At least four people were killed and three others hospitalized from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning during the widespread blackout that plunged nearly all of Sumatra into darkness over the weekend, as businesses across the island grappled with heavy losses caused by the massive power disruption.

The blackout affected not only North Sumatra, but also other provinces inlcuding Aceh, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra.

Weather modification efforts started on May 15 for 20 days in cooperation with the Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The OPM's paramilitary wing has claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that the miners were undercover intelligence operatives, while security forces continue to search the area for other miners who might still be in hiding.

Musim Mas allegedly encroached forest land for their palm oil plantation with an overlapped right-to-use (HGU) certificate for 29,000 hectares plot of land.

An NGO has called for social forestry permits for communities who cultivate protected forest areas while also working to protect the environment to protect them from alleged encroachment in state forest.

This year’s Idul Adha is expected to fall on May 27, with around 2.3 million animals projected to be slaughtered nationwide, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) decided to separate the auction of the MT Arman 114 super tanker and its load of some 1.2 million barrels of crude oil, after three failures to auction them as a package.

According to Heluka, the attack was carried out in retaliation for the recent deaths of two OPM members during a clash with Indonesian security forces.

The miners were attacked while working in the far-flung district of Yahukimo, Papua Pegunungan province on Wednesday, military spokesman Lt. Col. Wirya Arthadiguna said in a statement.

Head of Emergency Response, Equipment and Logistics at the North Sumatra BPBD, Sri Wahyuni Pancasilawati, urged people in Batangtoru to remain vigilant for further landslides.

While hundreds of survivors of deadly floods and landslides in Aceh Tamiang have relocated to temporary housing sites, dozens others opt to stay in tents due to the poor condition of their provisional shelters

The Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru led the multiagency effort to repatriate a total of 232 deportees by sea from Malaysia to Batam's central ferry terminal over two days. 

Although Nurinda has finally been able to return, years of abandonment have devastated the farm. Nearly 90 percent of her coffee crops are gone, wiping out the harvest her family once depended on for income.

Earlier in the year, BPBDs across Riau were fighting forest fires because of a forecasted long dry season but high rainfall in the past few days has swept most of forest and land fires and caused flooding, instead.

Police said the clashes also caused extensive property damage, with 177 houses, 63 traditional honai homes, eight shophouses, a school building and a village office set on fire. The conflicting groups also torched 48 cars and 43 motorcycles.

The province recorded 748 cases as of April 30, with 51 cases having tested positive after laboratory tests, compared to March 5 data with only 387 cases.

Inspection found that there was less than 5 percent of hazardous and toxic goods in one e-waste container.

The two are suspected to have used some Rp 7 billion (US$397,660) from the total Rp 28 billion embezzled from the Catholic Church parish' credit union in Aek Nabara, Labuhanbatu regency.

With a total of 202 strokes of rattan cane, it was the largest accumulation of strokes in the regency.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni pointed to strengthening prevention systems, integrated early warning, stricter law enforcement and community-based approaches at the site level as steps to decease forest fires.

Bali Health Agency gave an assurance that no case of suspected hantavirus had yet been found in Bali. However, surveillance and prevention measures have been strengthened after several suspected hantavirus cases were found in other regions in Indonesia.

The mass food poisoning was linked to a beef meal in the day’s menu, pending results of laboratry test results. 

Satrio Wiratama, the 170-day-old panda cub, was born in November last year in Taman Safari Indonesia zoo in Cisarua, Bogor regency, West Java, to a pair of pandas loaned by China to Indonesia.

Two fishermen from Batam, Riau Islands, drifted away into Malaysian waters after their fishing boat ran out of fuel in April.

Tengku Ariefanda Abdul Djalil Rahmadshah was appointed sultan once his father Langkat Sultan XIV Tengku Azwar Abdul Djalil Rahmadshah passed away. 

A cliff near the mine collapsed on Thursday, burying a group of miners working only three meters away, said West Sumatra police spokeswoman Susmelawati Rosya.