At least nine people were killed and dozens more are missing after a string of boats capsized in a storm that battered Indonesia’s section of Borneo island, a local rescue agency said Friday. The accident happened early Wednesday in waters off the coast of West Kalimantan where waves as high as five metres (16 feet) […]
Indonesia
Indonesians ignore warnings in rush to buy anti-parasite drug for Covid
Indonesians have ignored health warnings to stock up on a “miracle cure” for Covid-19 backed by leading politicians and social media influencers, as an out-of-control virus surge sweeps the country. Authorities are reporting hundreds of deaths every day as the world’s fourth-most populous nation struggles with its worst outbreak since the pandemic began. Pharmacies across […]
Indonesia rolls out tougher curbs as virus cases skyrocket
Thousands of troops and police hit the streets of Indonesia’s Java island and Bali Saturday to enforce new virus curbs as the Southeast Asian nation battles an unprecedented wave of Covid-19 infections. The country’s overwhelmed healthcare system teetered on the brink of collapse as jammed hospitals turned away patients, forcing desperate families to hunt for […]
Indonesia to impose ’emergency’ curbs to battle virus surge
Indonesia will impose “emergency” coronavirus restrictions this week to battle an alarming surge in infections, President Joko Widodo said Thursday, as the country scrambles to avoid a collapse of its overwhelmed healthcare system. Widodo said the new restrictions, starting Saturday, would last more than two weeks in the capital Jakarta and across hard-hit Java, as […]
Seven dead, 11 missing in Bali ferry sinking
Indonesian rescuers were searching for 11 people still missing after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Bali in rough seas, killing at least seven, authorities said Wednesday. Dozens of survivors were plucked from the water Tuesday evening after the KMP Yunicee, carrying 57 passengers and crew, went down near Gilimanuk port at the […]
Papua rebels take hostages after killing civilians: Indonesian officials
Separatist rebels were holding four civilians hostage in the jungles of Indonesia’s breakaway Papua region after they killed several construction workers in an ambush, authorities said Friday. Tensions have been mounting between Indonesian security forces and guerrillas fighting a decades-long insurgency to win independence from the Southeast Asian nation. Authorities said some 30 rebels opened […]
Clashes as Indonesia jails hardline cleric over virus lies
Indonesian police fired tear gas and water cannon at supporters of a hardline Muslim cleric jailed Thursday for spreading false information about Covid-19 after he held rallies that drew thousands. Rizieq Shihab, 55, was handed a four-year jail term for claiming in a viral video that he was healthy, despite knowing that test results showed […]
Indonesia hits 2 million virus cases as crisis deepens
Indonesia passed two million coronavirus cases Monday as infection rates soar and hospitals are flooded with new patients, prompting warnings that the Southeast Asian nation’s health crisis could spiral out of control. The unwanted milestone comes after daily case rates more than doubled in recent weeks and authorities identified the presence of highly infectious Covid-19 […]
Indonesia releases Iranian and Panamanian tankers after four months
Indonesia has released an Iranian tanker and a Panamanian vessel that were both seized at the beginning of the year on suspicion of illegal oil transfers, officials said on Saturday. Following legal proceedings, the crude oil tankers — Iranian-flagged MT Horse and Panama-flagged MT Freya — left Indonesia on Friday, the country’s Maritime Security Agency […]
Pakistan, Indonesia want stronger OIC cooperation to combat Islamophobia
Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on Thursday discussed the need for stronger cooperation amongst members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to combat Islamophobia. In a telephone conversation, Foreign Minister Qureshi stressed that Pakistan’s efforts were aimed at creating awareness and building greater understanding for the […]