'Roughly ten cars were burnt' - Riots leave trail of destruction across Jakarta after delivery driver killed

'Roughly ten cars were burnt' - Riots leave trail of destruction across Jakarta after delivery driver killed

"Burnt cars can be seen blocking a busy street in Jakarta as a result of recent riots, which were initially sparked by public outrage over perceived extravagance among lawmakers, including a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (3,000 USD) and the death of an online delivery driver who was hit by a police vehicle. Footage from Saturday shows charred vehicles and extensive damage along the street, as locals gather in groups to salvage scrap metal from the wrecked cars. "There were quite a few, scattered here and there," said one resident, adding, "Roughly ten cars were burnt." "There were others like me. It was my own initiative, just to make a living. That's what I do every day, collecting scrap," the man noted. The fatal incident occurred on Thursday near parliament, where police had been attempting to quell unrest over lawmakers’ pay and education funding. Violence later spread to the Brigade Mobile Police compound in Central Jakarta, where riot police deployed tear gas and additional armoured vehicles in clashes with protesters. President Prabowo described the police response as 'excessive' and demanded a transparent investigation. The national police chief issued a public apology and confirmed that seven officers had been detained in connection with the killing. Despite these pledges, unrest escalated across the country. Protests broke out in Bandung and Surabaya on Java, as well as Gorontalo and Makassar on Sulawesi, where demonstrators torched police and legislative buildings."

'Roughly ten cars were burnt' - Riots leave trail of destruction across Jakarta after delivery driver killed

'Roughly ten cars were burnt' - Riots leave trail of destruction across Jakarta after delivery driver killed

"Burnt cars can be seen blocking a busy street in Jakarta as a result of recent riots, which were initially sparked by public outrage over perceived extravagance among lawmakers, including a monthly housing allowance of 50 million rupiah (3,000 USD) and the death of an online delivery driver who was hit by a police vehicle. Footage from Saturday shows charred vehicles and extensive damage along the street, as locals gather in groups to salvage scrap metal from the wrecked cars. "There were quite a few, scattered here and there," said one resident, adding, "Roughly ten cars were burnt." "There were others like me. It was my own initiative, just to make a living. That's what I do every day, collecting scrap," the man noted. The fatal incident occurred on Thursday near parliament, where police had been attempting to quell unrest over lawmakers’ pay and education funding. Violence later spread to the Brigade Mobile Police compound in Central Jakarta, where riot police deployed tear gas and additional armoured vehicles in clashes with protesters. President Prabowo described the police response as 'excessive' and demanded a transparent investigation. The national police chief issued a public apology and confirmed that seven officers had been detained in connection with the killing. Despite these pledges, unrest escalated across the country. Protests broke out in Bandung and Surabaya on Java, as well as Gorontalo and Makassar on Sulawesi, where demonstrators torched police and legislative buildings."

'Definitely no decisions today!' - Kallas 'not optimistic' as EU 'divided' over Ukraine's security guarantees, sanctions on Russia

'Definitely no decisions today!' - Kallas 'not optimistic' as EU 'divided' over Ukraine's security guarantees, sanctions on Russia

"European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas voiced doubts about the EU reaching unanimity on freezing Russian assets, speaking ahead of Saturday's foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen. "I'm not very optimistic and today we are definitely not going to adopt decisions," stated Kallas, "If you don't have a unified voice, then on this topic, we don't have a voice on the global scene. So that's definitely very problematic." "We can't possibly imagine that if there is a ceasefire or a peace deal that these assets are given back to Russia if they haven't paid for the reparations," the VP added. While other foreign ministers backed increasing pressure on Moscow with new sanctions, they remained divided over the confiscation of Russian assets. "My question is, who is going to pay for support Ukraine? Because we need lots of money and it's a long period, we need to support Ukraine. And there are no legal reasons why we cannot do. This is the only political reason. And we don't have this consensus," addressed Estonian FM Margus Tsahkna. "If you want the goose to keep lying golden eggs, you must not kill the goose [...] So confiscating those assets is not an option for us," remarked Belgian FM Maxime Prevot. Approximately 210 billion euros ($245.85 billion) in Russian assets are frozen within the bloc due to sanctions linked to Moscow's operation in Ukraine, according to the EU. While Ukraine and several Baltic states urged the seizure of the assets and allocating them to support Kiev, major EU members, including France and Germany, have opposed the idea, questioning the legal basis for confiscation. The informal meeting of foreign ministers is held under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, from August 29 to 30."

'Definitely no decisions today!' - Kallas 'not optimistic' as EU 'divided' over Ukraine's security guarantees, sanctions on Russia

'Definitely no decisions today!' - Kallas 'not optimistic' as EU 'divided' over Ukraine's security guarantees, sanctions on Russia

"European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas voiced doubts about the EU reaching unanimity on freezing Russian assets, speaking ahead of Saturday's foreign ministers' meeting in Copenhagen. "I'm not very optimistic and today we are definitely not going to adopt decisions," stated Kallas, "If you don't have a unified voice, then on this topic, we don't have a voice on the global scene. So that's definitely very problematic." "We can't possibly imagine that if there is a ceasefire or a peace deal that these assets are given back to Russia if they haven't paid for the reparations," the VP added. While other foreign ministers backed increasing pressure on Moscow with new sanctions, they remained divided over the confiscation of Russian assets. "My question is, who is going to pay for support Ukraine? Because we need lots of money and it's a long period, we need to support Ukraine. And there are no legal reasons why we cannot do. This is the only political reason. And we don't have this consensus," addressed Estonian FM Margus Tsahkna. "If you want the goose to keep lying golden eggs, you must not kill the goose [...] So confiscating those assets is not an option for us," remarked Belgian FM Maxime Prevot. Approximately 210 billion euros ($245.85 billion) in Russian assets are frozen within the bloc due to sanctions linked to Moscow's operation in Ukraine, according to the EU. While Ukraine and several Baltic states urged the seizure of the assets and allocating them to support Kiev, major EU members, including France and Germany, have opposed the idea, questioning the legal basis for confiscation. The informal meeting of foreign ministers is held under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, from August 29 to 30."

‘The surfers were methodical and mesmerising’: Ed Templeton’s best phone picture

‘The surfers were methodical and mesmerising’: Ed Templeton’s best phone picture

The US photographer watched on enviously as young people enjoyed the artificial wave in the centre of Munich Ed Templeton had woken up in Zurich, Switzerland, that morning, but by the early afternoon he’d arrived by train in Germany. He was visiting the city of Munich, and after dropping his bags at a central hotel, he walked to the city’s Englischer Garten. “It’s one of the biggest parks in Europe,” he says, and home to the Eisbach river’s famous artificial wave. “The surfers follow unwritten rules based on respect that are fascinating to watch. They line up on either side of the river and take turns. When one surfer falls off the wave and is swept away in the current, another jumps on, and everyone cheers each other on. It’s methodical and quite mesmerising. It takes great skill to jump from the wall into the wave, and manoeuvre back and forth in such a narrow space.” He took this image from a bridge, because “while the banks on either side of the river create a perfect amphitheatre to watch, it gets so packed, it’s tough to find an open spot”. Despite this, Templeton adds that “the spectators are very quiet, mostly watching in awe, so it’s quite peaceful and relaxing to find a perch in the shady forest”. Continue reading...