Police Officers Jailed for Bribery in E. Java Illegal Mining Case

Residents and students protest the murder of farmer and activist Salim in Central Java demanding that the police bring the perpetrators to justice. (Antara/Pradita Utama)

Jakarta. Police in East Java sentenced three of its officers to 21 days in prison after finding them guilty of accepting bribes to protect an illegal mining operation, which sparked nationwide attention after a farmer was murdered for protesting against its activities.

Congrats - Kualanamu International Airport Gets Four-Star Rating From Skytrax

Kualanamu International Airport at Kuala Namu, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, opened in March. (Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Jakarta. Kualanamu International Airport at Kuala Namu, in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, has been rated four stars by Skytrax World Airport Star Rating, a global quality benchmarking assessor that evaluates standards of service quality for airports worldwide.

British Death-Row Grandma Not Discussed With Ambassador: Minister Retno

Lindsay Sandiford, right, was sentenced to death after smuggling 3.8 kilograms of cocaine into Bali in 2013. (AFP Photo/Sonny Tumbelaka)

Jakarta. A recent meeting between the UK ambassador to Indonesia and the Indonesian government did not touch on the fate of a British grandmother who is on death row in the country for smuggling drugs, the minister of foreign affairs said on Friday.

US Stay Calm as Solo Storm Threatens to Pick Up Steam

United States goalkeeper Hope Solo, 1, defender Becky Sauerbrunn, 4, defender Meghan Klingenberg, 22, and defender Ali Krieger, 11, celebrate their win over Nigeria in a Group D football match in the 2015 FIFA women's World Cup. (USA Today Sports Photo/Michael Chow)

On the surface the US team are ticking along nicely in the Women’s World Cup in Canada, but a growing controversy over allegations surrounding goalkeeper Hope Solo are threatening to take the gloss off the team’s performances.

Food for Thought: Breaking the Fast With Beans

This simple recipe serves 12. (JG Photo/Petty Elliott)

Mung beans are known as kacang hijau in Indonesia and are a common legume in many countries. Originally hailing from India they are now common cooking ingredients in Chinese and South Asian cuisine, including Indonesian.

Yogyakarta Terracotta Biennale Celebrates Ancient Artistic Roots

(JG Photo/Richard Horstman)

Yogyakarta. Indonesia has a rich and diverse tradition of terracotta culture dating back many centuries, and the opening on June 7 of the Terracotta Biennale 2015 Art On The River in Bantul, Yogyakarta, was a landmark occasion. Featuring sculptures and installations made from clay by 70 artists from Indonesia, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Slovakia, Hungary, Japan and England, the event has the distinction of being the world’s first international terracotta biennial.

A Bridge Over Troubled Water Between Indonesia and Australia

Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott, left, with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo. Ties between the two countries have been repeatedly tested over recent years. (Reuters Photo/G20 Australia)

 

 

Sydney/Jakarta. The future of Indonesian-Australian relations have plunged in to a labyrinth of uncertainty as allegations of Australian misconduct in handling asylum seekers prompts international relations experts to call for new methods of engagement between the neighboring countries.

Indonesian Kitchen at Home in the Netherlands

 

Stall selling Indonesian food at the Tong Tong Fair in The Hague last week. (Photo courtesy of Tong Tong Foundation)

Jakarta. In no other country outside of Indonesia can one find Indonesian food, spices and condiments as easily as in the Netherlands. Seven decades after the Dutch left their biggest colony, dishes like rendang and nasi goreng have become part of the country’s national cuisine.

“Geef mij maar nasi goreng” (“I prefer nasi goreng”) a popular golden-oldie Dutch song, can be heard several times a day on a hip radio station playing pop music for a young crowd. It advertises Toko Joyce, one of Amsterdam’s most famous take-away joints, which has been serving Indonesian dishes and snacks for almost half a century.

Obama’s Quest for Fast-Track Asia Trade Bill on Ice in US House

House Republican leaders hope to revive bill next week, as setback could spark fresh round of horse-trading

US President Barack Obama departs after meeting with Democratic House members at the US Capitol in Washington on June 12, 2015. (Reuters Photo/Jonathan Ernst)

Washington. A raging battle over US President Barack Obama’s request for “fast-track” authority central to improving US ties with Asia resumes in the House of Representatives next week when lawmakers are expected to try to reverse Friday’s defeat of linchpin trade legislation.

Australia Stoops to ‘New Low’ if Boat Payment Confirmed, Says Indonesia

 

An empty Australian lifeboat that carried asylum seekers turned back by Australian navy is docked at Pangandaran wharf in West Java. (AFP Photo/Timur Matahari)

Jakarta. Australia would have stooped to a “new low” if reports that its navy paid people-smugglers bound for Australia thousands of dollars to turn back their boat are true, an Indonesian government official said on Saturday.

Australia has vowed to stop asylum-seekers reaching its shores, turning boats back to Indonesia when it can and sending asylum-seekers to camps in impoverished Papua New Guinea and Nauru for long-term detention.

So Sad... Christopher Lee, Evil Count of Cinema, Dies Aged 93

 

The British actor Christopher Lee and his Danish wife Birgit Kroncke in Marrakesh in 2008. Lee, best known for his seminal portrayal of Count Dracula in the 1958 screen classic before enjoying a late-career renaissance as the evil wizard Saruman in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, died on Sunday at age 93. (Reuters Photo/Jean Blondin)

London. Master of the macabre Christopher Lee, who portrayed Dracula in outrageous Hammer Films horror classics but became known to later generations for roles in “Star Wars” and as the wizard Saruman in the “Lord of the Rings,” has died aged 93.

Lee died last Sunday in hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for respiratory problems, a copy of his death certificate posted online showed. Lee’s agent, in an e-mailed statement, said his family “wishes to make no comment.”

Indonesia Offers Visa-Free Travel for 30 More Countries

A tourist surfing at a beach in Bali, in this Aug. 13, 2014, file photo. (EPA Photo/Made Nagi)

Jakarta. To boost tourist numbers, Indonesia from next month will waive visa requirements for nationals from an extra 30 countries — but not Australia — the government has announced.

Tourism Minister in Investment Plea as ‘Wonderful Indonesia’ Beckons

Lounge chairs are placed along the shore of Gili Air Island, in West Nusa Tenggara on Dec. 9, 2014. (Antara Photo/Widodo S. Jusuf)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s tourism minister called for more investment in everything from ports to dive operators on Thursday as he pushed for private and public funding to reach the ambitious goal of doubling the archipelago’s tourist visitors by 2019.

For an Inland Adventure on Bali, Only Big Bikes Will Do

Whether hitting sun-kissed tarmac, rained-out and flooding roads or poorly maintained backstreets, the bikes held up well in all situations.   (Beritasatu Photo/Moh. Defrizal and courtesy of BMW Motorrad Bal)

” Freedom,” was how Duncan MacRae, the ponytailed head of BMW Motorrad Indonesia described it to me.

When I met MacRae a couple of months earlier as he launched the first Jakarta outlet of BMW’s motorbike unit, it started a long countdown to this day in Denpasar. As we wandered around the showroom on Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai jumping on and off 1200cc behemoths or 600cc scooters, it was hard to hide my excitement. I didn’t bother.

Indonesia, Turkey to Cooperate in Battle Against Extremism

 

The ISIS logo is displayed on a wall in Grogol, Central Java. (JG Photo/Ali Lutfi)

Jakarta. Indonesia and Turkey have agreed to work closely to eradicate religious extremism, just two days after government officials confirmed that up to 32 Indonesians had been detained in Turkey or gone missing and were suspected of trying to cross into Syria to join Islamic State (IS) militants.

Dozens Feared Dead as Cyclone Pounds Pacific Island of Vanuatu

Waves and scattered debris are seen along the coast, caused by Cyclone Pam, in the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila, on March 13, 2015 (AFP Photo)

Suva, Fiji. A huge tropical cyclone smashed into Vanuatu in the South Pacific, terrifying residents and leaving “complete devastation” with fears Saturday that dozens of people may have died.

UNICEF New Zealand said Saturday Super Tropical Cyclone Pam could be one of the worst weather disasters for the Pacific.

“While it is too early to say for certain, early reports are indicating that this weather disaster could potentially be one of the worst in Pacific history,” New Zealand executive director Vivien Maidaborn said in a statement.

US Man Admits to Killing Girlfriend’s Mom in Bali Suitcase Murder Case

Tommy Schaefer, right, and his girlfriend Heather Mack, both from Chicago, could face the death penalty if found guilty of the murder of Sheila von Wiese-Mack. (Antara Photo/Nyoman Budhiana)

Denpasar, Bali. A US man confessed in an Indonesian court on Thursday to killing his pregnant girlfriend’s mother, in a grisly case in which the victim’s battered body was found in an abandoned suitcase on the resort island of Bali.

Tommy Schaefer and Heather Mack, both from Chicago, are being tried separately and have been charged with premeditated murder in the death of Shiela von Wiese-Mack.