JAKARTA: Twenty hikers, nine of them from Singapore, were reported missing Friday after Mount Dukono on Indonesia&#39;s eastern Halmahera island erupted, spewing a smoke cloud some 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) into the air, a rescue official told AFP. &quot;Our team is on its way. It is not yet confirmed if there are injured people. Based on reports, there are about 20 people being searched for,&quot; local rescue official Iwan Ramdani said by telephone. He confirmed the 20 were all hikers, even though the area had been closed to visitors since April 17 after scientists observed an increase in volcanic activity. Lana Saria, head of the government Geology Agency, said the early-morning eruption was accompanied by a &quot;booming sound&quot; and a thick smoke column rising some 10 km from the summit of Mount Dukono in the North Maluku province. &quot;The direction of the ash distribution leans northward, so residential areas and Tobelo City need to be vigilant for... volcanic ash rain,&quot; she said in a statement. The smoke could be dangerous for public health, Lana added, and risked disrupting transportation services. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot; where tectonic plates collide. Mount Dukono is currently on the third-highest alert level of Indonesia&#39;s four-tiered alert system. Since December, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has recommended that tourists and climbers do not come within four kilometres of the volcano&#39;s Malupang Warirang Crater.

A handout picture taken and released by Indonesia’s Geological Agency on May 8, 2026, shows smoke rising from the eruption of Mount Dukono as seen from Tobelo, North Maluku (AFP).

Asia

Lana Saria, head of the government Geology Agency, said the early-morning eruption was accompanied by a "booming sound" and a thick smoke column rising some 10 km from the summit of Mount Dukono in the North Maluku province.

20 hikers missing after volcano erupts in east Indonesia: rescue official

JAKARTA: Indonesia&#39;s government is mulling an e-commerce ban for under-16s, the communications minister told AFP Wednesday, hot on the heels of Jakarta imposing a sweeping social media prohibition for teens. &quot;E-commerce (platforms) are next, because we found children who became scam victims through e-commerce,&quot; Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in an interview in Jakarta, without providing further details. In March, app-addicted Indonesia started enforcing a social media ban for under-16s in a bid to shield some 70 million children from the threats of online pornography, cyberbullying, and internet addiction. The policy followed Australia&#39;s landmark move in December to stop teenagers from holding accounts on many popular platforms. The Indonesian regulation initially targeted eight &quot;high risk&quot; platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox. But it will eventually apply to &quot;all digital platforms&quot;, Meutya said Wednesday, including online shopping sites. The Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 284 million people boasts one of the highest concentrations of social media users in the world. Meutya said the government aimed to help parents take on the &quot;big platforms&quot; to protect their children. &quot;Letting them face off against (the platforms) alone, without rules, is like letting parents play chess against a grandmaster. They won&#39;t win, or it will be very hard to win,&quot; Meutya told AFP. Global reckoning&nbsp;Roblox became the latest platform to comply with the new regulations, introducing age-verification technology and restricting content based on users&#39; ages, the government said last week. More than half of Roblox&#39;s 45 million Indonesian users are children under 16, the government said. Social media giants are facing a global reckoning as governments increasingly worry about their impact on users&#39; well-being. The Turkish parliament last month approved a law to prevent children under 15 from accessing social media platforms. Some European countries, including Norway, Greece, France, Spain, and Denmark, have said they will introduce similar restrictions. Like in Australia, the Indonesian rules place the onus on platforms to regulate teen access. Non-compliance with the ban, which will be phased in over time, will put defaulters at risk of a fine or even suspension of their services in the country.

This illustration photograph taken on October 30, 2023, shows the X (former Twitter) logo on a smartphone in Mulhouse, eastern France. (AFP/File)

Business

The policy follows Australia's landmark move in December to stop teenagers from having accounts on many popular platforms.

Indonesia eyes e-commerce ban for under-16s: Minister to AFP

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The United States and Indonesia announced a new Major Defense Cooperation Partnership on Monday, strengthening military ties as the strategic significance of Southeast Asia&rsquo;s sea lanes gains increased attention.&nbsp;The agreement was unveiled at the Pentagon after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, with both sides saying the framework would deepen operational collaboration, defense modernization, training and interoperability.&nbsp; According to a US-Indonesia joint statement, the new partnership rests on three pillars: military modernization and capacity building, training and professional military education, and exercises and operational cooperation.&nbsp; The two sides said they would explore initiatives in maritime, subsurface and autonomous systems, cooperate on maintenance and repair support, and expand joint special forces training.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2043819323601342697&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=695618f6f280be58ce22ef01cddd46d57957413f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Hegseth said the two countries already conduct more than 170 military exercises together each year.&nbsp; Jakarta stressed that any arrangement would protect Indonesian sovereignty and comply with national law. One of the world&rsquo;s major chokepointsThe significance of stronger defense ties with Indonesia extends well beyond bilateral military cooperation.&nbsp; Indonesia sits across some of the world&rsquo;s most important maritime routes, including the Strait of Malacca and the alternative Sunda and Lombok passages.&nbsp; The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says Malacca is the primary chokepoint in Asia, while a major chokepoints database at the research institute, Strauss Center, lists it among the world&rsquo;s eight major chokepoints.&nbsp; In the first half of 2025, the Strait of Malacca handled an estimated 23.2 million barrels of oil per day, making it the world&rsquo;s largest oil transit chokepoint, accounting for 29% of global maritime oil flows.&nbsp; China was the single largest destination for crude and condensate moving through the strait, receiving 7.9 million barrels per day, or 48% of import volumes, while Russian volumes were much smaller at about 0.4 million barrels per day.&nbsp; Malacca is also one of the world&rsquo;s most vulnerable bottlenecks. At its narrowest point in the Phillips Channel, it is only about 1.7 miles wide.&nbsp; Earlier EIA analysis found that more than 90% of crude oil passing through the South China Sea transited the Strait of Malacca, while about 90% of China&rsquo;s maritime crude imports moved through the South China Sea, underscoring Beijing&rsquo;s long-standing &ldquo;Malacca dilemma&rdquo; and the broader strategic value of Indonesia&rsquo;s geography.

Americas

The two countries launch a major defense partnership, deepening military ties through training, modernization and joint operations.

US, Indonesia announce major defense cooperation partnership

ISLAMABAD: Indonesia has said any participation in the proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-rules-out-joining-abraham-accords-clarifies-peace-board-role" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Stabilization Force</a>&nbsp;(ISF) in Gaza, including a possible deployment of around 8,000 personnel, will remain fully under its national control and subject to strict conditions.&nbsp;In a statement issued on Feb. 14, the Foreign Ministry said Indonesia&rsquo;s involvement would be based on the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), its &ldquo;Free and Active&rdquo; foreign policy and international law. The ministry stressed that the duties of Indonesian personnel would be limited and clearly defined under binding national caveats agreed with the ISF.&nbsp;The clarification comes a week after State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government is finalizing preparations to deploy approximately 8,000 troops under the Board of Peace (BoP) mechanism established by the resolution.&nbsp;However, he clarified that the exact deployment location has not been finalized, despite earlier reports suggesting Rafah in southern Gaza.&nbsp;Indonesia emphasized that its role would be strictly non-combat and non-demilitarization in nature, focusing on humanitarian assistance, civilian protection, health services, reconstruction and capacity-building for the Palestinian Police. Personnel will not engage in combat operations or direct confrontation with any armed group.&nbsp;The use of force, the ministry said, would be limited to self-defense and protection of the mandate, applied proportionally and as a last resort in accordance with international law and agreed Rules of Engagement.&nbsp;Jakarta also underlined that deployment can only take place with the consent of the Palestinian Authority. It rejected any demographic change or forced displacement of Palestinians and reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution based on international law. Participation in the ISF, it added, would not constitute recognition or normalization of political ties with any party.&nbsp;UNSC Resolution 2803, adopted on Nov. 17, 2025, endorses a US-backed framework to end the Gaza conflict and establishes a transitional governance and security structure, including a temporary stabilization force and arrangements for humanitarian access and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces.

An Indonesian Army infantryman participating in the UN's Global Peacekeeping Operation Initiative (GPOI) provides security for a World Food Agency truck. (File photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Indonesia says any participation in the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza will remain fully under its national control and subject to strict conditions.

Indonesia sets conditions for 8,000-strong Gaza peacekeeping deployment

ISLAMABAD: A high-level Indonesian defense delegation visited Pakistan on Monday to discuss expanding cooperation in defense production, the Ministry of Defense Production said in a statement. The delegates focused on establishing joint working groups and exploring collaboration between the two countries&#39; defense institutions. The delegation was led by Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, who met with Pakistan&rsquo;s Federal Minister for Defense Production, Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj, and senior officials from the ministry of defense production. Harraj said that Pakistan has immense potential in the field of defense production and agreed to establish Joint Working Groups for Defense Production cooperation between entities of both countries. Indonesia&rsquo;s minister for defense expressed keen interest in expediting the Joint Working Groups, as it will open doors to future collaboration and help explore and benefit from each other&rsquo;s capabilities. &ldquo;Pakistan is a very important country with rich culture, working democracy and vibrant economy. Both sides hoped the brotherly relationship is translated into long term relationship based on mutual trust &amp; respect,&rdquo; the statement added. During the meeting, Harraj extended an invitation to the Indonesian Authorities to actively participate in the Defense Exhibition IDEAS-2026 to explore defense collaboration. &ldquo;Federal Minister for Defense Production Raza Harraj stated that the bilateral relationship between the two countries is characterized by feelings of mutual trust, respect, and goodwill towards each other,&rdquo; the statement said. He further stated that recent significant interactions between the two countries have set the pace for a high-yielding relationship. Later on Monday, the Indonesian minister also met with the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, as per a statement by Pakistan&#39;s military media wing.&nbsp; &quot;The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, evolving regional and global security dynamics, and exploration of avenues for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation,&quot; the statement said. &quot;The visiting dignitary lauded professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged their sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.&quot; The COAS &amp; CDF reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to fostering strong defense relationship with Indonesia based on shared values and mutual respect. Additionally, the Indonesian defense minister called on the Chief of Air Staff and Air Chief Marshal, Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, following the recent state visit of the Indonesian President. &ldquo;The meeting reaffirmed the historic and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Indonesia and focused on strengthening bilateral Air Force cooperation, particularly in capacity building, training, and technological collaboration,&rdquo; according to ISPR.&nbsp; During the meeting, the air chief briefed the delegation on PAF&rsquo;s modernization drive, including infrastructure development, revamped training, and induction of niche capabilities to enhance readiness for multi-domain operations. The Indonesian Defense Minister praised PAF&rsquo;s professionalism, combat readiness, and indigenization achievements under the National Aerospace Science &amp; Technology Park, and expressed strong interest in expanding cooperation in training, aviation, and aerospace domains.&nbsp; Islamabad and Jakarta underscored the strengthening trajectory of Pakistan&ndash;Indonesia defense relations and a mutual commitment to expand cooperation through continued engagement and dialogue.

Foreign Affairs

A high-level Indonesian defense delegation visited Pakistan to discuss expanding defense production cooperation. Both sides agreed to form Joint Working Groups, explore collaboration, and strengthen bilateral ties based on mutual trust, respect, and goodwill.



Indonesia delegation visits Pakistan to boost defense production cooperation

JAKARTA: Indonesia suspended Elon Musk&#39;s AI chatbot Grok on Saturday over concerns about AI-generated pornographic content, the country&#39;s communication and digital affairs minister said.&nbsp;Grok has faced a global backlash after it emerged that its image creation feature allowed users to sexualize pictures of women and children using simple text prompts.&nbsp;Indonesia is the first country to deny all access to the tool, which has been restricted to paying subscribers elsewhere following the backlash.&nbsp;&quot;In order to protect women, children, and the public from the risks of fake pornographic content generated using the artificial intelligence technology, the government has temporarily blocked access to the Grok application,&quot; Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;The government views non-consensual deep fake practices as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space.&quot;&nbsp;The ministry has also summoned representatives from the social media platform X to seek clarification on the issue.&nbsp;According to AFP journalists in Jakarta, the Grok X account was still active and replying to queries, including in Bahasa Indonesia, on Saturday evening.&nbsp;Musk-owned startup xAI, which developed Grok, was not immediately available for comment.&nbsp;European officials and tech campaigners slammed the move to limit Grok&#39;s features to paying subscribers, saying it failed to address concerns about sexually explicit deep fake content.&nbsp;Musk said last week in response to a post about the explicit images that anyone using Grok to &quot;make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.&quot;

Artificial Intelligence

Indonesia has blocked Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok over concerns it enables pornographic deepfake content involving women and children. The government called it a human rights violation and has summoned platform X for clarification.

Indonesia suspends Musk's Grok AI over pornographic content: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia formally signed a package of seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at expanding cooperation across trade, health, education, ICT, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other key sectors, state-run news agency APP reported on Tuesday.&nbsp;The signing ceremony took place at the PM House, with Shehbaz Sharif and visiting Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in attendance.&nbsp;Under the new agreements, both countries committed to strengthening bilateral trade and rebalancing trade flows &mdash; currently estimated at around US$4.5 billion &mdash; by boosting Pakistani exports (especially in agriculture and IT) and reducing import dependence on limited categories, such as palm oil.&nbsp;Pakistan offered to send doctors, dentists, and other medical experts to Indonesia to help meet its growing demand for qualified medical professionals.&nbsp;In addition, the leaders committed to promoting educational collaboration, including mutual recognition of higher-education degrees and certification of academic credentials under the framework between Indonesia&rsquo;s Ministry of Higher Education and Pakistan&rsquo;s Higher Education Commission.&nbsp;They also agreed to boost cooperation in information technology, SMEs, and halal trade certification to support entrepreneurs, small business growth, and trade in the halal industry between the two countries.&nbsp;At the joint press stakeout, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recalled that Pakistan and Indonesia have shared friendly and fraternal relations for over 75 years, dating back to pre-Independence support for Indonesia&rsquo;s freedom struggle. He emphasized that these new agreements are expected to further elevate bilateral relations to &ldquo;new heights.&rdquo;&nbsp;President Prabowo Subianto described the outcome of the talks as &ldquo;productive,&rdquo; welcoming Pakistan&rsquo;s support in health and education, and reiterated Indonesia&rsquo;s readiness to expedite the practical implementation of all agreed MoUs.&nbsp;The renewed push for cooperation comes amid a broader regional context, with both countries underscoring their commitment to deepening ties in trade, technology, human resources, and mutual capacity-building, a move that could strengthen economic links and foster greater people-to-people exchange across South and Southeast Asia. CDF Munir meets&nbsp;Indonesian president&nbsp;Separately, Pakistan&rsquo;s Chief of Defense Forces, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, called on&nbsp;Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The discussions focused on regional security and&nbsp;strengthening bilateral military ties, according to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations, the military&#39;s media wing. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in training, counter-terrorism, and capacity-building. President Subianto praised the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces and acknowledged Pakistan&rsquo;s role in supporting regional peace. Munir said Pakistan values its longstanding relationship with Indonesia and seeks deeper defense engagement.

The two countries also agree to strengthen bilateral trade and rebalance trade flows, by boosting Pakistani exports, and reducing import-dependency on limited categories such as palm oil.

Islamabad, Jakarta agree to boost bilateral trade; collaborate in IT, health, education

PADANG: Indonesian and Thai authorities raced on Sunday to clear debris and find hundreds of missing people as the death toll from devastating floods and landslides across Southeast Asia topped 600.&nbsp;Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia this week, leaving thousands of people stranded without shelter or critical supplies.&nbsp;At least two areas of Indonesia&#39;s worst-affected Sumatra island were still unreachable on Sunday, and authorities said they had deployed two warships from Jakarta to deliver aid.&nbsp;Central Tapanuli and Sibolga city &quot;require full attention due to being isolated&quot;, National Disaster agency head Suharyanto said in a statement, adding that the ships were expected in Sibolga on Monday.&nbsp;The death toll in Indonesia rose to 442, while 402 were still missing, according to a tally published on Sunday by the disaster authority.&nbsp;It said at least 646 people had been injured.&nbsp;In Sungai Nyalo village, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from West Sumatra&#39;s capital Padang, floodwaters had mostly receded on Sunday, leaving homes, vehicles and crops coated in thick grey mud.&nbsp;Authorities had not yet begun clearing roads, residents told AFP, and no outside assistance had arrived.&nbsp;&quot;Most villagers chose to stay; they didn&#39;t want to leave their houses behind,&quot; said Idris, 55, who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name.&nbsp;Across the island towards the north coast, an endangered Sumatran elephant lay buried in thick mud and debris near damaged buildings in Meureudu town.&nbsp;&nbsp;Public criticismIn Thailand, where at least 162 people were killed in one of the worst floods in a decade, authorities continued to deliver aid and clear the damage.&nbsp;Relief measures rolled out by the Thai government include compensation of up to two million baht ($62,000) for households that lost family members.&nbsp;However, there has been growing public criticism of Thailand&#39;s flood response, and two local officials have been suspended over their alleged failures.&nbsp;Two people were killed in Malaysia after floods left stretches of northern Perlis state underwater.&nbsp;The annual monsoon season, typically between June and September, often brings heavy rain, triggering landslides and flash floods.&nbsp;A tropical storm has exacerbated conditions, and the tolls in Indonesia and Thailand rank among the highest in floods in those countries in recent years.&nbsp;Climate change has affected storm patterns, including the duration and intensity of the season, leading to heavier rainfall, flash flooding and stronger wind gusts.

Deadly monsoon floods and landslides across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia have killed over 600 people, left hundreds missing, isolated communities, and drawn criticism of disaster responses, with climate change worsening storm intensity and rainfall.

Indonesia, Thailand race to find missing as flooding toll tops 600

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia on Wednesday concluded their joint military exercise, Shaheen Strike-II, with a core focus on counterterrorism operations, the military&rsquo;s media wing said.&nbsp;According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), combat teams from both the Pakistan Army and the Indonesian Army participated in the exercise and &ldquo;successfully achieved all training objectives.&quot; ISPR noted that &ldquo;troops from both nations showcased high levels of professionalism and operational excellence,&rdquo; underscoring the value of the engagement.&nbsp;The exercise concentrated on improving counterterrorism drills, procedures, and operational techniques, with a specific emphasis on fighting in built-up areas and countering improvised explosive devices, the statement added.&nbsp;Pakistan and Indonesia also used the opportunity to further strengthen their longstanding military-to-military cooperation, reinforcing bilateral defense ties and enhancing mutual readiness to tackle emerging security challenges.&nbsp;The closing ceremony was attended by a Pakistani General Officer as the Chief Guest, while the Indonesian side was represented by senior military officials, according to ISPR.

Security

Pakistan and Indonesia completed the Shaheen Strike-II military exercise, focusing on counterterrorism. Both armies achieved all training goals, improved tactics, and strengthened defense cooperation.

Pakistan, Indonesia conclude joint drills to boost counterterrorism cooperation

JAKARTA: A volcano erupted overnight on an Indonesian island, authorities said Wednesday, spewing a massive ash column into the sky as the highest alert level was declared. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island erupted late Tuesday and again at 01:35 am (1735 GMT), sending volcanic materials 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) above its 1,584-meter-high peak, the national volcanology agency said in a statement. Warning issued&nbsp;There was no immediate word of any casualties or damage, but authorities warned residents and tourists on the eastern Indonesian island to keep away from the area, preparing for possible evacuations. Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid said it had raised the volcano&#39;s alert level to the highest late Tuesday, after detecting an increase in deep quakes that often precede an explosive eruption. Airport operations&nbsp;Wafid said the towering column of ash from the eruption could &quot;disrupt airport operations and flight paths if it spreads&quot; further. Authorities have already suspended operations at a local airport in the town of Maumere, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Lewotobi, the airport said on Instagram. The geology agency said residents near rivers should also remain on alert for hazardous floods of volcanic material known as lahar if heavy rain occurs. &lsquo;Ring of Fire&rsquo;In July, the same volcano spewed a colossal 18-kilometer (11-mile) tower of ash, forcing the cancellation of 24 flights at the international airport on the resort island of Bali. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, is situated on the Pacific &quot;Ring of Fire&quot;, an arc of intense and frequent seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island erupted late Tuesday; there was no immediate word of any casualties or damage; authorities have already suspended operations at a local airport in the town of Maumere. 

Articles tagged with "Indonesia"