Jakarta – As the holiday season gets closer, the Indonesian government is tightening security to maintain public order and safety. The government is also doubling down on health protocol checks to keep the Covid-19 pandemic under control.

A wounded Sumatran tiger has been rescued and is on the mend, Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry reported, after she was believed to have been caught in a boar trap.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is ranked 26th out of 57 non-state ministries in its own integrity assessment survey (SPI), which measures corruption risks in each assessed institution.

Theo Kelen, Jayapura, Jubi – It is time for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) Law to be revived in Indonesia, senior diplomat Makarim Wibisono says. He mentioned that for the last 15 years, gross human rights violation cases in the country had been suspended ever since the Constitutional Court revoked the KKR Law in 2006.

Firda Cynthia Anggrainy, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction has initiated the distribution of sembako (basic goods) to people in its electoral districts (dapil) in bags with pictures of DPR Speaker and senior PDI-P politician Puan Maharani on them.

Craig Harris – West Papua occupies the Indonesian half of New Guinea, the second largest island in the world after Greenland.

Jakarta – Indonesia once again reaffirmed its unwavering stance on the Palestine.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry issued the statement on Indonesia's position, following media reports that the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had discussed Israel-Indonesia normalization during his recent Jakarta visit.

Sugiharto Purnama, Uyu Liman, Jakarta – The utilization of 30 percent biodiesel (B30) in 2021 helped Indonesia save US$4.54 billion in foreign exchange or equivalent to Rp64.6 trillion, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has informed.

Arjuna Pademme, Wamena, Jubi – President of the Evangelical Church of Indonesia (GIDI) Dorman Wandikbo has asked all parties to create a peaceful atmosphere as Christmas is near, hoping that all the people in Papua could celebrate and enjoy Christmas in peace instead of chaos since armed conflicts have been escalating in several parts of Papua this year.

A delegation of the Indonesian Constitutional Court was on an official visit to Uzbekistan this week to share experience and establish cooperation with a similar institution of the host country.

Antara, Jakarta – The Ministry of Religious Affairs is planning to offer religious tour packages to the Prambanan temple complex, which borders Sleman District, Yogyakarta, and Klaten District, Central Java.

Jakarta – For years, the media and antigraft activists have been writing obituaries for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). In fact, this very newspaper has prophesied the "endgame" of the institution, its "demise" and that its "luck may have run out".

Vincent Lingga, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan recently decided to increase the capital city's minimum wage by 5.1 percent for 2022, much higher than the 1.09 percent set in the central government's guidelines.

Jakarta – Indonesia's exports this year could reach between US$225 billion to US$230 billion, the biggest on record for Southeast Asia's largest economy, the country's trade minister said on Thursday (Dec 23).

The resource-rich country has been enjoying an export boom on the back of rising prices of its top commodities such as coal, palm oil, tin, steel and rubber.

Jakarta – Indonesian authorities have confiscated land and property assets from textile firm Texmaco Group, after the company failed to repay more than US$2 billion in debt since the late 1990s, the country's finance minister said on Thursday.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) faction at the Jakarta Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) questioned the determination of the Formula E circuit that was without the approval of the council members. The party member Anggara Wicitra Sastroamidjojo reminded that the event used Regional Budget (APBD).

Yudhistira Agato, Jakarta – The government has eased up on public mobility restrictions (PPKM) as COVID-19 cases have come under control, but many Indonesians are reluctant to return to the office.

Like many others around the world, in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesians struggled to adjust to working from home. But soon enough, it became the norm.

Victoria Milko08 – On a dirt path, forked yellow tongue darting from its mouth, a member of the world's largest lizard species lazes on an island in eastern Indonesia's Komodo National Park as tourists snap photos.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – A civil society group in Indonesia has come under fire from rights activists after it called on Muslim women to cover up, wear hijabs and avoid close contact with men to prevent them from falling victim to an increasing number of sex attacks.

There's no known community spread yet of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Indonesia's Health Ministry said today, as it assures the public that all reported cases involving the mutation have been contained.

The ministry's spokeswoman Siti Nadia Tarmizi said today that Indonesia has confirmed eight Omicron cases thus far.

Owen Howell – Last week Indonesia officially recorded its first cases of the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, which has quickly spread into Southeast Asia. The variant was finally discovered after two weeks in which the Indonesian government refused to impose urgent public health measures to prevent the arrival and spread of Omicron.

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – Epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Pandu Riono, believed that Indonesia would not face the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed to have expressed this optimism since August 2021 after the country dealt with a significant spike in cases due to the Delta variant.

Vincent Fabian Thomas, Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has called on the government to protect local fishing companies ahead of a ministerial plan to auction commercial fishing rights covering a total quota of several million tons to both local and foreign investors starting 2022.

Anita Permata Dewi, Fadhli R, Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has urged the House of Representatives (DPR) and the government to ratify the sexual violence prevention bill (RUU TPKS) without delay to commemorate Mother's Day.

Claire Jiao – Salary increases in Indonesia are on track to rebound to pre-pandemic levels next year as the economy recovers and employers beef up their workforce, a new survey showed.

Antonio Sampaio in Oecusse, Timor-Leste – Defrocked American priest Richard Daschbach, 82, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the crimes of sexual abuse of orphaned and vulnerable girls in his care.

He was sentenced on Tuesday for various sexual offences against girls at the Topu Honis orphanage which he controlled.

Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – Senior economist Faisal Basri in a virtual event on Tuesday said one of the main problems within the State Official circle is conflict of interest. He said there are people in the government ranks with roles as business people in the private sector.

Rangga P, Azis Kurmala, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) officially opened the 34th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress held at the Darussaadah Islamic Boarding School, Gunung Sugih Sub-District, Central Lampung District, Wednesday.

Yance Wenda, Jayapura, Jubi – A number of students and family members of Hendrik Lokbere reflected on Sunday night, December 19, 2021, the shooting that killed Lokbere two years ago. They urged the Indonesian government to investigate and disclose the murder of Hendrik Lokbere and other Nduga civilians.

Jakarta – With three confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, and given our knowledge about its virality and the struggle of many countries facing hundreds or even thousands of new cases each day, why is our government reluctant to take the steps necessary to prevent its spread?

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Nearly 180,000 Indonesian police officers will guard churches and public places across the country during Christmas celebrations this year to prevent terrorist attacks.

Theo Kelen, Jayapura, Jubi – A total of 476,534 indigenous children in Papua and West Papua provinces do not attend school, says data from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) for Papua and West Papua.

Jakarta – The Women's Rights Sexual Violence Victims Defense Network is urging the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately designate the Draft Law on Sexual Violence Crimes (RUU TPKS, formally the RUU PKS) as a DPR draft law initiative for the start of 2022.

Aisyah Llewellyn, Medan, Indonesia – A $6bn proposal to turn an Indonesia airport into a regional hub rivalling Singapore and Kuala Lumpur has sparked concern among local tour operators who question the transparency and feasibility of the project.

Antara, Jakarta – The latest Charta Politika survey found 40.3 percent out of 1,200 respondents are not aware that the 2024 elections will be a simultaneous election, despite 59.7 percent of them being informed that the presidential, legislation, and regional head elections would be held in the same year.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) in a press conference on Tuesday predicts domestic coal production will grow to a number between 637-664 million tons. This comes along with the prediction that the use of the commodity will likely grow to 190 million tons.

Russell Searancke – Privately-owned operator Timor Resources said it has made an oil and gas discovery in Timor-Leste with the first of two planned onshore exploration wells.

In a brief statement, the operator said the discovery comprised oil and gas, and that Schlumberger had run wireline logs on the well to help measure the amount of oil and gas discovered.

A court in East Timor has jailed a defrocked American priest for 12 years after he was charged with sexually abusing several orphaned and disadvantaged girls in his care.

The sentencing of Richard Daschbach took place on Tuesday.

Bisnis, Jakarta – Entering the second year of the pandemic, the Covid-19 task force has eventually regulated the tariffs of quarantine repatriation hotels for people arriving from overseas, which will have been made effective on December 20.

Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – The Ministry of Manpower lamented Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan's decision to revise the regulation on 2021 Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) which contradicts Government Regulation (PP) No. 36 of 2021 concerning wages.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia has kicked off the construction of what will be the world's largest green industrial park in Bulungan, North Kalimantan.

Jakarta – Indonesia's government will sell 157 trillion rupiah (US$10.94 billion) of bonds to the central bank before the end of 2021 to utilise a fiscal deficit financing deal agreed in August, according to a presentation from the finance minister.

The government had already sold 58 trillion rupiah of bonds to Bank Indonesia (BI) earlier this month.

Kizzy Kalsakau and Jason Abel in Port Vila – The interim President of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) provisional government, Benny Wenda, has condemned Indonesia for the arrest and torture of eight students, and appeals to Melanesian countries to support their plea.

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta – Indonesia's Non-Tax State Revenue from the mineral and coal sector set a record high this year. As of December 10, the figure has reached Rp70.05 trillion, or 179.14 percent of the State Budget target of only IDR 39.1 trillion.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan outlined the objective and rational reasons behind his decision to revise the increase in the 2022 provincial minimum wage (UMP) from 0.8 percent to 5.1 percent. He asked all parties to look into and calculate the amount objectively.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – A court in Timor-Leste has sentenced a defrocked American priest to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing young orphaned and underprivileged girls in his care.

Richard Daschbach, 84, was found guilty by Oecusse District Court after becoming the first cleric in the Catholic-majority country to be prosecuted for child sex abuse.

Khanifahjuniasari, Jakarta – The Indonesian Workers Union Confederation (KSPI) chairman Said Iqbal assessed that the Jakarta Employer Association or Apindo Jakarta's plan to file a lawsuit against Anies Baswedan over matters related to the revised regulation on the 2022 provincial minimum wage (UMP) would add fuel to the fire.

Jakarta – The government considers extending self-isolation requirement for international visitors and Indonesian returnees to two weeks to prevent the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, a senior official said on Monday.

Indonesia has confirmed three Omicron cases so far with the government classifying them as "imported cases".

Tempo Magazine, Jakarta – The latest in-depth report from the Tempo Magazine team looks into the three main methods committed by state officials and public figures in working around the mandatory quarantine imposed on travelers arriving from overseas.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – A civil society coalition composed of CISDI, Puskapa, LaporCovid-19, and Transparency International Indonesia urges the government to revoke the paid booster vaccine policy and argues that it does not go inline with the principle of justice.