Jon Afrizal, Jambi – A citizen of the United States and an Indonesian national have been arrested by the Telanaipura Police in Jambi for allegedly spreading the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Simpang Empat Sipin subdistrict of Jambi city.

Emma Kluge – Activism and protests marked West Papua's 50th anniversary last year of the so-called Act of Free Choice, which formalised Indonesia's control over the territory, with the region's people once again demanding independence from Indonesia.

Philip Jacobson, an editor of environmental science website Mongabay, was arrested on January 21, 2020, on suspicion of "visa violations" in Indonesia. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Indonesian affiliate Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) condemn the arrest of Philip Jacobson and call for his immediate release.

American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson has expressed gratitude for all the support he has received following his arrest in Indonesia, as recorded in a video message published today by his employer, Mongabay.

Will Doran – On January 29, the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP), one of the world's leading bodies advocating for global drug policy reform, will be co-hosting a seminar called "Sustainable Development in Indonesia: What Can Be Learned From Global Best Practice in Drug Control?" in Jakarta.

Jakarta – The government plans to relax environmental impact analysis (Amdal) requirements as it seeks to improve the country's ease of doing business, a minister has said.

Fadli, Batam, Riau Islands – A religious studies teacher at SMKN 1 state vocational high school in Anambas regency, Riau Islands, is to be slapped with a warning letter after calling a female student lonte (prostitute), which led her to drop out of school as she was "traumatized" by the verbal abuse.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has decided to hold its benchmark interest rate at 5 percent amid a plunge in loan growth and improvements in the global and domestic economy.

Jakarta – Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly has apologized for provoking the ire of Tanjung Priok residents in North Jakarta following his negative description of the area.

During a speech at Jatinegara Prison in East Jakarta on Jan. 16, the minister stated that Tanjung Priok was an example of a "slum" as well as the source of all sorts of crime due to poverty.

Made Anthony Iswara, Jakarta – Indonesia has continued its venture to lure global corporations into investing in the country during the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has defended Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto against scathing criticism of the minister's frequent overseas trips.

Indonesia ranks fifth in the world for stunting. In 2013, nine million children, a third of Indonesian children aged under five years, were stunted, meaning that they were too short for their age

The lack of an explicit divine prohibition against meth led to a man, ostensibly of God, to consume the illegal drug without any apparent sense of guilt.

Police in Bangkalan regency, East Java this week arrested a 46-year-old ustad (Islamic preacher), who is identified by his initials AM, for meth consumption and distribution to his students.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Director Asfinawati said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) should call in Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly and Immigration Director-General Ronny Sompie over the delay information on the whereabouts of graft suspect Harun Masiku.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan, North Sumatra – Hundreds of Batak people in North Sumatra have kick started a campaign to protest a proposed plan to cull domesticated pigs across the province following the sudden deaths of thousands of pigs from the recent African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the region.

Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has listed 50 bills to be prioritized in the 2020 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) during its eighth plenary session on Wednesday.

Of the 50 priority bills, four are omnibus bills. Here is the list of the House's priority bills for 2020:

Jakarta – Cargill Indonesia, the local arm of the US agribusiness giant, has pointed to regulatory consistency as vital to attaining the desired impacts of the omnibus law, as legal uncertainty can hurt businesses.

Michael Andrew, Jakarta – International journalists and agencies have condemned the arrest of American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson, who has been detained in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, for allegedly misusing his residency permit.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ombudsman has formed a team to investigate the Financial Service Authority (OJK) amid growing complaints from the public against the financial watchdog's poor supervision, following revelations of a financial fiasco involving insurance companies Jiwasraya, Asabri and Bumiputera.

Jakarta – The Jakarta administration is back in the spotlight, this time inviting scrutiny over the revitalization of the National Monument (Monas) area in Central Jakarta, which includes uprooting more than 200 trees in the southern part of the complex.

Ardila Syakriah, Jakarta – American journalist Philip Jacobson, who works for environmental news website Mongabay, received an award for "excellence in environmental journalism" from Fetisov Journalism Award for a collaborative investigative work on environmental issues in Indonesia.

Philip Jacobson has been detained since Tuesday, not long after he attended a community meeting between the provincial government and the Indigenous People's Alliance of the Archipelago – a community group with a long history of dispute ove

Jakarta – The public prosecutor has demanded Habil Marati, accused of illegal firearms possession, to be sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Prosecutors believe that Habil was proven to have provided funds for Kivlan Zen to buy illegal firearms.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Aceh Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) Chairperson Afridal Darmi says that responsibility for resolving human rights (HAM) violations during the armed conflict in Aceh is a national issue.

Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – Halal makeup producer Wardah Cosmetics has issued a statement denying its involvement in an anti-feminist and anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) event.

Wardah's logo was used on a poster of an event held by Majelis Umat Rabbani Nur Islam [MURNI] at the Al-Mukhlishin Mosque with the theme 'The Danger of Feminism and LGBT'.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has said that it is ready to issue a fatwa against popular streaming service Netflix should the platform be reported and found to have hosted "negative" content.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir has denied accusations that he is giving out positions based on politics to supervise state-owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.Garuda appointed on Wednesday former Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) head Triawan Munaf as its new president commissioner.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – The Finance Ministry is set to issue project-linked Sharia sovereign bonds (SBSN) this year to fund the development of 728 projects worth Rp 27.35 trillion (US$2 billion).

James Massola, Jakarta – Indonesian authorities have arrested a US journalist and detained him for more than a month for travelling on the wrong visa.

Phil Jacobson was detained on December 17 as he was preparing to leave Palangkaraya, a city in Central Kalimantan province, a day after attending a meeting with an indigenous rights advocacy group.

Kiki Astari, Jakarta – Residents of North Jakarta's Tanjung Priok rallied in front of the Law and Human Rights Ministry headquarters demanding Minister Yasonna Laoly to make a public apology after he made a degenerating comparison involving the people living in the area.

Diana Mariska, Jakarta – The Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia has said that Iran would gladly work with Indonesia in a defense partnership if the government is interested in the plan.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – The Riau Police have fired a local police chief for his lackluster performance in handling land and forest fires in the province's Pelalawan regency.

Bayu Marhaenjati, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have arrested six people for allegedly forcing underage girls to work as prostitutes in a cafe under horrific conditions, where each victim was forced to serve 10 clients per day and take pills to delay menstruation to "maximize profits."

Norman Harsono, Jakarta – Indonesia's largest gas distributor is keeping its options open to import cheaper gas to bring down prices and create a more supportive business environment for top-consuming industries as mandated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Jakarta – The supervisory board of public television broadcaster TVRI has criticized its former president director, Helmy Yahya, who was fired from his position after purchasing the rights to broadcast the English Premier League. The board said the program was counter to the nation's identity.

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – Civil society groups have filed a lawsuit against President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration over the internet blackout imposed during the weeks of protests in Papua and West Papua last year, arguing that it was substantially and procedurally flawed.

Erwin Renaldi and Alan Weedon – A 12-year-old Indonesian activist has called on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to halt his country's exports of waste paper and plastics to her home province.

Richard C. Paddock, Bangkok – An American journalist whose work for a conservation website exposed environmental degradation and corporate malfeasance in Indonesia has been jailed by the country's immigration authorities on suspicion that he violated the conditions of his visa, his attorney said on Wednesday.

Bangkok – Indonesian authorities should immediately release journalist Philip Jacobson and drop any criminal charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – Civil society groups have accused the government of misconduct in its decision to restrict internet access in restive Papua last year as part of efforts to contain the spread of hoaxes, according to a lawsuit filed at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).

Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – An American environmental editor named Philip Jacobson has been detained in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan for allegedly violating visa restrictions, environmental science and conservation news portal Mongabay said in a statement on Tuesday.

Dion Bisara, Jakarta – Indonesia's flawed democracy improved for the first time in four years, bucking a global trend that saw the rise of strongmen and oligarchs, gripping government surveillance and violent protests against authorities.

Vela Andapita, Jakarta – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has played down reports that the Indonesian government plans to purchase weaponry systems from France, which emerged following his visit to the French Defense Ministry in Paris last week.

Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – A poster for an antifeminist and lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) event supposedly sponsored by Wardah Cosmetics has sparked an online backlash against the halal makeup producer.

Jakarta – Indonesia's new capital city will only contribute an additional 0.02 of a percentage point to the country's economic growth, and the impact will also be short lived, according to Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) research.

Philip Jacobson, an award-winning editor for the non-profit environmental science news outlet Mongabay, has been arrested for an alleged visa violation in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, after being put under city arrest for a month.

Mercedes Hutton – LGBT visitors to Bali could be forgiven for thinking that the Indonesian island is a haven of tolerance in an increasingly conservative Muslim-majority nation. "Beautiful landscapes, sandy beaches and [a] friendly gay scene make Bali one of Asia's most popular gay destinations," states online travel and lifestyle guide Travel Gay.

Arys Aditya – Indonesian lawmakers agreed to prioritize bills related to jobs, taxation and the relocation of the capital, key to President Joko Widodo's efforts to boost investment and accelerate growth in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and owners, has urged Indonesia to immediately release journalist Philip Jacobson, who works as an editor for the environmental news outlet Mongabay.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – The government called on all contingents not to concern about security issues for the XX National Sports Week, or PON 2020, in Papua, which is scheduled to be held from October 20 to November 2, 2020.