Four Australian surfers stranded for more than 24 hours off Indonesia have been saved after they spent time alone at sea. Get the Best information about Berita International.
Indonesia’s construction of an industrial park on the tropical island of Borneo endangers its environment.
Indonesian officials are exploring new measures to ensure foreign tourists abide by local rules after several were accused of breaking them and faced legal consequences.
1. Earthquake in East Java
Indonesia’s main island of Java was rocked by a mild undersea earthquake on Tuesday that sent waves of panic through residents and visitors alike. Residents in Central and East Java felt it, sending buildings collapsing and people running from buildings into streets; it triggered tsunami warnings in specific locations, but officials have reported no significant impacts from it.
One woman riding a motorcycle was killed, and her husband injured when rocks from falling trees hit their vehicle in Lumajang district, leading to widespread home damages and strong shockwaves that sent people fleeing for higher ground. After hearing the blast’s sudden shockwaves, dozens of houses were damaged as people sought shelter on higher floors.
Officials warned of the threat posed by landslides, warning the populace to steer clear of slopes of soil or rock that could trigger them and stay away from buildings. With over 270 million residents, Indonesia is vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as it lies along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Ocean associated with earthquakes and volcanic activity. Furthermore, Indonesia is vulnerable to flooding caused by climate change-exacerbated sea-level rise.
2. Indonesian President Joko Widodo meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, more popularly known by his nickname Jokowi, met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a meeting in Beijing as both countries look to strengthen bilateral ties and uphold one China policy for an Indo-Pacific region that remains peaceful and prosperous.
Before agreeing to increase trade ties, leaders discussed bilateral issues, including investment, marine fisheries, and food security. Joko is visiting China as part of his tour to three East Asian nations – his visit has already garnered praise at home, with some suggesting he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for visiting Russia and Ukraine.
Joko is in an unenviable situation as this year’s G20 chair, facing pressure from Washington and Berlin to expel Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, China has expressed interest in maintaining regular strategic communications with Joko while expanding state governance experiences exchanges, initiating “2+2 dialogue mechanisms between foreign and defense ministers and building high-level strategic mutual trust relationships.
3. Chinese Premier Li Qiang takes a test ride on Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway
Indonesia’s first high-speed train connecting Jakarta and West Java’s Bandung completed its inaugural test run this week, operated by joint venture PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC). It’s estimated that its inaugural journey should reduce typical car travel times from four hours down to an hour; China funded this line as part of their Belt and Road initiative and boasts top speeds of 350km per hour.
Since its start, this project has been plagued with delays and cost overruns, leaving its architect frustrated with Indonesia’s requirement that all land necessary for construction be acquired before work could commence. According to KCIC president Daniel Gohdersbacher:
Last month, the global population reached eight billion for the first time. Meanwhile, an Australian woman was deported from Bali after shouting at a police officer, and rebels holding New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens have released an unsettling video depicting his detention by them.
4. Dutch museums are handing back hundreds of cultural artifacts
The Dutch are joining a global trend of Western countries recognizing their colonial past and returning stolen artifacts plundered during that era. Two museums in the Netherlands will deliver hundreds of cultural artifacts, such as decorated cannons and jewels, back to Indonesia and Sri Lanka this week.
The return of 484 objects–such as ancient temple carvings from Java and looted gold, silver, and bronze jewelry known as the “Lombok treasure” from Bali–was ordered following recommendations made by a government commission last year. Gunay Uslu of the Netherlands State Secretary for Culture and Media considers it a historic achievement when dealing with collections derived from a colonial context.
Repatriating objects alone won’t do, she stresses. We must also focus on educating people so they understand the significance of such artifacts while working collectively towards preservation efforts for these pieces.
5. An industrial park being built in Indonesia on the tropical island of Borneo is damaging the environment
Four Australian surfers missing for 24 hours in Indonesia have been found alive and expressed their thanks and gratitude to those who helped save them.
Work continues on the Kayan hydroelectric dam project in North Kalimantan province of Indonesia’s Kalimantan island to supply Nusantara with electricity – power for its new capital city of Nusantara -. Still, residents remain wary about its impact on their environment and livelihood.
Tomohon Extreme Market will become the first market in Indonesia to go dog and cat meat-free following a campaign by Humane Society International (HSI). Other markets across Indonesia have made similar commitments not to sell these products.
Indonesia significantly contributes to climate change, with air pollution from coal-fired power plants blamed for tens of thousands of premature deaths annually. But Indonesia is not moving quickly enough toward meeting its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – speeding up the closure of coal plants while transitioning toward renewables and efficiency can save billions in health care costs, lost productivity, and early deaths each year.
6. Indonesia’s top diplomat is warning of the threat posed by nuclear weapons
Indonesia’s top diplomat has warned about the threat posed by nuclear weapons, asserting that Southeast Asia is “just one miscalculation away from apocalypse.” She wants world powers to sign an anti-nuclear treaty. Meanwhile, Dutch museums are returning hundreds of cultural artifacts taken – often forcibly – from Indonesia and Sri Lanka during colonial times and kept in their collections.
An industrial park constructed in Indonesia on the tropical island of Borneo has devastating environmental repercussions, threatening endangered species that live and migrate on it. While its creator claims the plant will create jobs and stimulate economic growth, critics maintain it is destroying peatlands, which act as natural carbon sinks.
An Australian woman was deported from Indonesia after she threatened a policeman. Also, AirAsia’s unstops route from Perth to Jakarta opened today, while an online survey shows 86 percent of Malaysians support making Sharia regulations official law.
7. Indonesian rescuers are trying to save eight miners who are trapped in an illegal mining area
After earlier efforts at draining the pit using smaller pumps failed, a joint search and rescue team currently uses six larger water pump machines to drain it out. Indonesia is known for having numerous small-scale mines operating without permits that pose risks of landslides, tunnel collapses, and flooding that often leave miner pits filled with water.
Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, has made great strides since emerging from the Asian financial crisis of the 1990s. Since then, its poverty rate has been cut in half, and Indonesia remains on track toward meeting its goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2025.
But climate change threatens Indonesia’s progress with rising sea levels, floods, droughts, and changes to rainfall patterns that could negatively impact progress toward reaching their goal. Furthermore, their use of coal power for electricity generation contributes to air pollution – something which could save hundreds of thousands of premature lives by transitioning away from fossil fuels more rapidly.
8. Indonesian fishing crews and local authorities are hailed for their “act of humanity.”
The United Nations Refugee Agency has applauded Indonesian fishing crews and local authorities for their “act of humanity” in helping rescue two groups of refugees at sea for more than a month who were suffering from fatigue, dehydration, and malnutrition.
Indonesia lies along the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, which often triggers earthquakes and volcanic activity. According to UN estimates, more lives could be lost should Indonesia fail to take steps to reduce disaster risks in this region.
The United States has given Indonesia high marks for protecting human rights but has expressed concerns regarding weakening its Corruption Eradication Commission and backing controversial plans that make it easier for foreigners to buy property in Indonesia.
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