Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Timor-Leste has stepped up efforts to seal its border with neighboring Indonesia to prevent the entry of the Covid-19 Delta strain, a variant the country's top churchman described as "one of the greatest threats to the world."

Jakarta (AFP) – Indonesians have ignored warnings against stocking up on a "miracle cure" for Covid-19 backed by leading politicians and social media influencers, as an out-of-control virus surge sweeps the country.

Gemma Holliani Cahya, Jakarta – Hospitals across the Indonesian island of Java are running out of oxygen, medicines, beds and even staff as a sharp rise in Covid cases pushes the country's health system to the brink.

Indonesia, which is facing one of the worst outbreaks in Asia, announced 34,379 new cases and 1,040 fatalities on Wednesday, both record highs.

Claire Jiao, Grace Sihombing and Haslinda Amin – Indonesia's finance minister expects the budget deficit to stay elevated next year as the nation's worst coronavirus surge hampers the recovery and efforts to boost state revenue.

Jakarta (Agencies) – The lead scientist on China's Sinovac vaccine trials in Indonesia died of suspected COVID-19 on Wednesday, Indonesian media said.

The death of Novilia Sjafri Bachtiar comes as fatalities from the coronavirus reach record highs in Indonesia, one of the countries where the Sinovac vaccine has been most widely used.

Natasya Salim and Erwin Renaldi – It's been nine days since mother-of-four Seli Aisyah went to visit her parents, despite being warned not to.

Now, she and all of her children have tested positive for COVID-19. Her youngest is just 18 months old. The five are sharing two oxygen canisters between them amid a surge in new cases in Indonesia.

Francisca Christy Rosana, Jakarta – The Communications and Informatics Ministry spokesperson Dedy Permadi in a written statement on Thursday explained about the arrival of international visitors and Indonesians from abroad during the country's Emergency PPKM (public activity restriction).

"The partnership is not limited to

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – The Metro Jaya Police Inspector General Mohammad Fadli Imran on Thursday announced the arrest of three groups hoarding Ivermectin and medical oxygen tanks in Jakarta. The people were arrested following a police raid on drug stores and distributors.

M Julnis Firmansyah, Jakarta – Dozens of Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) personnel reportedly flocked the West Jakarta Police borough on Wednesday evening intending to look for members of the police who acted abusively against one of the Paspampres personnel in a brief clash earlier in the day.

Jakarta – Volunteer groups are calling on the government to take decisive action against the ongoing COVID-19 surge, which has crippled the country's healthcare system, to prevent the loss of more lives to the disease.

Over the past few weeks, health authorities have regularly logged record-breaking daily COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Jakarta (Antara) – Indonesia became the world's third biggest contributor of Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, 7 July 2021. According to worldometers.info, Indonesia added 34,379 new confirmed infections in the last 24 hours yesterday.

Fitria Chusna Farisa, Jakarta – Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Principle Expert Ade Irfan Pulungan says that there is no urgent need to ask President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to resign from the presidency over the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Joining the plethora of venues opening up for COVID-19 jabs in the capital, MRT Jakarta is launching a vaccination drive tomorrow targeting those who still have to be on the move despite the ongoing tightened restrictions (those in essential sectors can still work from their office, of course).

Chris Barrett, Singapore – For days, as Indonesia's hospitals have buckled, oxygen has run low and COVID-19 infections and deaths have soared to record levels, the Indonesian President's point man on the crisis engulfing Australia's near neighbour has insisted there is no need to panic.

Mentari Dwi G/Suharto, Jakarta – The police fired water cannon to disperse crowds in front of Plaza Kenari Mas in Central Jakarta on Tuesday as part of the stringent measures to uphold rules during the emergency public activity restrictions (PPKM).

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – An attack that saw a man vandalize and attempt to burn down a Protestant church in Indonesia last month was the act of a mentally ill individual and not a case of religious intolerance, a church group says.

Aryo Danusiri – The Indonesian government's recent campaign to promote an upcoming sports event in Papua shows the country, with more than 1,300 ethnic groups, still struggles to ensure equal representation of its various cultures.

James Guild – COVID-19 has battered Indonesian flag carrier Garuda's revenue and sent earnings plunging, causing trading of the airline's shares to be halted recently after a bond default.

Jakarta (Agencies) – Indonesia expanded nationwide coronavirus curbs Wednesday to battle its deadliest COVID-19 wave yet, as the death toll rocketed with the government warning that the worst may be yet to come.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jeis Montesori, Jakarta – The government is considering imposing more stringent Covid-19 rules outside Java and Bali islands as the country faces its worst coronavirus outbreak.

Antara, Papua – The Indonesian government has hinted that it will go ahead with the scheduled convening of Papua's 2021 PON National Games even though the country is battling a surge in COVID-19 cases in several cities and districts.

Jakarta – Indonesia's major online marketplace companies, including Shopee and Tokopedia, have cracked down on sellers on their platform, which set prices of drugs and vitamins to treat the Covid-19 patients above the ceiling prices set by the government, profiteering from the recent spike in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Public Health is calling on the government to apologise over the state of the Covid-19 pandemic which they say is getting out of control.

Hengky Yeimo, Jayapura – The Papuan Students Alliance in Surabaya, East Java have staged a protest on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Biak massacre. The students demand the state to resolve the alleged human rights violation.

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – A shortage of beds, oxygen supply and ventilators in Indonesia has left doctors with the dreadful decision of who among their Covid-19 patients will live and who will die.

Chris Barrett, Singapore – Australia will send 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Indonesia as well as testing kits and ventilators as part of a $12 million package for oxygen-related equipment announced on Wednesday night.

Robert Campion – In Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, a humanitarian disaster is unfolding similar to what occurred in India in late May. While it is being fuelled by the more virulent Delta strain, the surge in cases is taking place primarily because of the government's lack of preventative measures – in line with the demands of big business.

Jakarta – Transparency International (TI) has sent a letter to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo asking him to cancel the dismissal of non-active Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan and scores of other KPK employee who failed to pass the nationalism or civic knowledge test (TWK).

Siktus HarsonSiktus Harson, Jakarta – The 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of West Papua on July 1 was expected to be a special day for Papuans.

Along with Independence Day on Dec. 1 – the day in 1961 when the Dutch gave Papuans their freedom – the declaration of the republic is a very important one on the separatist calendar.

Police in Boyolali, Central Java is pursuing an impostor clinic worker who has been asking women for nudes with the pretense of medical evaluation after they received their COVID-19 jabs.The case came to light when a woman posted screenshots of her chat with the alleged impostor, who, while claiming to be a worker at a community health clinic (Puskesmas) in Teras district, asked her

Authorities in North Jakarta raided a cafe that remained open despite tightened restrictions, with four people, including an employee, testing positive for COVID-19.

Authorities in Padang, West Sumatra are launching legal proceedings against a woman who was filmed dining at a crowded restaurant while defiantly exclaiming that she does not fear the coronavirus.

Daniel Hurst – The Australian government has been urged to rapidly step up its assistance to Indonesia, amid warnings the sharp rise in Covid-19 cases is fuelling an "escalating crisis right on our doorstep".

In a press conference yesterday evening, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who's overseeing the implementation of the Emergency Enforcement of Restrictions on Public Activities (Emergency

Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – Indonesia's daily COVID-19 infections could go up to 40,000, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Pandjaitan on Tuesday (Jul 6).

Beaches across Bali have been closed in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus, amid tightened restrictions imposed in a number of regions in Indonesia to curb a new and deadly COVID-19 wave.

Jakarta – Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto seems to have put the controversy over the whopping arms procurement budget behind him, as he recently toured France and Germany to forge military cooperation between Indonesia and the two members of the elite Group of 7 (G-7).

Today, the 6 July marks 23 years since the Indonesian security forces massacred scores of people in Biak, West Papua. The victims, included women and children who had gathered for a peaceful rally. They were killed at the base of a water tower flying the Morning Star flag. Other Papuans were rounded up and later taken out to sea where they were thrown off naval ships and drowned.

Jakarta – At a workshop located in a Jakarta cemetery, coffin maker Olaskar Purba and his team are hard at work.

They staple together boxes made of plywood and paint them brown. The coffins are then fitted with a lining and covered in plastic before being taken away for use.

Joniansyah Hardjono, Jakarta – State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura II on Tuesday recorded significant decline in numbers of airline passenger after the enforcement of the 'emergency PPKM' to 70 percent.

Antara, Jakarta – At least 16 airports managed by state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura (AP) II have made available 3,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for passengers per day.

Egi Adyatama, Jakarta – The Community Consortium for Public Health in a written statement on Tuesday argues that the government has acted too slow in responding to the surge of Covid-19 active cases that has happened in Indonesia the past weeks. They say that this response has led to the collapse of healthcare facilities and the high death toll caused by the coronavirus.

Budiarti Putri Utami, Jakarta – Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) mitigation team head Mohammad Adib Khumaidi on Monday suggested the government to utilize the services of post-internship doctors in the battle against Covid-19 surge, which is currently showing signs of overwhelming medical workers.

M Rahim Arza, Hiyung, Indonesia – For the village cultivating Indonesia's most pungent chili pepper, July is a time of prosperity – and potential ruin.

That midsummer month is when hundreds of farmers in Hiyung, a village in the southeast of the island of Borneo, begin to harvest the special variety of cayenne pepper they grow here.

The Semarang State University (Unnes) Student Executive Council (BEM) has joined in criticising the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin.

Jayapura – An Islamic mass organisation (ormas) in the South Sulawesi provincial capital of Makassar has forcibly closed down a discussion organised by a solidarity group and Papuan students. The discussion, which was held on Thursday July 1 at the Dogiyai student dormitory in Skarda Empat, was on the proclamation of Papuan independence on July 1, 1971.

Jakarta – The government has decided to provide free telemedicine services to monitor Covid-19 patients who are self-isolating at home to ease the burden at overloaded hospitals across the country.

Dewi Nurita, Jakarta – University of Indonesia epidemiologist Pandu Riono on Sunday revealed that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin had already requested for a heightened public activity restriction back in May, prior to the emergency PPKM the central government imposed in this month.