Lani Diana Wijaya, Maudey K. Setyakusuma, Jakarta – Criminal sanctions will be imposed towards the violators of health protocols in Jakarta. This is currently being discussed in the revision of Jakarta Regional Regulation No. 2 of 2020 regarding Covid-19 Response.

Indonesia's central bank left its benchmark rate unchanged and pledged to maintain a "pro-growth" policy into next year as one of the most severe Covid outbreaks in the world puts the economy's recovery at risk.

Valmai Alzena Karla, Jakarta – The Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry Head of research, development, education, and training, Achmad Gunaryo, on Thursday claims that its recent study suggests the Indonesian society has become more religious during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – The government is thanking everyone who has helped tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure the strict social restrictions are in order.

Jakarta – The UK has recently opened an eight-week public consultation on the new trading rules which will reduce and simplify tariffs for low and lower-middle income countries, including Indonesia.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Indonesia reported a record high 1,383 deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to data from the country's COVID-19 task force (Satgas COVID-19).

Jayapura – Hospitals in Papua are nearing full capacity amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, with health officials bracing for the full impact of the virulent Delta variant on one of the country's least-developed areas.

Tom Allard, Jakarta – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged Indonesia to implement a stricter and wider lockdown to combat surging COVID-19 infections and deaths, just days after the country's president flagged the easing of restrictions.

Bernadette Christina, Jakarta – American mining giant Freeport McMoRan will not proceed with plans to build a new copper smelter with China's Tsingshan Holding Group, its local Indonesian unit, PT Freeport Indonesia's spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.

Gemma Holliani Cahya, Jakarta – Usually every Eid al-Adha, Riki Priyanto's father would bring home goat or beef from the nearby mosque. The meat had been donated by devotees and distributed to the poor, like Riki's family, to celebrate the Islamic day of sacrifice.

Indonesians turning to drugs during the pandemic has become a topic of discussion after a certain celebrity couple's recent meth bust, with official data pointing towards increased abuse due to stress and depression.

Residents of a village in East Java's Situbondo regency were caught on film destroying the coffin of a deceased COVID-19 patient, the video of which has widely circulated in Indonesia.

Joniansyah (Contributor), Jakarta – The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as of Friday, July 23, will soon impose a beefier travel restriction and restrict foreign arrivals that fail to meet the official visitation requirements.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Defense Ministry on Thursday confirmed that it is currently in the process of procuring six T-50i Golden Eagle trainer jets from South Korea that is worth US$240 million with the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).

Ian Storey – Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto has been on an accelerated drive to modernise the TNI. But there are significant drawbacks to his procurement strategy of diversification.

Despite the pandemic, Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia's defence minister, has been racking up the frequent flyer miles.

Wisnu Agung Prasetyo – Indonesia reported the highest number of new coronavirus infections in the world for the week that ended on July 18, according to the World Health Organization.

While the numbers appear to be coming down in recent days, one public health expert says deaths will continue to rise.

Jakarta (Bloomberg) – When Indonesian President Joko Widodo spoke with influential business groups on June 30 to discuss imposing a full-scale lockdown as Covid-19 cases spiked, he was met with widespread resistance.

A community of koi breeders and sellers in Indonesia may have saved COVID-19 patients desperate for pure oxygen from inhaling regular air, with authorities investigating an alleged oxygen tank refill scam.

Victor Mambor, Jayapura – Civilian Yosep Samogoi (26) has been allegedly shot by an Indonesian soldier named Syarifudin of the 1707-07/Kepi Subdistrict Military Command on Friday, July 16, 2021 in Kanami Village, Mappi Regency.

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has found indications of connections between political party members, public officials and businesspeople in the use of the drug Ivermectin to treat Covid-19.

Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP) Moeldoko and ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Ribka Tjiptaning Proletariyati were cited in ICW's findings.

Agustinus Beo Da Costa – Hospitals in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua are nearing full capacity amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, with health officials bracing for the full impact of the virulent Delta variant on one of the country's least-developed areas.

Maghvira Arzaq Karima, Maudey K. Setyakusuma (Intern), Jakarta – The number of Covid-19 positive cases in Indonesia has drastically increased, including in the Papua Province. The latest data released in the official website covid19.papua.go.idon July 22, shows that to date, there are 29,047 confirmed Covid cases in Indonesia's easternmost province.

Jakarta – The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Indonesia exceeded the 3 million mark on Thursday amid a dramatic surge in new infections and record-breaking daily death toll attributed to the highly transmissible Delta strain.

Grace Nadia Chandra, Sahrudin Nurdin, Iman Rahman Cahyadi, Jakarta – The police have prepared to press charges against a man from Ternate, North Maluku, who last week donned his wife's burqa, a Muslim woman's attire covering one's face, to slip past Covid-19 travel checkpoint despite having tested positive with the disease.

Duncan Graham – Four years ago Oxfam published research showing the four richest men in Indonesia own as much wealth as the country's poorest 100 million citizens.

Residents of Balongan district in West Java's Indramayu regency recently made the heartbreaking discovery of a mother holding onto the decomposing body of her daughter – a case that illustrates how medical attention for COVID-19 is a privilege for many Indonesians.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) says that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under the leadership of Firli Bahuri has become an institution which is authoritarian and anti-criticism.

Rr Ariyani, Bisnis, Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – University of Indonesia (UI) senior economist Faisal Basri criticized the government's latest plan that will once again change Covid-19 public restriction from 'emergency PPKM' to level-based categories ranging from 1 to 4.

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – Head of the National Police criminal investigation unit, Gen. Commissioner Agus Andrianto on Wednesday said authorities are investigating information regarding an alleged cremation cartel for bodies of Covid-19 patients.

Jakarta – The government has decided to extend strict restrictions on community activities by five days until July 25 before gradually relaxing them should the pandemic shows signs of subsiding and regions' mitigation capacity improves, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Tuesday.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – State-owned power distributor PLN has extended an electricity relief scheme to the end of the year to ease the burden on consumers and businesses, many of whom are suffering financially under emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM Darurat) imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Jakarta – The unanimous House of Representatives decision last week to endorse the revised Papuan Special Autonomy Law shows, yet again, the propensity of the Jakarta elite to dictate the future of the territory, despite persistent calls to honor local demands.

A pro-independence movement in West Papua has appealed to several Western countries – including New Zealand – to provide urgent humanitarian help by supplying covid vaccines directly to the Papuans to cope with the "double crisis" in the Indonesian-ruled region.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The Indonesian government adopted a new alert system regarding the Covid-19 outbreak to manage the level of risks and determine necessary intervention based on the risk level.

Shruti Menon – With the surge of the Delta variant in Indonesia, misleading claims about products claiming to be cures and preventions are on the rise.

Hospitals are struggling to cope with soaring numbers of patients and shortages of oxygen, and people are increasingly desperate to get help for sick family or friends.

Gemma Holliani Cahya in Jakarta and agencies – Muslims across Indonesia marked a grim Eid al-Adha festival for a second year on Tuesday as the country struggles to cope with a devastating new wave of coronavirus cases.

Tabloid Jubi, Jayapura – The West Papuan Council of Churches (WPCC) has condemned the Indonesian government's Special Autonomy (Otsus) law ratified by the Jakarta parliament last week, describing it as racist and warning that Papuans could "become extinct".

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – From sterilised milk to green coconuts, Indonesians have been stocking up on healthy drinks, food and spices as the COVID-19 caseload rose sharply.

Indonesia's government is set to decide whether to extend the country's toughest coronavirus curbs to date, as the country's death toll soars to record highs.

Fuelled by the spread of the more virulent Delta variant, Indonesia has reported more new COVID-19 cases than any country in the world, according to the seven-day average from a Reuters data tracker.

Eustance Huang – Indonesia needs to "protect the people" and spend more to support them during the pandemic – and it's not likely to impair the economic recovery, the country's finance minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, claimed on Tuesday.

Jessica Washington and Syarina Hasibuan, Jakarta, Indonesia – In a residential street in Bogor, on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital, yet another family has lost a loved one to COVID-19.

Akito Ximenes, Michael Rose – The hamlet (aldeia) of Poros is a settlement of some 800 people on the edge of Nino Konis Santana National Park and Lake Ira Laloro in Timor-Leste. Historically an isolated community of subsistence gardners and foragers, today many of its young people work abroad – at present around 30 are in the UK, Korea and Australia.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Millions of Muslims in Indonesia on Tuesday celebrated Idul Adha, one of the most important Islamic festivals, as President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo pledged that tighter coronavirus restrictions would remain in place until infections dropped.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Indonesia reported a record 1,338 new coronavirus deaths on Monday, data from its COVID-19 task force showed, taking the total number of fatalities to 74,920.

The number of new infections on Monday was 34,257, the data showed, the lowest daily number since July 6. It has recorded over 2.9 million cases.

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – Indonesian Market Vendor Association recorded that around 5 million market vendors were forced to close down their business during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the lack of customers. The number is equal to 43 percent of the total number of traditional market vendors, which is 12 million.

Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia forestry campaign spokesperson Asep Komaruddin admits to feeling shocked after finding out that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has reported them to police.

A New Zealand explorer who trekked in West Papua before Indonesian rule says he's saddened to see what colonisation has done to the region's indigenous people.

Philip Temple, who is also a renowned author, was part of a small group who made the first recorded ascent of the Carstensz Pyramid in West Papua in 1962 before Dutch colonial rule ended.

There's still no definitive answer on whether or not the Emergency Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (Emergency PPKM) would be extended beyond July 20, but business owners are warning of grave economic consequences that would impact many lives should it be extended.

An Indonesian man hid under the cover of his burqa in order to board a flight despite testing positive for COVID-19, officials said.

The man, identified by his initials DW, was reportedly able to board a Citilink flight recently from Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma Airport to return to his hometown of Ternate, Maluku despite having COVID-19.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Dili Archdiocese in Timor-Leste has asked the government for permission to establish the country's first Catholic university by upgrading the status of a pastoral school.

The application was submitted to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture by the country's top churchman, Archbishop Dom Virgilio do Carmo da Silva, on July 16.