Sania Mashabi, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid says that there have been more indictments using Law Number 11/2008 on Information and Electronic Transactions (UU ITE) under the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in 2014-2019 than there were during the administration of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) in 2009-2014

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have formed a task force to hunt down begal (street robbers) targeting bicycle riders on several major streets in Jakarta.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Comr. Yusri Yunus said the police had recorded at least seven bicycle robbery cases across the city throughout the last week of October.

Jakarta – The regency of Bogor in West Java is gearing up for mass-testing of holidaymakers in a bid to curb COVID-19 transmission during the long weekend.

The long weekend centers on the public holiday of Maulid (commemorating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad) on Thursday, with Wednesday and Friday declared collective leave days.

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – Indonesian health authorities confirmed Wednesday that the total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 400,000 eight months into the outbreak.

A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil, Jakarta – Why did the Komodo dragon cross the road?

That might have been the first thought that popped into the minds of Indonesia's netizens when a photo of the oversized monitor lizard made the rounds on social media over the weekend.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – The coronavirus death toll in Indonesia has increased by 18 percent over the past week as social restrictions continue to be relaxed in several regions, according to the national COVID-19 task force.

Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has urged the State Palace to report as a gratuity a folding bicycle recently given to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Pacific Media Watch – The United Liberation Movement if West Papua (ULMWP) has accused the Indonesian government of imposing martial law on the Melanesian region of West Papua and brutally suppressing protests in a crackdown.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The Metro Jaya Police traffic directorate, Grand Commissioner Sambodo Purnomo Yogo has banned motorcyclists on taking shelter from the rain under any overpass or flyover throughout the streets of Jakarta.

Alya Nurbaiti, Jakarta – In the eight months since the first announcement of COVID-19 outbreak in the country, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has received a number of reports of media companies that have cut wages, delayed salary payments and laid off employees, citing COVID-19 as the reason for the need to cut costs.

Alya Nurbaiti, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated a new station of state-owned television provider TVRI in West Papua on Wednesday, coinciding with the commemoration of the country's Youth Pledge Day. The West Papua station is the 30th TVRI station.

Jakarta – The Papua regional police managed to arrest 13 people protesting against Special Autonomy in the vicinity of the Cenderawasih University (Uncen), Papua, and in several other areas on October 27. The demonstrators however were released after being questioned at the Abepura sectoral police headquarters.

Alya Nurbaiti, Jakarta – The national COVID-19 task force has urged the public to spend the upcoming long weekend at home in order to help prevent a spike in coronavirus transmission amid concerns of a re-emergence of holiday clusters.

Dian Septiari, Jakarta – Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has expressed concern over the perpetuation of an Islamophobic narrative that challenges the promotion of moderate Islam, a spokesman said on Tuesday, in response to French President Emmanuel Macron's recent denunciation of radical Islamists.

Nina Loasana, Jakarta – More people are reporting alleged sexual abuse at education institutions to the authorities, even though their complaints often fall on deaf ears, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has reported.

Tri Indah Oktavianti, Jakarta – The Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) has called on the Indonesian government to increase patrols around the country's outermost islands in the North Natuna Sea of Riau, following reports of rampant illegal fishing by foreign fishers over the past few months.

Jakarta – The head of the Jakarta provincial Education Office for junior and senior high schools, Muhamad Husin, says that as of today, Tuesday October 27, they have begun implementing lessons about the Omnibus Law on Job Creation.

"It's already come into effect", Husin told CNN Indonesia in an SMS message.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The National Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) is set to hold another round of protests against the omnibus law on job creation on Wednesday, October 28, with a predicted 1,000 students participating in the street protest.

"There will be no more than 1,000 protesters," said BEM SI coordinator, Remy Hastian, on October 28.

Jakarta – COVID-19 task force officials attempting to carry out a health protocol check were driven out of a birdsong contest at the National Bird's Breeders Association (APBN) in Tuntungan district, Medan, North Sumatra, on Sunday.

Jakarta – West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has decided to extend the proportional large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) for Greater Bogor, Depok and Greater Bekasi (Bodebek) for a month.

Jakarta – The West Java administration will carry out random COVID-19 tests on tourists visiting the province during the long weekend from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said on Monday.

Jakarta – Urban farming is currently on the rise in Indonesia as people across the country are forced to spend more time at home in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.

With little land in their backyards – or without any backyard at all – aspiring urban farmers should fret not, as they can grow various vegetables with limited space at home.

Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman, Jakarta – Experts and environmentalists are raising concerns over the government's food estate project in Central Kalimantan.

Islamic groups in Indonesia are calling for the government to publicly condemn French President Emmanuel Macron after the latter's controversial statement unleashed a backlash from Muslims worldwide.

Jakarta – On Monday October 26 combined units of Indonesian military (TNI) and police (Polri) conducted operations against an armed criminal group (KKB) in Jalai village, Sugapa district, Intan Jaya regency, Papua.

The operations were conducted to apprehend the perpetrators of the shooting attack on the Intan Jaya Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) on October 9.

The alleged assault of an Indigenous man in the Indonesian province of Papua by a police officer around two hours before he died was caught on CCTV camera, Mongabay and The Gecko Project have learned.

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – Flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia President Director, Irfan Setiaputra on Tuesday announced that the firm will layoff 700 employees on November 1, 2020, which he said is a direct effect of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – Several regional branches of the United Development Party (PPP) are promoting former Jakarta deputy governor and businessman Sandiaga Uno to be their next party chairman.

Voting for the chairmanship will take place during the party's congress, which is slated for mid-December.

News Desk – The National Police have denied acting arbitrarily against people who hold political views that differ from those of the government, after a recent survey suggested that the majority of Indonesians believed that authorities had used excessive force against people who spoke out against the status quo.

Jakarta – The recent marriage of a 17-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) has put a spotlight on the high prevalence of child marriages in the province.

Fifteen-year-old EB, a junior high school girl in Kumbak Dalem hamlet, Setiling village, Batukliang district accepted the proposal of 17-year-old UD, a boy she had known for only a year.

Jakarta – The Bandung District Court in West Java has declared three "royal leaders" of the self-proclaimed Sunda Empire guilty of disseminating false information, sentencing them to two years in prison each.

Budi Sutrisno, Jakarta – The Law and Human Rights Ministry has launched an online visa application for foreign citizens who wish to enter Indonesia.

Those who intend to apply for the visa must fill in their personal information and purpose for travel on the website visa-online.imigrasi.go.id. If their application is granted, they will receive an approval letter by e-mail.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – A Papuan resident whom authorities claimed was a member of a local armed criminal group was shot dead during a joint police-military operation in Jalae village in Intan Jaya regency, Papua, on Monday.

The Timika Diocese, however, identified the victim as Rufinus Tigau, a catechist who had served the Parish of Saint Michael Bilogai since 2015.

Syaiful Hakim, Fardah, Jakarta – Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, and Australia's Minister of Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, stressed on bilateral cooperation in legal and security affairs during an online meeting on Tuesday.

The struggles of online learning in Indonesia is such that, seven months into the pandemic, less privileged students are still unable to access their study materials. The problem has now been brought again to the surface, with the story of a junior high school student in West Jakarta who reportedly failed last semester because he couldn't partake in online learning.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Deputy Coordinator I, Feri Kusuma, opined the handling and enforcement of human rights in the era of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has already been dreadful.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' (DPR) Legislation Body (Baleg) member from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Mulyanto, claimed that PKS discovered substantial changes in the three draft versions of Job Creation Law (Omnibus Law) and the working committee's discussion results on October 3, 2020.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – As only Rp 30 trillion (US$2.04 billion) of the government's tax breaks for businesses and individuals had been realized to date, far below its intended target, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati is urging more businesses to take advantage of the facility.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – Labor unions were protesting over the decision of Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah to not raise the minimum wage in 2021. Ida was considered to have a lack of sensitivity towards the fate of workers.

Mardika Parama, Jakarta – National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia announced on Tuesday that it would terminate the contracts of at least its 700 employees by Nov. 1 as the airline struggles with low travel demand during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The workers being laid off have been taking unpaid leave since May, according to Garuda president director Irfan Setiaputra.

Jakarta – Two asylum seekers from Afghanistan have reportedly been exposed to COVID-19 in South Tangerang, Banten.

They are currently being treated at the COVID-19 emergency hospital within the complex of the former athletes village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

Jakarta – The current construction project on Rinca Island, East Nusa Tenggara, will not put the Komodo dragon population at risk, the Environment and Forestry Ministry has stated following concerns over the safety of the endangered species amid tourism projects on the island.

Jakarta – Ride-hailing app Gojek has added more lockers for personal helmets in several spots, including train stations, in Greater Jakarta to help its customers maintain health and hygiene protocols during the pandemic.

The lockers are part of the company's health campaign, called Zona NyAman J3K, which promotes health, hygiene and safety.

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), has announced plans to return back to Indonesia, as hardline Islamic organizations had jumped into the fray of mass opposition against the recently passed Job Creations Law.

The firebrand cleric has spent roughly the past three years in self-exile in Saudi Arabia.

Arjuni Rahmi Barasa and Shintia Revina – Even before this year's Covid-19 pandemic, Indonesian students' academic performance lagged behind their peers in other countries. When the pandemic hit, many lost the chance to catch up, and now are at risk of significant learning loss due to prolonged school closures.

Students in the capital of Indonesia's Papua province have had to flee gunshots as security forces disbanded a demonstration.

The university students were demonstrating against the Indonesian government's plans for a new Special Autonomy law in Papua region when members of both police and military forces came to disperse them.

Fahrurrozi Ishaq, a leader of hardline Islamist group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), passed away this morning days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Southeast-Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) Executive Director Damar Juniarto says that a phenomenon of deflating democracy is occurring at the moment through digital attacks against groups critical of the government.

This conclusion was reached based on SAFEnet data obtained from complaints between January and October 2020.

Virginia Langeberg – More than a dozen university students have been injured in an incident in the Papuan capital, Jayapura, with witnesses claiming Indonesian troops opened fire to disperse a peaceful rally.

Antara, Jakarta – The Research and Technology Ministry has disseminated Law No. 11/2019 on national science and technology system, which also includes regulations set in place for foreign research and researchers conducted in Indonesia.