Vento Saudale, Jakarta – Bogor District Head Ade Munawaroh Yasin was found guilty of bribing state auditors to get a favorable opinion on the local budget and sentenced to four years in prison by a district court in the West Java capital of Bandung on Friday.

Ade also has her political rights revoked for five years and is fined Rp 100 million in additional sentences.

Grace Sihombing and Claire Jiao – Indonesia's central bank delivered a bigger-than-expected interest rate hike to cool inflation that it now expects to surpass 6% this year amid a weakening rupiah.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – SETARA Institute strongly criticized the formation of a team dedicated to the nonjudicial settlement of severe human rights violations (PPHAM team), saying that nothing can be expected from the team, which is a byproduct of Presidential Decree No. 17/2022.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, arrested a number of people including a Supreme Court justice during separate operations in Jakarta and the Central Java capital of Semarang on Thursday.

Jakarta – An Indonesian court began a trial on Wednesday that will examine whether a former army commander committed "crimes against humanity" over the fatal shooting of four teenagers in the country's easternmost region of Papua in 2014.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – The Bogor regency's environmental agency has reported heavy pollution in Cileungsi River, which has been a source of raw water for the regency and the Bekasi city in West Java.

Eduard Lazarus – With less than two months until the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia has gone into public security mode. The government is facing a major public backlash after President Joko Widodo announced a decision to cut fuel subsidies, leaving petrol prices to rise by 30 per cent.

Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from the 1001 United Trade Union Alliance held a demonstration in the vicinity of the Horse Statue in Central Jakarta on Thursday September 22. The workers arrived at the Horse statue after holding a long-march from Puncak Pass in Bogor, West Java.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore/Jakarta – The chief of Indonesia police's anti-terror squad has warned that violent extremism still poses a danger in South-East Asia's largest nation, admitting authorities are powerless to stop jihadists from spreading their ideology on social media.

A school in Bogor Regency, West Java is getting flak after one of its teachers allegedly conducted a period inspection on students amid suspicions that some girls may have been ditching prayers at school.

Tempo, Jakarta – Chairman of the Migrant Care Migration Study Center, Anis Hidayah, said there are suspicions that the human trafficking case in Cambodia could be linked to the Consortium 303 of Ferdy Sambo. The consortium came under the spotlight following the murder investigation of Brigadier J a.k.a. Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat.

Khory Alfarizi, Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Erick Thohir's special staff, Arya Sinulingga, stated that an electric stove is much cheaper to operate than a gas stove. The migration to induction cookers will not also disrupt or increase the supply of coal for electricity.

Bisnis.Com, Jakarta – Former vice president Jusuf Kalla opined that Indonesia's new capital city project might suffer problems, particularly related to financing. This is because, he said, there is no foreign investment commitment to the country to date.

Wahyu Ruslan, Makassar – A protest action against the recent fuel price hike by hundreds of students and workers in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar has ended in chaos. This occurred when the students waylaid a state-oil and gas company Pertamina tanker and a truck on Jalan Poros.

Gempita Surya – A national survey by the polling group Charta Politika has revealed that more than 65 percent of respondents disagree with the recent fuel (BBM) price hike.

Anant Chandak, Bengaluru – Bank Indonesia will follow a surprise August interest rate rise with another 25 basis point hike at its meeting on Thursday, still moving more slowly than most of its peers in trying to bring down inflation, a Reuters poll forecasts.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Trouble is brewing at the United Development Party (PPP), the country's oldest Islamist party and among the seven parties in the coalition government, after chairman Suharso Monoarfa was toppled by what appears to be a slip of the tongue that offended kiai, the elderly heads of Islamic boarding schools.

Max Lane – The Indonesian government has argued that there is a strong case for increasing prices for fuel. Given that fuel prices are a politically sensitive issue, it remains to be seen whether the government will be about to ride out the storm.

Jakarta – The enactment of the Data Privacy Law by the House of Representatives on Tuesday is a step in the right direction, but we should be aware that the legislation is no panacea for a plethora of problems we now face in our increasingly digital life.

Jakarta – The Asian Development Bank, or ADB, the region's multilateral development bank, has upgraded its economic growth forecasts for Indonesia this year but penciled in a slower growth pace for the next year as the county would likely be impacted by deteriorating global growth.

Jayapura, Jubi – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has urged the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander to evaluate the 20/Ima Jaya Keramo Raider Infantry Brigade, the unit from which six suspects in the murder and mutilation of four Nduga residents in Mimika Regency originated.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has officially ratified Presidential Decree No 17/2022 on the formation of a non-judicial settlement for severe past human rights violations team, or the PPHAM team.

Jayapura, Jubi – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) announced the results of its initial investigation into the murder and mutilation of four Nduga residents in Mimika Regency conducted by the commission on September 2-4, 2022 and September 12-16, 2022.

Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – The association of online ojek drivers Garda Indonesia chairperson, Igun Wicaksono, opined that ride-hailing application service providers showed arrogance to comply with the government's regulations as they are reluctant to cut the app fee.

Ima Dini Shafira, Jakarta – Johan Budi, House of Representatives (DPR) member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), said that the existence of the Colonels Council is known and approved by Puan Maharani. The Council is a forum for DPR members from the PDIP faction to support the DPR Speaker to run as a presidential candidate in the 2024 elections.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesia's program to wean itself off coal by burning it alongside progressively higher amounts of woody biomass will threaten more than a million hectares of rainforest and result in massive net carbon emissions, a new analysis shows.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is drafting an updated five-year national strategy to protect an endemic reef fish species that's popular in the global aquarium trade.

Ryan Dagur – The Vatican has opened a new embassy in Timor-Leste capital Dili in an effort to strengthen ties with the Catholic-majority tiny Southeast Asian nation.

Vatican Deputy Secretary of State Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra inaugurated the new embassy in Dili on Sept. 20 along with President Jose Ramos-Horta.

Beritasatu, Jayapura – Security members have arrested 14 people during a rally in the city of Jayapura by the supporters of Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who has been named a suspect for alleged corruption and money laundering, police said on Wednesday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is trying to bring in more investment into the green sector with incentives and less red tape, as the coal-reliant country seeks to transition to renewables.

Indonesia is aiming for 23 percent renewables in its energy mix by 2025. The country has also set a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 or sooner.

Bandung – Thousands of workers held a protest action against the recent fuel (BBM) price hike in front of the Gedung Sate building (governor's office) in the West Java (Jabar) provincial capital of Bandung on Wednesday September 21.

Nadia Intan Fajarlie, Jakarta – Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy Chairperson Hendardi is doubtful about the function of the Team for the Non-Judicial Resolution of Past Gross Human Rights Violations (PPHAM) which has recently been formed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – The late prominent Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra, who passed away on Sunday, aged 67, in Selangor, Malaysia, was laid to rest at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery on Tuesday morning in a state-funeral ceremony led by Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy.

Vincent Fabian Thomas, Jakarta – Critics have berated the government for promoting electric vehicles (EVs) and stoves but failing to ensure the power consumed comes from clean sources.

Daniel Ahmad, Jakarta – The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry denied the Jerusalem Post's report that the country sent a delegation to Israel for a secret visit, asserting that spreading such a hoax is the Israeli media's old way to gain profits.

Jakarta – Whether the new US$1-billion deal agreed upon last week between Indonesia and Norway amounts to a major breakthrough in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation remains to be seen.

An open letter by Reverend Dr Benny Giay

The notion that Papua is the "Land of Peace" has no substance.

Many feel that this phrase "Papua Tanah Damai" or "Papua Land of Peace" only conceals the reality of Papua. In recognition of that, we would like to convey our observations about the current crisis in Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Office of the National Commission on Humans Rights (Komnas HAM Papua) has released the results of its investigation into the alleged persecution by soldiers of the Raider 600/Modang Infantry Battalion that led to the death of a resident of Mappi Regency named Bruno Amenim Kimko.

President Joko Widodo said he won't follow in the way of US President Joe Biden after the latter declared that the pandemic is over in his country.

In an interview on Sunday, Biden said that while the COVID-19 response continues in the US, life has more or less returned to normal and that the time has come to declare that the pandemic is over.

Jamhari Makruf – On 18 September, renowned Indonesian scholar of Islam Professor Azyumardi Azra died suddenly of a heart attack. He was in Kuala Lumpur, where he was to participate in a seminar on "cosmopolitan Islam", doing what he enjoyed so much – sharing his profound knowledge of Islam and deepening understanding through debate and discussion.

Jakarta – Indonesia's President Joko Widodo's popularity took a hit after his decision to increase fuel prices stoked public unrest over surging living costs, according to the latest opinion poll.

His approval rating fell by 10 percentage points to 62.6 per cent from 72.3 per cent in August, based on Indikator Politik's survey of 1,200 people conducted on Sept 5 to 10.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – The latest public opinion poll found that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's approval rating has taken a 10 percentage-point hit, as a result of his administration's decision to raise subsidized fuel prices.

Jakarta – The House of Representatives passed into law on Tuesday a personal data protection bill that includes corporate fines and up to six years imprisonment for those found to have mishandled data in the world's fourth most populous country.

Rajendra Jadhav and Bernadette Christina, Mumbai/Jakarta – Indonesian palm oil producers are whittling down their hefty inventory overhang with discounts versus rivals and aggressive sales to India, where demand is picking up for next month's Diwali festival, industry officials said.

Moh. Khory Alfarizi, Jakarta – Online taxi drivers who are members of the Online Driver Coalition (Kado) planned to hold a demonstration on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) Building. In the invitation received by Tempo, more than 1,000 will join the action.

Jakarta – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe provided no denial of Monday's revelations by law enforcement authorities that he has spent at least Rp 560 billion ($39 million) on casino gambling since 2017.

Muhammad Aulia & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The House of Representatives on Tuesday enacted the Law on Personal Data Protection that carries tougher jail sentences and fines amid mounting public pressures against data breaches and theft.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – MRT Jakarta experienced an increase in the number of passengers following the announcement of the increase in fuel prices on September 3. Last week, the daily number of passengers peaked at 76,883 people.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Mimika Police has released the autopsy results of four bodies of the Mimika murder, saying that two victims were shot and two others were stabbed. However, lawyer of the victims' families Gustaf R Kawer believes that all four victims were shot.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – For more than a decade the basement of Blok M Square – one of South Jakarta's most popular shopping malls – has been home to dozens of bookstores selling new, secondhand and out-of-print books of all kinds and subjects imaginable, a heaven for booklovers in the capital city and its surrounding regions.