Category: Indonesia

Indonesia

Wildfires Are Closing In on Indonesia’s New Capital—Now Authorities Are Racing Against Time

JAKARTA/NUSANTARA — Wildfires are spreading across areas surrounding Indonesia’s under-construction capital, Nusantara, forcing authorities to intensify firefighting efforts as an unusually severe dry season raises fears that the blazes could worsen. Authorities overseeing the Nusantara capital project have called for stronger intervention, including aerial water bombing and cloud-seeding operations, as fires continue to burn across parts of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. The latest

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s Wildfires Are Choking Southeast Asia — But September May Be the Most Dangerous Month Yet

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s worsening forest and land fires have turned into a regional air-quality crisis, sending smoke across international borders, disrupting schools and flights, and exposing millions of people to unhealthy air. But the most worrying part may be what comes next. Indonesian officials and climate experts say September could prove to be one of the most critical periods of the 2026 fire season as an exceptionally strong El Niño combines with prolonged dry weather across major parts

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Indonesia

Indonesia’s West Java Goes Up in Flames as Wildfires Burn 237 Hectares—And the Crisis May Get Worse

WEST JAVA, INDONESIA — Indonesia’s wildfire crisis is intensifying as forest and land fires in West Java have burned at least 237 hectares, with authorities recording 168 separate fire incidents across the province. The latest figures, reported as of Thursday, Sept. 3, show that the fires have affected 186 subdistricts spanning 21 districts and cities. Despite the scale of the fires, authorities reported that no residents had been injured as of the latest update. The situation has been particu

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Indonesia

PH Haze Alert: Indonesian Wildfire Smoke Spreads Across Several Areas—Here’s Where Air Quality Is Worst

MANILA, Philippines — The haze hanging over parts of the Philippines is continuing to raise air-quality concerns, with authorities monitoring elevated levels of fine particulate matter in several areas as smoke from forest and land fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is carried across the region by prevailing winds. The Philippine News Agency reported Thursday that haze remained visible in several parts of the country, with Talisay City, Cebu, recording a PM2.5 reading classified as “acutely unheal

September 3, 2026

Indonesia

India’s Modi Emerges as a Potential Diplomatic Bridge Between Russia and Iran

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek have put a new question on the table: Could India become an important bridge between countries locked in major conflicts? Modi’s position is unusual. India maintains a longstanding strategic relationship with Russia while also maintaining working ties with Iran and close relations with the United States and other

September 2, 2026

Indonesia

TO SECURE THE NATUNA SEA, INDONESIA NEEDS MORE THAN NEW SHIPS

Indonesia is expanding its maritime fleet, but the battle for the North Natuna Sea will increasingly depend on something less visible than ships: real-time surveillance, intelligence, enforcement capacity and regional cooperation. Indonesia is adding new patrol vessels to strengthen its presence in the North Natuna Sea, one of Southeast Asia’s most strategically sensitive maritime areas. But there is a problem. A bigger fleet does not automatically create better maritime security. The latest

September 2, 2026

Indonesia

INDONESIA,UNITED STATES KICK OFF ANNUAL MULTINATIONAL MILITARY EXERCISES

Indonesia and U.S. Launch Major Super Garuda Shield Military Exercise BANDUNG, Indonesia — Indonesia and the United States have launched the 2026 edition of Super Garuda Shield, bringing together thousands of military personnel from Indonesia, the U.S. and partner nations for nearly two weeks of multinational training across Indonesia. The exercise officially opened in Bandung, West Java, on August 31, with training scheduled through September 11, 2026. U.S. Pacific Command says approximately

September 2, 2026

Indonesia

Kalimantan’s Air Quality Has Turned Hazardous as Indonesia’s Wildfires Explode — But the Worst Threat May Still Be Smouldering Underground

JAKARTA — Thick wildfire smoke has pushed air pollution to dangerous levels across parts of Indonesian Borneo, deepening a fire crisis that has already burned hundreds of thousands of hectares, sickened thousands of people and sent haze across Southeast Asia. Central Kalimantan's capital, Palangkaraya, recorded an extraordinary US AQI reading of 780 on the private air-quality monitoring platform IQAir late Monday morning, Aug. 31, placing conditions firmly in its “hazardous” category. Pontianak

August 31, 2026