Yogyakarta – Dozens of people from the social group People's Alliance Against Fraud held a demonstration to protest alleged fraud in the 2024 elections in front of the Presidential Palace or Agung Building in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Friday afternoon, February 23.

New vehicle sales in Indonesia plunged by 26% to 69,619 units in January 2024 from 94,087 units a year earlier, according to member wholesale data compiled by local automotive industry association Gaikindo.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Tech giant Meta announced on Thursday that it will not be obligated to pay for news content shared on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, despite the recent issuance of a presidential decree on publisher rights.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan recently revealed that China would make a major petrochemical investment in North Kalimantan, arguing that Beijing's current economic conditions did not diminish its interest in investing.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – A study by digital research firm Populix reveals that 65 percent of Muslim respondents support the Indonesian Ulema Council's (MUI) call to boycott products affiliated with Israel as a form of solidarity with the people of Palestine.

Jakarta – Digital communication technology could have been a boon for the media industry.

The breaking down of physical barriers and the flattening of delivery costs by using the internet have allowed media companies to reach millions of readers, viewers and subscribers.

Jakarta – The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has warned of potential flooding in Kalimantan, especially in the new capital city Nusantara area, in the middle of March this year.

Jakarta – West Java was struck by a tornado of a scale previously unrecorded in the country that injured at least 33 people and damaged buildings, government officials said.

Nearly 94 officials died of fatigue and thousands fell ill during the world's biggest single-day polls in Indonesia, sparking calls for changes to norms to ease the burden on people on election duty.

Johannes Nugroho – Prabowo Subianto's projected victory in Indonesia's recent presidential election is considered polarising among some sections of the country's ethnic Chinese minority, given the alleged involvement of senior military officers during the tragic 1998 riots including the former general.

Muhammad Rizky Fajarullah, Makassar – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo officially inaugurated the Centralized Domestic Wastewater Management System (SPAL-DT) in Losari, Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – The Indonesian government's efforts to tackle illegal fishing in its vast waters have had the unintended consequence of driving an increase in maritime piracy, according to a new study.

Yohanes Sulaiman – On February 14, 2024, Indonesia held its presidential, national legislative, and regional legislative elections on the same day.

Jayapura, Jubi – Research by four civil society institutions indicates that efforts to obscure information about Papua have spread to the social media platform TikTok.

Jayapura, Jubi – Mama (mother) Anace Bongoibo, now in her elderly years, continues her dedication to cleaning up the waste in the Emereuw River Basin with unwavering patience.

Triyono, West Lampung – A villager was discovered dead in a plantation in Lampung province early on Thursday with police suspecting a Sumatran tiger attack as the cause of his death.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan is confident that Indonesia will not miss its investment target this year although some of the major investor countries are facing economic turmoil.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) asked presidential and vice presidential candidates and political parties to exercise patience and await the General Elections Commission's (KPU) announcement of the valid and legally binding election results.

Defara Dhanya, Michelle Gabriela and Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – Capital market observer William Hartanto expressed concern that the allegations of fraud in the 2024 elections could potentially hamper the interest of investors and entrepreneurs in Indonesia. He believed that if there are any demonstrations related to the issue, the interest may decline.

Kukuh S. Wibowo, Surabaya – Dandhy Dwi Laksono, the producer and director of Dirty Vote, stated that the success of a movie depends on the interpretation. However, the most valid answer for a movie's success is measured by the intention of the maker.

Antara, Jakarta – The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) has blocked approximately 4.8 million negative content spread across the web and social media platforms from 2018 to February 15, 2024.

Jakarta – Jokowi has yet to propose a replacement for Firli Bahuri as KPK Chair. This is proof that the government does not care about wiping out corruption.

Jakarta – The Indonesian banking sector remains attractive to foreign investors, according to Dian Ediana Rae, the Banking Supervisory Executive Head at the Financial Services Authority (OJK). Despite facing a dynamic and competitive landscape, the sector continues to lure investors from overseas, particularly from Korea and Japan.

Vinnilya Huanggrio, Jakarta – The Indonesia Mining Association (IMA) recently denied claims that China benefited the most from Indonesia's decision to push for the domestic processing of nickel.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government has issued state bonds amounting to Rp 107.6 trillion ($6.9 billion) to fund the state budget as of January 31. This figure constitutes 16.6 percent of the annual debt target set at Rp 648.1 trillion for the fiscal year 2024.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) is on alert to anticipate the rise in rice prices from early 2024 leading up to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which falls between March 10 and April 9. These months are traditionally associated with a surge in demand for rice, contributing to seasonal inflation concerns.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – After being inaugurated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Hadi Tjahjanto, the recently appointed Chief Security Minister, highlighted his key objectives.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Makassar. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo officially inaugurated the Makassar New Port, the largest port serving the eastern region of Indonesia, in the city of Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday.

He mentioned that the Rp 5.4 trillion ($346.5 million) port is expected to reduce logistics costs in the eastern part of Indonesia.

Jakarta – Sungai Watch's audit on the rivers in Bali and Banyuwangi recently raised criticisms from the Indonesian Waste Management Foundation (Yaksindo), arguing that the non-government organization's report was unfair and misleading.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – As President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's ramped up the rice social assistance program for 22 million poor households in January ahead of the general election, premium rice disappeared from modern retailers.

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo promoted on Wednesday one of his loyalists, Hadi Tjahjanto, to a senior post in the cabinet and also welcomed opposition Democratic Party leader Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono as the newest member of his outgoing administration.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) decided to keep the benchmark interest rate at 6 percent during the Board of Governors Meeting on Feb. 20-21, 2024, maintaining the rate since October.

Meanwhile, the deposit facility interest rate remains at 5.25 percent, and the lending facility interest rate stays at 6.75 percent.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia and Timor Leste recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperatives as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Peter Hobson, Canberra – The Australian government said on Wednesday that Indonesia had issued import permits for Australian live cattle and horticultural goods after a weeks-long delay that stalled shipments.

Australia is Indonesia's biggest supplier of live cattle, sending around 400,000 animals worth around $400 million to the country each year.

Jakarta – Short video app TikTok is still violating Indonesia's rule that bans in-app transactions, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday, after it took control of the country's biggest e-commerce platform to restart its online shopping business.

Hong Kong, China – HSBC said Wednesday it achieved "record profit" in 2023 as pre-tax profits soared by nearly 80 percent, with the banking giant also announcing further share buybacks.

The Asia-focused lender and its peers have been buoyed by rising interest rates for more than a year, but are bracing for greater economic uncertainties in 2024.

Jakarta – The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement published earlier this week that it congratulated Indonesia on its successful Feb. 14 elections and respected the poll outcome.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China "believes that the choice of the Indonesian people is in the interests of their country's future and prosperity."

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Tuesday that he took harsh criticism from the media in his stride and he respected the media's opposition to some of his political moves leading up to the Feb. 14 general election.

Jakarta – Chairman of the Democratic Party advisory council Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has given his permission for his son and party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono to serve in the cabinet of incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Will Jackson – Indonesia's foreign policy is expected to remain largely unchanged once Prabowo Subianto takes the reins later this year, meaning business as usual for the country's relationship with Australia.

But experts warn the presumptive new president's personality and questionable past could cause some headaches for Canberra.

Antara, Denpasar – Bali's Tourism Agency announced that the Rp 150,000 ($10) tourist levy for foreign visitors, in effect since February 14, has yielded Rp 9.1 billion in just one week.

"The current earnings stand at Rp 9.1 billion, contributed by around 60,800 foreign tourists," stated Tjok Bagus Pemayun, the agency's head, during a Wednesday briefing in Denpasar.

Ichsan Ali & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the eldest son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), was inaugurated as the new Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning on Wednesday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr recently congratulated Prabowo Subianto on his presidential victory in the latest count, saying that he is looking forward to bolstering ties between the two countries.

Known popularly as Bongbong Marcos, the president sent a congratulatory message on the social media platform X on Tuesday night.

Annisa Febiola and Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – An economist from the Center of Reform on Economic (CORE) Yusuf Rendy Manilet responded to presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's plan to separate the Directorate General of Taxes from the Finance Ministry. Prabowo will form a National Revenue Agency to boost tax ratio.

Nabiha Zain, Jakarta – PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, along with its subsidiary Telkomsat, has successfully launched the Merah Putih 2 Satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Ministry of State Owned Enterprise said in a press release.

Jakarta – An imaginary letter from Indonesian comedian Komeng to the Indonesian Solidarity Party leadership. The irony of a party becoming a wet nurse to the government.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan – As the Indonesian government embarks on a massive push to reforest the area around the country's new capital city in Borneo, it is turning to the private sector in hopes that investors will help supply the labor and capital needed for the program.

Sheena Suparman, Jakarta – 42Geeks has arrived in Jakarta to foster more global connections in the technology industry. Indonesia's capital city joins the vast array of key regions that have hosted the group, with cities located in East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and of course, Southeast Asia.

Jakarta – A plan by Indonesia's likely new president Prabowo Subianto to provide free school lunches and milk will cost up to Rp 120 trillion ($7.68 billion) in its first year, his team said on Wednesday.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko was a notable absentee when Democratic Party Chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono was inaugurated as the agrarian affairs minister at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday.