Rafflesia keithii found in Borneo. Photo by Mike Prince via Flickr
Indonesia News
Two out of three women who petitioned for lawmakers to increase the legal minimum age for girls to marry from 16 to 19 in April have signed a letter to the Constitutional Court today, protesting trial delays. The Court has only held two trials on the matter so far, one in May and another in June. The longer the Court waits, the more harmful it is for girls in Indonesia, where child brides are common. —KompasIndonesia to Turn Its Islands Into Army Bases
The Indonesian Army (TNI) is planning to build army bases in three of Indonesia's outmost islands—Natuna, Bitung, and Selaru. These facilities are hoped to improve Indonesia's border security. A TNI official said that the central government has approved this project, though the budget remains unknown. —Katadata
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A new species of the world's largest flowers has been found in Norrthern Bengkulu in Sumatra. Rafflesia kemumu is the world's 31st Rafflesia, and Indonesia's 15th. The flowers of Rafflesia kemumu can reach 38-44 centimeters in diameter. —MongabayIndonesian Province to Outlaw 'Sexy Clothing' to Combat Harassment
The provincial government (DPRD) in Bengkulu, Sumatra has a solution for the the high number of harassment cases toward girls and women: making "sexy clothing" illegal. Seven out of eight political parties in the DPRD have shown support for this proposed legislation. It's still unclear what they mean by "sexy clothing." —Rakyat Bengkulu
International News
Cristian Beasley was recaptured in an alley near a Lombok beach yesterday after escaping from Bali's Kerobokan prison last week, officials said. He's believed to have escaped from the prison, which holds a lot of foreigners facing drug-related charges, by cutting the bars in the ceiling of his cell and scaling the wall of the prison. —Reuters/ Chicago TribuneTropical Storm in Philippines Kills 30, Sends 89,000 To Shelters
More than 30 people were killed and many others missing as Tropical Storm Kai-Tak caused floods and landslides in central Philippines. The slow-moving storm left many travelers are stranded, and almost 90,000 people have fled to emergency shelters. —The New York Times
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Last Saturday, two couples in Sydney and Melbourne exchanged vows under new legislation which allows same-sex marriage in Australia. The couples wed weeks early than the expected first date for same-sex marriages, Jan. 9, because of the four-week waiting period since the law was passed earlier this month. But they were given permission to waive the notice period since their families had flown in from overseas. —TIMEThousands Watch as 10 People Sentenced to Death in a Stadium in China
Ten people who were sentenced to death for drug-related crimes were executed before a packed sports stadium over the weekend in China's southern Guangdong province. Thousands showed up for the execution, including children. A similar sentencing took place in the same stadium just six months ago. —South China Morning Post
