Indonesia

Indonesia’s president has ordered the military to assist farmers in planting rice, as the country faces a severe drought and a surge in rice prices due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. President Joko Widodo, who visited a rice field in central Java on Wednesday, said he wanted to speed up the planting process, which had been delayed by months …

In a small warehouse in the outskirts of Jakarta, Muhammad Helmi is busy feeding his hungry guests: thousands of maggots devouring a mountain of food waste. Helmi, 25, is the founder of Magalarva, a start-up that uses black soldier fly larvae to convert organic waste into animal feed, fertilizer and biofuel. He says his innovative solution can help tackle Indonesia’s …

TikTok, the popular short video app owned by China’s ByteDance, announced on Monday that it will invest $1.5 billion in Indonesia over the next three years, as part of its expansion plan in Southeast Asia. The investment will be used to support the development of TikTok’s e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, which allows users to buy and sell products through the …

Indonesian authorities on Thursday called off the search for victims of a volcanic eruption that killed at least 23 people and injured dozens more on Java island. The volcano erupted on Sunday, sending a 3km (9,800ft) ash cloud into the air, and depositing large amounts of volcanic ash in nearby districts. The eruption occurred while many climbers were on the …

Indonesia is planning to release 200 million genetically modified mosquitoes in Bali as part of an experiment to combat dengue fever, a potentially fatal disease that affects millions of people in the country every year. The project, which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the World Mosquito Program (WMP), aims to reduce the transmission …

At least 11 hikers were killed and 12 others were missing after a volcano erupted in Indonesia on Sunday, spewing hot ash and gas that engulfed a popular hiking trail, an official said. The victims were among dozens of people who were hiking up Mount Marapi, a 2,891-meter (9,485-foot) volcano on Sumatra island, when it suddenly erupted around noon local …

In a move reflecting Indonesia’s proactive stance in the face of evolving geopolitical shifts, the nation is set to witness a substantial 20% increase in defense spending, reaching an impressive $25 billion until the close of the upcoming year. This decision, greenlit by the outgoing President and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, aims to fortify Indonesia’s defense capabilities against emerging security …

In the midst of looming smokestacks from a nearby coal power plant, Edy Suryana’s village grapples with perpetual grey skies, ash-filled air, and a lingering stench. Living in the shadows of northern Java’s power plant, Suryana and fellow villagers witness health woes, attributing them to the omnipresent smog.  Experts highlight a surge in respiratory illnesses and deaths in northern Java, …

In a recent turn of events, Ade Safri Simanjuntak, Director for Special Crime at Jakarta’s police, revealed on Wednesday that compelling evidence has surfaced, leading to the identification of Firli Bahuri, Chairman of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as a suspect in an alleged extortion case involving former Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo. The charges against Bahuri span corruption …

In an era of seismic shifts towards sustainable energy solutions, the landscapes of Indonesia and the Philippines are quietly transforming into hotbeds of geothermal power innovation. Against the backdrop of abundant volcanic activity, companies are seizing opportunities to harness the Earth’s natural heat reservoirs, propelling geothermal energy into the limelight. One such trailblazer, Barito Renewables Energy, has recently etched its …