Indonesia News
Another Tropical Cyclone to Hit Banten, Jakarta, and West Java
Tropical cylone Cempaka may be shifting its direction away from Java today, but cyclone Dahlia is set to take its spot. Officials say that Dahlia is currently shaking up Bengkulu, which lies on the southwest coast of Sumatra. In a few days, it will make its way to Banten, Jakarta, and West Java, predictions say. This means more heavy rain and strong winds over the next few days. —Tirto
Indonesian Armed Forces to Investigate Death of Civilian
The military promises to investigate the death La Gode, a North Maluku resident, who was beaten by military officers for allegedly stealing 5 kilograms of grated cassava. Gode, who was a farmer, was found dead with unusual wounds all over his body last month. —Kompas
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In Indonesia, Airbnb Revenue Hits $70 Million This Year
In the last year, Airbnb has earned Rp 1 trillion ($70 million USD) in revenue in Indonesia thanks to 880,000 Airbnb users, said Mich Goh, the Head of Public Policy Airbnb in Southeast Asia. —Katadata
Hundreds of Indonesians Face Execution Abroad
There are 142 Indonesian citizens who are facing death penalty, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most of them are locked up in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Ministry officials said that the government is facing difficulties defending Indonesians who were involved in cases that happened before 2010. —CNN Indonesia
International News
US Couple Arrested in Thailand for ‘Butt Selfie’ at a Temple
Two American men have been arrested for posting a photo on Instagram revealing their butts at Wat Arun, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Joseph and Davis Dasilva ran an Instagram account called the Traveling Butts, where they posted photos of themselves with their pants pulled down around the world. The account had over 14,000 followers. They remain in police custody even after paying a fine of 5,000 baht ($150 USD) each, and could face up to seven years in prison. —HuffPost
Freedom of Speech at an All Time Low Worldwide Since 2000
A study by Article 19, the freedom of expression campaign group, finds that globally, press freedom is currently at its worst since 2000. In Mexico in 2016 alone, there were 426 recorded attacks against journalists and media outlets. The study cites that government censorship, corruption, commercial pressure, organized crimes and gender bias, among others, are to blame. —The Guardian
Bangladesh to Relocate Ronghiya to Flood-Prone Island
More than 620,000 Ronghiya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since August to escape prosecution in Myanmar. To ease overpopulation, Bangladesh has approved a $280 million USD plan to temporarily relocate the refugees to Bhashan Char island, which is prone to flooding and is a target for pirates who kidnap fishermen for ransom. The government also promises livestock, land and homes for the refugees. But critics are skeptical and saying that the plan doesn’t actually guarantee protection for the refugees. —Reuters
UN May Impose Sanctions in Response to Libya Slave Trade
A video footage of youth from Nigeria, Mali and other sub-Saharan countries being sold off at an auction in Libya has sparked international outrage in the last two weeks, and the United Nations is stepping in. The UN Security Council held an emergency session—which ended without resolution—to consider imposing sanctions to individuals or entities involved in the slave trade. —The Standard
Everything Else
Disney Found Its ‘Mulan’ For Live-Action Reboot, and She’s Actually Chinese
Chinese actress Liu Yifei, who also goes by Crystal Liu, has been chosen to play the Chinese warrior in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan. Liu beat 1,000 candidates in five continents for this role. —The Hollywood Reporter
SZA Reacts to Her Grammy 2018 Nominations
SZA has five nominations at the 2018 Grammys, more than any other female nominees. Today, she posted a long, heartfelt reaction to the nominations on Instagram. “THANK YOU GOD FOR THIS LIFE I️ DONT UNDERSTAND . #Ctrl.. a concept ,” she wrote. —Pitchfork
A new study suggests that straight men are stil llikely to misinterpret situational factors as consent. Seriously, if you’re unsure if consent is present, just ask. —Broadly
A Brief History of Maroon 5’s Corny Collaborations With RappersNo matter how corny these Maroon 5 songs are, they still manage to climb up the charts. Every. Damn. Time. —Noisey
