Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Judges at the Central Jakarta District Court postponed a court session during a trial for six Papuan rights activists accused of treason on Monday since two of the defendants, both originally from Papua, chose to wear the "koteka," or traditional penis gourds, inside the courtroom.

Jeffrey Hutton, Jakarta – Victims of the recent floods in the Indonesian capital are preparing a class action suit against regional governments, alleging that officials failed to adequately protect the public from flooding caused by a torrential downpour over the New Year, media reports said.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Beka Ulung Hapsara, criticized the regulation issued by Depok Mayor Mohammad Idris who ordered raids against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Beka considered the policy to bediscriminative.

Bambang Noroyono, Jakarta – The level of violence against journalists has remained high throughout 2019. The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) revealed that it recorded 85 cases of violence against media workers in 2019. LBH Pers Director Ade Wahyudin says that these cases have claimed as many as 79 victims.

Fikri Arigi, Jakarta – The 2020 simultaneous regional head election (Pilkada) is set to be amped up by candidates from President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) family.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – A volunteer activist for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo Kris Cantra, has announced that President Jokowi's supporters will hold a demonstration in front of the City Hall, Central Jakarta, on January 14, 2020. Kris stated that the demonstration will demand current Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, to step down from his position.

Muhajir, Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance Confederation (KASBI) held a protest action in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta coinciding with the end of the parliament's recess period on Monday January 13.

They gathered to convey their opposition to the Draft Omnibus Law on Job Creation or RUU Cilaka.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Heavy rain over the weekend has caused flooding in four regencies and one municipality in South Sulawesi, with at least one fatality.

The disaster comes less than two weeks after the widespread flooding that hit Greater Jakarta and Banten on New Year's Day.

Yohanes Sulaiman – Indonesia has been sending mixed signals in responding to China's breach of its exclusive economic zone around the Natuna Islands, near the South China Sea.

The Natuna sea is within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) of Indonesia's coastline, making it part of Indonesia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Tarcisius Kabutaulaka – In July 2019, at the inaugural Indonesian Exposition held in Auckland, New Zealand, Indonesia launched its 'Pacific Elevation', laying claim to a Pacific islands identity and touting its elevated engagement with the region.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Police (Polri) arrested the hacker who managed to alter the website of the Central Jakarta District Court and the Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Brimob).

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – State-owned insurance company Asuransi Sosial Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia (Asabri) has been implicated in a corruption case after its stock portfolio plunged, prompting scrutiny from high-ranking officials.

Akbar Ridwan – Demonstrators from the Workers Movement with the People (Gebrak) held a protest action in front of the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta on Monday. During the demonstration, the workers conveyed their opposition to the Omnibus Law on Job Creation which is currently being pushed through by the government.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has asked Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed to join the steering committee of Indonesia's planned new capital city.

The President made the request at a bilateral meeting during his working trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday night.

Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – The provincial administration of Riau and the city administration of its capital Pekanbaru have drawn scrutiny over the appointments of the relatives of Riau Governor Syamsuar, provincial regional secretary Yan Prana Jaya Indra Rasyid and Pekanbaru Mayor Firdaus to key positions.

Jakarta – Islamic junior high school SMP IT Nur Hidayah in Surakarta, Central Java, has drawn criticism over its decision to expel a female eighth grader because of her recent interactions with a male peer through a messaging app.

Hal Hill – Viewed in the long sweep of history, Indonesia's first two decades of democracy have been quite remarkable.

Jakarta – The widespread flooding that started hitting parts of Jakarta on New Year's Day is having lasting repercussions almost two weeks later, as a number of shopping centers across the capital are still unable to open for business because of ongoing repairs.

Antara, Jakarta – Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim has placed a ban on the use of disposable plastic bottles or bags within the Education and Culture Ministry.

The ban was stipulated in the minister's circular number 12 of 2019, dated November 26, 2019, a copy of which was made available to Antara on Friday.

Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir has reportedly dismissed an independent commissioner of state fertilizer holding company PT Pupuk Indonesia, Yanuar Rizky, before the end of his term.

Yanuar confirmed the dismissal on Thursday, saying there was something odd about the move without elaborating further.

Masriadi, Lhokseumawe – Lhokseumawe Mayor Suaidi Yahyais has asked to all cafe, restaurant, hotel and internet cafe owners in the city to limit working hours for women employees to 11 o'clock at night.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The Karo Police in North Sumatra have arrested the Payung police chief for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking syndicate.

The police chief has been taken to the North Sumatra Police detention center for interrogation.

Ade Mardiyati – Sarifah Nurhayati is five months' pregnant with her second child. Her post-partum plan, she says, includes getting her vagina "back in good shape to keep my husband happy".

Jakarta – A bomb hidden inside a bag exploded in front of a house in Padang village of Seluma regency in Bengkulu on Saturday morning, injuring the house owner.

Ardila Syakriah, Jakarta – In response to reports that the family of Reynhard Sinaga, an Indonesian convicted serial rapist in the United Kingdom, lives in Depok, West Java, the city's mayor has instructed his administration to conduct raids against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Diana Mariska, Jakarta – Japan has expressed interest in new investments covering a wide range of sectors from fisheries and tourism to hydropower and waste-to-energy facilities, a minister said on Friday.

Jakarta – The Yogyakarta administration is planning to turn the popular tourist destination of Malioboro into a smoke-free zone starting in March.

The head of the public health division of the Yogyakarta Health Agency, Eny Dwiniarsih, said that the government is currently preparing the resources to implement the ban.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – The European Union had provoked a "trade war" by issuing discriminative restrictions on Indonesian palm oil, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo tweeted on Saturday.

Rusdy Nurdiansyah, Depok – Depok Mayor Muhammad Idris is furious about and deplores the same-sex violence committed by Reynhard Sinaga in Manchester, England. Sinaga has been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment after committing sexual violence against 159 men.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan, North Sumatra – Plans to build a hydropower plant (PLTA) with a capacity of 443 megawatts (MW) in the Leuser ecosystem zone in Gayo Lues regency, Aceh province, may be scrapped after the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) triumphed in a lawsuit seeking to prevent construction.

Erin Cook – Jakarta welcomed the new year with a new record – the heaviest rains in decades. The deluge left parts of the Indonesian capital under 5 metres of water, which triggered landslides and cut off whole neighbourhoods. Before the water finally receded this week, at least 60 people were dead and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes.

Dyna Rochmyaningsih – Indonesia's health minister, Terawan Agus Putranto, has alarmed the country's medical community by recommending that its hospitals start to use a controversial treatment against stroke that he himself has pioneered.

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano and Made Anthony Iswara, Jakarta – Japan-based Softbank Group has hinted at partnering with the government to fund Indonesia's new capital city.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – The Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) says that there are some 94 open pits on former mining sites which have yet to be restored or rehabilitated in East Kalimantan – the area earmarked for the construction of the country's new capital city.

Hendartyo Hanggi, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said that the United States is committed to investing in Indonesia. According to the minister, discussions have been held with regard to a number of projects.

Nur Yasmin, Jakarta – New documentary film "Nyanyian Akar Rumput," or "Song of the Grassroots," attempts to bring public attention back to the still-unsolved disappearance of poet and activist Wiji Thukul during the heady first few months of the Reformasi era in 1998.

Citizens in the Indonesian regency of Demak, East Java now have a couple of hours every evening during which they are advised by the regional government to set aside their friends for God.

Ivan Pereira – Scientists who explored high altitude locations in the Indonesian archipelago discovered a group of new bird species.

Diana Mariska, Jakarta – Indonesia and Japan have agreed to pave a way for cooperation in counter-terrorism and deradicalization, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud M.D. said on Friday.

Jakarta – Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has said that over 6,000 Indonesian citizens have been identified as foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs).

Jakarta – The central government and the regional administration are busy accusing each other to the cause of the floods that inundated Jakarta. Weak public service management occurred at all levels.

Fana Suparman, Jakarta – Wahyu Setiawan, a commissioner of the General Election Commission, or KPU, announced his resignation early on Friday after he was named suspect for taking bribe from a politician.

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – The World Bank appointed Indonesian senior economist Mari Elka Pangestu as its managing director for development policy and partnerships, making her the second Indonesian woman to hold the strategic post after Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Erwin Renaldi – When the reports surfaced about Britain's "most prolific rapist" Reynhard Sinaga – an Indonesian national sentenced to life for 150 crimes, including 136 rapes against men – Riko was upset.

Riko, who refused to give his family name because he hasn't come out to his parents, is a fashion stylist based in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Luke Hunt – The recent floods in Jakarta took a deadly toll, creating widespread chaos, landslides, and putting millions at risk from disease, forcing officials to spray the city with disinfectant.

Junaidi Hanafiah, Rahmadi Rahmad, East Lampung, Indonesia – The government of the Indonesian province of Aceh, notorious for public canings carried out under sharia law, plans to put that same strict Islamic jurisprudence to work protecting what's thought to be the last viable population of wild Sumatran rhinos on Earth.

Adi Ahdiat, Jakarta – According to a report by the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), regions which have a large number of mining concessions were hit by some of the worst flooding in 2019.

Jatam believes that environmental damage as a result of mining activities is triggering natural disasters which in the end threaten the safety of local people.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Safira Andini, Jakarta – Jakarta Metro Police Chief Gen. Insp. Nana Sudjana participated in planting 1,000 tree seedlings in Urban Forest, Kemayoran, North Jakarta, on Friday morning. The mayor of North Jakarta, Sigit Wijatmoko and representative elements of the Indonesian army (TNI) also participated in the event.

Jakarta – A General Election Commission (KPU) commissioner was named suspect on Thursday for allegedly taking the equivalent of Rp 600 million in bribe from a politician of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who wanted to fill a vacant seat in the House of Representatives.

Jakarta – Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung has deplored the criminal case involving Indonesian student Reynhard Sinaga who was found guilty this week of raping more than 130 men while studying in the United Kingdom, saying it tarnished Indonesia's global reputation.