Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Sunday kicked off Indonesia's 2023 ASEAN chairmanship in Jakarta, the second-largest international forum he chaired after the Group of 20 presidency.

And for those who expect that the regional grouping can have relevance to ordinary people's lives, they certainly hope Indonesia can repeat the success from the G20.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo dropped a hint on Tuesday that a cabinet reshuffle could be announced on Feb. 1 or on Thursday when asked when the fresh political move would be made.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – When President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo demanded that the House of Representatives complete deliberations on the domestic worker protection bill earlier this month, there were few takers. Political parties, which are gearing up for next year's general election, are not interested. There was little enthusiasm from the public either.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Indonesian Communications and Informatics (Kominfo) Ministry's director general for applications and informatics Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan stated that the country's digital literacy remained at a moderate stage. Its year-over-year growth was not significant.

Theresia Sufa, Bogor, West Java – Two captive-bred Javan hawk-eagles, a female and a male, were released into the wild on Monday at the foot of Mount Gede Pangrango in West Java.

Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI) director Jansen Manansang said the release was part of a captive breeding program by the Javan Hawk-eagle Conservation Center (PSSEJ) and TSI.

In case you haven't heard, Indonesia slipped a few places in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI), and that doesn't seem to be a wake up call for introspection for some people in the government.

Ratih Kabinawa Pamungkas A. Dewanto – Last Wednesday, after almost 20 years languishing in the legislature, the Domestic Worker Protection Bill was publicly endorsed by Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in an effort to accelerate its enactment. In a statement to media, Jokowi also announced the creation of a taskforce to oversee the adoption of the bill.

Jakarta – President Joko Widodo is confident Tesla will finalise a deal to invest in a production facility in Indonesia, having offered the US electric car maker incentives ranging from tax breaks to a concession to mine nickel.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore/Jakarta – Indonesian presidential contender Anies Baswedan is headed to Australia to burnish his international standing before voters elect a successor to Joko Widodo.

Shinta Ratri will forever be missed as somebody who fought for religious inclusivity on behalf of those who may have felt deserted and alone.

The trans icon, best known for founding a pesantren (Islamic school) for trans women, passed away this morning at the age of 60, as confirmed by LGBTQIA+ rights group GAYa Nusantara founder Dede Oetomo.

Jakarta, Jubi – Victor Mambor, a journalist born in Muara Enim, Sumatra, the chief editor of Papuan newspaper Jubi who often covers discrimination against indigenous Papuans, received the Oktovianus Pogau Award from the Pantau Foundation for courage in journalism.

Fadhil Haidar Sulaeman, Jakarta – Investment banks are projecting a flurry of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in Indonesia this year – some driven by sustainable growth prospects, others by distress.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia is rolling out Human Papillomavirus or HPV vaccines to be administered to all children aged 11 to 12. The Health Ministry stated that children who are not in school are also included in the government's target.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – PSI deputy chairperson Grace Natalie on Wednesday responded to the myriad of resignations at the political party she helps lead. According to her, the wave of young party members to other political parties is inevitable in its nature.

Antara, Jakarta – LRT Jakarta president director Hendri Saputra on Tuesday said the company has seen revenues increase by 57 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year from passenger fares and non-fare boxes.

"Our revenue in 2022 amounted to Rp211 billion, which is a 57 percent increase year-on-year," said Hendri on January 31, Antaranews reported.

Syakirun Niam, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) believes that the decline in Indonesia's 2022 corruption perception index (IPK) score to 34 points out of 100 cannot be separated from the permissive attitude to corruption taken by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's cabinet.

Silvia Ng, Jakarta – Indonesia's 2022 corruption perception index (IPK) has plummeted by four points to a score of 34. Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD claims he was stricken by news of the low score.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) predicts that the issuance of mining and palm oil plantation permits will increase during the political year in the lead up to the 2024 elections. This prediction is a reflection on what happened in 2018, ahead of the 2019 elections.

Jakarta – The National Network for Domestic Worker Advocacy (Jala PRT) is threatening to hold a hunger strike in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) complex in Jakarta if the government and the DPR do not start deliberating the Draft Law on the Protection of Domestic Workers (RUU PPRT) by February 14.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati is rumored to get the nomination for Bank Indonesia governorship succeeding Perry Warjiyo, who is set to retire in April.

While providing no denial of the rumors, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Tuesday he has yet to propose the new central bank governor to the House of Representatives.

Jakarta – UK Minister for Exports Andrew Bowie is visiting Jakarta on February 1-2 to reiterate the importance of close commercial ties between the UK and Indonesia and discuss collaboration in key infrastructure projects including the railway system in Greater Jakarta.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government on Wednesday said the 2023 healthcare budget would put a greater emphasis on non-Covid issues such as stunting, a chronic malnutrition problem that impedes the country's quest of fostering quality human capital.

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto have come a long way since their erstwhile bitter rivalry in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

Almost nine years on from their first election debate, the two politicians have cemented a symbiotic relationship that many believe will benefit them both in 2024.

Merauke, Jubi – Since the tidal flood hit residential and agricultural land in the Waan District, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province in mid-January 2023, vomiting and diarrhea in children have been reported.

Legally speaking, the state will continue to only recognize marriages between a man and a woman of the same religion, after the Constitutional Court (MK) today rejected a judicial review for interfaith marriage.

"The appellant's plea has entirely no legal ground," MK chief Anwar Usman said in a hearing in Jakarta today.

You may recall a salacious story that went viral at the turn of the year, in which a woman from Serang, Banten alleged that her ex-husband had an affair with her mother. That case will now play out in court, as Indonesia outlaws infidelity.

Ratu Durotun Nafisah – Indonesia's new Criminal Code (KUHP) has been widely condemned in Indonesia and abroad for putting civil liberties at risk and further damaging Indonesia's already declining democracy.

Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S, Jakarta – Indonesia ranked third in the world in the number of cases of leprosy in 2021, according to the Health Ministry.

Ni Komang Erviani, Nusa Dua, Bali – Bali celebrated Arak Bali Day for the first time on Sunday with an event in Nusa Dua promoting the traditional liquor distilled from the sap or fruit of palm trees.

wAnindito Ariwandono, Bandung – "Tarps are really needed here. Not only to be used as roofs [...]" said a man in a video over the loud calls of frogs in the dark. The man was taking a video of the situation in one of the refugee camps near the epicenter of the November 2022 earthquake in Cianjur, West Java. "This is the 3rd camp out of [...]" The voice slowly faded out.

Jakarta – Creating legislation that regulates the employment of domestic workers sounds like a novelty, but we have to set a time frame of perhaps 10 years at most before bringing these workers, who do menial but important work in our homes, under the country's labor laws, like any other worker.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – As Indonesia and South Korea celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, the two countries are eyeing stronger economic cooperation and investment amid the geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific.

Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi said that over five decades, the two countries had forged even closer ties with each other.

Beritasatu, Jakarta – The government's recent proposal of doubling the 2023 hajj costs has sparked concerns among pilgrims, some even willing to give up on their dreams if the price hike plan proceeds.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economy Airlangga Hartarto said the implementation of the 35 percent blended biodiesel (B35) policy would save up to US$10.75 billion in the country's foreign exchange and provide added value to the palm oil industry of Rp16.76 trillion.

Ima Dini Shafira, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VII urged the government to immediately dismiss the Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko given the never-ending problems within the agency. This request was noted in the minutes of meeting of Commission VII and BRIN Head on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Mirza Bagaskara, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) criticized the police for naming 17 workers as suspects in the deadly clash at a nickel smelter facility of PT Gunbuster Nickel Industri or PT GNI in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. KontraS member Rozy Brilian argued that the suspect naming was filled with irregularities.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Ima Dini Shafira and Imaji Lasahido (Intern), Jakarta – A team of volunteers for Anies Baswedan who are also a member of the Indonesian Collaborative Secretariat (SKI), requested that the Joint Secretariat (sekber) between Nasdem-PKS-Democrats to be established immediately. This was followed by PKS officially voicing support for Anies.

Antara, Jakarta – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that floods and landslides that struck Manado, North Sulawesi, on January 27, caused damage to hundreds of residents' houses.

BNPB Acting Head of the Data, Information, and Communication Center for Disaster Abdul Muhari stated that hundreds of houses were damaged by the floods at different levels.

Jakarta – Head of the General Affairs Division of the Jakarta Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Suryana, said that he was discussing efforts to reduce extreme poverty in the capital city, as the rate was reported at 95,668 people or 0.89 percent in March 2022.

The extreme poverty rate in Jakarta has increased from 0.6 percent recorded in March 2021.

Jakarta – Transparency International Indonesia (TII) has recorded Indonesia's 2022 Corruption Perception Index (IPK) as falling to 34 or a decline of four points since the previous year.

Riri Rahayu, M. Fais Zaki L Imaji Lasahido, Jakarta – Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif stated that the quality of oil wells in Indonesia is declining because of age. Arifin explained that these declines will certainly affect oil production in the future.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The Indonesian government considers halting the export of unprocessed copper ores to encourage domestic processing of raw materials in the country's industrialization push, following a similar policy on nickel and bauxite, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Tuesday.

Len Garae – Koteko Wenda was invited to a Tannese community at Teouma Bush for lunch on her first arrival in the country last week. As the main guest at the time, she was asked to serve her lunch before anyone else. She did by serving all those present first and herself last. She is a true Melanesian!

Wamena, Jubi – Based on the Papua Provincial Health Office data as of September 30, 2022, in the third quarter of 2022, HIV/AIDS cases were 9,189 cases in Nabire, followed by Jayapura City 7,761 case and Jayawijaya Regency 6,867 cases.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – Prosecutors on Monday lashed out at murder defendant Putri Candrawathi who they said had invented a story that she had been raped by Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, who was murdered on July 8 of last year allegedly on the order of her husband.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government recently announced that foreigners can now apply for a visitor visa for tourism and pre-investment at molina.imigrasi.go.id. The visa application accepts digital payment, making it easier for foreigners to apply.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Military Court III-19 Jayapura will hold a hearing on February 6, 2023 to read the charges for four soldiers of the 20/Ima Jaya Keramo Raider Infantry Brigade who are defendants in the Mimika murder and mutilation case. The victims' families hope that the Military Prosecutor will charge them with the maximum penalty.

It's a given (ha) by now, but we're happy to report that Indonesians are once again the most generous people in the world, according to a survey.

Indonesians topped UK-based Charities Aid Foundation's (CAF) annual World Giving Index for the fifth successive year in 2022.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore/Jakarta – When Joko Widodo quipped in November that a "white haired" leader would best serve Indonesia when his time was up, it was seen as a not so subtle pointer towards his preferred successor.

The Indonesian president, known as Jokowi, didn't say who exactly he was referring to but it hardly took a genius to decipher it.

Jakarta – Indonesian police said on Monday a local trader of industrial-grade chemicals sold them as pharmaceutical-grade, leading to their use in medicated syrups that authorities suspect may have caused deaths of more than 200 children across the country.