Jayapura – The West Papua National Committee (KNPB) is urging the Nabire District Police Chief (Kapolres) to release four KNPB activists who were arrested when they were handing out leaflets on Monday August 12 for a protest action on August 15 to commemorate the New York Agreement.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia can save up to a whopping Rp 50 trillion (around $3 billion) annually if the country makes use of artificial intelligence or AI to make sure that the fuel subsidy is going to the right people, according to senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi is not ready to move the capital city from Jakarta to Nusantara Capital City (IKN), North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan.

Jokowi said the Presidential Decree to transfer the capital city must consider the readiness of IKN's infrastructure.

Savero Aristia W, Jakarta – Indonesian businessman Jusuf Hamka, also known as Babah Alun, officially resigned from his Golkar Party membership today. He submitted his resignation letter after Airlangga Hartarto announced his resignation from the position of Golkar Party General Chair.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – As many as 24 Papua's cultural agencies and observers rejected the move to relocate some original Papuan archaeological objects to the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) office at the Cibinong Science Center, West Java.

The relocation is considered a form of eliminating the history of indigenous Papuans.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – Indonesia's state-owned electricity company PT PLN called off its 13.3 gigawatts (GW) of steam power plants (PLTU) previously planned in the 2019-2028 Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL). PLN claimed the step will avoid around 1.8 billion tons of CO2 emissions in the next 25 years.

Norman Harsono – Indonesia has drastically scaled back its Aug. 17 Independence Day celebrations planned for its future capital because of challenges providing food and accommodation in the remote location.

Surabaya – Hundreds of students from the National Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) held a protest action in front of the East Java (Jatim) Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in the provincial capital of Surabaya on Monday August 12.

Exclusive by foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic and Fiji reporter Lice Movono – Fiji's prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, says he will "apologise" to fellow Melanesian leaders later this month after failing to secure agreement from Indonesia to visit its restive West Papua province.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – A senior presidential aide denied Monday that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was pulling the strings behind Airlangga Hartarto's recent abrupt resignation as the Golkar party's chairman.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) has provided import duties exemptions for crucial equipment used in the development of the Nusantara Capital (IKN), including Autonomous Rail Transit (ART), flying taxis, and electric motors.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – Dwi Andreas Santosa, an agricultural expert and Professor at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), revealed that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration spent Rp 954 trillion ($15.22 billion) for food security initiatives over the past decade.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Airlangga Hartarto announced his resignation as Chair of the Golkar Party. In a video statement delivered by Airlangga, the decision to resign has been made since Saturday, August 10, 2024.

Richaldo Hariandja – A black double-cabin, four-wheel-drive pickup truck stopped in front of a fresh fish store in Kampung Baru, Mangkupadi village, in North Kalimantan, and three Chinese nationals and one Indonesian exited the vehicle. They went inside and spent more than 30 minutes inspecting and selecting fish before leaving.

Dili – President Droupadi Murmu announced during her address in Timor-Leste on Saturday that India will soon open an embassy in the country as part of the growing India-Timor-Leste friendship.

President Murmu arrived in Timor Leste on Saturday, after concluding her visits to Fiji and New Zealand, in the third leg of her three-nation tour.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – Airlangga Hartarto announced his resignation as chairman of the Golkar Party on Sunday, emphasizing the party's significant achievements under his leadership.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – Airlangga Hartarto unexpectedly announced his resignation as chairman of the Golkar Party on Sunday, citing his decision as a measure to maintain the party's unity.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has announced a potential bonus of Rp6 billion for each gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"The bonus for a gold medal could range from Rp5 billion to Rp6 billion, with the possibility of an increase," stated Yohan, an expert staff member at the Youth and Sports Ministry, during a Jakarta press conference on Friday.

Muhammad Fakhruddin, Jakarta – The leaders of the Golkar Party planned for a meeting on Tuesday to appoint an acting chairman succeeding Airlangga Hartarto who abruptly announced his resignation on Sunday.

The spotlight is again on West Papua following the killing of New Zealand pilot Glen Conning. His sad and untimely death came just as there was renewed hope that his fellow New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens might finally be released by the armed resistance fighters who have held him since February 2023.

Jakarta – The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy supports the removal of a recommendation from the Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB) in order to establish a house of worship in Indonesia.

Setara Institute Executive Director Halili Hasan said that it is better if the licensing process for establishing houses of worship is simplified.

Antara, Jakarta – Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Hasto Wardoyo, said that the abortion provisions for victims of rape and sexual harassment are aimed to maintain their mental health.

The provisions are based on Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Canberra – Australia and Indonesia advanced their electric vehicle (EV) partnership during the first Senior Officials' Meeting under the Electric Vehicle Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Canberra on Friday.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Vinnilya, Dayat, Jakarta/Balikpapan – Thousands of Jakarta residents gathered eagerly to witness the historic journey of the replica of Indonesia's national flag, which began its journey from the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta to Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta.

Jakarta – The government just enacted a new rule that makes it easier for women to get safe abortions in cases of rape or medical emergency. This is part of a larger health reform that was introduced last year to improve women's reproductive health and reduce maternal deaths.

Australia is poised to sign a new upgraded defence pact with Indonesia by the end of this month as the federal government prepares to welcome the incoming Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Canberra.

Yanuar Nugroho – A recent ransomware attack on Indonesia's public services revealed weaknesses that the country can ill afford to ignore if it wishes to fully participate in the digital century.

Jakarta – In response to rising religious intolerance in Indonesia, 20 local communities from across the country have launched the #Friendship4Peace campaign through the Campaign #ForABetterWorld app.

The campaign, which aims to support freedom of religion and faith, is done in collaboration with PeaceGeneration Indonesia, a social enterprise focusing on peace education.

Jakarta – Tensions between the nation's largest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and its de facto political vehicle, the National Awakening Party (PKB) have reached new heights after the Islamic party reported its ex-secretary-general, Lukman Edy, to the police.

Jakarta – If political parties were corporations, it may be time to red-flag their maneuvers ahead of November's regional head elections.

While it is not yet official, the alliances they are forming to nominate their chosen candidates in some key regions have become so large that they are blocking opportunities for other candidates to run.

Jakarta – The National Health Insurance scheme, better known by its acronym JKN, has reached a coverage of 98.19 percent of the total population, according to BPJS Kesehatan.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo stressed that climate issues need to be a shared concern. He highlighted the mining sector as one of the primary causes of environmental damage. If environmental protection is neglected, it will have the most impact on life quality, leading to issues such as disease, drought, and food shortages.

Suci Sekarwati, Jakarta – Australia launched a new five-year Development Partnership Plan (DPP) with Indonesia on Thursday, August 8, 2024. The plan aims to support Indonesia's development goals and continue the strong institutional and people-to-people links between Australia and Indonesia.

David Camroux and Mahrus Harnadi – On 7 January 2024, the second debate in the presidential election campaign in Indonesia was held. The debate's theme was Indonesia's position in international affairs and involved three candidates – front-runner and ultimate victor, Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has issued a decree banning six people who are under investigation in relation to a corruption case at state-owned telecommunications firm PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) from traveling abroad.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The Communication and Information Technology Ministry reported that 90 percent of government services disrupted by the June 20 data breach at the Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) 2 in Surabaya have been restored, though some data recovery efforts are ongoing.

Jakarta – A Regional Representatives Council (DPD) member form Aceh, Sudirman Haji Uma, has written to Jakarta Metro Jaya Regional Police Chief (Kapolda) Inspector General Karyoto requesting that a transgender beauty contest held recently at a hotel in Central Jakarta be investigated.

Julia Bergin with wires – Armed independence groups, treacherous terrain, wild weather, and airstrips that make Nepal's notorious Lukla airport look like "child's play" are just some of the dangers that pilots face flying in West Papua.

Jakarta – The response to the Covid-19 pandemic led to a relaxation in regulations and procedures, at the same time as an increase in autocracy. There were plenty of opportunities for corruption.

Antara, Jakarta – More investors will break ground on their respective projects in the new capital Nusantara next week, according to the Public Works Ministry.

This will mark the seventh groundbreaking phase. The vice presidential palace is also among the projects that will begin construction next week.

Yustinus Patris Paat, Jakarta – Ahmad Doli Kurnia, Deputy Chairman of the Golkar Party, revealed that the party is evaluating potential candidates for the vice gubernatorial role to partner with the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party's Dedi Mulyadi in the 2024 West Java gubernatorial race.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesian consumers are becoming slightly more upbeat about the country's overall economic conditions as of July after months of weaker optimism, according to Bank Indonesia.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – The Economic and Social Research Institute (LPEM) at the University of Indonesia's Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UI) has reported a troubling decline in Indonesia's middle class, attributed to decreasing purchasing power.

Heru Andriyanto, Tangerang – The Indonesian government is collaborating with pharmaceutical companies to increase the production of essential drug materials domestically, aiming to reduce reliance on imports and ensure stable local supplies, an official said recently.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has extended safeguard tariffs on imports of textiles, carpets, and other fabric coverings for another three years in a bid to protect and enhance the competitiveness of the domestic textile industry.

Jakarta – The body of AM, a 13-year-old boy who was allegedly beaten to death by police officers in early June in Padang, West Sumatra, will be exhumed on Thursday, following the issuance of a permit from the police earlier this week.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – The Jakarta chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI Jakarta) condemned the alleged intimidation of a Tempo journalist and weekly podcast host in Jakarta and urged the police to prosecute the perpetrators.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan says a task force working to root out illegal imports has found that many foreign nationals are acting as distributors and have access to local warehouses for storing goods brought into the country.

Jakarta – In politics, apologies are a cheap commodity. Politicians apologize all the time.

Not all apologies are the same and some apologies are definitely and substantively better than others. Some enter the history books while others are quickly forgotten.

Jakarta – Former Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri has warned that allowing a president to serve three terms could damage the country, in comments that potentially referred to outgoing president Joko Widodo.