A visitor takes a picture with his mobile phone of an image designed with artificial intelligence by Berlin-based digital creator Julian van Dieken (C) inspired by Johannes Vermeer's painting 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague on March 9, 2023.

Girl with AI earrings sparks Dutch art controversy

At first glance it seems to be just a modern take on Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece "Girl with a Pearl Earring". But look more closely and things get a little strange.

3 years ago

Markets

Singaporean start-ups, industries explore development opportunities in Nongsa Digital Park

In 2017, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo outlined his vision for Batam to serve as a “digital bridge” connecting Singapore to the digital economy of Indonesian cities. ...

3 years ago

Markets

Global bank shares sink over US fears

The world's biggest banks took a stock market beating on Friday as signs of trouble at a US regional lender sparked concerns over the wider sector. ...

3 years ago

The Latest

Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Saudi Pro League football match between al-Ittihad and al-Nassr at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah on March 9, 2023.

Sports premium

Furious Ronaldo storms off pitch after Al-Nassr defeat

The defeat marked the second match in row in which the 38-year-old Ronaldo failed to find the net, with Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe parrying away a fierce shot from the Portugal superstar in injury time.

3 years ago

Mud from a recent landslide covers buildings in Sarasan, Natuna, Riau Islands, on March 7.

Society

Downed comm lines hamper Natuna landslide evacuation efforts

Downed communication lines following a landslide in the remote region of Natuna, Riau Islands, which killed at least 30 people, hinder evacuation efforts.

3 years ago

Then-Jakarta governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center) is surrounded by rock fans as he arrives at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta for a concert by rock band Metallica on Aug. 25, 2013.

Politics

Jokowi, Ganjar to attend Deep Purple concert in Surakarta

Jokowi’s son, Surakarta Mayor Gibran Rakabuming Raka, confirmed on Thursday that the President had bought a ticket.

3 years ago

China's President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose with Mongolia's President during their trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand on September 15, 2022.

Asia & Pacific

Putin congratulates Xi on new term, hails 'strengthening' ties

"Dear friend, please accept sincere congratulations on the occasion of your reelection," Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin.

3 years ago

New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens read a statement prepared by a group of separatists in Papua on March 10, 2023.

Archipelago premium

Papua rebels call for UN mediation in New Zealand hostage video

Pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who works for the small, domestic Susi Air service, was abducted by the armed wing of Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Feb. 7 after landing at an airstrip in the Nduga district.

3 years ago

Natural gift: Tin ore is loaded onto a truck at the PT Timah site in Sungailiat, Bangka Island, in November 2015.

Companies premium

Govt gives nod to PT Timah on ocean tin mining near Bangka Island

Mining tin under the sea is seen as a lucrative opportunity given many of the land deposits have been widely exploited.

3 years ago

Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) and other officials applaud at the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2023.

Asia & Pacific

Xi handed historic third term as president

The appointment by China's rubber-stamp parliament comes after Xi locked in another five years as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in October.

3 years ago

The Broken Beach tourism attraction in Nusa Penida, Bali, is seen in this undated photo.

Archipelago

Indian national dies after slipping off a cliff while posing for a photo in Bali

An Indian national died after slipping into the sea while posing for a photo at a popular beach-view cliff in Nusa Penida, a small island east of Bali, on Saturday.

3 years ago

Deep Purple's lead singer Ian Gillan speaks during a press conference in Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday.

Entertainment premium

It's good to be back in Indonesia: Deep Purple's Ian Gillan

"Of course it's nice to come back. A lot has changed in Indonesia since 1975," Gillan said, referring to the year Deep Purple first performed in Jakarta, during which one of their hired bodyguards, Patsy Collins, was killed when he tumbled down an elevator shaft.

3 years ago

Domestic use only: Heavy equipment is used to stockpile coal at the Kertapati coal terminal belonging to state-owned company PT Bukit Asam in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Tuesday. The government imposed a one-month coal export ban starting on Jan. 1.

Companies premium

RI to find new partners after Air Products backs out from coal downstream project

Indonesia to find new partner to replace Air Products, which decided to withdraw recently, hoping to continue the coal downstream project nevertheless.

3 years ago

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani gives a statement concerning the judicial review of Law No. 11/2016 on tax amnesty at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta on Sept. 20, 2016.

Politics premium

Sri Mulyani to work with Mahfud on suspicious transaction reports

Sri Mulyani said that only recently she had received reports on the suspicious transactions and upon closer inspection, she could not verify if Mahfud's claim was correct.

3 years ago

Sports

Former Fox exec convicted in FIFA bribery case, other acquitted

A Brooklyn federal jury on Thursday convicted a former 21st Century Fox executive and acquitted another after a trial over an alleged scheme to bribe South American soccer officials to secure lucrative broadcasting rights.

3 years ago

Philip Mehrtens, the New Zealand pilot being held hostage by a Papuan rebel group, stands among the separatist fighters in Papua in this undated photo released on Feb. 14.

Archipelago premium

Military option ready, but TNI continuing dialogue in pilot rescue: Commander

Yudo suggested he was concerned that civilians could be hurt if a military operation to rescue Mehrtens was carried out.

3 years ago

An undated secret note exposes brutal violence on women inside Mandalay's Obo prison, that left scores of female prisoners injured, according to six activists and lawyers, in early February 2023, in this handout obtained by Reuters on March 8, 2023.

Asia & Pacific

Smuggled note exposes violence against women in Myanmar jail: Lawyers, activists

In early February, four members of an anti-junta group in the Myanmar city of Mandalay said they received a secret, one-page, handwritten note spirited out of a prison that details two days of clashes and beatings of female political prisoners.

3 years ago

This file photo taken on October 23, 2022 shows Li Qiang, Shanghai Communist Party Secretary, applauding as he is introduced as a member of the Communist Party of China's Politburo Standing Committee, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Asia & Pacific premium

'Xi Jinping's guy' Li Qiang set to be China's next premier

Li's back-channelling - sources said he bypassed the China Securities Regulatory Commission, which lost some of its power under the new set-up - demonstrated what became a reputation for pragmatism as well as close ties with President Xi Jinping.

3 years ago

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrives at Kuala Lumpur Court Complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain

Asia & Pacific

Former Malaysian PM Muhyiddin charged with abuse of power, money laundering

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged on Friday with abuse of power and money laundering over projects launched under his premiership, accusations that he said were politically motivated.

3 years ago

People walk on a street in Koto district as it snows in Tokyo on Feb. 10, 2023.

Markets

Asian markets tumble as bank worries spread from Wall Street

Asian markets sank again Friday following a rout on Wall Street as signs of trouble at a regional US lender sparked concerns about the wider sector as the Federal Reserve ramps up interest rates.

3 years ago

A mounted skeleton of an extinct Sicilian dwarf elephant, the size of a Shetland pony, is seen at Museo Geologico “G. G. Gemmellaro” in Palermo, Sicily, Italy in this undated handout photo.

Asia & Pacific

Dwarf elephants? Giant rats? Strange island creatures at high risk

A dwarf elephant the size of a Shetland pony once roamed the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. In the West Indies, a giant rat-like rodent tipped the scales at more than 400 pounds (180 kg), rivaling an American black bear.

3 years ago

Tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo (right) arrives at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta, March 1, 2023 to attend a questioning on his suspicious wealth. In his latest official report he filed with the KPK, Rafael’s net worth was Rp 56.1 billion (US$3.7 million).

Society premium

Money laundering, graft rampant at Finance Ministry

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Pahala said the KPK had flagged 134 tax officials with stakes in 280 companies in varying sectors, including tax-consulting services.

3 years ago

Pieces of the past: Atika, of the National Library, displays a newspaper from the library’s archive (JP/Kate Newsome)

Culture

Digitizing Indonesia’s newspapers before they fall to pieces

As Indonesia’s historic newspapers perish in the archives, the country risks forever losing the voices of its past.

3 years ago

Lock the chaos: 'Suzume' tells the story of a high school student who is set on a journey to lock 'doors' across Japan to prevent impending chaos. (Courtesy of CoMix Wave Films/Toho)

Entertainment

Suzume review: Makoto Shinkai's road trip is a chaotic tearjerker

The Japanese auteur, known for global box-office hits such as Your Name, leaves his signature style intact as he addresses the difficulty of accepting what is beyond human understanding.

3 years ago

On the move: People use a pedestrian bridge to cross the road during the morning rush hour in Jakarta on Nov. 29, 2022.

Economy premium

Indonesia needs 6% GDP growth annually to be fifth-biggest economy by 2045

Former Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said that Indonesian economic growth is stuck at 5 percent because of no real breakthrough in manufacturing industry.

3 years ago

A cancer patient is loaded into a radiotherapy machine by a medical staff member in the state-run Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta. The hospital has cooperated with United States-based medical technology company Varian to set up the new equipment in its radiotherapy center.

Society premium

Government vows to improve health care as Indonesians seek treatment abroad

According to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, some 2 million Indonesians leave the country every year seeking medical treatment, costing the country Rp 165 trillion (US$10.6 billion) annually in capital outflows.

3 years ago

In this undated photo, an official seals a ballot box for the 2019 elections at the warehouse of the Madiun General Elections Commission (KPU Madiun) in East Java.

In Depth premium

Explainer: Prima, the party behind the controversial 'election restart' ruling

The relative newcomer has insisted that it wasn't trying to delay the 2024 elections with its lawsuit, merely get the KPU to declare it eligible to participate, even though it failed the verification process – twice.

3 years ago

This picture taken on Oct. 1 shows tear gas released by police among people crowded in the stands after a football match between Arema FC and Persebaya at the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java.

Society

Two match officials jailed over deadly soccer stampede

Organizing official gets 18 months, security official one year.

3 years ago

An employee arranges rupiah banknotes at Bank Mandiri in Jakarta on June 23, 2022. Currencies in Southeast Asia and around the world dropped against the United States dollar in 2022 as the Federal Reserve hiked rates particularly fast.

Academia premium

Deposit guarantee rate should be aligned with BI policy rate

The rigidity of national banking interest rates is accused of opening a dichotomy between the monetary sector and the real sector.

3 years ago

Members of labor organizations protest against the government’s decision to increase subsidized fuel prices, outside the House of Representatives building in Jakarta on Sept. 6, 2022.

Academia premium

Business a harmonizing force in a polarized Asia

The biggest measured contributors to polarization are distrust in government and lack of a shared identity, followed by a feeling that the system is unfair.

3 years ago

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