Antara, Jakarta – Flash flood hits Sempol Village, Mount Ijen, Bondowoso District, East Java on Wednesday afternoon, January 29, 2020. About 200 resident's houses were submerged in mud caused by the flood.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly questioned the strong demand for his discharge from office, which was expressed by the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW).

Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – Forty civil society organizations in a coalition called the Indonesian People's Faction (FRI) have rejected deliberations on an omnibus bill on job creation, arguing that the bill is "undemocratic", as the drafting process only "involves businesspeople" and the bill "resembles the Dutch colonial administration's attitude".

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – While free from poverty, approximately 115 million Indonesians, or 45 percent of the country's population, have yet to achieve economic security and the lifestyle of the middle class, the World Bank's latest report shows.

Gita Rossiana, Jakarta – Indonesia Transport & Infrastructure, the Jakarta-listed company behind chartered airline Indonesia Air, plans to acquire a majority stake in Anterin Digital Nusantara, a motorcycle ride-hailing firm, for an undisclosed sum as part of the company's expansion.

Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesia said on Wednesday (Jan 29) it has cut ties with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as it accused the global conservation group of overstepping its mandate in the country and unfairly criticising efforts to extinguish out-of-control forest fires last year.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has signed a letter to officially start deliberations of the government's omnibus bill on taxation in the House of Representatives, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Wednesday.

The letter will be submitted to the House of Representatives along with the bill.

Jakarta – The World Health Organization (WHO) says Indonesia is well-prepared to anticipate the fast-spreading novel coronavirus, which as of Wednesday had killed 132 people in China since the outbreak began in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Jakarta – The Foreign Ministry is distributing Rp 133.2 million (US$9,763) for hundreds of Indonesian citizens trapped in the locked-down cities of Hubei province in China, where the novel coronavirus has rapidly spread, to help them to buy food and logistics supplies in the quarantined zone.

Muhammad Ridwan – The administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has now been working for 100 days of Widodo's second term in office. The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is of the view that the legal and human rights (HAM) situation continues to worsen in concert with ignoring people's constitutional rights.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Torrential rains triggered floods and landslides in North Sumatra's Central Tapanuli district on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB, reported.

Heavy rains fell in parts of North Sumatra and West Sumatra on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nur Yasmin, Jakarta – Indonesia has ratified the Beijing Treaty, a multilateral agreement that regulates the intellectual property rights of audiovisual artists, including the reproduction, distribution and rental of their work.

Jakarta – Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly dismissed director general of immigration Ronny Sompie on Tuesday amid public uproar over the whereabouts of a graft fugitive.

Nur Yasmin, Jakarta – Civil groups advocating for freedom of religion and faith have demanded that the government fix its approach in preventing potential sectarian conflicts and ensure better freedom for everyone to practice their faith.

Made Anthony Iswara, Jakarta – The government has pinned its hopes on a new agreement that is expected to encourage thousands of companies to list their shares on the local stock exchange.

Made Anthony Iswara, Jakarta – State-owned steelmaker Krakatau Steel has received approval from its creditors to restructure its loans totaling US$2 billion (Rp 27 trillion) by, among other changes, rescheduling repayment to 2027 in order to be able to revive its business.Krakatau Steel president director Silmy Karim said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the debt restructuring would cut

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – A farmer in Riau is currently on trial for alleged arson at the Pekanbaru District Court after he burned a 400-square-meter plot of land for farming, reportedly causing the fires to spread beyond the intended area.

Jakarta – Bekasi Mayor Rahmat "Pepen" Effendi says the satellite city is mulling over a plan to install more CCTV cameras to suppress the crime rate amid rising sexual harassment in public.

Eisya A. Eloksari, Jakarta – Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Bahlil Lahadali says he is ready to resign if the country's ease of doing business (EODB) rank did not reach the top 50 in the next four years.

"If I can't meet that target, I'm ready to step down. That is my moral commitment," he said at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Vela Andapita, Jakarta – Following recent revelations of child prostitution in Jakarta and Depok of West Java, the National Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has called on the government to initiate a child-friendly apartment program to curb such crimes in high-rise buildings.

Graeme Dobell – Australia had a part in East Timor's march to tragedy and a key role in its salvation.

Cruel ironies and strange mirror effects mark Australia's performance in the lead-up to Indonesia's invasion, in 1974-75, and East Timor's independence vote in 1999.

Rizal Harahap, Pekanbaru – A 5-year-old male elephant was wounded in Bengkalis regency of Riau after stepping into a trap.

Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency Center (BKSDA) spokesperson Dian Indriati said the agency had yet to find where exactly the trap had been set up.

Jakarta – The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) has ruled in favor of developer PT Agung Dinamika Perkasa, which had filed a lawsuit against Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan's 2018 decision to revoke a permit for reclaimed islet F in Jakarta Bay.

Haeril Halim, Banda Aceh – The masked woman nervously approaches her target, shuffles into position and then unleashes a flurry of lashes – proving herself as the newest member of the first female flogging squad in Indonesia's Aceh province.

The new recruit initially needed some coaxing to punish the offender – an unmarried woman caught in a hotel room with a man.

Karina M. Tehusijarana, Jakarta – American environmental journalist Philip Jacobson remains under city arrest in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, days after being released from prison, his lawyer has said.

James Massola, Jakarta – A group dedicated to building a memorial to victims of the Bali bombings has been told a promised $4.5 million in funding from the Australian government will be in jeopardy if a long-running dispute with owners of the proposed site cannot be settled in the coming weeks.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Taufan left his petrochemical job in Abu Dhabi just over a year ago to answer what he felt was his true calling. Upon returning home to Jakarta, he invested in 212 Mart, a new Indonesian convenience store chain whose all-Muslim investors say is part of an "economic jihad."

Theresia Sufa, Bogor, West Java – A defendant accused of assaulting a police officer during the September student protests has claimed he was assaulted and coerced into making false testimony during questioning by the police.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has provided a report on the resolution of cases of human rights violations during the first 100 days of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's second term in office.

The problem of sexual violence in Indonesia has reached crisis proportions, with an increasing number of cases reported each year. A bill has been introduced to tackle the issue. Unfortunately, it has become a political battleground for women's and LGBT rights, and pro-democracy movements fighting the influence of rising religious conservatism.

Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – The Jakarta government abruptly canceled the appointment of Donny Andy Saragih as new president director of city bus operator TransJakarta after it emerged on Monday that he has been convicted of crime of deception and extortion.

Antara, Jakarta – Flash floods that inundated more than 11,000 houses in the subdistricts of Baleendah, Bojongsoang, Dayeuhkolot, and Rancaekek, Bandung District, West Java Province, over the past five days, had not receded until Monday morning.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Parameter Politik Indonesia highlighted the performance of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin during his 100 days in the office along with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. The pollster executive director Adi Prayitno assessed that the VP had not shown significant performance yet in the government.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – President Jokowi has yet again reasserted the importance and urgency to pass the omnibus law during the Constitutional Court (MK) annual plenary in Jakarta today. He argues Indonesia's laws are marred by "regulatory obesity" and desperately needs to be simplified.

Kukuh S. Wibowo, Jakarta – In a meeting with the state-owned ship maker PT PAL on Monday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo cited that the country's Rp127 trillion defense budget will be mainly spent to purchase domestic defense products.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – Indonesia now allows foreign investors to own more than 80 percent of shares in locally-listed insurance companies, loosening a rule that has for a long time stopped foreign insurance companies from expanding their business in Indonesia.

Diana Mariska, Jakarta – Empowering refugees in Indonesia is a critical priority while finding more comprehensive solutions for their plight, the United Nations Refugee Agency said.

Mongabay editor Philip Jacobson has now been detained for 42 days in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan over an alleged violation of his business visa.

Jakarta – The panel of judges has rejected a demurrer or note of objection by Surya Anta and five other Papuan activists charged with treason. The ruling was read out by presiding judge Agustinus Setya Wahyu Triwiranto at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday January 27.

Made Anthony Iswara, Jakarta – The Trade Ministry is coordinating with the Health Ministry on whether to impose import restrictions on goods from China, Indonesia's largest trading partner, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus responsible for a rising death toll in China into Indonesia.

Shashank Bengali, Singapore – American journalist Philip Jacobson was released from prison in Indonesia and would be deported "as soon as possible" for a visa violation, authorities said.

Luthfi T Dzulfikar, Jakarta – In December last year, Indonesia's Minister of Education Nadiem Makarim announced sweeping changes to the education sector through four priority reforms. One of them is the abolition of the country's annual national exams.

Eliza Borrello, Ari Wu and Phil Hemingway in Sulawesi – Arriving at Pulisan Beach, on the eastern tip of North Sulawesi, the sand is white and the water is warm. It is a picturesque cove, home to coral reefs and tropical fish.

Malcolm Barnes's family has been guiding tourists around this part of the world for almost two decades.

Jakarta – Finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government would establish an agency that would back up insurance policies to ensure payouts after financial issues at some local insurers have tarnished the industry.

The 2014 Insurance Law requires the establishment of a policy guarantee agency (LPP) by 2017.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Indonesia's stock market took a tumble on Monday as world shares took a hit from investor concerns over the economic impact of China's spreading coronavirus.

The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI), the Indonesia Stock Exchange's (IDX) main gauge, fell 1.78 percent on Monday to 6,133.21 on trading close.

Jakarta – Social media users have been outraged after discovering that the NasDem Party has reportedly been using a photo of Dede Luthfi Alfiandi, a protestor who is currently in prison, for advertising purposes.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – Credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings announced on Friday that it affirmed Indonesia's long-term foreign and local currency issuer default rating at "BBB with a stable outlook".

Jakarta – Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto has called on the public to remain calm in the face of the possible spread of the novel coronavirus, advising people to keep their body and mind pure so as to maintain immunity to avoid being infected with the fast-spreading virus, which originated in Wuhan, China.

Jakarta – West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno has drawn criticism from netizens after amateur video recordings of him welcoming Chinese visitors in a ceremonious fashion, with a large crowd, at the Minangkabau International Airport in Padang recently went viral on Twitter, amid concerns over a domestic coronavirus outbreak.

Jakarta – The government's plan to scrap the environmental impact assessment (Amdal) requirement imposed on investors intending to set up a business has been met with strong opposition from local environmental advisory groups.