BeritaSatu, Tangerang – The government is assuming management responsibility for all schools under the Al Zaytun foundation after its founder and leader, Panji Gumilang, was named a blasphemy suspect.

Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said on Saturday that the takeover primarily pertains to the education system and does not include the foundation's assets.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif said the government targeted Masela Block to start its operation in December 2029 at the latest. Previously on July 25, 2023, Pertamina and Petronas have taken over Masela Block from Shell.

Ananda Bintang Purwaramdhona, Jakarta – The wife of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Iriana Jokowi, reportedly would be granted the Bintang RI Adipradana award, as stated by Chairman of the Board of Honors (GTK) Mahfud MD.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif said the country needs a total investment of up to US$1 trillion by 2060 in order to transition into a country of new and renewable energy. Therefore, Arifin opens wide investment opportunities and cooperation with international partners.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Chairman of Papua's Commission on Human Rights Frits Ramandey said that the leader of OPM (Free Papua Movement) Egianus Kogoya has guaranteed the safety of Susi Air Pilot Captain Phillips Max Mehrtens during the hostage situation. The captain has been held hostage by OPM for eight months from February this year.

A new documentary and human rights report have documented savage attacks in 2021 by Indonesian security forces on a remote West Papuan village close to the Papua New Guinea border as part of an ongoing crackdown against growing calls for independence.

Abdul Rahman Yaacob – Indonesia is strategically located in Southeast Asia, with a vast archipelago stretching between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Its location makes it a critical maritime hub, connecting major shipping routes between Europe, East Asia and Australia.

John Martinkus – As anyone who has ever visited West Papua knows, you can barely leave the airport before someone starts talking about independence.

It could be the guy at customs, the cab driver, the bloke who sells you a coffee.

Thresa Sandra Desfika, Jakarta – Indonesia's national flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia (GIAA), has reported a reduced net loss of $76.4 million as of June 30, marking a 30.6 percent improvement from the $110 million loss recorded in the first quarter of the year.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo made it clear on Friday that he had no part in a legal initiative aimed at reducing the minimum age requirement for a presidential candidate and running mate to 35 years and asserted that he would not interfere in any way with the proceedings at the Constitutional Court.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Aid has been arriving in Central Papua's mountainous Puncak regency to help residents endure the effects of months of drought, but bad weather and limited infrastructure have held back distribution efforts.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has joined forces with a consortium led by South Korean multinational electronics company LG to fast-track the establishment of a factory for manufacturing electric vehicle (EV) battery cells and associated facilities, entailing a substantial investment of $9.8 billion.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – Homegrown online delivery company Anteraja, which saw a significant drop in revenue in the first half of the year, has placed the blame squarely on e-commerce firms for causing a decline in demand for delivery services by increasing the take rates they collected from merchant sales.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has pointed out that there is no need to rush the opening of the Greater Jakarta light rail transit (LRT) system to the general public, citing that safety must be a priority.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – The government has pointed to high airfares as one reason for the sluggish recovery of the tourist industry from the pandemic-induced downturn.

Jakarta – The principle of "free and active" foreign policy has been at the core of Indonesia's political ethos since the country's earliest days, although there have been ups and downs in its implementation as geopolitical and economic realities have changed.

Jakarta – Mining giant Freeport has obtained a license to ship copper concentrate from its Indonesian operation until May 2024, but may contest new government rules on export duties.

Jakarta – Following the discovery of several issues with Indonesia's Greater Jakarta Light Rail Transit (LRT), the launch of the long-awaited megaproject has been pushed back to the end of the month, with authorities citing the need to prioritise safety.

The LRT was supposed to be launched on Aug 18, after many prior delays.

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama – Recently, Project Multatuli, an independent media organization in Indonesia, published a detailed report examining the conditions faced by Indonesian and Chinese workers at nickel processing plants owned by the Chinese firm Jiangsu Delong, including PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (PT GNI) and PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry in Sulawesi.

Jakarta – Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) President Said Iqbal is furious with a member of Anies Baswedan's Team 8 election campaign team, Sudirman Said, for meddling (mengobok-obok – to ruin, upset, tip over, turn upside down) in the KSPI.

Iqbal claims to have received a report from his members about Sudirman disrupting the KSPI.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Foreigners are required to show only a passport to buy a house or residential unit in Indonesia, but the number of foreign homeownership is still incredibly low, a government official said on Thursday.

Stevani Wijaya, Jakarta – Counter-terrorism squad Detachment 88 has arrested two suspected militants wanted for their role in last year's suicide bombing attack at a police station in Bandung, West Java, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi responded to the statement voiced by Deputy SOE Minister Kartika Wirjoatmodjo that the LRT Jabodebek's curved long-span bridge connecting Jalan Gatot Subroto and Kuningan is poorly designed.

Samira Homerang Saunders – Since the colonial era, West Papuans have been engaged in a long struggle for their independence and freedom from outside rule, first as a Dutch colony, and then, in a rather complex and underhanded turn of events, as an indigenous land occupied by Indonesia.

Jakarta – A number of activists have had to have dealings with the police or been ensnared by the law after criticising the government. Most recently, academic Rocky Gerung was reported to the police over his statement referring to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as a stupid bastard (bajingan tolol).

Ima Dini Shafira, Jakarta – Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto responded to a petition against the Election Law regarding the age limit of presidential and vice presidential candidates at the Constitutional Court. He opined that age is not the key factor to see one's leadership capability.

Whisnu Pradana, Cimahi – A procession of Workers from Greater Bandung who are holding a long-march from the West Java governor's office in Bandung city to Jakarta arrived at the Cimahi city Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on Thursday August 3.

Jayapura, Jubi – Three Papuan students from Mataram University were banned from taking photos and escorted off the campus area after they were spotted holding the Morning Star posters at the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Law in Mataram City, West Nusa Tenggara Province.

Ardila Syakriah, Bandung – They started as flood victims, now they are touted as local heroes for cleaning up the rivers and beaches of Indonesia's third largest city Bandung in West Java, amassing over 9 million followers on TikTok and Instagram in the process and influencing others across the country to join the fight against pollution.

Elitos said that they want to urge the government to revoke the Omnibus Law on Job Creation (UU Ciptaker) and several other regulations that do not side with the people.

Jakarta – The government lacks neither enthusiasm nor effort when it comes to drawing global carmakers' attention to Indonesia's dream of becoming an electric vehicle (EV) hub. But that is about it, so far.

Jakarta – Vice President Ma'ruf Amin convened on Wednesday an emergency meeting at his private residence in Central Jakarta to discuss the monthslong drought in Papua, which has claimed six lives so far.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Jakarta is expected to see a series of festive celebrations for the 78th Indonesian Independence Day, which falls on Aug. 17, marking the first time since the country was hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, and possibly the last time before the capital moves to the new capital of Nusantara in East Kalimantan.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – A lawmaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has expressed support for the extension of Nicke Widyawati's role as the president director of state-owned oil company Pertamina, amid reports of the government's consideration of a replacement.

Jakarta – The government has recently reviewed the results of the 2022 technical contract-based government workers recruitment.

Antara, Jakarta – The government planned to build food estate in Puncak District, Central Papua, in an effort to anticipate famine caused by drought and periodic frost phenomena in the region.

Ilham Octafian, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police said Thursday they have concluded the investigation into the alleged child molestation case against Mario Dandy and handed the documents to prosecutors, adding the legal troubles for the young man who is currently being tried for aggravated assault.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The E-commerce Logistics Entrepreneurs Association (APLE) chairperson Sonny Harsono rejected the planned revision of Trade Minister's Regulation (Permendag) No. 50/2020, which will prohibit importers from selling goods less than US$100 or Rp1.5 million per unit in the marketplace.

Antara, Jakarta – The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Bogor Regency, West Java, dispatched 10,000 liters of clean water to deal with drought in the Puncak area, particularly Kopo Village, Cisarua.

The island that comprises Papua New Guinea and Indonesian ruled West Papua, is the largest island in the Pacific, with some of the widest cultural and linguistic diversity, biodiversity, and home to some of the largest mineral deposits in the world such as copper and gold.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore/Jakarta – Indonesian officials have revealed Australian cattle with lumpy-skin disease (LSD) showed symptoms before being unloaded from ships in Jakarta, heightening their suspicion over where they were infected.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – Uncontrolled burning of plastic waste on Indonesian beaches has given rise to plastic-rock hybrids that deposit in and may pollute coastal ecosystems and fisheries, a new study has found.

Yamin Kogoya – An Indonesian court has held a hearing to consider whether the ailing suspended Papua Governor, Lukas Enembe, is well enough to go on trial for the allegations of bribery and gratification that he is facing.

Jakarta – Under its current leadership, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been subject to its fair share of criticism, but still it deserves the public's support when its efforts to enforce the law are met with resistance, even bullying, from a powerful institution.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Indonesia saw inflation continue to drop in July, moving even closer to dropping below 3 percent, the lower bound of the central bank's target.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Adelia Stevina, Jakarta – The National Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (Bareskrim Polri) for General Crimes has officially declared the founder of the Al Zaytun Islamic boarding school (pesantren) Panji Gumilang as a suspect on charges of blasphemy, hate speech and the dissemination of fake news.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – The Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority has revealed its vision for ecotourism in the new city, embracing a sustainable urban forest concept.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday met her Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis to pursue a speedy process in the ratification of a bilateral investment pact as soon as this year.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday revealed suspicions that former tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo allegedly engaged in money laundering through investments in state-owned companies Garuda Indonesia and Pos Indonesia during his time in office.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – Recent developments in the investigation of a corruption case that has been blamed for contributing to a domestic cooking oil shortage last year has led to Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto being questioned by the Attorney General's Office (AGO).