As people across West Papua mobilise in favour of the ULMWP gaining full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), Indonesia is ramping up its repression of peaceful activists.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Golkar Party will likely establish a new coalition to pave the way for chairman Airlangga Hartarto to run for the 2024 presidential election, an executive said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have continued to advocate for staggered working hours to alleviate Jakarta's perennial traffic woes, even after failing to convince workers and employers to alter their schedules last year.

Edward Gilbert Munthe, Medan – The Medan Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) has slammed a statement by Medan mayor and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's brother-in-law, Bobby Nasution, supporting criminals being shot dead.

Jayapura, Jubi – Jayapura will once again host the sixth edition of the Papua Film Festival (FFP VI), scheduled to take place from August 7-9, 2023. The festival's central theme, "Dari Kampung Kitong Cerita" (From Our Village, We Tell Our Stories), was determined by the Papuan Voices committee.

Enarotali, Jubi – Egianus Kogoya, one of the leaders of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has denied that he demanded a ransom of Rp 5 billion (US$329,000) for the release of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens. Kogoya made this statement in a video received by Jubi on Saturday, July 8, 2023.

A Chinese naval hospital ship is to call at Timor-Leste as part of a humanitarian mission in the Pacific.

Named Peace Ark, the vessel set sail last week from a port in Zhoushan, in east China's Zhejiang Province, the Global Times reports.

Jakarta – Indonesia's coast guard said on Tuesday it seized an Iranian-flagged supertanker suspected of involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil, and vowed to toughen maritime patrols.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, who has declared plans to run for president a third time, is gaining momentum seven months away from the vote, according to the latest survey.

Edna Tarigan and Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia's top diplomat warned Tuesday of the threat posed by nuclear weapons, saying that Southeast Asia is "one miscalculation away from apocalypse" and pressing for world powers to sign a treaty to keep the region free from such arms.

Amy Chew, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As Indonesia races to become a manufacturing hub for electric vehicle (EV) batteries on the back of its vast nickel reserves, safety issues at the country's mines are stoking labour unrest that could threaten to derail the burgeoning industry.

Indonesia, home to the largest tropical rainforest in Southeast Asia and over 17,500 islands, is a country packed with biodiversity and endangered species. However, scientists studying the region's species and ecosystems are getting banned from Indonesia, and conservation plans are being blocked.

Lucentezza Napitupulu and Smita Tanaya, Jakarta – The world depends on the ocean to meet increasing demands for food, income, energy and minerals and transportation. However, marine ecosystems face serious challenges from over-exploitation, extraction, pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – Indonesia will stand firm on its bans on mineral ore exports in order to boost its downstream industry, despite the International Monetary Fund calling on the country to reverse its policy, the government says.

Leiden – The Netherlands and Indonesia on Monday hailed the return of hundreds of cultural artifacts taken – sometimes by force – during colonial times as a major step forward in restitution efforts worldwide.

The items, ranging from valuable jewels to 13th-century temple carvings, were officially handed back to Indonesia at a ceremony at the Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – State-owned oil company Pertamina recently unveiled its plan to build a resort area as well as a research and development (R&D) center in Indonesia's new capital Nusantara.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – The government inaugurated Jababeka Movieland, a special zone designated for the film and television industry, in Cikarang, West Java, on Saturday.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said the zone would help boost the country's film and television industry, as well having a significant impact on the local economy and job creation.

Moh Khory Alfarizi, Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati commented on Indonesia's reclaimed upper-middle-income status as assigned by World Bank. She said that this is thanks to economic development.

M. Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – News portal Tempo.co won KASAD Award 2023 for Gender Mainstreaming and Combating Radicalism categories. Head of Redaction Anton Aprianto received the awards as a representative presented by the Deputy Chief of Police Commissioner General Agus Andrianto and Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives Meutya Hafid in A.H.

Antara, Jakarta – The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) has stated that prohibiting child marriage could help prevent stunting in children.

Wildan Noviansah, Jakarta – Information about a meeting of all-ASEAN Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activists in Jakarta this month has caused a commotion. The police are moving to check the truth of the news.

Church leaders have criticized Indonesian President Joko Widodo after he claimed conditions in Papua are '99 percent safe' despite the Christian-majority region being one of the country's most violence-ridden territories due to decades-old armed insurgency.

Papua New Guinea and Indonesia say the economic and social ties between them are closer than ever.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo visited Port Moresby last week with trade, border arrangements and education foremost on the agenda.

Julia Lau – Despite earlier misgivings about his overly domestic focus, President Joko Widodo's recent trip to Australia underscores how he has matured as a statesman and improved bilateral ties with Indonesia's southern neighbour. Indonesia's growing middle power influence was illustrated by Widodo's subsequent visit to Papua New Guinea.

Valdya Baraputri – Two men are carrying torches and homemade arrows as they slip into the ocean at night on an Indonesian island.

They are from an indigenous community of Bajau people – renowned freedivers who find it better to hunt in the dark when fish, lobsters and sea cucumbers are less active. But they fear time is running out for their traditional way of life.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The passage of the omnibus health bill into law appears set to take place this month, notwithstanding a recent delay in the House of Representatives plenary vote.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Senior minister Mahfud MD will be visiting some European countries to reach out to political exiles who were left stateless after the 1965 tragedy. However, the plan has received a tepid response from political exiles residing overseas.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – Nearly a quarter of Jakarta's 10.5 million residents owe money to online lending platforms, due in large part to ease of access, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) revealed recently, putting the nation's capital among the top two regions with the highest personal debts.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – With the country's youth between 18 and 40 years old making up the majority of eligible voters for the 2024 elections, political parties have begun drawing up their strategies to entice the two largest generations of the age group: millennials and Generation Z.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The 2023 Trade Expo Indonesia, commonly shortened as TEI, is seeking to post transactions worth more than $15.83 billion or higher than what it achieved last year.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – A motion filed by Supreme Court Secretary Hasbi Hasan challenging the decision by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to name him a suspect was rejected by a judge at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday.

Jakarta – The government will conduct a trial run of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) commuter train in Greater Jakarta starting from Wednesday, with a limited number of passengers.

An open invitation has been posted on LRT Jabodebek's social media accounts, inviting public participation during the four-day trial period.

M. Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – Chairman of Central Initiative and Senior Researcher of Imparsial, Al Araf, criticized President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's statement calling the situation in Papua a "small conflict, no need to exaggerate". The statement was spoken after his visit to Keerom, South Papua last Saturday.

Jakarta – The Papuan regional police say they never said that the armed criminal group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya had asked for a 5 billion rupiah ransom for the release of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens.

Agus Mawan, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia – Karolus Kolong, a 62-year-old villager on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, has spent nearly two decades fighting to get his land back from palm oil giant Astra Agro Lestari.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has selected Agusman and Hasan Fawzi to fill two key posts as commissioners at the Financial Services Authority, or OJK, for the 2023-2028 term, a lawmaker said on Monday.

Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – For the past few years, Kartinah has lived with the constant roar of construction work at Padalarang station, one of four high-speed rail (HSR) stations which will connect Jakarta with West Java's capital Bandung.

Maria Fransisca Lahur, Jakarta – The regional government has set an emergency status following the flood and landslide that hit Lumajang Regency, East Java, on Friday, July 7.

Basten Gokkon, Sarjan Lahay, Gorontalo, Indonesia – Marine and fisheries activists in Indonesia are ramping up their calls for the revocation of a new government regulation allowing the export of sea sand, saying the policy will benefit foreign interests more than local fishers and marine ecosystems.

Nasori, Jakarta – Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves have experienced a slight decrease of $1.8 billion, reaching $137.5 billion in June compared to the previous month. This drop was partly caused by the government's debt repayment.

Syakirun Niam, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) is convinced that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will not apprehend former ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician and fugitive Harun Masiku ahead of the 2024 elections.

Jakarta – The leader of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) or KKB (armed criminal group), Egianus Kogoya, has denied asking for 5 billion rupiah for the release of Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens, who they have held hostage since February 7.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif revealed that PT Pertamina and Shell Upstream Overseas Ltd have agreed on the acquisition of 35% participating interest in the Masela Block.

Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives are currently stepping up the talks on the civil servant bill.

Jakarta – The numbers are in: Young voters will dominate the 2024 ballots.

Ima Dini Shafira, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said that various efforts are still being carried out by the government to release Susi Air's Pilot Captain Phillip Max Mehrtens, wo are being held hostage by the Free Papua Movement (OPM). A meeting has been conducted last night to discuss the strategy to release the pilot.

Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – Arriving in Papua on Wednesday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo quickly centered his attention on economic and infrastructure development as part of his long-standing approach to the country's easternmost region, which is beset by various political and security challenges.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – A robust domestic salt industry may be the recipe for Indonesia to cut its trade deficit with Australia, according to an expert.

Jakarta – The data of more than 34 million Indonesian passport holders at the Immigration Directorate General have been reportedly breached by pseudonymous hacker Bjorka.

Cybersecurity researcher and consultant Teguh Aprianto first revealed the cyberattack on Wednesday through his Twitter account @secgron.

Yohana Belinda, Jakarta – Indonesians are in favor of an early shutdown of coal-fired power plants to achieve the country's target for the reduction of carbon emissions, according to a survey from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS).