Local News
The Rupiah Hit Its Weakest Point Since Dec 2016
The rupiah climbed to 13,580 on the US dollar on 3 October as currencies across Asia weakened. Bank Indonesia predicted that the rupiah would continue to fall as we head toward the end of the year. Analysts say one reason behind the weaker rupiah are a decision by the central bank to cut interest rates twice in as many months. The other reason? A stronger US dollar. —Coconuts
Mt. Sinabung Victims Say ‘What About Us?’ as Attentions Shift to Bali
It’s been two years since a string of deadly eruptions at Mount Sinabung, in Sumatra, sent local residents packing to makeshift shelters in the “safe zone.” Our reporter caught up with the evacuees to find them trapped in a rough state of limbo—one where they feel forgotten by a government who now has to deal with another potential crisis, but this one in a tourist hotspot.—VICE
Videos by VICE
Australian Searchers are “Closer Than Ever” to Finding Malaysia Air Flight 370
It’s been three years, but the Australian Transport Safety Bureau finally published its 440-page report into the plane, which disappeared under mysterious circumstances—taking with it 239 people, including seven Indonesians. The plane still remains missing, but the ASTB says it has identified several “most-probable” locations. The search for MH370 has ben the biggest in aviation history, and it’s covered several million square kilometers of the ocean, all to no avail. —The Australian
President Jokowi Suggests Police Beat Detainees Behind Bars
President Joko Widodo was talking to a packed room of law enforcement when he remarked, “I’m irritated by these things. Be it drugs or whatever, it’s always our kids who become the victims. The future of the nation is in jeopardy. So how about we just beat these people up, together?” Was it meant to be a joke? Probably. But that’s also what people said about the president’s last “joke” that drug traffickers should just be shot. And we all know how that turned out. —Kompas
International News
Police Find Dozens of Guns in Vegas Shooter’s Room, Home
Law enforcement is still trying to determine why a 64-year-old man assaulted a crowd in Nevada Sunday, killing 59 people and injuring 527—the worst mass shooting in modern US history. Police found at least 19 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition at the Nevada home of Stephen Paddock, plus 23 more guns in the hotel room where the suspected shooter apparently killed himself. His firearms were bought legally, gun shop owners said.—VICE News/Newsweek
Three Killed in Attack on Kashmir Military Base
Militants launched an attack on a Border Security Force (BSF) station in Kashmir early Tuesday, killing one soldier and wounding two others. Two attackers were also killed, while Indian forces are still searching for a third. Jaish-e-Mohammad, a jihadist group seeking to end Indian rule in Kashmir, claimed responsibility.—BBC News
Russian Opposition Leader Gets 20 Days in Prison
Opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny was sent to jail after being convicted of defying a ban on organizing public demonstrations. He had arranged to hold a protest on Vladimir Putin’s birthday in the Russian president’s hometown of St. Petersburg. Navalny accused “old man Putin” of being “scared of our rallies.”—The Guardian
Everything Else
Those Stupid Memes Might Be Keeping the Pressure on Corrupt Politicians
Indonesia’s meme game is strong—especially when it comes to making fun of the country’s excuse-filled corrupt politicians. Take a recent explosion in memes making fun of the Golkar Party’s unstoppable Setya Novanto. The politician was ensnared in the anti-graft commission’s investigation into evidence that nearly half of the money allocated to the e-KTP project went missing. These memes, which were hilarious BTW, did more than just make us laugh. They forced Golkar to respond, said Lalola Easter, of Indonesia Corruption Watch. “Those kind of jokes actually bother politicians,” she said. So share away people. —VICE
Kendrick Lamar Announces European Tour
The artist shared a list of dates for a slate of upcoming European shows on Instagram. Lamar’s DAMN tour kicks off in Dublin in February and ends in Berlin in March, with singer-songwriter James Blake supporting.—i-D
Facebook Says 10 Million People Saw Russian-Bought Ads
The social media network revealed the number of US viewers of the political ads believed to have been purchased by a Russian firm during the 2016 election. “For 50 percent of the ads, less than $3 USD was spent,” said a Facebook representative.—VICE News
Morrissey Shares Six New Songs
The British singer played previously unheard tracks off his forthcoming album Low in High School on BBC 6 Music. The song “Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up On the Stage” contains the repeated line “Brexit…exit.”—Noisey
