Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – Hundreds of people living in a housing complex 35 kilometres to the south of the Indonesian capital have been forced to learn safe snake-handling techniques to cope with an unprecedented reptile invasion.

Nic Maclellan – Yudha Korwa was just 17 years old when he was attacked by Indonesian soldiers during the Biak massacre on 6 July 1998.

Antara, Jakarta – A Lamborghini driver was detained after he opened fire and threatened two high school students using his gun in a Jakarta road rage, police said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Members of the Yasmin Bogor Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) and the Filadelfia Bekasi Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) were again forced to hold their Christmas services in front of the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday December 25.

Suherdjoko, Asip Hasani and Apriadi Gunawan, Semarang, Blitar and Medan – Despite reports that Christians in some regions faced problems as they were due to celebrate Christmas, religious groups and communities in many regions have proven that interfaith tolerance is still the norm in the archipelago.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – The Indonesian government awarded sentence cuts to 12,629 Christian convicts on Christmas Day, with 166 of them being able to walk out of jail on Wednesday thanks to the bonuses.

The sentence cuts, ranging from 15 days to two months, were given according to the convict's good conduct during their prison term, a Justice Ministry official said.

Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – Local K-pop fans have expressed their disappointment on social media after the government slapped import tariffs on more e-commerce goods.

Jon Afrizal, Jambi – A search and rescue team has recovered the bodies of all six victims killed in the collapse of an illegal gold mine in Pulau Baru village, Merangin regency in Jambi on Sunday.

Jambi's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) spokesman Mujahid said the gold mine collapsed around 1 p.m. local time burying five illegal miners and one local resident.

Eliza Borrello and Phil Hemingway in West Java – After some coaxing, Siti Dalfa stands against a height chart in her family's modest living room in Cipanas, West Java. She comes in at the recommended measurement for a 15-month-old.

But Dalfa is 21 months old and the discrepancy means, like nearly one in every three Indonesian children, she is stunted.

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) matron Megawati Soekarnoputri, who served as the country's fifth president – and the first female one – said it should be possible for a female general to be appointed commander of the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Dedi Dinarto – In November 2019, the newly appointed Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian sparked a controversy when he proposed a review of the direct election system for regional leaders such as governors and mayors ahead of the 2020 simultaneous regional elections (Pilkada Serentak).

Surfboard tucked under his arm, Dery Setyawan sprints into the crashing waves. It is not just a physical challenge but an emotional one – most of his family and friends were swept to their deaths when a tsunami hit these shores 15 years ago.

Carter Banker – Walking through Indonesian college campuses today, it's easy to spot the young women clad head-to-toe in black amongst the sea of students wearing jeans and brightly colored batik.

At least 25 people have been killed after a passenger bus plunged into a ravine on Indonesia's Sumatra island after its brakes apparently malfunctioned.

Police said at least 14 other people were hospitalised with injuries following the crash, including one in critical condition with bone fractures, local police chief Dolly Gumara said.

Twenty-nineteen has been the worst year on record for the people of West Papua. They cannot enjoy their Christmas this year. They are facing military operations in every corner of every village in West Papua, from Nduga to Puncak Jaya to Intan Jaya.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – The State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry named on Monday prominent banker Zulkifli Zaini as the new president director of state electricity firm PLN, a position that had been left vacant for months.

Jakarta – As Christians in Indonesia prepare to attend religious services in celebration of Christmas on Tuesday and Wednesday, authorities have stepped up measures to secure churches across the country to prevent terrorist attacks or other crimes.

Dwi Argo Santosa, Jakarta – After many years, Christians in two of West Sumatra's predominantly Muslim districts are finally allowed to hold their own Christmas celebrations.

The Christians in Jorong Kampung Baru, Dharmasraya district, and Jorong Sungai Tambang, Sijunjung district, were previously banned from congregating for Sunday services and Christmas.

Emma Powys Maurice – International teachers in some Indonesian schools are being subjected to intrusive 'psychological exams' aimed at uncovering their sexual orientation and attitude towards LGBT+ rights.

Antara, Jakarta – Dozens of protesters from multiple communities in Aceh Province took to the streets today, December 24, voicing support for Uighur Muslims reportedly oppressed in their state, China.

The rally was centered in Simpang Lima Roundabout, Banda Aceh. In addition to Muslims, Chinese Indonesians also joined the mass protest.

Della Syahni – Contrary to often-used arguments that fossil fuels are cheaper than renewable energy in Indonesia, a recent analysis found that shifting to renewables could actually cut both emissions and costs.

Fikri Arigi and Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Spokesman for the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) Munarman criticized Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko's statement regarding Xinjiang's Muslim ethnic Uighur minorities, which he deemed unconstitutional and far from what the Pancasila (five state ideologies) stands by.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) expressed suspicion about the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) search for a new spokesman. The anti-graft watchdog suspects that the plan from KPK's new chairman is motivated by revenge against certain figures in KPK.

Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – Customs Director-General at Finance Ministry Heru Pambudi announced that imported books are exempted from duty and tax including VAT or value-added tax and income tax.

"No levy; both import duty and tax," said Heru at Finance Ministry building, Jakarta, Monday, December 23.

Nasori, Jakarta – The Customs Office has tightened the rules for e-commerce imports on Monday as part of a concerted effort to protect local small businesses producing shoes, bags and clothes.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko has dismissed rumors saying President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is establishing a Solo squad in the top leadership of the National Police.

According to Moeldoko, the President appointed people who had proved their loyalty and borne the capacity and integrity to serve in strategic positions.

Resky Novianto, Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – Throughout 2019, most of the violence against journalists in Indonesia was committed by police. This was revealed in the Alliance of Independent Journalists' (AJI) "2019 End of Year Report" which was released on Monday December 23.

Jakarta – Indonesia will not meddle in the alleged persecution of Uighur Muslims in China, a presidential advisor has said, in the latest statement to indicate Chinese pressure on the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

There are to be no fireworks or – heaven forbid – alcohol and debauchery on New Year's Eve in two major Aceh cities, which have officially banned all celebrations welcoming the year 2020.

Norman Harsono, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has symbolically kicked off the mandatory use of B30 biodiesel – eight days ahead of Jan. 1, when the policy was initially scheduled to go into force.

B30 refers to a biodiesel blend containing 30 percent fuel produced from palm oil.

Jakarta – Sabang City on Weh Island in Aceh – the only region in Muslim-majority Indonesia that has implemented Sharia law – has banned its local residents from celebrating the new year in a circulating letter issued by the city administration.

The ban was signed by local leaders at the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda), Sabang Mayor Nazaruddin said.

Nur Yasmin, Jakarta – The National Drug and Food Control Agency, or BPOM, have seized Rp 3.9 billion, or $279,000, worth of damaged, expired or illegally sold food and drink products during a series of inspections ahead of the end-of-year holiday season.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The North Sumatra Police have stopped an investigation into an oil palm plantation land conversion case involving North Sumatra Deputy Governor Musa Rajekshah's younger brother.

Gunmen opened fire on a small commercial plane as it landed in Indonesia's Papua on Saturday.

Reports from one of the pilots quoted by The Star say there were no reports of casualties among the nine passengers on the plane.

The attack happened in the hilly district of Puncak, a stronghold of separatists who have been battling Indonesian since the 1960s.

Heru Asprihanto, Kanupriya Kapoor, Banda Aceh, Indonesia/New York – When 12-meter (39 ft) waves slammed into Banda Aceh on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Boxing Day in 2004, Arif Munandar lost his wife, three sons, and 20 other members of his family as much of the city was obliterated.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – An Indonesian court has fined an palm oil company $1.8 million for fires that occurred on its concession in 2015, capping a four-year ordeal by the government to bring the firm to justice.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – Newly-appointed Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Firli Bahuri on Saturday hinted that the anti-graft watchdog under his leadership will focus on preventing acts of corruption.

Antara, Jakarta – The Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) chairman Robikin Emhas said, non-theologically, Muslims offering Christmas wishes in the spirit of brotherhood pose no problem.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Deputy of Indonesia's top Muslim clerical body, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi said that the organization has never issued a fatwa overseeing Muslims offering Christmas wishes.

Muhammad Hendartyo, Jakarta – Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir asserted he will not hesitate to liquidate insolvent SOEs that are just "camouflages". One of the SOEs he said to be camouflaging is PT. Iglas.

Iglas (Persero) is a company engaged in manufacturing glass packaging, especially bottles, established in October 1956.

Ahmad Faiz Ibnu Sani, Jakarta – President Jokowi said that the palm oil field moratorium remains conclusive despite the government eyeing to achieve 100 percent diesel fuel and palm oil (B100). As a replacement, the government plans to revitalize 500,000 hectares of palm oil fields in the next three years.

Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono, Jakarta, Indonesia – Agree or disagree, the exam asked: "I would feel uncomfortable knowing my daughter's or son's teacher was homosexual."

Or this, true or false: "The gender composition of an orgy would be irrelevant to my decision to participate."

Erwin Bramana Karnadi – Women earn less than men in the workplace. It would take 202 years for women to make as much as men according to 2018 data from the World Economic Forum.

Jakarta – Reinaldi Yusuf, 24, has personally seen the negative impacts of climate change, such as rice crop failures in Pelabuhan Ratu in Sukabumi, West Java, and rising sea levels that frequently inundate homes along Bahagia Beach in Bekasi, West Java.

Antara, Jakarta – Almost 35 percent of the 1,800 household heads employed in the informal sector in Indonesia's six provinces have no health insurance, according to the result of a research by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has put high hope on a soon-revived petrochemical refinery in East Java to slash the country's costly refined petroleum imports by more than a third in three years.

Jakarta – Newly-appointed Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairman Firli Bahuri said he was not interested in making a big fuss over the commission's graft busts and that he would rather take preventive measures involving all elements of the society.

Jakarta – Amid the boom of online entertainment streaming services, the majority of online consumers in Indonesia favor watching movies for free through illegal websites, in which streaming site indoXXI has become a popular option, according to a recent survey.

What started as a spat with the European Union over Indonesian palm oil has escalated into a far broader trade dispute with imported European spirits and now dairy products caught in the crossfire.

Diana Mariska, Jakarta – The amount of money that Indonesian migrant workers send home to their family every month often exceeds three times the monthly income of their spouses who decide to stay at home. But unfortunately, lack of financial planning still keeps many of these low-income households under strain, a recent study showed.