Indonesian News
Not everyone was amused by the recent standup comedy performance by Joshua Suherman, who was a popular child singer in the '90s. In his monologue, he talked about the Indonesian girl group Cherrybelle and its most popular member, Anisa. He said the reason why she's way more popular than the group's "leader" Cherly Juno is because Anisa is Muslim and Cherly isn't. —VivaPresident Jokowi Said Indonesia Needs to Own 51 Percent of Freeport Share
During his visit to Indonesia's southernmost island of Rote, President Joko Widodo stressed that Indonesia should control at least 51 percent of the share of PT Freeport Indonesia, the company who has managed the gold mine in Papua for decades. Indonesia currently owns mere 9.3 percent of its share. —Antara
Advertisement
Luhut Pandjaitan, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs have told Susi Pudjiatuti, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to stop sinking foreign fishing ships in 2018. He said the government should spend more resources to increase its fisheries production. —MerdekaIndonesia Implements Zero Tariff Policy on Palestinian Products
In an effort to help the Palestinian economy, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi said that Indonesia will not be collecting tax on Palestinian imported goods. Retno also said that Palestine is "at the heart" of Indonesia's foreign affairs.—Republika
International News
In Trump administration's latest move to tighten immigration enforcement, it's ending the program that has allowed people from El Salvador to live and work in the United States in 2019. El Salvador was struck by a large earthquake in January 2001, and since then some 200,000 Salvadorans have been granted a temporary protected status (TPS) by the US government. The decision to end TPS for Salvadorans, who are are the largest group under the program, means that they could face deportation if they choose to stay in the US. —ReutersGay Imam Pushes For Australia's First LGBT-friendly Mosque
Nur Warsame is an Imam who once led a mosque in Melbourne. That's before he came out as a gay man in 2010. Now, after the Muslim clergy severed ties with him, he's hoping to open a LGBT-friendly mosque in Melbourne, where he envisions the place as a safe haven for LBGT Muslims. He is in talks with philanthropists and the police to secure a building in the Melbourne city center. —ABC
Advertisement
As tension continued to subside between the two countries, North Korea has agreed to send a delegation of athletes, supporters and and officials to the Winter Olympics taking place in Pyeongchang—a city 80 km from the border of North and South Korea—next month. South Korean officials told press that Seoul has even suggested that the two teams march together during the games' official ceremony. —Al Jazeera India's Highest Court to Revisit Law That Bans Gay Sex
On Monday, the Supreme Court of India has agreed to review its 2013 ruling, which overturned the 2009 judgment of the Delhi high court that decriminalized Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. Section 377 criminalizes consensual sexual relationships between adults of the same gender. —Times of India
Everything Else
What do pick-up artists, men's rights activists, "incels" and alt-right white nationalists have in common? Their fetish for Asian women, of course. —VICEEnsena's 'Nocturnal' Is the Punch In the Face the Metal Scene NeedsWatch the music video for the West Java post-metal quartet's new single. —VICEAn HIV Outbreak in India Was Traced Back to a Fake DoctorThere are at least eight cases of HIV in India that can be traced back to an unqualified doctor treating minor illnesses with injections carrying the HIV/AIDS virus. —VICE2018 Will Be the Year of NeymarBrazilian Neymar da Silva Junior is finally ready to become the best player on the planet, beating Messi and Ronaldo. —VICE