Jakarta – Indonesia has agreed to return to Australia the five remaining members of the so-called Bali Nine drug smuggling ring who are currently serving life sentences in the country, a minister said on Saturday.

It will also seek the repatriation of Indonesian prisoners held in Australia, Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas told Reuters on Saturday.

Vendro Immanuel G, Jakarta – Economist from Segara Institute, Piter Abdullah, assessed that the increase of Value Added Tax (VAT) from 11% to 12% is feared to burden the middle class in Indonesia even more.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – Acting Jakarta Governor Teguh Setyabudi directed city officials to remove all campaign materials from public spaces as the gubernatorial election enters its cooling-off period on Sunday.

Delfi Neski, Padang – Adjunct Commissioner Dadang Iskandar has been charged with premeditated murder after fatally shooting a fellow mid-ranking police officer in West Sumatra. The charge, under Article 340 of the Criminal Code, carries a maximum penalty of death by firing squad, police said on Saturday.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Legal complications may impede Indonesia's planned transfer of five Australian drug trafficking convicts who have served nearly two decades of their life sentences in Indonesia, as well as a Filipina on death row, to their home countries, as the administration of President Prabowo Subianto seeks to shore up diplomatic relations with neighboring countries.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – Indonesia's plan to raise its value-added tax (VAT) to 12 percent in early 2025 is expected to disproportionately affect the middle class, according to Mohammad Faisal, Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia.

Johnny Johan Sompotan, Jakarta – Transgender influencer Isa Zega has addressed accusations of religious blasphemy stemming from their Umrah pilgrimage, a controversy that has sparked debate in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) inched up 0.48 percent to close at 7,195.57 during the week of Nov. 18-22, compared to more robust performance in the US, where the S&P 500 gained 1.7 percent, erasing most of its losses from the prior week.

Wendy Tuohy, Amilia Rosa, Karuni Rompies and Patrick Begley – A member of the Bali Nine drug syndicate cried tears of joy on hearing he and the remaining detainees serving life sentences in Indonesia jails could be transferred to Australia, according to a prison doctor.

Antara, Jakarta – Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has called on Indonesia's automotive industry to refrain from laying off workers despite mounting challenges in the market.

"Even during the far more severe pressures of COVID-19, there were no layoffs. Now, with these extraordinary challenges, layoffs must still be avoided," Agus said on Friday.

Jakarta – Activists and animal lovers who are members of Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) held a demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Tuesday November 21 after the lawmakers rejected a Draft Law on the Prohibition of Violence against Domestic Animals and the Prohibition on Trading Dog and Cat Meat.

Anwar Siswadi (Kontributor), Bandung – Lecturers and researchers from the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), James Nobelia Isnania Wardhana, designed an active filter technology to filter groundwater.

Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Bahlil Lahadalia urged the public to choose local leaders with strong connections to the central government as he attended a campaign rally of Central Java gubernatorial candidate Ahmad Luthfi in Sragen on Thursday.

Edna Tarigan and Firdia Lisnawati, Jayapura, Indonesia – On the southeastern coast of the city of Jayapura, Petronela Merauje walked from house to house in her floating village inviting women to join her the next morning in the surrounding mangrove forests.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – When Mr Prabowo Subianto arrived for his inauguration at the Indonesian parliament complex in Jakarta on Oct 20, he was seen using a white Toyota Alphard multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

But by the time he emerged as Indonesia's eighth president, a different ride was waiting for him at the lobby: a Maung Garuda.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The president of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), Said Iqbal, considers that increasing the value-added tax or VAT to 12 percent will worsen the economic conditions of workers and small communities. On the other hand, he said that increasing the minimum wage of only 1-3 percent is not enough to cover people's basic needs.

Jakarta – State-owned construction firm PTPP recently announced that it would speed up the construction of its toll road expansion ahead of the upcoming year-end holidays.

Olena Wibisana, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta – Behind the walls of Yogyakarta Women's Prison, Mary Jane Veloso, a Philippine national once destined for execution, has found a second chance. She now spends her days teaching fellow inmates the art of batik-making, a surprising turn for a mother who has endured 14 years on death row.

Jakarta – A coalition of animal rights activists staged a protest in front of the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday, protesting the decision to reject a proposed bill banning the trade of dog and cat meat.

Vincent Fabian Thomas, Jakarta – The government plans to slash the share of coal-fired power generation in the country's energy mix to just 33 percent, while increasing the contribution of renewables to 42 percent by the end of 2040.

Jakarta – The decision by the government to write off non-performing loans (NPLs) for small businesses with state banks and funding institutions could revive stalled micro businesses. This policy is contained in Government Regulation No.

Jakarta – There is little enthusiasm for the newly elected leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), given that three of the five are old faces, including the new chairman, Setyo Budiyanto, a three-star police general who once served as the KPK's investigations director.

Delfi Neski, Jakarta – Adjunct Commissioner Ryanto Ulil Anshar was shot to death by a fellow officer after his team arrested suspects in the ongoing investigation into alleged illegal mining activities in South Solok Regency, West Sumatra, early on Friday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto revealed that he had secured business deals worth $18.5 billion so far from his first-ever foreign trip, an amount he said was beyond his expectations.

Prabowo – who has just passed the one-month mark in office – is currently on a multi-nation tour. He departed on Nov. 8 and has yet to come home ever since.

Radityo Dharmaputra and Ahmad Rizky M Umar – It is less than a month into Prabowo Subianto's presidency, but already he has signalled a major departure from his predecessors' well-established foreign policy positions.

Julie Wark – Indonesia's new president, war criminal Prabowo Subianto, couldn't even wait to be sworn in. He established a "strategic initiative" of five "Vulnerable Area Buffer Infantry Battalions" in the Keerom, Sarmi, Boven Digoel, Merauke, and Sorong Regencies of West Papua to "enhance security" with an additional 5,000 troops as backup for the 25,000 already there.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – The National Police's Criminal Investigation Department has uncovered nearly 400 human trafficking cases and rescued more than 900 victims within a one-month period, from Oct. 22 to Nov. 22.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) reminded that Papua's special autonomy funds (otsus) must be managed transparently. Do not let there be abuse such as bribery to project procurement that leads to corruption.

Violet George – In a significant move for Indonesia's energy sector, BP and its partners have committed a $7 billion investment to a groundbreaking project in Papua. This initiative combines the development of a new gas field, Ubadari, with cutting-edge carbon capture technology.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) urged its newly elected leadership to focus on strengthening anti-corruption regulations in line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), particularly addressing issues such as foreign bribery and cross-border corruption.

Vendro Immanuel G, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) expressed strong opposition to the government's plan to increase the Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate to 12%, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025. YLKI argues that this proposed hike by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati will further exacerbate the financial burdens faced by consumers.

Ahmad Fikri (Kontributor), Jakarta – Heavy rainfall on Thursday, November 21, led to the collapse of the Cisunggala River embankment in Panyadap Village, Solokan Jeruk District, Bandung Regency, as confirmed by Acting Head of the West Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Anne Hermadianne Adnan.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – The Industry Ministry is assessing an upgraded investment proposal from Apple Inc. seen as the company's latest effort to win the green light to sell its latest iPhone models in Indonesia.

Djibril Muhammad, Banjarmasin – Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman traveled across Kalimantan on Thursday to find new agricultural lands and expand the workforce, especially among the young generation in the farm sector.

Ifan Ahmad, Makassar – South Sulawesi Police uncovered a human trafficking operation involving 77 university students from Makassar who were lured to Germany to participate in a holiday work program known as "ferienjob."

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that the impact of global climate change has led the government to decide to move the capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan. Prabowo highlighted the rising sea levels that have started to inundate some coastal areas in Indonesia.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Deputy Chair of Commission XI of the House of Representatives (DPR), Mohamad Hekal, said that no changes or delays to the upcoming Value Added Tax (VAT) increase are planned, despite growing calls for a postponement.

Anwar Siswadi (Kontributor), Jakarta – Heavy rains in Bandung from the afternoon to the evening of Wednesday, November 20, caused the Citarum River and several other rivers to overflow. As a result, residents' houses in Dayeuh Kolot and Bojongsoang districts were flooded up to 1 meter deep.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission III has elected five new leaders for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for the 2024-2029 term, including Setyo Budianto as the new chairman.

Jakarta – The piles of garbage the size of a soccer field close to Muara Bakti village, Babelan district, Bekasi regency, West Java, have caused unrest among nearby residents.

The 200-meter-long wasteland is a former excavation site about 5 m deep along the Kali Cikarang Bekasi Laut River.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – The Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has ruled that President Prabowo Subianto's explicit endorsement of Central Java gubernatorial candidate Ahmad Luthfi and his running mate Taj Yasin Maimoen did not constitute an election violation, allowing the Gerindra party patron to go scot-free.

Grace el Dora, Jakarta – The Indonesian rupiah could potentially reach Rp 16,000 per US dollar as geopolitical tensions and a stronger greenback continue to pressure the local currency.

The rupiah depreciated 43 points, or 0.27 percent, to Rp 15,914 per US dollar, down from Rp 15,871.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) says efforts to implement the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment remain stagnant to this day.

Scott Waide – For a decade, Benny Wenda has tirelessly campaigned to secure West Papua's place in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), advocating for a voice in the regional arena.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Diky Anindya urged the House of Representatives (DPR) not to choose the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leader subjectively. He said this is especially true if the subjective choice favors the abolishment of sting operations (OTT) from the KPK.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Habiburokhman, Chairman of the House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission III, proposed that future leaders and supervisory board members of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) refrain from participating in "doorstep" interviews with journalists.

Jakarta – The Manpower Ministry has confirmed that it will not use Government Regulation (PP) No. 51/2023 as a reference for calculating minimum wage, including the upcoming 2025 provincial minimum wage (UMP).

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) said that all provinces on the island of Papua will receive special attention due to their vulnerability to conflicts during regional elections.

Jakarta – Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan – An economic affairs advisor to President Prabowo Subianto – revealed Thursday that many foreign-owned businesses in Indonesia's tourist haven of Bali had been breaking the rules.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition, which consists of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) and Transparency International Indonesia (TII), says that the selection of the new batch of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders for the 2024-2029 period had already been conditioned (decided on in advance).