Delfi Neski, Padang – Three newly-elected members of a local legislative council in West Sumatra were arrested during a "meth party" at a hotel in the provincial capital, Padang, police said on Monday.

A private citizen who was with the councilors in the hotel room was also taken into custody.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recently launched the production of mining giant Freeport Indonesia's smelter at Gresik Special Economic Zone in East Java.

Jakarta – It would not have come as a surprise to the informed reader that Indonesia is on course to miss its clean power target by a wide margin.

The writing has been on the wall as investment in renewable energy generation has been hampered by a host of factors.

Nick D – When the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) government crumbled in the face of Japan's military offensive in Southeast Asia, moves were made to evacuate the colonial regime. A month after General ter Poorten surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese Commander in-Chief on 8 March 1942, the NEI Commission was established in Australia to set up a colonial government in exile.

Geneva – The Mandalika urban development and tourism project in Indonesia poses the risk of irreparable harm to Indigenous Peoples' rights, UN experts* warned today, calling on all responsible parties to suspend the project until these concerns are addressed.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The headquarters of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) said the involvement of former acting regent of Nduga, Edison Gwijangge, in the operation to free Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was full of political interests ahead of the 2024 regional election.

Vedro Imanuel G, Jakarta – An economist from Paramadina University, Didin S. Damanhuri, said the manufacturing industry sector in Indonesia is experiencing a significant drop, especially when compared to the New Order era. According to Didin, this decline is drawn by comparing industrial growth and the country's economic growth.

Oyuk Ivani S, Jakarta – The Ministry of Trade reported that Indonesia's import value in August 2024 amounted to US$20.67 billion, a 4.93 percent drop compared to July 2024 at US$21.47 billion.

Vedro Imanuel G, Jakarta – Pertamina Patra Niaga, a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina, affirmed that the company would comply with the government's policy regarding the distribution of subsidized fuel, including both Pertalite and Biosolar.

New video footage has been released of a peaceful hand-over ceremony of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens' release in West Papua.

The footage, sent to RNZ Pacific by a member of the West Papua Council of Churches, shows a formal ceremony followed by Mehrtens shaking hands with a number of locals before entering a helicopter and being flown away.

Caleb Fotheringham – The Foreign Minister has called claims a Papua New Guinea politician paid a bribe ahead of the release of kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens "a disgrace".

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – A researcher from the Economic and Social Research, Education, and Information Institute (LP3ES), Herlambang Wiratraman, said the possibility of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) joining the Prabowo-run government will worsen the condition of democracy in Indonesia.

Simon Hutagalung – As Prabowo Subianto prepares to take power next month in Indonesia, anticipation is rising that the soldier-turned-politician will stake out a more assertive role for the nation on the global stage.

Indonesia, West Papua – A new report has revealed the devastating impacts of palm oil investment in Papua, Indonesia, on both the environment and indigenous communities. The study, conducted by researcher Wiko Saputra, found that while the economic benefits of the industry are limited, the environmental and social costs are significant.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – Environmentalists and broad sectors of Indonesian civil society have welcomed with shock and disapproval the decision by outgoing President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, whose term expires on 20 October, to lift the ban on the export of ocean sand, used mainly in the construction industry.

Nabilla Azzahra, Jakarta – Paramadina University economist Wijayanto Samirin said there are four projects of President-elect Prabowo Subianto for the period 2024-2029 that are time bombs waiting to explode and fail. He said Prabowo should learn from the failures of the previous administration and plan thoroughly before implementing these projects.

Jakarta – The Urban Poor Network (JRMK) held a demonstration in front of the Jakarta provincial National Elections Commission (KPU) offices on Monday morning, September 23, supporting the three-candidate ticket movement or golput (to abstain from voting or invalidate the ballot paper) in the 2024 Jakarta election or election of regional heads on November 27.

Eva Corlett in Wellington – On 7 February 2023, Phillip Mehrtens' life took an unexpected and harrowing turn.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Gresik – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo confirmed that Indonesia has not yet left the negotiation table regarding an increase in its stake in gold miner Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), a subsidiary of Freeport McMoRan, by an additional 10 percent, aiming to raise its ownership to 61 percent.

Antara, Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidates Pramono Anung, Ridwan Kamil, and Dharma Pongrekun have pledged to keep their campaigns free of religious and identity politics, calling for a peaceful and exemplary election as they secured their ballot numbers for the 2024 race.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government collected Rp 183.2 trillion ($12 billion) in customs and excise revenues as of Aug. 31, 2024, achieving 57.1 percent of the target set in the 2024 State Budget and marking a 6.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) has approved 1,553 candidate pairs to compete in the upcoming elections for governors, regents, and mayors across Indonesia.

Under Indonesian election law, all candidates are required to register alongside their running mates.

Hendro Dahlan Situmorang, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Pramono Anung has called for innovative solutions to address the city's pressing clean water crisis, promising to develop new water sources if elected.

The family of freed New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens say they are "extremely grateful and relieved" he has been released and will soon be reunited with them.

Local police announced on Saturday the New Zealand pilot had been freed after more than one and a half years in captivity in West Papua, Indonesia.

Jakarta – Jakarta and Wellington denied Monday a claim by rebels in Indonesia's restive region of Papua that a New Zealand pilot was freed from captivity over the weekend after they received payment from a local leader.

Phillip Mehrtens, 38, was released on Saturday by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group after 19 months in captivity.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus and Victor Mambor – Jakarta and Wellington on Monday denied claims by a Papuan rebel spokesman that Indonesian authorities had paid a guerrilla commander to free a New Zealand pilot from 19 months of captivity.

Rachel Farahdiba Regar, Jakarta – Jakarta Metro Police Chief Insp. Gen. Karyoto asserted that the patrol activities of the force's Precision Team could not be blamed in the case of the discovery of 7 bodies in the Bekasi River on Sunday, September 22.

Antara, Jakarta – A decision by the Indonesian government to reopen sea sand export has been met with opposition from experts and environmental groups. The government justifies the decision by claiming the sand is a result of natural sedimentation.

Ayos Carlos, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's massive tollway expansion during his 10-year presidency has bore fruits for the logistics industry.

Singgih Wiryono, Dani Prabowo, Jakarta – West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) spokesperson Sebby Sambom has denied claims by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Indonesian Police (Polri) that the release of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was a result of their efforts.

Singgih Wiryono, Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – A split has occurred within the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) after Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was released on Saturday September 21.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) remains the sole party that has not officially announced support for the upcoming government under Prabowo Subianto.

PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri plans to meet President-Elect Prabowo soon, according to House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani – who is Megawati's daughter.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government's Illegal Import Task Force found 2,929 rolls of illegally imported prayer mats and carpets worth approximately Rp10 billion. Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan, confirmed the finding in an expose on Monday, September 23, 2024.

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – A total of 8.2 million voters in Jakarta are set to cast their ballots at nearly 15,000 polling stations in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

The number of polling stations has been reduced by more than half compared to the voting booths available during the general election in February.

Dayat, Jakarta – The Jakarta Election Oversight Body (Bawaslu) announced on Sunday that heckling gubernatorial candidates or obstructing their campaigns could lead to criminal prosecution.

The campaign period is set to run from Wednesday until four days before the election, which will be held on November 27.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has passed a revision of the Presidential Advisory Council Law, which will allow president-elect Prabowo Subianto to reward those who contributed to his electoral win with seats on the council.

Jakarta – The recent leadership turmoil within the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has sparked widespread concerns about political interference by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Weak passwords and negligence in accessing the data center may have contributed to a recent breach of the taxpayer identification number database, a senior official said on Monday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo launched Monday a copper smelter belonging to mining giant Amman Mineral Internasional in West Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.

Havana, Cuba – Eduardo Martinez Diaz, Cuban Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, and Laksana Tri Handoko, president of the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in this city relating to scientific collaboration in areas such as renewable energy, nanotechnology, agriculture and food production, and life, health and en

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Peoples' Movement Alliance Against Land Seizure (Geram Tanah) stated that it will hold a rally on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.

Antara, Jakarta – Former Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri was awarded the title of honorary professor in tourism and cultural heritage in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

Rino Fajar Setiawan, Bekasi – Residents in the Jakarta suburb of Bekasi were shocked on Sunday morning when they discovered seven bodies floating in the Bekasi River, leaving police struggling to determine the cause of death.

Bekasi Metropolitan Police Chief Dani Hamdani confirmed that the victims were all young men, but none of them had identification on them.

Boyko Nikolov – In 2021, Indonesia formally requested 48 F-35 fighter jets from the United States. This deal, which received approval from the US State Department, is valued at around $14 billion. Indonesia's goal is clear: to modernize its air force and boost military readiness by adding the F-35s.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Susi Air Pilot, Philip Mark Mehrtens was freed from the armed group Free Papua Movement (OPM) led by Egianus Kogoya in Nduga on Saturday, September 21, 2024. Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam) Hadi Tjahjanto stated that security forces only used persuasive approaches in the release.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Susi Air pilot of New Zealand nationality, Philip Mark Mehrtens, has been released by Indonesia's TNI-Polri security forces from the captivity of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) led by Egianus Kogoya in Nduga on Saturday, September 21, 2024, after being held captive for approximately 20 months.

Wellington, New Zealand – The family of a kidnapped New Zealand pilot on Sunday thanked the Indonesian rebels who released him for taking care of him during more than a year and a half in captivity.

Novie Fauziah, Jakarta – The name Labubu might sound unfamiliar to most, but this cute doll has skyrocketed in popularity after K-Pop idol Lisa from Blackpink was spotted accessorizing with it. Labubu has now become a coveted item among collectors worldwide, including in Indonesia.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) have announced their full support for President-elect Prabowo Subianto's administration, following a private meeting at the Merdeka Palace.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – As the House of Representatives ends its term, its special committee is out to conclude an investigation into alleged haj quota misallocation involving the Religious Affairs Ministry.