Ian Wilson – Recent student-led demonstrations throughout Indonesia show that popular support for democracy remains high. This support is not necessarily shared, however, by political parties who are collaborating in an increasingly cartel-like fashion to shrink electoral competition.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Guntur Soekarnoputra, the eldest son of Indonesia's founding father Soekarno, has called on the government to restore his father's reputation, which was tarnished by accusations of supporting the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and betraying the nation. Guntur emphasized that these claims were unfounded and never proven.

Antara, Jakarta – A number of high schools in Jakarta are set to take part in the trial test of President-Elect Prabowo Subianto's policy of the free nutritious school meal next week.

Shannon Brincat – Timor-Leste has had much to celebrate recently. August 30 marked 25 years since the Popular Consultation – or "The Referendum", as many call it – when more than 98% of the population braced themselves against brutal repression to vote for their freedom.

Niniek Karmini – East Timor has been criticised for the cost of Pope Francis' historic visit. The Pope made the visit to one of the world's youngest and poorest countries to the tune of 12 million dollars (#9.1 million), drawing rebuke from activists and human rights organisations.

Dili – When Pope Francis becomes the first pontiff to visit Timor Leste, he will confront a clergy beset by child abuse scandals that have been largely ignored by the deeply Catholic country's freedom heroes.

Jakarta – Outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is scheduled to spend the remainder of his term in office in the country's future new capital in Nusantara, in the jungles of East Kalimantan.

After a decade in power, Joko Widodo leaves Indonesia a changed country – one that has benefited from healthy economic growth and has greater international standing.

Nusa Dua, Indonesia – Indonesia is still waiting for cheaper financing to hasten early retirement of coal-fired power plants under a pact with the rich nations of the G7 grouping, senior government officials said on Monday, in the transition to cleaner electricity.

Denny Armandhanu, Jakarta – Several newly inaugurated Indonesian lawmakers have resorted to pawning their appointment letters (SKs) in exchange for bank loans, to relieve some of the high costs of political campaigning for the regional elections.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expresses concern following the recent arrest of journalist Antonieta Kartono Martins, who was covering the eviction of street vendors in Timor-Leste's capital. This obstruction of journalism in a country widely regarded as a regional model of press freedom sends a troubling signal.

Jakarta – Indonesia's tourist resort island of Bali has proposed a ban lasting a year or two on the construction of hotels, villas and nightclubs in some areas, as it grapples with the problem of over-development of land, its governor told media.

David Fogarty and Linda Yulisman, Singapore/Jakarta – If there is one thing that worries Indonesia's neighbours, it is choking haze. The felling of forests and slash-and-burn agriculture are often associated with fires and the toxic clouds of smoke that envelop swathes of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

Dili – Pope Francis arrived on Sept 9 in Timor-Leste – a predominantly Catholic nation in South-east Asia – for a three-day visit that will include an open-air celebration of mass, which the Vatican says may include more than half the population of 1.3 million.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Indonesia has already done a significant portion of the construction work for the airport in Indonesia's new capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan and everything is on track for the project to finish by Dec. 31, according to Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.

Tria Sutrisna, Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) has officially revoked Provisional People's Consultative Assembly Decree (TAP MPRS) Number 33/1967 on the Revocation of Executive Powers from President Sukarno, Indonesia's founding president.

Ilham Oktafian, Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Marimutu Sinivasan, a prominent debtor in the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) scandal, was arrested by immigration officials on Sunday as he attempted to flee to Kuching, Malaysia.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia is set to establish the Nuclear Energy Program Implementation Organization (NEPIO) this year, a key step in its nuclear energy strategy that includes plans for domestic uranium production. This initiative will be officially announced to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna next week.

Zhulfakar, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Pramono Anung has announced plans to extend the contract duration for the city's Orange Troops (PPSU) from one year to three years and to double the incentives for neighborhood and community leaders (RT/RW).

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir and Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi have officially inaugurated Angkasa Pura Indonesia, known as InJourney Airports, following the merger of state airport operators Angkasa Pura I and Angkasa Pura II. This merger is expected to enhance the global competitiveness of Indonesian airports.

Jakarta – The state-owned Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) is planning to use facial recognition technology to identify millions of its policyholders and to prevent fraud in the National Health Insurance (JKN) system.

Ato 'Lekinawa' da Costa, Dili, Timor-Leste – A solidarity group for the independence of West Papua raised West Papuan flag during Pope Francis' visit to Timor-Leste.

Jayapura – The arrival of Pope Francis in Dili, the capital of East Timor, on the afternoon of Monday September 9, was welcomed by the Catholic community. The flag of the struggle of the West Papuan nation, the Morning Star flag, was also flown in Dili.

The Morning Star flag was raised by a West Papuan solidarity group in East Timor.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Residents of Indonesia's South Sumatra province have filed a lawsuit against three pulpwood companies for a toxic haze that they blame on repeated burning in their concessions.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported a coastal flooding in Medan City, North Sumatra on Saturday, September 7, 2024, due to heavy rainfall that coincided with high tide.

Antara, Jakarta – Ten medical workers from three branches of the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) have entered Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine, to treat refugees and victims of Israeli strikes at the field hospital operated by the Uni Arab Emirates.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ceramic Industry Association (Asaki) has written to the Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, on Friday, September 6, 2024. They urged the State Treasurer to issue a Ministerial Regulation concerning the anti-dumping import duties (BMAD) on imported ceramic tile from China.

Antara, Jakarta – Banyumas Regency, Central Java, was struck by severe floods and landslides on Sunday night, September 8, 2024. The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) is currently responding to the disaster, which was caused by extreme weather conditions characterized by prolonged heavy rainfall.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Gubernatorial candidate Ridwan Kamil and his running mate Suswono have pledged to prioritize the revitalization of Jakarta's slum areas if they win the upcoming November election.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Bekasi, Indonesia – Former senior leaders of the now-defunct terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) held a gathering in Bekasi, a satellite town of Jakarta on Sept 8, urging former comrades to stand down, turn themselves in and to contribute to peace and economic development in Indonesia.

Lillian Rangiah – Twenty-five years since Timor Leste voted to end more than two decades of Indonesian occupation, Lurdes Pires is still haunted by the memory of what came next.

"When I left, Dili was on fire," she said. "I went back ... and the whole place smelled of death – rotten flesh, rotten blood."

Dili – When Pope Francis touches down in the Timor-Leste capital of Dili this week, he will be landing in a totally different nation to the one visited by his predecessor.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Ridwan Kamil's unique campaign promise to offer an architect in every district is facing early challenges, as a recent survey shows that it may not resonate with Jakarta voters.

Widy Wicaksono, Semarang – Andika Perkasa is projected to secure a decisive victory in the upcoming Central Java gubernatorial election, according to a recent survey by the Indonesian Election Study Institute (LKPI).

This survey marks the first since candidates officially registered with the General Election Commission late last month.

Niniek Karmini, Dili, East Timor – East Timor pulled out all stops for Pope Francis' historic visit to one of the world's youngest and poorest countries to the tune of $12 million, drawing rebuke from activists and human rights organizations in a nation where almost half the population lives in poverty.

Muhammad Fakhruddin, Jakarta – The long-anticipated asset forfeiture bill will not be passed into law by the current House of Representatives despite mounting pressure from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, a senior lawmaker confirmed on Sunday.

Amy Sood – When Joko Widodo was first elected a decade ago, he was hailed as a "New Hope" while gracing the cover of Time magazine, reflecting the widespread belief that he would root out government corruption and curb elite dominance as Indonesia's president.

Liam Gammon – With six weeks left in Indonesia's presidential office, Joko Widodo continues to try tie up loose ends before handing over power to his successor, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, on 20 October.

Harlyne Joku and Sue Ahearn, Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, and Melbourne – A visit by the head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis to a small remote town in north-west Papua New Guinea has seen an historic opening of the land border with Indonesia.

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – In the heart of Bali, where yellow-green paddy terraces ripple across the landscape like waves, ancient subak rice fields stand as witness to the island's rich cultural heritage. These intricate, community-led irrigation systems have nourished both the land and its people, a symbol of the delicate balance between nature and tradition.

Jakarta – The warm welcome afforded by the Indonesian people and government to Pope Francis during his three-day stay in Jakarta shows how eagerly awaited was his arrival.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The Political Strategy Group (PSG) has revealed that 73 percent of Jakarta residents are satisfied with the performance of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, according to the pollster's latest survey.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The Political Strategy Group (PSG) has released a survey showing that Jakarta residents still favor former Jakarta governors Anies Baswedan and Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in the upcoming 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election, despite neither of them competing in the race.

Hening Wikan – The term 'energy transition' has become increasingly popular in recent years to describe government-mandated green policies. Before, terms like 'decarbonisation' and 'low carbon development' dominated global policy discourses.

Aisyah Llewellyn, Medan, Indonesia – Indonesian workers who paid thousands of dollars to travel to the United Kingdom to pick fruit say they face the prospect of returning home heavily in debt after being sacked for not meeting unrealistic targets.

Hanaa Septiana, Jakarta – The National Strategic Project (PSN) plan for Surabaya Waterfront Land (SWL) has been rejected by local fishers who fear losing their homes and livelihoods.

The central board of the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Union (KNTI) said that the SWL Integrated Coastal Area Project had been imposed as a PSN.

Antara, Jakarta – Tony Fernandes, the CEO of Capital A Berhad, AirAsia's parent company, has expressed concern over Indonesia's soaring aviation fuel (avtur) prices, which he claims are the highest in the ASEAN region.

Antara, Jakarta – Prospective Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Ridwan Kamil, known as RK, responded to the rejection of support from a group of North Jakarta residents and the Jakmania, fans of the Persija Jakarta soccer club, ahead of the 2024 Jakarta Regional Election.

Jakarta – Allegations of hidden backers in the alleged corruption involving the company Timah have come out into the open. The mention of the name of Brig. Gen. Mukti Juharsa at the tin corruption trial is a strong indication that law enforcement officers have been involved in wrongdoing.

Jakarta – In 41 regencies and cities across Indonesia and, local elections will feature only one candidate for each office in the upcoming November 27 vote. Despite an extended deadline, no challengers emerged for these single pairs of candidates and their running mates.