Jakarta/Manila – Indonesia has overtaken the Philippines to become South-east Asia's new pandemic hot spot on Thursday (Oct 15), as it struggles to contain surging Covid-19 infections with fresh cases hitting 4,000 cases a day.

Jakarta – Indonesia on Thursday (Oct 15) reported 4,411 new coronavirus infections, taking its tally to 349,160, passing the Philippines with the highest case number in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia also reported 112 new COVID-19 deaths, with total fatalities reaching 12,268. The Philippines had recorded 348,698 cases and 6,497 deaths as of Thursday.

West Java may undergo a fundamental change in the near future – one that has raised concerns about ethnic exclusivity in Indonesia's most populous province.

Several public figures in the province are proposing that West Java changes its name to Sunda Province as an ode to the Sunda Kingdom that ruled the region from the seventh century to the 16th century.

A man who owns a distro (distribution store) in Lamongan regency, East Java has been named a suspect for allegedly sexually assaulting at least 16 women at his store.

A woman who flushed away her good sense by hurling feces at a healthcare worker has received criminal charges for her action, weeks after the incident.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – Amnesty International has raised concerns over the United States' decision to lift a 20-year travel ban on Indonesian Defense Minister and former Army general Prabowo Subianto, claiming the sudden policy change could contradict prevailing laws.

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – A university lecturer has challenged the revised Constitutional Court Law that increases the maximum term and minimum age for the court's justices, arguing that the provisions as well as the deliberation process of the law violate the 1945 Constitution.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry has played down criticism leveled at Minister Prabowo Subianto over his working visit to the United States following concerns raised by activists against his past alleged human rights violations.

The minister's spokesman Dahnil Azhar Simanjuntak said the ministry respected those who criticized Prabowo's diplomatic visit.

Elza Astari Retaduari, Jakarta – The Indonesian military (TNI) has reasserted that it will firmly punish soldiers who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Violators will be tried in military courts and dishonorably discharged from the military.

Rahel, Jakarta – The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) issue has again come under the spotlight after several Indonesian military (TNI) personnel were dismissed for having same-sex relationships.

Sabik Aji Taufan – Human rights organisations have slammed a visit to the United States by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. The chairperson of Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) is scheduled to fly to the US today, Thursday October 15.

The groups said the US' decision to grant Prabowo a visa is a human rights disaster for Indonesia.

Eva Mazrieva, Washington – At least a dozen non-government organizations are protesting the U.S. decision to grant Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto a visa to visit Washington for talks despite his alleged involvement with human rights violations.

Jakarta – Indonesia's government should revise a new jobs law to meet international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said today.

Susan Connelly – Forty-five years ago, on October 16, 1975, five Australian-based journalists near the town of Balibo were reporting on the impending Indonesian invasion of Portuguese Timor. They were Gary Cunningham, Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie, Greg Shackleton and Tony Stewart.

Brett Wilkins – Human rights advocates this week sounded the alarm on a meeting scheduled for Friday between American Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former U.S.-trained general in an elite army unit implicated in genocidal violence and other atrocities in East Timor, West Papua, Jakarta, and elsewhere in the archipelago nation in the

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – The Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) Director Ade Wahyudi on Thursday criticized the statement made by the Communication and Informatics Minister (Menkominfo) Johnny G. Plate during his appearance in Wednesday's Mata Najwa interview.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asked President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to come up with solutions for the land dispute in Mandalika MotoGP Circuit areas, Central Lombok. The commission discovered that contractors had not made payment for a number of residents' plots of lands used for the racetrack.

Jakarta – The Job Creation Law ignores environmental aspects and workers' rights. It will end up reducing investment.

Antara, Jakarta – The British government has praised Indonesia for checking the spread of coronavirus disease infections in the country, State Enterprises Minister and chief of the Committee for COVID-19 Handling and National Economic Recovery, Erick Thohir, said.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – University of Indonesia's Law Faculty Center for Constitutional Law Studies (PSHTN FHUI) concludes that the drafting of the omnibus job creation law had been reckless from the method that was used and the lack of clarity regarding the official draft law that was passed by the House of Representatives (DPR).

Mardika Parama, Jakarta – Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio vowed on Tuesday to disburse a Rp 3.3 trillion (US$224 million) grant for tourism-related businesses and local administrations, as it aimed to help cushion the impacts of the pandemic on the sector and improve health protocol implementation at tourist destinations.

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has handed over the final draft of the controversial Job Creation Law to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Wednesday.

Out of four final drafts circulating in public, which has caused confusion among citizens over the final content of the law, the House submitted the latest 812-page draft to Jokowi.

Jakarta – The West Java administration is looking for people with medical backgrounds to serve as volunteers to help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in Depok city.

Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman, Jakarta – Agriculture companies PT Petrokimia Gresik, PT Astra Agro Lestari and PT Rukan are ramping up their use of technology to streamline business and overcome challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has urged the central government to evaluate its COVID-19 handling by prioritizing basic rights principles.

Jakarta – The national COVID-19 task force has called on the National Police and the military to test personnel deployed to the Job Creation Law protests because protesters arrested in several regions have had reactive test results.

Jakarta – State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma has confirmed that the COVID-19 vaccine will be priced at around Rp 200,000 (US$13.57) per dosage when it becomes available.

Bio Farma president director Honesti Basyir said the price was based on a recent email from Sinovac Biotech, the Chinese COVID-19 candidate vaccine producer.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced three former directors of state insurer PT Asuransi Jiwasraya to life in prison after finding them guilty of corruption costing the government trillions of rupiah.

Jakarta – Malaka regency in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is among those areas that have been relative successful in promoting the government's "3M" health protocols comprising wearing masks, washing hands with soap and maintaining physical distancing.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – The government has started the process of merging three state-owned banks' sharia subsidiaries, creating the country's biggest sharia bank and one of the top-10 largest banks in the country by early next year.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – Some 208 people remain unaccounted for following mass demonstrations against the controversial Job Creation Law last week, which resulted in the arrest of more than 1,000 protesters in the capital city.

The Jakarta City Council says it's drafting a new set of regional regulations that could see the introduction of hefty fines for health protocol violators, most notable among them a fine for those who refuse mandatory swab tests.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit Austria later this month to discuss the possible purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters.

The trip would follow his much-anticipated visit to the United States from Oct 15 to 19.

Phelim Kine – The Indonesian parliament gambled that its hasty approval of a controversial economic stimulus plan on October 5 would effectively mitigate public anger about its problematic labor and environmental provisions.

It clearly miscalculated.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has once again been named the Finance Minister of the Year for East Asia Pacific by Global Markets magazine for her accomplishments throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The minister previously received the honor in 2018.

Tri Indah Oktavianti, Jakarta – Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has defended a joint fact-finding team sanctioned by the government to conduct probes into recent killings in Intan Jaya regency, Papua, saying the team is full of professionals with unyielding independence.

Jakarta – A police general has allegedly ordered his subordinates to falsify information contained in a travel letter issued to allow graft convict Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra to travel within the country while he was a fugitive.

Jakarta – The Save Indonesia Coalition (KAMI) has objected to the arrest of eight people affiliated with the movement for allegedly spreading hate speech and violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law amid widespread protests against the Job Creation Law.

The eight people were apprehended in Jakarta and Medan, North Sumatra.

Jakarta – It has been seven months since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced the first confirmed COVID-19 cases in Indonesia. Since then, the number of cases has continued to rise.

Fikri Arigi, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid argues the arrests made against members of the Save Indonesia Coalition (KAMI) as a real threat against the freedom of expression. He suspects that it was done to spread fear among people who are critical against the passing of the omnibus job creation law.

Fikri Arigi, Jakarta – Volunteers of Muhammadiyah's disaster mitigation organization (MDMC) claims that police members tasked to secure the anti-omnibus law mass protest had used excessive force against their field volunteer medics on Tuesday, October 13.

Jakarta – In the drawing up of the Job Creation Law, the House of Representatives (DPR) acted exactly like a furniture factory producing a wooden cupboard ordered by the administration of President Joko Widodo.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Judges at the Simalungun District Court in North Sumatra have sentenced Gernal Luncu Nainggolan to one year in prison after he was found guilty of insulting Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.

The verdict hearing took place on Oct. 8. The sentence was lighter than the initial punishment demanded by prosecutors of 1.5 years' imprisonment.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Indonesia's economic downturn is likely to be worse than previously expected as Southeast Asia's largest economy struggles to contain the coronavirus pandemic, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Rangga Prakoso, Jakarta – Indonesia Asahan Aluminium, the state-owned mining holding company, has unveiled a $12 billion plan to create an integrated electric vehicle battery industry called Indonesia Baterai to spearhead its effort to become a global player in the green energy technology.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – Some public transportation companies across Jakarta have halted their services as the capital braces for yet another round of large-scale protests against the controversial Job Creation Law.

Jakarta – The National Police on Monday deployed around 7,500 Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers to ensure public safety and security in Jakarta amid continuing protests against the newly passed Job Creation Law, or omnibus law.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – The government-sanctioned joint fact-finding team (TGPF) says it has concluded the field investigation of the shooting case of Papuan pastor Yeremia Zanambani, despite naming no suspects yet.

Jakarta – The number of flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport went up by 5 percent on the first day of relaxed large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Jakarta.

Novan Iman Santosa, Jakarta – Defense Minister Prabowo is scheduled to visit Austria later this month to discuss the possible purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters after his much-anticipated visit to the United States from Oct. 15 to 19.