically scale up the nationโs virus fight as hospitals fill with sick patients.
Indonesia's Gojek, Tokopedia to merge as GoTo Group
Indonesian ride hailing company Gojek and the countryโs biggest e-commerce firm Tokopedia said Monday that they are merging to form the GoTo Group, adding to surging competition in Southeast Asia that is attracting billions of dollars from investors.
Myanmar protests continue after ASEAN peace initiative
Protesters in Myanmarโs largest city have braved potential violence by security forces to demonstrate against Februaryโs military coup, showing their resolve to continue their resistance two days after Southeast Asian leaders met to address the countryโs crisis.
Protest in Yangon ahead of regional summit on Myanmar crisis
Protesters against Myanmarโs military coup have returned to the streets of downtown Yangon, defiantly chanting their opposition to the armyโs seizure of power as the junta chief prepared to attend a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders on the countryโs crisis.
Grab to list in US via $40 bln merger with Altimeter Growth
Southeast Asiaโs largest ride-hailing company, Grab Holdings, said Tuesday that it plans to merge with U.S.-based Altimeter Growth Capital in a deal that would value it at nearly $40 billion and allow it to trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Indonesia finds Sriwijaya Air jet's cockpit voice recorder
(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)JAKARTA โ Indonesian navy divers have recovered the cockpit voice recorder of a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea in January, killing all 62 people on board, officials said Wednesday. The bright orange voice recorder was taken to Jakarta and given to the National Transportation Safety Committee, which is overseeing the accident investigation. Divers removed debris and carried out โdesludgingโ operations to reach the voice recorder, he said. That report provided new details on persistent problems with an autothrottle on the 737-500 Sriwijaya Air jet and the airlineโs efforts to fix them. An automated flight-control system played a role in that crash, but the Sriwijaya Air jet did not have that system.
Suicide bomb hits Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 20 wounded
Police officers inspect the area near a church where an explosion went off in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, March 28, 2021. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a packed Roman Catholic cathedral on Indonesia's Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, wounding a number of people, police said. Police later said both attackers were killed instantly and evidence collected at the scene indicated one of the two was a woman. Indonesia has been battling militants since bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Indonesia has been on high alert since police in December arrested Jemaah Islamiyah leader Aris Sumarsono, also known as Zulkarnaen.
Indonesian Muslim body clears AstraZeneca use in emergency
In this March 8, 2021, photo released by Indonesian Presidential Palace, workers unload containers containing AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine upon its arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. โIndonesian Muslims must participate in the COVID-19 vaccination program implemented by the government to achieve herd immunity and be free from the COVID-19 outbreak,โ Sholeh said. Sholeh, the head of the councilโs fatwa commission, said the AstraZeneca vaccine used trypsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, from pigs during its production process. AdHealth ministry official Siti Nadia Tarmizi said distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine would start by next Monday. The AstraZeneca vaccine is the second to arrive in Indonesia after the one made by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac, which received the approval of the Muslim council.
Indonesia bus plunges into a ravine, killing 27 pilgrims
Residents inspect the wreckage of a bus that plunged into a ravine in Sumedang West Java, Thursday, March 11, 2021. The tourist bus carrying a group of Islamic junior high school students, teachers and parents plunged into the 20-meter (65-foot) -deep ravine after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing a number of people, police and rescuers said. (AP Photo/Ahmad Fauzan)JAKARTA โ A tourist bus plunged into a ravine on Indonesiaโs main island of Java after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 27 people and injuring 39 others, police and rescuers said Thursday. In December 2019, 35 people were killed when a passenger bus fell into a 80-meter (262-foot) -deep ravine and crashed into a fast-flowing river on Sumatra island. In early 2018, 27 people killed after a packed tourist bus plunged from a hill in West Javaโs hilly area.
Homebound children drive surge in Lego sales
Sales of Lego sets surged in 2020 as more children stayed home during global pandemic lockdowns - and parents bought the colorful plastic brick toys to keep them entertained during weeks of isolation. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana, file)COPENHAGEN โ Sales of Lego sets surged last year as more children stayed home during global pandemic lockdowns - and parents bought the colorful plastic brick toys to keep them entertained through days of isolation. Chief Executive Niels B. Christiansen told The Associated Press that the โsuper strong resultsโ were thanks to strategic investments made years ago to move more sales online. Consumer sales grew by double digits in all regions, with especially strong growth in China, the Americas, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. The push to online sales helped offset disruption to business from the pandemic restrictions.
Investigators: Throttle problem suspected in Indonesia crash
A malfunctioning automatic throttle may have caused the pilots of the Sriwijaya Air jet to lose control, leading to the plane's plunge into the Java Sea last month, Indonesian investigators said Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)JAKARTA โ A malfunctioning automatic throttle may have caused the pilots of a Sriwijaya Air jet to lose control, resulting in the Boeing 737-500's crash into the Java Sea last month, Indonesian investigators said Wednesday. Investigators are working with Boeing and engine maker General Electric to review the information from the flight data recorder. The report offered new details on persistent problems with an autothrottle on the 737-500 on the Sriwijaya Air jet and the airlineโs efforts to fix them. An automated flight-control system played a role in that crash, but the Sriwijaya Air jet did not have that system on board.
Indonesia, Malaysia vow to counter anti-palm oil campaign
Indonesia and Malaysia are the worldโs largest exporters of palm oil, which plays an important role in their economic recovery. After meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told a joint news conference that Indonesia is fighting against palm oil discrimination. AdโWe are concerned over the current anti-palm oil campaign, especially in Europe, Australia and Oceanea,โ Muhyiddin said. There are over 2.7 million palm oil smallholders in Indonesia and 600,000 in Malaysia. The Associated Pressโ investigation reports late last year revealed that many palm oil companies in Indonesia and Malaysia exploit children in their plantations.
Indonesia's confirmed coronavirus cases exceed 1 million
(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)JAKARTA โ Indonesiaโs confirmed coronavirus infections since the pandemic began crossed 1 million on Tuesday and hospitals in some hard-hit areas were near capacity. Indonesiaโs Health Ministry announced that new daily infections rose by 13,094 on Tuesday to bring the countryโs total to 1,012,350, the most in Southeast Asia. The total number of deaths reached 28,468. Jakarta continues to be hardest hit city in Indonesia, confirming more than 254,000 cases as of Tuesday, including 4,077 deaths. Health Ministry data showed hospital capacity nationwide was at about 70%.
7 things parents need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine and kids
A doctor gives a dose for a shot of COVID-19 vaccine at a public health facility in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)HOUSTON โ The COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available for all children but itโs still top of mind for many parents. Dr. Julie Boom from Texas Childrenโs Hospital is the co-chair of the Texas Childrenโs Vaccine Task Force. What do you want people to know about kids and the COVID-19 vaccine? Click here for the top 13 vaccine questions asked along with answers.
Indonesia starts mass COVID vaccinations over vast territory
Indonesiaโs vaccination program is the first large-scale use outside of China of the Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccine. Indonesia plans to vaccinate two-thirds of its population of about 270 million people โ or just over 180 million people. Besides Indonesia, China and Bolivia have granted conditional use authorization for the Sinovac vaccine. Indonesia received its first shipment of the Sinovac vaccines on Dec. 6 and began distributing the doses around the country while awaiting emergency use authorization. It was cleared for that use based on clinical trial data and after the Indonesian Ulema Council declared the vaccine halal.
Indonesian searchers hunt for crashed plane's voice recorder
Divers looking for the crashed plane's cockpit voice recorder were searching in mud and plane debris on the seabed between Indonesian islands Wednesday to retrieve information key to learning why the Sriwijaya Air jet nosedived into the water over the weekend. Indonesian navy divers on Tuesday recovered the flight data recorder from the jet that disappeared Saturday minutes after taking off from Jakarta with 62 people aboard. At least 160 divers were deployed Wednesday to boost the search for the recorder that holds conversations between pilots. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that the team it is sending to join the crash investigation will arrive in a few days. Nurcahyo Utomo, an investigator with Indonesiaโs National Transportation Safety Committee, said the crew did not declare an emergency or report technical problems before the plane nosedived into the sea.
Divers recover crashed Indonesian plane's data recorder
Indonesian navy divers searching the ocean floor on Tuesday recovered the flight data recorder from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea with 62 people on board, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)JAKARTA โ Indonesian navy divers searching the ocean floor on Tuesday recovered the flight data recorder from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea with 62 people on board. TV stations showed divers on an inflatable raft with a large white container containing the flight data recorder heading to a Jakarta port. The chairman of Indonesiaโs National Transportation Safety Committee, Soerjanto Tjahjono, ruled out a possible midair breakup after seeing the condition of the wreckage found by searchers. An automated flight-control system played a role in that crash, but the Sriwijaya Air jet did not have that system on board.
Indonesia navy divers hunt for crashed plane's black boxes
In this image made from undated video released by Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), divers is seen recovering debris strewn on the sea floor in Java Sea where Sriwijaya Air passenger jet crashed, in Indonesia. (Indonesian Navy via AP)JAKARTA โ Indonesian navy divers scoured the floor of the Java Sea on Monday as they hunted for the black boxes of a Sriwijaya Air jet that nosedived into the water over the weekend with 62 people aboard. The transport committeeโs chairman, Soerjanto Tjahjono, said the black boxes could provide valuable information to investigators. He said that Singaporeโs Transport Safety Investigation Bureau will help his committee in searching for the black boxes and the United Statesโ National Transportation Safety Board will join in investigating the crash. Indonesian navy Chief Adm. Yudo Margono said tons of sharp objects of aircraft debris hampered divers trying to reach the black boxes in the sea.
EXPLAINER: Why Indonesia's plane safety record is a concern
Indonesia's aviation record is one of the worst in Asia, with more civilian airliner passenger accidents since 1945 than any other country in the region. While experts say there have been many improvements in recent years, the latest crash has experts questioning the true progress of Indonesia's aviation oversight and regulation. According to data from the Aviation Safety Network, Indonesia has had 104 civilian airliner accidents with over 1,300 related fatalities since 1945, ranking it as the most dangerous place to fly in Asia. But experts said an investigation is needed to determine whether the plane was in fact fit to fly. There should be an interim report from Indonesiaโs National Transportation Safety Committee within a month, Soejatman said.
Indonesian divers find parts of plane wreckage in Java Sea
An investigator of Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee inspects parts of Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 that crashed in the waters off Java Island, at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. Indonesian rescuers pulled out body parts, pieces of clothing and scraps of metal from the Java Sea early Sunday morning, a day after the Boeing 737-500 with dozens of people onboard crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, officials said. Earlier Sunday, search and rescue operations resulted in parts of the plane being found in the sea at a depth of 23 meters (75 feet), leading rescuers to continue searching the area. โWe are sure that is the point where the plane crashed.โHe said the objects found included broken pieces of fuselage with aircraft registration parts. In December 2014, an AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore plunged into the sea, killing 162 people.
Indonesia jet carrying 62 goes missing on domestic flight
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said Sriwijaya Air's Flight SJ182 was delayed for an hour before it took off at 2:36 p.m. The plane was carrying 50 passengers and 12 crew members, all Indonesian nationals, including six extra crew for another trip. It said it was closely monitoring the situation and โworking to gather more information.โThe twin-engine, single aisle Boeing 737 is one of the worldโs most popular planes for short and medium-haul flights. The Lion Air crash was Indonesia's worst airline disaster since 1997, when 234 people were killed on a Garuda airlines flight near Medan on Sumatra island. In December 2014, an AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore plunged into the sea, killing 162 people.
Indonesia's Merapi volcano spews hot clouds, 500 evacuate
Mount Merapi spews volcanic steam from its crater seen from Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. The 2,968-meter (9,737-foot) mountain spewed avalanches of hot clouds on Thursday morning amid its increasing volcanic activities. (AP Photo/Taufiq Rozzaq)JAKARTA โ Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano spewed avalanches of hot clouds Thursday morning as hundreds more residents were evacuated from its fertile slopes. Light eruptions continued during the day โ one sending a column of hot clouds rising 200 meters (yards) into the air. The geological authority had raised the alert level of Mount Merapi to the second-highest level in November after sensors picked up increasing activity.
Asia Today: South Korean minister warns of virus 'war zone'
(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)SEOUL โ South Korea's health minister said Monday that the Seoul metropolitan area is now a โCOVID-19 war zone,โ as the country reported another 615 new infections and the virus appeared to be spreading faster. โThe capital area is now a COVID-19 war zone,โ Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a virus meeting, pleading for citizen vigilance. China reported 15 new cases on Monday, 12 of them brought from outside. โ Hong Kong reported 95 new virus cases on Sunday. Authorities have tightened restrictions on the cityโs 7.5 million people, including limiting most social gatherings to just two people.
Firebrand Indonesian cleric returns from 3-year Saudi exile
JAKARTA โ Tens of thousands of followers of a firebrand cleric joyfully welcomed him at an Indonesian airport on Tuesday as he returned home from a 3-year exile in Saudi Arabia after criminal charges including a pornography case were dropped. Police dropped both charges last year due to weak evidence, but authorities in Saudi Arabia had banned him from leaving the country without any explanation. โMy return home today is to call on you and to invite all Indonesian Muslims to join in a moral revolution. He said the moral revolution should include fighting all kinds of injustice and corruption, and changing human nature from conducting bad deeds to good ones. Agus Maftuh Abegebriel, Indonesia's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said Shihab was given a visa to leave Saudi Arabia this month for Indonesian citizens who undergo a deportation process.
Pandemic puts Indonesia into recession; 1st time in 20 years
A drink vendor rides his bicycle reflected in a puddle in the main business district in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. Indonesia's economy entered its first recession since the Asian financial crisis more than two decades ago as the country struggles to curb the coronavirus pandemic under control. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)JAKARTA โ Indonesiaโs economy has fallen into recession for the first time since the Asian financial crisis more than two decades ago as the country struggles to control the coronavirus pandemic. Much of the region is in recession, with air travel nearly paralyzed due to border controls and other restrictions. Indonesia had reported more than 14,000 deaths from the coronavirus as of Thursday and has been adding 3,000-4,000 cases daily since mid-September.
Pompeo, in Indonesia, renews China attacks as US vote looms
Pompeo renewed the Trump administration's rhetorical onslaught against China in Indonesia on Thursday as the American presidential election looms. โI know the Chinese Communist Party has tried to convince Indonesians to look away from the torments your fellow Muslims are suffering." Earlier, in an appearance with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Pompeo took China to task for threatening its neighbors. But in a July 13 statement, Pompeo said the U.S. now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. โThe Chinese Communist Party is a predator," he said.
Asia Today: Thailand: Woman probably infected in quarantine
(AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)BANGKOK โ Health officials in Thailand said Tuesday it is likely that a French woman who earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus became infected when she stayed under quarantine at a hotel near Bangkok. The 57-year-old woman tested positive after she and her family flew on Oct. 15 from Bangkok to the island of Koh Samui, where she experienced symptoms of the disease. Her case was one of the few of local transmission reported in Thailand over the past several months. The authorities also announced that two more people quarantined at the hotel were found infected with the coronavirus, one Asian, one European, both male. The Health Ministry said it had not yet concluded whether those two people were infected at the hotel.