Several large electronics companies in Bintan, Riau Island in Indonesia, affected by the global economic downturn, have begun large-scale worker layoffs, a local manpower agency officia

Ari Saputra, Jakarta – Feeling boxed into a corner by many circles, former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief retired Major General Muchdi Purwopranjono 'has poured out his

Jakarta – The National Police are the most responsive state institution when following up on public complaints while the Supreme Court (MA) is the least effective, the Indonesian Ombuds

Panca Nugraha, Mataram – A nationwide fertilizer shortage has the country's farmers deeply concerned, especially in West Nusa Tenggara, where the rice planting season is in full swing.

Yemris Fointuna and Agus Maryono, Kupang, Purwokerto – Six children in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, have died of acute malnutrition over the past two weeks while Banyumas, Central Java,

Jakarta – Dozens of interfaith leaders and politicians visited the United Nations office in Jakarta on Wednesday to pressure it to put an end to the Israeli strikes against Gaza.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Home Affairs Minister Mardiyanto warned local administration heads against criticizing government policies when campaigning for their respective political part

The Corruption Court on Wednesday jailed two lawmakers – they were sacked by their political party after their arrest – for receiving bribes to speed up the amendment of the Bank Indone

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned Wednesday that attempts by domestic industries to play the nationalist card to seek protectionist policies would lead to lack of competitivenes

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The central bank has given the corporate sector hope by slashing its benchmark interest rate for the third consecutive month in a bid to cushion the impact o

Jakarta – Up to 700 workers have been laid off less than a week into the year, bringing total dismissed workers since November last year, when the global financial crunch first hit the

Adianto P.

Erwida Maulia and Ari Hermawan, Jakarta – The country faces yet another tough year in 2009 in promoting human rights, with the issue of elections likely to drown out all others on the n

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – Indonesia's exports of non oil and gas commodities will be affected as the global economic downturn slashes demand, although exports could still grow by up t

While the campaign for the 2009 parliamentary and presidential elections have just begun, it is already possible to discern the embryonic development of a national leadership crisis, wh

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – The global economic downturn continues to strike the country's exports hard as weakening demand and falling commodity prices pushed down November's exports b

Dini Mawuntyas, Surabaya – The head of the board of directors of the Tanjung Perak branch of the Land Transport Organisation in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya, Kodi Lomaha

Nieke Indrietta/Dianing Sari, Jakarta – Workers employed in four industrial sectors are still threatened with mass dismissals this year as a result of the global financial crisis, namel

Jakarta – The National Statistics Agency (BPS) has announced that in comparison with the second quarter of 2008, in nominal terms the average wage of industrial workers in the third qua

Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – Having earmarked Rp 50 trillion (US$4.9 billion) for a stimulus package to help the country survive the economic crisis, the government said Monday the money

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The newly endorsed law on legal education entities continues to ignite public outcry, despite the government's efforts to defuse accusations that the legislatio

Aleksius Jemadu, Bandung – The political impact of the acquittal of former top spy Maj. Gen.

Yuli Tri Suwarni and Slamet Susanto, Bandung, Yogyakarta – Religious organizations grouped under the Inter-Religious Forum have called for Indonesians to stop viewing the Israeli-Palest

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The collapse of Supreme Court deputy chief Harifin A.

The Constitutional Court's ruling on the distribution of legislative seats late last month deserves applause, as it basically curbs the power of the party system and instead allows for

Jakarta – More than 4,000 Indonesians have offered to support Hamas and fight against Israel, a radical Islamist group has told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Suwardiman – In welcoming the 2009 general elections, the public has placed its hopes in improvements to their economic and social livelihoods.

Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – In the past two years, at least 137 people in the four regencies of the Banyumas area of Central Java have committed suicide by hanging themselves because of

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Anti-corruption groups have criticized public courts for allowing corruption suspects to make them their "heaven", as most graft suspects tried by the lowest

Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesian Muslims on Sunday protested Israel's military offensive against the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 400 people.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Human rights bodies have promised to fight for an appeal of former National Intelligence Agency (BNI) deputy chairman Muchdi Purwopranjono's acquittal for the

Jakarta, Bandung, Malang, Medan – Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of cities across the country on Friday to denounce Israeli air strikes on Gaza that have killed 425 peo

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – It is not surprising that Maj. Gen.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) plans to review a court verdict in which former top spy Muchdi Purwopranjono was acquitted of all charges

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono faces a political crisis unless he quickly addresses outrage over the acquittal of a senior former spy on mu

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has warned it would be harder to probe possible graft cases against legislators elected in 2009, since they are no

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Every year around 200,000 Indonesians from across the country leave for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to complete their haj pilgrimage and fulfill their religious obligat

By Zely Ariane – In July 2008, Barrack Obama, now the United State's new president elect said: "If someone launches a rocket at my home while my two sons are sleeping, then I would make

Jakarta – Thousand of Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) members from across Greater Jakarta staged a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Friday, causing t

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Former top spy Maj. Gen.

Abdul Khalik and Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – The acquittal of former top spy Maj. Gen.

The gavel was struck three times in the courtroom on New Year's Eve, after the former intelligence deputy was pronounced a free man.

Ika Krismantari, Jakarta – Foreign businesses were still keen to invest in Indonesian stocks last year, shrugging off worries about the future of the bourse.

Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday said the government would cushion the country against the impact of the global economic downturn by providing

Hundreds of people in Bali staged a rally in front of the US Consulate in Denpasar on Friday demanding that country exercise its influence to stop Israeli attacks on Palestinians.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is considering shifting the management of Indonesia's haj fund from the Religious Affairs Ministry to a private firm following ongoi

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Surabaya Legal Aid Institute (LBH) has urged the Indonesian public to pressure the government and PT Lapindo Brantas Inc.

Khairul Saleh, Palembang – Violence against women in South Sumatra rose dramatically in 2008, from 396 cases in 2007 to 568 cases, a year-end report from the Palembang chapter of the Wo

Peter Gelling – The acquittal of a former deputy intelligence chief and military general of charges stemming from the 2004 murder of Indonesia's most celebrated human rights activist ha

Jakarta – Angry protests greeted the acquittal Wednesday of a former Indonesian intelligence official accused of killing a respected human rights activist four years ago.