Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The number of student applicants for public schools in Jakarta for the 2025/2026 academic year soared to 277,231 as of the 8:00 a.m. cut-off on Wednesday, June 18, according to the Jakarta Education Agency.

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – The government is planning to implement DNA-based testing as the primary cervical cancer screening method for women between 30 and 69 years old as a measure to achieve its target to eliminate the disease by 2030.

Jakarta – There's no denying that soccer is the most popular and passionately supported sport in the country. It captures national pride like no other, with emotions running high every time the Garuda squad plays.

Agencies, Jakarta – Three Australians were arrested in Indonesia over the murder of a male compatriot in Bali and face the death penalty, police said Wednesday, after a days-long manhunt.

Authorities had been searching for several suspects over the shooting of Zivan Radmanovic, a 32-year-old Australian national, on Saturday.

Agencies, Jakarta – Several flights to Bali were cancelled or delayed and the airport in Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara province was closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said on Wednesday.

Lusa – The President of Timor-Leste, Jos Ramos-Horta, began a private visit to Malaysia on Tuesday, from where he will travel to Monaco for a working visit to promote regional cooperation and strengthen international partnerships.

Haura Hamidah, Jakarta – One of the clusters in Indonesia's Thousand Islands, Pari Island, is now under serious scrutiny due to the activities of PT Central Pondok Sejahtera (CPS) suspected of damaging the mangrove and coastal ecosystem in the area.

Jakarta – The revelation of extortion of foreign workers at the Manpower Ministry shows the poor support for the investment climate in Indonesia. Those recruiting staff are usually foreign companies investing capital in a number of sectors. Government officials should be supporting these investments, not turning it into a cash cow.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Wali Nanggroe of Aceh Malik Mahmud Al Haythar hopes for the endorsement of regulations regarding the raising of the Aceh flag. He expressed this after the central government of Indonesia returned four islands that were previously disputed with North Sumatra to Aceh.

Indonesia, West Papua – Human rights organisations have condemned the trial process against Mr Rife Kerebea (see photo on top, source: Suara Papua) as unfair. Mr Kerebea was arbitrarily arrested and processed for the alleged murder of 13 gold miners in Seradala District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – The Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has uncovered illegal mining activity on Citlim Island, located in Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province (Kepri). According to the agency, Citlim Island covers an area of just 22.94 square kilometers.

Klas Lundstrom – Prabowo Subianto first made his name as an Indonesian military leader trying to crush East Timor's push for independence. Today he is president – and his government is fighting another colonial war in West Papua.

Indonesia, West Papua – In the early hours of 18 June 2025, the Indonesian military (TNI) launched a coordinated armed assault on the villages of Bulapa and Yoparu in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday sentenced Meirizka Widjaja to three years in prison for bribing judges to secure the acquittal of her son, Ronald Tannur, in a controversial murder case.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) revealed that it has purchased Government Bonds (SBN) worth Rp124.33 trillion throughout the current year, 2025. This was stated by BI Governor Perry Warjiyo during a virtual press conference to announce the results of the BI Board of Governors Meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Former senior Supreme Court official Zarof Ricar was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Wednesday for accepting bribes in exchange for helping secure an acquittal in a high-profile murder case and amassing an enormous fortune from unexplained sources during his tenure on the bench.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Energy, Mineral, and Coal Suppliers (Aspebindo), Fathul Nugroho, views the conflict between Israel and Iran, which has triggered a surge in global oil prices, as a potential opportunity for Indonesia to accelerate its efforts towards energy self-sufficiency.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – A soldier from the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) of Kodim 1715/Yahukimo named Serka Seger Mulyana became the victim of a fatal attack carried out by the Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Monday, June 16, 2025. The military soldier was killed after being shot on the Kali Biru Bridge, Dekai District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua.

Jakarta – When it comes to breaking the rules, Indonesian officials are smart at hiding behind smoke screens: they think they have covered up their crimes, but the people can clearly see them – like the revocation of the four corporate nickel mining permits in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua last week.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB OPM) Kodap VIII Intan Jaya threatened to launch a military operation if the Indonesian government continues the construction of roads from Nabire to Ilaga and from Sugapa to Ugimba.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asserts that the mass rape of Chinese-descent women during the May 1998 tragedy is a serious human rights violation acknowledged by the state.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo has ruled that the four islands previously disputed between Aceh and North Sumatra fall under Aceh's jurisdiction. The decision was made based on a review of official government administrative documents.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – The government plans to push up the poverty line in a move that would bring Indonesia's measure closer to that of the World Bank, even though that could be politically risky, as it would categorize more people as poor.

Jeff Hutton – Indonesia's state-owned power utility has backed away from promises to rapidly expand its use of renewable energy, opting to focus instead on building more power stations that burn fossil fuels.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Iran wants Indonesia and other Muslim nations to stop buying Israeli goods in hopes of putting pressure on the Zionist regime, according to its diplomat.

Testriono and Firda Amalia Putri – West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has risen to become one of the most popular politicians in Indonesia after short videos of his antics went viral online, garnering 'likes' from social media users within and beyond his constituency.

Jayapura – Nine United Nations Special Procedure Mechanism special rapporteurs have written a letter to the Indonesian government and the company PT Global Papua Abadi, which is involved in the Merauke National Strategic Project (PSN) in South Papua.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 12 June 2025, police officers reportedly opened fire while patrolling the Deiyapa Village, Kamu Timur District, Dogiyai Regency, Papua Tengah Province, injuring a 17-year-old Papuan, Jebulon Pigai.

An advocate for victims of sexual violence against ethnic Chinese women during the May 1998 tragedy, Ita Fatia Nadia, says she has suffered repeated incidents of intimidation after criticising a statement by the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, in which he said there was no evidence of mass rapes during the 1998 riots.

Fersianus Waku, Jakarta – Hundreds of people held a demonstration in front of the Egyptian Embassy located on Jalan Teuku Umar in the Menteng suburb of Central Jakarta on Tuesday June17. They were urging the Egyptian government to open access to the Rafah border so that humanitarian aid for Gaza can be distributed immediately.

As Parliamentarians, lawyers, and supporters of West Papua, we urge the leaders of the five Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) member groups to upgrade the membership status of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) at the upcoming MSG leaders' summit.

Raden Putri Alpadillah Ginanjar, Jakarta – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon's recent remarks, in which he dismissed the mass rapes that occurred during the May 1998 riots as nothing more than rumors, have sparked widespread public outrage.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon has called on the public to interpret the dark history of human rights violations including the mass rapes of 1998 with maturity and a non-emotional approach.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has seized more than Rp 11.88 trillion (around $728 million) from five subsidiaries of Singapore-based agribusiness giant Wilmar Group in connection with a corruption case involving crude palm oil (CPO) export permits.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, responded to a statement by Fadli Zon who considered the mass rape incident in May 1998 as a rumor. He assessed that the Minister of Culture had no authority whatsoever to draw conclusions about past violence against women.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – Indonesian officials and activists have pushed back against recent remarks by Culture Minister Fadli Zon suggesting the mass rapes during the May 1998 riots were merely "rumors," saying such comments risk erasing painful historical truths and marginalizing victims.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has uncovered shocking details in its ongoing investigation into alleged embezzlement of Papua's gubernatorial operational funds between 2020 and 2022, including the suspected cash purchase of a private jet worth Rp 1.2 trillion (approximately $73 million).

Antara, Banjarbaru, S – Kalimantan. A navy sailor has been sentenced to life in prison and dishonorably discharged for the premeditated murder of 23-year-old female journalist Juwita in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan.

Duncan Graham – P&I readers don't need to be told that Defence Minister Richard Marles is floundering when trying to make security links with Indonesia seem as though they've "never been in better shape".

Shinta Maharani, Yogyakarta – Ita Fatia Nadia, an advocate for the victims of mass rape against Chinese women during the May 1998 riots, began receiving a series of threats shortly after criticizing a statement made by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, who claimed there was no evidence of the 1998 mass rape.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – The government defended its plan to introduce smaller subsidized housing units in urban areas, following public backlash over proposals for homes as small as 14 square meters, smaller than a typical hotel room. Officials say the concept is still in its early stages and aimed at addressing the specific needs of young, low-income urban dwellers.

Julianus Palermo, Surabaya, E – Java. Police in Surabaya in East Java, have arrested two men connected to a private Facebook group called "Gay Surabaya," accusing them of facilitating same-sex meetups through the platform. The admin, identified as MFK, 24, and a group member, GR, 36, were taken into custody by the Tanjung Perak Port Police.

Elisa Valenta, Jakarta – The World Bank has approved two major investment packages worth a combined US$2.1 billion to support job creation, economic growth, and the expansion of clean energy access across Indonesia.

Surabaya – Police have again arrested two people suspected of being involved in a gay network on social media. They are being charged under the anti-pornography law.

Max Lane – It was good to see the Teater Kecil so packed. Standing room only, so at least 400 people and a couple of hundred more outside. I later learned probably 5000 people watched the event on YouTube or on one of the sponsoring organisations' social media streams. In fact, bookings for the event had filled up within a few hours of the publicity going online.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Central Board of Women of the Nation, an organization under the National Awakening Party or PKB, criticized the statement made by the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon who claimed that the mass rape cases during the May 1998 riots did not have enough evidence to be included in Indonesia's official history.

Jakarta – The government has many reasons to make it difficult, but not impossible, for foreigners to work in the country. One of these is to protect employment and limit foreign workers to jobs that Indonesians cannot fill. It is what most other countries do too. But this is no reason for the government to extort expatriates intending to work in Indonesia.

Victoria Gill – Stark images, captured from a drone by environmental campaigners and shared with the BBC, appear to show how nickel mining has stripped forests and polluted waters in one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Earth.

Antara, Jakarta – President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto has set a target to build one million units of affordable vertical housing in the first year of his presidency.

He announced this commitment during a state address at Parliament House in Singapore on Monday, witnessed by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and senior officials from both countries.

Catholic-majority Timor-Leste has reversed its initial decision to abstain in a vote on a United Nations resolution concerning the protection of civilians in Gaza and voted in favor of it a day after the vote.