PADANG, Indonesia (Reuters) — A massive quake struck on Wednesday (March 2) off the Indonesia island of Sumatra, leading to panic among residents. Residents of Padang, capital of west Sumatra province, left for higher ground seeking safety. Heavy traffic could be seen on the roads. The region was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean quake and tsunami, but initial fears of another region-wide disaster faded as tsunami warnings were cancelled. Indonesia and Australian authorities called […]
Tag: Indonesia
Indonesia beefs up security ahead of international summit
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) — About a thousand Indonesian military and police personnel gathered at the capital’s National Monument on Tuesday (March 1) for a security drill ahead of the 5th OIC (Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation) Extraordinary Summit which will be attended by leaders of 57 Islamic countries. Indonesian army commander, Gatot Nurmantyo, oversaw the drill and said around 10,150 security personnel will be ready for the event. “Do not tolerate and compromise on any suspicious […]
26 Indonesians die after drinking bootleg alcohol
JAKARTA, Indonesia ( AFP) — More than two dozen Indonesians have died after drinking bootleg alcohol in central Java, police said Monday. Investigators said a majority of the victims died after purchasing home-made liquor from a couple in Sleman, a town north of Yogyakarta city, local police said. “Most of the victims were students,” Sleman police chief Yulianto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP. The first death occurred last Wednesday, with more […]
Indonesia urges pharmaceutical industry to capitalize on ASEAN market
THE Indonesian ministry of Industry has urged the domestic pharmaceutical industry to capitalize on opportunities to boost sales to the ASEAN market. “The ASEAN market of 650 million people offers an opportunity for our existing advanced upstream pharmaceutical industry.” Director General of Chemical Industry of the Ministry of Industry Harjanto told Antara that “the ASEAN market of 650 million people offers an opportunity for our existing advanced upstream pharmaceutical industry.” Therefore, the government is preparing […]
Demand for women-only motorcycle taxis soars in Indonesian capital
Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is seeing a growing number of transportation services catering exclusively to women, offering better security and comfort in the Indonesian capital of 10 million people. Ladyjek, one of the most recent entrants to the female-only taxi services, has seen business take off less than four months after starting operations in the predominately Muslim nation. The company’s motorcycle drivers, sporting bright pink helmets, can easily be ordered using a mobile app. Uki Pratiwi, […]
Three arrests made by Indonesian anti-terrorism police following Jakarta attack
Media reported that three people suspected of plotting an attack were arrested before dawn in Depok, just south of Jakarta, on Friday (January 15). Metro TV said there was no indication that the men – which it described as a bomb-maker, a firearms expert and a preacher – were linked to Thursday’s (January 14) attack. “The informant told us that the people (who are arrested) were told to follow and to be devoted. (The investigation) […]
Australian Foreign Minister, condems “horrific attacks” in Jakarta
Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop condemned the attacks that took place in Jakarta on Thursday (January 14), and has offered assistance if Indonesia asks for it. “I confirm that the Australian Government condemns these horrific attacks and that we stand with Indonesia in countering terrorism and we’ll do what we can to support them in the investigation as to how this occurred and who is responsible. I have been able to confirm that at this […]
Indonesians worried after Jakarta attacks
Some Indonesians expressed concern about their safety as the country’s capital awoke to a new day on Friday (January 15) following a deadly attack claimed by Islamic State. Just seven people were killed in the three-hour siege near a Starbucks cafe and Sarinah, Jakarta’s oldest department store, despite multiple blasts and a gunfight, and five of them were the attackers themselves. Nevertheless, it was the first time the radical group has targeted the world’s most […]
Family of Filipino death row inmate visit Indonesia
The family members of a Filipino inmate facing death penalty on drug convictions in Indonesia visited her in the prison on Thursday (January 14), as she celebrated her 31st birthday this week. Parents of Mary Jane Veloso, Cesar and Celia, as well as Veloso’s children Mark Daniel and Mark Darren were accompanied by staff from the Philippines embassy in Jakarta. The family declined to comment on the visit. Veloso was spared from the firing squad […]
Explosions and gunfight in central Jakarta leave at least three dead
Several explosions went off and gunfire broke out in the centre of the Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday (January 14) and police said they suspected a suicide bomber was responsible for at least one the blasts. Media said six bombs went off and a Reuters witness saw three dead people and a gunfight going on. One blast was in a Starbucks cafe and security forces were later seen entering the building. Indonesia has been on […]
Indonesian radical Muslim cleric appeals to reduce jail term
Indonesia’s radical Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir appealed to reduce 15-year jail term on Tuesday (January 12), pledging no wrongdoings on all allegation. The 78-year-old, who was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2011, attended the hearing in Cilacap district court in central Java province, the town near notorious prison island Nusa Kambangan where Bashir is jailed. Supporters of Bashir cheered as he walked to the court room escorted by heavy police forces. This […]
Indonesia continues search for 70 missing ferry passengers
The search for the people missing after a ferry sank off Indonesia’s eastern island of Sulawesi in stormy waters entered its fifth day on Wednesday (December 23). The fate of as many as 70 people remains unknown. Seven people have been reported dead, and 41 pulled out alive from rough seas by rescue teams, Alamsyah, the chief of the Disaster Mitigation Agency in the island’s Wajo regency, told Reuters. Helicopters, fishing vessels and rubber dinghies […]
