Jakarta – A court in Central Jakarta sentenced a former chief of state carrier Garuda Indonesia to five years in prison on Wednesday for corruption linked to procuring jets from planemaker Bombardier and turboprop maker ATR, his lawyer said.

Jakarta – The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) received nearly 1,300 witness protection requests related to human trafficking cases last year, the agency's deputy head Antonius PS Wibowo said on Wednesday, a day after the United Nations' World Day against Trafficking in Persons.

Theresia Silalahi, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Muhaimin Iskandar has been commanding the National Awakening Party (PKB) for nearly two decades with a centralistic leadership style, a former aide said recently.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian Migrant Workers' Union (SBMI) and the Indonesian feminist organization Women's Solidarity for Human Rights (Solidaritas Perempuan) noted that from 2019 to 2024, more than 1,800 Indonesian migrant workers were strongly indicated as victims of human trafficking.

Falahi Mubarok, Irfan Maulana, Jakarta – Islamic groups claiming more than 160 million followers across the world's largest Muslim-majority country are set to operate coal mines, after Indonesia's second-largest Islamic organization joined the country's biggest one in accepting government mining permits.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President-Elect Prabowo Subianto is looking to strike a nuclear energy partnership with Russia.

Prabowo proposed the idea when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's Grand Kremlin Palace on Wednesday local time. Prabowo said he had talked with Russian state nuclear firm Rosatom.

Jakarta – The Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court has scheduled the first trial of the bribery case at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Detention Center or prison.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Rice prices have surged in the past six months. According to the National Food Agency (Bapanas), the average national price of medium-grade rice reached Rp15,540 per liter as of July 31, 2024, up from Rp14,550 at the beginning of the year.

Antara, Savero Aristia Wienanto, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was awarded the title "Father of Indonesian Construction" by the Indonesian National Construction Association (Gapensi) at a recent event in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, celebrating ten years of his administration's focus on construction, infrastructure, and investment.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus and Arie Firdaus, Jakarta – Indonesia has widened the window to 14 from six weeks after conception for women to have abortions in cases of health emergencies and pregnancies from rape and sexual violence – a divisive change in the Muslim-majority country where termination is mostly illegal.

Ambon – Press Council Chairperson Ninik Rahayu has criticised President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for inviting a number of art activists and social media influencers to visit to the new national capital (IKN) Nusantara in East Kalimantan last Sunday, July 28.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – Vice President Ma'ruf Amin on Thursday called for Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and the National Awakening Party (PKB) to end their feud and maintain mutual respect.

Didik Fibrianto, Batu, East Java – A suspected militant who was arrested recently in the East Java town of Batu has planned bomb attacks on two worship places in the nearby city of Malang, police said on Thursday.

The suspect, identified by the initials HOK, was arrested a day earlier at Bunga Tanjung housing complex in Junrejo district.

Rama Sukarta, Jakarta – The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported a deflation of 0.18 percent for July 2024, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) dropping from 106.28 in June to 106.09 in July. This marks the third month of deflation this year.

Despite the monthly deflation, Indonesia continues to experience inflation on an annual basis.

Daniel A. Fajri and Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Presidential Palace confirmed that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will not hold a cabinet meeting in the new capital city Nusantara or IKN this week. The President returned to Jakarta after a two-day working visit in IKN, Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.

Sidney Jones and Solahudin – Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), perpetrators of the Bali bombings, decided on 30 June to disband. This is huge news, and many commentators are convinced it's a sham, a cold-blooded calculation after an unprecedented crackdown by police, to secure early release.

Christ Belseran, Aru Islands, Indonesia – When the ship with "J7Explorer" embossed across its hull approached the shoreline on May 13, some on the Aru Islands assumed the greenish hulk was an Indonesian warship from a nearby naval base.

Jakarta – The ongoing search for brave new leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is a make-or-break moment for the formerly powerful institution.

Since politicians overwhelmingly opted to revise legislation to defang the KPK in 2019, the institution has fallen into a deep torpor.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – In a push for better governance of the mining industry, the government has expanded the Mineral and Coal Information System (Simbara) to now cover nickel and tin toward future expansion to other minerals.

Alifia Sekar, Jakarta – The sky was clear and the ocean calm when The Jakarta Post visited North Jakarta's fishing village of Cilincing last week. Some fishermen who had just returned from sea seemed to be enjoying the gentle sea breeze while sipping hot coffee.

Muhammad Aulia, Ali Achmad, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is considering an investigation into the acquittal of Gregorius Ronald Tannur by the Surabaya District Court if evidence of corruption emerges.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The government is aiming for a 10-percent reduction in domestic airfare by October before a new cabinet is installed.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) is urging the government to delay the mandate for all vehicles to have third-party liability insurance, arguing that the policy is not urgent and would primarily benefit the industry.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President-Elect Prabowo Subianto recently traveled to Ankara for defense discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Prabowo told Erdogan that he wanted to see stronger bilateral partnership in the field of defense and arms industry.

Whisnu Bagus Prasetyo, Jakarta – In an effort to reduce smoking rates in Indonesia, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has signed Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024, which implements Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health.

Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – The Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK) and Banco Central de Timor Leste (BCTL) or the Central Bank of Timor Leste have officially agreed to boost cooperation by signing an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Cooperation on Cross-Border Supervision.

Jakarta – The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Tuesday warned people to be vigilant of potential forest fires during the dry season in Sumatra, but the agency also predicted unseasonal rainfall in some parts of the region in the coming days.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, has historically been the incubator for the National Awakening Party (PKB), with both bound by the values of moderate Islam and pluralism championed by the late President Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur.

The president of Timor-Leste is in Beijing on the first state visit to China by any Timorese leader, Xinhua reports. China was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with the Portuguese-speaking Southeast Asian nation back in 2002, the same year it gained independence from Indonesia.

Jakarta – Students from the Populist All Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM SI Kerakyatan) brought a pocong (a shrouded corpse or ghost) to an action protesting revisions to the Indonesian Military Law (RUU TNI) and the National Police Law (RUU Polri) near the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Resty Woro Yuniar – Indonesia's newly launched golden visa scheme is designed to lure wealthy investors, but analysts warned that it could also attract cross-border money laundering and inflate housing prices, posing a potential "threat to Indonesian citizens".

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – South Korea has surpassed the US and Japan to become the third-largest foreign direct investor in Indonesia as two Seoul-based companies kickstarted the archipelago's first electric vehicle (EV) battery plant.

Rezka Dwi Fathana, Jakarta – In Indonesia, age significantly dictates opportunities and limitations. Job openings for entry-level positions often have a maximum age limit of 25 years. College applications are restricted to students who graduated high school within the last two years.

Antara, Jakarta – According to the 2023 National Health Survey (SKI), two percent of Indonesians aged over 15 are facing mental health problems, with depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia being the three most prevalent problems, the Health Ministry has reported.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ratified Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024 on July 26, implementing the Health Law or Law No. 17 of 2023. This new regulation introduces significant changes to Indonesia's healthcare landscape.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The All-Indonesian Student Executive Body or BEM SI will stage a protest against the revision of the Military (TNI) and Police Law in Jakarta today, July 30. The rally is scheduled to begin at noon with a long march from IRTI Monas (National Monument) to the center of the action at the State Palace.

Jakarta – Jokowi was initially considered a good person and a man of the people. But he broke the hopes of those who voted for him.

Yohana Belinda, Jakarta – The operator of Whoosh, the Jakarta-Bandung high speed rail (HSR) service, is looking for passengers it suspects are responsible for stealing "high-tech" cushions from its trains.

PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) said it had collected the identities of the alleged cushion thieves from CCTV cameras, according to a statement on Saturday.

Pradana Boy Zulian – Allowing Salafi elements to join Muhammadiyah has proven a double-edged sword for Indonesia's second-largest mass Muslim organisation.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – National Development Planning Minister and head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Suharso Monoarfa, confirmed that the budget for the free school meal program will range between Rp 15,000 (around $1) to Rp 20,000 per meal.

Bella Evanglista, Jakarta – Ari Dwipayana, Coordinator of the President's Special Staff, has dismissed speculation about a cabinet reshuffle or new ministerial appointments during President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's activities in the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).

Hendro Dahlan Situmorang, Jakarta – The upcoming mandatory vehicle insurance is set to face challenges ahead, according to the Indonesian General Insurance Association (AAUI).

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Megawati Soekarnoputri, the Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has vowed to confront National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo if the party's Secretary-General, Hasto Kristiyanto, is arrested by law enforcement.

Yohana Belinda, Jakarta – Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan says the government has decided to designate the Batang Integrated Industrial Zone (KITB) as a special economic zone (SEZ).

Tri Listiyarini, Jakarta – A Vietnamese company has expressed interest in investing in dairy farms in Indonesia, aiming to produce around 2 million tons of milk annually, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on Sunday.

This estimated output would represent 50 percent of Indonesia's annual milk imports.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has selected names for the two palaces being constructed in the future national capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan, a close aide announced on Monday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government is defending its decision to allow religious groups to manage mining areas, saying that these organizations are very much capable of doing the job with little to no environmental impact.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia announced Monday that it already passed the halfway mark of its investment target as the archipelagic country collected Rp 829.9 trillion (almost $51 billion) from both domestic and foreign investors throughout the first half of 2024.

Junaidi Hanafiah, Central Aceh, Indonesia – Mak Besan dropped a clutch of cayenne peppers picked from a neighbor's land in Karang Ampar village into a white canvas bag, her head protected from the elements by a heavy, patterned shawl.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – The sudden dismissal of hundreds of nonpermanent teachers in Jakarta in mid-July, the beginning of this academic year, came as a bolt from the blue for Imam, not his real name, as a large slice is to be cut from his income.