Road Death, Rogue Monks, and Anies For President?: The VICE Evening Bulletin

Indonesia’s Road Death Rate is World’s Highest
Every year, 28,000 to 38,000 people die in road accidents in Indonesia. This makes us the country with the highest rate of deadly traffic accidents in the world. Experts attribute this problem to the amount of drivers who genuinely have no knowledge of the traffic rules, and those who know better but choose to ignore the rules. Who says ignorance is bliss? —Kompas

Police Investigate Rumors of Bahrun Naim’s Death
Bahrun Naim, the man who allegedly orchestrated the series of bombings in Jakarta last year, is said to have died in Syria today, according to group chats of Jihadists. If the the rumor was true, it would be a big blow to pro-ISIS groups in Indonesia, since Naim is considered to be one of the leaders of the militant group’s presence in the country. —Berita Satu

Woman Dies From Electric Shock from Laptop Charger
A college student in Surabaya died last weekend from electric shock as she unplugged her laptop charger in her kost. Officials found a flood in her room, which might have caused the accident. —Liputan 6

Anies Baswedan Could Be President Joko Widodo's Biggest Threat in 2019, Survey Says
In a survey in November, Indo Barometer found that Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan is a popular choice among Indonesians to become the next president. The survey asked respondents who they would vote for president if the election was to happen that day, and 34.9 percent of votes were cast for President Jokowi, followed by 3.6 percent for Prabowo Subianto, and 3.1 percent for Anies. —Tempo

Thailand to Punish 'Rogue' Monks Who Engage in Activism, Sex, Cross-Dressing
Thailand is cracking down on its ubiquitous orange-robed monks after the arrest of a senior monk in a widely publicized sexual harassment scandal shined a light on the prevalence of so-called "rogue" monks. Those caught engaging in sexual activities, cross-dressing, or political activism will be punished by Thai authorities. —The Straits Times

Dengue Immunization Program in the Philippines Might Backfire
A vaccine made by French pharma company Sanofi is being put on ice amid concerns that it might make the mosquito-borne disease even more deadly for some children. The issue here is that there are multiple strains of the dengue virus, and each subsequent infection is typically worse. So children who were never infected might catch a stronger version of the illness if they've been vaccinated. The program already injected more than 700,000 children with the vaccine. —BBC

Hollywood Pissed About 'Rampant Piracy' In Singapore
The tiny city-state is known in the region for its strict rules, but apparently the laws don't pertain to the sale of so-called Kodi boxes—small television devices that allow viewers to watched streams of pirated content from their living rooms. Singaporeans use the boxes to watch uncensored versions of Western shows, but Hollywood says illicit streaming cost the industry $31.8 billion USD in losses this year. —Bloomberg

Japanese Whaling Industry Under Fire For Violating International Ban
It's illegal to hunt sei whales on the open ocean, but Japan's fleet of "research vessels" have been doing just that for decades—all under the claim that they are catching the whales for scientific research and selling the meat as an afterthought. Now global wildlife organizations are considering sanctions if Japan continues its hunts. —Japan Times

What It's Like to Grow Up as the Nephew of Olo Panggabean, the 'Godfather of Medan'
Being the nephew of the godfather of Medan has its perks—including access to his swanky mansions and respect on the streets. But it wasn't all a gangster's paradise for Chris Panggabean. —VICE

What Shrinking Snack Sizes Can Tell Us About the Indonesian Economy
Our favorite childhood snacks are way smaller than they used to be. Is it a problem of perception (i.e. we got bigger) or sales? VICE investigates. —VICE

Studio Ghibli Announced Another New Film
It's coming from Miyazaki, just not the one you know. Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro is going to direct a new film, according to the company. Let's hope his CG animated film stacks up to his dad's work. —VICE