Jakarta – Supreme Court justice Dudu Duswara Machmudin died on Thursday evening at Sentosa Asih Hospital in Bandung, West Java, after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 69.

His death was confirmed by Supreme Court spokesman Andi Samsan Nganro on Thursday, kompas.com reported.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has given virtual greetings to mark International Human Rights (HAM) Day during an event held by the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). During the event, Widodo stressed the importance of protecting human rights.

Jakarta – COVID-19 testing capacity in Indonesia has slightly increased on a weekly basis as the country aims to test 267,000 people per week, as targeted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Heru Andriyanto, Dina Manafe, Jakarta – Indonesia has added 60,050 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the month with the country's four most populous provinces accounting for 60 percent of the figure amid an upturn in newly cases.

Jakarta – Indonesia will raise the excise tax on tobacco products by an average of 12.5 per cent in 2021, the country's finance minister said on Thursday (Dec 10), citing a need to balance efforts to control smoking with the need to support an industry that is a major employer.

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat Habib Pashya – For all the quandaries thrown up by 2020, this has been an important year for Indonesia-China relations. The ties between Jakarta and Beijing have increased and expanded, not only in political and economic fields, where China is now Indonesia's most crucial trading partner and investor, but also in defence and cultural realms.

Yohanes Sulaiman, Bandung, Indonesia – Nine months into the pandemic, Indonesia is still in what has been dubbed an "endless first wave".

Anne Barker – With its first shipment of China's experimental CoronaVac vaccine arriving this week, Indonesia still faces a mammoth task to combat the continuing surge in infections from the coronavirus.

Norman Harsono, Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has set Indonesia's coal production target at 550 million tons for next year, a figure unchanged from this year, due to the raging pandemic.

Dian Septiari, Nusa Dua, Bali – The world-renowned resort island of Bali is ready to welcome international tourists before Christmas, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have named Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab and five other people suspects for holding crowd-pulling events in his house and at the group's headquarters in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, in breach of COVID-19 health protocol last month.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has recovered the bodies of six members who were recently killed during an alleged shootout with police, and returned the bodies to their families for burial. The group denies the police version of events and provided details that could point to ill intent among law enforcement.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$500 million loan to support Indonesia's effort to expand access to funding for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and marginalized groups, such as women and youth.

Jakarta – The meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry says is has sustained at least Rp 44.3 trillion (US$3.1 billion) in losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nina Loasana, Jakarta – The plastic recycling industry, a key player in the country's ambitious goal to cut waste by 30 percent and marine plastic debris by 70 percent by 2025, faces mounting challenges that hinder its progress to recycle more of the 4.8 million tons of mismanaged plastic produced in the country each year.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – The National Police have taken over an investigation into the fatal shooting of six members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) in an altercation between the group and Jakarta Police officers.

Jakarta – The administration of Surakarta, Central Java, is seeking to require travelers coming into the city for the year-end holidays to enter quarantine upon arrival to curb COVID-19 transmission.

Surakarta deputy mayor FX Hadi Rudyatmo said the quarantine would last 14 days.

Jakarta – Indonesia, the world's largest cigarette market, has announced on Thursday to increase the cigarette excise by an average of 12.5 percent in 2021 in the country's latest attempt in a crusade to reduce the number of smokers and child smokers in the country.

Bayu Marhaenjati, Jakarta – Firebrand cleric Muhammad Rizieq Syihab was named a suspect on Thursday for violation against the health protocols in a continuing saga after police killed his six followers during a highway chase three days earlier.

Jakarta – An epidemiologist has warned of a potential surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks as the polls closed yesterday for the 2020 regional elections (Pilkada).

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Several candidates affiliated with political dynasties are predicted to win in the 2020 Regional Head Election or Pilkada.Although the official result has not been announced yet, the quick count results and the General Election Committee (KPU) temporary vote count showed they were ahead of their rivals.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in the commemoration of the world human rights day held virtually by the national commission on human rights (Komnas HAM) pledged to resolve past human rights violations.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Police (Polri) criminal investigation department (Bareksrim) in commemoration of the national anti-corruption day said the country lost Rp7.62 trillion from 2018 to 2020 due to corruption.

Yolanda Pandjaitan and Roni – A key achievement of Indonesia's democratisation was the implementation of regional autonomy. New laws on regional administration (No. 22 of 1999 and No. 32 of 2004) established the direct election of leaders and lawmakers at the local level.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – The national Covid-19 mitigation task force spokesman Wiku Adisasmito published critical evaluations related to the implementation of the 2020 Regional Head Election (Pilkada). He highlighted the poor facility and infrastructure to support health protocol at polling stations or TPS.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) researcher Arif Nur Fikri has reported the group's findings on human rights violations throughout 2020. Kontras found 40 incidents of human rights violations in Papua between January and November 2020.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) researcher Danu Pratama has spelled out critical notes on violations of freedom of expression in the framework of commemorating International Human Rights Day on Thursday December 10.

Stanley Widianto, Yuddy Cahya Budiman, Jakarta/Depok, Indonesia – Indonesians streamed into polling stations to vote in regional elections on Wednesday, with health experts warning of the risk of new coronavirus clusters emerging across the archipelago after authorities ignored calls to postpone the vote again.

Indonesians have headed to the polls to vote in regional elections as health experts warn of the risk of new coronavirus clusters emerging across the country.

More than 100 million people were eligible to vote on Wednesday with nearly 300,000 polling stations set up in 24 districts and 37 cities.

Shotaro Tani, Jakarta – The eldest son of Indonesian President Joko Widodo is set to become the new mayor of Solo, a position that propelled his father into political stardom, unofficial results from regional elections show.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders says that the human rights situation has worsened during the second term of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's leadership.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Head of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Miftachul Akhyar on Wednesday urged police to reveal the facts and be truly transparent related to the alleged clash between police personnel and Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members at the Jagorawi toll road on Monday.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – Deputy coordinator of Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) Feri Kusuma on Tuesday worries that the alleged clash between police and members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) on Monday will potentially spark a bigger conflict and strongly urges the government to take notice of this issue.

Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has once again been included in Forbes list of the 'world's 100 most powerful women' in 2020 alongside Pertamina president director nicke Widyawati.

Sri Mulyani, who also served as World Bank's managing director and COO, was ranked 78th in this year's list while the Pertamina boss is ranked higher in 25th spot.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) reported problems in distributing the logistics of the 2020 Regional Election in several regions of Papua, particularly in Yalimo, Yahukimo, and Pegunungan Bintang.

Jakarta – A total of 1,762 traders in traditional markets across the country have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent months, with 68 of the traders succumbing to the coronavirus disease, according to data from the Indonesian Traditional Market Traders Association (IKAPPI).

Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – The first gay policeman to sue the country's police force for wrongful dismissal due to sexual orientation was back in courts this week, determined to be reinstated.

Yogyakarta – Further discussion is needed regarding the reopening of schools to decide on the right steps so as not to further spread the coronavirus, an expert has said.

Jakarta – The Supreme Court has reduced the sentence of graft convict Fahmi Darmawansyah in its case review decision for a bribery case involving former Sukamiskin prison warden Wahid Husein.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has urged people voting in the simultaneous regional elections to adhere to health protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during polling.

Lily Wakefield – A former policeman in Indonesia is suing the country's police force for wrongful dismissal over his sexuality, in a landmark case in the conservative nation.

Budi Sutrisno, Jakarta – The shooting of Papuan Pastor Yeremia Zanambani is not an independent incident but part of the most recent and most significant shift in the trend of conflicts in Intan Jaya regency since its establishment in 2008, a report has said.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Indonesian police have obtained hard evidence confirming that the bodyguards of Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab illegally possessed firearms, which police said were pointed at officers tailing their cars outside Jakarta on Monday (Dec 7).

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded the highest daily death toll in the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday, when the country also extended the longest run of three-digit deaths for the 18th day in a row.

It recorded 171 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 18,171. The previous record was 169 deaths reported on Nov. 27.

Fadli, Batam – The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry's Hiu Macan Tutul 02 patrol boat captured Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel KF 5152 caught illegally fishing in the Indonesian part of the Strait of Malacca on Sunday.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan's decision to extend the transitional large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) policy for another 14 days has raised mixed reactions from the public.

Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said extending the PSBB was indeed part of Jakarta's strategy to fight against the pandemic.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) of Bogor has requested the central government to vaccinate teachers prior to school reopening.

PGRI Bogor head Muhammad Usman Tonda expressed his hopes for a teachers' vaccination program during a dialogue with members of the House of Representatives Commission X on Tuesday.

Bandung – State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma has allocated 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine final product made by China's Sinovac Biotech for health workers in the country, president director Honesti Basyir has said.

Andi Hajramurni and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Makassar – The exposure of a number of regional election candidates and current leaders to COVID-19 has somewhat marred this year's celebration of democracy in various parts of the country.

Jakarta – The son and son-in-law of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo won mayoral elections in their respective city on Wednesday, according to quick count results by credible research agencies.

Gibran Rakabuming Raka, 33, followed the step of his father by winning the mayoral race in the family's hometown of Solo, Central Java, in a landslide.