Asia

Efforts of Indonesia to defuse growing crisis in Myanmar falter

Editorial Bureau February 24, 2021

YANGON (MYANMAR) – The efforts of Indonesia to help defuse the crisis in Myanmar with the help of other Southeast Asian nations appear to be faltering with a proposed diplomatic visit cancelled. This comes as Myanmar was set for more street agitations on Wednesday against the junta. There

Asia

Indonesian beach sees death of dozens of whales, rescuers save three

Editorial Bureau February 19, 2021

BANGKALAN (INDONESIA) – Forty-six whales, which were marooned on a beach on the Indonesian island of Madura have surrendered to death. However, rescuers managed to bring three of them back to safety, the provincial governor said on Friday. A rescue effort was initiated on Thursday after dozens of pilot whales beached. Volunteers helped bring some […]

Asia

Indonesia frees British national serving jail sentence for death of cop

Editorial Bureau February 11, 2021

DENPASAR (INDONESIA) – A British national who was in prison for the death of an Indonesian policeman in 2016 on a Bali beach was released on Thursday after serving his sentence. David Taylor, 38, was sentenced to imprisonment in March 2017 along with his Australian girlfriend, Sara Connor, following the death of traffic policeman Wayan […]

Asia

Relatives of Sriwijaya Air crash’s victims to be briefed ahead of preliminary report

Editorial Bureau February 10, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Indonesia’s air accident investigator will brief relatives of the 62 victims of Sriwijaya Air crash, which happened last month in Jakarta on Wednesday morning before the release of a preliminary report in the afternoon, a family member told. The briefing will be followed by one held for families on Tuesday in Pontianak, […]

Asia

Indonesia grants approval for administering China’s Sinovac vaccine to elderly

Editorial Bureau February 6, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Indonesia authorities have given the nod for China’s Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 shot for its elderly population, said the food and drugs authority (BPOM) in a statement on Saturday. The letter showed that Bio Farma has approved the vaccine for those aged 60 and above after ‘taking into account the emergency situation”.

Asia

Indonesia’s vaccine campaign faces glitch, amid raging pandemic

Editorial Bureau February 5, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo received the nation’s first coronavirus vaccine live on television last month, however, his ambitious inoculation campaign has stumbled, and is already facing glitches from factors such as refrigeration, distrust and disinformation. “Disaster,” said Pandu Riono, a University of Indonesia

Asia

Rights groups in praise of Indonesia banning religious attire in school dress codes

Editorial Bureau February 4, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Activists in Indonesia on Thursday were all praise for the government’s decision to ban public schools from making religious attire mandatory. This has become a reality after a national outcry over non-Muslim students being forced to wear a hijab. Indonesia officially identifies six religions, with nearly 90% of the population being

Asia

Sulawesi quake: Death toll rises to 81 as search and rescue efforts continue

Ren Leen January 18, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said on Monday that as many as 81 people were killed in the powerful tremors that rocked Sulawesi island last week and more than 19,000 people have been displaced, adding that search and rescue efforts are going on. The quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck West […]

Asia

Aftershock hits Indonesia quake zone even as rescue efforts continue

Editorial Bureau January 16, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – An aftershock hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Saturday as rescue workers searched for people trapped under rubble after an earthquake killed at least 45 people, injured hundreds and sent thousands fleeing in terror. Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said no damage or casualties were reported from the Magnitude 5.0 aftershock

Asia

Indonesia’s dive search for crashed jet’s cockpit recorder gets suspended

Editorial Bureau January 13, 2021

JAKARTA (INDONESIA) – Indonesia on Wednesday temporarily stopped a search by divers for the cockpit voice recorder of the crashed Sriwijaya Air jet. The search in the Java Sea had to be halted because of bad weather that gave way to waves of up to 2.5 metres (8.2 feet) in height, officials said. A remotely […]