JOURNAL 20

Here comes the annual troublemaker: Christmas

At least three issues crossed my mind when I read yet another controversial announcement that was later retracted following a public uproar, of a famous bakery on Christmas greetings.

First, my recent conversation with a senior government official, who said a non-Muslim must first and foremost be at least twice as good as other contenders to win a promotion in the bureaucracy.

JOURNAL 19

Keeping Chinese fishing vessels from Natuna, defending people’s welfare

The latest incidents in the North Natuna Sea should serve as another wake-up call for the government to immediately and expediently improve the country’s naval and other related capabilities to safeguard the sovereign rights of the nation, particularly on the southern fringe of South China Sea.

JOURNAL 18

Is Indonesia losing favorable clean energy policies?

Indonesia once had policies that supported the development of clean energy, but regulatory changes in the last 10 years seem to be the root of the problem of why abundant sources of renewable power in the country have been left mostly untouched after more than seven decades after the country’s independence. Based on an interview with an industry insider, The Jakarta Post discovered that Indonesia had met the expectations of all stakeholders at least once in clean energy development — or reached a win-win situation.

JOURNAL 17

Bantul church moved to another village following protests

The Bantul administration in Yogyakarta and the congregation of the Indonesia Pentecostal Church (GPdI) Immanuel Sedayu in the regency have agreed to move the house of worship to Argosari village, from Argorejo, following protests. The agreement was made on Wednesday at the office of Bantul Regent Suharsono and was witnessed by church leader Tigor Yunus Sitorus and his lawyer Budi Hermawan from the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute.

JOURNAL 16

Indonesians in Iraq urged to stay alert after assassination of top Iranian general

Indonesia has called on its citizens in Iraq to remain on alert amid heightened tensions in the region, following a United States airstrike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. The ministry also said Indonesia was concerned about the escalating tensions in Iraq, requesting all parties to refrain from instigating further violence that could worsen the situation.

JOURNAL 15

Stowaway child found dead in plane at Paris airport

A child stowaway was found dead Wednesday in the undercarriage of a plane at a Paris airport, officials said, having probably frozen to death or asphyxiated on the flight from Ivory Coast.

The child, aged around 10, had clambered into the underbelly of the Air France Boeing 777 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It took off on Tuesday evening and landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, north of the capital, early Wednesday morning.

JOURNAL 14

ONE Championship, ONE Esports join forces with big brands to expand influence

ONE Championship, Asian's leading sports media enterprise, has announced strategic partnerships with leading global brands, namely JBL, TUMI, Redbull, Lazada, DBS Bank, Foodpanda, Hugo Boss and Unilever, among other big names. The leading brands are set to collaborate with ONE Championship and ONE Esports on various martial arts and e-sports initiatives. These partnerships are tailored to leverage multiple platforms and thus strengthen ties between the business, martial arts and e-sports communities.

JOURNAL 13

Australian bushfires a warm welcome to global warming

As a person who has spent most of his life in Bandung, West Java, the thought of living in a developed country certainly triggered great excitement. Near the end of winter Canberra welcomed me with cool weather and occasional showers. As I was happily enjoying student life, summer came and brought the 2019-20 Australian bushfire season with it. Suddenly, the blissful delight turned into a bit of a worrisome experience.

JOURNAL 12

Millennials: Rise and shine

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has appointed seven young, talented Indonesians as his expert staff members. They are creative entrepreneurs, community developers, CEOs of start-up companies and a political activist. They are considered representatives of millennials, the generation projected to compose the majority of Indonesia’s population in the next 20 years. This is, however, a new phenomenon in our politics, where a president assigns several young people as his special advisors.  

JOURNAL 11

Cambodia building collapse death toll hits 36 as rescue called off

The search for victims in the rubble of a collapsed building in southern Cambodia drew to a close Sunday with the final death toll at 36 -- the latest tragedy in a string of deadly construction accidents. Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, said 23 people had been pulled alive from the rubble of the seven-storey hotel, which crumpled to the ground in seaside Kep on Friday afternoon.

JOURNAL 10

Plant development in Aceh's Leuser ecosystem may be scrapped after court ruling

The group filed the lawsuit last year to oppose Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah's decision to issue a forest area utilization permit, which would allow foreign capital investor PT Kamirzu to build the Tampur hydropower plant in the Leuser ecosystem. The ecosystem is a UNESCO world heritage site that covers thousands of hectares of protected forests throughout Aceh and North Sumatra.

JOURNAL 9

SoftBank Group in talks with Jokowi to fund new capital city

Japan-based Softbank Group has hinted at partnering with the government to fund Indonesia's new capital city. On Friday morning, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo welcomed SoftBank Group founder and CEO Masayoshi Son and SoftBank-backed ride-hailing app Grab CEO Anthony Tan at the State Palace in Jakarta to discuss the matter.

JOURNAL 8

Mt. Leuser park rangers save two young orangutans from smuggler

Rangers from Mount Leuser National Park have rescued two juvenile Sumatran orangutans from a poacher who allegedly planned to sell the critically endangered apes on the black market. The two orangutans were discovered by officers in Empus Village, Bahorok district, in Langkat regency, North Sumatra, on Thursday afternoon.

JOURNAL 7

Depok mayor calls for more anti-LGBT raids in wake of Reynhard Sinaga case

In response to reports that the family of Reynhard Sinaga, an Indonesian convicted serial rapist in the United Kingdom, lives in Depok, West Java, the city's mayor has instructed his administration to conduct raids against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Reynhard, a 36-year-old PhD student, was sentenced on Jan. 6 by a court in Manchester to life on 136 counts of rape, eight counts of attempted rape, 13 counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault with penetration.

JOURNAL 6

No more funds available to cover BPJS deficit, says Sri Mulyani

The government plans to no longer provide cash injections to cover the Healthcare and Social Security Agency's (BPJS Kesehatan) deficit this year following a hike in the insurance premiums. The year 2020 marks a new phase for Indonesia's universal healthcare program, National Health Insurance (JKN), as the government raised its premiums for the first time since it started operations in 2014.

JOURNAL 5

Sinaga case: What Indonesia can learn from the UK in handling sexual violence

Before Sunday, almost no one heard about Reynhard Sinaga, an Indonesian student who has been living in Manchester, the United Kingdom, since 2007. For two past years, a Greater Manchester Police investigation team and prosecutors worked in silence as they scrutinized Reynhard’s role in one of the most shocking sexual assault cases in UK criminal history. Journalists attended the case’s four trial hearings but were restricted from publishing a word about it to ensure that Reynhard would have a fair trial and with the thought of protecting his victims.

JOURNAL 4

Bomb in bag explodes in Bengkulu village, injuring one

A bomb hidden inside a bag exploded in front of a house in Padang village of Seluma regency in Bengkulu on Saturday morning, injuring the house owner. Bengkulu Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Sudarno said that the bomb, which had been put inside a bag, was placed at the door of the village head's house. No fatalities were recorded but the house owner, identified as Halidin, 60, suffered from injuries to parts of his upper body and feet from the blast.

JOURNAL 3

Yogyakarta to implement smoking ban on Malioboro

The Yogyakarta administration is planning to turn the popular tourist destination of Malioboro into a smoke-free zone starting in March. The head of the public health division of the Yogyakarta Health Agency, Eny Dwiniarsih, said that the government is currently preparing the resources to implement the ban. The administration is to also prepare a designated smoking area. However, Eny added that the smoking area would not be built near the sidewalk since that would be against Yogyakarta's regulations. 

JOURNAL 2

Humpback whale dies after becoming stranded on N. Sumatra coast

A 20-ton humpback whale has died after becoming stranded on the coast of Asahan regency, North Sumatra, on Saturday afternoon. The whale became stranded in shallow waters near Silo Baru village, Silau Laut district, Asahan regency. Silo Baru village head Ahmad Sofyan said on Sunday that the whale's carcass was still around 1.5 kilometers off the coast of Silo Baru. He said a team from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) was planning to inspect the carcass before submerging it in the sea. 

JOURNAL 1

Female eighth grader expelled from Surakarta school for texting male peer

Islamic junior high school SMP IT Nur Hidayah in Surakarta, Central Java, has drawn criticism over its decision to expel a female eighth grader because of her recent interactions with a male peer through a messaging app. The student, identified only by her initials AN, was expelled from SMP IT Nur Hidayah for allegedly committing a series of “violations” that included texting birthday wishes to her male friend. The school said it considered this particular action “a grave violation”, which warranted immediate expulsion.

During my school vacation, I went to the pine forest tour area of bogor, west Java, with my family. There were many sights of pine forest. Not only that, there is also an outbound and photo booth.

Upon arriving at the site, we take a short break and eat with the family. While eating we enjoyed the natural sight of the pine forest around me, the air was so cool and crowded.

After the late afternoon we decided to hurry home. And I would love a holiday here.