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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has given a mixed response to former member Bobby Nasution's recent decision to join the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra).

Triyono, West Lampung – Wildlife authorities in Indonesia's Lampung province have successfully trapped a Sumatran tiger that was responsible for killing two villagers and injuring two others over the past three months.

Jonathan Siborutorop – On 14 February this year, elections were held in Indonesia, including in the six provinces of the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea: Papua, West Papua, and the four newly established provinces of Southwest Papua, South Papua, Central Papua, and Highland Papua.

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.

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.

On 1 May, eight civil society organisations forming the Papuan People's Front (FRP) indeed held a peaceful demonstration in Manokwari.

Residents of Sugapa district in Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province, are demanding the removal of military and police posts from their communities due to the dangers they pose to civilians caught in the crossfire of armed conflict.

Jakarta – State-owned defense company Pindad has signed an agreement with the United Arab Emirates-based arms industry Lahab, focusing on munitions supplies and brass mill investment.

The head of agreement and memorandum of understanding (MoU) were signed during the Indonesia-UAE Business Week at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Bali on May 20-21.

Vinnilya, Badung – Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono highlighted several key accomplishments from the 10th World Water Forum (WWF), including the ministerial declaration and the initiation of 113 projects valued at $9.4 billion across various nations.

Antara, Jakarta – Led by Commission IV Chairman Budhy Setiawan and Vice Chairman Budisatrio Djiwandono, a delegation from the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) visited Stockholm, Sweden, from May 19-22 to lay the groundwork for Indonesia's free lunch program.

Sevianto Pakiding, Meirto Tangkepayung, Paniai – An armed criminal group (KKB) member by the name of Basoka Lawiya, also known as Masyarakat Kogoya, was killed in a shootout with joint military and police personnel in East Paniai District, Paniai Regency, Central Papua, on Wednesday.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on May 8 signed a presidential regulation (Perpres) that aims to revamp the national health security system to promote equality, only to confront tough challenges from those who have paid higher premiums.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's ambition to relocate the national capital to Nusantara in East Kalimantan as his signature legacy will hinge on his success in holding a ceremony to mark Indonesia's independence anniversary on Aug. 17 in the new city.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Recent data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) revealed that nearly 10 million Indonesians aged 15-24 are unemployed. Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyah, attributed this to a mismatch between education and the demands of the job market.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Tuesday that it is investigating alleged corruption in state-owned telecommunications company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom Group) with a potential loss of billions of rupiah.

Wildan Pratama – The wave of protest and opposition against revisions to the Broadcasting Law (RUU Penyiaran) have begun to mushroom. This time it came from social organisations consisting of journalists, students, content creators and human rights activists in the East Java capital of Surabaya.

Jakarta – Environmental group Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) has criticized Space-X founder Elon Musk's proposal for solving the world's water crisis through desalination powered by solar energy, saying that the plan would only lead to more intensive mining activities.

Jakarta – Authorities in Aceh are planning to launch raids on restaurants in the province to seize food containing marijuana, as the conservative Muslim region is set to host the country's largest sports event, the National Games (PON), in September.

Jakarta – Syahrul Yasin Limpo is alleged to have taken money from Agriculture Ministry officials. Those paying the money must also be held responsible.

Andi Adam Faturahman and Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – The People's Water Forum 2024 in Bali was forcibly disbanded, and participants were intimidated by dozens of people claiming to be from a community organization Patriot Garuda Nusantara (PGN). The forum was held in Bali in line with the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) 2024 on May 18-25.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) has paid out Rp 300 billion in deposit claims to customers of 11 small banks that went bankrupt in 2024.

These claims were settled for customers of 11 rural banks (BPR) liquidated by LPS between January 1 and April 30, 2024.

A New Zealand solidarity action group has called on the New Zealand government to back indigenous independence calls in the Pacific and press both France to grant Kanaks sovereignty and Indonesia to end its rule in West Papua.

I Wayan Sui Suadnyana, Denpasar – The Balinese music group Navicula has cancelled a planned performance at the Water Vaganza event, part of the 10th World Water Forum (WWF) being held in Bali, over the intimidation and forced closure of the People's Water Forum (PWF).

On May 1, the labour movement and the Indonesian public received some shocking news or reports about a recent maneuver by the Labour Party leadership.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – An Indonesian court has overturned the sentence of environmental activist Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan on widely criticized hate speech charges for highlighting the damaged caused by illegal shrimp farms in a protected marine park.