Indonesia News
Exploring the Ghost Villages of Mt. Agung
The Bali volcano is inching closer to an eruption and the villages that once lined its slopes are now eerie, quiet places where wild dogs reign supreme. Despite the imminent danger, some locals just can’t stay away from their homes for long. We sent our photographer out to capture what it’s like to be one of the few people to stay while hundred of thousands others have fled to evacuation camps. —VICE
Bank Indonesia Orders a Deep Freeze on “E-Money” Services
The Indonesian central bank suspended several “top-up” services offered by e-commerce giants like Tokopedia and Bukalapak for not have the appropriate business permits needed to run such a service. Customers of both TokoCash and BukaDompet found their accounts frozen as both companies worked to secure the correct permits. —Katadata
Videos by VICE
Actress Nikita Mirzani Faces Defamation Suit Over (Allegedly) Poor Review of “GS30/PKI”
The popular actress reportedly tweeted out a harsh review of the 80s anti-communist propaganda film Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI last weekend, writing, “The G30S/PKI movie is boring. Commander Gatot should’ve been dropped into Lubang Buaya, that would’ve been exciting.” The Anti-Communist Youth Movement (GEPAK) obviously thought otherwise (see the name there?) and they plan to file a complaint against Nikita accusing her of hate speech and insulting the military. Nikita, in her defense, says she never wrote the tweet in the first place. —CNN Indonesia
International News
Opposition Politician Wants the West to Sanction Cambodia
Mu Sochua, deputy president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), said western nations supplying aid to her country should suspend assistance and introduce sanctions against government officials. Sochua left Cambodia after CNRP leader Kem Sokha was arrested last month, accused by the government of treason.—Reuters
White House Outlines Aid and Debt Relief for Puerto Rico
The Trump administration will reportedly ask Congress for $12.77 billion USD to boost hurricane relief work and $16 billion USD to clear some of the US territory’s debt. Puerto Rico reportedly owes almost $70 billion USD to creditors. Referring to the territory’s debt in a Fox News interview, President Trump said “we’re going to have to wipe that out.” Trump, who visited the island Tuesday, said Wall Street would have to “wave goodbye” to sums owed.—CBS News / CNBC News
Catalan Government Set to Proclaim Independence
Carles Puigdemont, head of the Catalonia’s regional government, said it would “act at the end of this week or the beginning of next” to separate from Spain. He said the result of the referendum—almost 90 percent of those who voted backed independence—gave the region “the right to create our own state.” Spain’s King Felipe VI said the Catalan government had “broken the democratic principles of the rule of law.”—BBC News
Everything Else
‘Stranger Things’ Has its Own Retro Video Game
An eighties-style adventure game for cell phones is now available as a free download to mark the return of the Netflix show. Stranger Things: The Game allows users to choose between seven characters from the series.—Rolling Stone
Yahoo Now Says Three Billion Accounts Were Hit in Hack
The company has revealed that a 2013 data theft affected all of its users. Yahoo had previously claimed only one billion accounts had been hit, but a statement released Tuesday said the company had “recently obtained new intelligence.”—Motherboard
Jared Leto to Star in Hugh Hefner Biopic
The actor has reportedly signed on to play the founder of Playboy in a project sanctioned by Hefner before he died. Director Brett Ratner said Leto told him: “I want to play him. I want to understand him.”—VICE
Haim Releases Paul Thomas Anderson-Directed Video
The band dropped visuals for “Little of Your Love” from Something to Tell You. Featuring the There Will Be Blood filmmaker’s typical long takes, the clip focuses on the Haim sisters line dancing in a country and western bar.—Noisey
More
From VICE
-
Adrián Simancas -
Letlive./Facebook -
Screenshot: KAFI -
Bettmann / Getty Images