The House and the government should postpone the deliberation process for a set of bills that will create three new provinces in Papua otherwise it will further stoke tensions in the restive region and marginalize indigenous Papuans, the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) has warned.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – A decade after being unseated, Jose Ramos-Horta is headed for a return to East Timor's presidential palace from where he will be charged with resolving the country's bitter political feud.

The Indonesian government has included the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a mandatory vaccine in its national immunization program.

HPV causes more than 90 percent of cervical cancer cases and HPV vaccines may protect the receiver against two to seven high-risk strains of this family of viruses and prevent them from contracting the disease.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The director-general of foreign trade in the Trade Ministry has been named a corruption suspect for illegally issuing export licenses of crude palm oil, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin announced on Tuesday.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – Former Democratic Party executive Ferdinand Hutahaean was found guilty on Tuesday of spreading false information related to his series of tweets including the one that reads "your Allah is weak".

Adi Marsiela, Bandung – Bandung City Police have arrested a male teacher from an Islamic school in Pangalengan, Bandung regency, West Java, for alleged sexual abuse.

The man, identified only by his initials SS, was arrested in Tasikmalaya, West Java, for allegedly abusing at least 12 victims aged 10 and 11, police said.

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – The Manpower Ministry officially issued a new regulation regarding the placement of migrant workers in foreign countries during the adaptation period of the new normal era. Previously, the government limited placements of migrant workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yassar Aulia – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has acted to end efforts to extend his time in office beyond his constitutionally mandated two-term limit.

Jakarta – More than 99 percent of the Indonesian population already has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, from vaccination and natural infections, a government serology survey in March finds.

Dili, Timor Leste – Voting in the second and final round of Timor Leste's presidential election began early on Tuesday, with Nobel laureate, Jose Ramos-Horta, the clear frontrunner in the poll.

Jakarta – The government has further extended public activity restriction (PPKM) level 2 in all Greater Jakarta areas from Tuesday to May 9, which covers the Idul Fitri celebration period at the end of April and early May.

Dili, East Timor – East Timor's citizens head to the polls on Tuesday to choose either a Nobel laureate or a former guerrilla fighter – the incumbent president – as their next leader.

Lona Olavia, Jakarta – Industri Baterai Indonesia, an electric battery joint venture of state-owned miners and energy companies, announced two-part investments from Chinese and South Korean companies worth $15 billion to develop an electric vehicle battery ecosystem in the country.

Antara, Jakarta – The Public Works and Housing or PUPR Ministry allocated a budget of approximately Rp264 billion to repair roads access to the new capital or IKN Nusantara in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has again decided to extend the enforcement of the public mobility restrictions or PPKM policy in Java-Bali regions until May 9, 2022. This was stipulated through the Instruction of the Home Affairs Minister No. 22 of 2022, which was aimed at maintaining the current good condition of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors have charged a top trade ministry official and three palm oil executives in connection with a scarcity of cooking oil that has driven up protest and caused public unrest.

Jayapura, Jubi – Director of Institute of Human rights Study and Advocacy Papua (ELSHAM Papua) Rev. M Adadikam said the results of the investigation into the Bloody Paniai alleged human rights violation announced by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) did not give a sense of justice for the victims and their families.

London – Plans to establish 'Food Estates' were announced by the Indonesian government at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic because, it said, it wanted to ensure Indonesia's food security.

Andreas Harsono – Indonesia's armed forces have finally ended all so-called "virginity tests" as part of the recruitment process for women.

Last week, Indonesian armed forces spokesman Maj. Gen. Sudirman announced that all three branches of the military – the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force – had "effectively ended virginity tests" for recruitment.

Venansius Haryanto – In early 2022, the public in Labuan Bajo, the gateway to Indonesia's popular Komodo National Park, was both pleased and dissatisfied with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry's decision to evaluate permits belonging to two private companies planning to invest in the park.

Jakarta – The CEO Clubs Network, a corporate-membership-based international business organization, has honored Rusmin Lawin, vice president of Real Estate Indonesia, or REI, and deputy chairman of the regional developments committee at the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or Kadin, with a Burj CEO Award last month.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Indonesian government's plan to administratively split the country's easternmost region of Papua into five provinces, from the current two, has raised concerns that its forests and natural resources will be at higher risk of being plundered.

Herman, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a surplus of $4.53 billion in March to continue a run of a positive trade balance for the 23rd month in a row, the Central Statistics Agency, or BPS announced on Monday.

The country's exports grew by 29.42 percent to $26.5 billion compared with the previous month, while imports increased by 32.01 percent to $21.97 billion.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) informed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo about its efforts to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing that have been carried out over the past 20 years.

Parker Novak – Timorese voters head to the polls again on Tuesday 19 April for the second round of the country's presidential election. The campaign, following a first round of voting last month, pits two long-standing political figures against each other – incumbent president Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres and challenger Jose Ramos-Horta.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – Head of the Gerindra Party faction at the Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD Jakarta), Rani Mauliani, on Sunday hopes that the future governor who will replace Anies Baswedan in leading Jakarta will be able to communicate with legislators from multiple political party backgrounds.

Rusli Cahyadi and Ahmad Najib Burhani – For the longest time, Indonesians endured a sonic pandemonium in their cities. It is about time that some regulation is effected to lower levels of noise.

Antara, Jakarta – Democratic Party chairperson Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, or AHY, in an internal party even on Sunday, April 17, said that his Party is open to establish a coalition with each and every political party to compete in the 2024 Presidential Election.

Bisnis, Jakarta – Former Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla on Sunday, April 17, revealed the challenge faced by any presidential candidate for the 2024 presidential election. According to the VP under two past presidential terms, those who will replace current President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo must be able to pay off the government's debt amounting to trillions of rupiah.

Almost all residents of Indonesia's most populous island of Java have antibodies against COVID-19, owing to a combination of prior infection and vaccination against the virus, a government-commissioned survey showed.

Fadhil Haidar Sulaeman, Jakarta – Indonesian imports and exports reached a new peak in March on surging global commodity prices fueled by a post-pandemic global economic recovery and the Ukraine war.

The store belonging to minimarket chain Alfamart suddenly collapsed at around 5:15 p.m. local time.

Jakarta – The government has responded to a report on human rights practices in Indonesia that was released by the United States with a counter attack. This attitude is seen as a bad sign of the state of human rights in Indonesia.

Jayapura, Jubi – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said the determination of the Papua Expansion Bill as an Initiative Bill by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, showed a decline in democracy in Indonesia.

Jakarta, Jubi TV – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD received the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and Amnesty International Indonesia at this office on Friday, April 15, 2022.

Jakarta – The International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) is asking the Bogor Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) and the city's mayor to review Bogor Bylaw Number 10/2021 on the Prevention and Handling of Deviant Sexual Behaviour.

Jakarta – Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) Coordinator Boyamin Saiman says that Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Deputy Chairperson Lili Pintauli Siregar has become the focus and even the laughingstock of the world because of the ethical violations she has committed.

Fana Suparman & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – A senior Indonesian minister on Saturday lashed a recent US government report alleging that the Peduli Lindungi application, which is designed for smartphone users to curb the spread of Covid-19 and restrict people's movement during the pandemic, could amount to misuse of personal data by the government.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Two female Sumatran elephants were found dead in Langkat regency, North Sumatra, with authorities still investigating the cause of death after they received reports from villagers about the animals' carcasses last Sunday.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has handed over the case dossiers of a suspect allegedly involved in human rights violations that occurred in Paniai, Papua, after authorities recently stepped up investigations into the case.

News Desk, Jakarta – Despite the mounting logistical and environmental challenges, the leadership of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority has expressed optimism that construction for the core administrative center of the new capital in East Kalimantan would be completed in the first half of 2024.

Peter Job – After East Timor declared independence from Portugal in 1975, Indonesian dictator Suharto ordered an invasion and tried to crush the national liberation movement. Australia knew Indonesian forces were carrying out massacres – and helped hide it from the world.

Interview by Zacharias Szumer

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesian civil servants, policemen, and soldiers will soon receive bonuses equivalent to their one-month salary plus some benefits before the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati announced on Saturday.

Another annual bonus known as "the 13th salary" will be disbursed in July, she said.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – Indonesia, a top greenhouse gas emitter, will need far more than the international funding it has already been promised if it's to achieve its carbon reduction goals, a new study says.

Sydney Allen – The 2022 G20 conference, an intergovernmental meeting of the world's largest economies, is scheduled to be held in Bali, Indonesia on November 15 and 16. This year's G20 is being chaired by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who is facing pressure from allies to ban Russian representatives due to Russia's war against Ukraine.

Kornelius Purba, Jakarta – The months-long controversy over a proposal to postpone the 2024 elections and extend the presidential term has ended. Any attempt to resurrect the plan will be futile because the nation will resist it.

A report on human rights released by the United States government highlights the problems with police in the Catholic-majority country of Timor-Leste, such as violence against civilians and efforts to deter communities from reporting such cases.

M.A Murtadho, Jakarta – The International NGO Forum on Indonesia Development or INFID asked the Bogor City Government to review its regional regulation or Perda No. 10 of 2021 concerning the prevention and mitigation of sexual deviation or P4S as it is considered violating human rights and is not in accordance with science.

Maria Fransisca Lahur, Jakarta – An environmental community that is concerned about air quality Bicara Udara discovered microplastics in the air that Jakartans breathe.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – Political expert and Executive Director of Parameter Politik Indonesia, Adi Prayitno, assessed that public trust has eroded even further in the House of Representatives (DPR) after a legislator was caught watching porn during a meeting.