Thierry Ascione, 62, and another French national made an emergency landing in the Talaud islands between the Philippines and Indonesia on October 3 to seek help for repairing the boat.

Experts have called on the government to incorporate more data into its flood-mitigation efforts as extreme weather occurrences and land use change, particularly in urban areas, could make floods more frequent across the country.

The disaster killed 48 people, according to the latest toll, and rescuers are still seeking bodies in the mud and rubble.

The highest mountain on the island of Java erupted earlier this month, killing at least 48 and leaving a dozen people missing. 

The draft bill outlines Jokowi’s Rp 466 trillion (US$32.5 billion) project to relocate the nation’s capital to East Kalimantan, a move the President has said seeks to bring more equitable economic development across Indonesia.

The quake struck at 0320 GMT in the Flores Sea, about 112 km (70 miles) northwest of the town of Larantuka, in the eastern part of Flores island, at a depth of 12 km.

The USGS said the quake struck around 100 kilometres north of the town of Maumere at a depth of 18.5 kilometres (11 miles) in the Flores Sea at 0320 GMT.

The government’s recent move to scrap its plan to impose tougher curbs during the year-end holidays has been largely welcomed by the public, many of whom are eager to celebrate the holidays with friends and family in their hometowns.

After months of waiting, Mohammad Noor, a Rohingya refugee who currently stays at the Hotel Pelangi temporary shelter in Medan, North Sumatra, finally received his first COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.

"There was no warning. If there had been, there wouldn't have been victims, right?" said Minah, of her cousin Rumini, who died clutching her elderly mother as their kitchen roof caved in.

Evacuees clapped and laughed as red-nosed clowns dressed in neon wigs and multi-coloured costumes volunteered for a show of games and magic tricks in a tent in an evacuation camp.

The highest mountain on the island of Java thundered to life on Saturday, ejecting volcanic ash into the sky and raining hot mud on villages as thousands of panicked people fled their homes.

In the days since the disaster, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the disaster warning system and whether some villages should be moved.

Civil groups say the government should renew the moratorium on oil palm plantations following the recent Constitutional Court ruling against the controversial Job Creation Law, which the government had sought to use in resolving issues arising from the expired moratorium.

The government is seeking to work closely with media organizations to accelerate efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, which have been halted by the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Curah Kobokan was among the worst-hit areas when the 3,676-metre (12,060 ft) Mount Semeru erupted on Saturday, sending a cloud of ash into the sky and dangerous pyroclastic flows into villages below.

Speaking after inspecting the damages caused by the eruptions, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo extended his condolences to the fallen victims and promised swift government action to restore the damaged infrastructure in the area.

The 3,676-metre Mt. Semeru volcano erupted on Saturday sending a cloud of ash into the sky and dangerous pyroclastic flows into villages below.

The mountain on the island of Java had thundered to life on Saturday, ejecting volcanic ash high into the sky and raining hot mud on villages as thousands of panicked people fled their homes.

At least six eruptions were recorded on Monday, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center’s (PVMBG) observations.

Indonesia's national disaster agency said 27 people were still missing.

A young woman in Mojokerto regency, East Java, reportedly died by suicide on Thursday after accusations appeared online that her boyfriend, a police officer, had raped her and forced her to have an abortion.

The death toll from the recent eruption of Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, has risen to 14 after the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) discovered an additional body on Sunday.

Fathers cradled distressed daughters, elderly villagers heaved mattresses on their backs and farmers carried goats that had survived, trying to salvage what they could from where their village once existed.

Semeru, the tallest mountain on Java island, threw up towers of ash and hot clouds on Saturday that blanketed nearby villages in East Java province and sent people fleeing in panic.

The sudden eruption of Java's biggest mountain caught locals by surprise on Saturday, sending thousands fleeing its path of destruction and forcing hundreds of families into makeshift shelters.

Videos shared by emergency officials showed residents running as towering plumes of smoke and ash blanketed nearby villages in East Java province.

On Wednesday scores of people had gathered at a stadium in West Papua's capital Jayapura to celebrate the anniversary of the region's declaration of independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1961, before Indonesia took control two years later.

Indonesia has increased the mandatory quarantine period for all international arrivals from seven days to 10 days, effective starting Friday, as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the globe

The Health Ministry is working on enhancing its COVID-19 surveillance to effectively detect and contain the spread of the Omicron variant at an early stage, as more countries across the globe detect the new virus variant.