KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) — Australian tourists who complained about being stranded on tropical Bali when volcanic ash closed its airport have been roasted online as out of touch with the hardships faced by Indonesians forced to flee their homes. Bali’s airport reopened Wednesday after being closed for 2 1/2 days and thousands of tourists are … Continue reading
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Latest on a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali (all times local): 6 a.m. Indonesian authorities raised the alert for a menacing volcano on the tourist island of Bali to the highest level Monday and ordered people within 10 kilometers (6 miles) to evacuate. The National Disaster … Continue reading
KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) — A volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali has rumbled to life with eruptions that dusted nearby resorts and villages with ash and forced the closure of the small international airport on neighboring Lombok island as towering gray plumes drifted east. Mount Agung erupted on Saturday evening and three times early … Continue reading
BALI, Indonesia (AP) — The Latest on an active volcano on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali (all times local): 9:30 a.m. A Bali island volcano is exhibiting signs of unrest with a continued high chance of eruption. The observation post for Mount Agung witnessed the volcano emitting a small plume most likely of water vapor … Continue reading
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — Two men in Indonesia’s Aceh province were publicly caned dozens of times Tuesday for consensual gay sex, a punishment that intensifies an anti-gay backlash in the world’s most populous Muslim country and which rights advocates denounced as “medieval torture.” More than a thousand people packed the courtyard of a mosque … Continue reading
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — An Islamic Shariah court in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province has sentenced two gay men to public caning for the first time, further undermining the country’s moderate image after a top Christian politician was imprisoned for blasphemy. The court, whose sentencing Wednesday coincided with International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, said … Continue reading
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police said one person died and seven were injured in clashes in the capital on Friday that followed a protest by hard-line Muslims demanding the arrest of the city’s minority-Christian governor for alleged blasphemy. Jakarta police spokesman Awi Setiyono said an elderly man died, possibly from the effects of tear … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are advising pregnant women to postpone travel to 11 countries in Southeast Asia because of Zika outbreaks in the region. The advisory issued Thursday, Sept.29, targets travel to Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading
BALI, Indonesia (AP) — Two foreign tourists were killed and about 20 other people were injured in an explosion Thursday, September 15, 2016, on a speedboat that was ferrying them from the Indonesian tourist island of Bali to neighboring Lombok, police said. Karangasem district police chief Sugeng Sudarso said the “Gili Cat 2” fast boat … Continue reading
PANGANDARAN, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on Monday, Mar. 14, bombed the last major ship internationally wanted for years of illegally taking toothfish from southern waters, reiterating a strong message to would-be poachers who enter the country’s waters. The navy seized the Nigeria-flagged Viking on Feb. 25 operating in waters off Tanjung Berakit in Riau Islands … Continue reading
Zika virus continues to rage in the Americas, and the World Health Organization has declared it a global health emergency. Taiwan has recently issued a travel advisory for Thailand, warning expectant mothers or women trying to get pregnant to postpone their trips there. But how big of a concern is Zika virus for Asia? Here’s … Continue reading
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama opened a meeting of leaders from a 10-nation bloc of Southeast Asian nations on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 calling the landmark gathering on U.S. soil a reflection of his personal commitment to an enduring partnership with the diverse group of countries. Obama and leaders of the Association … Continue reading
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An audacious attack by suicide bombers in the heart of Indonesia’s capital was funded by the Islamic State group, police said Friday, Jan. 15, as they seized an IS flag from the home of one of the attackers and carried out raids across the country in which one suspected militant was … Continue reading
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian police on Friday Jan. 15, arrested three men on suspicion of links to the brazen attacks in the heart of the country’s capital, and said they recovered a flag of the Islamic State group from the home of one of the attackers. The discovery of the flag bolsters authorities’ claim … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is announcing the designation of two new National Marine Sanctuaries — the first chosen in 15 years — as part of President Barack Obama’s efforts to protect the environment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will designate a marine sanctuary in the tidal waters of Maryland, and another in … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 