Jakarta – The rivalry between North Sumatra gubernatorial candidates Bobby Nasution and Edy Rahmayadi is intensifying ahead of the 2024 regional head elections. Bobby, the current Medan mayor, recently criticized regional leaders who avoid responsibility for road repairs, indirectly targeting the current North Sumatra Governor Edy.

Dani Aswara, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – Indonesian Islamist cleric Rizieq Syihab, commonly known as Habib Rizieq, filed a lawsuit alleging unlawful acts against President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo through the Central Jakarta District Court on September 30, 2024.

Ilham Oktafian, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have arrested five individuals in connection with Saturday's raid on a political discussion and have named at least two of them as criminal suspects.

The incident took place during a gathering at the Grand Kemang Hotel, where prominent figures critical of the government were holding a discussion.

Arie Firdaus, Jakarta – Shocked families of victims of human rights abuses committed under former Indonesian President Suharto have condemned a proposal by national assembly members to give the deceased authoritarian leader "national hero" status.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office arrested five people for alleged corruption in the fraudulent procurement of facilities at Kualanamu International Airport, which had incurred Rp 7.1 billion (US$469,936) in state losses, the office's spokesperson said on Thursday.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – The wife of the late President Abdurrahman Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, expressed her gratitude on Sunday for the recent annulment of the 2001 parliamentary decree that led to his impeachment.

Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) has named Romy Soekarno a member of the House of Representatives for the 2024-2029 term after two elected members from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) resigned.

This decision was formalized in KPU Decree No. 1401/2024, signed by KPU chairman Mochamad Afifuddin on Friday.

Pes Yanengga, Jayapura – On Monday September 30 Papuan Student Solidarity held a protest action on Jalan Kamwolker in Jayapura, Papua, in which they expressed their rejection of the 1962 Rome Agreement.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) reminded the people to continue boycotting products made by Israel and all affiliated items to support the struggle for Palestinian independence.

Maria Gabrielle Putrinda, Jakarta – President-Elect Prabowo Subianto, who will soon start leading the country next month, has set an ambitious goal of building 2 million houses in Indonesian villages annually during his presidency.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri and President-elect Prabowo Subianto planned for a meeting before the latter is inaugurated as the next president.

As the meeting nears, political expert Ujang Komarudin recently said that these two party leaders have always had good ties despite their differences.

Wahyu Chandra, Makassar, Indonesia – Indonesian authorities have arrested a 72-year-old South Korean national for allegedly running a sand quarrying operation in a protected forest area in West Sulawesi province. The incident marks a rare instance of a foreign citizen charged with environmental crimes in the world's largest archipelagic country.

Ilham Rian Pratama, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition commemorated five years since President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo "killed off" the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) during an action held in front of the KPK Red and White building in South Jakarta on Monday September 30.

Jakarta – With less than a month before leaving office, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was on a roll in the past week visiting multiple sites, where milestones of some downstream projects were achieved, simply to show how well the policy is working.

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – Jakarta governor candidate Pramono Anung recently promised that he would let civil servants to take the MRT and LRT public transport services for free should he win the election.

Estrella Resources has revealed high-grade manganese in Timor-Leste just days after nailing down new exploration licenses at its Samalari prospect in the nation's Baucau Municipality.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) will showcase over 1,000 military assets from its three branches during the 79th Anniversary celebrations at Silang Monas, Central Jakarta, on Saturday, Oct. 5.

Nabiila Azzahra A, Daniel A. Fajri, Tika Ayu, Andi Adam Faturahman, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi recently asserted that the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) project has garnered widespread approval from the Indonesian people through their elected representatives in the House of Representatives (DPR).

Ivany Atina Arbi, Jakarta – Human rights organizations have denounced the disbanding of multiple public discussions and peaceful protests by "unknown" individuals over the past week, and the police's apparent indifference to the cases has raised suspicions that the force is aiding in President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's efforts to hold on to power at the cost of civil liberties.

Duncan Graham – There'll soon be a new leader next door – ageing hardliner Prabowo Subianto. He's Indonesia's dark lord with a worrying past of alleged human rights abuses, yet overwhelmingly elected in the February national poll. He'll take over on 20 October.

Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia believes that there was an element of omission on the part of the security forces in the recent attacks by unidentified groups on the Homeland Forum (FTA) discussion in Kemang in South Jakarta and the Global Climate Strike action at Menteng Park in Central Jakarta.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) will retain Puan Maharani as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the next five years, a party executive confirmed on Monday.

Jakarta – Central Java has recorded the most layoffs of any province this year, with 14,767 as of Sept. 26, according to the Manpower Ministry.

Following Central Java, Banten recorded 9,114 layoffs, while Jakarta had 7,469. Nationwide, there have been almost 53,000 layoffs this year, with 6,573 in September.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – All eyes are still on Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who became embroiled in a controversy over his use of a private jet for a recent trip to the United States. The controversy has only increased since Kaesang provided clarification over the matter to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Sept. 17.

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – More than half of the 580 elected House of Representatives members are newcomers who will be part of a parliament where seven of eight incumbent parties have expressed support for the upcoming presidency of Prabowo Subianto.

The House will welcome 360 debutants during the inauguration on Tuesday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan revealed Monday more details of his recent visit to New York, which included an impromptu meeting with US President Joe Biden.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 29 September 2024, the five students Mr Josan, Mr Ando, Mr Joshua, Mr Cela, and Mr Emigay, all members of the 'West Papuan Student Solidarity', were intimidated after registering a peaceful assembly to commemorate the Rome Agreement of 30 September 1962 in Nabire, Papua Tengah Province.

Joniansyah, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – Director General of Immigration Silmy Karim has defended the recent amendment to immigration regulations that permits officers to carry firearms, citing the escalating dangers they face in the field.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, New York – Indonesia finds Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent statement of "seeking peace" incredibly ironic and hard to believe, according to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the UN.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia will run for a non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council which the country has considered as being passive towards Israel's war atrocities against Palestinians.

Tempo.Co, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Presidium of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Society (CALS), Bivitri Susanti, assessed that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is currently forming a model that is not willing to politically punish former Indonesian presidents.

Tempo.Co, Petir Garda B, Bogor – The head of the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), Professor Yonvitner, stated that material suction in shallow sea, especially sea sand, has the potential to increase water turbidity. Water that has been mixed with fine sediment usually will mix back with the water.

Tempo.Co, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) regrets the forced disruption and attack on participants of the diaspora discussion organized by the Forum Tanah Air (FTA) last Saturday. The discussion took place at the Grand Kemang Hotel, South Jakarta.

Tempo.Co, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – The police have arrested some perpetrators of the forced disruption of a diaspora discussion entitled National Diaspora Solidarity Meeting with National Figures and Activists held at Hotel Grand Kemang, Kemang South Jakarta, on Saturday, September 28, 2024. The perpetrators are charged with assault and vandalism.

Herman, Antara, Jakarta – The leadership dispute within the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is nearing resolution following a meeting between Arsjad Rasjid, the chairman elected at the 2021 national conference, and Anindya Bakrie, who was appointed in an extraordinary congress on Sept. 14.

Firda Janati, Akhdi Martin Pratama, Jakarta – The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy believes that the closure of of a discussion forum in Kemang, South Jakarta, which was attended by a number of figures and activists, was a form of terror against freedom of expression.

Aqil Hamzah and Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Magetan/Boyolali, Indonesia – A gentle laugh accompanies almost every single sentence uttered by Mr Imtihan Syafi'i, the principal of an Indonesian Islamic boarding school – or pesantren – in Magetan regency, about three hours away by car from Solo in Central Java.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) must soon decide whether it is joining the incoming government of Prabowo Subianto, whose inauguration as the country's eighth president next month is approaching fast.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was awarded the Golden Shark brevet by the Indonesian Navy during a ceremony aboard the Republic of Indonesia Ship (KRI) dr. Radjiman Widyodiningrat (RJW-992) in Jakarta Bay on Saturday. The brevet was presented by the Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto.

Jakarta – While we welcome the recent agreement of the Netherlands to repatriate hundreds of Indonesian artifacts taken during the 300 years of the Dutch colonial era, we are calling on the government and the people to make more serious efforts in handling these priceless assets for future generations.

Indonesia, West Papua – Police officers arrested two indigenous Papuans, Mr Ripe Kerebea and Mr Eli Koranue, in the town of Kenyam, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, on 17 August 2024.

Jakarta – "Eighty percent of success is showing up," a saying often wrongly attributed to American filmmaker Woody Allen, perfectly captures the paradox of the recent rise of Indonesia's diplomatic influence.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The central banks of Indonesia and Malaysia renewed their Local Currency Bilateral Swap Arrangement on Friday, enabling both nations to exchange their respective currencies, amounting to a total of Rp 82 trillion ($5.4 billion), over the next five years.

Yustinus Paat, Theressia Silalahi, Jakarta – A new survey from Poltracking Indonesia indicates that the race for Jakarta's gubernatorial seat is heating up, with Ridwan Kamil and his running mate Suswono leading the pack with a notable electability rate of 47.5 percent, while Pramono Anung and Rano Karno trail at 31.5 percent.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The government is set to launch INA Digital, a unified application aimed at simplifying public access to government services, State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas announced Friday.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government aims to boost wind energy capacity by 5 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, tapping into the country's vast wind power potential, the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry said on Friday.

Alifia Sekar, Jakarta – A recent decision made by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration to lift a decades-old ban on sea sand exports has raised concerns that it may jeopardize the country's islands and the people living on them.

Jakarta – The Jakarta administration is planning to release the eggs of lab-bred mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria next week in Kembangan district, West Jakarta, in an effort to control dengue in the mayoralty., The process involves health authorities distributing buckets filled with water and up to 150 Wolbachia-infected mosquito eggs.

Jakarta – A "King of Java" theatrical action held by a civil society alliance in Jakarta was marred by chaos after a number of unknown individuals blocked them in the Jalan Jenderal Sudirman area of Central Jakarta on Monday September 27.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched the residence of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar in South Jakarta on Sept. 6.

Cash and electronic evidence were seized during the search.