Indonesia
Indonesia bans elephant riding in landmark moment for animal welfare
Indonesia has formally prohibited elephant riding across the country, issuing one of the most sweeping bans of its kind in Southeast Asia. A win for animal rights: In an order issued late 2025, the…
Malaysia, Indonesia block Elon Musk’s Grok over explicit AI deepfakes
Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok after regulators said the tool was repeatedly used to generate sexually explicit, nonconsensual deepfake images. Indonesia’s…
Floods across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia kill more than 1,400
More than 1,400 people have been killed across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia after days of heavy rain triggered severe flooding and landslides. Three cyclones formed in the same week…
Trump unveils major Asia trade deals as deadline approaches
President Donald Trump announced new trade agreements with Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia this week as the Trump-imposed August 1 tariff deadline approaches. Japan
Video: Turkish man flies to Indonesia to meet and marry long-distance girlfriend of 2 years
A Turkish man proved that love knows no bounds after traveling thousands of miles to meet his girlfriend in Indonesia. Mehmed Ozcan, who goes by Ahmed, flew from Turkey and traveled by boat to Wolio…
Indonesia, Philippines recognized as top 2024 travel destinations
The 31st World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony, held in the Philippines on Sept. 3, honored destinations and businesses across the region for their outstanding contributions to the…
Pope Francis lauds Indonesians for having large families instead of pets
Pope Francis praised Indonesians for their large families during a meeting with President Joko Widodo on Wednesday, comparing them to people in other countries who prefer pets over children. Echoing…
Indonesia claims two historic golds at Paris 2024
Indonesia secured its first-ever Olympic gold medals outside of badminton at the Paris Olympics, marking the nation’s most successful Olympic performance since 1992, when it won two golds, two…
New York authorities return 30 looted artifacts to Cambodia, Indonesia
New York authorities have facilitated the return of 30 looted artifacts to Cambodia and Indonesia. Key points:
Watch: BTS’ V, Jackie Chan team up in surprise Indonesian ad
BTS’ V and Jackie Chan have teamed up to be “best friends” in a surprise ad for an Indonesian investment platform. What we’re seeing: The SimInvest ad, which was posted on Friday and has since gone…
Ex-AirAsia Indonesia head’s son gifts Hermes to thousands of guests at $6.5 million wedding
A five-star hotel in East Java, Indonesia, held an extravagant wedding that was attended by thousands of guests, including celebrities from Westlife, Boyzone and The Pussycat Dolls, who all received…
Egg-laying mammal not seen in over 60 years is rediscovered in Indonesia
A team of scientists from Oxford University has rediscovered a long-lost mammal known as Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi). What makes it special: The species, named after…
Watch: Bali monkey negotiates for food in exchange for woman’s stolen iPhone
A video of a woman in Bali, Indonesia, negotiating with a monkey and bribing the animal with food to get her stolen phone back has recently gone viral on social media, highlighting how primates in…
YouTuber ‘earns’ trip in Singapore Airlines first class suite by flying ‘world’s most dangerous airline’
A YouTuber has “earned” the right to use a premium suite on a Singapore Airlines flight by first flying with Lion Air, the “world’s most dangerous airline.” The worst: On Monday, Ben Morris posted a…
Miss Universe cuts ties with Indonesia franchise amid sexual abuse allegations
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO), head of the Miss Universe beauty pageant, has officially cut ties with its Indonesian franchise after several contestants accused its Southeast Asian organizers…
Bali village performs cleansing ritual after tourist influenced by ‘supernatural whisper’ damages temple
A South Korean woman has been arrested by police in Bali, Indonesia, for destroying sacred temple artifacts under the influence of a “supernatural whisper.” Key details: The tourist, only identified…
The 1975’s Indonesia, Taiwan concerts canceled after same-sex kiss controversy in Malaysia
The 1975’s scheduled concerts in Taiwan and Indonesia have reportedly been canceled following a controversial show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last week. What happened: The incident occurred at the…
Indonesian pet owners spend over $13,000 on their dogs’ wedding
A pair of dogs in Indonesia have gone viral on TikTok for their lavish wedding. What happened: On July 14, two Alaskan Malamutes named Jojo and Luna got married at a dog park in North Jakarta. Their…
Those who work with AI likelier to drink more, sleep less, study finds
Artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is taking a significant toll on employees’ physical and mental well-being, a new study has found. About the research: The study, published in the Journal…
Watch: Indonesian bride receives Coldplay tickets as dowry
An Indonesian bride recently made headlines for receiving Coldplay tickets as her dowry. On Sunday, Twitter user @orangdalamkamu, the brother of the groom, posted a video of the bride’s father at the…
Stephanie Poetri, Elephante and Zhang Yanqi release collab track ‘No Explanations’
Indonesian singer-songwriter Stephanie Poetri, Asian American DJ and music producer Elephante and former R1SE member Zhang Yanqi teamed up for their new song “No Explanations.” The collaboration came…
Australian woman filmed yelling at Bali police over traffic infraction draws Indonesians’ ire
An Australian expat in Indonesia was caught on film yelling and pointing her fingers at Bali police officers after she was stopped for riding a scooter without a helmet. The incident, which…
Influencer Nas Daily angers residents of Bali after calling it the ‘whitest island’ in Asia
Popular influencer and travel vlogger Nas Daily stirred controversy in Southeast Asia last week after he referred to the Indonesian island of Bali as “the whitest island” in Asia. The Arab-Israeli…
Lion dance set to ‘See Tình,’ ‘Pink Venom’ goes viral on TikTok
A video of lion dance performers grooving to non-traditional tracks has gone viral. TikTok user @miegemezzzzz posted the minute-and-a-half-long clip on Monday. In it, three groups of lion dance…
Foreign tourists can still have sex outside marriage in Bali, governor says
Foreigners visiting Bali will not be affected by Indonesia’s new law against extramarital sex, according to officials. Last week, the country’s parliament passed legislation that punishes offenders…
Indonesia set to criminalize sex, cohabitation before marriage for citizens and tourists
Indonesia is expected to criminalize sex and cohabitation outside of marriage with penalties of up to a year in prison, according to government officials. The articles, which include provisions…
Flying cars to be tested in new Indonesian capital in 2024
Indonesia’s future capital city, Nasuntara, is set to become the testing ground for Hyundai’s flying car project Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in 2024. Mohammed Ali Berawi, the deputy head of the Green…
Indonesia bans cough syrups after nearly 200 child deaths
The Indonesian government has banned several brands of cough syrup after the number of children who have died from acute kidney injury (AKI) rose to 195 on Monday. Mohammad Syahril, a spokesperson…
61-year-old Indonesian man to marry for 88th time
Kaan, a 61-year-old man from Indonesia, was dubbed the “Playboy King” for having been married 87 times. His first marriage was when he was 14-years-old with a girl who was then 16-years-old. Although…
Body of missing Indonesian woman discovered fully intact inside 22-foot python
Villagers found the body of Jahrah, a 54-year-old Indonesian grandmother, undigested and largely intact inside the stomach of a python on Monday. The woman was reported missing on Sunday after…
Police under investigation after soccer match stampede kills at least 125 in Indonesia
A stampede during a soccer match at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia on Saturday evening left at least 125 people dead and 320 people injured. Police officers at the scene are among those currently…
Indonesian monkeys use stones as sex toys, researchers find
Researchers studying the activity of over 170 long-tailed macaques living at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in central Bali between 2016 and 2019 observed that the monkeys were using stone tools…
Nigel Ng, AKA Ungle Roger, left alleged 5-story brothel in Jakarta with a very unexpected regret
Malaysian comedian Nigel Ng, who rose to online fame for his Uncle Roger persona, recently shared the story of how an investor brought him to a “swanky” five-story “brothel” in Jakarta, Indonesia.…
Indonesian university apologizes for discriminating against non-binary new student
Hasanuddin University, located in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, has come under fire after a viral video showed a faculty member dismiss a new student for identifying as non-binary. Law Faculty…
Wealthy 65-year-old man in Indonesia divorces 19-year-old wife after 2 months of marriage
A wealthy Indonesian man, 65, reportedly divorced his 19-year-old bride after two months of marriage. The two previously went viral in May following the news of their relationship and the age gap…
Facebook, Twitter and Google escape Indonesia ban by complying with imposed registration at last minute
The Indonesian government imposed mandatory registration for both local and foreign tech companies for new licensing regulations that would allow authorities to remove content from their online…
