Mount Anak Krakatau, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Jakarta, erupted on Saturday, spewing a fountain of lava and a plume of volcanic ash.

The fire was first spotted in the town of Paniai shortly after midnight, and it quickly spread to several shophouses, local police spokesman Comr. Henry J. Manurung said.

Eight airports halted operations over the weekend after ash was detected in their airspace, disrupting hundreds of flights and leaving more than 170,000 passengers stranded, according to the transport ministry.

Ash from Anak Krakatau, which sits halfway between Java and Sumatra islands, has blanketed Jakarta and several surrounding areas since it erupted late on Friday, leading to the closure of the airports for safety reasons. 

Critics say the new commitment to pass the asset forfeiture bill may be driven by the government’s need to finance President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs, while also underlining concerns about the lack of transparency around the draft law.

Owned by Turkish personal care and hygiene items manufacturer Evyap, the Indonesian factory produces fatty acids, glycerine and esters.

The Denpasar District Court handed down a nine-year prison term to Baath Jarnail Singh for possessing over 1.4 kilograms of cocaine and heard a sentence demand of eight years for Darren Granville Craig over drug trafficking charges, both on Sept. 1.

Ashfall from Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption has disrupted hundreds of flights over the weekend, sending volcanic ash across parts of Java and Sumatra and adding pressure on a country already grappling with a series of disasters.

Batam’s characteristics as an industry and investment support area require the police to maintain security stability to maintain investors’ trust, including foreigners.

The three convicted men accepted their sentences, which were lighter than the 1.5 years and Rp 50 million fine each that the prosecutor had demanded.

Mount Anak Krakatau erupted on Saturday, producing a fountain of lava and booming sounds that could be heard up to 700 kilometres (435 miles) away, the geology agency said in a statement.

Mount Anak Krakatau has erupted since late on Friday, with volcanic ash disrupting hundreds of flights as Indonesia faces a string of natural disasters across the archipelago.

Indonesia’s “independent” university admission system is facing renewed scrutiny following the arrest of senior officials at a state university, with experts warning that weak oversight and broad institutional discretion could allow wealthy applicants to buy their way into coveted academic programs.

The Jakarta Police released face sketches of two men allegedly involved in the murder of a local bystander during the unrest after a protest in Jakarta on Aug. 27, while also declined to tie the rioters to a specific group yet.

Residents in danger zones should always be on guard because there could be a major eruption at any time.

Sempurna, an adult male Bornean orangutan previously found weak in a community oil palm plantation in West Kalimantan’s Ketapang, died after suffering from low blood oxygen level from inhaling too much wildfire smoke, as confirmed by authorities.

New National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Sudaryono, who oversees the free meals program, described the series of food poisoning incidents lately as “deliberate negligence” by kitchens that had failed to follow the agency’s food-safety procedures. 

An NBO-105 light, multirole, twin-engine helicopter with a water capacity of some 9,000 liters from the Yogyakarta Police was used for water bombing. 

Indonesia has intensified efforts to contain haze in six provinces hit the hardest by forest and land fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra islands, which so far have reached 73,311 hectares. 

The Indonesian Navy deployed personnel from multiple units and arrested 16 people who arrived illegally from Malaysia, but the two people, a speedboat skipper and a crew member, are still at large. 

In separate cases across at least three major islands, more than 2,000 students and teachers fell ill after eating lunch issued by the government as part of a scheme to eradicate malnutrition launched by Prabowo last year.

Residents said they are used to Mount Sinabung's eruptions and that Monday's eruption was not as big as the previous ones, hence their reluctance to evacuate.

Riau Islands’ geographical conditions bordering neighboring countries have their own security challenges in the face of transnational crimes.

Dayak communities' familiarity with forested terrain and local social dynamics could add operational value to the TNI, particularly in disaster preparedness and strengthening the military's presence in remote areas.

Civil society groups have presented their own draft bill on indigenous peoples to the House of Representatives, seeking legislation that would provide legal standing for the underserved and dispossessed.

Jakarta’s public transportation system is seeing rising ridership across major modes this year, signaling growing demand for reliable mass transit, but experts say its potential remains largely untapped without better connections to the thousands of housing developments across Greater Jakarta.

Lands within business concessions of a size roughly equivalent to the total area of Jakarta have been burned since January, with most fire coming from areas earmarked for oil palm plantations, according to a recent analysis from an environmental group.