Meulaboh, Indonesia – At a damaged temporary shelter in western Indonesia, Rohingya men slick their hair with gel while women apply make-up and colourful hijabs to look the part for prayers at the start of Eid-al-Fitr festivities.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno visited President-elect Prabowo Subianto's private residence during Eid al-Fitr celebrations on Wednesday, extending a gesture of reconciliation after their divergent paths in the Feb. 14 elections.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Joko "Jokowi" Widodo government saw Indonesia forming closer ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and mosques have become integral to the president's relations with his Emirati counterpart Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also known by his initials MBZ.

Novie Fauziah, Jakarta – An Indonesian Air Force Super Hercules C-130 aircraft conducted an airdrop of humanitarian aid in Gaza, Palestine, on Tuesday in collaboration with the Royal Jordanian Air Force following talks between Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and King Abdullah II.

Antara, Jakarta – Talks on a meeting between the president-elect and Chairman of Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto, and the Chairwoman of PDIP, Megawati Soekarnoputri, has garnered responses from both parties.

The planned meeting has been a topic of public discussion in recent times, yet there is still no certainty as to when the meeting will take place.

Executive summary

Jakarta – Indonesian military (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto says they have changed the nomenclature used to refer to Terrorist Separatist Groups (KST) in Papua to again become the Free Papua Organisation or OPM because this is the name they use themselves.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – 2023 saw the worst fire season in Indonesia since 2019, with an area the size of Qatar going up in flames, according to official government data.

Manggi Habir and Siwage Dharma Negara – In Indonesia, rice scarcity and sharp food price hikes before Ramadan are a regular occurrence. But this election year, rice demand has been particularly high, boosting rice prices by almost 20 per cent to an all-time high of Rp 15,157 per kg in February.

Natasya Salim and Erwin Renaldi – This Ramadan felt different for Kusmanadi, who opens a stall each year in Jakarta to sell grilled chicken snacks to those breaking their fast during the holy month.

It wasn't just Muslims who were interested in his offerings.

Melbourne – More than 25 global auto and battery makers have expressed interest in buying nickel from Australia-listed producer Nickel Industries' new Indonesian plant, CEO Justin Werner said on Tuesday, in the latest boost to Indonesia's nickel dominance.

Jakarta – Despite millions of vehicles having left Jakarta to return to their hometowns during the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) season, a large number are still yet to depart, says state-owned toll operator PT Jasa Marga.

It expects that the heavy traffic on toll roads in Java since last week will continue until Friday, two days after Idul Fitri.

Jakarta – Aditya Nugraha, 21, was traveling from Jakarta to his hometown of Palembang, South Sumatra, over 500 kilometers away, to celebrate the Idul Fitri holiday this week.

Jakarta – The National Police will continue the counterflow policy in the trans-Java toll road network during the Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) following a fatal crash in one section of the network in West Java, but its implementation will depend on traffic conditions.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri has warned the Constitutional Court justices to deliver fair decisions in the disputes over the results of the February presidential race.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – Pertamina Patra Niaga, the commercial arm of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina, said that it saw a significant increase in fuel consumption ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday and the mudik (exodus) tradition that accompanies it.

Jakarta – The Ministry of Religious Affairs ban on backpacker umrah, or people making the minor pilgrimage to Mecca independently, is an excessive interference in the private religious affairs of Muslims. The policy making it difficult for people to make their umrah pilgrimage by themselves only benefits travel agents.

Christ Belseran, Edison Waas, Seram Island, Indonesia – Samadin Samalehu paced up and down the beach in Haya village this past January, gathering human remains into a plastic bag.

A Russian tourist, Mr Shmatov Ivan Aleksandrovich, was arbitrarily arrested by Indonesian security forces in the town of Enarotali, Paniai Timur District, Papua Tangah Province, on 11 March 2024.

Christian activists have demanded the Indonesian government take strict action against human traffickers on the Catholic-majority island of Flores after the recent death of a worker due to starvation in East Kalimantan province.

Christian activists in Indonesia have slammed law enforcement agencies for their inability to trace the kingpins behind human trafficking in the Christian-majority East Nusa Tenggara province.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently spoke with President-elect Prabowo Subianto on the phone, a call to congratulate the latter for officially winning the election.

Prabowo shared the news on his personal Instagram account on Tuesday.

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – The country's political parties have begun vetting potential nominees and searching for allies for the November regional elections as disputes over the results of the February presidential race near their conclusion at the Constitutional Court.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Mr Zavaraldo Renaldy, 28, is educated, single and in possession of a good job, but to his parents' dismay, he is not in want of a wife.

While Mr Zavaraldo is not averse to meet-ups and casual dating, he has shied away from long-term commitments in order to focus on his career as a mapping surveyor.

Jakarta – A recent jaw-droppingly massive corruption case in the tin sector is yet another reminder that the government still lacks the capacity to manage the country's vast natural resources.

Wasisto Raharjo Jati and Made Supriatma – The final election results from East Java reveal a silver lining for the second-placed vice-presidential candidate, Muhamin Iskandar. He and his party could still win some in the horse-trading for cabinet positions under the next president.

Klas Lundstrom – I know what you think," the source tells me. "That it's fake. It's not fake. It's our life."

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The nearly 200 million Indonesians expected to make the journey home for the Idul Fitri holiday face a heightened risk of extreme weather in their travels, authorities warned on Sunday, as the nation's busy land and sea transportation routes accommodate what is expected to be a record-breaking mudik (exodus) season.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy is expected to continue to grow by over 5 percent in 2024 and 2025, according to a report by ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO).

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – The National Board of Zakat (Baznas) has decided to reject a donation of Rp 1 billion ($62,990) from McDonald's Indonesia for Palestine.

Desty Luthfiani, Jakarta – Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Budi Santoso, responded to the issue of imported goods belonging to Indonesian migrant workers being held up at the Tanjung Emas Temporary Storage Place (TPS) in Semarang, Central Java on April 4, 2024.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Maruarar Sirait, a former member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), highlighted the relationship between President-elect Prabowo Subianto and President Joko Widodo or Jokowi.

Vinnilya Huanggrio, Jakarta – The government has already received thousands of complaints from Indonesian workers regarding their Eid bonuses.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus – A gunfight between separatist Papuan rebels and government security forces killed a 12-year-old boy and injured a 6-year-old girl who were caught in crossfire on Monday, security authorities and a rebel spokesman said.

Roy Triono, Bandar Lampung – The Lampung Police have arrested a suspect and are searching for four others for allegedly opening fire in front of the provincial police headquarters in Bandar Lampung on Saturday.

All the suspects are believed to be members of a car theft ring. The detained suspect has been identified as 19-year-old Kukuh Agung Wibowo.

Hendro D Situmorang, Jakarta. – The Constitutional Court will convene for a verdict in the presidential election dispute after concluding hearings and witness examination, a spokesman said on Sunday.

Antara, Jakarta – The Manpower Ministry recorded 1,187 submitted cases regarding religious holiday allowance (THR) payments from April 4 to 6, 2024, received by the ministry's THR Command Post.

Jayapura – Two Papuan separatist leaders were killed in a shootout between security forces and their rebel group near one of the world's largest gold mines in Indonesia's restive Papua region, police said Sunday.

Jakarta – Anew Javan rhinoceros calf has been spotted in Ujung Kulon National Park, giving hope for the conservation of one of the world's most endangered mammals.

The calf, estimated to be between three and five months old, was spotted in footage obtained Thursday by one of 126 camera traps installed in the national park.

Antara – According to reports from the Mount Semeru observation post officer, Liswanto, the mountain, which stands at 3,676 meters above sea level, erupted twice on Saturday, at 05:11 a.m. and 06:10 a.m.

He mentioned that the observed volcanic ash column ranged from white to gray with moderate intensity towards the north.

Jakarta – Every year, the Idul Fitri tradition of mudik (exodus) causes a great deal of excitement for more than 230 million Muslims in the country.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – The incidence of Singapore flu in Indonesia, as of March 2024, stands at a staggering 5,461 cases, according to the Health Ministry. The figure could potentially escalate with the Eid al-Fitr holidays, given the high intensity of gatherings.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Sultan Abdurahman and Adinda Jasmine Prasetyo, Jakarta – Constitutional Judge Arief Hidayat stated that the panel adjudicating the dispute over the results of the general elections (PHPU) did not summon President Joko Widodo or Jokowi because he is both the head of state and head of government.

The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) has declared its solidarity with civil society groups and student protesters demonstrating against the torture of a Papuan man, Defianus Kogoya, by Indonesian troops in West Papua last February.

The torture was revealed in a video that went viral across the world last month.

Jakarta – Indonesia is evaluating regulations designed to curb imports of more than 3,000 products, a senior trade ministry official said on Friday, following industry concerns the rules could disrupt the domestic supply chain and disrupt exports.

Johannes Nugroho – The orange truck crammed with 75 Rohingya survivors of a capsized boat was told to hurry along by Indonesian police in Beureugang, West Aceh, as dozens of angry villagers gave chase, shouting "[we] reject the presence of refugees here!"

Doddy Morris – It has been 60 years since Indonesia has refused humanitarian agencies and international media access to enter West Papua.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Constitutional Court (MK) Judge Arief Hidayat highlighted President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's partisanship in the 2024 presidential election during the hearing of the election dispute case today, April 5.

Jakarta – The four model houses for people affected by the Rempang Eco-City development project are entering their final stage.BP Batam's spokesperson Ariastuty Sirait said that the construction was almost 100-percent complete. The construction of these model houses, which lie in Tanjung Banon, also has not had any major issues.

Hendrik Yaputra and Bagus Pribadi, Jakarta – Chairman of the Ombudsman, Muhammad Najih, admitted on Thursday that he was not aware of the issue of merging the Ombudsman with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The Ombudsman has also never been invited to discuss the plan to eliminate the KPK's enforcement function.