Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) revealed that the development of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan will continue with a focus on completing the government center.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – The Indonesian Teacher Union Federation (FSGI) urges the government to clarify the statement regarding the salary increase for teachers that was previously disclosed by President Prabowo during a speech at the National Teacher's Day event at Velodrome, East Jakarta, on Thursday, November 28, 2024.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded 11.56 million international tourist arrivals between January and October 2024, a 20.45 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). However, this figure remains lower than the pre-pandemic level of 13.44 million arrivals recorded during the same period in 2019.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is considering the implementation of a planned Value-Added Tax (VAT) increase to 12 percent, scheduled for January 2025, amid widespread criticism from businesses, workers, political parties, and economic experts.

Yogyakarta – Demonstrators calling themselves the Papua Student Alliance (AMP) held a protest action on Jalan Kusumanegara in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Sunday December 1.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Former leader of the Islamic Defenders Front or FPI, Rizieq Shihab, has voiced support for a proposal to send Indonesian youth to Palestine to participate in jihad or fight against Israeli forces. According to him, the government should open registration for volunteers.

Jakarta – A clash occurred during the Free West Papua rally on Jl. Kusumanegara in Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta city on Sunday evening, after protesters attempted to raise the Morning Star (Bintang Kejora) flag. The protest, which called attention to the situation in Papua provinces, initially took place peacefully, starting in the afternoon.

Emenda Sembiring, Attar Hikmahtiar Ramadan and Elprida Agustina – Bali has a unique opportunity to address plastic waste by integrating sustainable practices into the tourism experience. As a top global destination, tourists are likely to follow local customs and practices, especially if eco-friendly systems are in place.

Lusa – The former prime minister of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak, said that the best reconciliation is the one that "comes from the heart", referring to the recent social outrage provoked by an invitation to the militia leader to take part in the celebrations for the declaration of independence.

Widy Wicaksono, Semarang – Central Java has long been considered the fortress of Indonesia's ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), but the party is facing new questions about its dominance after a bruising defeat in the province's gubernatorial race on November 27.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – The government's efforts to reduce domestic airfares may face setbacks due to an impending increase in value-added tax (VAT), which is expected to raise prices across various goods and services, including airline tickets.

Media Statement – Pacific civil society organisations (CSOs) and solidarity movements are reminding Pacific leaders of their longstanding responsibility to West Papua, and to urgently address the ongoing gross human rights abuses.

Eiben Heizar, Jakarta – The Alliance of Papuan Students (AMP) held a student demonstration on Jalan Kusumanegara, Jogja City, on Sunday, December 1, 2024. They conveyed several demands to the government of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government has announced a 6.5 percent increase in the minimum wage, effective next year, aimed at safeguarding the purchasing power of the middle class and bolstering Indonesia's consumption-driven economy, Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Sunday.

Banda Aceh – More than 100 Rohingya refugees including women and children have been rescued after their boat sank off the coast of Indonesia, the United Nations refugee agency said on Saturday.

The mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus – For many Indonesian democracy activists, a former trade minister's upcoming corruption trial will test whether Prabowo Subianto, the new president, upholds the rule of law or uses legal mechanisms to suppress political criticism.

Zachary Abuza – At an event orchestrated by Indonesia's counter-terrorism agency (BNPT) in late June, Abu Rusydan and 15 other senior Jemaah Islamiyah members read out a statement announcing that their militant group was disbanding.

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has sent an investigation team to probe the fatal shooting by a police officer of a teenage student in Semarang, Central Java.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) is seeking further clarification from the government behind the 6.5 percent increase in the Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) announced by President Prabowo Subianto on Friday.

Widi Agustian, Jakarta – Workers in Indonesia are expected to see a 6.3 percent increase in salaries in 2025, a rise that surpasses the projected salary growth in 2024 across most Southeast Asian countries, except for Vietnam.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Donald Trump's re-election as US president and his renewed focus on protectionist policies could stifle global economic growth, warns the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef).

Spoorthy Raman – When the Indonesian government established Tesso Nilo National Park in 2004 on a former logging concession, little could it have known that the legacy of logging and deforestation would continue years after granting it official protection.

Te Aniwaniwa Paterson – On Papuan Independence Day we discuss protests against Indonesia's transmigration programme, environmental destruction, militarisation, and the struggle for self-determination.

On December 1, 1961, West Papua's national flag, known as the Morning Star, was raised for the first time as a declaration of West Papua's independence from the Netherlands.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – The Confederation of All-Indonesian Trade Unions (KSBSI) welcomes the 6.5 percent increase in the Provincial Minimum Wage next year. KSBSI President, Elly Silaban, hopes that business owners will accept the decision announced by President Prabowo.

Sudarshan Varadhan, Singapore – Indonesia is in talks with the United States and Russia about acquiring technology to develop nuclear power plants, a deputy minister told Reuters on Friday.

Jakarta – Four-term lawmaker Effendi Simbolon has been expelled from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) for endorsing a rival candidate in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, the party confirmed on Saturday.

Jihan Ristiyanti, Jakarta – The Ministry of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) has recently proposed a plan to collaborate with the Ministry of Immigration and Deportation of Indonesia to issue special passports for Indonesian migrant workers (PMI).

Sapto Yunus, Jakarta – Member of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) RI Nasir Djamil considers the proposal to place the Indonesian National Police or Polri under a ministry irrelevant. He cites several factors that make it irrelevant, including incomplete legal development, weak legal culture, difficult public economy, and low educational level.

Antara, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is now authorized to probe corruption cases within the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) as long as the anti-corruption agency initiates the investigation.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The Press Council has ruled that Tempo magazine's cover and main coverage on online gambling, published in its November 18-24, 2024, edition, adheres to the Journalistic Code of Ethics.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Semarang – Hundreds of people staged a protest in front of the Central Java Regional Police Headquarters gate on Thursday evening, November 28, 2024.

The people crowded Pahlawan Street, Semarang City, closing one of the road's lanes.

Isaac Nellist – The Australia West Papua Association (AWPA) and supporters raised the West Papua flag at Leichhardt Town Hall on November 29, to show their solidarity with West Papuan's struggle for self-determination.

Jakarta – Public Housing and Settlements Minister Maruarar "Ara" Sirait plans to coordinate with state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to develop a program for organizing residential areas around Manggarai Station in South Jakarta.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – As global economic pressures intensify, Bank Indonesia (BI) has projected that Indonesia's economy will remain resilient despite challenges arising from geopolitical tensions and global market fluctuations.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has allocated a budget of Rp 10,000 ($0.63) per portion per day for his flagship program providing free nutritious meals to schoolchildren and pregnant women. This amount is lower than the initially expected Rp 15,000 due to budget constraints.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – The recent Jakarta Regional Elections saw a high number of voters abstaining. Asep Hasan Sadikin, a researcher at the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem), attributes this low voter turnout to a mismatch between public aspirations and the candidates endorsed by political parties.

Vendro Immanuel G, Jakarta – Chairperson of the Association of Online Ojek Drivers Garda Indonesia, Igun Wicaksono, condemns the statement of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, who plans to retire fuel subsidies for online ojek, or online motorcycle taxis.

Jakarta – Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has revealed that the new fuel subsidy scheme would involve a combination of subsidized goods and direct cash transfer (BLT). This hybrid model aims to strengthen purchasing power while ensuring that subsidies are effectively targeting those who truly need them.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – Major General Ariyo Windutomo was sworn in on Friday as the chief of the Presidential Secretariat, joining the growing number of active and retired military officers in President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

Abdul Alim Muhamad Zamzami, Sragen, Central Java – The body of 16-year-old Gamma Rizkynata Oktafansy was exhumed on Friday by the Central Java Police as part of an investigation into allegations that a police officer fatally shot the high school student.

Salman Mardira, Jakarta – The 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election recorded the lowest voter turnout in the city's history of direct elections, with abstention levels soaring to unprecedented heights. The lack of public engagement has raised alarms about the growing disconnect between Jakarta's electorate and its political elites.

Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Sugiono met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha this week in a bilateral meeting in Italy, where they discussed plans for peace amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Iim Halimatusa'diyah, Aptiani Nur Jannah, Grace Rachmanda – COP29, the multilateral decision-making forum on climate change in Baku, Azerbaijan, has just concluded, yet the Prabowo government's commitment to achieving its goal of net zero emissions remains unclear.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is likely to delay the planned increase in the Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate to 12 percent, which was initially scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025, according to Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Chair of the National Economic Committee (DEN).

Jakarta – The Operation Cartenz Peace managed to arrest Oni Enumbi of the armed criminal group (KKB) operating in Puncak Jaya, Central Papua, on Wednesday, at about 11:15 a.m. local time in front of the Puncak Jaya Police Station.

Operation Cartenz Peace head Brig. Gen. Faizal Ramadhani confirmed that Oni was a member of the KKB that is led by Ternus Enumbi.

Basudiwa Supraja, Jakarta – Housing Minister Maruarar "Ara" Sirait has promised a reward of Rp 8 billion ($500,000) for information leading to the capture of Harun Masiku, a fugitive wanted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Using his personal savings, Ara said the initiative aims to demonstrate that no one is above the law in Indonesia.

Indah Handayani, Jakarta – Indonesia's crypto transactions has reached Rp 475.13 trillion (around $29.9 billion) so far this year as of October, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Supervisory Agency (Bappebti).

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – Indonesia will stop importing salt for consumption starting next year, in line with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 126/2022 on the national salt industry.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's government debt reached Rp 8,560.36 trillion ($$539.4 billion) by the end of October 2024, according to data from the Finance Ministry, as outlined in the November 2024 edition of the APBN Kita (Our State Budget) report released on Thursday

Arya Fernandes, Yoes C Kenawas, Muhammad Ahalla Tsauro and Titi Anggraini – As the dust settles on the electoral contestations, we ask experts for their initial assessments of different aspects of the elections. Which oligarchic alliance is "winning" in these elections? Is dynastic politics gaining ground across the nation? Did all the single candidates win against the blank boxes?