Claire Jiao and Grace Sihombing – Indonesia's central bank unexpectedly raised borrowing costs for the first time since 2018 as policy makers conceded that inflation pressures have risen, revising their price forecasts higher.

Endy Bayuni, Jakarta – Indonesia can rightly be proud of its economic record, and thanks to the combination of its monetary and fiscal policies, the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has helped to ensure economic stability and more importantly, political stability.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo denied that freedom of speech in the country is somewhat restricted under his rule and used his own experience to describe how the actual situation is indeed "very liberal" as he responded to a question from media personality Karni Ilyas.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Tuesday admitted that he struggled to get Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to have a dialogue during his peace mission to the warring countries in late June.

Dicky Kurniawan, Jakarta – The Metro Jaya Police on Tuesday said that Jakarta's traffic congestion has reached a level that is no longer sustainable and is uncomfortable to live by. Due to this reason, the police officially pitched the idea of regulating office hours to help reduce congestion.

Antara, Jakarta – Floods struck Sorong City, West Papua following heavy rains from Monday until early today, August 23, 2022. Other than 1,5-meter-high flooding, landslides also hit the area, killing two people.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo believes that the democratic climate in Indonesia at the moment is very liberal. According to Widodo, a sign of this is freedom of expression which is increasingly free.

Widodo expressed this view while at the same time denying that under his leadership, the public believes that freedom of expression is lacking.

Ilham Rian Pratama, Jakarta – Activists from the National Alliance for Criminal Code Reform held a lively protest during a socialisation event titled "Draft Criminal Code Kick Off" (RKUHP Kick Off) at the Ayana Hotel in Central Jakarta on Tuesday August 23.

Jakarta – Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank, has decided to raise the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent on Tuesday in a preemptive move to mitigate rising inflation ahead of the government's plan to increase fuel prices.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Tuesday reiterated Indonesia's plan to ban exports of raw mineral ores, including bauxites and tins, as the government seeks to only send out processed minerals overseas for added value.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – Presidential Staff office Deputy V, Jaleswari Pramowardhani, in a written statement on Monday confirmed that the government would continue to judicially pursue investigating severe human rights violations in the past.

Jakarta (Bloomberg) – Indonesia is set to investigate 13 cases of unresolved human rights violations from the Suharto era and possibly even earlier, marking an attempt by President Joko Widodo to fulfil a pledge to provide justice and accountability to the victims.

Laurens Ikinia, Auckland – Governor Lukas Enembe of Indonesia's Melanesian province of Papua has expressed support for a call from the Papuan Student Association Oceania (PSAO) for a New Zealand-Papuan scholarship.

A university in Makassar, South Sulawesi has apologized to a freshman after faculty members discriminated against the student after they identified as non-binary.

Jakarta – Lawyer Yones Douw said that his clients, families of victims of the Bloody Paniai gross human rights violations were disappointed that the Attorney General's Office (AGO) only named one suspect in the case. Douw said the victims' families let the trial at the Makassar Human Rights Court proceed but they declined to attend.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore – The former Jemaah Islamiyah member who claims to have reformed Umar Patek says he can guarantee the Bali bomb maker won't return to extremism and wants Australia to know Patek can be a key player in fighting the "seduction" of terrorism when he is released.

Ika Karlina Idris and Dyah Pitaloka (The Conversation), Jakarta – The Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information's (Kominfo) plan to merge around 24,000 government apps into just eight apps, which they call 'Super Apps', is worth closer scrutiny.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto officially confirmed his bid to run for president in 2024 at the Gerindra Party's national leadership meeting (Rapimnas) last weekend. This will be Prabowo's third attempt to become the leader of the world's third-largest democracy.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – Indonesia prosecutors have seized two luxury hotels in the resort island of Bali as part of the ongoing corruption and money laundering investigation against palm oil tycoon Surya Darmadi, the Attorney General's Office announced on Monday.

Hamdan Cholifudin Ismail, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) on Monday strongly condemned a statement made by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD who publicly forgave policemen who violated the police code of discipline. The policemen were incriminated in the ongoing investigation of the murder of another policeman.

Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta has come under criticism for his decision to confer an award to a retired Indonesian army general, who allegedly violated human rights during the country's independence struggles.

Jakarta – A new presidential team tasked to look into nonjudicial resolutions to serious cases of past human rights violations may just be what the country needs to break the impasse, with a caveat: It should not preclude the pursuit of justice in court, even if it takes forever.

Jakarta – Indonesia has recorded its first case of monkeypox in a 27-year-old man who returned from traveling overseas, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The World Health Organization last month designated the outbreak of the virus an emergency, something it reserves for diseases of highest concern, like COVID-19.

Kiki Siregar, Banjarmasin – With a huge nose and reddish-brown skin, the proboscis monkey is not everyone's favourite animal.

But Indonesian Amalia Rezeki, conservationist and founder of the friends of proboscis monkey voluntary group, has made it her mission to save the endemic species.

Suherdjoko, Purbalingga– Police have arrested 34 illegal gambling suspects in two raids on Thursday and Friday in Central Java, including six suspects of an alleged online gambling ring in Bojongsari district, Purbalingga regency.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The chancellor of the University of Lampung (Unila) has been arrested for allegedly taking illegal payments from students at enrollment for his personal gains, the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, said on Sunday.

Huyogo Simbolon, Bandung – The Bandung branch of the Independent Journalists Association (AJI) believes that there are still a number of catch all articles in the latest version of the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP). These controversial articles have the potential to return Indonesia to the colonial era or the era of authoritarianism which curbed press freedom.

Jakarta – Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini earlier this week submitted Indonesia's report on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The minister, better known as Risma, on Thursday spoke at the 27th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD) dialogue forum.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has urged electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla to manufacture its cars, as well as batteries, in the country, in comments made to Bloomberg News on Thursday.

Indonesia had previously wooed Tesla for investment in its nickel industry, looking to produce and supply batteries for its EVs.

Jakarta – The construction of Indonesia's new capital city (IKN) Nusantara in East Kalimantan was again highlighted by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during his State of the Nation address at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) annual session on Tuesday August 16.

Jakarta – Indonesia booked a higher current account surplus in the second quarter this year thanks to strong commodities exports performance, providing the country with much-needed support to maintain its external resilience amid slowing down global economic prospects and soaring inflation.

Jakarta – The high-profile murder case that sees high-ranking police officer Ferdy Sambo as the key suspect took a new twist on Friday as his wife is also charged with premeditated murder which carries the maximum punishment of death.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Hundreds of homes in six districts of the North Sumatra capital of Medan were inundated with waters up to 1 meter deep following heavy rains early on Thursday.

Dozens of residents were forced to evacuate; several streets were also inundated causing traffic jams.

Denny Gunawan, Jakarta – Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted Indonesia's economy. This crisis, which has also hit many other countries, is a consequence of the massive cessation of economic activities due to restrictions to suppress COVID-19 case numbers.

Fadhil Haidar Sulaeman, Jakarta – In the face of rising inflation and global uncertainty, the highest authorities in the executive and legislative branches of government have reaffirmed their commitment to Indonesia's future capital city.

Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti urges the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) to proactively protect the families of victims and other witnesses who will be presented in the Bloody Paniai trial at the Makassar Human Rights Court this August 2022.

John Mcbeth – The Indonesian Government's decision to carve up the sprawling province of Papua into four has been widely seen by its detractors as a strategic move to divide and conquer the rebellious indigenous population living mostly along the central mountain chain.

Jayapura – Papua Legislative Council's (DPRP) Special Group chair John NR Gobai said the Manasari Village community suspected siltation of the river around their village, which is located in Far East Mimika District, Mimika Regency, Papua Province.

Rizky Alif Alvian – As the threat of climate change intensifies in Indonesia, radical activists are weaponising the climate crisis to gain support for their cause.

A top leader of Timor-Leste's minority Muslim community has turned down an offer from a leading Indonesian Muslim group to open its branch in his Catholic-majority country, fearing it would destroy religious harmony.

Indonesia is in the midst of yet another major data breach scandal, this time involving state utility firm PLN as well as numerous other companies based in the country.

Jayapura – The West Papua National Liberation Army or TPNPB warned the Nduga Regent, Namia Gwijangge, and the 172 Praja Wira Yakthi (PWY) Military Resort Command commander, Brig. Gen. Juinta Omboh Sembiring, not to enter and build the Alguru Village in Krepkuri District, Nduga Regency.

In a press release issued by TNI spokesman Major General Prantara Santosa today, the military believes that a brigadier general by the initials NA killed stray cats in and around a military Staff and

Did Indonesian singing megastar Lyodra call for Papua's sovereignty in front of President Joko Widodo and other state officials during yesterday's independence day morning ceremony at the Presidential Palace? Not according to a palace spokesman, who lambasted those that implied as much.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – A bomb maker who assembled the explosives used to carry out the Bali terrorist attacks is set to be freed from prison within days after being granted an early release on Indonesia's independence day.

Sofie Syarief – Celebrity podcasts have increasingly become the go-to place for Indonesian politicians and high-ranking officials. The problem, however, is that these platforms lack the same level of journalistic integrity and scrutiny.

Kuala Lumpur (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – From packed mosques during Friday prayers to the classrooms of thousands of Islamic boarding schools, Indonesia's Muslim leaders have been urged to use their sermons and influence to boost conservation efforts and win over climate change sceptics.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has introduced additional exemptions from the urban and rural land and building tax (PBB-P2) for land and buildings with a taxable value of property (NJOP) of less than Rp 2 billion (US$134,979).

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Coal-supply crisis looms over the state-owned electricity company (PLN) again as businesses prefer to export their coal than to meet their domestic market obligation (DMO) amid skyrocketing commodity prices. The company is pushing for the establishment of a public service body (BLU) to collect coal levies that will help them secure coal supply.

Rizky Suryarandika, Jakarta – Human rights activist and lawyer for the families of the victims of the 2014 Paniai massacre in Papua, Younes Douw, has revealed the reluctance on the part of the families to attend the human rights trial hearing the case. The families object because only one person has been declared a suspect.