Indonesia News

Soldiers from Indonesia's elite special forces have gone before a military court charged with storming a prison and killing four detainees on the main Java island.

Coalition leader says his first prime ministerial trip would be to Jakarta, but election winner will host UN leaders in New York Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott would be due in New York on September 16, should the Coalition win power two days earlier.

An official of the Pekanbaru Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said here on Wednesday that 148 hot spots of forest and plantation fires were detected in Riau Province, Indonesia's Antara reported.

The number of the hot spots in Riau increased to 148 from 106 on June 18, indicating that the forest and plantation fires in the province have spread to a wider area.

As the intended increase in fuel prices nears its deadline, people in Indonesia's tourist industry expressed deep concern as the hike would certainly affect their businesses.

Many of the carparking assets of New Zealand-owned and operated Tournament Parking have been sold to Southeast Asia's biggest player Wilson Parking.

Smog levels in Singapore hit a record high on Wednesday as smoke from raging forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia triggered a major health alarm and sent residents of the densely populated city-state scrambling for face masks.

Singapore's air quality deteriorated to "hazardous" levels late on Wednesday as smoke from slash-and-burn land clearing in Indonesia enveloped the city-state, inflaming tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbours.

The announcement came after a day in which Ms Gillard faced questions from the Opposition about how she would stop boat arrivals, after she pledged to stem the flow of boats when she toppled Kevin Rudd.

Smoke from the forest fires in Sumatra has left Singapore shrouded in haze with the Pollutant Standard Index hitting a new high since 1997.

Earlier in Pekanbaru, there was the typical acrid smell as soon as we walked out of the plane.

The latest possible resting place of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is an overgrown farm field where the normal calm of chirping crickets is being drowned out by a beeping backhoe, the chop of an overhead news helicopter... The latest possible resting place of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa is an overgrown farm field where the normal calm of chirping ... (more)

Tiger Airways , which already offers thrice-daily services from Singapore to Jakarta, added Denpasar as its second destination in Indonesia on 16 June.

This preview highlights the main points of the Indonesia chapter from " Pathways to Freedom: Political and Economic Lessons from Democratic Transitions ," a publication of the Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy Initiative.

The Indonesian government has warned Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states of new and emerging health related threats.

An Indonesian official said Singapore and Malaysia share some of blame for the haze that has raised air pollution to "unhealthy" levels.

The UN's Food and Agriculure Organization has successfully completed the first round of the Millenium Development Goals by lowering the world's extreme hunger level from 19,9% to 8,6% between 2010-2012, which exceeds the MDG's initial target of 9,9%.

Indonesia defied popular anger on Tuesday by pressing ahead with its first fuel price hike since 2008, a day after police fought running battles with thousands outside parliament.

THE worst episode of haze here in 16 years has prompted Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to urge commercial pressure against firms causing the haze.

Eating larger amounts of red meat can heighten the chances of developing diabetes, researchers in Singapore have found.