Indonesia

Indonesian man's body found inside python - police

Akbar went missing on Sunday on the island of Sulawesi, after leaving to harvest palm oil.

In the search for the 25-year-old, police told BBC Indonesian that they had found a huge snake they suspected had swallowed the man.

The reticulated python, reported to be 7m (23ft)-long, was cut open and the man's body was found.

 

How can a snake eat a human?

Reticulated pythons are among the world's longest reptiles and suffocate their victims before swallowing them whole.

Assessment of damage to West Papua reef grim

Assessment was carried out by teams from the government and the insurance company for the British-owned Caledonian Sky, which ran aground on coral reefs in West Papua's famous Raja Ampat archipelago.

The Jakarta Post quotes Indonesia's deputy for maritime sovereignty at the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister, Arif Havas Oegroseno.

He said the two teams concluded the ship damaged 18,882 square meters.

The damaged area has been divided into two categories: over two-thirds were "heavily damaged" while the rest suffered "medium damage".

French journo pair deported from West Papua

The office's head Samuel Enock said Jean Pierre and Basille Longhamp were sponsored by Garuda to report on a number of stories in Indonesia, but they started their work before obtaining the necessary documents, which were still being processed

Mr Enock said as a consequence, the pair had been banned from entering Indonesia for the next six months.

The pair was deported from Timika to France via Jakarta on a Garuda flight on Friday.

Indonesia hosts MSG police heads

The meeting is being chaired by Solomon Islands, as the current holder of the MSG chairmanship.

Other full members are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement.

Discussions will focus on emerging trends of crime, as well as regional security issues and how MSG countries can contribute to UN operations around the world.

The meeting of police ministers is expected to discuss progress made on the Regional Police Academy initiative, for which Indonesia has offered the Pacific countries assistance.

Australia and Indonesia restore full military ties

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the announcement in Sydney alongside Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Both said they were also committed to concluding a free trade deal this year.

The material allegedly ridiculed Indonesia's founding principles, known as Pancasila, and its military.

"President Widodo and I have agreed to full restoration of defence co-operation, training exchanges and activities," Mr Turnbull told a news conference.

Children's sex book causes stir in Indonesia

A photo of the book - I Learn to Control Myself, written by Fita Chakra - has spread across social media since Monday, sparking a discussion online about sexual education and igniting parents' anger.

"Moms, please be careful when you buy a book for your kids. Check and re-check its content," wrote one user on Facebook.

Another said: "If this book is about sex education, why is the description about it so detailed?"

 

'Targeted at parents'

West Papua media access still fettered - PFF

Indonesia opened access to West Papua for foreign journalists in 2015, more than 50 years after annexing the territory from the Netherlands.

The Forum's co-chair, the Papua New Guinean journalist, Alex Rheeney, said a visit by journalists to West Papua in January encountered violence, sexual harassment and interference from Indonesian minders.

Papuans still unhappy over Merauke food and oil palm project

Jakarta has thrown high level support behind the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, or MIFEE, a project in the far south east of Papua province

Eventually expected to cover 1.6 million hectares, MIFEE has attracted dozens of investors, looking to grow food crops and palm oil.

Billed as a project to address food security concerns for parts of the country, local Papuan communities have complained that MIFEE is alienating them from their land.

Jakarta urges Pacific to recognise Palestine

The Antara news agency was reporting comments by the country's foreign minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday.

Ms Marsudi said Indonesia always discussed Palestine's independence in its bilateral talks with Pacific island countries and with those yet to recognise Palestine as a state.

Vanuatu recognised Palestine in 1989 soon after its Declaration of Independence in 1988.

Papua New Guinea followed in 1995.

The two countries are the only Pacific island countries listed among 137 states at the UN which recognise the State of Palestine.

Indonesia 'not suspending' all military ties with Australia

On Wednesday the military said all forms of co-operation were on hold, with things needing "to be improved".

But Wiranto, who goes by one name, said the suspension related only to a language-training programme.

The row relates to "teaching materials" at an Australian army language facility, officials say.

Indonesia's military chief said the materials included "unethical stuff" that discredited the military.

 

How close are Australia and Indonesia?