An Indonesian family lived with the bodies of two dead relatives in the hope that keeping their corpses could bring them back to life, police said today.

The bizarre discovery came after a medical officer on a routine visit tipped off authorities after refused to let the officer inside the house, which was emitting a strange smell.

When local authorities forced their way into the home in Cimahi, West Java, they found the nearly skeletal bodies of Hatidjah&#39;s deceased husband and daughter covered with cloth and laid out in a bedroom.

She had sprinkled powdered coffee around the remains and police said they also found dozens of perfume bottles in the home, about a three-hour drive from the capital Jakarta.

The remains were identified as Hatidjah&#39;s husband, who died in December at the age of 85, and her 50-year-old daughter, who had been dead for two years.

Hatidjah, whose two other children were living in the home, told police that the pair both died of illness, but she did not bury them in the hopes they could be resurrected.

&quot;She said she heard whispers that if she took care of the dead bodies, they would come back to life,&quot; local police spokesman Hari Suprapto said.

The septuagenarian was not charged but police said they&#39;re investigating whether foul play may have been involved.

Black magic, which is outlawed, and faith healing are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation in Southeast Asia where many people remain deeply superstitious.

The remains were identified as 77-year-old Neneng Hatidjah's husband, who died in December at the age of 85, and her 50-year-old daughter, who had been dead for two years

An Indonesian family lived with the bodies of two dead relatives in the hope that keeping their corpses could bring them back to life, police said today. The bizarre discovery came after a medical officer on a routine visit tipped off authorities after refused to let the officer inside the house, which was emitting a strange smell. When local authorities forced their way into the home in Cimahi, West Java, they found the nearly skeletal bodies of Hatidjah's deceased husband and daughter covered with cloth and laid out in a bedroom. She had sprinkled powdered coffee around the remains and police said they also found dozens of perfume bottles in the home, about a three-hour drive from the capital Jakarta. The remains were identified as Hatidjah's husband, who died in December at the age of 85, and her 50-year-old daughter, who had been dead for two years. Hatidjah, whose two other children were living in the home, told police that the pair both died of illness, but she did not bury them in the hopes they could be resurrected. "She said she heard whispers that if she took care of the dead bodies, they would come back to life," local police spokesman Hari Suprapto said. The septuagenarian was not charged but police said they're investigating whether foul play may have been involved. Black magic, which is outlawed, and faith healing are common in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation in Southeast Asia where many people remain deeply superstitious.

Indonesian family lived with dead relatives to 'bring them back to life'

The latest Global Trust Index values have&nbsp;revealed that the people of the country hold a great trust in the Modi government despite the much-debated demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax introduced by the government.&nbsp;

Though India continues to be among the top three nations where trust in government remains high, the figures have dropped a little since last year.&nbsp;

In 2017, India ranked first in the list with Indonesia, and China behind it. The new data reveals China to be at the top with Indonesia and India behind it.&nbsp;

The Index is released by communications marketing firm Edelman in Davos last week.&nbsp;

The Global Trust Index is released annually in Davos.&nbsp;

The figures released showed the strong growth of trust by the people of China and a steep downfall in the public trust in the US.

The report revealed that the US had suffered the major setback in the Trust Index.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In 2017, India ranked first in the list with Indonesia, and China behind it. The new data reveals China to be at the top with Indonesia and India behind it

The latest Global Trust Index values have revealed that the people of the country hold a great trust in the Modi government despite the much-debated demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax introduced by the government. Though India continues to be among the top three nations where trust in government remains high, the figures have dropped a little since last year. In 2017, India ranked first in the list with Indonesia, and China behind it. The new data reveals China to be at the top with Indonesia and India behind it. The Index is released by communications marketing firm Edelman in Davos last week. The Global Trust Index is released annually in Davos. The figures released showed the strong growth of trust by the people of China and a steep downfall in the public trust in the US. The report revealed that the US had suffered the major setback in the Trust Index.

Global Trust Index ranks India third, reveals nation's trust in Modi government

At least 75 people were injured Monday when a mezzanine floor at Indonesia&#39;s stock exchange building collapsed into the lobby, police said, with victims carried out of the debris-filled building on stretchers.

Dramatic CCTV footage showed a group of some 40 visiting students on a balcony section plunge as the floor gave way with a cascade of glass, metal and other material crashing onto the ground floor where several others were walking.

A Jakarta police spokesman said the collapse was an accident and not the result of an explosion.

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said, 75 people had been injured. There were no reports of deaths so far.

Television images showed chaotic scenes as victims were taken to hospital or lay on the ground outside the tower complex in the centre of the sprawling city&#39;s business district.

&quot;I saw many people bleeding,&quot; student Rizki Noviandi, who was taking part in a competition at the exchange building, told Metro TV.

&quot;So many people were carried out of the building and were left on the grass outside... until the ambulances arrived.&quot;

The lobby was filled with debris and toppled-over plants near a Starbucks coffee outlet, as hundreds of building employees were evacuated from the complex which was bombed by Islamist militants in 2000.

At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured by a car bomb in that attack.

&quot;Our search and rescue teams, the police, doctors, the firefighters are all still working,&quot; Wasisto said.

&quot;They are cleaning the debris and also searching for other possible injuries,&quot; he added.

Those hurt mostly sustained injuries to their legs and arms, including broken bones, a spokesman for one local hospital said.

Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono added: &quot;The accident happened at the first floor... It&#39;s a floor where many employees are passing by.&quot;

Panicking

The collapse took place in one of two towers in the complex.

&quot;There was a sound, like something had fallen off a building structure, for about 20 seconds. Everyone was panicking and people were immediately being evacuated,&quot; Amailia Putri Hasniawati, a journalist based at the exchange, told AFP.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident at the tower in Sudirman district, which was built in 1995.

&quot;Material degradation could be the cause,&quot; construction expert Iswandi Imran told local TV.

&quot;It could be corrosion or anything which slowly degrades the strength of the structure so it cannot take the weight any longer. But all that has to be investigated.&quot;

Despite the chaos Monday, trading continued as usual in the afternoon session with the main index closing 0.2 percent higher.

The accident happened shortly after noon local time (0500 GMT) while the market was on its lunchtime break.

&quot;There was a loud banging so people who were inside immediately ran outside of the building,&quot; said Metro TV journalist Marlia Zein.

The local office of the World Bank is housed on the 12th floor of the complex, according to its website.

Reports at the time of the 2000 bombing said one of the men responsible was a member of the Free Aceh Movement, a separatist group which had been fighting for a free Islamic state in Aceh province since the mid-seventies.

Some 200 cars were also damaged in the blast in an underground parking lot.

A Jakarta police spokesman said the collapse was an accident and not the result of an explosion

At least 75 people were injured Monday when a mezzanine floor at Indonesia's stock exchange building collapsed into the lobby, police said, with victims carried out of the debris-filled building on stretchers. Dramatic CCTV footage showed a group of some 40 visiting students on a balcony section plunge as the floor gave way with a cascade of glass, metal and other material crashing onto the ground floor where several others were walking. A Jakarta police spokesman said the collapse was an accident and not the result of an explosion. National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said, 75 people had been injured. There were no reports of deaths so far. Television images showed chaotic scenes as victims were taken to hospital or lay on the ground outside the tower complex in the centre of the sprawling city's business district. "I saw many people bleeding," student Rizki Noviandi, who was taking part in a competition at the exchange building, told Metro TV. "So many people were carried out of the building and were left on the grass outside... until the ambulances arrived." The lobby was filled with debris and toppled-over plants near a Starbucks coffee outlet, as hundreds of building employees were evacuated from the complex which was bombed by Islamist militants in 2000. At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured by a car bomb in that attack. "Our search and rescue teams, the police, doctors, the firefighters are all still working," Wasisto said. "They are cleaning the debris and also searching for other possible injuries," he added. Those hurt mostly sustained injuries to their legs and arms, including broken bones, a spokesman for one local hospital said. Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono added: "The accident happened at the first floor... It's a floor where many employees are passing by." Panicking The collapse took place in one of two towers in the complex. "There was a sound, like something had fallen off a building structure, for about 20 seconds. Everyone was panicking and people were immediately being evacuated," Amailia Putri Hasniawati, a journalist based at the exchange, told AFP. It was not immediately clear what caused the accident at the tower in Sudirman district, which was built in 1995. "Material degradation could be the cause," construction expert Iswandi Imran told local TV. "It could be corrosion or anything which slowly degrades the strength of the structure so it cannot take the weight any longer. But all that has to be investigated." Despite the chaos Monday, trading continued as usual in the afternoon session with the main index closing 0.2 percent higher. The accident happened shortly after noon local time (0500 GMT) while the market was on its lunchtime break. "There was a loud banging so people who were inside immediately ran outside of the building," said Metro TV journalist Marlia Zein. The local office of the World Bank is housed on the 12th floor of the complex, according to its website. Reports at the time of the 2000 bombing said one of the men responsible was a member of the Free Aceh Movement, a separatist group which had been fighting for a free Islamic state in Aceh province since the mid-seventies. Some 200 cars were also damaged in the blast in an underground parking lot.

Mezzanine floor of Indonesia Stock Exchange collapses, 75 injured

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday inaugurated the 5th Round Table of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Network of Think Tanks in Indonesia.

Speaking at the inauguration Swaraj said, &quot;The 5th Round Table meeting taking place at a very important juncture as in less than three weeks from now, India will host the ASEAN-India commemorative summit to mark the 25 years of India-ASEAN relations.&quot;

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Taking ASEAN-India relationship in the commemorative year! EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> met with Mr. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, ASEAN and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ActEastPolicy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ActEastPolicy</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CRDqfe3zcF">pic.twitter.com/CRDqfe3zcF</a>
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&quot;Therefore, the discussions are timely and opportunely. It will provide useful inputs to our leaders, when they will meet on 25th January in New Delhi for the summit,&quot; she added.

Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation.

&quot;I look forward to new India where both India and ASEAN can work together to bring development and prosperity to the region,&quot; she said.

The External Affairs Minister said it will be an honour and prestige for India to host all 10 ASEAN leaders as the guest of honours for the Republic Day.

&quot;Their presence in New Delhi on this day will place India-ASEAN relations at centre stage,&quot; she said.

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I urge the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation &amp; suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational &amp; cultural co-operation. I look forward to new India where both India &amp; ASEAN can work together to bring development &amp; prosperity to the region: Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://t.co/EXAuEitJL7">pic.twitter.com/EXAuEitJL7</a>
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Earlier today, Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, met with the ASEAN Sectary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta.

Later in the day, she will address the Indian community in the capital city.

Earlier on Friday, India and Indonesia condemned all forms of terrorism at the 5th Joint Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

&quot;We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approach to deal with this group of menace and called upon all the countries to stop providing state sponsorship to terrorism and prevent their territories to stop being used for establishing terrorist safe havens,&quot; Swaraj said.

The two leaders also reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links in the meeting.

Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday inaugurated the 5th Round Table of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Network of Think Tanks in Indonesia. Speaking at the inauguration Swaraj said, "The 5th Round Table meeting taking place at a very important juncture as in less than three weeks from now, India will host the ASEAN-India commemorative summit to mark the 25 years of India-ASEAN relations." Taking ASEAN-India relationship in the commemorative year! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met with Mr. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, ASEAN and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia. #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/CRDqfe3zcF — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 6, 2018 × "Therefore, the discussions are timely and opportunely. It will provide useful inputs to our leaders, when they will meet on 25th January in New Delhi for the summit," she added. Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation. "I look forward to new India where both India and ASEAN can work together to bring development and prosperity to the region," she said. The External Affairs Minister said it will be an honour and prestige for India to host all 10 ASEAN leaders as the guest of honours for the Republic Day. "Their presence in New Delhi on this day will place India-ASEAN relations at centre stage," she said. I urge the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation & suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational & cultural co-operation. I look forward to new India where both India & ASEAN can work together to bring development & prosperity to the region: Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta pic.twitter.com/EXAuEitJL7 — ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2018 × Earlier today, Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, met with the ASEAN Sectary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta. Later in the day, she will address the Indian community in the capital city. Earlier on Friday, India and Indonesia condemned all forms of terrorism at the 5th Joint Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries. "We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approach to deal with this group of menace and called upon all the countries to stop providing state sponsorship to terrorism and prevent their territories to stop being used for establishing terrorist safe havens," Swaraj said. The two leaders also reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links in the meeting.

Sushma Swaraj urges ASEAN Think Tanks to enhance maritime cooperation

On the&nbsp;second day of her visit to South East Asia,&nbsp;External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Indonesia.

Swaraj here called on the country to play a crucial role in South East Asia.&nbsp;

She said &quot;Indonesia is one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy and the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to&nbsp;play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.&quot;

Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi&#39;s invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations.

Widodo will be accompanied by&nbsp;other ASEAN Heads of States and Heads of Governments in New Delhi.&nbsp;

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Indonesia, as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy &amp; the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://t.co/vPz4yqnGNR">pic.twitter.com/vPz4yqnGNR</a>
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I express my appreciation that President Joko Widodo accepted PM Modi&#39;s invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of Honor at India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations along with other ASEAN Heads of States &amp; Heads of Govts in New Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ww6nhK6nlg">pic.twitter.com/Ww6nhK6nlg</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949243003700355072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Swaraj also stressed on developing relations with ASEAN Region as crucial for the country&#39;s Act East Policy.&nbsp;

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For India, relations with ASEAN Region is a key priority. It is at the core of our Act East Policy: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://t.co/qe4pW9Xqlp">pic.twitter.com/qe4pW9Xqlp</a>
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Sushma Swaraj is on a four-day visit to South East Asia.

She arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on the second day of her three-nation tour.&nbsp;

The Union minister will visit Singapore next.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations

On the second day of her visit to South East Asia, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Indonesia. Swaraj here called on the country to play a crucial role in South East Asia. She said "Indonesia is one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy and the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region." Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations. Widodo will be accompanied by other ASEAN Heads of States and Heads of Governments in New Delhi. Indonesia, as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy & the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/vPz4yqnGNR — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × I express my appreciation that President Joko Widodo accepted PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of Honor at India's Republic Day celebrations along with other ASEAN Heads of States & Heads of Govts in New Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta pic.twitter.com/Ww6nhK6nlg — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Swaraj also stressed on developing relations with ASEAN Region as crucial for the country's Act East Policy. For India, relations with ASEAN Region is a key priority. It is at the core of our Act East Policy: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/qe4pW9Xqlp — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Sushma Swaraj is on a four-day visit to South East Asia. She arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on the second day of her three-nation tour. The Union minister will visit Singapore next.

Indonesia to play critical role in Indo Pacific region: Sushma Swaraj

Everyone has their own style of celebrating New Year&#39;s Eve but the Indonesian style takes away the cake for being the most innovative.&nbsp;

On Sunday night, hundreds of couples gathered in Jakarta&#39;s city centre in what was a mass wedding ceremony.&nbsp;

Almost 450 couples came to be a part of this ceremony which took place in a large tent just hours before midnight.&nbsp;

The couples gathered to first offer their prayers before signing marriage certificates which were overlooked by government officials.&nbsp;

As reported by Reuters, Hartiningish, a 38-year-old East Javanese bride said,&nbsp;&quot;We wanted an unforgettable experience and we&#39;re so happy that we decided to participate today.&quot;

Her husband, Ricky Rangga, 30, said the couple was grateful to the city administration for making the wedding possible.

The tent was smartly decked up to look like a wedding function with a live band performing a set of traditional and pop music in the background.

Many couples wore matching colours and colourful traditional Indonesian outfits, with some brides donned elaborate headdresses and grooms carried traditional daggers called keris.

Speaking on the occasion, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan congratulated those who participated and said the &quot;city would now host the event every New Year&rsquo;s Eve&quot;. The city government raised donation funds to pay for token gold dowries for the couples to exchange.

It is locally said that grooms in Indonesia traditionally have to present gold jewellery or money to brides on the wedding day.

&nbsp;

Mass wedding took place in the capital city Jakarta of Indonesia

Everyone has their own style of celebrating New Year's Eve but the Indonesian style takes away the cake for being the most innovative. On Sunday night, hundreds of couples gathered in Jakarta's city centre in what was a mass wedding ceremony. Almost 450 couples came to be a part of this ceremony which took place in a large tent just hours before midnight. The couples gathered to first offer their prayers before signing marriage certificates which were overlooked by government officials. As reported by Reuters, Hartiningish, a 38-year-old East Javanese bride said, "We wanted an unforgettable experience and we're so happy that we decided to participate today." Her husband, Ricky Rangga, 30, said the couple was grateful to the city administration for making the wedding possible. The tent was smartly decked up to look like a wedding function with a live band performing a set of traditional and pop music in the background. Many couples wore matching colours and colourful traditional Indonesian outfits, with some brides donned elaborate headdresses and grooms carried traditional daggers called keris. Speaking on the occasion, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan congratulated those who participated and said the "city would now host the event every New Year’s Eve". The city government raised donation funds to pay for token gold dowries for the couples to exchange. It is locally said that grooms in Indonesia traditionally have to present gold jewellery or money to brides on the wedding day.

Hundreds in Indonesia celebrate New Year by getting married

At least eight people died and 13 are missing after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of Borneo on Monday, an official said, in the latest deadly maritime accident in Indonesia.

The ferry was carrying some 45 people when it sank just minutes after leaving Tanjung Selor in North Borneo province, said Gusti Anwar Mulyadi a senior official of the local search and rescue agency.

Some 33 people have so far been rescued and navy personnel have been dispatched to search for the remaining passengers, but he said high waves are impeding operations.

&quot;We don&#39;t know yet what has caused the accident and how exactly it happened. But we&#39;ll try to figure that out and are now focusing on finding the remaining passengers,&quot; Mulyadi told AFP.

It is the latest boat accident in the vast Indonesian archipelago, which relies heavily on boats to ferry people around its 17,000 islands, but has a patchy safety record.

Last July, eight people drowned in a boat accident on the same route from Tarakan to Tanjung Selor.

On New Year&#39;s day last year at least 23 people died when a tourist boat from Jakarta burst into flames.

It was carrying about 250 local holidaymakers to celebrate the New Year on Tidung island near Jakarta. 
&nbsp;

The boat was carrying around 45 passengers including children and sank off Indonesia?s Kalimantan island on Monday

At least eight people died and 13 are missing after a passenger boat capsized off the coast of Borneo on Monday, an official said, in the latest deadly maritime accident in Indonesia. The ferry was carrying some 45 people when it sank just minutes after leaving Tanjung Selor in North Borneo province, said Gusti Anwar Mulyadi a senior official of the local search and rescue agency. Some 33 people have so far been rescued and navy personnel have been dispatched to search for the remaining passengers, but he said high waves are impeding operations. "We don't know yet what has caused the accident and how exactly it happened. But we'll try to figure that out and are now focusing on finding the remaining passengers," Mulyadi told AFP. It is the latest boat accident in the vast Indonesian archipelago, which relies heavily on boats to ferry people around its 17,000 islands, but has a patchy safety record. Last July, eight people drowned in a boat accident on the same route from Tarakan to Tanjung Selor. On New Year's day last year at least 23 people died when a tourist boat from Jakarta burst into flames. It was carrying about 250 local holidaymakers to celebrate the New Year on Tidung island near Jakarta.

8 killed, 13 missing after boat capsizes in Indonesia

A cloud of ash went up in the air, as high as 3 miles, when Indonesia&#39;s Mount Sinabung erupted earlier today.

The &#39;active volcano&#39; was seen spewing ash up to 4.6 kilometres into the sky.&nbsp;

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No casualties have been reported so far.

Western Indonesian regions and Sumatra island have been put on high alert.&nbsp;

Locals have been urged to stay alert and keep at least 3-7 kilometres away from the regions marked under danger zone.

Indonesia is home to close to 90 percent of the world&#39;s seismic activity housing nearly 130 active volcanoes.&nbsp;

Mount Sinabung roared back to life in 2010 for the first time in 400 years.

&quot;After another period of inactivity , it erupted once more in 2013, and has remained highly active since,&quot; AFP reported.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Western Indonesian regions and Sumatra island have been put on high alert.?

A cloud of ash went up in the air, as high as 3 miles, when Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupted earlier today. The 'active volcano' was seen spewing ash up to 4.6 kilometres into the sky. × No casualties have been reported so far. Western Indonesian regions and Sumatra island have been put on high alert. Locals have been urged to stay alert and keep at least 3-7 kilometres away from the regions marked under danger zone. Indonesia is home to close to 90 percent of the world's seismic activity housing nearly 130 active volcanoes. Mount Sinabung roared back to life in 2010 for the first time in 400 years. "After another period of inactivity , it erupted once more in 2013, and has remained highly active since," AFP reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupts, no casualties reported?

A Hong Kong woman jailed for six years for starving and beating her Indonesian domestic helper was ordered by a court on Thursday to pay more than $100,000 in damages for the &quot;inhumane&quot; abuse.

Law Wan-tung was convicted of grievous bodily harm, assault, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages in 2015 and is still serving a jail term after losing an appeal.

The plight of her former helper, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, and pictures of the injuries she suffered made her the face of a movement determined to force change for Hong Kong&#39;s army of helpers.

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<h5>The plight of her former helper, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, and pictures of the injuries she suffered made her the face of a movement determined to force change for Hong Kong&#39;s army of helpers</h5>
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More than 340,000 domestic helpers, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, work in Hong Kong, often performing menial tasks for low wages while being forced to live in poor conditions.

Calling the abuse inflicted on Sulistyaningsih &quot;inhumane, degrading and abhorrent&quot;, Judge Winnie Tsui ordered Law to pay around $103,400 (HK$809,000) as she delivered her judgment, reports said.&nbsp;

The court awarded Sulistyaningsih the full amount of damages she claimed for injuries, medical expenses and other losses, local media reported.

Sulistyaningsih previously described how for months she lived on nothing but bread and rice, slept only four hours a day and was beaten so badly that she was knocked unconscious.

The then-23-year-old was admitted to hospital in Indonesia in 2014, emaciated and in critical condition, sparking international outrage as pictures of her spread on social media.

Following a series of high-profile abuse cases, concerns over the welfare of Hong Kong&#39;s migrant domestic workers have grown.

Rights groups say unscrupulous employment agencies plunge helpers into debt and withhold their passports while the legal requirement for helpers to live with their employers makes it difficult for them to escape abuse.

Rights advocates have long sought reforms, including ending a rule where domestic workers must leave the city 14 days after they quit a job unless they can find other employment within that time.

Campaigners say the rule discourages workers from leaving abusive employers.

The government has shown no sign it plans to update the regulations.

Law Wan-tung is serving a six-year jail term for starving and beating her Indonesian domestic helper

A Hong Kong woman jailed for six years for starving and beating her Indonesian domestic helper was ordered by a court on Thursday to pay more than $100,000 in damages for the "inhumane" abuse. Law Wan-tung was convicted of grievous bodily harm, assault, criminal intimidation and failure to pay wages in 2015 and is still serving a jail term after losing an appeal. The plight of her former helper, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, and pictures of the injuries she suffered made her the face of a movement determined to force change for Hong Kong's army of helpers. The plight of her former helper, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, and pictures of the injuries she suffered made her the face of a movement determined to force change for Hong Kong's army of helpers × More than 340,000 domestic helpers, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, work in Hong Kong, often performing menial tasks for low wages while being forced to live in poor conditions. Calling the abuse inflicted on Sulistyaningsih "inhumane, degrading and abhorrent", Judge Winnie Tsui ordered Law to pay around $103,400 (HK$809,000) as she delivered her judgment, reports said. The court awarded Sulistyaningsih the full amount of damages she claimed for injuries, medical expenses and other losses, local media reported. Sulistyaningsih previously described how for months she lived on nothing but bread and rice, slept only four hours a day and was beaten so badly that she was knocked unconscious. The then-23-year-old was admitted to hospital in Indonesia in 2014, emaciated and in critical condition, sparking international outrage as pictures of her spread on social media. Following a series of high-profile abuse cases, concerns over the welfare of Hong Kong's migrant domestic workers have grown. Rights groups say unscrupulous employment agencies plunge helpers into debt and withhold their passports while the legal requirement for helpers to live with their employers makes it difficult for them to escape abuse. Rights advocates have long sought reforms, including ending a rule where domestic workers must leave the city 14 days after they quit a job unless they can find other employment within that time. Campaigners say the rule discourages workers from leaving abusive employers. The government has shown no sign it plans to update the regulations.

Hong Kong woman ordered to pay abused maid $100,000

The Australian Federal Police arrested a 59-year-old Korean man from Sydney for allegedly working as an economic agent for North Korea, reports said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Chan Han Choi was the first person in Australia charged with working as a black-market agent, brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction.&nbsp;

He had reportedly been getting income from the North Korean government for sale of ballistic missile technology to foreign entities, reports further claimed.&nbsp;

Choi has broken the UN and Australian sanctions and has also been charged with attempts to brokering the sale of coal from North Korea to groups in Indonesia and Vietnam, media reports say.&nbsp;

The 59-year-old has been charged under the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act for being in touch with top officials from North Korea.&nbsp;

The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts.

There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a &quot;spy&quot;, AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday.

&quot;This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose,&quot; he said.

&quot;At the end of the day, he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government&quot; and is believed to have endeavored to sell gemstones and other product as well.

The man who has been identified as Choi Han Chan, a 59-year-old from Sydney's Eastwood, allegedly breached United Nation's sanctions and Australian federal law, and has been charged with brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction

The Australian Federal Police arrested a 59-year-old Korean man from Sydney for allegedly working as an economic agent for North Korea, reports said on Sunday. Chan Han Choi was the first person in Australia charged with working as a black-market agent, brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction. He had reportedly been getting income from the North Korean government for sale of ballistic missile technology to foreign entities, reports further claimed. Choi has broken the UN and Australian sanctions and has also been charged with attempts to brokering the sale of coal from North Korea to groups in Indonesia and Vietnam, media reports say. The 59-year-old has been charged under the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act for being in touch with top officials from North Korea. The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts. There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a "spy", AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday. "This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose," he said. "At the end of the day, he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government" and is believed to have endeavored to sell gemstones and other product as well.

Sydney man charged with acting as agent for North Korea

At least three people have been killed following a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia&#39;s main island of Java, an official said Saturday.&nbsp;The quake struck at a depth of 91 kilometers (56 miles) just outside the coastal town of Cipatujah on Java island late Friday, the US Geological Survey said.

The tremor was felt across the island including in the capital Jakarta, some 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the epicentre.&nbsp;A 62-year-old man in Ciamis and an 80-year-old woman in Pekalongan city were killed when the buildings they were in collapsed, national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, while a 34-year-old woman from the city of Yogyakarta died when she fell while running out of her house.&nbsp;

&quot;Several hospitals in several areas have also been damaged and patients had to be evacuated&quot;, Nugroho said.&nbsp;A hospital in Banyumas suffered damage to ceilings, cracked walls and leaks to oxygen pipelines, forcing around 70 patients to be moved to temporary shelters.

At least nine hundred houses were also damaged in addition to schools and government offices across West Java and Central Java provinces, the national disaster mitigation agency said.&nbsp;

Jakarta resident Web Warouw, 50, was on the 18th floor of a building in the capital when the quake struck just before midnight local time (1700 GMT).&nbsp;&quot;Suddenly, we felt dizzy... We then realised it was a quake and immediately ran downstairs&quot;, Warouw told AFP.&nbsp;

Aid is being distributed and temporary tents have been set up for those who have lost their homes.&nbsp;The agency was still evaluating the impact of the disaster and urged people to be cautious and stay alert.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot;, where tectonic plates collide.&nbsp;Some 170,000 lives were lost when a 9.1-magnitude quake and tsunami struck Aceh province in December 2004, which also hit coastal areas as far away as Somalia.&nbsp;An earthquake struck Aceh again in December 2016, killing more than 100 people, injuring many others and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

At least nine hundred houses were damaged in addition to schools and government offices across West Java and Central Java provinces

At least three people have been killed following a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia's main island of Java, an official said Saturday. The quake struck at a depth of 91 kilometers (56 miles) just outside the coastal town of Cipatujah on Java island late Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The tremor was felt across the island including in the capital Jakarta, some 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the epicentre. A 62-year-old man in Ciamis and an 80-year-old woman in Pekalongan city were killed when the buildings they were in collapsed, national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said, while a 34-year-old woman from the city of Yogyakarta died when she fell while running out of her house. "Several hospitals in several areas have also been damaged and patients had to be evacuated", Nugroho said. A hospital in Banyumas suffered damage to ceilings, cracked walls and leaks to oxygen pipelines, forcing around 70 patients to be moved to temporary shelters. At least nine hundred houses were also damaged in addition to schools and government offices across West Java and Central Java provinces, the national disaster mitigation agency said. Jakarta resident Web Warouw, 50, was on the 18th floor of a building in the capital when the quake struck just before midnight local time (1700 GMT). "Suddenly, we felt dizzy... We then realised it was a quake and immediately ran downstairs", Warouw told AFP. Aid is being distributed and temporary tents have been set up for those who have lost their homes. The agency was still evaluating the impact of the disaster and urged people to be cautious and stay alert. Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide. Some 170,000 lives were lost when a 9.1-magnitude quake and tsunami struck Aceh province in December 2004, which also hit coastal areas as far away as Somalia. An earthquake struck Aceh again in December 2016, killing more than 100 people, injuring many others and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Toll rises to three dead after Indonesia quake

A powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the island of Java in Indonesia just before midnight on Friday, with authorities reporting two deaths and damage to scores of buildings.

The US&nbsp;Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 92 km (57 miles), about 52 km southwest of Tasikmalaya.&nbsp;

Indonesia&#39;s national disaster management agency said the quake activated early tsunami warning systems in the south of Java, prompting evacuations in some coastal areas, but no tsunami was detected.

Tremors were felt in central and west Java and a series of aftershocks stoked panic.&nbsp;

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the disaster agency, said in a statement on Saturday two people had been killed, seven injured and more than 100 buildings damaged, including a hospital in Central Java.

About 70 patients had to be helped to safety from the Banyumas Hospital and were given shelter in tents, he said.

He posted on his Twitter page photos of people scouring collapsed buildings.&nbsp;

The quake swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital Jakarta.

Indonesia&#39;s meteorology and geophysics agency said a magnitude 5.7 quake early on Saturday also struck south of West Java. It said the quake did not have tsunami potential.

Java, Indonesia&rsquo;s most densely populated island, is home to more than half of its 250 million people.

There was no immediate indication of a tsunami, but authorities said they had issued a warning following the tremor

A powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the island of Java in Indonesia just before midnight on Friday, with authorities reporting two deaths and damage to scores of buildings. The US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake was located at a depth of 92 km (57 miles), about 52 km southwest of Tasikmalaya. Indonesia's national disaster management agency said the quake activated early tsunami warning systems in the south of Java, prompting evacuations in some coastal areas, but no tsunami was detected. Tremors were felt in central and west Java and a series of aftershocks stoked panic. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the disaster agency, said in a statement on Saturday two people had been killed, seven injured and more than 100 buildings damaged, including a hospital in Central Java. About 70 patients had to be helped to safety from the Banyumas Hospital and were given shelter in tents, he said. He posted on his Twitter page photos of people scouring collapsed buildings. The quake swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital Jakarta. Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency said a magnitude 5.7 quake early on Saturday also struck south of West Java. It said the quake did not have tsunami potential. Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island, is home to more than half of its 250 million people.

6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia's Java island

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-much-touted-tax-cut-on-track-for-passage-in-us-congress-26872" target="_blank">Trump&#39;s much-touted tax cut on track for passage in US Congress</a>

A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-headquarters-celebrates-ahead-of-rahul-gandhis-swearing-in-ceremony-26884">Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party president</a>

Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-swear-in-as-congress-president-today-26869">&nbsp;president today</a>&nbsp;with several&nbsp;supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the &#39;coronation&#39; of party&#39;s new Chief.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-top-diplomat-calls-for-release-of-two-reporters-arrested-in-myanmar-26871" target="_blank">Rex Tillerson calls for release of two reporters arrested in Myanmar</a>

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the United States was demanding &quot;the immediate release&quot; of two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar &quot;or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-clears-triple-talaq-bill-3-years-jail-for-guilty-husbands-in-proposed-law-26824" target="_blank">Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law</a>

The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/65-magnitude-quake-strikes-indonesias-java-island-26875" target="_blank">6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia&#39;s Java island</a>

A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia`s main island of Java late Friday, leaving at least one person dead and rattling nerves in the capital Jakarta.

&nbsp;

Trump's much-touted tax cut on track for passage in US Congress A major tax cut promised by US President Donald Trump was on track for final passage next week, after two previous holdouts in his Republican party said Friday they would vote yes on the legislation. Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president today with several supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the 'coronation' of party's new Chief. Rex Tillerson calls for release of two reporters arrested in Myanmar US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the United States was demanding "the immediate release" of two Reuters reporters arrested in Myanmar "or information as to the circumstances around their disappearance." Cabinet clears triple talaq bill, 3 years jail for guilty husbands in proposed law The Union cabinet on Friday cleared the triple talaq bill. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to introduce the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, to make instant triple talaq void and illegal. 6.5 magnitude quake strikes Indonesia's Java island A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia`s main island of Java late Friday, leaving at least one person dead and rattling nerves in the capital Jakarta.

WION Morning News Brief, 16 December 2017

A rumbling<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-orders-immediate-evacuation-as-highest-alert-issued-for-bali-volcano-25273"> volcano on Indonesia&#39;s tourist island of Bali</a> ejected greyish-white plumes of ash on Friday, a timelapse sequence of Reuters images showed, a reminder, if it were needed, that its weeks-long period of activity has not ended.

Ash spewed as high as 2.1 km (1.3 miles) above the crater during one emission at 7:59 a.m. (2359 GMT, Dec. 7), within a radius of about 5 km (3 miles) around the mountain, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said.

&quot;Sometimes it is hard for the lava and magma to come out, and when there is pressure, it will spew ash,&quot; agency head Gede Suantika told Reuters.

Until the volcano started to enter the ash emission stage on Friday, its emissions since Nov. 25 had been mostly composed of steam, though there was some ash mixed in, he said.

The 3,000-metre (9,800-foot) Mount Agung volcano, which is capable of very violent eruptions, has shown a marked increase in activity in the last few weeks, stoking fears of a repeat of an eruption in 1963 that killed more than 1,000 people.

While hot magma has produced an eerie orange glow just above the crater, and thousands of villagers have fled homes on the mountain&#39;s slopes, Agung&#39;s ejections of material have been small this time.

Authorities raised the alert status to the maximum after it started erupting last month, causing travel chaos by closing the island&#39;s airport for three days last week.

Operations were normal on Friday at the international airports in Bali and on nearby Lombok island.

Ash spewed as high as 2.1 km (1.3 miles) above the crater during one emission at 7:59 a.m. (2359 GMT, Dec. 7), within a radius of about 5 km (3 miles) around the mountain, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali ejected greyish-white plumes of ash on Friday, a timelapse sequence of Reuters images showed, a reminder, if it were needed, that its weeks-long period of activity has not ended. Ash spewed as high as 2.1 km (1.3 miles) above the crater during one emission at 7:59 a.m. (2359 GMT, Dec. 7), within a radius of about 5 km (3 miles) around the mountain, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency said. "Sometimes it is hard for the lava and magma to come out, and when there is pressure, it will spew ash," agency head Gede Suantika told Reuters. Until the volcano started to enter the ash emission stage on Friday, its emissions since Nov. 25 had been mostly composed of steam, though there was some ash mixed in, he said. The 3,000-metre (9,800-foot) Mount Agung volcano, which is capable of very violent eruptions, has shown a marked increase in activity in the last few weeks, stoking fears of a repeat of an eruption in 1963 that killed more than 1,000 people. While hot magma has produced an eerie orange glow just above the crater, and thousands of villagers have fled homes on the mountain's slopes, Agung's ejections of material have been small this time. Authorities raised the alert status to the maximum after it started erupting last month, causing travel chaos by closing the island's airport for three days last week. Operations were normal on Friday at the international airports in Bali and on nearby Lombok island.

Ash billows from Bali volcano in fresh volley of activity

Naruto is the crested black Indonesian macaque who came to a sudden popularity because of a grinning selfie which it took accidentally while looking into the camera lens. That was in 2011. Following the virality of the picture, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit in the US to declare the then six-year-old Naruto as the owner and author of its photograph. The group claimed that it is honouring Naruto to recognise that, &quot;He is someone, not something&quot;.&nbsp;

Ingrid Newkirk, PETA Founder, said in a statement on Wednesday, &quot;Naruto&#39;s historic selfie challenged the idea of who is a person and who is not and resulted in the first-ever lawsuit seeking to declare a nonhuman animal the owner of the property, rather than being declared property himself&quot;.

The picture was originally clicked in 2011 on Sulawesi island of Indonesia when the monkey pressed the camera shutter while peering down the camera lens set up by David Slater, a British nature photographer.&nbsp;

The court case has reached a settlement where David Slater and his company, Wildlife Personalities Ltd. has agreed to &quot;donate 25 per cent of any future revenue derived from using the selfie to charities that protect the habitat of Naruto and other crested macaques in Indonesia&quot;.

Naruto, the Indonesian monkey, also known as the selfie monkey, becomes the Peta's "Person of the Year". This comes after PETA filed a lawsuit in US to declare the monkey as the owner of his grinning selfie.

Naruto is the crested black Indonesian macaque who came to a sudden popularity because of a grinning selfie which it took accidentally while looking into the camera lens. That was in 2011. Following the virality of the picture, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit in the US to declare the then six-year-old Naruto as the owner and author of its photograph. The group claimed that it is honouring Naruto to recognise that, "He is someone, not something". Ingrid Newkirk, PETA Founder, said in a statement on Wednesday, "Naruto's historic selfie challenged the idea of who is a person and who is not and resulted in the first-ever lawsuit seeking to declare a nonhuman animal the owner of the property, rather than being declared property himself". The picture was originally clicked in 2011 on Sulawesi island of Indonesia when the monkey pressed the camera shutter while peering down the camera lens set up by David Slater, a British nature photographer. The court case has reached a settlement where David Slater and his company, Wildlife Personalities Ltd. has agreed to "donate 25 per cent of any future revenue derived from using the selfie to charities that protect the habitat of Naruto and other crested macaques in Indonesia".

Naruto, the selfie monkey is named PETA's 'Person of the Year'

At least 20 people lost their lives and five people were said to be missing after a tropical storm hit Indonesia on Sunday.

A search and rescue operation is underway, the Anadolu Agency quoted the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), as saying.

The storm, named &quot;Dahlia&quot;, caused flooding and a landslide in eastern Java, the BNPB added.

The officials had warned the residents of possible flooding and landslides even as around 2,000 houses were affected due to the storm in the area.

Earlier on Thursday, reportedly another storm named &quot;Cempaka&quot; had caused the death of 27 people in central Java.&nbsp;

Five people were said to be missing after Storm Dahlia hit Indonesia on Sunday

At least 20 people lost their lives and five people were said to be missing after a tropical storm hit Indonesia on Sunday. A search and rescue operation is underway, the Anadolu Agency quoted the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), as saying. The storm, named "Dahlia", caused flooding and a landslide in eastern Java, the BNPB added. The officials had warned the residents of possible flooding and landslides even as around 2,000 houses were affected due to the storm in the area. Earlier on Thursday, reportedly another storm named "Cempaka" had caused the death of 27 people in central Java.

Tropical storm kills 20 in Indonesia

According to international media coverage, the main problem with Gunung Agung&rsquo;s eruption is that the airport is closed and tourists cannot get in or out.

The people of East Bali are largely invisible in these reports, but they too are worried about getting home. While they are well aware of the physical danger, for them, the mountain also represents spiritual elevation and power. It embodies a god and its rumbles are a sign of the god&rsquo;s displeasure.

While Balinese are nominally Hindu, their most immediate spiritual relationships are with their ancestors and a host of other invisible beings related to the landscape and forces of nature.

Moving out of harm&rsquo;s way

A month ago, people close to Mt Agung were told to evacuate, but they gradually drifted back to their homes and livelihoods. Now, they can see the glow of lava reflected in the night sky and local rivers running grey with cold lahar &ndash; all signs reminiscent of the last eruption in 1963.

The alert has been raised back to the highest level of 4 and a 10km evacuation zone has been re-established around the crater, affecting about 150,000 people.

Nobody wants to evacuate. It means abandoning homes, crops, animals and livelihoods, for an unknown time and an uncertain future. But people are doing it not just because the government is telling them to, but also because of what happened last time.

The volcano and the god it embodies feature in most stories about the origins of Balinese culture, religion and political order. While not many people remember Mt Agung&rsquo;s last eruption, there are stories and physical traces in the form of deep lava fields and the fertility of soils that have maintained some of the most productive rice fields in the world for at least a millennium.

The wrath of the great mountain

Gunung Agung means &ldquo;great mountain&rdquo;. It is the tallest of a cluster of volcanoes across the island, part of a much longer chain that extends through Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Thousands of people live on its slopes, tens of thousands around the foot of it and hundreds of thousands within the zone of previous lava flows and ash falls.

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Lahar from Mount Agung flowing down the Yeh Sah River. (Others)
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Mount Agung is what geologists call a stratovolcano. They do not erupt often but when they do it is usually in violent explosions. They often create lethal combinations: Rains of heated rock and ash, poisonous gases&nbsp;and massive, fast-moving flows of lava supercharged with gases and other materials (known as pyroclastic flows).

These kill, destroy and bury. Vesuvius in Italy (79 AD and 1631), Tambora (1815) and Krakatoa (1883) in Indonesia and Mt Tarawera in New Zealand (1886) are famous examples. Pinatubo in the Philippines (1991) was the biggest of the 20th century but Agung&rsquo;s 1963 explosion was not far behind. It killed many more people.

The official Agung death toll in 1963 was around 1500, but the reality was more like 2000. Most were killed by pyroclastic flows, which buried whole valleys and villages. Some people fled but others saw the eruption as the work of the gods and stayed and prayed as the lava advanced. Some survived, most did not.

Anna Mathew&rsquo;s little-known book The Night of Purnama, observed and written from a village high on the slopes, tells of a build-up eerily similar to what is happening now, culminating in a series of massive eruptions with a catastrophic aftermath. The falling ash destroyed crops across the eastern half of the island. Widespread hunger and dislocation followed. People ate the trunks of banana trees to survive and young men took to the roads in search of work and food.

Mt Agung&rsquo;s last eruption

Indonesia in 1963 was not a happy place. After 16 years of independence, it had serious economic problems, fragile food security and growing political instability. Sukarno, the first president, retained a fragile grip on power, but was threatened by the growing strength of a huge communist party, asserting the rights of landless farmers and sharecroppers.

The previous year a plague of rats had decimated the rice crop, proving that the gods were offended and more disasters would follow. Religious leaders and scholars debated whether the time had come for the Eka Dasa Rudra, the greatest island-wide ritual of purification and re-establishment of order. It is normally held at the turn of a (Balinese) century but may also be held in times of crisis to avert greater disasters.

Meanwhile, Sukarno was casting around for sources of foreign exchange, and eyeing the lucrative growth of tourism in countries such as Thailand. He decided to promote tourism, with the dazzling religious and artistic culture of Bali as its centrepiece. He invited the Pacific Asia Travel Association to hold their convention in Bali and timed it to coincide with the Eka Dasa Rudra.

The ceremony is held at Besakih, a major temple of island-wide significance perched high on the southern slope of Gunung Agung. During the preparations, the mountain began doing what it is doing now. The previous eruption had been 120 years earlier, so there were no living memories to go by. Balinese leaders interpreted this as a warning from the gods that something was wrong. They called for a postponement but were overruled.

The ceremony began amid smoke and falling ash. As it proceeded, the real eruption began, blasting molten rock high into the air and pouring lava down its sides. Besakih survived, but the ceremonial gateway built to honour Sukarno was the first casualty of the gods&rsquo; displeasure. The catastrophic outcome and aftermath were seen as clear evidence of Sukarno&rsquo;s loss of favour with the gods. He was deposed two years later.

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Mount Agung spewing hot volcanic ash as high as three kilometers into the atmosphere. (Others)
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Ritual response

Since 1963, population and density in Indonesia have more than doubled. More people live on the slopes of the mountain and higher up. On the other hand, most people are less dependent on local subsistence crops and infrastructure for delivery of food relief. Escape has also improved enormously. Likewise, the evacuations should reduce the immediate impact on life and health.

If this eruption continues to follow the pattern of 1963, the consequences for tourism, agriculture and livelihoods, in general, are likely to be greater than those of the terrorist bombs in 2002 and 2005. Most Balinese will agree that it is the doing of the gods, but there will be different interpretations of their reasons, ranging from violations of the sacred mountain by tourists and sand mining to broader reflections on the direction of development and its social and environmental consequences.

But the solution will be the same as after the bombs - ritual, bigger and better than ever, which will address the supernatural causes and attract the tourists back at the same time.

If the big eruption doesn&rsquo;t happen, the ash clouds will drift away, the planes will fly again, everyone will return to business as usual. It will all be forgotten, along with the evacuees, until next time.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tourists-are-stuck-at-the-airport-but-erupting-mt-agung-has-a-deeper-significance-for-the-balinese-88297" rel="nofollow">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Image Credit: AAP, EPA

&nbsp;

To the people of Bali, Mt Agung is not just a volcano. The "great mountain" holds spiritual power and reflects cultural and political unrest

According to international media coverage, the main problem with Gunung Agung’s eruption is that the airport is closed and tourists cannot get in or out. The people of East Bali are largely invisible in these reports, but they too are worried about getting home. While they are well aware of the physical danger, for them, the mountain also represents spiritual elevation and power. It embodies a god and its rumbles are a sign of the god’s displeasure. While Balinese are nominally Hindu, their most immediate spiritual relationships are with their ancestors and a host of other invisible beings related to the landscape and forces of nature. Moving out of harm’s way A month ago, people close to Mt Agung were told to evacuate, but they gradually drifted back to their homes and livelihoods. Now, they can see the glow of lava reflected in the night sky and local rivers running grey with cold lahar – all signs reminiscent of the last eruption in 1963. The alert has been raised back to the highest level of 4 and a 10km evacuation zone has been re-established around the crater, affecting about 150,000 people. Nobody wants to evacuate. It means abandoning homes, crops, animals and livelihoods, for an unknown time and an uncertain future. But people are doing it not just because the government is telling them to, but also because of what happened last time. The volcano and the god it embodies feature in most stories about the origins of Balinese culture, religion and political order. While not many people remember Mt Agung’s last eruption, there are stories and physical traces in the form of deep lava fields and the fertility of soils that have maintained some of the most productive rice fields in the world for at least a millennium. The wrath of the great mountain Gunung Agung means “great mountain”. It is the tallest of a cluster of volcanoes across the island, part of a much longer chain that extends through Java to the west and Lombok to the east. Thousands of people live on its slopes, tens of thousands around the foot of it and hundreds of thousands within the zone of previous lava flows and ash falls. Lahar from Mount Agung flowing down the Yeh Sah River. (Others) × Mount Agung is what geologists call a stratovolcano. They do not erupt often but when they do it is usually in violent explosions. They often create lethal combinations: Rains of heated rock and ash, poisonous gases and massive, fast-moving flows of lava supercharged with gases and other materials (known as pyroclastic flows). These kill, destroy and bury. Vesuvius in Italy (79 AD and 1631), Tambora (1815) and Krakatoa (1883) in Indonesia and Mt Tarawera in New Zealand (1886) are famous examples. Pinatubo in the Philippines (1991) was the biggest of the 20th century but Agung’s 1963 explosion was not far behind. It killed many more people. The official Agung death toll in 1963 was around 1500, but the reality was more like 2000. Most were killed by pyroclastic flows, which buried whole valleys and villages. Some people fled but others saw the eruption as the work of the gods and stayed and prayed as the lava advanced. Some survived, most did not. Anna Mathew’s little-known book The Night of Purnama, observed and written from a village high on the slopes, tells of a build-up eerily similar to what is happening now, culminating in a series of massive eruptions with a catastrophic aftermath. The falling ash destroyed crops across the eastern half of the island. Widespread hunger and dislocation followed. People ate the trunks of banana trees to survive and young men took to the roads in search of work and food. Mt Agung’s last eruption Indonesia in 1963 was not a happy place. After 16 years of independence, it had serious economic problems, fragile food security and growing political instability. Sukarno, the first president, retained a fragile grip on power, but was threatened by the growing strength of a huge communist party, asserting the rights of landless farmers and sharecroppers. The previous year a plague of rats had decimated the rice crop, proving that the gods were offended and more disasters would follow. Religious leaders and scholars debated whether the time had come for the Eka Dasa Rudra, the greatest island-wide ritual of purification and re-establishment of order. It is normally held at the turn of a (Balinese) century but may also be held in times of crisis to avert greater disasters. Meanwhile, Sukarno was casting around for sources of foreign exchange, and eyeing the lucrative growth of tourism in countries such as Thailand. He decided to promote tourism, with the dazzling religious and artistic culture of Bali as its centrepiece. He invited the Pacific Asia Travel Association to hold their convention in Bali and timed it to coincide with the Eka Dasa Rudra. The ceremony is held at Besakih, a major temple of island-wide significance perched high on the southern slope of Gunung Agung. During the preparations, the mountain began doing what it is doing now. The previous eruption had been 120 years earlier, so there were no living memories to go by. Balinese leaders interpreted this as a warning from the gods that something was wrong. They called for a postponement but were overruled. The ceremony began amid smoke and falling ash. As it proceeded, the real eruption began, blasting molten rock high into the air and pouring lava down its sides. Besakih survived, but the ceremonial gateway built to honour Sukarno was the first casualty of the gods’ displeasure. The catastrophic outcome and aftermath were seen as clear evidence of Sukarno’s loss of favour with the gods. He was deposed two years later. Mount Agung spewing hot volcanic ash as high as three kilometers into the atmosphere. (Others) × Ritual response Since 1963, population and density in Indonesia have more than doubled. More people live on the slopes of the mountain and higher up. On the other hand, most people are less dependent on local subsistence crops and infrastructure for delivery of food relief. Escape has also improved enormously. Likewise, the evacuations should reduce the immediate impact on life and health. If this eruption continues to follow the pattern of 1963, the consequences for tourism, agriculture and livelihoods, in general, are likely to be greater than those of the terrorist bombs in 2002 and 2005. Most Balinese will agree that it is the doing of the gods, but there will be different interpretations of their reasons, ranging from violations of the sacred mountain by tourists and sand mining to broader reflections on the direction of development and its social and environmental consequences. But the solution will be the same as after the bombs - ritual, bigger and better than ever, which will address the supernatural causes and attract the tourists back at the same time. If the big eruption doesn’t happen, the ash clouds will drift away, the planes will fly again, everyone will return to business as usual. It will all be forgotten, along with the evacuees, until next time. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: AAP, EPA

Opinion: Fallout of Mt Agung's eruption is worse than bombs

Thousands of foreign tourists were expected to leave Bali by plane Thursday following a nearly three-day airport shutdown sparked by a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian holiday island.

The alert level on Mount Agung remains at the maximum, but a change in wind direction blew towering columns of ash and smoke away from the airport, prompting authorities to re-open the island&#39;s main international gateway on Wednesday afternoon.

The move raised hopes for some of the 120,000 tourists stranded after the surge in volcanic activity grounded hundreds of flights since Monday, sparking travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in its shadow.

Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines.

&quot;Since the airport reopened yesterday, some flights have resumed operation and things are gradually getting back to normal,&quot; said airport spokesman Israwadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

More than 4,500 people have now flown out of the airport, authorities said.

On Wednesday evening, domestic carrier Garuda said it would start flights to several cities across the vast archipelago nation, while AirAsia flew to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

However, the airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination -- closed again Thursday after ash and smoke drifted in its direction.

Millions of tourists visit the palm-fringed island hotspot annually. The majority are Chinese, followed by Australians, Indians, Britons and Japanese, according to the immigration office, which added that nearly 25,000 foreigners live on the small Hindu-dominated island.

Tens of thousands of Balinese have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave in case of a full eruption, disaster agency officials have said.

High alert 
Experts said Agung&#39;s recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris -- about a billion tonnes -- to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year.

While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions.

&quot;The potential for an eruption is still there, but we cannot predict how big the eruption is going to be,&quot; said Devy Kamil, a senior volcanologist from the Indonesian volcanology agency.

&quot;The volcano is still on the highest alert level.&quot;

Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes.&nbsp;

However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.&nbsp;

So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination.&nbsp;

Indonesia, the world&#39;s most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot; where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities.&nbsp;

Last year seven people were killed after Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted. A 2014 eruption at Sinabung killed 16.

Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport was shut for three days

Thousands of foreign tourists were expected to leave Bali by plane Thursday following a nearly three-day airport shutdown sparked by a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian holiday island. The alert level on Mount Agung remains at the maximum, but a change in wind direction blew towering columns of ash and smoke away from the airport, prompting authorities to re-open the island's main international gateway on Wednesday afternoon. The move raised hopes for some of the 120,000 tourists stranded after the surge in volcanic activity grounded hundreds of flights since Monday, sparking travel chaos and forcing the evacuation of villagers living in its shadow. Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines. "Since the airport reopened yesterday, some flights have resumed operation and things are gradually getting back to normal," said airport spokesman Israwadi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. More than 4,500 people have now flown out of the airport, authorities said. On Wednesday evening, domestic carrier Garuda said it would start flights to several cities across the vast archipelago nation, while AirAsia flew to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. However, the airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination -- closed again Thursday after ash and smoke drifted in its direction. Millions of tourists visit the palm-fringed island hotspot annually. The majority are Chinese, followed by Australians, Indians, Britons and Japanese, according to the immigration office, which added that nearly 25,000 foreigners live on the small Hindu-dominated island. Tens of thousands of Balinese have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave in case of a full eruption, disaster agency officials have said. High alert Experts said Agung's recent activity matches the build-up to the earlier disaster, which ejected enough debris -- about a billion tonnes -- to lower global average temperatures by around 0.3 degrees Celsius for roughly a year. While the volcano appeared to be belching less ash and smoke on Thursday, experts urged caution and have warned a major eruption could happen at any moment. It has already experienced a series of mini eruptions. "The potential for an eruption is still there, but we cannot predict how big the eruption is going to be," said Devy Kamil, a senior volcanologist from the Indonesian volcanology agency. "The volcano is still on the highest alert level." Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes. However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination. Indonesia, the world's most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities. Last year seven people were killed after Mount Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted. A 2014 eruption at Sinabung killed 16.

Flights resume as Bali's volcano-hit airport reopens

A tropical cyclone killed 19 people on the&nbsp;Indonesian island of Java, officials said on Wednesday, with most of the victims caught under a landslide.

Video footage showed rivers overflowing and roads and villages submerged in brown water after the storm struck on Tuesday.

&quot;Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused,&quot; Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter.

Two nearby airports were briefly closed but had since reopened. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-officials-extend-bali-airport-closure-over-volcanic-ash-25387">Flights around&nbsp;Indonesia&nbsp;have been disrupted </a>due to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-orders-immediate-evacuation-as-highest-alert-issued-for-bali-volcano-25273">the eruption of a volcano on the neighbouring holiday island of Bali to the east</a>.

'Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused,' Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter

A tropical cyclone killed 19 people on the Indonesian island of Java, officials said on Wednesday, with most of the victims caught under a landslide. Video footage showed rivers overflowing and roads and villages submerged in brown water after the storm struck on Tuesday. "Nineteen people have died, thousands of homes have been flooded and other damage has been caused," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the Disaster Mitigation Agency, said on Twitter. Two nearby airports were briefly closed but had since reopened. Flights around Indonesia have been disrupted due to the eruption of a volcano on the neighbouring holiday island of Bali to the east.

Cyclone kills 19 in Indonesia's Java

&nbsp;Bali airport reopened on Wednesday,&nbsp;Indonesian authorities said, two days after a volcanic eruption spread ash across the holiday island and forced its airport to close, stranding tourists and spurring evacuation efforts.

&quot;Bali&#39;s international airport started operating normally,&quot; air traffic control provider AirNav said in a statement, adding that operations resumed at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT).

The reopening followed a downgrade in the authorities&#39; aviation warning to &quot;orange&quot;, one level below the most serious.

The decision to resume operations followed an emergency meeting at the airport, weighed up weather conditions, tests and data from AirNav and other groups, AirNav added.

Singapore Airlines Ltd said it would resume flights between Singapore and Bali on Wednesday. Australia&#39;s Qantas Airways Ltd said it and budget arm Jetstar would run 16 flights to Australia on Thursday to ferry home 3,800 stranded customers.

A large plume of white and grey ash and smoke hovered above Agung on Wednesday, after night-time rain partially obscured a fiery glow at its peak over the last few days.

President Joko Widodo implored residents living in a zone around Agung deemed at risk to seek refuge in emergency centres, as winds sending an ash cloud southwest across the island once again halted flights.

Earlier, the transport ministry had said Bali&#39;s airport, the country&#39;s second biggest, would stay shut until at least 7 a.m. on Thursday (2300 GMT on Wednesday).

A spokesman for Bali&#39;s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport said as many as 430 domestic and international flights had been disrupted on Wednesday by the closure of the airport, about 60 km (37 miles) away from Mount Agung.

Agung towers over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). Its last major eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages.

Layers of ash coated cars, roofs and roads in an area southeast of the crater. Children wore masks to walk to school.

Authorities want residents in a radius of about 8 km to 10 km (5 miles to 6 miles) around the volcano to head for emergency centres, warning a larger eruption could be &quot;imminent&quot;. But some are reluctant to leave homes and livestock unattended.

&quot;Those in the 8- to 10-kilometer radius must truly take refuge for safety,&quot; President Widodo told reporters.

He also asked emergency services, military and officials to assist evacuees and help stranded tourists get home.

&quot;There must not be any victims hit by the eruption,&quot; Widodo said.

'Bali's international airport started operating normally,' air traffic control provider AirNav said in a statement, adding that operations resumed at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT)

Bali airport reopened on Wednesday, Indonesian authorities said, two days after a volcanic eruption spread ash across the holiday island and forced its airport to close, stranding tourists and spurring evacuation efforts. "Bali's international airport started operating normally," air traffic control provider AirNav said in a statement, adding that operations resumed at 2:28 p.m. (0628 GMT). The reopening followed a downgrade in the authorities' aviation warning to "orange", one level below the most serious. The decision to resume operations followed an emergency meeting at the airport, weighed up weather conditions, tests and data from AirNav and other groups, AirNav added. Singapore Airlines Ltd said it would resume flights between Singapore and Bali on Wednesday. Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd said it and budget arm Jetstar would run 16 flights to Australia on Thursday to ferry home 3,800 stranded customers. A large plume of white and grey ash and smoke hovered above Agung on Wednesday, after night-time rain partially obscured a fiery glow at its peak over the last few days. President Joko Widodo implored residents living in a zone around Agung deemed at risk to seek refuge in emergency centres, as winds sending an ash cloud southwest across the island once again halted flights. Earlier, the transport ministry had said Bali's airport, the country's second biggest, would stay shut until at least 7 a.m. on Thursday (2300 GMT on Wednesday). A spokesman for Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport said as many as 430 domestic and international flights had been disrupted on Wednesday by the closure of the airport, about 60 km (37 miles) away from Mount Agung. Agung towers over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). Its last major eruption in 1963 killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages. Layers of ash coated cars, roofs and roads in an area southeast of the crater. Children wore masks to walk to school. Authorities want residents in a radius of about 8 km to 10 km (5 miles to 6 miles) around the volcano to head for emergency centres, warning a larger eruption could be "imminent". But some are reluctant to leave homes and livestock unattended. "Those in the 8- to 10-kilometer radius must truly take refuge for safety," President Widodo told reporters. He also asked emergency services, military and officials to assist evacuees and help stranded tourists get home. "There must not be any victims hit by the eruption," Widodo said.

Indonesia reopens Bali airport after closure over volcano activity

The international airport on the resort island of Bali will be closed for a third day, Indonesian officials said Wednesday, as ash from a rumbling volcano poses a danger to planes.&nbsp;

&quot;Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Thursday morning,&quot; airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told AFP.&nbsp;

Mount Agung, which looms over one of the world&#39;s top holiday spots, could produce a thunderous eruption at any moment, officials have warned, forcing the main airport to be shut since Monday.&nbsp;

Massive columns of thick grey smoke and ash that have been belching from the volcano since last week have now begun shooting high into the sky, forcing hundreds of flights to be grounded and stranding around 120,000 tourists.&nbsp;

Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines.&nbsp;

Tens of thousand have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials have said.&nbsp;

There is a 10 kilometre exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 kilometres away from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta.&nbsp;

Some 100 buses will haul stranded visitors to several destinations including Indonesia&#39;s second-biggest city Surabaya -- 13 hours&#39; drive and a ferry ride away -- and the capital Jakarta, the airport said, as torrential rain lashed the beach paradise.&nbsp;

Disaster officials have previously raised alert levels to maximum and accelerated the mass evacuation of people living in Agung&#39;s shadow.&nbsp;

Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes.&nbsp;

However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke up into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater.&nbsp;

So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination.&nbsp;

Indonesia, the world&#39;s most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot; where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities.&nbsp;

'Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Thursday morning,' airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim said

The international airport on the resort island of Bali will be closed for a third day, Indonesian officials said Wednesday, as ash from a rumbling volcano poses a danger to planes. "Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Thursday morning," airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told AFP. Mount Agung, which looms over one of the world's top holiday spots, could produce a thunderous eruption at any moment, officials have warned, forcing the main airport to be shut since Monday. Massive columns of thick grey smoke and ash that have been belching from the volcano since last week have now begun shooting high into the sky, forcing hundreds of flights to be grounded and stranding around 120,000 tourists. Ash is dangerous for planes as it makes runways slippery and can be sucked into their engines. Tens of thousand have already fled their homes around the volcano -- which last erupted in 1963, killing around 1,600 people -- but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials have said. There is a 10 kilometre exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 kilometres away from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta. Some 100 buses will haul stranded visitors to several destinations including Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya -- 13 hours' drive and a ferry ride away -- and the capital Jakarta, the airport said, as torrential rain lashed the beach paradise. Disaster officials have previously raised alert levels to maximum and accelerated the mass evacuation of people living in Agung's shadow. Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes. However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke up into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. So-called cold lava flows have also appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava of popular imagination. Indonesia, the world's most active volcanic region, lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

Bali airport closed for third day

Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption.

Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.&nbsp;

&quot;The Volcanic Ash Advisory shows that the plane routes have been covered by volcanic ash, this is dangerous for the flights,&quot; Indonesian AirNav official Wisnu Darjono said.

Massive columns of thick grey smoke that have been belching from Mount Agung since last week have now begun shooting more than three kilometers&nbsp;into the sky, forcing hundreds of flights to be grounded.

Authorities on Monday warned that the rumbling volcano could erupt at any moment, as they raised alert levels to maximum and accelerated a mass evacuation. The international airport closure left thousands of tourists stranded on the Indonesian holiday island.

Some 40,000 frightened people have fled their homes around the volcano but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials have said.

The exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 kilometers away from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta, has also been widened to 10 kilometers.

Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time

Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time. "The Volcanic Ash Advisory shows that the plane routes have been covered by volcanic ash, this is dangerous for the flights," Indonesian AirNav official Wisnu Darjono said. Massive columns of thick grey smoke that have been belching from Mount Agung since last week have now begun shooting more than three kilometers into the sky, forcing hundreds of flights to be grounded. Authorities on Monday warned that the rumbling volcano could erupt at any moment, as they raised alert levels to maximum and accelerated a mass evacuation. The international airport closure left thousands of tourists stranded on the Indonesian holiday island. Some 40,000 frightened people have fled their homes around the volcano but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials have said. The exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 kilometers away from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta, has also been widened to 10 kilometers.

Bali airport closed for second day over fears of volcano eruption

Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be &quot;imminent&quot;.

The airport was closed for 24 hours from Monday morning, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, after Mount Agung, which killed hundreds of people in 1963, sent volcanic ash high into the sky, and officials said cancellations could be extended.

&quot;Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (7 miles) from the peak,&quot; the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement after raising the alert from three to its highest level of four.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;The potential for a larger eruption is imminent,&quot; it said, referring to a visible glow of magma at Mount Agung&#39;s peak overnight, and warning residents to evacuate a danger zone at a radius of 8-10 km (5-6 miles).

Sutopo, a BNPB spokesman, said there had been no casualties so far and 40,000 people had left the area, but tens of thousands still needed to move.

Video footage shared by the agency showed volcanic mud flows (lahar) on the mountainside. Lahar carrying mud and large boulders can destroy houses, bridges, and roads in its path.

Bali, famous for its surf, beaches, and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year, and its airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesia&#39;s eastern archipelago.

But tourism has slumped in parts of Bali since September when Agung&#39;s volcanic tremors began to increase and the alert level was raised to maximum before being lowered in October when seismic activity calmed.&quot;I&#39;m really worried. Maybe I&#39;ll go somewhere south that I think will be safe to avoid being trapped by the ashfall,&quot; said Maria Becker, a German tourist staying in Amed, around 15 km (9 miles) from the volcano.

Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Northeastern Bali is relatively undeveloped compared to the more heavily populated southern tourist hub of Kuta-Seminyak-Nusa Dua.&nbsp;

Indonesia&#39;s Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), which is using drones, satellite imagery and other equipment, said predictions were difficult in the absence of instrumental recordings from the last eruption 54 years ago.

In 1963, an eruption of Agung killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar.

Recordings now show the northeast area of Agung&#39;s peak has swollen in recent weeks &quot;indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface&quot;, PVMBG said.

It warned that if a similar eruption occurred, it could send rocks bigger than fist-size up to 8 km (5 miles) from the summit and volcanic gas to a distance of 10 km (6 miles) within three minutes.

Some analysts, however, suggests the threat should not be as great this time because &quot;energy at Mount Agung&#39;s magma chamber is not as big&quot; and the ash column only around a quarter as high so far as the 20 km (12 miles) reached in 1963, Sutopo said.

Check-Ins Closed

Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed for 24 hours, its operator said.

Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces. Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it was cancelling flights on Tuesday, while Jetstar was offering to exchange Bali bound tickets for other destinations.

Television footage showed hundreds of holidaymakers camped inside the airport terminal, some sleeping on their bags, others using mobile telephones.

&quot;We have been here (in Bali) for three days we are about to leave today, but just found out our flights have been cancelled. We have got no information because the gates, the check-ins, have been closed indefinitely,&quot; said Carlo Oben from Los Angeles.

Cover-More, Australia&#39;s biggest travel insurer, said on its website customers would only be covered if they had bought policies before the volcano alert was first issued on September 18.&nbsp;

Indonesia&#39;s hotel and restaurant association said stranded tourists at member hotels would get one night&#39;s free stay.&nbsp;

The main airport on Lombok, next to Bali, was closed after being open for much of the day, a spokesman said.

Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is present because it can damage engines and can clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper visibility.

Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately

Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be "imminent". The airport was closed for 24 hours from Monday morning, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, after Mount Agung, which killed hundreds of people in 1963, sent volcanic ash high into the sky, and officials said cancellations could be extended. "Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (7 miles) from the peak," the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement after raising the alert from three to its highest level of four. ''The potential for a larger eruption is imminent," it said, referring to a visible glow of magma at Mount Agung's peak overnight, and warning residents to evacuate a danger zone at a radius of 8-10 km (5-6 miles). Sutopo, a BNPB spokesman, said there had been no casualties so far and 40,000 people had left the area, but tens of thousands still needed to move. Video footage shared by the agency showed volcanic mud flows (lahar) on the mountainside. Lahar carrying mud and large boulders can destroy houses, bridges, and roads in its path. Bali, famous for its surf, beaches, and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year, and its airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesia's eastern archipelago. But tourism has slumped in parts of Bali since September when Agung's volcanic tremors began to increase and the alert level was raised to maximum before being lowered in October when seismic activity calmed."I'm really worried. Maybe I'll go somewhere south that I think will be safe to avoid being trapped by the ashfall," said Maria Becker, a German tourist staying in Amed, around 15 km (9 miles) from the volcano. Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Northeastern Bali is relatively undeveloped compared to the more heavily populated southern tourist hub of Kuta-Seminyak-Nusa Dua. Indonesia's Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), which is using drones, satellite imagery and other equipment, said predictions were difficult in the absence of instrumental recordings from the last eruption 54 years ago. In 1963, an eruption of Agung killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar. Recordings now show the northeast area of Agung's peak has swollen in recent weeks "indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface", PVMBG said. It warned that if a similar eruption occurred, it could send rocks bigger than fist-size up to 8 km (5 miles) from the summit and volcanic gas to a distance of 10 km (6 miles) within three minutes. Some analysts, however, suggests the threat should not be as great this time because "energy at Mount Agung's magma chamber is not as big" and the ash column only around a quarter as high so far as the 20 km (12 miles) reached in 1963, Sutopo said. Check-Ins Closed Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed for 24 hours, its operator said. Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces. Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it was cancelling flights on Tuesday, while Jetstar was offering to exchange Bali bound tickets for other destinations. Television footage showed hundreds of holidaymakers camped inside the airport terminal, some sleeping on their bags, others using mobile telephones. "We have been here (in Bali) for three days we are about to leave today, but just found out our flights have been cancelled. We have got no information because the gates, the check-ins, have been closed indefinitely," said Carlo Oben from Los Angeles. Cover-More, Australia's biggest travel insurer, said on its website customers would only be covered if they had bought policies before the volcano alert was first issued on September 18. Indonesia's hotel and restaurant association said stranded tourists at member hotels would get one night's free stay. The main airport on Lombok, next to Bali, was closed after being open for much of the day, a spokesman said. Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is present because it can damage engines and can clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper visibility.

Indonesia orders immediate evacuation as highest alert issued for Bali volcano

A tornado ripped through a densely populated area in Indonesia&rsquo;s East Java province on Thursday, injuring 35 people and damaging more than 600 homes, the head of the local disaster mitigation official said.

The tornado, with wind speeds of 70 km per hour (45 miles per hour), carved a path of destruction in the Sidoarjo area, lasting about five minutes, Dwidjo Prawito of Indonesia&rsquo;s disaster mitigation agency said by telephone.

A video posted on social media showed part of a roof being torn off a building as debris was hurled high into the air. Sidoarjo is south of Indonesia&rsquo;s second-biggest city of Surabaya.

Around 100 people were evacuated to an elementary school, while others had left to stay with family members, said Prawito.

In February, 166 houses were reported damaged when another tornado struck several villages in the same area.

Around 100 people were evacuated to an elementary school, while others had left to stay with family members, said Dwidjo Prawito of Indonesia?s disaster mitigation agency

A tornado ripped through a densely populated area in Indonesia’s East Java province on Thursday, injuring 35 people and damaging more than 600 homes, the head of the local disaster mitigation official said. The tornado, with wind speeds of 70 km per hour (45 miles per hour), carved a path of destruction in the Sidoarjo area, lasting about five minutes, Dwidjo Prawito of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said by telephone. A video posted on social media showed part of a roof being torn off a building as debris was hurled high into the air. Sidoarjo is south of Indonesia’s second-biggest city of Surabaya. Around 100 people were evacuated to an elementary school, while others had left to stay with family members, said Prawito. In February, 166 houses were reported damaged when another tornado struck several villages in the same area.

Tornado in Indonesia injures 35, damages hundreds of homes

An Indonesian man who used his bare hands to kill a snake that was discovered slithering on a busy commuter train has become an Internet hero.

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An Indonesian man who used his bare hands to kill a snake that was discovered slithering on a busy commuter train has become an Internet hero <a href="https://t.co/ktNrRTtVrE">https://t.co/ktNrRTtVrE</a> <a href="https://t.co/PARlIjjsHD">pic.twitter.com/PARlIjjsHD</a>
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The train made an emergency stop after the reptile was spotted lurking on a baggage rack in a carriage headed to Jakarta from Bogor, south of the capital.

Smartphone footage, which quickly went viral, showed the bespectacled man casually snatch the snake`s tail and then smash its head on the floor in a violent whipping motion.

The creature was apparently killed instantly as shocked spectators -- including a baton-wielding transit security officer -- kept their distance.

The unidentified man wearing a backpack then tossed its limp body, which appeared to be about one metre (three feet) long, out the door to waiting security staff.

It is not clear what kind of serpent it was, nor whether it was venemous. No injuries to passengers were reported.

Train operator KCI said the reptile is thought to have slithered out from a passenger`s bag.

&quot;We regret the incident and apologise to train travellers who were disturbed by it,&quot; spokeswoman Eva Chairunnisa told AFP.

It is not uncommon to see livestock or pets travelling on public transport in rural Indonesia, but passengers are prohibited from taking animals on urban transport lines.

The train made an emergency stop after the reptile was spotted lurking on a baggage rack in a carriage headed to Jakarta from Bogo

An Indonesian man who used his bare hands to kill a snake that was discovered slithering on a busy commuter train has become an Internet hero. An Indonesian man who used his bare hands to kill a snake that was discovered slithering on a busy commuter train has become an Internet hero https://t.co/ktNrRTtVrE pic.twitter.com/PARlIjjsHD — AFP news agency (@AFP) November 23, 2017 × The train made an emergency stop after the reptile was spotted lurking on a baggage rack in a carriage headed to Jakarta from Bogor, south of the capital. Smartphone footage, which quickly went viral, showed the bespectacled man casually snatch the snake`s tail and then smash its head on the floor in a violent whipping motion. The creature was apparently killed instantly as shocked spectators -- including a baton-wielding transit security officer -- kept their distance. The unidentified man wearing a backpack then tossed its limp body, which appeared to be about one metre (three feet) long, out the door to waiting security staff. It is not clear what kind of serpent it was, nor whether it was venemous. No injuries to passengers were reported. Train operator KCI said the reptile is thought to have slithered out from a passenger`s bag. "We regret the incident and apologise to train travellers who were disturbed by it," spokeswoman Eva Chairunnisa told AFP. It is not uncommon to see livestock or pets travelling on public transport in rural Indonesia, but passengers are prohibited from taking animals on urban transport lines.

Watch: Man kills snake on train with bare hands, becomes internet star

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia&#39;s holiday island of Bali spewed ash and towering clouds of smoke Tuesday, heightening fears it may erupt for the first time in more than 50 years.

Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 700 metres (2,300 feet) above its summit, as it stirred to life again after more than 140,000 people fled homes around the crater last month for fear the volcano would erupt.

Nearly 1,600 people died when Agung last erupted in 1963, but officials said Tuesday that the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to those living in its shadow.

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<h5>Officials said the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to the people living in Agung&#39;s shadow</h5>
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The alert level has not been raised, according to Made Indra, from Bali&#39;s disaster mitigation agency.

&quot;To us, this is not an eruption,&quot; Indra told AFP. &quot;An eruption means materials are spewing out of the mountain, and in this case, there hasn&#39;t been any. This is smoke.&quot;

But local volcanologist Gede Suantika added that &quot;people within six kilometres of the mountain (summit) should evacuate&quot;.&nbsp;

Agung has been rumbling intermittently since August.

Officials estimated concerns about an eruption over the past few months had cost Bali at least $110 million in lost tourism and productivity as many local residents moved to shelters.

Indonesia is home to around 130 volcanoes due to its position on the &quot;Ring of Fire&quot;, a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs

In 2010 Mount Merapi - considered one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world - erupted, killing some more than 300 people and forcing 280,000 people to flee.

Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island - which is currently also at its highest alert level - has been active since 2013.

Nearly 1,600 people died when Mount Agung last erupted in 1963

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia's holiday island of Bali spewed ash and towering clouds of smoke Tuesday, heightening fears it may erupt for the first time in more than 50 years. Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 700 metres (2,300 feet) above its summit, as it stirred to life again after more than 140,000 people fled homes around the crater last month for fear the volcano would erupt. Nearly 1,600 people died when Agung last erupted in 1963, but officials said Tuesday that the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to those living in its shadow. Officials said the rumblings did not pose an immediate threat to the people living in Agung's shadow × The alert level has not been raised, according to Made Indra, from Bali's disaster mitigation agency. "To us, this is not an eruption," Indra told AFP. "An eruption means materials are spewing out of the mountain, and in this case, there hasn't been any. This is smoke." But local volcanologist Gede Suantika added that "people within six kilometres of the mountain (summit) should evacuate". Agung has been rumbling intermittently since August. Officials estimated concerns about an eruption over the past few months had cost Bali at least $110 million in lost tourism and productivity as many local residents moved to shelters. Indonesia is home to around 130 volcanoes due to its position on the "Ring of Fire", a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs In 2010 Mount Merapi - considered one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world - erupted, killing some more than 300 people and forcing 280,000 people to flee. Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island - which is currently also at its highest alert level - has been active since 2013.

Bali volcano spews smoke and ash, raising eruption fears

Badminton legend Lin Dan saved seven match points before being dumped out of the first round of his home China Open on Wednesday, stunned by Indonesia&#39;s world number 17 Jonatan Christi. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The 21-19, 21-16 defeat will ramp up speculation that the 34-year-old Lin, widely regarded as the best badminton player of all time, may soon call it quits as he approaches the end of his brilliant career.

Seeded third, Lin, a five-time China Open champion, was guilty of a catalog of errors in going down to Christie in 42 minutes in a shock upset in the Chinese city of Fuzhou.

The 20-year-old Christie plays Hong Kong&#39;s Angus Ng in the second round.

&quot;When we shook hands before the match I felt his hand was cold and I sensed he was nervous,&quot; Christie, who lost to Lin in straight games at their last meeting in June, told the official BWF World Superseries website.

&quot;I realised that even though he was a past World and Olympic champion, he could get nervous too, so that made me confident.&quot;

Christie added: &quot;One of the best days of my life, I beat Lin Dan at his home crowd.&quot;

But for a late rally by Lin, the result might have been even more embarrassing.

Christie had an astounding 11 match points, and even though Lin clawed back seven of them, the Chinese played a weak shot wide of the sideline to go tumbling out of the tournament.

Lin&#39;s great rival, the Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, had no such trouble in a 21-5, 21-7 demolition of Taiwan&#39;s Hsu Jen-hao.&nbsp;

Dan saved 7 match points before crashing out

Badminton legend Lin Dan saved seven match points before being dumped out of the first round of his home China Open on Wednesday, stunned by Indonesia's world number 17 Jonatan Christi. The 21-19, 21-16 defeat will ramp up speculation that the 34-year-old Lin, widely regarded as the best badminton player of all time, may soon call it quits as he approaches the end of his brilliant career. Seeded third, Lin, a five-time China Open champion, was guilty of a catalog of errors in going down to Christie in 42 minutes in a shock upset in the Chinese city of Fuzhou. The 20-year-old Christie plays Hong Kong's Angus Ng in the second round. "When we shook hands before the match I felt his hand was cold and I sensed he was nervous," Christie, who lost to Lin in straight games at their last meeting in June, told the official BWF World Superseries website. "I realised that even though he was a past World and Olympic champion, he could get nervous too, so that made me confident." Christie added: "One of the best days of my life, I beat Lin Dan at his home crowd." But for a late rally by Lin, the result might have been even more embarrassing. Christie had an astounding 11 match points, and even though Lin clawed back seven of them, the Chinese played a weak shot wide of the sideline to go tumbling out of the tournament. Lin's great rival, the Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, had no such trouble in a 21-5, 21-7 demolition of Taiwan's Hsu Jen-hao.

China Open: Lin Dan stunned in first round by world no. 17

Indonesia on Monday vowed to block Facebook Inc&#39;s WhatsApp Messenger within 48 hours if the service did not ensure that obscene Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images were removed.

WhatsApp, which is widely used in Indonesia, the world&#39;s most populous Muslim-majority nation, said message encryption prevented it from monitoring the third-party providers Indonesians use to search for GIFs.

It asked the government to work with the providers instead.

Semuel Pangerapan, a director general at Indonesia&#39;s communications and informatics ministry, said WhatsApp would be blocked within 48 hours unless the images supplied by third parties were taken off the service.

&quot;Yes, true. They have to follow the rules of the host,&quot; Pangerapan said of the proposed block.

The ministry had sent three letters to WhatsApp over the issue, he said.

&quot;They have responded but asked us to speak directly to the third party. The GIFs appeared in their apps. Why do we have to be the one speaking to the third party? They are supposed to be the ones managing it,&quot; said Pangerapan.

Tenor, a third-party provider of GIFs to WhatsApp, had been blocked, Pangerapan said.

Tenor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&quot;In Indonesia, WhatsApp lets people search for GIFs using third-party providers,&quot; a Whatsapp representative said in a statement.

&quot;We are not able to monitor GIFs on WhatsApp since the content is end-to-end encrypted. We&#39;ve directed the Indonesia government to work with these third-party providers to review their content.&quot;

Indonesia had 69 million monthly active Facebook users as of the first quarter of 2014, ranking the country fourth globally after the United States, India, and Brazil, company data showed.

Some reaction on Indonesian social media to the threatened block was skeptical. &quot;While you&rsquo;re at it, why don&rsquo;t you block Twitter too, (and) if necessary all browsers in the Play store, because it&rsquo;s way easier to search for porn there than on WhatsApp,&rdquo; wrote one Twitter user, with the handle @jnessy.

Another, using the handle @yogirswnt, said &quot;Does the government want to block WhatsApp? In the case of Telegram it was only a bluff, but if true, it is so unfortunate.&quot;

Indonesia briefly blocked access this year to some channels of the Telegram messaging app, saying its forums were &quot;full of radicals and terrorist propaganda&quot;, before reaching a pact with the messaging service on how to rein in propaganda.

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) had urged the communications ministry to block pornographic GIF images accessible via emoticons, complaining that children could easily reach them, according to news website kompas.com.

WhatsApp, which is widely used in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, said message encryption prevented it from monitoring the third-party providers Indonesians use to search for GIFs.

Indonesia on Monday vowed to block Facebook Inc's WhatsApp Messenger within 48 hours if the service did not ensure that obscene Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images were removed. WhatsApp, which is widely used in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, said message encryption prevented it from monitoring the third-party providers Indonesians use to search for GIFs. It asked the government to work with the providers instead. Semuel Pangerapan, a director general at Indonesia's communications and informatics ministry, said WhatsApp would be blocked within 48 hours unless the images supplied by third parties were taken off the service. "Yes, true. They have to follow the rules of the host," Pangerapan said of the proposed block. The ministry had sent three letters to WhatsApp over the issue, he said. "They have responded but asked us to speak directly to the third party. The GIFs appeared in their apps. Why do we have to be the one speaking to the third party? They are supposed to be the ones managing it," said Pangerapan. Tenor, a third-party provider of GIFs to WhatsApp, had been blocked, Pangerapan said. Tenor did not immediately respond to a request for comment."In Indonesia, WhatsApp lets people search for GIFs using third-party providers," a Whatsapp representative said in a statement. "We are not able to monitor GIFs on WhatsApp since the content is end-to-end encrypted. We've directed the Indonesia government to work with these third-party providers to review their content." Indonesia had 69 million monthly active Facebook users as of the first quarter of 2014, ranking the country fourth globally after the United States, India, and Brazil, company data showed. Some reaction on Indonesian social media to the threatened block was skeptical. "While you’re at it, why don’t you block Twitter too, (and) if necessary all browsers in the Play store, because it’s way easier to search for porn there than on WhatsApp,” wrote one Twitter user, with the handle @jnessy. Another, using the handle @yogirswnt, said "Does the government want to block WhatsApp? In the case of Telegram it was only a bluff, but if true, it is so unfortunate." Indonesia briefly blocked access this year to some channels of the Telegram messaging app, saying its forums were "full of radicals and terrorist propaganda", before reaching a pact with the messaging service on how to rein in propaganda. The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) had urged the communications ministry to block pornographic GIF images accessible via emoticons, complaining that children could easily reach them, according to news website kompas.com.

Indonesia vows to block WhatsApp

Nearly 20 per cent of high school and university students in Indonesia support the establishment of a caliphate in the world&#39;s largest Muslim-majority country over the current secular government, a new survey showed this week.

Indonesia has in recent years seen its long-standing reputation for religious tolerance come under scrutiny as hardline Islamic groups muscle their way into public and political life in the young democracy.

The vast majority of Indonesians practice a moderate form of Islam and the country has sizeable minorities of Hindus, Christians, and people who adhere to traditional beliefs. Religious diversity is enshrined in its constitution.

The survey by a Jakarta-based organization polled over 4,200 Muslim students, mostly in top schools and universities on Java island, home to over half the country&#39;s population.

Nearly one in four students said they were, to varying degrees, ready to wage jihad to achieve a caliphate.

&quot;This indicates that intolerant teachings have already entered top universities and high schools,&quot; pollster Alvara, which carried out the survey, said in its report released Tuesday.

&quot;The government and moderate Islamic organizations must start taking tangible steps to anticipate this and be present in student circles with language that is easy for them to understand,&quot; the report added.

A presidential spokesman declined to comment on the findings.

Hardline Islamic groups late last year led mass street rallies against Jakarta&#39;s former governor, a Christian, whom they believed had insulted Islam. They eventually succeeded in derailing Basuki Tjahaja Purnama&#39;s re-election bid in April this year, and he was subsequently jailed for blasphemy. The ruling was criticised globally as unjust.

Groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) call for sharia law to be imposed on the country and believe its leaders should only be Muslim.

The survey showed that the vast majority of students disagree with the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and violence.

But authorities have repeatedly warned against the creeping influence of radical Islamic thought among student organisations and in campus activities.

President Joko Widodo and his government are trying to contain the rising influence of hairline groups, especially in universities and Islamic boarding schools.

A presidential decree banning any civil organisations deemed to go against the country&#39;s secular state ideology was approved by parliament last month. Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a largely peaceful organisation that calls for the establishment of a caliphate in Indonesia, was the first group to be disbanded under the decree.

President Widodo has made several speeches at Islamic boarding schools around the country emphasizing Indonesia&#39;s diversity and the importance of national unity.

In September, Widodo called at a conference of around 3,000 university rectors for the promotion of the country&#39;s secular ideology, &#39;Pancasila&#39;, in education.

Nearly one in four students said they were, to varying degrees, ready to wage jihad to achieve a caliphate.

Nearly 20 per cent of high school and university students in Indonesia support the establishment of a caliphate in the world's largest Muslim-majority country over the current secular government, a new survey showed this week. Indonesia has in recent years seen its long-standing reputation for religious tolerance come under scrutiny as hardline Islamic groups muscle their way into public and political life in the young democracy. The vast majority of Indonesians practice a moderate form of Islam and the country has sizeable minorities of Hindus, Christians, and people who adhere to traditional beliefs. Religious diversity is enshrined in its constitution. The survey by a Jakarta-based organization polled over 4,200 Muslim students, mostly in top schools and universities on Java island, home to over half the country's population. Nearly one in four students said they were, to varying degrees, ready to wage jihad to achieve a caliphate. "This indicates that intolerant teachings have already entered top universities and high schools," pollster Alvara, which carried out the survey, said in its report released Tuesday. "The government and moderate Islamic organizations must start taking tangible steps to anticipate this and be present in student circles with language that is easy for them to understand," the report added. A presidential spokesman declined to comment on the findings. Hardline Islamic groups late last year led mass street rallies against Jakarta's former governor, a Christian, whom they believed had insulted Islam. They eventually succeeded in derailing Basuki Tjahaja Purnama's re-election bid in April this year, and he was subsequently jailed for blasphemy. The ruling was criticised globally as unjust. Groups like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) call for sharia law to be imposed on the country and believe its leaders should only be Muslim. The survey showed that the vast majority of students disagree with the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and violence. But authorities have repeatedly warned against the creeping influence of radical Islamic thought among student organisations and in campus activities. President Joko Widodo and his government are trying to contain the rising influence of hairline groups, especially in universities and Islamic boarding schools. A presidential decree banning any civil organisations deemed to go against the country's secular state ideology was approved by parliament last month. Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a largely peaceful organisation that calls for the establishment of a caliphate in Indonesia, was the first group to be disbanded under the decree. President Widodo has made several speeches at Islamic boarding schools around the country emphasizing Indonesia's diversity and the importance of national unity. In September, Widodo called at a conference of around 3,000 university rectors for the promotion of the country's secular ideology, 'Pancasila', in education.

One in five Indonesian students support Islamic caliphate: Survey

At least 47 people have been killed and dozens injured in a blaze that tore through a fireworks factory outside the Indonesian capital, police said Thursday, triggering explosions and sending plumes of black smoke into the air.

The fire broke out at an industrial complex in Tangerang, a satellite city of Jakarta.

&quot;There are 103 workers in total at this factory, 43 are injured and being treated in three hospitals, the remains of 23 victims have been found,&quot; a local resident told a television channel.

Many of the bodies of the victims were found clustered at the back of the factory, police said, indicating there may have been a panicked rush to flee the flames.

A firefighter at the scene said all the victims had been burned beyond recognition.

&quot;Those who died are completely unrecognisable, totally burnt,&quot; one Oni Sahroni told Metro TV.

Parts of the building collapsed after being gutted by the blaze, which scorched nearby cars. Witnesses reported hearing blasts erupt from the site.

Local resident Beni Benteng told AFP he heard an explosion and people inside screaming for help.

&quot;My friends,&nbsp;I and some police officers knocked down a wall so people could escape, then the workers came out,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;I saw people including women were jumping from above, oh my God,&quot; he added.

The blaze, which broke out in the morning, was brought under control by late afternoon and authorities were working to recover the victims&#39; bodies from the building.

Explosions&nbsp;

Authorities have not yet said how the fire started, but have confirmed it began near the front door and quickly spread.

&quot;Victims were found piling at the back, it seems like they were avoiding the blaze at the front door,&quot; Afinta told Metro TV.

Desperate friends and family thronged a nearby police hospital in Keramat Kati looking for loved ones.

Video footage shot by an AFP stringer showed victims, covered in bandages, laid out on stretchers and others with minor injuries sitting in the hallways or outside.

A factory worker at the hospital in Keramat Kati said the fire erupted in the middle of production.

&quot;I don&#39;t know how it happened, I was working outside of the factory and there were some explosions, four cars exploded and almost all motorbikes also exploded,&rdquo; Ade, who suffered burns to his arms and legs, told AFP.

The factory -- part of a complex that borders a residential area -- had only been operating for six weeks, district government official Toni Rustoni told Metro TV.

A fire broke out at an industrial complex in Tangerang, a satellite city of Jakarta

At least 47 people have been killed and dozens injured in a blaze that tore through a fireworks factory outside the Indonesian capital, police said Thursday, triggering explosions and sending plumes of black smoke into the air. The fire broke out at an industrial complex in Tangerang, a satellite city of Jakarta. "There are 103 workers in total at this factory, 43 are injured and being treated in three hospitals, the remains of 23 victims have been found," a local resident told a television channel. Many of the bodies of the victims were found clustered at the back of the factory, police said, indicating there may have been a panicked rush to flee the flames. A firefighter at the scene said all the victims had been burned beyond recognition. "Those who died are completely unrecognisable, totally burnt," one Oni Sahroni told Metro TV. Parts of the building collapsed after being gutted by the blaze, which scorched nearby cars. Witnesses reported hearing blasts erupt from the site. Local resident Beni Benteng told AFP he heard an explosion and people inside screaming for help. "My friends, I and some police officers knocked down a wall so people could escape, then the workers came out," he said. "I saw people including women were jumping from above, oh my God," he added. The blaze, which broke out in the morning, was brought under control by late afternoon and authorities were working to recover the victims' bodies from the building. Explosions Authorities have not yet said how the fire started, but have confirmed it began near the front door and quickly spread. "Victims were found piling at the back, it seems like they were avoiding the blaze at the front door," Afinta told Metro TV. Desperate friends and family thronged a nearby police hospital in Keramat Kati looking for loved ones. Video footage shot by an AFP stringer showed victims, covered in bandages, laid out on stretchers and others with minor injuries sitting in the hallways or outside. A factory worker at the hospital in Keramat Kati said the fire erupted in the middle of production. "I don't know how it happened, I was working outside of the factory and there were some explosions, four cars exploded and almost all motorbikes also exploded,” Ade, who suffered burns to his arms and legs, told AFP. The factory -- part of a complex that borders a residential area -- had only been operating for six weeks, district government official Toni Rustoni told Metro TV.

47 killed, dozens injured in Indonesia fireworks factory fire

A sharp increase in forest fires stoked record losses in global forest cover equivalent to the area of New Zealand in 2016, a Global Forest Watch report has said.

The alarming pace of destruction of 51% higher than the prior year with a loss of 73.4 million acres (29.7 million hectares), according to data from the University of Maryland&nbsp;was partially due to climate change that has increased the risks and intensity of wildfires by triggering temperature rise and drought in some places, the monitor said yesterday.

The 2015-2016 weather phenomenon El Nino, one of the strongest on record, also played a role, having created particularly dry conditions in the tropics. Many of those tropical areas are not naturally prone to catching fire&nbsp;but vulnerability increased due to poor management and was exacerbated by El Nino.

Deadly blazes in Brazil and Indonesia were among those contributing to the loss. This year, deadly blazes have again devastated regions of Portugal as well as California.

Brazil&#39;s Amazon region lost 9.1 million acres of tree cover more than three times that of 2015. And Portugal saw some 4% of its forests go up in smoke in 2016, the highest proportion of any other country.

Nearly half of all forests burned in the European Union in 2016 were in Portugal, where fire-prone eucalyptus and pine plantations along with poor soil encouraged the deadly flames.

The country is set to break the record for destroyed forests in 2017, with recent disasters killing dozens of people.

Early 2016 saw one of the largest fires ever recorded in Central Africa, destroying 37,000 acres of forest in the Republic of Congo.

Last year&#39;s Fort McMurray fire in Canada ravaged more than 1.5 million acres, causing $8.8 billion in damage.

Deforestation resulting from agriculture, logging and mining also contributed to the losses.

The report urged improving fire and forest management, including early warning systems, fire bans during dry seasons and more augmented investment in forest protection and restoration.

A sharp increase in forest fires stoked record losses in global forest cover equivalent to the area of New Zealand in 2016

A sharp increase in forest fires stoked record losses in global forest cover equivalent to the area of New Zealand in 2016, a Global Forest Watch report has said. The alarming pace of destruction of 51% higher than the prior year with a loss of 73.4 million acres (29.7 million hectares), according to data from the University of Maryland was partially due to climate change that has increased the risks and intensity of wildfires by triggering temperature rise and drought in some places, the monitor said yesterday. The 2015-2016 weather phenomenon El Nino, one of the strongest on record, also played a role, having created particularly dry conditions in the tropics. Many of those tropical areas are not naturally prone to catching fire but vulnerability increased due to poor management and was exacerbated by El Nino. Deadly blazes in Brazil and Indonesia were among those contributing to the loss. This year, deadly blazes have again devastated regions of Portugal as well as California. Brazil's Amazon region lost 9.1 million acres of tree cover more than three times that of 2015. And Portugal saw some 4% of its forests go up in smoke in 2016, the highest proportion of any other country. Nearly half of all forests burned in the European Union in 2016 were in Portugal, where fire-prone eucalyptus and pine plantations along with poor soil encouraged the deadly flames. The country is set to break the record for destroyed forests in 2017, with recent disasters killing dozens of people. Early 2016 saw one of the largest fires ever recorded in Central Africa, destroying 37,000 acres of forest in the Republic of Congo. Last year's Fort McMurray fire in Canada ravaged more than 1.5 million acres, causing $8.8 billion in damage. Deforestation resulting from agriculture, logging and mining also contributed to the losses. The report urged improving fire and forest management, including early warning systems, fire bans during dry seasons and more augmented investment in forest protection and restoration.

Forest fires contributed to record global tree cover loss: Report

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