Indonesia

Bali

Indonesia: Airlines Fail to Meet International Standards

Date: April 18th, 2007 |

Two recent air accidents—a plane crash in January and an aircraft overshooting a runway in March—prompted the government to order an audit of all Indonesian air carriers. The result was that none of the 54 companies checked received the top of three grades, and six were warned to meet safety regulations in three months or [read more]

Indonesia: Jakarta Floods Continue; Dengue Fever Outbreak

Date: February 14th, 2007 |

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Jakarta is suffering from its worst flooding in five years and the rains have continued, giving little relief to the quarter of a million people displaced by the high water. Authorities are working to combat flood-related diseases such as diarrhea, cholera and skin ailments. Dengue fever is also a problem, but is not restricted to [read more]

Indonesia: Terrorist and Crime Threats during Holidays

Date: December 20th, 2006 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta issued a statement reminding Americans that in recent years terrorist attacks have occurred in Jakarta and elsewhere during the Christmas-New Year’s holiday season, and urged travelers to remain vigilant. Most of the attacks against Westerners have occurred in Jakarta and on the island of Bali. Thousands of police have been [read more]

Indonesia: Terrorist Threat Remains

Date: September 5th, 2006 |

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The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta warned that a serious threat of terrorist attacks against Westerners and Western interests exists in Indonesia, especially at Western businesses and places where foreigners congregate. Reports suggest that individual Americans could be targeted i [read more]

Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia: Piracy in Malacca Straits

Date: July 11th, 2006 |

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Piracy has been a problem for decades in the Malacca Straits, a busy shipping channel between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and three incidents occurred recently despite a concerted effort by these three countries to reduce the practice. Two UN-chartered ships on their way to Indonesia’s Aceh province in Sumatra were attacked and lost cash and [read more]

Indonesia: Earthquake Strikes Sumatra

Date: March 7th, 2007 |

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A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Sumatra March 6, toppling hundreds of buildings in Padang and other cities and killing at least 82 people. The epicenter was about 30 miles northeast of Padang. Power was knocked out in many places and aid and rescue operations were under way. It may be many days [read more]

Pacific Rim: Taiwan Earthquake Damages Undersea Cables

Date: January 3rd, 2007 |

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A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Taiwan Dec. 26 and damaged undersea telecommunications cables, affecting internet, banking and telephone services around the Pacific Rim. Much of the service has been restored but repairs to the cables are expected to take as long as a month. Internet access may be slow or unavailable in so [read more]

Indonesia: Illegal Burning Spreads Haze over Region

Date: October 3rd, 2006 |

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Dry season burning of brush on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo has caused smoke and haze to spread over both islands and nearby Singapore, reducing visibility, damaging air quality and delaying flights in Palangkaraya, Kalimantan on the Indonesian side of Borneo. The haze was affecting some 215,000 square miles of land. Air quality had [read more]

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand: Sumatra Forest Fires Cast Pall over Neighbors

Date: August 1st, 2006 |

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Haze from forest fires in Sumatra drifted into Malaysia and Thailand in an annual rite of pollution caused by illegal burning. The fires are typically started by slash-and-burn farmers clearing forests for fields or logging companies clearing land to get at timber. Indonesia’s Riau province has the majority of the fires and the worst pollution, [read more]

Indonesia: Yogyakarta Earthquake Toll More Than 5400

Date: May 30th, 2006 |

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Some 200,000 people are homeless and more than 5,400 dead following the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck near the historic city of Yogyakarta May 27. Power was out for days in the affected area, which covers hundreds of square miles. Nearby Mount Merapi continues to be a threat as its volcanic activity has increased since the [read more]