Facebook in Indonesia: 64 Million Users, But No Facebook Office

Facebook in Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the top five countries worldwide in terms of Facebook users, and recently, rumors have spread that the California-based company is gearing up to open an office in Indonesia later this year.

Charlene Chian, Facebook's head of communications for Asia-Pacific, says the social media site now has 64 million monthly active users in Indonesia. Dan Neary, Facebook VP for Asia-Pacific, shared at the recent IDByte conference that Indonesia as one of the key countries to help Facebook reach the next billion in its user base. Chian explains how they plan to reach out to more users in Indonesia:

Given that Indonesia is one of our top five countries with most users (as of October 2012), we are definitely looking at how we can help Indonesians be able to benefit more from our platform. For a start, we are looking at working closer with digital media agencies through creative workshops to help them gain better skills and knowledge to better help their clients.

SEE ALSO: A Peek Inside Facebook Office Singapore

Despite the tremendous user base in Indonesia, Chian says, "No, we currently have no plans to set up an office in Indonesia." For now, that leaves Indonesia as the only country in the top five without its own office.

Image courtesy of siska maria eviline/Flickr

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This article originally published at Tech in Asia here

TOPICS: FACEBOOK, FACEBOOK HEADQUARTERS, INDONESIA, INDONESIAN, OFFICE, SOCIAL MEDIA,USERS, WORLD

U.N. peacekeeper of TPDF" killed by M23 Rebels

Ex Lt Ahmed Mlima (TPDF)

Report By: Kenny Katombe and Chrispin Mvano
KINSHASA (Reuters) - 

A U.N. peacekeeper was killed and another injured during a third day of fighting between government forces and rebels in eastern Congo on Sunday, as the army pressed toward the rebel stronghold of Rutshuru. 

The U.N. mission in Congo (MONUSCO) said, the Tanzanian peacekeeper was killed during fighting with M23 rebels in the town of Kiwanja, north of the regional capital Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo.

"The soldier died while protecting the people of Kiwanja," Martin Kobler, the head of MONUSCO, said in a statement. The previous round of clashes between the army and rebels in late August killed at least two Tanzanian peacekeepers.

Following two months of relative calm in the region, fighting flared up on Friday after peace talks in Uganda broke down when M23 pressed for a full amnesty for its leaders. Each side blamed the other for starting the fighting.

President Joseph Kabila, who last week threatened a return to military action, said an unconditional amnesty not an option.

A Congolese army officer on the front line said the army took Kiwanja and Kalingera from M23 on Sunday, a day after wresting the strategic town of Kibumba near the Rwandan border from the insurgents.

Fighting was continuing at Kiguri, 25 km (15 miles) north of Goma, he said.

The army had also opened a second front to the north of M23 positions and was moving southward to Rutshuru, officers said.

"We are consolidating the zones we have conquered," army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli told Reuters near the front line. "Very soon we will take Rutshuru. Those who disarm we will accept, the others we will pursue."

M23 said in a statement on Sunday it had withdrawn its troops from Kiwanja, accusing the army of sending in fighters in civilian clothing to try to draw U.N. troops into the conflict.

M23 threatened to withdraw its delegation from the stalled peace talks in Kampala unless there was an immediate end to hostilities. It said it would then launch a large-scale counter-offensive.

U.N. BRIGADE

Congo's army, supported by a new U.N. intervention brigade, scored its first victories against the rebel movement, which has been fighting for nearly two years, in late August, forcing the rebels away from Goma.

The U.N. brigade has a tough new mandate to eliminate armed groups in the eastern provinces, though it has not been involved in the past three days of fighting.

The support of the brigade and the weakening of the rebels has fuelled belief that Congo's army - notoriously disorganized, undisciplined and under-supplied - could defeat M23.

Army sources told Reuters reporters in Goma that M23 had been weakened by desertions, with some 40 rebels taking advantage of a corridor created by the government troops to allow then to flee rebel lines.

M23 began in early 2012 as a mutiny by soldiers demanding the government implement the terms of a 2009 peace deal signed with a previous Rwanda-backed rebel group, many of whose members had been integrated into the army.

U.N. investigators and the Congolese government have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, charges Rwanda has repeatedly denied.

Army spokesman Hamuli said some M23 fighters had fled towards the Rwandan border in the face of the army advance.

"There are small pockets of M23 resistance in the hills near Rwanda," he said. "We think Rwanda has to prove its good faith and oblige M23 to disarm, or disarm them itself."

He refused to discuss the possibility of a return to peace talks in Kampala. "We are soldiers," he said. "We will continue to do our jobs as soldiers."

(Reporting by Pete Jones; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Alison Williams)

Dillish Matthews - The winner of BBA The Chase, 2013

Dillish Matthews, the winner of the last edition of Big Brother Africa (The winner of BBA The Chase, 2013) seems to be adapting to fame and settling well into her celebrity life.

The 22-year-old Namibian seems to be going down the route of most female celebs who once in a while want to show us they've got a fab body by taking her top off. Sad though, Dillish didn't turn around for a 'full disclosure'.

Dillish who made a quick trip to Johannesburg but has returned to Nigeria which seems to be the entertainment capital for BBA housemates. Days earlier, Dillish visited Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole before going to party with fellow BBA housemate Selly at Sofa Lounge, Abuja on October 19, 2013. 

14 Facebook Tools You Didn't Know Existed

Facebook Tools You Didn't Know Existed

OPEN GALLERY

1. Activity Log

You've probably seen that button on your cover photo labeled "Activity Log," but unless you're a Facebook power user you probably haven't explored this tool. It shows you every activity you do on Facebook, whether it's liking a photo, posting a status, or updating your information. You can even filter by type of activity to make it more targeted.

Image: Facebook

Show As List

You know all about Facebook's basic tools. You can post statuses and share articles with the best of 'em. But how often do you check your Activity Log? What is the Browse tool for?

You're not off the hook either, Brand Pages. You may know that Facebook Exchange targets ads based on user's online activity, but did you know you can create Custom Audiences to share content with?

SEE ALSO: The Beginner's Guide to Facebook

For these and other Facebook tools you probably aren't using, check out the gallery. Hone those Facebook skills to get the most of out of world's most popular social site.

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Image: Flickr, mkhmarketing

TOPICS: ADVERTISING, APPS AND SOFTWARE, DEV & DESIGN, FACEBOOK, MARKETING, MOBILE,SOCIAL, SOCIAL MEDIA, TECH, TOOLS