Andita Rahma, Maudey K. Setyakusuma, Papua – As many as 6,000 National Police and Army (Polri-TNI) personnel were deployed to help secure the implementation of the XX National Sports Week or PON in Papua which will be held in October 2021.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The corruption scandal in government's social assistance program that led to the recent conviction of former Social Affairs Minister Juliari Barubara is a bombshell to the people still facing the devastating economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But for anti-corruption activists, such news is anticipated.

Police clashed with supporters of Rizieq Shihab outside of the Jakarta High Court in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta today, as the firebrand cleric saw his four-year sentence appeal turned down.

Central Jakarta Police Deputy Chief Setyo Koes Heriyanto said Rizieq's supporters pelted stones at officers as tensions grew following the unfavorable outcome for Rizieq.

A regent in Indonesia is facing massive scrutiny – and possibly legal repercussions – for essentially awarding himself and his subordinates taxpayers' money for every death from COVID-19 in his region.

Jakarta – Indonesia's capital Jakarta reopened 600 of its schools on Monday (Aug 30) as coronavirus restrictions eased, though a teacher federation urged caution and warned of clusters in classrooms caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Siobhan Robbins – A little round face stares out from a phone screen. Eyes alert, baby Beverly Alezha Marlein looks up at her cooing mother.

Just three weeks old, she is the cherished first daughter of Erik Alexander, 34, and Tirza Manitik, 32.

But unbeknown to her parents, in the video Beverly is already very sick. Her new born body is fighting COVID-19.

Triyan Pangastuti, Jakarta – Indonesia is set to join a group of only a few countries who have administered more than 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in coming days, a government official said on Monday.

Aditya Budiman, Tempo.Co, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) supervisory board has handed a guilty verdict for KPK deputy Lili Pintauli Siregar in an ethics trial and handed her a 40 percent wage cut for 12 consecutive years.

Bisnis, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Pandjaitan on Monday reminded people to always spread factual information regarding Covid-19 to help reduce the mortality rate caused by the pandemic.

He specifically warned people against using the pandemic as a means to spread other agendas, Bisnis.com reported.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) in Cianjur, West Java, recorded a 100 percent rise in hotel occupancy rate during the weekend as travelers coming from the Greater Jakarta area flocked the region's hotels.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) chairperson Asfinawati laments the legal steps taken by the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Pandjaitan in filing a subpoena against human rights activist Haris Azhar. YLBHI believes this endangers the freedom of expression.

Asrida Elisabeth, Project Multatuli – In Wamena, the city at the economic center of Papua's central highlands, a mother of two stays home to avoid contracting Covid-19. The woman who asked to be identified as AB reminds everyone – family or visitor alike – to wash their hands before entering. The number of coronavirus cases in Wamena has been increasing.

Gemma Holliani Cahya – After almost 18 months, children in Jakarta will begin to re-enter classrooms on Monday, as Indonesia, which faces on of the worst Covid outbreaks globally, eases restrictions in some areas.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – A defrocked American priest on trial in Timor-Leste for allegedly sexually abusing minors is also facing legal proceedings in his home country.

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – More areas of Indonesia, including the cities of Solo in Central Java and Malang in East Java, will see Covid-19 restrictions eased for a week, starting from Tuesday (Aug 31) as the number of cases continues to decline in the country.

Indonesian authorities have been accused of defying a court order to urgently hospitalise the West Papuan political prisoner Victor Yeimo.

Last week the District Court of Jayapura issued an order to hospitalise Yeimo, a leader of the pro-independence West Papua National Committee (KNPB), as a matter of utmost urgency.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The surge in new Covid-19 cases continues to slow in Indonesia who reported the lowest daily tally in nearly three months on Monday, but famous resort island Bali and Yogyakarta province in southern Java are still considered as high-risk areas.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura – Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Papua chief public prosecutor's office on Monday August 30 to demand that the Papuan chief public prosecutor immediately release West Papua National Committee (KNPB) spokesperson Victor Yeimo from detention so he can be treated in hospital.

Jayapura – Former Papuan political prisoner (tapol) Filep Karma has also joined with activists and Victor Yeimo's family when along with Yeimo's lawyer they went to the private residence of the Papua chief public prosecutor in the Doc 5 area of Jayapura city on the evening of Saturday August 28.

Nivell Rayda, Bekasi, Indonesia – Resting on a mound of dirt on one side of an 11ha landfill in the outskirts of Jakarta, sitting side by side with discarded food packaging, broken toys and other domestic waste, were plastic bags filled white and blue medical face masks.

Jakarta – The daily count of new Covid-19 cases in Indonesia continues to decline as the country recorded the lowest number in more than two months on Sunday.

There have been 7,427 new cases in the past 24 hours – the lowest daily total since June 9 – to bring the total number of cases to 4,073,831, according to Health Ministry data.

Emma Connors, Singapore/Jakarta – The Indonesian extremist who is believed to have led the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people – including 88 Australians – will finally face a court this week.

Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, will come before a US military commission in Guantanamo Bay on Monday, along with two associates.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Coalition for Legal and Human Rights of Papua, who are Victor Yeimo's legal advisors, escorted Yeimo's family to the Chief Public Prosecutor's residence in Jayapura, on Saturday, 28th August, 2021.

Press Release by Veronica Koman, Sydney – The District Court of Jayapura issued an order to hospitalize imprisoned West Papuan pro-independence leader, Victor Yeimo, as a matter of utmost urgency, two days ago. Prosecutors have been deliberately defying this court order and Yeimo is still isolated in detention.

Heru Andriyanto, Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a relatively low number of new Covid-19 cases on Saturday as the Delta variant outbreak seems to ease compared to the situation last month.

Dwi Bowo Raharjo and Ria Rizki Nirmala Sari – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) diplomacy commissariat head Kobabe Wanimbo is appealing to the Papuan people to gather at the private residence of the Papua chief public prosecutor in the Doc 2 area of Jayapura city.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan has issued a subpoena against lawyer and human rights activist Haris Azhar over accusations that Pandjaitan is involved in the mining business in the Wabu Block in Intan Jaya, Papua.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Indonesian police have arrested and charged a Muslim cleric with blasphemy for allegedly insulting Christians.

The arrest comes three days after a Muslim convert to Christianity was arrested for allegedly insulting Islam.

Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that the government has been excessive in dealing with the emergence of murals with a critical tone drawn by the public.

Indonesia has found itself on the top of a very disturbing list after it was ranked first as a source for online animal cruelty content in a new research published this week, with thousands of videos traced back to the Southeast Asian country.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore – Security forces in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim majority nation, will step up an anti-terror crackdown after the deadly attacks in Kabul claimed by an Islamic State affiliate.

There was strong condemnation from Muslim nations on Friday of the blasts that killed at least 95 Afghans and 13 US servicemen.

New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that officials have raised concern with Indonesia over the case of a West Papuan political prisoner.

But a West Papua solidarity group in New Zealand says merely raising the matter is not enough, and that the human rights problems in Papua demand more action.

Jakarta – Indonesia on Friday recorded the lowest daily death toll in the Covid-19 outbreak since July 6 although it still has the highest fatality numbers in the world at the current stage of the pandemic.

There have been 599 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 130,781, according to Health Ministry data.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Internet blackout occurred in Jayapura's Waena and lasted for around three hours on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, Netblocks confirmed. Netblocks is a watchdog organization tracking disruptions and shutdowns to safeguard internet freedom.

Jayapura – At the second court hearing which was to hear the reading out of the charges against West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson Victor Yeimo on Thursday August 26, the panel of judges ordered the prosecution to prioritise the defendant's health.

Jakarta – Indonesian authorities have seized 5.3 million sqm (530 hectares) of land and property assets in several cities, as part of efforts to recoup unpaid state loans given to banks during the Asian financial crisis in 1998, a minister said.

Jakarta – Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 7,200-year-old skeleton from a female hunter-gatherer in Indonesia that has a "distinct human lineage" never found anywhere in the world, according to research published this week.

Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Three critically endangered Sumatran tigers, including two cubs, were found dead in a conservation area on Indonesia's Sumatra island after being caught in traps apparently set by a poacher, authorities said Friday.

Aila Slisco – A former Catholic priest was indicted this week by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., for the alleged sexual abuse of children at a "shelter home" he founded abroad.

We're just about to enter September, and already weather experts are urging Indonesians to prepare their umbrellas as this year's rainy season may come early.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) cited a study from Australia that highlighted the minimum requirement for a vaccinated population to reach herd immunity based on Covid-19 vaccines with various degrees of efficacy.

Zacharias Wuragil, Jakarta – Global warming has pushed the rainy season to come earlier in Indonesia this year. Almost 50 percent of the country's total 342 seasonal zones (ZOM) will experience the wet season starting between September-October.

Jakarta – Indonesian drug authority has issued an emergency use authorization for the Russia-made Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik-V, early this week, as the country seeks to increase supply to accelerate its vaccination drive.

Joao da Cruz Cardoso – On June 18 of this year, Timor-Leste abstained from a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning the military regime in Myanmar.

Johannes Nugroho – On 13 August, Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, granted an audience to Bambang Soesatyo, Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), to discuss how to advance some "limited" constitutional amendments.

Resty Woro Yuniar (South China Morning Post) – Isabella was left perplexed when her appointment for a free dose of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine was suddenly cancelled last week.

The Argentine national, who has been living in Indonesia for 15 years, was told there was now a charge for foreigners looking to get vaccinated.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo's approval rating has fallen to the lowest level in five years on the back of a devastating second wave of coronavirus infections, a survey released on Wednesday (Aug 25) showed.

Tangguh Chairil – On July 29, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia's Coordinating Maritime and Investment Minister, made a comment that many would view as stating the obvious: "Now we understand that tracing is important in handling COVID-19," he said to journalists during his visit to a medical oxygen supply facility in East Jakarta.

Those who are unvaccinated make up the majority of COVID-19 deaths in Bali, the province's Health Agency said, as efforts continue to curb coronavirus transmissions on the island.

Jakarta – Indonesia is taking its vaccination drive to the sea as the world's biggest archipelago nation ramps up a bid to innoculate its huge population.

The Indonesian Navy has deployed 60 boats and warships to scour thousands of kilometres of coastline in the hunt for unvaccinated fishermen, from westernmost Sumatra to holiday island Bali and remote Papua.