Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Following a string of tragic accidents involving chartered tour buses, the government screened the road-readiness of buses over the Waisak extended holiday in an attempt to improve what experts deem as lackluster supervision of transportation providers.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The House of Representatives plans to accelerate the law-making process of several controversial bills during the lame-duck period before its term ends on Oct. 1.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – Publicly listed telco firm Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison will launch a large language model (LLM) for the Indonesian language called Garuda in July, according to the company on Tuesday.

The model will allow artificial intelligence technology, such as ChatGPT, to understand interactions in the local language, the company said.

Jakarta – The Job Creation Law adopts a so-called "trust but verify" approach when it comes to the issuance of business permits, according to the policy's task force.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo told his ministers on Monday to stop coming up with new apps in a bid to cut the bureaucratic red tape and put the brakes on further spending for the platform rollouts.

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan, known as Zulhas, has announced a nationwide investigation into suspected fraud in the filling of 3-kilogram LPG gas canisters.

Preliminary findings indicate a shortfall of gas in each canister by 200 to 700 grams, causing concern among consumers.

Whisnu Bagus Prasetyo, Jakarta – A leopard and a black panther were spotted roaming Mount Gede Pangrango National Park (TNGGP) in Cianjur, West Java, as captured by surveillance cameras (CCTV). Hikers are advised not to leave food scraps to prevent these protected animals from approaching the hiking trails.

Defara Dhanya Paramitha, Jakarta – Press organizations, student presses, and pro-democracy organizations took to the streets to protest the revision of the Broadcasting Law or the broadcasting bill in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, May 27, 2024.

Nabiila Azzahra A. (Reuters), Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, May 26, 2024, announced Indonesia's support for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision which ordered Israel to halt its military operations in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – A political communication observer from Esa Unggul University, M. Jamiluddin Ritonga, said the Broadcasting Bill must be rejected if it deviates from the principle of press freedom.

"Indonesia must not regress to the dark ages where the ruling regime castrated press freedom," he said in his official statement on Monday, May 27, 2024.

Jakarta – A number of journalists and media activists calling themselves the "Coalition of Journalists, Student Press and Pro-Democracy Organisations Rejecting the Broadcasting Bill" held a demonstration in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Monday May 27.

Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Monday that he had met with the attorney general and the National Police chief to get clarification of reports that a top prosecutor had allegedly been stalked by members of the police's counterterrorism squad, Detachment 88.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will introduce an integrated app for citizens to access its services, a senior official said on Monday.

Called INA Digital, the super app is being developed by 400 local digital talents under a project named GovTech Indonesia, according to State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir.

Christine Lai – Indonesia's parliament is proposing changes to its broadcast law that would ban investigative journalism and LGBT content. The proposed revisions have sparked criticism from journalists and filmmakers over the restrictions on press freedom.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The Health Ministry is increasing its vigilance against two newly emerged COVID-19 sub variants, KP.1 and KP.2, which are thought to be responsible for a recent spike in cases in neighboring Singapore.

Johannes Nugroho – Indonesian civil society groups are sounding the alarm over the draft of a new Broadcasting Bill that they fear will restrict investigative journalism and other forms of free speech, leading to a regression of democratic reforms.

Antara, Jakarta – Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan visited the LPG cylinder filling station (SPBE) in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, to ensure that the 3 kg LPG cylinders distributed to the community are in line with the agreed quantity.

A West Papuan independence group has condemned French "modern-day colonialism in action" in Kanaky New Caledonia and urged indigenous leaders to "fight on".

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) remains undecided about whether it will become an opposition party or a partner of the incoming government led by Prabowo Subianto.

Pradana Boy Zulian and Neni Nur Hayati – In Indonesia's political history, Islamic parties, collectively, have never been a dominant force. Their best performance was in the 1955 election, the Republic's first. Back then, the total vote percentage gathered by them was 43.5 percent.

Rizki Dewi Ayu, Adil Al Hasan and Linda Trianita, Jakarta – A police officer from the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit or Densus 88 was arrested by military police for allegedly stalking a junior special crimes prosecutor (Jampidsus) from the Attorney General's Office (AGO), Febrie Adriansyah, during a dinner at a restaurant in Cipete, South Jakarta.

Jakarta – Recent discourse around the rising cost of state university tuition (UKT) has made it necessary to reexamine the execution of the Tri Dharma (three imperatives) of higher education: instruction, innovation and public service.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati Soekarnoputri, addressed her party's future political stance amidst the upcoming five-year term under President-elect Prabowo Subianto. Megawati stressed the importance of balancing forces and checks for the progression of democracy.

Delfi Neski, Padang – A tragic incident occurred at SDN 10 Durian Jantung elementary school in Padang Pariaman, West Sumatra. Aldelia Rahman, 11, a student, was doused with fuel and set ablaze during a physical education activity at school. The victim's family recounted the harrowing events.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Jakarta – A major fire broke out at the Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI)'s oil refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Saturday morning. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. So far, there have been no reports of casualties.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri has hinted that her daughter, House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani, is a potential successor to lead the party.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – Rapidin Simbolon, Chairman of the North Sumatra Regional Leadership Council of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the party is still considering several candidates, including Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, for the 2024 North Sumatra Regional Election.

Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto is rebranding his "free lunch" program, a campaign promise that helped him secure victory in February's election, by doubling down on addressing child malnourishment and tailoring solutions to the different "typologies and conditions" of each region.

Jakarta – The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) leadership is expected to formally discuss the possible nomination of former governor Anies Baswedan to contest Jakarta gubernatorial election in November.

The PKS central board also acknowledged it had received a proposal from its Jakarta branch to nominate Anies for reelection as Jakarta governor.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Residents of Kwala Langkat village in Langkat regency, North Sumatra, held a protest on Thursday demanding that 51 recently arrived Rohingya refugees leave their community.

Jakarta – Around 50 Rohingya Muslims have arrived in North Sumatra province, an official at the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday, the latest wave of arrivals who have drawn a sometimes hostile reception in the Southeast Asian country.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Well-networked contenders are likely to feature prominently in the upcoming simultaneous regional elections as dynastic politics rears its head once again, just months before voters return to the polls in November to elect their regional leaders.

Hendro D Situmorang, Jakarta – The Indonesian government on Friday announced a stringent new measure to combat online gambling, threatening to impose fines of Rp 500 million (approximately $31,000) for each instance of gambling content found on major social media platforms, including Google, Meta, TikTok, X, and Telegram.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – The people of East Java will pick their next governor this November, but the rival to the previously reigning Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her deputy Emil Dardak remains a mystery although they will likely face religious figure Marzuki Mustamar.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – The national gathering of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) commenced on Friday without the attendance of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, an unusual occurrence given the significance of the event and the President's strong influence in the party until recently.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has announced plans to reduce fuel subsidies and compensation starting in 2025. This reform is expected to save the national budget Rp 67.1 trillion ($4.17 billion).

The proposal is detailed in the 2025 Macroeconomic Framework and Fiscal Policy Principles (KEM & PPKF) document.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The well-anticipated holidays are a boon to hotels and restaurants as many people go on vacation, according to the industry association.

Sutrisno Iwantono, the head of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), said on Thursday that the occupancy rate within the industry soars as people go on vacation.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Health Ministry recorded a decline in the prevalence of hypertension, or high blood pressure, in the country by 2023. Based on doctor's diagnoses, the rate fell from 8.4 percent in 2018 to 8 percent in 2023.

Meanwhile, based on blood pressure diagnoses, it was recorded at 34.1 percent in 2018 and fell to 30.8 percent in 2023.

Antara, Grace Gandhi, Jakarta – CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, has not yet invested in Indonesia due to China's oversupply of electric vehicles (EVs), revealed Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Jakarta – The guile of the House of Representatives (DPR) revising the Constitutional Court Law must be seen as part of a major plan to turn Indonesia into an authoritarian country. By dismantling the Constitutional Court, the government and the DPR are free to hijack democracy.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has earmarked a substantial subsidy of $455 million (Rp 7 trillion) to make electric motorcycles more affordable for buyers, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Jeremy Hance – Indonesian prosecutors are seeking a five-year jail sentence for a poacher who confessed to participating in killing seven Javan rhinos from 2019-2023, essentially wiping out at least 10% the species' global population.

Aisyah Llewellyn, Medan, Indonesia – Indonesian director Joko Anwar's new horror film "Siksa Kubur" ("Grave Torture") begins with a bang as a suicide bomber blows himself up at a bakery, killing the owners and many bystanders.

Adinda Jasmine Prasetyo, Jakarta – North Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi Province, was hit by flooding on Thursday, May 23, 2024, due to heavy downpours which caused the Baliase River to overflow at around 11:30 p.m. local time.

Indonesian rights activists have hailed the acquittal of an environmentalist as a victory for those fighting ecological degradation despite repression from state and non-state actors.

The Semarang High Court in Central Java province issued a verdict ordering the acquittal of Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan on May 23.

A global civil society alliance was disturbed by reports that a civil society forum on water rights in Bali has been disrupted with activists and organisers facing harassment and intimidation. The authorities must investigate these actions and take steps to protect civil society so that they are able to convene without any form of interference.

Global rights group CIVICUS Monitor has condemned reported disruption of a civil society forum event on water rights and alleged harassment and intimidation of activists and organizers in Indonesia.

Jakarta – The government has cut taxes for exporters who converted their earnings to rupiah in a new regulation issued this week aimed at boosting foreign exchange supply.

Since last year, natural resource exporters from Indonesia must retain for at least three months in the domestic financial system 30 percent of their proceeds.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – Several state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are currently under investigation as two law enforcement agencies probe allegations of corruption.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi revealed that since taking office on July 17, 2023, his ministry has taken down 1.9 million online gambling contents up until May 21, 2024.