Antara, Jakarta – Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno has proposed office daycare facilities amid controversy over extended maternity leave policies. The new law mandates up to six months of maternity leave, up from three months previously, raising concerns among employers about workforce productivity and women's employment.

Zulkiflie, Probolinggo – The rate of early marriages in Probolinggo Regency, East Java, remains notably high. According to data from the Kraksaan Religious Court, approximately 189 children applied for marriage dispensations between January and May 2024.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia braces for the Flash Thunder Iron 2024-Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) between its navy's elite Frogmen Command (Kopaska) personnel and the United States Navy SEALs.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian food distribution state-owned corporation Bulog claimed to have been the victim of "marking up" allegations on rice imports from Vietnam, which was reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Antara, Jakarta – The population of Sumatran tigers in the Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS), which spans four provinces including Bengkulu, South Sumatra, Jambi, and West Sumatra, is estimated to be above 150 tigers, according to an official.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian state-owned port operation company PT Pelabuhan Indonesia or Pelindo is expanding autogate implementation at 29 ports across the country by 2024 to prevent illegal levies.

"Gate automation will shift the payment system from case to cashless," said Pelindo Managing Director Putut Sri Muljanto in Jakarta, on Sunday, July 7, 2024.

Antara, Jakarta – Head of Indonesia's National Population and Family Planning Agency or BKKBN, Hasto Wardoyo, sought to clarify his previous statement about each woman having one daughter, which was misinterpreted and sparked a stir.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – The state logistics agency Bulog recently said they would prioritize domestically produced rice despite the planned imports of the staple food.

Bulog's head Bayu Krisnamurti said that the import would take place in phases while taking into account the country's rice production and consumption, among others.

Syakirun Ni'am, Icha Rastika, Jakarta – Protesters called for free schooling and criticised the high cost of education during a healthy walk event on Car Free Day (CFD) in the Thamrin area of Central Jakarta on Sunday July 7.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the budget for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) project and Prabowo's free nutritious meals is safe even for the next five years.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – Kaesang Pangarep has a better chance of winning the governorship in Central Java, where his father, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, has a strong support base, than if he contests in Jakarta, an analyst said recently.

Kaesang, 29, entered politics just last year when he joined the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and was soon appointed chairman.

Herman, Jakarta – A document containing usernames and passwords for accessing virtual cloud data at the Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) 2, which was hacked on June 20, has surfaced online. The password used by the PDNS 2 administrator was alarmingly weak and easily guessable: "Admin#1234."

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan stated that the government's proposal to impose a 200 percent import tariff is not specifically targeting China. He noted that the policy is still under thorough review to ensure it aligns with the needs of domestic industries and international trade norms.

Singapore – There is a risk in the near term of "violent splinter cells" emerging from the dissolution of terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday (Jul 6).

The longer-term impact of the dissolution remains to be seen, MHA said in response to CNA's query.

Semarang – The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) comprises three branches: the Indonesian Army (TNI AD), Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), and Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU). Recently, there has been growing discourse on the need for a fourth branch: a dedicated cyber military force.

Denpasar – An Indonesian court sentenced an Australian man to six months of medical rehabilitation Thursday after finding him guilty of possessing methamphetamine on the tourist island of Bali.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office has launched a criminal investigation into the alleged illegal production of minted gold bars totaling 109 tons over more than a decade at state-owned gold miner Aneka Tambang (Antam).

Maria Gabrielle Putrinda, Jakarta – Law authorities have recovered nearly 1 million square meters of land and buildings from individuals and corporations who took massive debts from the government during the 1998 financial crisis but failed to repay.

Antara, Jakarta – The Trade Ministry announced it will study the potential implementation of two types of import duties to protect the textile and ceramic industries.

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan revealed that the two types of import duties are the Safeguard Duty (BMTP) and the Anti-Dumping Duty.

Duncan Graham – Indonesian politicians are getting in a righteous tizzy over child protection. Their target is online pornography and gambling, and their condemnation is absolute. Curiously absent is another kiddy-harming vice that reportedly takes more than 200,000 lives a year.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi asked regions across Indonesia to send surplus food to Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan in support of the new capital project as a center of economic growth.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Former Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo claimed on Friday that he has been targeted in a smear campaign as he presented his defense plea after prosecutors recommended a 12-year prison sentence for alleged corruption while in office.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – West Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Suharyono has stirred widespread controversy amid pressure for the force to be transparent regarding the suspicious death of a boy in Padang, who allegedly was beaten to death by officers.

Jakarta – General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Hasyim Asy'ari may have had his comeuppance when an ethics board ordered his removal for sexual harassment this week, but not before he managed to destroy whatever was left of the election body's reputation in a year of accusations that it was conspiring with the state to advance powerful politicians' dynastic ambitions.

Bangkok, Thailand – More than 700,000 hectares of forest in Indonesia have been cleared for mining since 2001, including large tracts of primary forest, a new analysis using satellite data has found.

Denpasar, Bali – Conservationist Nyoman Sugiarto has been working for 16 years to preserve coral on the reefs of Bali, but the frequency of mass coral bleachings he says is now devastating.

Ninety percent of the corals Nyoman had nurtured on the reefs near his village in Bondalem, in northern shore of Bali, lost their colour last December.

Jakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) has declared support for Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution and his bid in the North Sumatra gubernatorial election, becoming the latest political party to back the son-in-law of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in the November regional head race.

Amy Sood – Ferdy Susanto, a 23-year-old tech graduate in Indonesia, is feeling down on his luck. He has applied for at least 20 jobs in the past year but has yet to land one.

"It is very competitive ... there are so many applicants but not enough positions," Ferdy told This Week in Asia.

Desty Luthfiani, Jakarta – The Jakarta Environmental Agency has launched a new digital platform to empower residents with real-time air quality information. The platform, accessible at udara.jakarta.go.id, provides data from 31 air quality monitoring stations across the city.

Antara, Jakarta – The Minister of State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform, Abdullah Azwar Anas, said that the government has established a special formation for civil servant candidates (CPNS) to be posted in the new capital, Nusantara.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Coalition of Communities Concerned with Women's Representation (KMPKP) urges the General Election Commission (KPU) to immediately form guidelines for handling gender-based violence. Especially in the face of the 2024 elections after the dismissal of KPU Chairperson Hasyim Asy'ari.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati revealed an increase in state assets, reaching Rp13,072.8 trillion by the end of 2023. This represents a growth compared to Rp12,325.45 trillion at the close of 2022.

Laila Afifa, Jakarta – Violence by police officers and military personnel continues. They have become increasingly sadistic in the way they deal with problems in the field. They torture people to death, even if they are still in their youth.

RSF is urging Indonesian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into a recent house fire that claimed the lives of a journalist and his family, amid serious suspicions that the disaster may be a criminal act in retribution for his investigations into an illegal gambling network.

New York – Indonesian authorities must conduct an independent and credible investigation into the house fire that killed journalist Sempurna Pasaribu, determine if the blaze was sparked in retaliation for his news reporting, and bring any perpetrators to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday.

Antara, Palembang – The South Sumatra Provincial Government is looking for a new investor for its $2.3 billion (Rp 37.5 trillion) coal downstream project in Muara Enim after the withdrawal of US investor Air Products. Acting Governor Elen Setiadi confirmed this in Palembang on Friday.

Antara, Jakarta – The Jakarta Provincial Government aims to finalize regulations limiting private vehicle usage and vehicle age in the city by year-end.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The Indonesian Retailers and Shopping Mall Lessees Association (Hippindo) has voiced concerns over the government's plan to impose a 200 percent import tariff on Chinese goods, arguing it fails to address rampant illegal and bulk imports.

On 30 June 2024, military members allegedly arrested Mr Atinus Kum (see photo on top), a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), in the Intan Jaya Regency, Papua Tengah Province. According to the information received, Mr Kum was unarmed and on the way to the town to buy some necessities. The military members reportedly tortured and executed Mr Kum.

The 6th July marks 26 years since the Biak Massacre when the Indonesian security forces massacred scores of people in Biak, West Papua. The victims, included women and children who had gathered for a peaceful rally. They were killed at the base of a water tower flying the Morning Star flag.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) has confirmed that the 2024 regional elections will proceed as planned despite the dismissal of Hasyim Asy'ari from his position as KPU chairman.

Makassar – Police have admitted to seizing Free Papua Organisation (OPM) flags from a Papua student dormitory in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"We have conducted a seizure of Morning Star flags at the dormitory", said Makassar Metropolitan District Police Chief (Kapolrestabes) Senior Commissioner Mokhamad Ngajib when sought for confirmation on Friday July 5.

On 14 June 2024, Mr Pilemon Gobai, 42, was unlawfully killed, and Mr Melkias Yatipai,47, a tribal leader, sustained a bullet injury on the left heel as security force members raided the area around the Odiyai Village.

Andika Dwi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is gearing up for Super Garuda Shield 2024, a large-scale multi-country military exercise scheduled from August 26 to September 5, 2024.

Antara, Jakarta – The government's plan to address the shortage of medical professionals by bringing in foreign doctors has ignited controversy. Professor Budi Santoso, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Airlangga University (Unair) in Surabaya, Indonesia, was recently dismissed for publicly opposing the policy.

Afron Mandala Putra, Jakarta – Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) confirmed that it has attempted to use the decryption key provided by the Brain Cipher ransomware group to unlock access to the compromised Temporary National Data Center (PDNS).

Laila Afifa, Jakarta – Mistakes with government import regulations continue to claim victims. After many textile companies collapsed as a result of a shortage of raw materials, now it is the turn of airlines, which are having to limit their operations because they are unable to import aircraft spare parts.

Antara, Malang – A Malaysian national is alleged to be the mastermind behind a synthetic drug factory in Malang, East Java. The case, unveiled by the Narcotics Crime Directorate of the Indonesian National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), is the largest of its kind in Indonesia.

Muawwan Daelami, Jakarta – The State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Ministry, as the majority shareholder of local carrier Garuda Indonesia (GIAA), is proceeding with plans to merge Garuda and Pelita Air Service, a subsidiary of the state-owned energy company Pertamina, into the tourism holding company Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia, also known as InJourney.

Bella Evanglista, Jakarta – Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the Director General of Informatics Applications at the Communications and Informatics Ministry, resigned from his position in the wake of the breach of the Temporary National Data Center (PDNS) 2.