Yustinus Paat, Fana Suparman, Jakarta – The smuggling fiasco at Garuda Indonesia continues with the flag carrier's board of commissioners taking the drastic action to suspend several of the state-owned company's directors who were implicated in the case at the weekend.

Jakarta (Antara) – A joint team of the police and the Environment and Forestry Ministry has arrested five people over alleged illegal hunting of Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris) in Riau Province.

The arrest was made on Saturday (Dec. 7) at 06:00 a.m., the ministry's Director for Forest Prevention and Security Sustyo Iriyono said in a statement on Sunday.

Jakarta – Indonesian Child Protection Agency (LPAI) head Seto Mulyadi has suggested that the government cut down the school week to three days from the common five to six days to allow students to explore their potential outside of the academic field.

He said he had applied such a system in his homeschooling service in Bintaro, South Tangerang, for the last 13 years.

Ainur Rohmah – It is early morning in Giriloyo, Yogyakarta, and a group of women are busy drawing motifs on white cloth in an open gazebo. Next to them are buckets of liquid wax that they will melt on a small stove and use to draw intricately detailed patterns filled with flowers and birds.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo introduces a unique anti-corruption campaign targeting his own subordinates by sticking stickers reading a daring oath to never commit corruption on government cars.

The sticker carries a Javanese sentence that translates to "If I commit corruption, I won't be safe".

Jakarta – State-owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir has issued a circular meant to end the notorious practices of distributing souvenirs during state companies' shareholders meetings, citing efficiency and good governance.

However, non-state shareholders in publicly listed state companies are exempt from the new ruling issued earlier this week.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Indonesia's Health Minister has caused a stir by proposing that the country promote traditional Indonesian treatments and herbs such as Tongkat Ali, Purwaceng and Mak Erot to boost medical tourism.

James Balowski – Surya Anta Ginting, the national spokesperson for the pro-independence Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) – who along with five other Papuan activists is being held in Jakarta's notorious Salemba prison awaiting trial on treason charges – is reportedly seriously ill.

Muhammad Ridwan – Becoming an activist, especially a human rights defender, often means confronting the law. Human rights defenders are not exempt from the treat of criminalisation.

The threat of criminalisation was revealed from data compiled by the Civil Society Coalition for the Protection and Defense of Human Rights (HAM).

Gemma Holliani Cahya, Jakarta – In its previous term, the House of Representatives failed to pass a bill on the elimination of sexual violence even though it was included in its priority list.

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat – News about the 165,000 Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong dominates coverage of the relationship between the city and the Southeast Asian nation.

Arya Dipa, Bandung – Heavy rains in Greater Bandung since Friday afternoon have caused the Cisangkuy River, part of West Java's longest river, the Citarum, to overflow, inundating with floodwater 11 of the 13 community units (RWs) in Kamasan village in Banjaran district, Bandung regency, at night.

Jakarta – Indonesia has been named the third-most spammed country in the world by Swedish-based smartphone application Truecaller, a significant jump from last year's 16th position. In South-east Asia, Indonesia was the most spammed market.

Edward Aspinall and Marcus Mietzner – Indonesia's 2019 elections confirmed both the country's status as a competitive electoral democracy and the trend of decreasing democratic quality.

Kathleen Magramo – An Indonesian domestic helper and citizen journalist deported from Hong Kong for overstaying her visa said on Saturday she was forced to take off her clothes in front of a male doctor during her detention, as about 100 people joined a rally in Central to throw their support behind her.

Jakarta (Antara) – A landslide hit railway in the area of Cicewol Village, Sukabumi, West Java, on Saturday, December 7, canceling four train schedules of Sukabumi-Bogor's KA Pangrango. The natural disaster hit the railway located between Cicurug and Parungkuda train stations.

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle has addressed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's disapproval of the party's plan to amend the Constitution at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Fergus Hunter – Australia and Indonesia have jointly declared "serious concerns" about the state of the South China Sea, issuing a warning about China's militarisation of the contested waters and urging adherence to international law.

Muhammad Hendartyo, Jakarta – Minister of State-owned Enterprises (SOE), Erick Thohir, said his office would deactivate four other directors of flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. It will be done following the illegal cargo findings in Garuda's newest airbus.

Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD played down on Friday recent reports from several organizations regarding Indonesia's forest fires in 2019, saying that the country is better off than other countries that also suffered from forest fires.

Donald Greenlees – Joko Widodo begins his second term contemplating the legacy he will bequeath as Indonesia's seventh president and with precious little time to do it. His inauguration on 20 October marked the start of what, according to the current constitution, is a final five-year term.

Amy Chew – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has fuelled speculation that he plans a tilt at the presidency by speaking at a rally held by the Islamist movement that helped orchestrate the fall of his Christian predecessor.

Jakarta – An exhibition at Darmawangsa Residence in South Jakarta brings the art of Papua's Kamoro tribe to the capital and lets visitors place bids on sculptures and plait work from Indonesia's far east.

Purwani Diyah Prabandari, Jakarta – A number of regional administrations are striving hard to make human rights the basis of their policies. They shared the ups and downs of their experiences at the 2019 Human Rights Festival, November 19-21.

Sakib Awan – Bali is expected to have a total of more than 6.7 million foreign visitors in 2019. Such enormous numbers are achieved by reputation, word of mouth, and travel media such as the U.S. magazine Travel & Leisure, naming it one of the 10 best islands in the world to visit.

Ahmad Faiz Ibnu Sani, South Tangerang – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has thrown his weight behind State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Erick Thohir's decision to fire the president director of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, I Gusti Ngurah Askhara Danadiputra or Ari Askhara.

Indonesia's state-owned enterprises minister said Thursday he will fire and seek the prosecution of the head of the national airline after he was implicated in the smuggling of a Harley Davidson motorcycle into the country on a new plane.

Muhsidin, Rahmad Nasution, Biak, Papua – The Papuan provincial government has ordered all district and city administrations to ban sales of alcoholic drinks ahead of the Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, and the convening of the 2020 National Games (PON).

Jakarta (Antara) – Indonesia's tourism market was recorded at US$6 billion (Rp84.6 trillion), according to Goldman Sachs' data. As quoted by Traveloka Xperience Head of Marketing Terry Santoso, the data also suggests an increase has taken place in Asia's tourism activities.

Triyan Pangastuti, Jakarta – Indonesian consumers were more optimistic last month, showing positive expectations of higher future income, job availability and better economic prospects, Bank Indonesia said in a statement on Thursday.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ombudsman has submitted a report alleging maladministration in a "peace declaration" that sought resolve the 1989 Talangsari tragedy in Central Lampung.

Jakarta – Family businesses account for almost all of businesses in Indonesia, employing millions of people and boosting the economy. However, their sustainability is a big problem as only 13 percent survive until the third generation, a consultancy firm says.

Riza Roidila Mufti, Jakarta – The Garuda Indonesia Cabin Crew Union (Ikagi) has thanked State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir for dismissing Ari Askhara as the national flag carrier's president director following a smuggling case allegedly involving top executives of the airline.

Jakarta – Tech giants Google and Facebook are considering setting up data centers in Indonesia, Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate has said.

He told journalists about the matter after accompanying President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in a meeting with delegates from the United States-ASEAN Business Council at Merdeka Palace on Thursday.

Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Idham Azis has appointed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's former adjutant, Insp. Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo, as the chief detective to lead the police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim).

Jakarta – Islamic preacher Jafar Shodik has been named a suspect of defamation by the police after a video showing him insulting Vice President Ma'ruf Amin by calling the latter a "pig" during a sermon went viral on social media.

A.N. Basil, Thailand – The Indonesian Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday that it has optimized tax incentives for businesses under the research and development segment as part of the government's efforts in improving the overall business environment in the country.

Ahmad Faiz Ibnu Sani, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo believed the perpetrator of the acid attack against Novel Baswedan, a senior investigator of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), could be revealed.

We can now put knee-high concrete barriers among the list of things ineffective at controlling the oftentimes out-of-control Jakarta motorists.

Jakarta – The KPK should investigate those who gave orders for the bribe to be paid to a number of Bekasi Regency officials. A permit system without corruption is needed.

Taufiq Siddiq, Jakarta – A member of the Jakarta Legislative Council's (DPRD) Commission C from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) faction, Anthony Winza, rebuffed allegations that he sent a press release regarding yet another budget oddity for the procurement of computers and devices proposed by the regional tax and retribution agency worth Rp128 billion.

Jakarta – On Thursday December 5 the South Jakarta District Court accepted material evidence during a pretrial suit challenging treason charges against Surya Anta and five other Papuan suspects. The evidence, which was in the form of documents, was handed over by the defendant, the Metro Jaya regional police.

Jakarta – Indonesia and Japan have agreed on a local currency settlement deal that will allow both countries to use the rupiah and the yen to settle bilateral trade and direct investment transactions.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – New skills are crucial to prepare Indonesia's workforce for the rise of the digital economy, as more and more companies roll out training programs to address skillset gaps in the country.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Gojek vice president of data science Syafri Bahar has called on Indonesians overseas to return to the country, saying there is no better time than today to contribute to the country thanks to the burgeoning digital economy.

Jakarta – The outbreak of hepatitis A affecting hundreds of residents of Depok in West Java may have spread to other areas, according to the Health Ministry, which has urged residents in its neighboring cities in Greater Jakarta to increase awareness about the potential of being affected.

Jakarta – The State Palace has warned critics of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to be careful when throwing criticism at the President, saying that criticism was not the same as slander or defamation.

"Be careful, since academic and logical criticism should be differentiated from slander and defamation. So be careful," said presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman.

Stanley Widianto, Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Jakarta – An Indonesian anti-corruption investigator, who was partially blinded in an acid attack in 2017, said on Friday a new law governing the country's anti-graft agency could unleash a spike in corruption in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Indonesia may have some of the harshest drug laws in the world, but new data showed that millions still consume illegal narcotics in the country.

According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), in 2019, there are 3.6 million drug users in Indonesia, up 0.03 percent from the previous year. Of those, BNN says the highest percentage represented marijuana use.

Max Melit – "There is no such thing as a buzzer in politics," insisted Dede Budiyarto, former head coordinator of President Joko Widowo campaign's social media, now an external consultant for Jokowo's team.