Delfi Neski, Jakarta – The Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for Fatwa, Muhammad Asrorun Niam Sholeh, announced the suspension of two MUI members suspected of involvement with an organization affiliated with Jewish interests. This action follows a controversial meeting between Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Israel.

Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday met with visiting Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape to emphasize the importance of cooperation in security and development, amid simmering tensions in the region and Jakarta's increased emphasis on maintaining ties with its Pacific island neighbors.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Indonesia has intercepted a Singapore-flagged vessel carrying 106kg of crystal methamphetamine in the waters off the Riau Islands that was probably en route to Brisbane, Australia, said the authorities on July 17.

Jakarta – The Agriculture Ministry ensures the free school lunch program under president-elect Prabowo Subianto will utilize locally sourced produce.

Mulyono, head of the ministry's food crop processing group, said on Tuesday that it aimed to increase food production next year to accommodate the increased consumption from the flagship program.

Jakarta – Here is a truth-or-dare challenge for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. Truth, that the fuel subsidy is a gross waste of state financial resources. Dare for the President to end the subsidy once and for all, in the name of fairness. Somehow, however, we doubt he will.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Semarang – The Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK once again conducted searches at Semarang City Hall on Thursday, July 18, 2024. This time, the focus shifted to various service rooms and departments within the building complex.

Bps.Go.Id, Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia saw a concerning rise in rape cases throughout 2022. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) released a report titled "Criminal Statistics 2023", showing 1,443 reported cases of immoral crimes of rape, which increased by 23.9% compared to the previous year's 1,164 cases.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Former East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her running mate Emil Dardak have secured support from eight political parties for their bid in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was the latest to endorse the pair, who visited the party's headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday.

Antara, Jakarta – The elimination of majors at high schools is a part of the Merdeka Curriculum implementation in Indonesia, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

Kusumasari Ayuningtyas, Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia – Gibran Rakabuming Raka's rise to vice president-elect of Indonesia has been swift and contentious.

As the eldest son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, his political journey was both aided by and scrutinized over his familial connections.

The "Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on State and Environmental Violence in West Papua" took place last month at Queen Mary University of London.

A panel of tribunal experts heard evidence from numerous international NGOs and local civil society organisations as well as testimonies from individuals who have witnessed human rights violations and environmental destruction.

A National Strategic Project (PSN) Teluk Bintuni Regency, Papua Barat Province, has sparked concerns over the potential violation of indigenous land rights. The project, handled by Genting Oil Kasuri Pte. Ltd, is accused of failing to implement Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles with the affected Sumuri indigenous community.

Responding to the shooting of Yan Christian Warinussy, a senior lawyer and human rights defender in the province of West Papua, Amnesty International Indonesia's executive director Usman Hamid said:

Jude Conway – The hardships endured by the East Timorese are detailed in a memoir by Dr Vacy Vlazna, both a story of courage and a political analysis. Dr Jude Conway reviews "East Timor Reveille for Courage: Recollections of an Australian Human Rights Activist, 1998-2001".

Dioceses bordering Timor-Leste and the Indonesian government are collaborating to help Catholics attend the papal visit to the Catholic-majority Asian nation in September.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office announced on Thursday that it has charged seven additional individuals in connection with the illegal production of gold bars at the state-owned mining company Antam. This brings the total number of suspects in the case to 13.

Stefanno Sulaiman and Gayatri Suroyo, Jakarta – Outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will appoint Thomas Djiwandono, the nephew of president-elect Prabowo Subianto and his adviser for fiscal issues, as a deputy finance minister later on Thursday, a senior politician said.

Rizka Ardina Nugraheni, Jakarta – Vice President-Elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka recently revealed that the upcoming ministerial cabinet was still in discussions despite his inauguration drawing nearer.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Hadi Tjahjanto, said there was a surge in radicalism among women, children, and teenagers. These findings are based on data from the Indonesia Knowledge Hub or IKHub of the National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT) and other institutional research.

Jakarta – A number of organisations that are part of the Papua Human Rights and Law Enforcement Coalition have condemned the shooting of senior advocate and human rights activist Yan Christian Warinussy in Manokwari, West Papua, on Wednesday afternoon, July 17.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – Forum of Concerned Citizens for Indonesia's Parliament (Formappi) researcher Lucius Karus suspects that the House of Representatives (DPR) is addicted to deliberating and pushing through controversial draft laws (RUU) because it has "successfully" and repeatedly done so in the past.

The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) congratulations the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) leaders for calling on France to allow a joint United Nations-MSG mission to its colony of Kanaky (New Caledonia) to assess the political situation and propose solutions for the ongoing crisis.

Eduard Gismatullin – The Indonesian exchange's watchlist for volatile and troubled companies is likely to accelerate an exodus of foreign capital from Southeast Asia's largest equity market, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Singapore – Two people have died and some 50 people in Indonesia's South Kalimantan province have been hospitalised due to suspected intoxication from eating the fruit of the Angel's Trumpet plant, health authorities said.

Those affected displayed behaviour ranging from violent outbursts to delusion, with some claiming they were divine beings, local media reported.

Amy Sood – President Joko Widodo has delayed relocating his office to Indonesia's new 500 trillion rupiah (US$32 billion) planned capital city, citing missed deadlines for critical infrastructure, in a move observers say signals that development on his legacy project is significantly behind schedule.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority has earned an unqualified opinion from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) for its first financial statement, indicating the authority's financial accountability and transparency regarding the ongoing projects in the nation's future capital in East Kalimantan.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka has been touring Jakarta amid his busy agenda as mayor of Surakarta, Central Java, stopping by Central Jakarta's Tanah Tinggi subdistrict and Nangka Market as well as South Jakarta's Manggis Market on July 3, accompanied by popular celebrity and TV host Raffi Ahmad.

Jakarta – Despite the chaos during the online vote count for the Feb. 14 general election, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has decided to continue using the troubled Tabulation Information System (Sirekap) for the upcoming regional head elections on Nov. 27.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – The government has sent mixed signals over a plan to restrict sales of subsidized fuel starting on Aug. 17, as it grapples with fighting air pollution in Jakarta while hoping to save trillions of rupiah in subsidy spending.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf has apologized on behalf of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization following the recent meeting of its activists with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, claiming that the visit was unbeknownst to them and broke NU regulations on event permission.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has decided to maintain its benchmark interest rate at 6.25 percent, the deposit facility rate is set at 5.5 percent, while the lending facility rate remains at 7 percent.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – The Journalist Safety Committee (KKJ) reported the death of Tribrata TV journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and his family to the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) on Wednesday, urging thorough oversight of the case.

Jakarta – The employment security agency BPJS Ketenagakerjaan recently inked a partnership agreement with the development and information body of the Villages Ministry.

Under this deal, the two agencies will work together on protecting vulnerable workers through the so-called "One Village, One Hundred Protected Vulnerable Workers" initiative.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – More than 500 applicants have registered themselves to the selection committee for commissioners and oversight members of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) until registration was closed at midnight on Monday.

Jakarta – A number of civil society groups have submitted a report to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on the case of Tribrata TV reporter Rico Sempurna Pasaribu, who died along with three family members when his home in Karo, North Sumatra, was burnt down.

Candra Kurnia, Indramayu – Controversial Muslim cleric Panji Gumilang was released from the state prison in Indramayu regency, West Java, on Wednesday after serving his one-year sentence for blasphemy.

The founder of Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School saluted several supporters who welcomed him outside of the prison, before leaving in a black Toyota SUV.

Sevianto Pakiding, Timika, Papua – News of the killings of three suspected rebels during a security operation triggered chaos in Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Wednesday, as a mob burned military and police vehicles.

A resident named Peni described the situation as a "dead town" after rioters vandalized vehicles belonging to the local military command.

Sella Rizky Deviani, Jakarta – The executive board of the Indonesian Pharmacist Association (IAI) recently said the government should start nudging people to use generic drugs again, saying that they deliver the same effects as brand-name ones but can be much cheaper.

Felldy Asyla Utama, Jakarta – Opposing the Omnibus Law on Job Creation (UU Cipta Kerja) was one of the issues articulated during a labour rally at the Arjuna Wijaya Horse Statue in Central Jakarta on Wednesday July 17.

This is also part of a legal challenged submitted with the Constitutional Court.

Nandito Putra, Riani Sanusi, Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – Amidst the decline of the textile industry, a number of entrepreneurs have expressed concerns about the easy entry of imported clothing into Indonesia, including from China. The Tanah Abang Wholesale Market is known to be a hub for buying and selling these imports.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi signed Decree No. 75 of 2024 last week to expedite the development of the new capital city, Nusantara, or IKN. This decree grants the IKN Authority greater autonomy in attracting domestic and foreign investment. One key measure is the ability to offer investors business use rights (HGU) for up to 190 years.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – The management of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC) addressed recent statements made by PT Wijaya Karya Tbk (WIKA), the state-owned construction company, regarding financial losses attributed to the Whoosh or Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train Project.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) stated that they will intensify their efforts to support the Palestinian people. The Islamic organization with the most members in Indonesia also prohibits its cadres from establishing relationships with parties related to Israel.

Andika Dwi, Raden Putri, Tim Tempo, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has reportedly postponed his office relocation to the new capital city of Nusantara or IKN this July.

Victoria Milko, Ed Davey and Camille Fassett, Lelilef Sawai, Indonesia – On a steep trek up to his forest farm on the Indonesian island of Halmahera, Librek Loha let out a cry of dismay. "Aduuuuh," he said, his voice trailing off. "Landslides, again. They happen all the time now."

ANN/The Straits Times – Indonesia's trade surplus narrowed in June to its smallest in four months as exports rose less than expected amid strong import growth, data from its statistics office showed yesterday, after two big copper miners halted shipments.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The Surabaya municipal administration has rescheduled waste disposal operations at the Benowo landfill to prevent the bad smell of garbage from disturbing the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U-19 Youth Championship, which the East Java capital is hosting from July 17 to 29.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – The Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) is looking to learn from the recent assassination attempt of former United States president Donald Trump and improve its protocol to ensure the safety of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

Agnes Anya and Marchio Gorbiano (AFP), Jakarta – Deforestation at one of Indonesia's largest nickel processing hubs is threatening an Indigenous group that is among the country's last uncontacted tribes, rights groups allege.

Jakarta – Should Indonesia find itself needing to import natural gas to meet growing demand, we will have no one but ourselves to blame.

While liquefied natural gas (LNG) production improved somewhat when Train 3 became operational at the BP-operated Tangguh LNG facility in October last year, the long-term outlook for self-sufficiency in the commodity is not encouraging.