A story about a girl's sexual naivete prompted a discussion about the importance of sex education in Indonesia recently, because apparently she didn't know what semen was.

Officials in the conservative Indonesian province of Aceh are outraged over a brazen protest against their religious ideals by a man, who appears to be a foreigner, who snuck in his message – and more – on Google Street View.

Jakarta – Two journalists who mediated a protracted land dispute between local residents and an oil palm plantation were found dead in Labuhan Batu regency, North Sumatra, their bodies riddled with stab wounds.

Bangkok – Human Rights violations by one of the world's biggest palm oil suppliers, Wilmar International, and its subsidiaries and suppliers in West Sumatra have been revealed in a new report, released today.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for an independent investigation to identify the perpetrators and instigators of the brutal murders of two journalists who reported allegations of illegal land expropriation by palm oil companies on the island of Sumatra, in western Indonesia.

Eva Fitriani, Jakarta – Indonesia and Australia are committed to speeding up the ratification of a bilateral free-trade agreement signed early this year, a minister said.

The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) was signed on March 4 to boost trade and investment between the two countries.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – Fish stocks in a marine national park in Indonesia increased significantly in the years after a ban on the use of coral-destroying nets was imposed, a recent study has found.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Indonesia's economic growth is expected to slow to 4.9 percent in the third quarter of this year as weak global demand affects trade and weakens manufacturing industry, while commodity prices continue to decline, according to a local research house.

Jakarta – A group of allegedly illegal miners are being accused of attacking Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers during a raid on a tin mining area in Sijuk village on Belitung Island on Saturday.

The incident started when Bangka Belitung Deputy Governor Abdul Fatah and Satpol PP officers went to the area and began dismantling and burning illegal mining equipment.

Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – The Jakarta Corruption Court has cleared Sofyan Basir, the former president director of state-owned electricity company PLN, of all charges for his alleged role in a bribery case related to a coal-fired power plant (PLTU) project in Riau.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia campaigner Arifsyah Nasution assessed that the government had failed to tackle lead or metal waste contamination in Jakarta Bay albeit it had established a reclamation project. According to him, the project has aggravated the pollution level.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – A poll done by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) found that the country's Pancasila (five state ideologies) together with the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945) has been widely accepted by more than 80 percent of the country's Muslims.

Vindry Florentin, Jakarta – The IHS Markit report on the Indonesian manufacturing industry's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) showed a dropping trend in the manufacturing industry's demands for domestically produced goods.

Fikri Arigi, Jakarta – The newly-inaugurated Chief of the National Police, General Idham Azis, visited the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday, November 4. Idham said the police were seeking collaboration with the anti-graft body.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) asserted it would not meddle with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision on a government's regulation in lieu of law or Perpu to revoke the Law on Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)."I don't know about it yet, I haven't heard [the news].

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Golkar Party senior politician Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa was openly worried about his party's internal dynamics in the wake of Golkar's national deliberation in December. Agun argues that the two candidates, Airlangga Hartarto and Bambang Soesatyo are merely competing in pragmatic terms.

Jakarta – The 2019 Press Freedom Index in Papua is still in the lowest position out of Indonesia's 34 provinces. The Press Freedom Index for Papua stands at 66.56 or "slightly free", or only one level above "almost free".

This was based on results of the 2019 Press Freedom Index survey which was presented by the Press Council in Jakarta on Monday November 4.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) says that civil freedoms under the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo have tended to worsen. LSI Executive Director Djayadi Hanan said that the worsening of civil freedoms has occurred in concert with a decline in several other democratic indictors.

Nur Yasmin, Nusa Dua – Djoko Siswanto, secretary general of the National Energy Committee, said Indonesia is developing green fuel as an end-product of palm oil, to reduce the country's reliance on costly oil imports. Green fuel is a mix of palm oil and regular fuel.

Yulida Medistiara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will personally select the members of the new Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) oversight committee. Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati says that the KPK oversight committee will become an extension of the president's authority.

Nur Yasmin, Nusa Dua – Indonesia's B30 biofuel plan, which will become effective at the beginning of January next year, will further increase domestic consumption of palm oil and prop up the price of the commodity, analysts said.

Jakarta (Antara) – The Jakarta Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded a decrease in the number of foreign tourists visit to Jakarta from 253,176 tourists in August, to 212,912 tourists in September 2019.

According BPS records, the numbers were already decreasing compared to July 2019, which recorded 268,258 foreign tourists visit.

Diana Mariska, Jakarta – Local and international storytellers gathered together to entertain children and educate parents about the importance of storytelling during the two-day Indonesia's International Storytelling Festival at the National Museum in Jakarta on Nov. 2-3.

Muhammad Fida Ul Haq, Jakarta – State Secretary Pratikno says that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo respects the judicial review of the new Corruption Eradication Commission Law (UU KPK) at the Constitutional Court (MK) and will not interfere with the process by issuing a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to annul the law.

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) is disappointed with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo because he has failed to issue a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to annul Law Number 19/2019 on the Corruption Eradication Commission (UU KPK). The ICW says that Widodo and the House of Representatives (DPR) are attempting to weaken the KPK.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – As soon as a group of customers walked in, Mr Boy Alfian, 55, swiftly lifted a piece of red cloth covering two large metal bowls at his open-air stall in South Jakarta.

Inside one bowl were small cuts of pre-cooked goat meat, tripe and liver, popular among the majority of the customers.

Jakarta – University of Indonesia (UI) lecturer Ade Armando has been reported to the police for allegedly circulating an insulting meme of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan on Facebook.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi has triggered a debate about Muslim attire after saying that the government may issue a regulation banning anyone wearing a cadar or veil from entering any government building or premises.

Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – The head of Jakarta's Regional Development Planning Agency, or Bappeda, Sri Mahendra Satria Wirawan, and the head of the city's Tourism and Culture Department, Edy Junaedi, resigned from their posts on Friday after coming under fire for their ridiculous budget proposals.

Ramadani Saputra, Jakarta – Comr. Gen. Mochamad Iriawan of the National Police was elected on Saturday as the new chief of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) for 2019-2023, making him the first police general to lead the country's soccer association.

Antara, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – A police general was elected chairman of the Indonesian Football Federation, or PSSI, in a heated "extraordinary congress" at a Jakarta hotel, where eight of 11 candidates walked out before voting on Saturday.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – State Administrative Law expert Bivitri Susanti expressed her disappointment when President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo stated that he is reluctant to issue Government Regulation in Lieu of A Law concerning the Corruption Eradication Commission (Perppu KPK).

Farid Firdaus, Jakarta – The central bank has assured businesses that it is committed to deploying all monetary and macroprudential instruments at its disposal to maintain growth in the Indonesian economy, assuaging concerns that the country may slump next year due to recessions expected in some developed economies.

Jakarta – Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko has asserted that the government is not hampering firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab from returning home to Indonesia from his self-exile in Saudi Arabia, adding that he was free to 'go home' if he wanted to.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – Sluggish car sales throughout the year coupled with weakening commodity prices have taken a toll on diversified conglomerate PT Astra International.

The publicly listed company's profit was down 7 percent year-on-year (yoy) to Rp 15.87 trillion (US$1.14 billion) in the January to September period of this year.

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano and Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inaugurated on Friday Gen. Idham Azis as the new National Police chief, replacing Tito Karnavian who has been tapped to lead the Home Ministry.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia posted a $122.42 million profit in the third quarter, in a strong comeback from its $114.08 million loss in the same period last year, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

Riska Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a slight increase in consumer prices in October as lower foodstuff prices offset hikes in those of food and beverages, cigarettes and tobacco, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) announced on Friday.

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has indicted Tubagus "Wawan" Chaeri Wardana, the younger brother of former Banten governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, accusing him of accepting illicit payments amounting to more than Rp 1.7 trillion (US$120 million) in relation to projects in the province between 2005 and 2012.

Karlis Salna – Indonesia's national dish of nasi goreng, or fried rice, has become a lot cheaper these days as the nation's two big ride-hailing apps wage a price war on everyday groceries.

Linda Yulisman and Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – The state of emergency imposed on the Indonesian province of Riau following the recent bout of forest and land fires and haze has been lifted.

Ahmad Supardi, Bengkulu – Hearings in a lawsuit filed by residents over a newly built Chinese-funded coal-fired power plant in Sumatra have revealed a litany of irregularities behind the permit that allowed it to go ahead.

An Indonesian man working for an organisation that helped draft strict religious laws has been publicly whipped himself after he was caught having an affair with a married woman.

Flogging is a common punishment for a range of offences in the deeply conservative Aceh region on Sumatra island, including adultery, drinking alcohol, and having gay or premarital sex.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – A move to have Indonesia revert back to the 1945 Constitution, which would end the current practice of people directly electing a president, appears to be growing in momentum with the top four political parties in the legislative election held earlier this year voicing support for amendments which would shift the centre of power back to Parliament.

Elle Hunt – At Karet Bivak cemetery in Jakarta, the neat rows of headstones extend as far as the eye can see, seeming to sprout into skyscrapers at the horizon.

Fikri Arigi, Jakarta – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan commented on the National Police's claiming there had been significant improvement in their investigation into his acid attack.

Carlos K.Y. Paath, Jakarta – Idham Azis rose to become a police general after being sworn in as the new National Police chief on Friday, with predecessor Tito Karnavian warning him of tough days ahead.

Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – The minimum wage in Jakarta has been raised to Rp 4.26 million, or $303, per month for 2020, an increase of 8.51 percent from the current minimum wage, Governor Anies Baswedan announced on Friday.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati appointed on Friday her expert assistant Suryo Utomo as the new tax director-general, tasking him to make sure the country meets this year's revenue target, completes a brace of tax law revisions and continues reforming the tax office.

Jakarta – A member of the Aceh Ulema Council (MPU), which oversees the implementation of sharia in the province, was publicly caned in Banda Aceh after he was caught alone with a woman who was not his wife.