Hello reader,

It’s not the best of news to kick-start the weekend, but Indonesia lost to Iraq at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers yesterday despite some impressive football by the boys in red.

Though defeat hurts, Indonesia’s World Cup dream is not yet over. Nothing is impossible, right?

On that somewhat optimistic note, I hope you have a fantastic weekend. See you back here on Monday!

Cheers,

Andra

Law/Politics

• Former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil posted a video on Instagram in which he appeared on real chummy terms with his “old friend,” former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan. As is in politics where the tiniest of nuances go under the microscope, the post has been construed as a signal by Ridwan that he will run for governor of Jakarta. The Golkar politician would undoubtedly be a favorite, though Anies may stand in the way should he choose to run in Jakarta again following his defeat in February’s presidential election.

• Ilham Habibie, the son of Indonesia’s third president BJ Habibie, is in intense discussions with the National Democratic Party (Nasdem) about getting on the ticket for the West Java gubernatorial election this year. Just like his father, Ilham is first and foremost a respected engineer, though the 61-year-old has not had much of a political career to speak of.

• Art (if you can call it that) has led to real-life ramifications for Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari director Anggy Umbara, who sat through seven hours of questioning about his knowledge of the criminal case by West Java Police investigators yesterday. Vina is loosely based on the murders of Vina and Eky in Cirebon, West Java in 2016. The movie sparked renewed interest in the case, prompting pressure on authorities to catch the remaining criminals. The police have faced even more scrutiny over discrepancies in their recent arrest of the alleged mastermind of the crime.

• A 30-year-old Balinese man is on trial after he was accused of raping a 14-year-old Australian girl when she went on holiday to the island in March 2023. The defendant is facing up to 15 years in prison for violating Indonesia’s Child Protection Law.

• Police said a young couple — both 19 — went online to look up ways to murder a person before they went on to suffocate a 66-year-old woman with a pillow in Makassar, South Sulawesi. The alleged perpetrator owed money to the victim, and managed to convince her boyfriend to help her end the elderly lady’s life.

Business/Economy

• Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (who is now also the acting head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority if you’ve been keeping up) says he regrets all the backlash against the government’s Public Housing Savings (Tapera) program, which requires another deduction 3% from workers’ salaries starting in 2027. Basuki expressed his hope that the program could be delayed and reworked — the first statement from any high-ranking government official indicating that Tapera’s implementation is not as pressing as it has been painted to be.

• National Planning Development Minister Suharso Monoarfa has hinted that subsidies might be slashed in President-elect Prabowo Subianto's first state budget in 2025 in a move that would tighten government spending and minimize the budget deficit. Boosting revenue by way of improving tax collection is also a possibility.

• Construction of Bali’s long-awaited Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is set to commence imminently following the conclusion of a feasibility study for the project. Phase 1A of the project will see the construction of a 6.04 km underground line connecting Ngurah Rai Airport with Sunset Road, budgeted at US$ 876 million.

Everything Else

Iraq Downs Indonesia

It’s the hope that kills you. Indonesia started so brightly at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers tie against Iraq on Thursday afternoon, only to be undone by preventable errors.

Our men’s national team — which is the most diverse it’s ever been thanks to the government’s player naturalization program — gave an impressive account of themselves in the first half, carving out goal chance after chance against a historically superior rival.

The first heartbreak came in the 54th minute when Iraq’s Aymen Hussein converted from the spot kick following a handball by Justin Hubner in the box. Indonesia’s prospect for an equalizer dimmed when Jordi Amat saw red soon after. Then, at the death, goalkeeper Ernando produced a howler to give Iraq’s second of the afternoon.

Indonesia is down, but not entirely out yet from World Cup qualification. The Garudas must get a win against the Philippines on June 11 to mathematically secure a spot in the next round of the qualifiers. Should Indonesia succeed, even tougher tests await on the path to the 2026 World Cup.

In Other News

• The bougie Plaza Indonesia in Central Jakarta immediately terminated its contract with its security vendor after a video went viral showing a security guard stationed outside the mall hitting a guard dog in the head. The mall said the 2-year-old Belgian Sheperd, named Fay, has been declared in good health by a visiting vet.

• A bakery in Yogyakarta has come under fire for allegedly plagiarizing the concept and design of a prominent bakery in Melbourne, prompting criticism and mockery online. The controversy gained traction after a social media post highlighted striking similarities between the two bakeries, from branding to store layout, leading to accusations of intellectual property theft.