Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Ganjar Pranowo has been perceived as a potential contender for the 2024 presidential election for years but the Central Java governor said he was astonished the moment Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri made his candidacy official last Friday.

Fadli, Batam – The Agriculture Ministry's Bukit Tinggi Veterinary Center has deployed officers to examine pig samples from a company's farm on Bulan Island in Batam, Riau Island. The African swine fever (ASF) virus was detected in some pig carcasses.

Talk about conduct unbecoming of an officer. A video showing an Indonesian military (TNI) officer kicking a motorcycle carrying a woman and her child, almost knocking them over, went viral yesterday as angry netizens blasted him for his violent behavior.

The outcry led to the Indonesian military quickly identifying the officer and saying that he would be disciplined.

Thresa Sandra Desfika, Jakarta – PLN has joined forces with Energi Selalu Baru (ESB) to deploy battery swap stations for Volta electric two-wheelers at a number of locations belonging to the state-owned utility firm.

A strong undersea earthquake has sent streams of people fleeing to higher ground in western Indonesia, after a tsunami warning was briefly triggered.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday urged Eid holiday travelers to postpone their return trips as toll roads are expected to get extremely packed with vehicles.

The return flow of travelers is forecast to peak on April 24-25.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – A number of political parties have expressed interest in joining the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, to help Ganjar Pranowo win the 2024 presidential election, an executive with the ruling party said on Monday.

A journalist group has slammed a top police official in Indonesia's Catholic-majority Island of Flores for threatening a journalist with planned violence for his critical writings.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto is not interested in becoming a running mate in the 2024 presidential election and will try his luck for a third time for the first time despite back-to-back losses, a close ally said on Sunday.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Sandiaga Uno met with executives of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) on Sunday to confirm his departure from the party that he used as the political vehicle in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election and the 2019 presidential election.

Jakarta – The idea among five political parties to form the so-called grand coalition for the 2024 presidential election is unlikely to materialize anytime soon after the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) formally announced Ganjar Pranowo as a firm candidate, political analysts said on Friday.

Nivell Rayda, Sukabumi, Indonesia – With her trusty walking cane in hand and a backpack filled with ripe bananas, Tini Kasmawati trudged through the slippery, mud-caked paths of a dwindling forest near her village, unfazed by the drizzling rain, frigid morning air and most of all: Her deteriorating vision.Occasionally, the visually impaired woman lost her footing on the hilly terrai

Jakarta/Batam – Muslims have welcomed Idul Fitri with festivities to mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan after three years of muted celebrations due to COVID-19-induced restrictions.

In Jakarta, hundreds of thousands of Muslims crowded Istiqlal Grand Mosque to attend Idul Fitri mass prayers on Saturday morning.

Ananda Teresia and Stanley Widianto , Jakarta – Indonesia is set to hold a presidential election in February next year, with three men so far vying for the top job in the world's third-largest democracy and its most populous Muslim-majority country. Here are details of the candidates announced so far:

Prabowo Subianto

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Former Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan warned his supporters that the upcoming presidential election will become an uphill battle for his camp in a video message released on Saturday, a day after the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDIP, announced poll leader Ganjar Pranowo as their candidate.

News Desk, Jakarta – Jakarta will see the peak of the return flow of people celebrating Idul Fitri on Tuesday, the end of the seven day holiday period, a senior minister has said.

Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said on Friday that Tuesday was predicted to see 203,000 vehicles entering the capital.

The United Kingdom's commitments to upholding human rights came under question on Monday over the West Papua issue, resulting in a heated exchange between a government representative and five members of the House of Lords in the Upper Chamber of the British Parliament.

Indonesian security forces have intensified operations in various conflict areas in West Papua, reports Human Rights Monitor.

According to information received by the international watchdog, security force members have raided villages and set residential houses on fire.

Michael Leach – East Timorese voters at next month's parliamentary elections will be dressed a little differently from usual. The decision to hold the vote on the Sabbath – an unusual choice in a strongly Catholic nation – will bring tens of thousands of voters to the polling booths in their Sunday best.

Felix Martua, Jakarta – Four rising public figures pay tribute to the enduring original female icon.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – The Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) has said it will continue to support Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo for the 2024 presidency despite a decline in his opinion polling figures following the FIFA U-20 World Cup fiasco.

Heru Andriyanto, Bogor – Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo was named presidential candidate by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, after the party's meeting at Batu Tulis Palace in Bogor on Friday.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore – Just weeks after sustaining public backlash over Indonesia's football U-20 World Cup fiasco, Ganjar Pranowo's bid to be the country's next president has been given the stamp of approval by its most dominant political party.

Jakarta – The government announced on Thursday evening that the first day of the month of Syawal, which marks the Idul Fitri celebration, will fall on Saturday following an isbat (confirmation) meeting.

Bogor – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo can now breathe a sigh of relief after Ganjar Pranowo was officially announced as the presidential candidate by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on Friday, as he needs a successor with determination to continue with major development programs by the current government.

Papuans are growing increasingly anxious about their security after the Indonesian military warned of a special operation following the killing of four soldiers involved in a mission to rescue a foreign pilot abducted by rebels.

Tika Ayu, Jakarta – President of Labor Party Said Iqbal said there will be roughly up to 50,000 demonstrators who will take to the streets for the commemoration of International Labor Day (May Day), in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) headquarters, the Constitutional Court and the State Palace.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – A public survey conducted after Indonesia lost the right to host the U-20 FIFA World Cup due to opposition to Israel's participation by some political elements found that actually, most people here had a permissive attitude to the issue.

Having tracked the movements of Viet

Jakarta – It seems that this Idul Fitri holiday season, everyone wants to break free. After three years of COVID-19-induced mobility curbs, folks appear to have had enough with restrictions and this year, have decided to travel with a vengeance.

Alfian Kartono and Niniek Karmini, Jayapura – Indonesian security forces recovered the bodies of four government soldiers who were killed in a separatist attack while searching for a New Zealand pilot taken hostage by the rebels in Indonesia's restive Papua region, officials said Thursday.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – As Idul Fitri approaches, more and more fireworks will start blasting off in the country, a diversion that can have a dark side.

Tunggul Wirajuda, Jakarta – Indonesia's licensed vendor for FIFA U-20 World Cup merchandise is scrambling to sell off its wares after the country lost its license to host the tournament in an act of political self-sabotage.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – Lampung Governor Arinal Djunaidi has become embroiled in controversy over his alleged response to a student who criticized poor infrastructure in the region on the popular video-sharing platform TikTok.

Stevani Wijaya, Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas urged local governments to facilitate Eid mass prayer among Muhammadiyah followers scheduled for Friday, which potentially comes a day earlier than the government's stipulated date for the country's biggest national holiday.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Antara, Jakarta – The Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) expert on economy Bhima Yudhistira in a statement on Wednesday revealed the benefits and disadvantages of Indonesia's step to move away from the United States dollar, also known as the de-dollarization.

The upside of de-dollarization

Hanifah Dwijayanti, Jakarta – Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas fulfilled an invitation from Saudi Arabian Minister of Trade and Investment Majid Bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi to break the fast and pray at his private home in Jeddah, on Tuesday, April 18.

The event was also attended by Saudi Minister of State Secretary Mohammad bin Abdul Malik Al Ash-Shaikh.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – Jakarta Acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono stated that he will oversee reclamation activities in Tengah Island after being highlighted by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) Jakarta and the Pari Island Care Forum (FP3).

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The Civil Coalition for Security Reform urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to cease the military combat operation being implemented by the Indonesian Military Commander Admiral Yudo Margono.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) received a courtesy call from the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Bogor city, West Java province, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform is urging the TNI (Indonesian military) to cancel a decision to raise the operational status in conflict-prone Papua to combat ready (siaga tempur).

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Czech Republic is seeking to help Indonesia's defense arsenal modernization plans.

Visiting Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had discussed, among others, defense cooperation during their bilateral talks at the Bogor Palace on Tuesday.

On Saturday the 15 April there was a clash between the Free Papua Movement (TPNPB) and the Indonesian security forces (TNI) in the Nduga District. The Security forces were searching for New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who has been held by the TPNPB since the 7 February.

The long-running conflict in West Papua has slipped from the headlines in recent times as other regional issues took precedence in many newsrooms. But this week it's back on the news agenda – so what's going on there?

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Medan District Court in North Sumatra sentenced 15 men to 10 months in jail and fined them Rp 50 million (US$3,362) each for their involvement in illegal online gambling on Tuesday.

The trial of Jonni, alias Apin BK, the alleged boss of the illegal online gambling ring, on charges of gambling and money laundering, is still ongoing.

Paul Osborne – Woodside's boss says the energy company is committed to finding a path forward on the multibillion dollar Sunrise gas project.

The development, about 450km northwest of Darwin and 150km south of East Timor, comprises the Sunrise and Troubadour gas and condensate fields.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has officially escalated its operational status in West Papua to "ground combat ready" following a clash with the West Papuan Liberation Army over the weekend with multiple casualties reported on both sides.

TNI commander Yudo Margono made the announcement in Jakarta on Tuesday upon returning from West Papua.

Sentani, Jubi – Emanuel Gobay, the coordinator of the Papua Law and Human Rights Coalition and legal counsel to Viktor Yeimo, said there was often discrimination by the security forces when guarding the trial against Yeimo at the Jayapura District Court.

A lay Catholic religion teacher in Indonesia with an alleged habit of watching porn videos has been accused of sexually abusing seven elementary school students.

The 26-year-old teacher, only identified as Charles, was arrested by police in Ende Regency on Flores Island in Christian majority East Nusa Tenggara province on April 17.

Bima Yudho Saputro, an Indonesian student in Sydney, may breathe a sigh of relief after police announced that they found no criminal defamation intent in his criticism of his hometown of Lampung.