Malaysia to charge women with airport murder of North Korean

By Joseph Sipalan | KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR Two women - an Indonesian and a Vietnamese - will be charged on Wednesday with murder over the killing in Malaysia of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, Malaysia's attorney general said.

Police have said the women smeared VX nerve agent, a chemical on a U.N. list of weapons of mass destruction, on Kim Jong Nam's face in an assault recorded on security cameras in the Malaysian capital's airport on Feb. 13.

U.S. and South Korean officials believe Kim was the victim of an assassination orchestrated by North Korea. He had been living in exile, under Beijing's protection, in the Chinese territory of Macau, and had criticised the regime of his family and his half-brother Kim Jong Un.

Malaysian police arrested Doan Thi Huong, the Vietnamese woman, and Indonesian Siti Aishah in the days after the attack.

Police are also holding one North Korean man and have identified seven other North Koreans wanted in connection with a case that reads like the plot to a spy movie.

Both women will be formally charged on Wednesday under section 302 of the penal code, which carries the death penalty.

"I can confirm that," Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali told Reuters in a text message.

He said the North Korean in custody would not be charged yet. His remand period ends on Friday.

The security camera footage, which has been released in the media, showed two women assaulting Kim Jong Nam in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the victim stumbling into a clinic. He died within 20 minutes of the assault.

Both women have told diplomats from their countries that they had been paid to take part in what they believed was a prank for a reality television show.

HUMBLE ROOTS

Huong, the Vietnamese woman, was detained 48 hours after the murder in the same airport terminal where Kim Jong Nam was killed.

She is believed to be the woman wearing a white shirt emblazoned with the acronym "LOL", whose image was caught on security cameras while waiting for a taxi after the attack.

The daughter of a rice farmer in northern Vietnam, Huong had left home aged 18 more than a decade ago. She was described by Malaysian police as working for an "entertainment outlet", but they gave no details of where she had been employed or her immigration status.

A South Korean police official said Huong visited the holiday destination of Jeju Island in November for four days and they were looking into what she may have been doing there.

The Indonesian woman, Siti Aishah, was detained a day after Huong. Indonesian diplomats said Aishah claimed she had been paid around $90 for her role in what she thought was a prank for reality TV.

Old neighbours in a slum in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, said before she left to find work in Malaysia, she had lived a quiet life, working from home in her ex-husband's family tailoring business before the couple separated in 2012.

Aishah's former father-in-law said she had returned to Jakarta on Jan. 28 to visit her seven-year-old son.

Police have said that the women knew what they were doing when they attacked Kim Jong Nam and were instructed to wash their hands afterwards. But regardless of whether they did or not know of the murder plot, both appear to have been viewed as expendable by whoever gave them the VX.

Police said Aishah fell sick, vomiting repeatedly while in custody possibly as a side-effect of VX, though Indonesian embassy officials have subsequently said she is in good health.

Malaysia's investigation into the killing has sparked diplomatic tension with North Korea, and on Tuesday a high- ranking delegation arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Pyongyang in a bid to smooth ties.

Ri Tong Il, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to the United Nations, repeated requests that Malaysia hand over the victim's body to the embassy and release the North Korean in custody. He said he was in Malaysia for "the development of friendly relations between the DPRK and the Malaysian government", media reported.

North Korea's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

(Additional reporting by Angie Teo in KUALA LUMPUR and Zahra Matarani in JAKARTA; Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Source: Malaysia to charge women with airport murder of North Korean

Minister to boost trade in Jakarta

Published: 4:25 pm, Monday, 27 February 2017

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo is keen for Jakarta to allow Australian universities to establish remote campuses in Indonesia.

Mr Ciobo will lead a business delegation of 120 Australian companies to Indonesia as momentum builds on a deal to open up market access.

The visit comes after Indonesian President Joko Widodo's weekend trip to Sydney.

Australia and Indonesia are set to finalise a free trade deal this year, perhaps as early as August.

Mr Ciobo noted Indonesia's middle class of more than 45 million was forecast to grow to 135 million by 2030.

The appetite for quality education services would also grow.

'If we can get more access into Indonesia it will be a win-win,' Mr Ciobo told Sky News, saying it would help build Indonesia's skills capacity and boost Australian service exports.

While Indonesia is Australia's 12th largest trading partner there are only about 500 Australian businesses with a presence in the country.

The delegation's visit would also highlight opportunities for tourism, financial services, technology, water, sustainable urban design and agribusiness supply chains, Mr Ciobo said.

Mr Widodo and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday announced Australian exporters will have sugar tariffs in Indonesia reduced to five per cent.

In return, Canberra has agreed to eliminate tariffs on pesticides and herbicides for Indonesian exporters.

Australian cattle producers will also benefit from changes to Indonesian regulations.

Import permits will change from four months to one year and weight and age limits will also increase.

Mr Turnbull hailed his talks with Mr Widodo and Indonesia's commitment to open markets during parliament's question time on Monday.

Protectionism was a 'dead-end', he declared.

'That's the way to poverty.'

Australia-Indonesia business week spans March 6-10 across multiple cities.

AAP

Source: Minister to boost trade in Jakarta

Duped into killing Kim? 2 suspects say it looked like prank

AP Photo/Vincent Thian

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Two women - a Vietnamese and an Indonesian - have been arrested for allegedly coating their hands with the immensely toxic chemical agent VX and wiping them on the face of the North Korean leader's estranged half brother Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur's airport. He died within hours.

The women told officials from their embassies in Malaysia that they believed the entire operation was a harmless prank for a reality show. Malaysian police say the attackers knew what they were doing and had been trained to go immediately to the bathroom and clean their hands.

Here's a brief profile of the two suspects:

DOAN THI HUONG, 28

Described as nice, well-behaved and naive by her family and friends, Huong used to work at a cowboy-themed saloon in downtown Hanoi, where she and her friend served drinks, shared late snacks and tips on how to get guests drink more.

"In a million years, I cannot think she is an agent," her friend, who identified herself only as Trang, told The Associated Press. "She is a simple girl, always laughing and joking around."

Huong's father, Doan Van Thanh, said his daughter left their farming village of Nghia Binh about 10 years ago to study at a pharmacy school in Hanoi, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) away, and only occasionally returned home, where she had few friends. The last time the family saw her was during the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, when she spent five days at home.

"How could she have dared to do such an earth-shaking thing?" Thanh said. "She was scared of rats and toads, she would not have dared to do it."

Huong's niece, 18-year-old Dinh Thi Quyen, said she believes Huong was fooled into taking part. "My aunt is a very nice and kind person, but she easily trusted other people," Quyen said.

She said that Huong called her on Feb. 14, one day after Kim's death, and asked her to buy a prepaid cellphone card so she could transfer the card's cash value to a shop in Hanoi to pay for a deposit on a dress she liked.

Huong has appeared on the Vietnam Idol singing contest but was eliminated, Quyen said, and last year, in a YouTube video, she is kissed by the popular prankster Quang Bek, who chats up women in the street.

Huong had rented a small, windowless room without furniture in a working quarter in Hanoi for six months before moving out three months ago, said her landlord who identified herself only as Hoa.

"I could never think that she did something like that," she said.

---

SITI AISYAH, 25

Indonesia's deputy ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, Andriano Erwin, quoted Aisyah as saying that she was paid the equivalent of $90 for what she believed was a harmless prank. Aisyah said she had been introduced to people who looked like Japanese or Koreans and who asked her to play a prank for a reality show, according to Erwin.

Asked if she knew what was on her hands at the time of the attack, Erwin said: "She didn't tell us about that. She only said that it's a kind of oil, baby oil, something like that."

Between 2008 and 2011, Aisyah and her former husband lived in a modest dwelling in the densely populated Tambora neighborhood in western Jakarta. Her former father-in-law Tjia Liang Kiong, wko last saw Aisyah on Jan. 28, described her as a "very kind, polite and respectful person."

"I was shocked to hear that she was arrested for murdering someone," he said. "I don't believe that she would commit such a crime or what the media says - that she is an intelligence agent."

Aisyah's mother, Benah, said that the family comes from a humble village background and has no ability to help her.

"Since we heard that from the television, I could not sleep and eat. Same as her father, he just prays and reads the holy Quran. He even does not want to speak," said Benah. "As villagers, we could only pray."

Aisyah, according to Kiong, had only completed junior high school and moved to Malaysia with her husband in 2011 to seek a better life after the garment-making shop they ran from their home went out of business. The couple left their nearly 2-year-old son in Jakarta, who has been raised by Kiong and his wife since then.

A year after leaving Indonesia, Aisyah returned to Jakarta and told Kiong she wanted a divorce from his son because he'd changed and the marriage had become unhappy. Kiong said his son gave a different account: Aisyah was having an affair with a Malaysian man.

---

Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

Source: Duped into killing Kim? 2 suspects say it looked like prank

Indonesian worker in Taiwan sent back to Jakarta for allegedly joining IS

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- An Indonesian woman working in Taiwan was recently deported to Jakarta after being nabbed for allegedly joining the Islamic State (IS), marking the first deportation case of its kind, the Central News Agency (CNA) said Friday.

Kaharudin Ali, director of the immigration bureau at Jakarta International Airport, told the CNA that his bureau picked up a female Indonesian citizen named Tri Astiningsih at the airport as she was sent back from Taiwan aboard flight CI761 on Feb. 22.

This was the first time Taiwan has deported a suspected Indonesian member of IS back to Jakarta, Ali said.

Ali said, Tri, aged 34, was arrested on Feb. 21 by the Taiwanese government in co-operation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation as she was accused of joining the IS while working in Taiwan.

Under tight escort by Taiwanese police officers, Tri was sent back to Jakarta Airport, where Indonesia dispatched a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team to pick her up. She was then handed over to Indonesia's police headquarters in Depok for interrogation, according to Ali.

Ali also revealed that there were some Indonesian workers in Taiwan suspected of joining the IS, but said that all were under tight surveillance by Taiwanese police.

189230

2015-04-20 16:13:06

Source: Indonesian worker in Taiwan sent back to Jakarta for allegedly joining IS

Indonesia hopes for billions from Saudi king's visit

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia is hoping to ring up investment deals worth billions of dollars when Saudi Arabia's King Salman and an entourage of 1,500 officials, princes and businesspeople arrive in the Indonesian capital next week.

The March 1-9 state visit is the first to Indonesia by a Saudi monarch since 1970. The Indonesian government says five of the nine days will be spent on the resort island of Bali.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said this week that Salman and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will discuss trade and business and Salman will meet chief executives and leaders of Indonesia's biggest Muslim organizations.

Anung said the government is targeting $25 billion in investment commitments.

For the Jakarta leg of the visit, Salman's party has booked out four hotels in a posh south Jakarta neighborhood.

Source: Indonesia hopes for billions from Saudi king's visit

Jakarta to renovate 34 soccer fields

The Jakarta administration has targeted the renovation of 34 soccer fields. Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat has planned to renovate the fields spread in 34 districts in the city to facilitate youth activities to help them avoid the lure of drug abuse.

The number of drug users in the city is high. According to recent data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) taken from 23 senior high schools and vocational schools, half of the 880 students surveyed had consumed drugs.

"Our youth are highly threatened by drugs," Djarot said Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co.

He hoped that after the renovations were done, the 34 fields could become youth activity centers that protected youths from getting involved in negative activities like using drugs. (Vny)

Source: Jakarta to renovate 34 soccer fields

Saudi King to visit Indonesia in March with entourage of 1,500 - Indonesian officials

Saudi Arabia's King Salman will visit Jakarta and Bali on the Indonesian leg of his Asian tour next month , bringing 1,500 people in his entourage including 10 ministers, Indonesian officials said. "This is a very historic visit for us," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the King would be in Indonesia from March 1 to 9. He would spend the last six days of his trip "relaxing" in Bali.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Straits Times.

Source: Saudi King to visit Indonesia in March with entourage of 1,500 - Indonesian officials

Jakarta floods: Thousands of homes inundated as torrential rain batters city

Picture for representation Reuters

Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta faced extensive flooding on Tuesday after hours of torrential rain battered the city, bringing daily life to a complete halt. According to reports, several cars were stranded and thousands of homes were inundated.

Agence France-Presse reported that people were forced to abandon their houses as water up to 1.5 metres deep deluged parts of the city. However, officials are unable to give an exact number of people affected and are yet to receive any reports of injuries or deaths.

People took to social media to post pictures of flooding. People were seen wading through murky brown water and cars partially submerged in major roads in the megacity, which has a population of 10 million.

According to disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the flooding happened as Jakarta's drains were unable to cope with the heavy rainfall. The storm also made the rivers swell up and they eventually burst their banks.

Indonesia is prone to flooding in the rainy seasons and it is the city's numerous riverside communities that get affected the most. In 2013, the city suffered one of the most devastating floods in history which killed 20 people and displaced at least another 30,000.

Source: Jakarta floods: Thousands of homes inundated as torrential rain batters city

Government may need to borrow for certain spending: Sri Mulyani

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said the government may need to borrow money to cover spending on certain sectors.

She said spending on education, health and infrastructure, for example, could not be postponed and if funding could not be taken from the state budget, the government would need to find other financial resources to cover the spending.

"We cannot postpone spending [on the sectors]. If necessary, we will have to borrow money," said Sri Mulyani at the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Monday as reported by tribunnews.com.

(Read also: Government to maintain budget deficit policy to stoke growth)

She stressed that education was an important sector because its objective was to improve human resources.

This year, state budget allocation for education was doubled to reach Rp 400 trillion (US$30 billion), said Sri Mulyani, adding that similarly, the allocation for the health sector was also increased significantly this year to Rp 105 billion from Rp 50 billion last year. (bbn)

Source: Government may need to borrow for certain spending: Sri Mulyani

SBY’s party undecided on supporting Ahok or Anies – Jakarta Post

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Source: SBY's party undecided on supporting Ahok or Anies – Jakarta Post

Did Sectarian Politics Win in Jakarta? Only the Runoff Will Tell

"I'm surprised this kind of situation happened in Jakarta," said Muhammad Qodari, executive director of Indo Barometer, a polling company, "because Jakartans are tolerant, and religious sentiment should not have played such a big role in the election."

Early this month, Mr. Muhammad said, 70 percent of registered Jakarta voters who participated in a survey said they approved of Mr. Basuki's work as governor. But more than half of those people said they would not vote for the governor because they believed he had insulted Islam, Mr. Muhammad said.

More than 85 percent of the capital's registered voters are Muslims.

"Religious sentiment played a significant role and undermined the performance of Ahok in this election," Mr. Muhammad said.

Mr. Basuki was accused of blasphemy after he lightheartedly cited a Quran verse in September that warns Muslims agains t taking Christians and Jews as friends. Given Indonesia's transition to democracy since the late 1990s, he said in a speech, it would be acceptable for Muslims to cast ballots for a Christian.

Hard-line Islamist groups responded with a series of mass protests in Jakarta — including one in November that turned violent — demanding that the governor be prosecuted or even lynched. Under pressure, the police charged Mr. Basuki with blasphemy; his trial opened in December, even as he was campaigning.

Supporters of Mr. Basuki have accused his political opponents of orchestrating the demonstrations to sabotage his campaign. Before the protests, he had been polling as high as 52 percent, a level of support that would have enabled him to win Wednesday's election outright.

Mr. Basuki is only the second non-Muslim governor in Jakarta's history, and if elected he would be the first non-Muslim directly elected to the prominent post. He inherited the position after his predecessor, Joko Widodo, was elected president in 2014.

Photo Mr. Anies, a former minister of education and culture, emphasized his Muslim faith during the campaign. Credit Antara Foto, via Reuters

Indonesia is the world's most populous predominantly Muslim nation, with 190 million adherents to the faith. But it has influential Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities, and it has had a secular Constitution and government since 1945, the year it gained independence.

In recent years, however, fears of "creeping Islamization" have emerged. Autonomous provincial, district and city governments have passed hundreds of bylaws inspired by Islamic law, or Shariah, over the past decade. Most of the regulations single out women — enforcing dress and morality codes — while others target religious minorities and gay, lesbian and transgender Indonesians.

Analysts have expressed fear that if sectarian politics prevails in Indonesia's relatively cosmopolitan, well-educated capital, it would bode ill for secularism in the rest of the country.

"Religion had a big impact in this election," said Benny Susetyo, a senior leader of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Indonesia, who said that Mr. Basuki's two opponents in the election had "manipulated religion" by emphasizing that they were Muslim.

"We have already had problems with radical Islamists and with terrorists," he said. "It's very worrying."

Other analysts, however, were encouraged by the fact that Mr. Basuki had finished first on Wednesday, despite a campaign charged with ethnic and sectarian tension.

"I think the headline should be that Jakartans took a step forward against intolerance," said Jeffrey A. Winters, a professor of political science at Northwestern University and a longtime observer of Indonesian affairs.

"They ignored the call that Muslims can only vote for Muslims," he said. "People trying to frame politics in religious terms have failed."

That remains to be confirmed. Some analysts expect most supporters of the candidate who came in third on Wednesday — Agus Yudhoyono, who conceded after receiving an estimated 17 percent of the vote — to back Mr. Anies, who has deftly promoted his Muslim faith and Javanese ethnicity, in the second round.

But machinations among Indonesia's large secular parties, which dominate national politics, may influence matters, some analysts say.

Mr. Yudhoyono is out of the race, but his father, former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is the chairman of the Democratic Party, and he could sway the election, they say. Mr. Basuki's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, and the opposition Gerindra party of Mr. Anies, are said to be courting Mr. Yudhoyono for resources and voters.

Former President Yudhoyono was accused of helping to finance the protests against Mr. Basuki to help his son's campaign. He has denied those accusations.

"The battle continues, and it's too early to say whether the pluralists will win, or the Islamic extremists on the other side," said Bonar Tigor Naipospos, vice chairman of the executive board of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace in Jakarta, a research institute. "Everything in politics is hard to predict in Jakarta."

Continue reading the main story
Source: Did Sectarian Politics Win in Jakarta? Only the Runoff Will Tell

Jakarta's municipal election, a test of Muslim-Christian relations, goes to a runoff

After a tense campaign marred by religious protests and phone-tapping allegations made by a former president, Indonesia's capital will have to wait two more months to learn who will run the city of 10 million people.

Incumbent Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as "Ahok," will face a runoff election in April against a former education minister who was backed by Islamist protesters, turning the election into a test of religious tolerance in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent and an ally of President Joko Widodo, won about 40% of the votes cast in Wednesday's municipal election, according to unofficial results. That was roughly the same as his rival, Anies Basdewan, a Muslim whose reformist credentials came under scrutiny when Islamist supporters sought to have the sitting governor jailed over a speech in which he purportedly insulted Islam.

The vote was widely seen as a preview of Widodo's 2019 reelection chances and a test of how Indonesia's Muslims, who make up nearly 90% of Indonesia's population, regard ethnic and religious minorities in positions of authority.

Purnama, who served as deputy governor when Widodo led Jakarta before becoming president in 2014, is known for a blunt and outspoken style. Although lauded for a can-do attitude and willingness to confront recalcitrant bureaucrats, his policy to clear the sprawling capital's slums and his minority status made him a target of controversy.

Massive demonstrations in late 2016 jammed central Jakarta with hundreds of thousands of white-clad Islamists calling for Purnama to be jailed over remarks they saw as insulting the Koran. Purnama was shown in a video telling voters they were being deceived by people saying the Koran prohibited Muslims for voting for a non-Muslim. In the weeks leading up to Wednesday's vote, Basdewan appeared in public with some of protest leaders. 

Purnama's cause wasn't helped when Widodo — who initially blamed "political actors" for the demonstrations — joined the rallies from the nearby presidential palace and prayed with pr otest leaders.

But Purnama rebounded in pre-election polls, a sign that the demonstrations were not a barometer for voter support in the capital "because those rallies consisted of many people coming from outside Jakarta," said Titi Anggraini, head of Perludem, an election advocacy group.

Responding to a question from The Times as he arrived at his campaign headquarters after voting, Basdewan was reluctant to predict victory in the run-off.

"So far, the campaign has gone well and we will have to wait to see what happens," he said.

The next round of voting, on April 19, could be decided by the roughly 20% of voters who backed a third candidate, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, son of former two-term President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Yudhoyono's campaign was marred by allegations that his father tried to have a former head of Indonesia's anti-corruption agency framed for murder. The former president rejected the allegations and accused Widodo's government of eavesdropping on his communications.

Many analysts contend that Yudhoyono's votes are likely to go to Basdewan in the next round. But others say that Purnama's strong showing suggested that he had support from many Muslim voters.

Ethnic Chinese Indonesians make up an estimated 1% to 3% of the archipelago nation's 250 million people.

Christina Soelystio, a Chinese Indonesian who voted at the same polling station as the governor, said the campaign had caused concerns among her ethnic group.

"Some Chinese see it as change for the better, some for the worse," she said. "Some are worried about the sensitive situation. But others are proud of [Purnama]."

Speaking after casting his ballot at a green-hued mosque in southern Jakarta, Hadi Nasution said he voted for Basdewan "because the Koran says to vote for Muslims" and he was more experienced than Yudhoyono, the other Muslim candidate. 

Roughneen is a special correspondent.

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Source: Jakarta's municipal election, a test of Muslim-Christian relations, goes to a runoff

Jakarta's Christian governor heads for tough run-off

Jakarta's Christian governor was heading for a tough run-off against a Muslim opponent in city elections seen as a test of religious tolerance in Muslim-majority Indonesia after a tight first round Wednesday.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama held a narrow lead, according to private pollsters, despite being on trial for blasphemy, but is seen as unlikely to win in April's second round against ex-education minister Anies Baswedan, who came a close second and will attract more Muslim votes.

Third candidate Agus Yudhoyono, another Muslim challenger and the son of a former president, trailed far behind.

Baswedan said "Thanks be to God!" on hearing he looked on course to become governor of the megacity of 10 million -- but Purnama, who has won support with his determination to clean up Jakarta, signalled he was ready for a fight.

"This is not over yet," he told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters in Jakarta. "Some pollsters said we were the candidates no one would vote for," he said, referring to himself and his running mate. "We ended up in the lead."

Over 100 polls to elect local leaders were taking place across Indonesia Wednesday but the race in the capital was the most hotly contested, with the top job in Jakarta seen as a stepping stone to victory in the 2019 presidential polls.

The stakes in the vote have been raised by allegations that Purnama -- the city's first non-Muslim governor for half a century and its first ethnic Chinese leader -- insulted the Koran.

The claims drew hundreds of thousands of conservative Muslims onto the streets of Jakarta in major protests last year, and Purnama has been put on trial in a case criticised as unfair and politically motivated.

Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, was not barred from running but his popularity was dented for a period. The vote is now seen as a test of whether pluralism and a tolerant brand of Islam in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country are being eroded.

- 'Needs a miracle' -

Once the favourite to win the gubernatorial election, Purnama was on about 43 percent to Baswedan's 39 in Wednesday's first round, meaning no candidate had passed the threshold needed to avoid a run-off, according to early vote tallies by private pollsters.

The official results are not expected for a few weeks but the early tallies, called "quick counts", are generally thought reliable.

Despite his upbeat remarks, analysts warn Purnama is unlikely to win a second round against a candidate who has appealed to voters disillusioned by the governor's alleged blasphemy and controversially courted a hardline group that organised the protests against him.

"At this stage, it will be a miracle if Ahok wins," said Tobias Basuki, a political analyst from Jakarta think-tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, adding it was unlikely the first round votes for Yudhoyono would go to Purnama.

Observers also warn that any run-off between Purnama and Baswedan could stoke religious tensions further after months of a dirty campaigning.

"The tense situation will continue until April -- this kind of thing is dangerous," said Burhanuddin Muhtadi of pollster Indikator.

Campaigning was marked by a flood of "fake news" which has mainly targeted Purnama, and included claims that a free vaccination programme he backed was a bid to make girls infertile and reduce the population.

In the event that Purnama wins and is convicted of blasphemy, which could see him sentenced to up to five years in prison, he would not automatically be barred from holding office and could avoid jail for a long time by filing successive appeals.

Purnama's troubles began in September when he said in a speech that his rivals were tricking people into voting against him by using a Koranic verse, which some interpret as meaning Muslims should only choose Muslim leaders.

The controversy is a high-profile example of the religious intolerance that has become more common in Indonesia, 90 percent of whose 255 million inhabitants are Muslim.

Purnama won popularity for trying to improve traffic-choked and chaotic Jakarta by cleaning up rivers and demolishing red-light districts, although his combative style and controversial slum clearances sparked some opposition.

Source: Jakarta's Christian governor heads for tough run-off

Jakarta mall celebrates month of love with exhibition of broken-hearts

From Feb. 6, Plaza Indonesia has hosted an event called Love Philosophy, which features an art exhibition and the Plaza Indonesia Film Festival. (Shutterstock/File)

February is the month of love. If other places choose to commemorate Cupid's month with roses and gifts, the Plaza Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta has decided to showcase the other side of love.

From last week, the mall has hosted an event called Love Philosophy, which features an art exhibition and the Plaza Indonesia Film Festival. The former, dubbed the Broken-Heart Gallery, is slated to run until Feb. 28. Located on the fourth floor, it features broken-hearted-themed artwork and installations from 14 local artists such as Ika Vantiani, Wickana Laksim Dewi, Ayu Dila Martina, Muhammad Taufiq, Evelyn Pritt, Abimantra Pradhana, Sekar Puti, Varsam Kurnia, Monica Hapsari.

Read also: Seven ways to survive Valentine's Day as a single

One of the installations at Plaza Indonesia's Broken-Heart Gallery. (Plaza Indonesia/File)

Meanwhile, the film festival, scheduled to run from Feb. 22 to Feb. 24, will showcase love-themed movies such as Salawaku, The Red Turtle and Ziarah (Pilgrimage).

In addition to the aforementioned events, Plaza Indonesia will also encourage visitors to help unfortunate children. By buying a lovelock at the exhibition, visitors will have automatically donated Rp 50,000 (US$3.75) to anti-violence programs for children initiated by UNICEF.

The mall's general manager for marketing and communications, Zamri Mamat, said in a press release that the mall wanted to discuss love from a different point of view.

"Most people have experienced [a broken heart], but not [all] want to talk about it. Through remembering the broken-hearted phase, one can appreciate more deeply the love one finds," said Zamri. (kes)

Source: Jakarta mall celebrates month of love with exhibition of broken-hearts

Forced evictions along Jakarta waterway a liability for Ahok as governor’s race nears finish line

Flooding is massive problem in Jakarta. And most of its waterways are heavily polluted.

The capital region's Governor Ahok has tried to address the problem — including by demolishing riverside slums.

Residents of Bukit Duri, which stood on the banks of the Ciliwung River until the government tore it down last year, are suing the city in a class-action suit.

JAKARTA — Six weeks after the last of the Bukit Duri evictees moved into their new dwellings here in the Indonesian capital, the atmosphere was friendly but painful. Some tenants told jokes at the food stall in the parking lot. The cook, also a former Bukit Duri resident, had initially gone to her hometown of Bogor. But after a neighbor told her about the new quarters and a possible income, she returned. "I lived in Bukit Duri for more than two decades — when I returned to Bogor there was really no one I knew anymore," she said. "I was alone, moping without anyone to talk to. Here I am with friends, I have a life."

Twenty of the evicted families — 96 men, women and children — now live in a two-storey, 800-square-meter building in South Jakarta's Kampung Melayu neighborhood, about a kilometer from where their houses in Bukit Duri once stood. The riverside slum was mowed to the ground last October in the name of flood prevention. The Jakarta administration sent bulldozers, guarded by police and soldiers, to remove hundreds of families from the area.

Bukit Duri lay on the banks of the Ciliwung River, which the government is trying to "normalize." The waterway crosses the city and has been made filthy by industrial sewage, garbage dumped by urban residents and a failure of city maintenance. Only recently, and especially since incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja "Ahok" Purnama took office, have rivers and many parts of the capital region been cleaned, in line with his pledge to end corruption and solve the city's awful traffic and floods. The Ciliwung is prone to overflow, and the slum neighborhoods lining its edges suffer regular floods. Ahok maintains it is irresponsible to let them live that way.

A Bukit Duri resident tries to align a plank so he can cross over to another hut during a 2009 flood in the neighborhood, which has since been demolished by the city government. Photo by Danumurthi Mahendra/Flickr

Bukit Duri residents resisted the eviction. Some did so militantly, others through legal channels. Bukit Duri has existed since 1920. Many families have lived there for generations.

Heri, a 57-year-old evictee, was born in Bukit Duri. His grandfather moved there during the Dutch colonial era. He welcomed last month's court verdict declaring the evictions illegal. The panel of judges at the Jakarta State Administrative Court had ordered the city to revoke the eviction notice. The Ahok administration has appealed the ruling. Like others, Heri is anxious the ruling will be overturned.

Heri has placed his faith in a class-action suit filed by evictees at the Central Jakarta District Court. Each family in the class action claims to have evidence of land ownership in the emptied area. Their proof ranges from land certificates to letters of land appointments, purchase agreements, building-use permits and ownership statements. Heri comes to each hearing. Assisted by Bukit Duri resident lawyer Vera Soemarwi, the landowners are demanding full compensation and damages. "Come what may," Heri said, "we will appeal unjust rulings and claim justice."

A Bukit Duri resident sells used furniture on a bridge in the neighborhood, said to belong to locals who lost their homes in the floods. Photo by Danumurthi Mahendra/Flickr

The grievance rests in large part on how the city carried out the eviction. The government expedited the process by using a regulation against disruption of public order. Insinuation flew in the media that residents of the Bukit Duri slums were illegal in the capital. Exacerbating the perceived injustice, the governor stressed that it was a case of relocation instead of eviction.

In fact, the city administration had prepared several low-budget, modern-looking apartments in other parts of Jakarta, and offered Bukit Duri residents three months of free lodging. To qualify, one had to show proof of a monthly salary and a letter from one's employer, open an account in the city's Bank DKI and deposit the equivalent of three months rent. Many residents scrape by with jobs in the informal economy and could not fulfill the requirements.

Heri said the cost of living in an apartment is twice that of the private rooms in which they now live. Besides the basic rent of 350,000 rupiah ($260) there are costs — water, electricity, maintenance and security — which altogether amount to a minimum of 800,000 rupiah monthly. The Kampung Melayu homes cost 430,000 rupiah per family.

On top of that, those getting apartments had to sign an agreement forfeiting any prospect of compensation. For Heri and those in the class action, this was unacceptable. While some residents were readily relocated, accepting the deal and expressing no desire to return to Bukit Duri, others who signed on have regretted the choice. Other high-rises made available for previous evictions in 2003-4 have deteriorated into stapled slums.

A man stands near a dump site on the banks of the Ciliwung River in Bukit Duri. The color of the water is muddy brown, shown here as light grey. The black liquid oozing out of the sewage is shown here in its real color. Photo by Danumurthi Mahendra/Flickr

Another thorn in the flesh is the feeling of being lied to and ignored. As early as 2003, architect Marcello Sidharta, then a student at Jakarta's Tarumanagara University, made a maquette — a preliminary sketch — of river-friendly living quarters for his studies. Sandyawan Sumardi, director of Ciliwung Merdeka, an NGO working more than 20 years in the area, presented it to city officials in the hope of gaining support for its realization. There was no follow up.

More recently, in 2012, Sumardi together with the Bukit Duri community and assisted by academics and practitioners in Jakarta's Urban Village Forum presented environment and community-sensitive housing designs to President Joko Widodo, who was then Jakarta's governor, with Ahok as his deputy. The designs were based on local traditions, besides community resilience and knowledge of living with rivers. They were favored and approved of by both men. But the city never did anything with the plans.

Governor Ahok (green shirt) meets with the Australian ambassador (pink shirt) at the TransJakarta Bus headquarters in Jakarta. Photo by Timothy Tobing for DFAT/Flickr

In a fast-growing metropolis like Jakarta, eviction is a recurring issue. Documentation of problems and effects of previous evictions can be easily found. A 2004 Human Rights Watch report on evictions in Teluk Gong, North Jakarta, was delivered — with reports from other countries — to the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat), which accordingly adjusted its urban planning guidelines.

In line with the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Habitat calls for strong and effective leadership, land-use planning, jurisdictional coordination, inclusive citizen participation in infrastructure design, and efficient financing to help foster urban responses to climate change. Its 2016 World Cities Report insists on participation and collaboration, inclusivity, and recognition of the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups.

As Bukit Duri evictees and residents move forward with community-based saving plans for land ownership, Sumardi is weary of questions asking why these progressive designs were not self-implemented earlier. "Where would we get the money to do that? We are just a small and relatively poor community. We have knowledge, talent and have the will to develop, but we need government support and facilitation."

Jakarta faces gubernatorial elections on Wednesday. Candidates have turned the evictions into a politicum. The two candidates running against Ahok promise no more evictions, while the incumbent insists they can't be avoided as the city grows. The latter may be true. For many in Jakarta, Ahok is heroic in his drive for change. Improvement in administrative services and the reduction of floods have been felt by all. He has proven some learning ability on other sensitive issues, but will he learn to make leeway for inclusive citizen participation? Or will he keep using heavyhanded (eviction) methods? This remains to be seen. The governor's chair is up for grabs.

Article published by Philip Jacobson on 2017-02-13.

Source: Forced evictions along Jakarta waterway a liability for Ahok as governor's race nears finish line

No selfies in polling booths: KPU Jakarta – Jakarta Post

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Source: No selfies in polling booths: KPU Jakarta – Jakarta Post

Cars set on fire from Molotov cocktail in C. Jakarta

Two cars were set ablaze early Saturday morning after four men allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail into a parked vehicle in the Central Jakarta area, a police officer said.

The two vehicles were parked on Jl. Pecenongan Raya in Gambir when the incident took place at 3:20 a.m., Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said on Saturday.

A witness, named Edy Kurniawan, saw the perpetrators approach one of the cars and broke its window.

"According to the witness, one of them then lit something that resembled a Molotov cocktail to set the car alight, which spread to the car next to it," Argo told The Jakarta Post.

There were no casualties from the incident, he said adding that six firefighters and two fire trucks deployed at the scene managed to extinguish the fire by around 4 a.m.

Police were looking for the perpetrators and were investigating their motives for the incident, he said.

Source: Cars set on fire from Molotov cocktail in C. Jakarta

Housewife nabbed for credit card fraud – Jakarta Post

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Source: Housewife nabbed for credit card fraud – Jakarta Post

Awards on offer for ensuring peaceful Jakarta election

Acting Jakarta Governor Sumarsono has launched a competition offering awards for the officials of subdistrict offices that hold peaceful and safe elections on Feb. 15.

"Heads of subdistrict offices who get the highest scores in the competition will get Democracy Awards," he said as quoted by beritajakarta.com in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Sumarsono said the scores would be determined by three indicators, namely public participation in the voting process, the number of election violations and the level of safety during the electoral process.

He said all subdistricts should increase public participation, lower the number of violations and ensure a peaceful voting day.

Sumarsono said the competition aimed to encourage officials at the subdistrict level to increase their work performances during the election. (ebf)

Source: Awards on offer for ensuring peaceful Jakarta election

250 victims of Central Jakarta fire receive aid – Jakarta Post

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The full list of Trump's 'under-reported' terror attacks – and how they were reported

Shooting at the Bardo National Museum in Tunisia. Photograph: Hammi/Sipa/Rex/Shutterstock

TIMELINE: September, 2014 - December, 2016 NUMBER OF ATTACKS: 78

It's not clear why these dates were chosen. A December 2016 cut-off excludes the Québec City mosque attack from the list. There were more than 78 terror attacks in that period – the ones selected by the White House are almost exclusively those linked (or rumoured to be linked) to Isis. The White House text is reproduced in bold and we have kept its errors.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA September, 2014 TARGET: Two police officers wounded in knife attack ATTACKER: Abdul Numan Haider

Global media organisations including the Guardian, BBC, CNN and Fox News were among those who covered this story.

TIZI OUZOU, ALGERIA September, 2014 TARGET: One French citizen beheaded ATTACKER: Jund al-Khilafah in Algeria

Algerian militant group Jund al-Khilafah broke its former allegiance with al-Qaida to pledge itself to Isis.

A memorial to Herve Gourdel, a French mountain guide who was kidnapped and beheaded in Algeria. Photograph: Farouk Batiche/AFP/Getty Images

QUEBEC, CANADA October, 2014 TARGET: One soldier killed and one wounded in vehicle attack ATTACKER: Martin Couture-Rouleau

The Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu ramming attack was described by the Canadian government and police as Isis-inspired.

OTTAWA, CANADA October, 2014 TARGET: One soldier killed at war memorial; two wounded in shootings at Parliament building ATTACKER: Michael Zehaf-Bibeau

Read the Guardian's live coverage here.

People place flowers in remembrance of Cpl Nathan Cirillo after he was killed by a gunman in Ottawa. Photograph: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA October, 2014 TARGET: Two police officers wounded in knife attack ATTACKER: US person

This is vague but seems to refer to Zale Thompson, also known as Zaim Farouq Abdul-Malik, described as a "self-radicalised" Muslim convert. He was killed by police.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA November, 2014 TARGET: One Danish citizen wounded in shooting ATTACKERS: Three Saudi Arabia-based ISIL members

Read a news report here.

ABU DHABI, UAE DATE: December 2014 TARGET: One American killed in knife attack ATTACKER: Dalal al-Hashimi

Read a news report here.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA December, 2014 TARGET: Two Australians killed in hostage taking and shooting ATTACKER: Man Haron Monis

The Martin Place siege received blanket worldwide coverage.

A hostage runs to armed police in Sydney. Photograph: Rob Griffith/AP

TOURS, FRANCE December, 2014 TARGET: Three police officers wounded in knife attack ATTACKER: Bertrand Nzohabonayo

Read a news report here.

PARIS, FRANCE January, 2015 TARGET: One police officer and four hostages killed in shooting at a kosher supermarket ATTACKER: Amedy Coulibaly

The killings – part of the series of attacks around the Charlie Hebdo massacre – received global attention. Coulibaly had claimed to be acting for Isis. Curiously, the linked attacks by the Kouachi brothers, who had pledged allegiance to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, are not on the list.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA January, 2015 TARGET: Ten killed, including one US citizen, and five wounded in bombing and shooting at a hotel frequented by westerners ATTACKERS: As many as five ISIL-Libya members

Read a news report here.

The Corinthia hotel comes under attack in Tripoli. Photograph: AP

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA January, 2015 TARGET: Two US citizens wounded in shooting ATTACKER: Saudi Arabia-based ISIL supporter

It's not clear to which incident this refers. It could be two employees of Vinnell Arabia who were attacked by a former colleague in Al Ahsa, not Riyadh, that month; or the killing in October 2014 of another US VA employee, which did take place in Riyadh.

NICE, FRANCE February, 2015 TARGET: Two French soldiers wounded in knife attack outside a Jewish community center ATTACKER: Moussa Coulibaly

Three soldiers were wounded.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK February, 2015 TARGET: One civilian killed in shooting at a free-speech rally and one security guard killed outside the city's main synagogue ATTACKER: Omar Abdel Hamid el-Hussein

Read a news report here.

Flowers are placed at the site of a shooting in Copenhagen. Photograph: Scanpix Denmark/Reuters

TUNIS, TUNISIA March, 2015 TARGET: 21 tourists killed, including 16 westerners, and 55 wounded in shooting at the Bardo Museum ATTACKERS: Two ISIL-aligned extremists

In fact 22 people were killed, not including two perpetrators. Mention of "16 westerners" presumably excludes the Tunisian, Japanese and Colombian victims. Isis did claim responsibility but the Tunisian government blamed an al-Qaida splinter group. The story was carried live by many news outlets.

KARACHI, PAKISTAN April, 2015 TARGET: One US citizen wounded in knife attack ATTACKERS: Pakistan-based ISIL supporters

No report of this could be found. However, an American woman, Debra Lobo, was shot and wounded in April 2015 in Karachi by a reported Isis sympathiser.

PARIS, FRANCE April, 2015 TARGET: Catholic churches targeted; one civilian killed in shooting, possibly during an attempted carjacking ATTACKER: Sid Ahmed Ghlam

Sid Ahmed Ghlam is charged with the attack and is awaiting trial.

ZVORNIK, BOSNIA April, 2015 TARGET: One police officer killed and two wounded in shooting ATTACKER: Nerdin Ibric

It is true there are few English-language reports on this attack. Here is one.

Officers secure an area near to a police station following a shooting in Zvornik. Photograph: Amel Emric/AP

GARLAND, TX, USA May, 2015 TARGET: One security guard wounded in shooting at the Prophet Muhammad cartoon event ATTACKERS: Two US persons

The "two US persons" were Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, both killed in the attack.

BOSTON, MA, USA June, 2015 TARGET: No casualties; one police officer attacked with knife ATTACKER: US person

Very vague but could refer to Usaama Rahim, who was shot dead by police after officers said he "threatened" (not "attacked") them with a knife. He was under counter-terrorism surveillance.

EL GORA (AL JURAH), EGYPT June, 2015 TARGET: No casualties; camp used by Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) troops attacked in shooting and bombing attack ATTACKERS: Unknown number of ISIL-Sinai members

Few reports on this in mainstream press, possibly explained by the "no casualties".

LUXOR, EGYPT June, 2015 TARGET: One police officer killed by suicide bomb near the Temple of Karnak ATTACKER: Unidentified

This could be wrong. A police officer sustained minor injuries in an attempted suicide bombing at Karnak in which two would-be assailants were killed and one injured. Possibly muddled with an earlier attack near Giza Pyramids in which two police officers were killed.

SOUSSE, TUNISIA June, 2015 TARGET: 38 killed and 39 wounded in shooting at a beach frequented by westerners ATTACKERS: Seifeddine Rezgui and another unidentified attacker

The Sousse massacre was extensively covered.Inquests into the deaths of British victims are ongoing.

Holidaymakers view flowers left on Marhaba beach in Sousse. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

LYON, FRANCE June, 2015 TARGET: One civilian killed in beheading and explosion at a chemical plant ATTACKER: Yasin Salhi

The suspect's name was Yassin Salhi.

CAIRO, EGYPT July, 2015 TARGET: One killed and nine wounded in VBIED attack at Italian Consulate ATTACKER: Unidentified ISIL operatives

Read news reports here.

CAIRO, EGYPT July, 2015 TARGET: One Croatian national kidnapped; beheaded on August 12 at an unknown location ATTACKER: Unidentified ISIL-Sinai operative

The kidnapping and beheading of Tomislav Salopek received worldwide attention.

PARIS, FRANCE August, 2015 TARGET: Two civilians and one US soldier wounded with firearms and knife on a passenger train ATTACKER: Ayoub el-Khazzani

Passengers who helped subdue the attacker were awarded the French legion of honour. Then US president Barack Obama personally called the three Americans involved to thank them.

EL GORA, EGYPT September, 2015 TARGET: Four US and two MFO troops wounded in IED attack ATTACKER: Unidentified

Read news reports here.

DHAKA, BANGLADESH September, 2015 TARGET: One Italian civilian killed in shooting ATTACKER: Unidentified

This could refer to aid worker Cesare Tavella. Isis claimed responsibility.

Bangladeshi police at the site where Cesare Tavella was shot in Dhaka. Photograph: A.M. Ahad/AP

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK September, 2015 TARGET: One police officer wounded in knife attack ATTAKER: Palestinian national

It is not clear why the list spells "attacker" as "attaker" from here onwards.

EL GORA, EGYPT October, 2015 TARGET: No casualties; airfield used by MFO attacked with rockets ATTAKER: Unidentified ISIL-Sinai operatives

News reports on this could not be found.

PARRAMATTA, AUSTRALIA October, 2015 TARGET: One police officer killed in shooting ATTAKER: Farhad Jabar

The killing was widely reported in Australia and worldwide.

RANGPUR, BANGLADESH October, 2015 TARGET: One Japanese civilian killed in shooting ATTAKER: Unidentified

Isis claimed responsibility for the death of Kunio Hoshi.

HASANAH, EGYPT October, 2015 TARGET: 224 killed in downing of a Russian airliner ATTAKER: Unidentified ISIL-Sinai operatives

The Sinai plane crash was the subject of massive global media coverage.

MERCED, CA, US November, 2015 TARGET: Four wounded in knife attack on a college campus ATTAKER: US person

Faisal Mohammad, whom the FBI called an Isis-inspired "lone wolf", was shot dead. But why highlight this and the Ohio State University attack and not, say, these other campus attacks?

PARIS, FRANCE November, 2015 TARGET: At least 129 killed and approximately 400 wounded in series of shootings and IED attacks ATTAKERS: Brahim Abdelslam, Saleh Abdeslam, Ismail Mostefai, Bilal Hadfi, Samy Amimour, Chakib Ahrouh, Foued Mohamed Aggad, and Abdelhamid Abaaoud

The White House surely cannot include the Paris attacks in the "most" on this list it thinks were under-reported. However, it omits the names of three of the 11 men involved in the attack, and spells Chakib Akrouh's name wrong. The death toll for the attacks stands at 130.

People being evacuated near the Bataclan concert hall in Paris. Photograph: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images

DINAJPUR, BANGLADESH November, 2015 TARGET: One Italian citizen wounded in shooting ATTAKER: Unidentified

This appears to refer to the attack on priest Piero Parolari.

RAJLOVAC, BOSNIA December, 2015 TARGET: Two Bosnian soldiers killed in shooting ATTAKER: Enes Omeragic

Read news reports here.

SAN BERNADINO, CA, US December, 2015 TARGET: 14 killed and 21 wounded in coordinated firearms attack ATTAKERS: Two US persons

The spelling should be San Bernardino. The "two US persons" were Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik. Media coverage extended to networks carrying live footage as reporters entered the couple's home.

The scene of a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. Photograph: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK December, 2015 TARGET: Three wounded in knife attack at an underground rail station ATTAKER: Muhyadin Mire

The stabbing was covered in the US as well as across the UK. Mire was jailed for life.

DERBENT, RUSSIA December, 2015 TARGET: One killed and 11 wounded in shooting at UN World Heritage site ATTAKER: Unidentified ISIL-Caucasus operative

Read news reports here.

CAIRO, EGYPT January, 2016 TARGET: Two wounded in drive-by shooting outside a hotel frequented by tourists ATTAKERS: Unidentified ISIL operatives

Another unclear one. There was a drive-by shooting outside a Cairo hotel that month, though no injuries were reported. A police officer and a soldier were shot dead in a separate incident in the following days.

PARIS, FRANCE January, 2016 TARGET: No casualties; attacker killed after attempted knife attack on Paris police station ATTAKER: Tarek Belgacem

Read news reports here and here.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA January, 2016 TARGET: One police officer wounded in shooting ATTAKER: US person

The case of Jesse Hartnett, the police labor union said after the White House claim, wascovered adequately and fairly.

HURGHADA, EGYPT January, 2016 TARGET: One German and one Danish national wounded in knife attack at a tourist resort ATTAKER: Unidentified

As with the Cairo incident cited above, this isn't clear. Three people – two Austrians and a Swede – were stabbed at a Hurghada resort.One perpetrator was shot dead.

MARSEILLES, FRANCE January, 2016 TARGET: One Jewish teacher wounded in machete attack ATTAKER: 15 year-old Ethnic Kurd from Turkey

Read a news report here.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY January, 2016 TARGET: 12 German tourists killed and 15 wounded in suicide bombing ATTAKER: Nabil Fadli

Thirteen people were killed. Turkey said Isis was responsible.

The coffins of twelve German tourists arrive back at Berlin's Tegel airport. Photograph: Axel Schmidt/AP

JAKARTA, INDONESIA January, 2016 TARGET: Four civilians killed and more than 20 wounded in coordinated bombing and firearms attacks near a police station and a Starbucks ATTAKERS: Dian Joni Kurnaiadi, Muhammad Ali, Arif Sunakim, and Ahmad Muhazan bin Saron

See the Guardian's live coverage here.

COLUMBUS, OH, US February, 2016 TARGET: Four civilians wounded in machete attack at a restaurant ATTAKER: US person

This received widespread coverage in the US: for example. The "US person" was Mohamed Barry, who was shot dead by police.

HANOVER, GERMANY February, 2016 TARGET: One police officer wounded in knife attack ATTAKER: Safia Schmitter

The incident was covered by media but most chose not to identify the alleged attacker, who was 15.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY March, 2016 TARGET: Four killed and 36 wounded in suicide bombing in the tourist district ATTAKER: Mehmet Ozturk

Read a news report here.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM March, 2016 TARGET: At least 31 killed and 270 wounded in coordinated bombings at Zaventem Airport and on a subway train ATTAKERS: Khalid el-Bakraoui, Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, Najim Laachraoui, Mohammed Abrini, and Osama Krayem

The attack on Brussels garnered wall-to-wall media coverage. The death toll was 32.

Rescue workers outside the damaged front of Brussels airport. Photograph: Belga via ZUM/REX/Shutterstock

ESSEN, GERMANY April, 2016 TARGET: Three wounded in bombing at Sikh temple ATTAKERS: Three identified minors

Three boys are charged with attempted murder.

ORLANDO, FL, US June, 2016 TARGET: 49 killed and 53 wounded in shooting at a nightclub ATTAKER: US person

The worst mass shooting by a single perpetrator in US history was far from "under-reported". The "US person" responsible wasOmar Mateen.

Newspapers around the world reporting the Orlando shooting. Composite: Various

MAGNANVILLE, FRANCE June, 2016 TARGET: One police officer and one civilian killed in knife attack ATTAKER: Larossi Abballa

Read a news report here.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN June, 2016 TARGET: 14 killed in suicide attack on a bus carrying Canadian Embassy guards ATTAKER: ISIL-Khorasan operative

Although mostly covered in Canada, the attack was reported globally. The victims were Nepalese.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY June, 2016 TARGET: 45 killed and approximately 240 wounded at Ataturk International Airport ATTACKERS: Rakhim Bulgarov, Vadim Osmanov, and an unidentified ISIL operative

Another deadly attack in Turkey dominated news headlines. The two identified perpetrators are reported to be Russian.

DHAKA, BANGLADESH July, 2016 TARGET: 22 killed, including one American and 50 wounded after hours-long siege using machetes and firearms at holy Artisan Bakery ATTACKERS: Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, Khairul Islam Paye, and Shafiqul Islam Uzzal

The location was the Holey Artisan Bakery; 22 civilians and two police officers were killed.

NICE, FRANCE July, 2016 TARGET: 84 civilians killed and 308 wounded by an individual

86 people were killed by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel.

A makeshift memorial in Nice. Photograph: Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images

WURZBURG, GERMANY July, 2016 TARGET: Four civilians wounded in axe attack on a train ATTACKER: Riaz Khan Ahmadzai

Read a news report here.

ANSBACH, GERMANY July, 2016 TARGET: At least 15 wounded in suicide bombing at a music festival ATTACKER: Mohammad Daleel

See the Guardian's live coverage.

NORMANDY, FRANCE July, 2016 TARGET: One priest killed in knife attack ATTACKERS: Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Nabil Petitjean

The killing provoked horror and was covered globally.

CHALEROI, BELGIUM August, 2016 TARGET: Two police officers wounded in machete attack ATTACKER: Khaled Babouri

It is Charleroi. See the Guardian report.

Officers secure the area around a police building in Charleroi. Photograph: Virginie Lefour/AFP/Getty Images

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA August, 2016 TARGET: Two killed and one wounded in knife attack at a hostel frequented by Westerners ATTACKER: Smail Ayad

Smail Ayad has been charged but not brought to trial; proceedings have been suspended and referred to the mental health court. Police and the mother of one of the victims have said extremism was not a factor.

COPENHAGEN, DENMAKR September, 2016 TARGET: Two police officers and a civilian wounded in shooting ATTACKER: Mesa Hodzic

It is Denmark. Isis claimed responsibility – the attacker is dead – but it's thought the crime could be linked to drugs.

PARIS, FRANCE September, 2016 TARGET: One police officer wounded in raid after VBIED failed to detonate at Notre Dame Cathedral ATTACKERS: Sarah Hervouet, Ines Madani, and Amel Sakaou

Read the Guardian report here.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA September, 2016 TARGET: One civilian wounded in knife attack ATTACKER: Ihsas Khan

Ihsas Khan has been charged but still awaits trial.

ST. CLOUD, MN, US September, 2016 TARGET: 10 wounded in knife attack in a mall ATTACKER: Dahir Ahmed Adan

Read the Guardian report here.

NEW YORK, NY; SEASIDE PARK AND ELIZABETH, NJ, US September, 2016 TARGET: 31 wounded in bombing in New York City; several explosive devices found in New York and New Jersey; one exploded without casualty at race in New Jersey; one police officer wounded in shootout ATTACKER: Ahmad Khan Rahami

Rahami has been charged but no trial date has been set.

A dumpster mangled by an explosion in New York. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM October, 2016 TARGET: Two police officers wounded in stabbing ATTACKER: Belgian national

Belgian prosecutors said the attack could be terror-related.

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT TARGET: No casualties; vehicle carrying three US soldiers hit by a truck ATTACKER: Ibrahim Sulayman

The soldiers were not harmed. The attempted attack was reported.

MALMO, SWEDEN October, 2016 TARGET: No casualties; mosque and community center attacked with Molotov cocktail ATTACKER: Syrian national

A Malmo court charged a man with arson but said it was not a terror offence.

HAMBURG, GERMANY October, 2016 TARGET: One killed in knife attack ATTACKER: Unknown

The story that a 16-year-old boy had been killed attracted global attention. Isis claimed responsibility but police say a motive has not been confirmed.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES November, 2016 TARGET: No casualties; failed IED attempt near US Embassy ATTACKERS: Philippine nationals aligned with the Maute group

Police said there were no explosives in thepackage.

COLUMBUS, OH, US November, 2016 TARGET: 14 wounded by individuals who drove a vehicle into a group of pedestrians and attacked them with a knife ATTACKER: US person

Read the Guardian report here.

N'DJAMENA, CHAD November, 2016 TARGET: No casualties; attacker arrested after opening fire at entrance of US Embassy ATTACKER: Chadian national

This one was barely covered by media. There were no injuries.

KARAK, JORDAN December, 2016 TARGET: 10 killed and 28 wounded in shooting at a tourist site ATTACKERS: Several gunmen

Read the Guardian report here.

BERLIN, GERMANY December, 2016 TARGET: 12 killed and 48 wounded by individual who drove truck into a crowded market ATTACKER: Anis Amri

The Berlin Christmas market attack dominated the news agenda in the run-up to Christmas.

A policeman inspects the truck that crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin. Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
Source: The full list of Trump's 'under-reported' terror attacks – and how they were reported

Jakarta administration launches online business licensing logbook – Jakarta Post

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Source: Jakarta administration launches online business licensing logbook – Jakarta Post

Travel ban: US appeals court rejects White House request to reinstate executive order

Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, on Saturday where he told reporters: 'For the safety of the country, we'll win.' Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

The US appeals court has denied the justice department's request for an immediate reinstatement of Donald Trump's controversial travel ban.

The ninth US circuit court of appeals in San Francisco made the ruling early on Sunday morning, and asked those challenging the ban to respond to the appeal filed by the Trump administration late on Saturday night, and the justice department to file a counter-response by Monday afternoon.

"Appellants' request for an immediate administrative stay pending full consideration of the emergency motion for a stay pending appeal is denied," the ruling said.

The justice department had earlier filed an appeal against a judge's order lifting the ban, as the new administration's flagship immigration policy threatened to unravel after one week.

The higher court's denial of an immediate stay means legal battles over the ban will continue into the coming week at least.

After the appeal was lodged on Saturday, Trump told reporters at his private Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida: "We'll win. For the safety of the country, we'll win."

The president's comments followed a personal attack on US district judge James Robart, the Seattle-based justice who made the court ruling on Friday that questioned the constitutionality of Trump's order banning entry to the US by people from seven mainly Muslim countries.

Seattle judge temporarily blocks Trump's travel ban

But the justice department filing warned that Robart's ruling posed an immediate harm to the public, thwarted enforcement of an executive order and "second-guesses the president's national security judgment about the quantum of risk posed by the admission of certain classes of (non-citizens) and the best means of minimizing that risk".

The filing also criticised Robart's legal reasoning, saying it violated the separation of powers and stepped on the president's authority as commander-in-chief. The appeal said the state of Washington lacked standing to challenge the order and said Congress gave the president "the unreviewable authority to suspend the admission of any class of visitor".

Earlier on Saturday, Trump had unleashed a Twitter assault on Robart. "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!" Trump tweeted.

Trump, who has said "extreme vetting" of refugees and immigrants is needed to prevent terrorist attacks, continued to criticise the decision in tweets throughout Saturday.

"The judge opens up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart. Bad people are very happy!" he tweeted.

The justice department's appeal promises to create a showdown between the new administration and the judiciary over a policy that Trump consistently promised to deliver while on the campaign trail.

But the ban's implementation has also placed under close scrutiny the role of the authors of the travel ban order – Trump's strategist Steve Bannon and aide Steven Miller – as the administration tries to assert its authority on the Washington bureaucracy.

After a week of chaos at airports across the US since the ban was imposed, the Department of Homeland Security said on Saturday it would return to its normal procedures for screening travellers as it lifted the restrictions in accordance with the court ruling.

Refugees and thousands of travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen who had been prevented from travelling since last weekend by Trump's executive order scrambled to get flights to quickly enter the US.

Immigration advocacy groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and International Refugee Assistance Project issued a joint statement on Saturday urging those with now-valid visas from the seven nations "to consider rebooking travel to the United States immediately" because the ruling could be overturned or put on hold.

A US state department email seen by Reuters said the department was working to begin admitting refugees, including Syrians, as soon as Monday.

A three-judge panel made the decision to uphold the order pending the further filings. The panel consists of appointees of George W Bush and two former Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

The travel ban brought protests across the US and the world at the weekend. There were demonstrations in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles as well as in other cities, and also outside Trump's Florida resort on Saturday night where he was attending a ball with his wife, Melania. There were also protests in London, Paris, Berlin, Jakarta, Manila, Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne.

Trump's attack on Robart also brought an angry response from Democrats. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House, said: "No matter how many times the president attacks this judge … it won't change the fact that this ban is unconstitutional, immoral and dangerous."

Democratic senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said in a statement on Saturday that Trump's "hostility toward the rule of law is not just embarrassing, it is dangerous. He seems intent on precipitating a constitutional crisis".

Criticising the judge's decision could make it tougher for justice department attorneys as they seek to defend the executive order in Washington state and other courts, said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University.

Presidents were usually circumspect about commenting on government litigation. "It's hard for the president to demand that courts respect his inherent authority when he is disrespecting the inherent authority of the judiciary. That certainly tends to poison the well for litigation," Turley said.

It is unusual for a president to attack a member of the judiciary, which the US constitution designates as a check to the power of the executive branch and Congress. Reached by email on Saturday, Robart declined to comment on Trump's tweets.

"Read the 'so-called' Constitution," tweeted Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee.

In an interview with ABC scheduled to air on Sunday, the vice-president, Mike Pence, said he did not think Trump's criticisms of the judge undermined the separation of powers. "I think the American people are very accustomed to this president speaking his mind and speaking very straight with them," Pence said, according to an excerpt of the interview.

The court ruling was the first move in what could be months of legal challenges to Trump's push to clamp down on immigration.

The sudden reversal of the ban catapulted would-be immigrants back to airports, with uncertainty over how long the window to enter the US will remain open.

In Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Fuad Sharef and his family prepared to fly on Saturday to Istanbul and then New York before starting a new life in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I am very happy that we are going to travel today. Finally, we made it," said Sharef, who was stopped from boarding a New York-bound flight last week.

Source: Travel ban: US appeals court rejects White House request to reinstate executive order

Philippines sees protests against Donald Trump's immigration policy

Indonesian and Filipino students have protested against President Donald Trump's immigration policy outside the US embassies in their capitals.

In Jakarta, dozens of students and activists called on the Indonesian government and the international community to help stop Mr Trump's order that temporarily banned travellers from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

They waved banners such as "I'm angry with Trump" and "No ban, no wall" during Saturday's peaceful protest.

Rights activist Veronica Koman, who organised the protest, said that Mr Trump's "xenophobic" policy will have a significant impact on people fleeing war-torn countries who are currently in Indonesia.

Nearly 14,000 refugees are in Indonesia seeking resettlement in third countries.

A similar rally was held outside the US embassy in the Philippine capital, Manila.

AP

Source: Philippines sees protests against Donald Trump's immigration policy

Jakarta launches task force to curb illegal levies

The Jakarta administration inaugurated on Friday a unit that will lead the effort to fight against illegal levies at a regional level.

Acting Jakarta governor Sumarsono said during the launch that the unit, called the Illegal Levies Eradication Unit, was formed in accordance with the mandate of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to eradicate rampant illegal levies throughout the public service.

"I hope the unit will be able to detect and come up with effective ways to scrap the levies," he said at City Hall.

The launch was attended by representatives of many government institutions, including the Jakarta Police, the Jakarta Military Command, the Ombudsman and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Sumarsono said the unit would be manned by 287 personnel, comprising 43 officials from the Jakarta provincial administration and 244 from the province's five municipalities and one regency.

"The unit will follow up on complaints and reports from residents on illegal levies within the city administration," he said, the practice usually occurs during processes such as the issuing of business permits, certificates, ID cards or passports.

He added that residents could report any demands for illegal levies through the website inspektorat.jakarta.go.id/lapor-pungli.

Source: Jakarta launches task force to curb illegal levies

Hyundai Rotem trains for Jakarta LRT

HYUNDAI Rotem confirmed on February 2 that it has been awarded a contract to supply rolling stock for the Jakarta LRT project.

The order for 16 two-car 1067mm-gauge trains is worth $US 33m and the total value of the order could reach $US 200m if options for up to 94 additional trains are exercised.

The Rupiah 11.9 trillion first phase of the elevated LRT network comprises Section 1 of Line 1 from Cibubur to Cawang (14.5km), Section 2 of Line 1 from Cawang to Dukuh Atas (10.5km) and the initial section of Line 2 from East Bekasi to Cawang (17.5km).

An 5.8km five-station section of Line 1 is due to open in time for the 2018 Asian Games, which will be held in Jakarta in August 2018.

The second phase of the network will add extensions at both ends of Line 1 together with a third line from Palmerah to Tomang and Grogol.

Source: Hyundai Rotem trains for Jakarta LRT

Indonesian women seeking to become IS suicide bombers: study

© Provided by AFP A study by the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict says there is an increasing eagerness among Indonesian women to get involved in radicalism themselves, rather than merely support their extremist husbands

Indonesian women are taking on a more active role in violent extremism, with some seeking to become Islamic State (IS) group suicide bombers, a leading security think tank has warned.

The growing problem was highlighted after the arrest in December of two women with links to IS allegedly planning suicide attacks in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, according to a report from the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

Many from Indonesia -- which has long struggled with Islamic militancy -- have flocked to join IS in the Middle East, while radicals in the country have pledged allegiance to the group and attacks and plots have been linked to the jihadists.

But the increasing eagerness of Indonesian women to get involved in radicalism themselves, rather than merely support their extremist husbands, poses new risks, said the report from IPAC, which is headed by veteran Indonesian security analyst Sidney Jones.

"Indonesian women in extremist organisations are now catching up with the lethal practices of their sisters in other parts of the world," according to the study.

Increasing female involvement is linked to the appeal of IS but also to the growing sophistication of social media, which allows more women to read the jihadists' propaganda and take part in radical chat forums, said the report, which was released late Tuesday.

The most high-profile cases were the arrest of two former domestic workers, Dian Yulia Novi and Ika Puspitasari, who had allegedly volunteered to become suicide bombers in Jakarta and Bali.

Leading Indonesian IS radical Bahrun Naim, who has been accused of directing a series of mostly botched terror plots in his homeland from Syria, had given them instructions and financial support, the report said.

Authorities detained Novi and her husband the night before a planned attack on the presidential palace in Jakarta and later picked up Puspitasari, who was part of the same network and had been planning to carry out a bombing on the holiday island of Bali, the report said.

Other women have been arrested for offences including setting up a pro-IS charity, helping to make a bomb, and being fighters with a militant group on Sulawesi island.

IPAC called for the Indonesian government to try to find out more about female radical networks, including interviewing the many women who have been deported from Turkey after allegedly trying to cross into Syria to join IS.

"The need to know more about Indonesian extremist women suddenly has become urgent," it said.

Indonesia's national counter-terror agency declined to comment.

Source: Indonesian women seeking to become IS suicide bombers: study