Indonesia

Wild elephants kill elderly woman in Sumatra

Wild elephants kill elderly woman in Sumatra Jakarta - Two wild elephants went on a rampage in Lampung province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, trampling an elderly resident to death, state-run media reported Monday.

The elephants entered the Belimbing Bengkurat village early Saturday, trampling 70-year-old Punirah, said Kurnia Rauf, head of the Bukit Barisan National Park.

Rauf was quoted as saying by the state-run Antara news agency that the wild elephants ran amok after they strayed from their herd and into the human settlement.

Indonesia imposes ban on pork imports to contain swine flu

pork importsJakarta - Indonesia imposed an import ban on pork, in addition to increasing surveillance at all entry points for travelers with flu-like symptoms, to prevent the spread of swine flu, a cabinet minister said Monday. "The import of pork will be temporarily halted until a further progress concerning the swine flu, or until the condition was safe," said Aburizal Bakrie, the coordinating minister for people's welfare.

Nine dead, four missing in boat accident off Indonesia's Sumatra

Nine dead, four missing in boat accident off Indonesia's Sumatra Jakarta  - Nine people died and at least four others were missing and feared drowned after a ferry boat sank off Indonesia's Sumatra island, media reports said Sunday.

Survivors said the ship carrying around 60 people when it went down on Saturday afternoon in strong winds a kilometre off Dumai, Riau province, as it ferried guests to a wedding, detik. com online news portal reported.

Nine bodies and 43 survivors had been rescued Sunday morning.

Indonesia's Golkar Party nominates chairman for presidential race

Indonesia's Golkar Party nominates chairman for presidential race Jakarta - Indonesia's Golkar Party on Wednesday named its chairman, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, as its presidential candidate, breaking away from the ruling coalition of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Golkar announced Tuesday that coalition talks with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party had collapsed because it did not agree with the terms.

Kalla has been asked to set up a team for his campaign for the July 8 presidential election and approach other parties to discuss a possible coalition, said a Golkar deputy chairman, Syamsul Muarif.

German man missing in Indonesia's Kalimantan province

German man missing in Indonesia's Kalimantan provinceJakarta  - A German traveller reportedly went missing when travelling from East Kalimantan province to West Kalimantan on the Indonesian part of Borneo island, a police official said Thursday.

Jason Clint Richard, born in Schwarzwald, reportedly left the East Kalimantan capital, Samarinda, in January, a West Kalimantan police spokesman said.

Brigadier Joko Marwoto said that according to a report from the Foreign Ministry, the man went missing when travelling on foot from Samarinda to Pontianak in West Kalimantan.

Indonesia renames Buddha Bar after protests

Indonesia renames Buddha Bar after protestsJakarta  - The Indonesian outlet of the hip Paris-based Buddha Bar said Wednesday that it had changed its name after protests by Buddhists who complained that the name was sacrilegious.

The restaurant and lounge has been renamed Bataviasche Kunstkring after the Dutch-era building that houses it after a request from the Religious Affairs Ministry, manager Henry Marheroso said.

"There's been no change in concept or design because there's no regulation banning it," Marheroso said.

Pages