Gayatri Suroyo Jakarta (Reuters) – Indonesia launched on Monday a website to process investment permits, which the government hailed as an important milestone in reforms aimed at making it easier and quicker to do business in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – The mayor of the Indonesian city of Bogor has issued and presented a building permit to a Protestant church in a bid to end a 15-year legal dispute that began when its original permit was revoked.

Hellena Souisa – After catching the coronavirus, Jenny Mikha was faced with a choice: go out on the streets to find food, and infect more people, or starve.

Like many of Indonesia's marginalised and stigmatised waria (transgender women), Ms Mikha didn't have a family network to support her while she was sick last month.

The long-awaited Formula E race in Jakarta, which had been delayed due to COVID-19, is among the city's priority programs for next year, an official document shows.

Police in Bogor, West Java have launched an investigation into allegations that lenders forcibly took a woman's grandkids as collateral after her debt for medical bills mounted.

Muhammad Hendartyo, Jakarta – Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said the government was still revising the environmental impact analysis (Amdal) documents of the Integrated Tourism Master Plan (ITMP) of the Komodo National Park for immediate submission to UNESCO.

Syailendra Persada, Jakarta – The head of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP)'s general election campaign team, Bambang Wuryanto, has denied allegations that the installation of billboard posters showcasing House Speaker and daughter of PDIP chairperson Puan Maharani is a head start on the party's campaign for the 2024 general elections.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The Health Ministry revealed that the hospital bed occupancy rate (BOR) for Covid-19 patients in Java and Bali continued to improve. Based on the ministry's data as of Sunday, August 8, only three regions in Java and Bali recorded high rates, viz. Bali, Yogyakarta, and East Java.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin lifted the rule on the implementation of the Gotong Royong Covid-19 vaccine program for individuals. This was noted in the Health Ministerial Regulation No. 23/2021 concerning the vaccination in order to contain the Covid-19 pandemic which was inked on July 28, 2021.

Bisnis, Jakarta – Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia booked an income of US$353.07 million or around Rp5.1 trillion (with an assumed exchange rate of Rp14,353 per US dollar). The value dropped by 54.03 percent, compared to the previous US$768.12 million, year-on-year

Jayapura – Lawyer and human rights activist Veronica Koman has spoken out about the worsening health of Papua activist Victor F Yeimo who has being detained at the Mobile Brigade command headquarters detention centre (Rutan Mako Brimob) for the last three months.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans stricter measures to limit public mobility and gathering during the raging Covid-19 outbreak by requiring its citizens to show their vaccination status when entering public facilities.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded the lowest number of newly Covid-19 cases since June 30 as the extended lockdown across Java and Bali entered the final day on Monday.

There have been 20,709 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's overall tally to 3,686,740, government figures show.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – The results of a survey by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) show that the majority or around 60 percent of respondents believe that corruption in Indonesia has worsened over the last two years.

uAchmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – Based on the results of a survey by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), the issue of corruption is of most concern to the public among the string of problems the country is currently facing.

Anne Barker and Lucia Stein – Experts fear Indonesia, considered one of the world's COVID-19 epicentres, is now a high-risk "hotspot" for the emergence of a new coronavirus "super strain".

An alarming second wave in the country has been largely fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant, which was first identified in India's out-of-control outbreak.

Jakarta – Family members of late Aceh businessman Akidi Tio had initially drawn praise after they made a Rp 2 trillion (US$139 million) donation for COVID-19 mitigation efforts in South Sumatra.

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – Eight-year-old Alviano Dava Raharjo knew that his parents had been admitted to hospital in West Kutai, East Kalimantan, but he was puzzled why they had not come home yet.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – A study has shown that Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine CoronaVac is 85 per cent effective against symptomatic illness and 92 per cent against hospitalisation among the elderly in Jakarta, the Indonesian government said on Friday (Aug 6) night.

Gemma Holliani Cahya, Jakarta – Human rights organisations have welcomed the Indonesian army's apparent decision to end the "abusive" and long-criticised "virginity testing" of female recruitments.

Indonesia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout has had its fair share of unique stories, but the story of an elderly woman in West Java going on a piggyback ride to get her jab is a reminder that easy vaccine access is a huge privilege.

The year is 2021, and yet some people still think that body shaming others in public is a funny thing to do. While that's already embarrassingly outdated, imagine making fun of an Olympian who represented the country.

Anuj Pant – Construction will continue on a tourism project in Indonesia that has drawn both official and unofficial comparisons to Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park", the southeast Asian country's tourism ministry said on Thursday.

Papua New Guinea and neighbouring Indonesia have been discussing potential reopening of their shared border.

The border was officially closed early last year due to the pandemic, but the illegal movement of people back and forth has continued across the porous international boundary.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have charged a DJ with violating the country's controversial pornography law after the 28-year-old staged a street protest against COVID-19 movement curbs dressed in a mask and red two-piece bikini earlier this week.

Kate Lamb and Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – The COVID-19 death rate for people in Jakarta who were not vaccinated was more than three times higher than those who were, according to new health ministry data.

Yudha Baskoro, Bekasi – At least 50 persons with severe mental illness were vaccinated against Covid-19 in Bekasi on Wednesday. They received the first jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine with permission from their families.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia received reports that many health workers were intimidated for questioning the late distribution of their incentives. Deputy Director Wirya Adiwena explained in several cases, intimidation came from state apparatuses or local governments.

Pribadi Wicaksono (Contributor), Yogyakarta – Following concerns over the COVID-19 Delta variant, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan asked local governments to persuade people undergoing COVID-19 self-isolation at home to move to integrated isolation centers.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The Jakarta Metro Police on Friday has increased their efforts to further restrict community mobility after they found waves of workers of non-essential and non-critical sector starting to come to the offices amidst the level 4 public activity restriction (PPKM Level 4).

Pribadi Wicaksono (Contributor), Jakarta – The Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) on Thursday reported 59 deaths from Covid-19. Over the past 30 days, from July 5 to August 5, the province recorded 2,000 lives lost to the novel coronavirus.

The local Covid-19 Task Force spokesman, Berty Murtiningsih, said that Yogyakarta's total Covid casualty has now reached 3,693 deaths.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Jakarta has opposed the Jakarta Provincial Government's plans to build a Waste Management Facility (FPSA) in Tebet Park, South Jakarta. The forum's executive director, Tubagus Soleh Ahmadi, said the project would potentially boost the level of air pollution in public areas.

Theo Kelen, Keerom – For Bertho, David, and Yunitha, going to school takes a lot of struggle, literally. They live in Sawanawa Village, Arso District, 15 kilometers from the city center of Arso. And they study at the YPPK St. Petrus Ubiyau Elementary School, which is located in the Ubiyau Village, five kilometers from Sawanawa.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has urged people seeking third vaccine doses to be patient as the government prioritizes frontline medical workers.

Indonesia may finally be seeing progress in pushing back overzealous TV censors after officials deemed athletes wearing bikinis and swimsuits while competing at the Olympics to be totally fine for general viewing.

Caleb Quinley – Indonesia's health ministry has recorded 1,747 new deaths of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, pushing the nation's total deaths to 100,636.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore – The Indonesian navy and air force face renewed calls to cease invasive "virginity tests" for female recruits after the country's army indicated it would abandon the decades-long practice.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura – Local governments in Papua – such as the Yapen Islands and Puncak administrations – say they are continuing to promote the benefits of covid-19 vaccines to indigenous Papuans as hoaxes and distrust from local people towards the Indonesian government has increased low vaccination rates.

Bali is struggling coping with weak tracing efforts and individuals refusing to isolate, the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) said this week, with limited medical supply and facilities also posing added challenges in the province's battle against COVID-19.

Jakarta – Thousands of military personnel from Indonesia and the United States are participating in joint drills for two weeks described as the largest ever between the two countries.

The exercises, focused on island defence, are being held in three locations – Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi – from August 1 to 14, the Indonesian Military (TNI) said Wednesday.

Antara, Jakarta – Garuda Indonesia employees have urged the government to reconsider its decision to make polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests mandatory for air passengers in place of rapid antigen tests, arguing the step could affect airlines' occupancy.

Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia or BPS Head Margo Yuwono said Indonesia had technically escaped the recession since the economy grew positively, both quarterly and annually, in the second quarter of 2021.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) report found that the Jakarta health agency failed to take a cheaper option in procuring N95 masks. The report said that commitment officers were not careful in managing regional expenses for the procurement of N95 masks after ordering face masks at a higher price to PT ALK.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Health Ministry's Covid-19 vaccination spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi on Wednesday said the latest Google mobility report revealed a growing trend in community mobility in a number of provinces.

Ilham Rian Pratama, Jakarta – Suspended Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan says that the KPK leadership should be ashamed over the Ombudsman's findings which cited maladministration in the entire process of administering the nationalism or civics knowledge tests (TWK) for KPK employees to become civil servants.

Jakarta – Artist Dinar Candy held a protest action over the extension of Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (PPKM) by wearing a bikini on the side of a road in Jakarta. During the action, Candy also brought a banner with the message, "I'm stressed out because the PPKM has been extended".

New Guinea, the world's largest tropical island, is also the most floristically diverse island in the world. However, the rich forests of the island, particularly those in the Western half, are understudied and threatened. Researchers examined satellite data on this half to determine annual forest loss, road development and plantation expansion.

Jakarta – The month-long lockdown remains unable to significantly curb new infections of Covid-19 with daily figures beating the pre-lockdown level.

Indonesia recorded 35,764 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,568,331, according to Health Ministry data.

Jakarta – The United Kingdom has revealed a commitment to donate $1 million worth of critical healthcare equipment to Indonesia, where new Covid-19 cases and deaths are surging due to the highly contagious Delta variant.

Kezia Kho, Grace Nadia Chandra, Jakarta – Indonesia is stepping up its efforts to reach clean energy targets with the construction of a 145 megawatt (MW) floating solar power plant, set to be the largest in Southeast Asia.