Indonesia begins talks with Britain to repatriate UK’s ‘most prolific rapist’

JAKARTA (Reuters): Indonesia has begun talks with Britain to repatriate the most prolific rapist in British history, a senior minister said, following its move to also seek the return of a Guantanamo Bay detainee accused of being one of the Bali bomb plotters. Reynhard Sinaga, 41, was found guilty in Manchester in 2020 of assaulting 48...

Malaysian influencers apologise, admit ‘disappearance’ was only an act

BANDUNG: Malaysian influencers Ammar Mohd Nazhan and Aras came forward on Friday (Feb 7) to apologise over the production of social media content claiming a friend had "disappeared" in a forest in Kota Bandung, Indonesia, recently, Sinar Harian reports. The Malay language daily said that in a statement reported by Indonesian news outlet KumparanNews, the influencers...

IGP urges for postponement of padi farmers’ rally

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman is urging for the planned gathering of 1,000 padi farmers in front of Perdana Putra on Monday (Jan 27) to be moved to another date. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said it is best the gathering is postponed as it overlaps with the official visit of Indonesian President Probowo Subianto. "We...

One dead in blaze at Jakarta shopping centre Glodok Plaza, several missing

JAKARTA: A massive fire engulfed one of Jakarta’s oldest malls, Glodok Plaza, in Taman Sari, West Jakarta, on Wednesday (Jan 15) night, with the city’s Fire and Rescue Agency deploying more than 47 fire trucks and 200 personnel to the site. The remains of the fire were being extinguished on Thursday evening, and one person has...

Dutch football legends Louis van Gaal and Patrick Kluivert shortlisted for Indonesia national team coach

JAKARTA: The search for the next coach of Indonesia’s national football team is underway following the dismissal of Shin Tae-yong. Football federation PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir confirmed that the federation has interviewed three candidates, including Dutch legends Louis van Gaal and Patrick Kluivert, with the official announcement set for Jan 12, reports Jakarta Globe. "One of the candidates...

Indonesia: Mount Ibu erupts on 2024’s last day; govt sends out highest alert and aviation warning

JAKARTA (Agencies): Mount Ibu, located in Indonesia's North Maluku province, erupted earlier on December 31, prompting an aviation warning, according to the country's Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (VGDMC). The biggest eruption occurred at 5:18 am (local time), sending a column of ash up to three kilometres into the sky. The thick grey cloud drifted...

Indonesia to boost rice purchases from their farmers to ensure food security, support growers

JAKARTA (Xinhua): The Indonesian government plans to purchase more rice from farmers in 2025 to enhance their welfare and ensure food security, a minister has announced. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said that the volume of rice purchases would increase from 2 million tons this year to 2.5 million tons next year. The rice will...

Anwar wishes Prabowo a speedy recovery after meeting postponed

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia extends best wishes for the health of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and looks forward to meeting him in Pulau Langkawi, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In a Facebook post, Anwar mentioned that the meeting with Prabowo has been postponed due to Prabowo's fever. "My family and I are already in Pulau Langkawi...

Indonesia’s largest party expels Jokowi after he backed Prabowo for President’s post

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): Indonesia’s largest party has officially expelled former President Joko Widodo after he spurned the party’s own candidate in February elections and backed Prabowo Subianto’s successful campaign to become leader of South-East Asia’s biggest economy. Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle Chairwoman, known as PDI-P, Megawati Soekarnoputri made the decision to expel Jokowi, as the former...

Indonesia to pardon tens of thousands including Papua activists

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto will pardon tens of thousands of prisoners ranging from activists convicted of defamation to those jailed in the easternmost province of Papua for criticising the government, a minister said on Friday (Dec 13). Law minister Supratman Andi Agtas said some 44,000 prisoners nationwide might get an amnesty on humanitarian grounds and...