Jakarta – Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo has faced backlash after attacking President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's law enforcement performance, with critics pointing to the fact that he and his running mate Mahfud MD, a senior minister, are part of the incumbent's administration.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – The police confiscated evidence in the form of foreign exchange in the case of alleged extortion of Syahrul Yasin Limpo by KPK chief Firli Bahuri. The Jakarta Police's director of special criminal investigation, Sr. Comr. Ade Safri Simanjuntak, said the evidence shows proof of exchanging Singapore dollars and United States dollars.

Antara, Suka Makmue – The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Nagan Raya Regency, Aceh, recorded that 41 villages spread across nine sub-districts were flooded with water levels reaching more than one meter.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairman Firli Bahuri will soon be suspended after police named him a suspect for allegedly blackmailing a graft suspect.

Syamsuddin Haris, a member of the KPK oversight body, said on Thursday his team has sent a letter to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo asking for Firli's removal.

Septia Ryanthie, Jakarta – Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan criticized Indonesia's new capital or IKN project initiated by President Joko Jokowi Widodo. He assessed that the mega project has the potential to create new inequalities.

Jakarta – Nine families have just moved to temporary housing as Indonesia proceeds with the Rempang Eco-City project, according to the city development agency BP Batam.

Desty Luthfiani, Jakarta – A group of online taxi drivers in the Greater Jakarta area calling themselves the Revolusi Driver Online demanded an increase in basic fares. The current basic fare for the transportation service at the mobile applications starts from Rp3,000 per kilometer.

The drivers demanded the fare to be raised to Rp5,491 per kilometer.

Jakarta – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto says he has visited Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the coordinating maritime affairs minister, who is recovering in Singapore. Luhut has been undergoing treatment at Singapore General Hospital since October.

Prabowo said Luhut's health was gradually improving, although it will still take some time for a full recovery and adjustment.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore/Jakarta – Seated on a bench at a badminton centre in Jakarta, two senior Indonesian officials are pictured in conversation.

On the left is Firli Bahuri, the head of Indonesia's much-vaunted Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK; on his right is Syahrul Yasin Limpo, until recently the country's agriculture minister.

Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – Indonesian court documents have revealed for the first time the chain of events that led to toxic ingredients being used in cough syrup that was among the products blamed for the deaths of more than 200 children in the country last year.

Jakarta – Bobby Nasution, mayor of Medan, North Sumatra, has denied allegations of the city laying ceramic tiles at an intersection on Jl. Sudirman, which led to several motorcycle accidents.

"They aren't ceramic tiles. We have explained on official social media accounts of Medan administration and related institutions that they are not tiles," said Bobby.

Jakarta – Indonesia's central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday (Nov 23), as expected, despite renewed volatility in the rupiah exchange rate as investors speculate over the possibility of an end to US monetary tightening.

Muhammad Iqbal, Jakarta – Hundreds of houses in Pesona Serpong Housing, Setu District, South Tangerang City, were flooded on Wednesday as the levels of Cisadane River rose and overflowed its banks, inundating areas with a height estimated at 60 centimeters, prompting some residents to evacuate.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Several Indonesian civil society groups have launched a non-partisan movement to ensure that the February 2024 presidential and legislative elections are conducted fairly, amid growing concerns of electoral fraud as campaigning gathers steam.

Jakarta – The National Police this week named the chief of the country's anti-corruption agency, Firli Bahuri, as a suspect for alleged extortion or receiving kickbacks, another setback in the once-prized government institution.

Mahmoud Barakat, Istanbul – The Israeli army has called for the evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza Strip within four hours, a Palestinian Health Ministry official said on Thursday.

Jakarta – The presidential campaign team of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka ticket has acknowledged that artificial intelligence (AI) was deployed in creating images of children pictured in a campaign ad.

Antara, Jakarta – The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment established collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and ViriyaENB to improve air quality in the Greater Jakarta area by mobilizing technical expertise and conducting data research.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo marked a significant milestone on Thursday with the inauguration of two new airports, Douw Aturure Airport in Nabire, Central Papua Province, and Siboru Airport in Fakfak, West Papua Province.

The move aims to bolster accessibility to the eastern provinces of Papua.

One of the world's largest palm oil companies appears to have overseen a network of companies responsible for deforestation of tens of thousands of hectares, according to a new investigation published by The Gecko Project, a London-based investigative journalism organization.

Yohanes Maharso Joharsoyo, Jakarta – The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA, locally known as GAPKI) recorded a 29.9 percent surge in processed palm oil export in September to 2,693 tons from 2,073 tons the previous month.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – Acting Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono warned his staff members to maintain neutrality as civil servants during the 2024 presidential and legislative elections, saying on Wednesday that a range of sanctions are awaiting those who violate the principle.

Heru said the sanctions varied from written reprimands to removal from office.

Jakarta – Many survivors of last year's 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, remain homeless as they prefer to live in emergency tents and shelters despite having received financial assistance to rent temporary homes.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Acting Governor of Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono officially announced that Jakarta's 2024 minimum wage is now Rp5,067,381, or a 3.38 percent increase from this year's minimum wage.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Russia is offering to work with Indonesia on nuclear power generators while saying that the cooperation can range from possible financing to workforce development.

Jakarta – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has "strongly condemned" Israeli tank attacks on the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza on Nov 20, in which 12 civilians were killed.

Shardul Sharma – The Timor-Leste government has granted the Sunrise joint venture, comprising state-owned Timor Gap, Australia's Woodside Energy, and Japan's Osaka Gas, the green light to commence work on a concept study for the development of the Greater Sunrise fields, Woodside said via a LinkedIn post on November 22.

Chaideer Mahyuddin and Marchio Gorbiano (AFP), Sabang, Aceh/Jakarta – More than 200 Rohingya refugees were huddled on the beaches of Sabang island, Aceh, Wednesday after weeks adrift on a wooden boat, as authorities rejected locals' efforts to push the members of the persecuted Myanmar minority back to sea.

Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) has appealed for peace and humanitarian action to end the conflict in the Middle East triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.

Singapore – President Tharman Shanmugaratnam conferred Singapore's top military award on Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto at the Istana on Nov 21.

Jakarta – The recent arrivals of Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar have, surprisingly, been met by opposition from local people in Aceh. On previous occasions, the Acehnese warmly welcomed the Rohingyas on humanitarian grounds, and to a degree in the name of Islamic brotherhood.

It seems the Acehnese welcome has worn thin.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi recently told her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Israel should not justify murdering civilians in Gaza as "self-defense".

Retno visited Russia on Tuesday alongside other ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The diplomats held talks with Russia's Lavrov on ending the war in Gaza.

Toe Pyae Naing – Indonesia is currently facing a critical juncture as tensions in the restive region of West Papua continue to mount, raising concerns about the escalation of violence and the need for a peaceful resolution.

Mehrtens, who was a pilot for Susi Air, was taken hostage by TPNPB fighters in February this year, shortly after landing at a remote airstrip.

A new video circulating on social media shows Mehrtens surrounded by armed men. The video said Mehrtens had been given two months to live before he will be shot dead.

Antara, Jakarta – The Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported that cases of monkeypox (mpox) have been detected in five Indonesian provinces based on the latest count.

The provinces are Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Riau Islands, and East Java.

Jakarta – The West Java administration is investigating a case of mass food poisoning in Purwakarta regency in which at least 227 people fell ill.

Jakarta – The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has ensured that thousands of illegal oil palm companies operating in forest area have been exonerated or legalised thanks to the Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

Jayapura, Jubi – Students from Cenderawasih University took a firm stance against the scheduled public lecture by Ganjar Pranowo, one of the presidential candidates.

Their demonstration on Tuesday aimed to challenge the university's decision to host only Ganjar for a lecture without including the other two presidential contenders.

Jayapura, Jubi – Following the incident of a 10-year-old student in Sugapa District's Titigi Village suffering injuries from an explosion on November 9, 2023, the Intan Jaya Students Association (IPMI-J) from Jayapura urged local authorities, the military, and the police to take the matter seriously.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – The revision of the electronic transaction and information law gives authorities the power to freeze the bank accounts of suspects during the crackdown on online gambling, a minister said on Wednesday.

Both the government and the House of Representatives have agreed to include such an authority in the revised law.

Jakarta – Human rights activists and Lokataru Human Rights Foundation director Haris Azhar has emphasised that criminal penalties will not stop the public from criticising unethical practices by the state.

Although he admits that there is no freedom that is absolute, Azhar said that state officials cannot also be allowed to be absolutely free from criticism.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – Dozens of national figures have declared a new social movement named JAGA Pemilu (SAFEGUARD the Elections), which will monitor the 2024 legislative and presidential elections (Pemilu) so it can take place in a democratic, honest, fair, transparent and participatory manner.

Jakarta – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) has spoken out about the circulation of a video containing a threat to shoot Susi Air pilot Philip Mehrtens who has been held hostage by the group since February.

Sunu Dyantoro, Jakarta – The Indonesian language, Bahasa Indonesia, was declared as an official language of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference on Monday, November 20, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.

Jakarta – Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo was warmly received by thousands of supporters during his visit to Papua on Tuesday.

Upon his arrival in the provincial capital, Jayapura, Ganjar was greeted by leaders from various ethnic groups, students, and religious figures, amid the radiant sunlight in Indonesia's easternmost province.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesian palm oil exports to China and India are facing a decline, according to data from the industry association released on Tuesday.

Ikmal Fauzan Hanif, Jakarta – At least 27 former corruption inmates have secured candidacy for House of Representatives members in the 2024 general elections, according to data released by anti-graft activists.

Jakarta – The minimum wage in Jakarta has been established at Rp 5.07 million ($327) per month for 2024, marking a 3.38 percent rise from the current threshold, acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono said on Tuesday.

Yohanes Maharso Joharsoyo, Jakarta – Indonesian-owned electricity giant PT PLN inaugurated 21 Green Hydrogen Plants (GHP) spread across the archipelago at the Tanjung Priok Steam Gas Power Plant (PLTGU), Jakarta on Monday, November 20, 2023.

Ihsan Reliubun, Jakarta – The Head of General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Rahmat Bagja stated that allegations of billboards or campaign props installation by police members are unproven.