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Indonesia

Thai leads in Indonesia after birdie run

Thailand’s Somsak Khaoprathum made four birdies in a row to lead a tournament for the first time in his fledgling career, ending the opening day of the Palembang Musi Championship on six-under-par 66.
The 24-year-old from Bangkok reached the turn in one under before embarking on a five-under-par back nine — including four back-to-back birdies from the 14th [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 14, 2011

AP Enterprise: Global Islamic group rising in Asia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The chanting crowd at the radical Muslim protest in Indonesia stood out for its normalcy: smartly dressed businessmen, engineers, lawyers, smiling mothers, scampering children.
At a time when al-Qaida seems to be faltering, the recruitment of such an educated, somewhat mainstream following is raising fears that Hizbut Tahrir, an enigmatic global movement, could prove more [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 2, 2011

18 dead in Indonesian plane crash

All 18 people aboard a plane that crashed on Indonesia’s Sumatra island were found dead on Saturday, an official said, after two days of hampered efforts to reach the remote jungle site.
Hopes that some on board the aircraft might be alive had been raised when a victim’s mother reported that her daughter had called her from [...]

Read More » No commentOctober 1, 2011

Homemade bomb found after Indonesia suicide attack

Indonesian police on Monday said it found a home-made bomb in Ambon, a city with a history of major sectarian violence, a day after a suicide bomber attacked a packed church in Central Java province.
National police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam told reporters that the bomb was found near a church in Ambon, and is investigating [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 27, 2011

Islamic healing is on the rise in Southeast Asia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A 47-year-old housewife who recently started using Islamic alternative cures emerged tearfully from an exorcism, speaking of newfound tranquility after a turbulent time in her life. Also, her abdominal pains are finally easing.
Suratmi, who suffers from an ovarian cyst, has been taking a mix of herbal treatments harking back to the [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 26, 2011

Islamic medicine is on the rise in Southeast Asia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A 47-year-old housewife who recently started using Islamic medicine emerged tearfully from an exorcism, speaking of newfound tranquility after a turbulent period. Also, her abdominal pains are finally easing.
Suratmi, who suffers from an ovarian cyst, has been taking a mix of herbal medicine harking back to the dawn of Islam, as [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 26, 2011

Indonesian ferry catches fire after tug collision

An Indonesian ferry with more than 400 people on board collided with a barge and caught fire, killing at least two, a search and rescue official said.
The KM Marina Nusantara, travelling on Monday from Surabaya in eastern Java, collided with the barge as it approached the city of Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province on Indonesian [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 26, 2011

Suicide bombing at Indonesian church injures 22

SOLO, Indonesia (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up inside an Indonesian church as hundreds of worshippers were filing out after the Sunday service, injuring at least 22 people, police said.
The bomber’s mangled body lay at the entrance of the Tenth Bethel Gospel Church. Around him, screaming people were splattered in blood.
Police Chief Gen. [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 26, 2011

Massacred village in Indonesia awaits Dutch amends

RAWAGEDE, Indonesia (AP) — Six decades have passed, but Kadun bin Siot’s voice still trembles as he recalls the morning Dutch troops surrounded his tiny Indonesian village and nearly wiped out its entire male population.
He was 12, peering through the slats of a wooden barn as soldiers flushed his father out of his hiding place [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 24, 2011

Paper company blamed for tiger’s death

A graphic video showing the last hours of a rare Sumatran tiger as it writhes in a trap in Indonesia exposes the gruesome toll of rampant rainforest clearing, Greenpeace activists said Tuesday.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner Zulfahmi said the trap was set up by villagers to catch wild pigs on a logging concession [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 26, 2011