Indonesia has denied it is considering a ban on certain BlackBerry smartphone services in line with similar moves from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The communications ministry spokesman Gatot Dewa Broto said the government had requested the maker of the popular smartphone, Research in Motion, open a "data centre" in Indonesia but there was no push for a ban.
"It's not true that we're planning to ban BlackBerry services in Indonesia. We just recommended that they open a data centre in Indonesia so the data doesn't have to be routed through Canada," he said.
The spokesman was responding to media reports that Indonesia was considering following measures taken in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to block BlackBerry services including messenger, web browsing and email, citing security concerns.
India is another country mulling restrictions because of fears BlackBerry's encrypted services, which involve data being routed through secure servers in Canada, could be used by militants or others for criminal activities.
Muslim-majority Indonesia has a problem with homegrown Islamic militancy but Broto refused to comment on whether the government saw BlackBerry's services as a security concern, saying only that there had been "no complaints".
* AFP
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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