Article: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/14/indonesian-separatists-release-video-of-nz-pilot-they-took-hostage Earlier this month, a group of West Papuan separatists took a New Zealand pilot hostage. The pilot, Mark Mehrtens was a pilot for an Indonesian aviation company called Susi Air. When the plane landed in the remote Paro of the Nduga district, the plane was stormed by the West Papua National Liberation Army. Of the 6 onboard, the… Read more »
The world’s most endangered orangutans could be pushed towards extinction after an Indonesian court approved a controversial dam project, say campaigners. The 22 trillion rupiah (£1.15bn; $1.5bn) dam will be built in North Sumatra’s Batang Toru forest. The region is home to the Tapanuli orangutans, which were only identified as a new species in 2017. Only 800 of them remain… Read more »
The Indonesian woman accused of killing Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, has been freed after charges against her were dropped. Siti Aisyah had been accused of smearing VX nerve agent on Mr Kim’s face in Kuala Lumpur airport in 2017. She and her co-accused, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, deny murder and say they thought they were part… Read more »
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine nickel mining output is expected to recover in 2019 following years of decline due to production disruptions, boding well for the global outlook for this year, a Fitch unit said Friday. The Philippines is among the world’s biggest supplier of nickel ore and also among the top producers of copper and gold. However, the mining sector… Read more »
France 2 A bid to make all sex outside marriage illegal was rejected by a top Indonesian court Thursday, in a ruling that surprised many as concerns grow about rising intolerance in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country. Five out of nine judges on the Constitutional Court in the capital Jakarta narrowly rejected the push to criminalise extramarital relations, including gay… Read more »
France 24 A volcano gushing towering columns of ash closed the airport on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali for a second day Tuesday, disrupting travel for tens of thousands, as authorities renewed their warnings for villagers to evacuate. Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark gray ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above its cone since the… Read more »
Lawmakers are proposing a ban on alcohol sales and consumption throughout Indonesia, which may negatively affect the island of Bali’s booming tourist economy. The ban would include production, sale, and consumption of alcohol across the entire country, but would have profound effects on the island of Bali. For anyone found violating this law, a prison sentence of as many as… Read more »
