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Mount Ruang has repeatedly erupted, and officials fear it could collapse and create a tsunami, with thousands being evacuated from the areaAuthorities in Indonesia have issued a tsunami alert after a volcano erupted five times in the province of North Sulawesi, spewing a column of smoke more than a mile into the sky and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes.Mount...

Soaked survivors clung to hull overnight before being taken to safety by Indonesian rescue teamDozens of Rohingya refugees have been rescued from the Indian Ocean off the coast of Indonesia after spending the night balanced on the hull of their overturned boat.Seventy-five people were pulled from the stricken vessel, which was spotted on Thursday by an Indonesian search and rescue ship. Continue reading...

Pilot and co-pilot unresponsive for nearly 30 minutes, prompting review of country’s night flight operationTwo Indonesian pilots fell asleep for almost 30 minutes mid-flight, an investigation has revealed.A pilot and co-pilot were simultaneously asleep for about 28 minutes. The Batik Air flight was travelling from South East Sulawesi to the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, on 25 January, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety...

Outgoing president confers honour on presumed successor, Prabowo Subianto, who is accused of human rights violationsHuman rights experts have condemned a decision by Indonesia’s outgoing president to award the rank of honorary four-star general to his presumed successor, Prabowo Subianto, a controversial figure accused of human rights violations.Prabowo, 72, a former son-in-law of the dictator Suharto and a special commander under his regime was...

President-elect Prabowo Subianto has human rights abuses to answer for, says mother of student shot at 1998 protestEvery Thursday for the past 17 years, in searing heat and pouring rain, Maria Catarina Sumarsih has stood outside the Indonesian presidential palace, demanding justice for her son. He was shot dead in 1998, when authorities opened fire on student protesters as they called for an end...

Former son-in-law of late dictator Suharto was discharged from military over alleged abuses dating back to 1980sThe presumed election victory of Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto – a former army general with a history of alleged involvement in torture and disappearances – marks a dark chapter in the country’s history, activists have warned, while vowing not to give up their fight for justice.Prabowo, 72,...

Counting set to begin in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation in race between former general and two former provincial governors Indonesia’s general election: key factsPolls have closed in Indonesia, which hosts the world’s biggest single-day election, where more than 200 million people across the archipelago were eligible to vote in a race to determine who will succeed popular outgoing president Joko Widodo.Defence minister Prabowo...

The presidential office denies that Joko Widodo has interfered in the upcoming voteIndonesian President Joko Widodo is facing mounting criticism over alleged interference in the country’s looming elections, as the country prepares to hold the world’s biggest single day vote.More than 200 million people are eligible to vote in Indonesia’s elections on Wednesday, in which the country’s next president will be selected, as well...

Separatist fighters who seized Phillip Mehrtens say he will be released to protect humanity and safeguard human rights, but did not say whenRebels in Indonesia’s West Papua region have said they will release a New Zealand pilot who was taken hostage a year ago as a bargaining chip for their independence movement.The chief of general staff of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-PB),...

Heather Mack, 28, pleaded guilty to helping boyfriend kill Sheila Wiese-Mack in 2014 to gain access to $1.5m trust fundAn American woman who pleaded guilty to helping kill her own mother and stuffing the body in a suitcase during a luxury vacation in Bali has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.Judge Matthew Kennelly gave Mack credit for the approximately two years she spent...

Two Siamang gibbons rescued from the illegal pet trade have been rehabilitated in a new Indonesian centreThe forest chorus of South Sumatra in Indonesia has some of its finest singers back: a pair of rare Siamang gibbons, rescued from the illegal pet trade, have been released into the wild.Siamang gibbons (Symphalangus syndactylus) are known for their distinctive large throat sacs. But their powerful, haunting...