Jakarta – It has only been a year since the world was declared free from the COVID-19 pandemic. But the celebration proved to be short-lived, as we are now facing another emergency health status from monkey pox, or mpox.

While many countries are downsizing their military forces, Indonesia is going in the opposite direction. The military is expanding, particularly in terms of personnel. This growth is largely driven by the current administration's shift away from post-1998 military reforms, resulting in the military's increased presence in economic, political and social spheres.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – Just days before Pope Francis' apostolic trip to the Asia-Pacific region, with a stop in Indonesia (the world's most populous Muslim nation), Jakarta yesterday was the scene of violent protests over "nepotistic policies" and "familist" conception of power of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Jakarta – Protesters gathered outside Jakarta's Parliament complex for the second day on Aug 23, keeping up the pressure on lawmakers who have promised to scrap a controversial Bill to block candidates not backed by President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto from participating in regional elections come November.

Joko Laksono, Boyolali – Mount Merapi, situated on the border between Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY), released 18 pyroclastic flows early this morning, moving southwest towards Bebeng River with a maximum runout distance of 1,800 meters.

Theressia Silalahi, Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) has officially thrown its support behind President-elect Prabowo Subianto and his vice president, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, despite previously backing Anies Baswedan in the 2024 Presidential Election. PKB's chairman, Muhaimin Iskandar, was Anies' running mate during the campaign.

President elect Prabowo Subianto took the opportunity recently to mention the crisis that occurred in 1998. Prabowo said that the government, which was then led by former president Suharto, was in fact already on the right track.

Nirmala Maulana Achmad, Diamanty Meiliana, Jakarta – President elect Prabowo Subianto says it's not a problem that he is often condemned and vilified. Prabowo said that he was once accused of committing makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) and planning a coup d'etat. He has also been accused of violating human rights.

Jakarta – Protesters from a number of different social organisations held demonstrations in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Thursday August 22 to protest proposed revisions to the Regional Elections Law (UU Pilkada).

Ary Hermawan – The large-scale rally by Indonesia's pro-democracy activists to prevent the passing of a piece of legislation aimed at stifling electoral competition and cementing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's political dynasty is proof that grassroots forces are alive and well.

Resty Woro Yuniar – The nationwide protests in Indonesia over proposed changes to the election law are seen by analysts as a reflection of public outrage over President Joko Widodo's attempts to entrench his political influence and his family's lavish lifestyle.

Responding to the excessive use of force against peaceful protesters by the Indonesian police yesterday, Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesia's Executive Director, said:

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) condemned police brutality while dispersing protests against the Regional Head Election Law revision by the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday. Komnas HAM believed the deployed military personnel used excessive force against protesters.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Deputy House Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad of the House of Representatives (DPR) could not guarantee the regulation for age requirements of regional candidates in the upcoming regional head election. According to Dasco, the age requirements will be ruled under the General Elections Commission Regulation (PKPU).

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to establish the first nuclear power plant (PLTN) in the country by 2032. Greenpeace Indonesia reminds the government of its risk against the Indonesian people, including past explosions, which still looms over the potential of nuclear power plant development in Indonesia.

Jihan Ristiyanti, Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Students are seen holding another protest in front of the House of Representatives or DPR main gate today, Friday, August 23, 2024. Some of the students wear the alma mater of Djuanda University in Bogor.

Bagus Pribadi, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch or ICW pushed the National Police to disclose its tear gas purchase documents allegedly worth Rp188.9 billion. "[The tear gas] is worth Rp188.9 billion that comes from citizens' tax money," said ICW Coordinator Wana Alamsyah on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – The office of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo hailed Thursday's nationwide protests as a powerful display of democratic rights, emphasizing the government's commitment to safeguarding freedom of expression.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest son of President Joko Widodo, has requested a criminal record check as part of the administrative requirements for the upcoming Central Java gubernatorial election, the South Jakarta District Court disclosed on Friday.

Novie Fauziah, Jakarta – Renowned singer and lawmaker Krisdayanti made a surprising announcement on Thursday evening, revealing her decision to withdraw from the mayoral race in Batu, East Java, despite being officially endorsed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Jakarta – The integrity of November's regional elections is being undermined once again, this time by a massive identity theft scandal, which the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) have been quick to dismiss.

Jakarta – A Jakarta court ordered two local companies to pay up to Rp 60 million ($3,850) to each family whose children died of an acute kidney injury or were seriously injured after consuming toxic cough syrup.

More than 200 children died of the injury and about 120 more survived, some of whom lived with disabilities which led to financial hardships for their parents.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Lawmakers scrapped a controversial plan to change election rules, a House of Representatives official announced Thursday, after thousands rallied in the capital over a move seen to help the outgoing president build a political dynasty.

Jakarta – Chairman of the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Yahya Cholil Staquf, on Thursday held a meeting with outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Presidential Palace to discuss the outfit's plan to invest in the mining industry.

Raden Putri Alpadillah Ginanjar, Jakarta – Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest son of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, and his wife Erina Gudono have faced significant backlash from Indonesian social media users for their lavish trip to the United States while massive domestic protests against government policies are ongoing.

Chandra Asmara, Soraya Permatasari and Adrian Kennedy – It took little more than 24 hours for Indonesian protesters to end a power grab by the nation's elite, showing the depth of anger at dynastic politics and democratic backsliding in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Resty Woro Yuniar – Indonesia's outgoing president Joko Widodo has found himself at the centre of a lawsuit after dozens of students were forced to remove their hijabs during Independence Day ceremonies to maintain uniformity of the country's prestigious flag-raising squad.

Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia has highlighted the excessive use of force by security forces during protests against the revision of the Regional Election Law at the Parliament Building in Senayan, Jakarta, and other regions.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – A total of 301 individuals were arrested during a protest at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Thursday, according to the Jakarta Metro Police. The demonstration, which involved damage to public facilities and acts of violence, led to widespread arrests across Central and West Jakarta by local police forces.

Antara, Jakarta – State logistics company Bulog recently reported that it had absorbed 800,000 tons of rice from local farmers so far this year as of Aug. 20.

Bulog's president director Bayu Krisnamurthi recently said that his agency could absorb over 900,000 tons of rice throughout 2024.

Indah Handayani, Jakarta 00 The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) closed higher on Friday, gaining 55.62 points, or 0.74 percent, to end at 7,544.2, as investor sentiment improved following the easing of domestic political concerns. This upward movement marked a recovery from the previous day's decline.

Thomas Rizal, Jakarta – The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) officially nominated former high-ranking police officer Ahmad Luthfi for the Central Java governorship on Friday, with Taj Yasin Maimoen as his running mate, putting to rest speculations that the president's son, Kaesang Pangarep, would be running in the provincial election.

The advocacy groups of the Catholic Church in Papua have urged the Indonesian government to protect civilians from violence in the predominantly Christian region.

The case of Papuan journalist Victor Mambor, who was the victim of a Molotov bomb attack in early 2023, continues to be a source of controversy and concern. Despite multiple attempts to seek justice, the perpetrators of the attack remain at large.

Jakarta – The son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), Kaesang Pangarep, has secured three letters of recommendation from the South Jakarta District Court, which he would have submitted as an administrative requirement to register his deputy gubernatorial candidate position in Central Java province.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have arrested 301 protesters involved in a rally against the Regional Elections Law amendment outside the House of Representatives compound, which ended in chaos on Thursday.

Among those arrested were Lokataru director Delpedro Marhaen and Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) legal assistant Iqbal Ramadhan.

Jakarta – The authorities have arrested a man from Melawi regency, West Kalimantan, for allegedly trafficking two orangutans for Rp 27 million (US$1,737).

Antara, Yogyakarta 00 The Agriculture Ministry is preparing 1.5 million hectares of land for dairy farming to back President-elect Prabowo Subianto's Free Meal Program, aimed at providing lunch and milk to students across Indonesia. This land allocation will support the import of 1.5 million dairy cows and ensure adequate milk production.

Ronny Kareni & Dennis Kuiai – West Papua, arguably a trust-territory, has been embroiled in a prolonged struggle for freedom from colonial oppression. Its indigenous right to self-determination has been denied and undermined by international inaction, negligence and complicity.

Ichsan Ali, Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has dismissed rumors suggesting that the government might issue a Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) regarding regional elections.

Riang Karunianidi – On Monday August 20, the Constitutional Court found in favour of a lawsuit submitted by the Labour Party and the Indonesian People's Wave Party (Gelora) on the Regional Elections Law (UU Pilkada). The court made two important rulings on the same day.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Jakarta – Police deploy tear gas at protestors in the Governor's Office and Central Java Legislative Council (DPRD) in Semarang City on Thursday, August 22, 2024. The protest in Semarang demands the Indonesian government and the House of Representatives (DPR) abide by the Constitutional Court's regional election ruling.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) fell by 43.3 points (0.57 percent) to 7,511.2 at the close of the first session on Thursday. The index fluctuated between 7,479 and 7,554, with most sectors showing declines, notably the transportation sector.

Amy Sood – A plan by Indonesia's parliament to override new election rules set by the top court has sparked outrage across the country as protesters gather in Jakarta and other cities to rally against what they perceive as President Joko Widodo's attempt to undermine democracy.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo let the public know on Wednesday that he has been following the ongoing social media conversations about alleged government interference in the upcoming gubernatorial elections.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo donned a yellow outfit as he attended the closing of the Golkar Party's national congress in Jakarta on Wednesday evening, explaining that he wanted to blend in with the host.

Jakarta (Agencies) – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Wednesday said he respected decisions of the country's institutions, amid a move by his allies in the House of Representatives to try to reverse a court decision that changed qualification criteria for regional elections.

Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesians flocked to key locations in Jakarta on Thursday (Aug 22) to protest a parliamentary decision that could have far-reaching impact on November's local elections and, observers have noted, the country's democracy.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The government has granted the country's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) the concession to manage 26,000 hectares of coal mine.

The government has allowed religious groups to manage mining concessions, and NU is among the organizations who already accepted the offer.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Parliament postponed ratifying changes to an elections law on Aug 22 amid protests in multiple cities, following outcry over legislation seen to strengthen the political influence of outgoing President Joko Widodo.