Shotaro Tani, Jakarta – Indonesia has shed its undesirable tag as Southeast Asia's COVID-19 epicenter, and now has the least daily infections per capita in the region.

Sastra Wijaya – Only weeks after the peak of Indonesia's second COVID-19 wave in July, Jakarta couple Rahmadian Satari and Myrna Kirana were winging their way to Bali for a holiday.

"When the cases dropped, I heard that my office will start to have their staff back working on site soon," Mr Satari said.

The United Liberation Movement of West Papua has blamed the Indonesian military over the attack at a hospital in Kiwirok, near the Papua New Guinean border, in which a nurse was killed.

Indonesia's military forces have been evacuating residents of Kiwirok district in Papua province's Pegunungan Bintang regency following more violence there.

An Indonesian soldier is the latest victim of violent exchanges between pro-independence West Papuan fighters and the republic's security forces in the regency's Star Mountains area.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Civil groups in Indonesia have slammed a minister and a presidential office chief of staff for filing police reports against human rights defenders and activists in connection with their statements on the two state officials' alleged involvement in certain projects.

Maria Fatima Bona, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is ramping up mass vaccination against Covid-19, targeting at least 70 percent of the population partially vaccinated before the end of the year, a Health Ministry spokeswoman said on Friday.

Antara, Jakarta – The Panel of Judges of the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Major General (ret.) Kivlan Zen to four months and 15 days of imprisonment for the case of illegal firearm possession.

"The defendant is sentenced to four months and 15 days in prison," said Chief Justice Agung Suhendro during the verdict hearing on Friday, September 24, 2021.

Antara, Jakarta – An epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia's School of Public Health (FKM UI), Iwan Ariawan, opined that the long year-end holiday has the potential to increase COVID-19 cases if the risk is not anticipated.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Consumer goods behemoths such as Unilever, PepsiCo and Nestle that buy palm oil from Indonesia may be exposed to the environmental and social fallout from a seemingly unrelated industry there: coal mining.

Jakarta – Residents in the remote town of Kiwirok in Papua have evacuated amid worsening security situation due to an escalation of attacks by rebels, a local government official said on Friday.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has warned schools to raise health protocol standards or risk closure again following thousands of reported Covid-19 infections since students began returning to classrooms in recent weeks.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – The Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) of Papua revealed a number of challenges faced in mitigating Covid-19 situations in Papua from various aspects. One of those aspects is culture.

"Many people still believe that disease is the work of evil spirits," PAEI chairman Hasmi said in an online discussion on Friday, September 24, 2021.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Epidemiologists Association (PAEI) of Papua said that five venues that would be used for the 20th National Sports Week (PON) in Papua are located in Covid-19 red zones. PAEI chairman Hasmi also said that not all cities and regencies in Papua have PCR testing equipment.

Antara, Jakarta – An epidemiologist with the Griffith University of Australia, Dicky Budiman, reminded the public about the Covid-19 third wave threat. He hoped the people would not be negligent.

"The people are asked to not being euphoric about the decreasing Covid-19 case in Indonesia," he said in a written statement on Thursday, September 23.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – People who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19 are sinners for endangering other people, according to an Indonesian archbishop who has been infected with the virus.

Now that tourism has picked up pace during the pandemic with tourist attractions reopened across Indonesia following eased restrictions, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno is urging everyone to keep their masks on – including when taking selfies.

COVID-19 clusters have been detected in over 1,000 Indonesian schools, a study by the Education Ministry showed, validating health experts' previous concerns about the government's insistence on resuming face-to-face learning in school.

Thousands of domestic travelers are visiting Bali as restrictions ease and COVID-19 cases decline in the province, with the island's beaches being the most frequented by tourists, an official said.

"If we're looking from the airport arrivals, right now it's at 4,300 travelers per day, [on average]" Bali Tourism Agency Chief Putu Astawa said.

At dawn, they would call out the names of the dead. Hendro Utomo, 53, would listen as the loudspeakers from the local mosque announced who had died the day before.

"Five, eight dead every day, just in my neighborhood," said Utomo, who runs a food bank. "Every few minutes we hear the ambulances, the sirens, and someone is dying."

Fana Suparman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, confirmed that they would examine new information that emerged during a trial case that allegedly linked Mu'min Ali Gunawan, one of Indonesia's richest men, with a tax bribery case that implicated his bank, Bank Pan Indonesia, or Bank Panin.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The civil coalition for ITE Law revision condemned the police criminal and civil report filed by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan against Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti.

Chances are, few of us had heard of Koja Cliff Park in Tangerang, Banten before at least three people stripping naked for an outdoor nude photoshoot put the tourist attraction on the map this week.

[Newsroom Special Investigation: An Auckland property developer is involved in a company linked to carrying out deforestation in Indonesia, where virgin rainforest is being bulldozed to grow palm oil plantations. Watch Melanie Reid's video story above.]

Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – The criminal lawsuit filed against human rights activists Fatia Maulidiyanti and Haris Azhar for alleged defamation is seen as a retreat for democracy.

Fana Suparman, Jakarta – Andi Merya Nur, the head of East Kolaka district in Southeast Sulawesi, was named a corruption suspect on Wednesday evening, less than 24 hours after she was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK.

Andi, 37, is accused of misappropriating post-disaster reconstruction funds for her personal gains.

Jakarta (Antara) – The head of East Kolaka District in the province of Southeast Sulawesi has been arrested for corruption allegation, police said on Wednesday.

Andi Merya Nur is now being interrogated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the provincial police headquarters in Kendari.

Top Indonesian minister Luhut Pandjaitan is on course to go head-to-head in court with two renowned human rights activists, after they alleged the politician to have direct involvement in a lucrative mining business in Papua.

A man in Aceh is set to serve more than 16 years in prison for raping his niece, after his recent acquittal by a religious court in the province was overturned by Indonesia's Supreme Court.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Indonesian police named three prison officers as suspects on Sept. 20 in connection with a deadly fire at an overcrowded prison this month which killed dozens of inmates

The three, who were not named, are accused of negligence and could face up to five years in prison, according to Tubagus Ade Hidayat, the Jakarta police's general crimes director.

Colum Graham – As with rice, Indonesia experiences high sugar prices. Domestic sugar prices can be three times the average international price. Near the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak last year, sugar prices rose a further 25 percent in some areas.

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – The families of 21 Catholic farmers detained by police for more than two months over a land dispute in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province have sought help from the local diocese.

They met Ruteng Diocese officials on Sept 20 and asked for help in winning the release of their loved ones being held by West Manggarai district police on Flores island.

Heru Andriyanto, Bayu Marhaenjati, Jakarta – Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan lodged a defamation complaint against rights activists Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti on Wednesday over a video alleging business motive behind current security operations in Papua with Luhut's involvement.

Binoy Kampmark – It seems utterly beyond debate but acknowledging legal rights to clean hair has assumed the makings of a slow march over the years. The 1956 Clean Air Act in Britain arose from the lethal effects of London's 1952 killer smog, which is said to have taken some 12,000 lives.

Jakarta – Papua human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman says there are two versions of what happened during an attack by the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) on health workers in the Kiwirok district, Star Highlands, Papua. During the incident, a healthcare worker named Gabriella Maelani (22) was killed.

Jakarta – Two human rights activists, Veronica Koman and Usman Hamid, have criticized a move by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (LBP), as a public official, of reporting rights activist Haris Azhar and Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti to the police over Pandjaitan's alleg

Agencies, Jakarta – A United Nations expert has urged Indonesia to provide proper medical care to a Papuan independence activist to "keep him from dying in prison", after reports emerged that his health had deteriorated, Reuters reported.

Victor Yeimo, 39, who is the international spokesman for the West Papua National Committee, was arrested in Jayapura in May.

Separatist rebels in Indonesia's Papua province have killed a government soldier during a gunfight, the military says.

The fighting broke out after insurgents opened fire on soldiers guarding Kiwi airport in Kiwirok district, provincial military spokesman Colonel Reza Nur Patria said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Emmanuel Gobay says that West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson Victor Yeimo is in a critical condition. The suspect in the 2019 riots in Jayapura is suffering from multi-drug resistance tuberculosis (TBC MDR), allegedly as a result of not receiving prompt treatment.

Herman, Jakarta – The government has seized $7.7 million worth of assets belonging to former banker Kaharudin Ongko as part of a massive debt collection program targeting major debtors who received state bailout during the 1998 financial crisis, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Indonesia International Islamic University (UIII) in Depok, West Java, is finally ready to open its doors to students starting next week, the institution's administrators have said.

M Rosseno Aji, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) confirmed the financial rights of the 57 dismissed employees would not be stripped. Acting KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said, however, they would not receive severance pay and pension funds.

"KPK provides an allowance as a substitute for pension fund benefits," said Ali on Tuesday, September 21.

Restaurants and cafes in Java and Bali are now allowed to operate until midnight, as the government eased restrictions with the latest update of the Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM).

Antara, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said the global communities were astonished by Indonesia's ability to curb the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 and get through the pandemic crisis.

Lenny Tristia Tambun, Jakarta – The Indonesian government claimed on Monday the Covid-19 outbreak has been relatively under control as shown by the lowest ever transmission rate of the disease and a steady decline in newly cases and deaths during the past few weeks.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Indonesia on Monday reported 1,932 new daily coronavirus infections, the lowest since August 2020, data from country's COVID-19 task force showed, with deaths at 166.

An Indonesian woman authorities described as an influencer was arrested in Denpasar for alleged "pornographic action," which police said involved live-streaming obscene acts on social media for money.

Denpasar Police spokesman I Ketut Sukadi said the suspect, identified as 22-year-old RR, has been going live on a social media app called Mango Live for the past nine months.

Geneva – Indonesia must provide West Papuan human rights defender Victor Yeimo with proper medical care to keep him from dying in prison, a UN human rights expert said today.

Tatang Guritno, Jakarta – Papuan civilians will continue to fall victim if the government continues to use a security approach to resolve the problems in the land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known.

Gone are the days of weekly extensions of the Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM) in Java and Bali, as the government's latest update on the pseudo-lockdown policy will see it run from today until at least Oct. 4, and with plans for further lifting of restrictions.

Katharina R. Lestari, Jakarta – Doctors in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua have demanded protection following an attack by gunmen on a clinic in which a nurse was killed and another seriously wounded.