Australian on trial in Bali for alleged drug possession

DENPASAR: A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on Thursday (June 13) began the trial of an Australian man who faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of possessing methamphetamine under the country's tough drug laws. Troy Andrew Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was arrested on April 30 after police...

Indonesia’s Mt Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupts, spews ash 800m high

JAKARTA: Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted on Monday (June 10), spewing volcanic ash up to 800m high from its crater, according to the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre (PVMBG). Adzan Anugrah Indiarsyah, an officer at the Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki observation post, stated that the eruption occurred at 7.20am local time,...

Return the favour – Indonesia now seeks Thailand’s assistance in capturing dreaded drug lord Fredy Pratama

JAKARTA (Bernama): The Indonesian National Police (Polri) are seeking cooperation from Thai authorities to capture drug lord Fredy Pratama, who is currently hiding in the forests of Thailand. The request follows the recent capture of Chaowalit Thongduang, a Thai fugitive apprehended in Badung, Bali, last Thursday, according to a statement from Polri on Sunday. Narcotics division head...

Twin quakes shake Bandung, damaging homes and infrastructure

JAKARTA: Two earthquakes rocked Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday (May 1), affecting three families and causing damage to three houses, along with two mosques, three schools, and a health centre. National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokeperson Abdul Muhairi, spokesperson urged residents to remain alert for aftershocks and advised them to avoid buildings showing signs of damage...

Under PM Lee and Joko Widodo, ‘Singapore and Indonesia are not just neighbours but friends’

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has a favourite saying. “He often says we cannot choose our neighbours like we choose our friends,” said Bey Machmudin, a former Indonesian presidential spokesman. “But he found a friend in Lee,” he added, referring to Singapore’s outgoing leader. “Singapore and Indonesia are both good neighbours – and good friends.” That personal friendship...

Weeping, weak and soaked, dozens of Rohingya refugees rescued after night on hull of capsized boat

MEULABOH, Indonesia: An Indonesian search and rescue ship on Thursday (March 21) located a capsized wooden boat that had been carrying dozens of Rohingya Muslim refugees, and began pulling survivors who had been standing on its hull to safety. An AP photographer aboard the rescue ship said 10 people had been taken aboard local fishing boats...

Indonesia wants to work with Singapore to host big concerts and world events

JAKARTA (Jakarta Post/ANN): Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno visited Singapore recently and aims to explore potential bilateral cooperation on hosting major concerts and other international events amid pop singer Taylor Swift’s exclusive six-date concert series in the city-state. During the visit, Sandiaga met with Grace Fu Hai Yien, Singapore’s minister-in-charge of trade relations...

Indonesian airline pilots fell asleep mid-flight, says safety agency

JAKARTA (AFP): The Indonesian air safety agency has called for better pilot fatigue monitoring mechanisms, after an investigation revealed that both pilots of a commercial aircraft had recently fallen asleep in-flight. A pilot and co-pilot were simultaneously asleep for approximately 28 minutes during a Batik Air flight from South East Sulawesi to the capital Jakarta on...

Indonesian president Jokowi to start working from new capital in July

JAKARTA (Bernama-Antara): President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that he will start working from the new national capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan in July this year. "(I will relocate) next July. I will wait for the airport and the toll road to complete first,” the President announced here on Thursday, reported ANTARA news agency. On the sidelines...

Tourists entering Thailand should have RM1,992 in cash according to new requirement

PETALING JAYA: Tourists are advised to bring RM1,992 cash with the new travel requirement to enter Thailand. In an interview with the Indonesian network RRI, the Minister Counsellor of the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Dewi Lestari, clarified that this regulation applies to all foreign tourists coming into Thailand regardless of their country of origin, with the...