US returns ancient artefacts looted from Cambodia, Indonesia | Arts and Culture News

US returns ancient artefacts looted from Cambodia, Indonesia | Arts and Culture News

New York district attorney accuses two prominent art dealers of the illegal trafficking of antiquities worth $3m. Prosecutors in New York City have announced that they returned to Cambodia and Indonesia 30 antiquities that were looted, sold or illegally transferred by networks of American antiquities dealers and traffickers. The antiquities…

US chef’s bid to own ‘chili crunch’ name raises ire in Indonesia, Malaysia | Economy

US chef’s bid to own ‘chili crunch’ name raises ire in Indonesia, Malaysia | Economy

Medan, Indonesia – When Michelle Tew, the owner of Malaysia-based food company Homiah, received a cease and desist letter from American-Korean celebrity chef David Chang last month, she felt “sadness and betrayal”. The letter informed Tew that she had 90 days to stop using the term “chili crunch” on the…

11,000 evacuated in northern Indonesia as Ruang volcano erupts | Volcanoes News

11,000 evacuated in northern Indonesia as Ruang volcano erupts | Volcanoes News

Authorities further extend exclusion zone after volcano sends ash and smoke more than two kilometres into the sky. Some 11,000 people have been evacuated from around the Ruang volcano in northern Indonesia amid fears it could collapse causing a tsunami after erupting multiple times. Mount Ruang, located in in North…

Several killed after landslides hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island | Environment News

Several killed after landslides hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island | Environment News

Emergency response efforts have been complicated by poor weather conditions and damaged roads brought about by the disaster. At least 15 people have been found dead and two others missing after landslides hit central Indonesia, say the local authorities. At least 17 victims were evacuated from the landslides that hit…

‘Accepted in both [worlds]’: Indonesia’s Chinese Muslims prepare for Eid | Religion News

‘Accepted in both [worlds]’: Indonesia’s Chinese Muslims prepare for Eid | Religion News

Jakarta, Indonesia – Millions of Muslims across Indonesia, including some of its ethnic Chinese minority, are preparing for Lebaran, as Indonesians call Eid, the festival that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. About 87 percent of Indonesia’s more than 270 million people are Muslim and while most…

Thousands around the world rally for Palestinians on Al-Quds Day | Gaza News

Thousands around the world rally for Palestinians on Al-Quds Day | Gaza News

Tens of thousands of people across the world have staged rallies to mark Al-Quds Day (or simply, Quds Day), an international day expressing support for Palestine and opposition to the ongoing Israeli occupation. The annual day of solidarity falls on the last Friday of Ramadan. People gathered in Iran, Malaysia,…

At Indonesia’s biggest bank, customers’ life savings vanish with a click | Business and Economy

At Indonesia’s biggest bank, customers’ life savings vanish with a click | Business and Economy

Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia – Late last year, Balinese woman Nih Lu Putu Rustini got the shock of her life when she tried to withdraw cash from an ATM to complete a renovation project at her ancestral home. Working as a cleaner during the day and a nanny by night,…

Conflict, climate, corruption drive Southeast Asia people trafficking: UN | Human Trafficking News

Conflict, climate, corruption drive Southeast Asia people trafficking: UN | Human Trafficking News

Latest report comes amid a surge in mostly Muslim Rohingya making dangerous sea journeys in search of safety. Conflict, climate and the demand for low-paid labour in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, with corruption as a “major enabler”, are driving the growth of the people smuggling trade in Southeast…

Bodies of three Rohingya found as Indonesia ends rescue for capsized boat | Rohingya News

Bodies of three Rohingya found as Indonesia ends rescue for capsized boat | Rohingya News

Local authorities in Aceh province have received several reports about dead bodies floating in nearby waters since Saturday. The bodies of three Rohingya refugees have been found in open waters off Indonesia’s Aceh province, says the provincial search-and-rescue agency as authorities end a search for survivors from a capsized boat….