Jakarta – Responding to a claim by the separatist West National Liberation Army (TPNPB) that aerial bombing had occurred in an area where New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens was taken hostage, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said it had deployed only flyby operations in Nduga regency.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed that the monthly inflation rate reached 0.52 percent in March. The year-on-year (YoY) inflation stood at 3.05 percent, with a year-to-date (YTD) inflation rate of 0.93 percent.

Yustinus Paat & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court has summoned four ministers from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's cabinet to deliver testimonies in the election dispute trial, as requested by defeated presidential candidates, a spokesperson said on Monday.

David Robie – On my office wall hangs a framed portrait of Shireen Abu Akleh, the inspiring and celebrated American-Palestinian journalist known across the Middle East to watchers of Al Jazeera Arabic, who was assassinated by an Israeli military sniper with impunity.

State murder

Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) confirmed a surge in the number of foreign tourist visits in February 2024. Indonesia saw 890,864 arrivals through its main entry points and 145,173 arrivals through its borders.

Antara, Jakarta – The Financial Services Authority (OJK) announced on Sunday that the banking credit relaxation stimulus, which was provided to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has ended on March 31, 2024.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – The Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) has urged the National Awakening Party (PKB) to gracefully accept the results of the 2024 Presidential Election.

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is one of the largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia. PKB, on the other hand, is a political party that originated from NU.

Antara, Jakarta – The General Election Commission (KPU) is gearing up to oversee simultaneous regional elections across Indonesia in November, spanning 37 provinces and 508 regencies/cities.

Jakarta – Batam's Batu Ampar port recently launched its first direct shipment to China, thus potentially slashing logistic costs.

Endy Bayuni, Jakarta – When it comes to integrity, the February general election is billed as the worst Indonesia has held in the 25 years since the nation launched the Reform era to put us on the road to democracy. The path has not always been smooth, but what happened this year reinforces the notion that democracy is backsliding.

Beijing – Indonesia's president-elect Prabowo Subianto visited Beijing on Monday on his first foreign trip since his election, and was quoted by Chinese state media as telling President Xi Jinping he aimed to continue the close ties under predecessor Joko Widodo.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – Former high-ranking customs official Andhi Pramono was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday after the court found him guilty of corruption.

Sharon Muller – On Friday March 22, a video circulated of TNI (Indonesian military) soldiers torturing of a civilian in Papua. In the video, the victim is submerged in a drum filled with water with his hands tied behind his back. The victim was alternately beaten and kicked by the TNI members. The victim's back was also slashed with a knife.

Jakarta – The Labour Movement with the People (GEBRAK) says that the 2024 elections were the worst democratic process that has occurred since the era of reformasi – the political reform process that began in 1998.

Jakarta – Gajah Mada University (UGM) Center for Legal and Social Justice Studies (LSJ) together with lecturers and researchers from the faculty of law have put themselves forward as an amicus curiae or friend of the court in cases of General Election Result Disputes (PHPU) in the 2024 presidential election at the Constitutional Court (MK).

Candra Kurnia, Jakarta – State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina forecasts a 20 to 25 percent increase in fuel consumption during the 2024 Eid al-Fitr holiday as compared to normal days.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – A series of explosions and an ensuing fire at a military ammunition depot in West Java over the weekend have raised safety questions regarding the stockpiling of expired munitions, following a similar incident at a police warehouse in East Java in March.

Alfina Sekar, Jakarta – Jakarta will stay the nation's economic center even after the city of Nusantara is granted national capital status, a recently passed law says, alongside provisions that call for Jakarta to become a "global city" and require its leaders to be directly elected.

Herman, Jakarta – The government will soon repay Rp 474.8 billion (nearly $30 million) debt it took from cooking oil producers who were asked to obey the ceiling price two years ago, Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan confirmed on Saturday.

Sentani, Jubi – Rev. Benny Giay, the Moderator of the Papuan Church Council, has emphasized the need of a third party to investigate various cases of violence involving security forces in Papua. This third party should examine all related facts and information, including allegations that the victims were members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB).

Jakarta (Agencies) – Multiple explosions ripped through an Indonesian Army's ammunition warehouse in Ciangsana, Bogor regency, West Java, on Saturday night, sending flames and smoke into the night sky. No casualties were immediately reported.

The first explosion was heard at around 6 p.m. at a depot used to store expired ammo inside a military complex.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin urges people to maintain their health and immunity amid the spread of infection of several influenza variants in Indonesia, including Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) also known as Singapore Flu.

Antara, Yogyakarta – Indonesia officially commenced the preparations for simultaneous gubernatorial, mayoral, and regent elections on Sunday evening, following the Feb. 14 general elections for the president and legislative members at district, provincial, and national levels.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Three Indonesian badminton players have been banned for life, and five others have been suspended for varying periods, after being found guilty of match-fixing, bribery, and/or betting by the sport's governing body.

Jayapura – Papuan students in various cities around Indonesia along with humanitarian solidarity groups including the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) are demanding that the state be held accountable for cases of torture and violence against civilians by TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) officers against the people of the land of Papua.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The government continues to push for mandatory biodiesel usage, which has now reached B-35 and is being tested for B-40. The domestic biodiesel sales in 2023 amounted to 12.2 million kiloliters (KL).

Novie Fauziah & Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Harvey Moeis, the husband of actress Sandra Dewi, has been identified as a suspect by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) in connection with corruption allegations related to tin trading permits issued to the state-owned company Timah.

Jakarta – After 53 years, Christians in Indonesia can finally celebrate Good Friday consistent with their theology. Starting this year, the state no longer applies the term Isa Al-Masih (Messiah), which is borrowed from Islamic tradition, and has instead switched to using the words Jesus Christ when referring to Christianity's most central figure.

Jakarta – A number of senior members in the cabinet of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, including some ministers backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) failed to show up on Thursday during an iftar dinner held at the Presidential Palace.

Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) projects that the financial turnover during the 2024 Eid al-Fitr holiday period will reach Rp 157.3 trillion ($9.92 billion) with over 190 million people expected to travel for Eid homecoming.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, along with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, invited the Ministers of the Indonesian Cabinet to break the fast together (iftar) at the State Palace on Thursday.

Jakarta – The legal team of Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto told the Constitutional Court on Thursday (March 28) that the state had not interfered in last month's election, and a case brought by his opponents to disqualify him should be thrown out.

Resty Woro Yuniar – Indonesia is investigating human trafficking allegations involving more than a thousand university students ensnared in a bogus internship programme in Germany in a case that highlights the vulnerability of the country's youth to exploitation.

Ronny Kareni – Since the atrocious footage of the suffering of an indigenous Papuan man reverberates in the heart of Puncak by the brute force of Indonesia's army in early February, shocking tactics deployed by those in power to silence critics has been unfolding.

Zach Hope and Karuni Rompies – Indonesia has suspended live cattle imports from a Darwin export yard while authorities investigate how more than 150 animals died this month on a transport ship.

Jakarta – Every five years, there is political horse-trading in Indonesia. The practice of bargaining for cabinet posts takes place between the parties and the presidential candidate that the General Election Commission (KPU) has declared the winner of the election.

Victoria Milko, Jakarta, Indonesia – Roads turned to murky brown rivers, homes were swept away by strong currents and bodies were pulled from mud during deadly flash floods and landslides after torrential rains hit West Sumatra in early March, marking one of the latest deadly natural disasters in Indonesia.

In Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World, author David Van Reybrouck reveals a fascinating history of resistance in the southeast Asian country, writes Simon Basketter.

Sella Rizky, Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto extended his appreciation to the Golkar Party, a crucial ally in the coalition supporting his presidential candidacy, during a visit to the party's headquarters in West Jakarta on Friday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Australia sees enhancing people-to-people ties as crucial to forging stronger relations with Indonesia.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo revealed on Thursday the government's plan to increase its stake in mining giant Freeport Indonesia to 61 percent.

The Indonesian government currently holds a 51 percent stake in Freeport following years of negotiations initiated by the Jokowi government in order to get a fair deal with the gold and copper miner.

Singapore – Investor interest in Indonesia's proposed new capital Nusantara has been renewed, following official results that confirmed Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto will be the country's next president.

Vinnilya, Jakarta – Senior economist Chatib Basri said that the ministries as well as sub-national governments need to work together when it comes to the Job Creation Law, arguing that many regulations are still overlapping with one another.

Anisa Fauziah, Jakarta – A member of the task force that is in charge of promoting the Job Creation Law recently claimed that domestic workers were actually the ones who benefited the most from the so-called omnibus law.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – Indonesia has seen a significant increase in cases of dengue fever and deaths from the illness as the El Nino weather phenomenon causes a warmer rainy season across the country.

The Health Ministry recorded some 35,500 dengue cases nationwide from the beginning of January to March 18, with 290 deaths.

Jakarta – Seven members of the Kuala Lumpur PPLN are proven to have inflated the number of voters for the 2024 elections. This should open the door to investigating other frauds.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – The Presidential Palace emphasized that the government of President Joko Widodo or Jokowi is not a party involved in the ongoing presidential election dispute at the Constitutional Court (MK). The President's Special Staff for Legal Affairs, Dini Purwono, suggested that the public follow the legal process.

Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto said on Wednesday that once he is in office he will make an effort to display paintings by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the new presidential palace.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia remains attractive for foreign investors to invest in government projects amid the government's leadership transition, Antara news agency cited a Grant Thornton Indonesia report on Indonesia's economic prospects in 2024.

Kafil Yamin – Concerned about election irregularities, academics are stepping up criticism of last month's poll which saw Minister of Defence Prabowo Subianto declared the country's president-elect on 20 March. Prabowo is to take over from outgoing President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, in October, after a transition period.