Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday cancelled a planned visit to China as nationwide protests spread beyond Jakarta, with several regional parliament buildings set on fire.
Prabowo had been scheduled to attend a “Victory Day” parade in Beijing on 3 September, marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two. But presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said the president wanted to remain in Indonesia to monitor the unrest and “seek the best solutions”. He added that Prabowo had apologised to Beijing and also considered his upcoming participation at the United Nations General Assembly.
The demonstrations, seen as the first major challenge to Prabowo’s year-old administration, erupted in Jakarta earlier this week over lawmakers’ allowances. Tensions escalated after a police vehicle fatally struck a motorcyclist.
Authorities have warned that disinformation circulating online has fuelled anger. On Saturday, TikTok suspended its live-streaming feature in Indonesia for several days after the government summoned social media companies, including Meta and ByteDance, to strengthen moderation.
Meanwhile, violence intensified across the country. Fires broke out at parliament buildings in West Nusa Tenggara, Pekalongan in Central Java, and Cirebon in West Java. In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, three people died in an arson attack on the local assembly building, according to the national disaster agency, while two others were injured after leaping from the burning structure. Another fatality was reported by local media but could not be independently confirmed.
Protests also reached Bali, where police deployed teargas, while in Jakarta demonstrators looted the home of NasDem party lawmaker Ahmad Sahroni, seizing furniture and other possessions. Sahroni, accused of dismissing calls to dissolve parliament, had earlier labelled his critics “the stupidest people in the world.”
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, inves...
Pakistan faces a fresh test over preferential access to one of its biggest export markets as the European Union introduces a new GSP+ framework fro...
Kazakhstan plans to build an international Earth observation satellite network of up to 14 spacecraft, expanding a project already bringing togethe...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A battle over the future of the European Union’s diplomatic service is deepening divisions over who controls the bloc’s foreign policy, as EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas pushes back against plans to overhaul her service.
The Strait of Hormuz is moving into a more complicated stage of the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran says it will establish a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway, while Iran and Oman are preparing to formalise a separate shipping route intended to restore at least part of commercial traffic.
The European Union is preparing to boost investment in Greenland, as Brussels moves to deepen political and economic ties with the Arctic territory amid growing strategic competition involving the U.S., Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment