Indonesia deploys F-16s to islands after maritime incident with Chinese ‘thieves’

Indonesia deploys F-16s to islands after maritime incident with Chinese ‘thieves’

Special to WorldTribune.com Indonesia’s defense minister called China’s intruding coast guard vessels “thieves” and vowed to deploy U.S. F-16 fighter jets to the Natuna islands. “Natuna is a door, if the door is not guarded then thieves will come inside,” said Ryamizard Ryacudu, a former army chief of staff. “There has been all this fuss […]

ISIL claims responsibility for Paris-style attack in Jakarta

ISIL claims responsibility for Paris-style attack in Jakarta

Special to WorldTribune.com An Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) jihadist instructed his Indonesia cells to launch a Paris-style attack in Jakarta on Jan. 14, police said. Two people were killed and 24 injured as five terrorists attacked a Starbucks cafe and a traffic police booth with hand-made bombs, guns and suicide vests, Jakarta […]

Reporters vs editors: Paul Morton’s story is finally told

Reporters vs editors: Paul Morton’s story is finally told

Special to WorldTribune.com By Donald Kirk, East-Asia-Intel.com Fights between reporters and editors are classic. Reporters don’t trust editors, and editors don’t trust reporters. That little observation is by way of commenting on what has to be about the worst reporter-editor rift in the history of journalism. That’s the betrayal of the Canadian correspondent who parachuted […]

Australian police monitored Indonesian airline pilots possibly radicalized by ISIL

Australian police monitored Indonesian airline pilots possibly radicalized by ISIL

Special to WorldTribune.com An Australian Federal Police (AFP) intelligence report details how the AFP was watching two Indonesian pilots who may have been radicalized by Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). According to the report obtained by the Guardian and an affiliated publication tied to former columnist Glenn Greenwald and former intelligence community contractor […]

Beijing’s hard power push seen stigmatizing nation for ‘imperial overreach’

Beijing’s hard power push seen stigmatizing nation for ‘imperial overreach’

Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, EastAsiaIntel.com The Xi Jinping administration’s aggressive power projection in the South China Sea could deal a frontal blow to Beijing’s “peripheral diplomacy,” which is supposed to improve the country’s relations with neighbors in the Asia-Pacific Region. The Xi leadership has redoubled reclamation efforts in several islets and rocks in […]

Indonesia offers to train Saudis in naval operations

Indonesia offers to train Saudis in naval operations

Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — The Muslim states of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are exploring naval cooperation. Officials said Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have discussed such options as joint exercises, training and exchange of officers. “Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic country, comprising more than 17,000 islands,” Indonesian ambassador to Riyad, Abdul Rahman Fachir, […]

Iran to build $3 billion refinery in Indonesia

Iran to build $3 billion refinery in Indonesia

Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Iran and Indonesia have reached agreement to build an oil refinery. Industry sources said Iran would construct the refinery in Indonesia in a project headed by PT Kreasindo Resources Indonesia and the Teheran-based Nakhle Barani Pardis. The sources said Indonesia would own 70 percent of the refinery, designed for a […]

Asia joins world economy’s new normal as China loses its edge

Asia joins world economy’s new normal as China loses its edge

John J. Metzler UNITED NATIONS — “Asia Pacific economic economies will see subdued growth in 2013 after last year’s sharp slowdown caused by external factors,” is the prognosis from a recent UN survey. “Economic growth in the developing countries of Asia and the Pacific slowed to 5.5 percent in 2012 as a result of the […]