Antara, Jakarta – Increasing vaccination coverage is key for curbing the recent spike in the COVID-19 caseload in Indonesia, an epidemiologist has said.

Antara, Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir has called on SOEs to improve the quality of education in Islamic boarding schools to realize progress in civilization and the Indonesian economy.

"We want Muslims to be able to maintain the foundation of our country," Thohir noted in a statement received on Saturday.

Deka Anwar, IPAC – Policymakers in Jakarta are forging ahead with a plan to divide Papua into four provinces despite strong local opposition. Jakarta claims this will accelerate development and bring the government closer to the people because the new provinces will be based on indigenous cultural zones.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia reported four patients infected with the new subvariant of Covid-19 omicron, BA.4 and BA.5. One patient infected with BA.4 is an Indonesian, and the other three infected with BA.5 are foreign citizens, who are the delegations of the Global Platform Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) event in Bali.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Concern over potential conflicts of interest have resurfaced after the selection committee for the next commissioners of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has approved an active police officer as a candidate.

Hendro Situmorang, Jakarta – The Health Ministry is reviewing the decision to lift mask requirements in outdoor settings after the daily Covid-19 number topped 500 in the past few days.

A ministry spokesman said Friday that the government is investigating possible links between the recent surge in new cases and new Covid-19 variants named BA.4 and BA.5.

Jakarta – The government has lifted most COVID-19 restrictions as the pandemic seems to be under control, even after the spike in national travel during the Idul Fitri holidays.

Naturally, this has led to a buildup of traffic, especially in Jakarta. In response, the city administration has reinstated the odd-even traffic policy and will start enforcing it on Monday.

Magdalene Fung, Singapore – Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto on Saturday (June 11) stressed Asian nations' prerogative to use their own brand of diplomacy to resolve the geopolitical challenges that come their way, as he expounded on the rationale behind his country's choice not to take sides in international conflicts.

Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker – The indigenous of West Papua suffer from international capitalist exploitation, Indonesian exploitation, and the demographic and religious timebomb of Javanization, Islamization, and other non-indigenous ethnic groups exploiting this land.

Jakarta – Indonesia is further easing rules to allow more companies to export palm oil, an official said on Friday, aiming to ease bottlenecks and swelling inventories caused by an export ban and regulatory changes implemented to maintain domestic supply.

Antara, Jakarta – The Gadjah Mada University anticorruption studies center, or Pukat UGM, on Thursday, has urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to hold corporations liable for the bribery case of Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti.

Anita D, Kenzu T, Jakarta – The Mother and Child Welfare Bill regulates the obligation of companies to provide six months maternity leave for working mothers, according to House of Representatives Legislative Body Deputy Speaker Abdul Wahid.

Hariz Baharudin, Singapore – Singapore and Indonesia are not just close neighbours, but have also contributed to decades of peace and stability in the region by working together and maintaining good ties, said Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta – Indonesia said on Thursday development of its proposed new capital is going ahead as planned, despite several experts casting doubt over the viability of the US$32 billion (RM141 billion) megaproject.

Jayapura, Jubi – As of Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 8 p.m. local time, 21 students of Sentani 1 Vocational School were still being questioned at the Jayapura Police, after previously celebrating graduation by doodling the Morning Star pattern on their uniforms then convoying in Sentani, the capital of Jayapura Regency.

Deasy Simandjuntak – After months of speculation, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo announced in April that Indonesia's 2024 elections would not be postponed. Speculations of postponement had circulated after the Indonesian parliament's controversial plans to extend the presidential tenure, which have since been doused.

Konradus Epa – The Community of Sant'Egidio, an Italian-based Catholic lay group, and Indonesia's biggest moderate Islamic organization have signed a pact to continue working together to promote interfaith peace and carry out humanitarian work in the predominantly Muslim country.

Jayapura, Jubi TV – An Indonesian Military (TNI) member of the Intan Jaya Preparatory Military District Command, Chief Pvt. Asben Kurniawan Gagola, was arrested in Wandoga Village, Sugapa District for allegedly selling ammunition to the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) at Rp 2 million.

Jakarta – An Indonesian business partner of a Japanese COVID-19 subsidy fraud suspect said Thursday he felt sorry and shocked over the man's arrest earlier this week.

Jakarta – The next presidential election is less than two years away, but the trauma of the divisive political contests of 2014 and 2019 has lingered for many. The animosity between supporters of the winning and losing candidates has hardly been settled, especially on social media, which seems uniquely adept at fueling discord.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo revealed on Friday, June 10, 2022, that there are criteria of figures who are worthy of being his successor. One of them is having the willingness to resume his programs.

Jakarta – Respondents in an Indonesia Poltracking survey say that they are not interested in presidential or vice presidential candidates from the TNI (Indonesian military), Polri (Indonesian police) or ulama (Islamic leaders).

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The National Alliance for the Reform of the Criminal Code has sent a letter to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo demanding that he give the public access to the latest draft of the new Draft Criminal Code or RKUHP.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Manado Military Court III-17 on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, held a hearing to read the charges against two Indonesian Military (TNI) members who shot and killed two residents of Timika, Eden Bebari and Roni Wandik.

A man in Medan, North Sumatra is seeking justice for his daughter by dragging her alleged rapists to the police station.

According to reports, the man, identified by his initial M, caught three men raping his 14-year-old daughter at a fertilizer warehouse on Tuesday.

Singapore (Reuters) – Indonesian naval officers have asked for US$375,000 (S$516,000) to release a fuel tanker they detained last week for anchoring illegally in Indonesian waters off Singapore, two people involved in negotiations over the unofficial payment said.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The phase 3 clinical trial for the homegrown Covid-19 vaccine developed by state-run pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and US medical school Baylor College of Medicine officially kicked off on Thursday.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on June 8 issued presidential instruction No. 4/2022 on the accelerated efforts to eradicate extreme poverty which aims to abolish extreme poverty by 2024. The instruction suggests that inter-governmental efforts will be strengthened to reach this goal.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – The chairperson of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri on Wednesday was apparently bothered by questions asked by journalists regarding the whereabouts of Harun Masiku. The former PDIP legislative candidate has been a KPK fugitive since 2020 for suspected bribery against a member of the General Elections Committee.

President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos-Horta and visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi have expressed common willingness to strengthen regional cooperation and safeguard multilateralism.

During their meeting in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, Ramos-Horta said his country fully supports the Belt and Road Initiative.

Zamzami and Morgan Erickson-Davis, Pekanbaru, Indonesia – Reportedly home to 3% of the planet's mammal species and one of the highest levels of lowland plant diversity known to science, Indonesia's Tesso Nilo National Park is a sanctum for Sumatra's wildlife – including critically endangered Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus).

We Have Tired of Violence: A True Story of Murder, Memory and the Fight for Justice in Indonesia. By Matt Easton. New Press; 341 pages; $27.99.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papuan People's Petition protesters who rallied in Makassar City, South Sulawesi, to reject the establishment of new autonomous regions in Papua and Papua's Special Autonomy (Otsus) on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, were attacked by a group of people claiming to be a mass organization.

Stefanno Sulaiman and Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – Indonesia's legislature is proposing the inclusion of coal-based energy and nuclear power as "new energy" sources in a draft of a new bill seen on Wednesday, which also proposes renewable energy compensation and incentives.

Andrea Fahey – China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week concluded a Pacific tour – featuring some diplomatic gains and losses – with a 24-hour visit to Timor-Leste. The visit marks the island neighbour to Australia's north as another important player in the regional strategic contest.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – A number of people claiming to be ex-terrorism convicts participated in the declaration event supporting Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate in the 2024 General Elections. They were also given the opportunity along with other declarators from Islamic organizations to deliver a speech.

Katharina Reny Lestari – Indonesia's military has sentenced two soldiers to eight and nine months in prison respectively for having sex with multiple men.

The sentences were condemned by rights groups, who said the punishments were another attack on the LGBT community in a country where homosexuality is legal.

Toh Ting Wei, Singapore – The commander-in-chief of the Indonesian National Defence Forces has been conferred a military award for his work in strengthening defence ties between Singapore and Indonesia.

John McBeth, Jakarta – As foreign tourists start trickling back to Indonesia, Maritime Coordinating Minister Luhut Panjaitan has created a furor by announcing plans to charge domestic tourists 750,000 rupiah (US$52) to explore Central Java's iconic Borobudur temple complex.

Lisa Visentin – Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says there are "levers available" to the government on the handling of the Bernard Collaery case but remained tight-lipped about any steps the Commonwealth may take in the matter, as advocates renewed calls for Canberra lawyer's prosecution to be abandoned.

A highly controversial government plan to hike the entrance fee to the iconic Borobudur Temple has been postponed, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said today.

Jayapura, Jubi – Director of the Papua Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua) Emanuel Gobay has asked President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to immediately audit the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) regarding its alleged purchase of weapons used in the armed conflict in Papua.

Jayapura, Jubi – The pilot of the Semuwa Aviation Mandiri (SAM) Air, M Farhan Fachri, managed to save himself when the plane he was carrying was shot at by armed groups at Kenyam Airport, Nduga Regency on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Farhan escaped the gunfire after jumping into the sewers and taking cover for a while.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) task force head Zubairi Djoerban on Wednesday said that he believes Indonesia is currently entering the Covid-19 endemic phase after epidemiologists reviewed a number of positive indicators.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi on Wednesday officially inaugurated the second development phase of the Batang Integrated Industrial Estate (KITB) for electric battery production – which will end up in electric vehicles.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Gerindra Party politician Yan Permenas Mandenas on Wednesday asserts that the Party's decision will remain clear to endorse Party chairman Prabowo Subianto on running as a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

He assured that Gerindra will consistently support Prabowo amidst a number of people emerging as potential candidates.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura, Indonesia – Activists say authorities should investigate who dropped mortar shells from the sky on eight villages in Indonesia's rebellious Papua region during counter-insurgency operations last year, and whether the ammunition belonged to the national spy agency.

Jakarta – A protest action by Papuan students which took place in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar, which was opposing the creation of new autonomous regions in Papua, ended in a clash with a social organisation (ormas). A number of people were injured and rushed to the nearest hospital.

Authorities are up in arms over what would be considered just a regular party in places like Bali, but is absolutely inappropriate in a city like Depok.

Early on Sunday morning, the Jakarta Metro Police raided what they described as a "bikini party" in an unassuming housing complex in the satellite city, which is known for its strong Islamic identity.

We're beginning to lose track of the number of stories highlighting a recent rise in homophobic sentiment in Indonesia, with the recent temporary closure imposed on a South Jakarta cafe being just another drop in the expanding ocean of hate.