Robert Campion – The spread of COVID-19 continues to accelerate out of control in South East Asia's largest country and economy.

Jakarta – The Alumni Menteng 64 (AM64), a group of Kolese Kanisius Catholic high school alumni, publicly declared its support for the government's mass vaccination program in Jakarta on Friday.

The group said it was ready to help the government in reaching out to the public and raising public awareness of the importance of taking part in the vaccination drive.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The daily count of coronavirus cases in Indonesia passed the 10,000 mark on Friday, setting a new record for the highest number of cases for the third day in a row, Health Ministry figures show.

It's for the first time that the daily number of coronavirus has hit five digits in a single day.

Jayapura – Several people from villages in Biak and Supiori, Papua, were reportedly arrested between January 4-7 by a joint unit of TNI (Indonesian military) and Indonesian police (Polri) without arrest warrants.

[Special report by Victor Mambor in Jayapura – first of a three-part investigation into the Pastor Yeremia Zanambani assassination.]

The once-popular popularity-boosting method of blusukan may be outdated in Indonesia with the ridicule of a recent stunt involving newly-appointed Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini, who is popularly known as Risma.

Aisyah Llewellyn, North Sumatra, Indonesia – Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the al-Qaeda-affiliated group that masterminded the Bali bombings in 2002, has found a new source of income – a network of charity donation boxes stationed across Indonesia that were only discovered after one of the group's leaders was arrested along with 23 other members late last year.

Dwi Argo Santosa, Lona Olavia, Jakarta – The government has decided to impose stricter restrictions in Java and Bali starting on Jan. 11 to Jan. 25, following the surge in new Covid-19 cases. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said in a statement on Wednesday.

Kukuh S.Wibowo, Jakarta – Surabaya acting-mayor, Whisnu Sakti Buana, on late Wednesday, Jan. 6, questioned the central government's decision to include Surabaya in the upcoming social restriction or PSBB. He argued that the region has seen a dropping number of Covid-19 cases prior to Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Amid some confusion regarding new COVID-19 restrictions in Indonesia, we now have some sense of clarity thanks to a new acronym.

Yesterday in an interview, General Hendropriyono, a retired Kopassus general and former head of the Indonesian State Intelligence Agency declares his proposal to forcibly remove 2 million Papuans from their homeland and replace them with Indonesians.

Afifur Rochman Sya'rani – The Indonesian government has officially banned the hardline Islamic Defenders Front (Front Pembela Islam, FPI) through a joint ministerial decree (SKB) on 30 December 2020. It lists six reasons for the ban.

Ronna Nirmala and Imran Vittachi, Jakarta and Washington – Separatist rebels set fire to an airplane operated by an American-Christian humanitarian organization and shot a helicopter contracted by a U.S.-Indonesian mining company in separate attacks in Indonesia's Papua province, security officials said Thursday.

Jakarta – Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo have topped the list of potential candidates for the 2024 presidential race, according to two recent electability surveys.

In a survey published by Vox Populi Research Center on Tuesday, Prabowo ranked first with an electability rating of 18.9 percent.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Researcher Zaenur Rohman from the Gajah Mada University's (UGM) Anti-Corruption Study Centre says that the trend by the Supreme Court of cutting sentences at the judicial review level could eliminate the deterrent effect for corruption convicts.

Jakarta – The non-government organisation (NGO) Green Papua claims that 654,561 Papuans have signed a petition opposing the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) for Papua.

Green Papua Chairperson Yohanes Giyai said that the petition is evidence that the Papuan people reject the Indonesian government's plan to extend Papuan Special Autonomy which will expire this year.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Covid-19 Task Force noted that during the Christmas and New Year holidays from December 24 to January 3, 1.1 million people were spotted in tourist destinations. This is more than 65 percent higher compared to the previous 11 days.

Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has temporarily frozen bank accounts belonging to the recently banned Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and its affiliated groups on suspicion of money laundering.

Haryanti Puspa Sari, Jakarta – The results of a survey conducted by the Vox Populi Research Center on the electability of political parties at the start of 2021 has found that the electability of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) have experienced a sharp decline.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded 241 cases of agrarian conflicts in Indonesia throughout 2020.

KPA Secretary General Dewi Kartika believes that the large number of conflicts is an anomaly because it occurred in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in an economic recession and restrictions on people's movements.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Building resilient national health security and strengthening ties for economic recovery are among Indonesia's five diplomatic priorities in 2021, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded 8,854 confirmed cases of coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day rise since the outbreak started, to bring the country's total to 788,402.

The previous record for the highest number of coronavirus cases in a day was 8,369 reported on Dec. 3.

Jakarta – Two militants linked to a 2019 church blast in the Philippines have been shot dead by police, authorities said Wednesday, as officers arrested scores of pro-Islamic State radicals.

Lani Diana Wijaya, Jakarta – University of Indonesia epidemiologist Pandu Riono on Tuesday urged the central government to act upon the declining condition of Indonesia's Covid-19 pandemic and quipped on President Jokowi's limited meeting sessions that focus more on the vaccine."People that want to explain about the worsening situation of the pandemic lose to [discussions about] vac

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) issued a firm warning against soybean importers that has contributed to the recent scarcity of tofu and tempe. Police also threatened to process those meddling with prices and hoarders.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Griffith University epidemiologist Dicky Budiman on Wednesday said that the shrinking availability of ICU rooms and isolation facilities for Covid-19 patients is evidence that the pandemic has gone beyond the control of those responsible to mitigate the pandemic.

Jakarta – The development of tourism in the Komodo National Park threatens to sideline local people. The original habitat of the giant lizards is also threatened with destruction.

Colin Packham, Canberra, Australia – The Indonesian government must ensure a radical cleric and suspected mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings does not incite more violence when he is released from jail this week, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – The National Police's Densus 88 antiterror squad shot dead two suspected terrorists resisting arrest in Biringkanaya district, Makassar, South Sulawesi on Wednesday morning.

The arrest also involved personnel from the Makassar Police and South Sulawesi Police bomb squad.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster has become the subject of controversy today after he reportedly claimed that hospitals in the province are exaggerating COVID-19 deaths.

The central government is applying tighter social restrictions in high-risk COVID-19 regions, which include Jakarta and other cities and regencies throughout Java and Bali, in order to help minimize the spread of the viral disease.

Yoolim Lee – Indonesia's ride-hailing and payments giant Gojek is in advanced discussions about merging with local e-commerce pioneer PT Tokopedia, ahead of a planned initial public offering of the combined entity, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Irfan Kamil, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Media and Campaign Manager Nurina Savitri has highlighted Government Regulation Number 70/2020 which was recently signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

The regulation contains the procedures for implementing chemical castration for perpetrators of sexual violence against children.

We're saving our shocked Pikachu meme for another day as the banned Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) announces that it is returning with an inevitable rebranding.

The hardline group says it will soon return with a new name, which will enable it to keep its famous acronym.

Anthony Galloway and Stanley Widianto – Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne says the release of the alleged mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings, Abu Bakar Bashir, will be deeply distressing to the families and friends of Australians killed in the terrorist attacks.

Muhammad Beni Saputra – In December, Indonesia completed simultaneous elections (Pilkada) in 9 provinces, 224 regencies and 37 cities. Prior to the elections, however, environmental NGOs and activists warned that the fiesta of democracy could accelerate the rate of environmental degradation in the country.

Harry Suhartono – A shorter holiday and last-minute restrictions did little to keep Indonesians from traveling over the year-end, a sign of revival in consumer spending while posing a risk that the coronavirus outbreak could worsen.

Jakarta – Terror convict and firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who was closely linked to the 2002 Bali bombings, is expected to walk free this week after serving the bulk of his original 15-year prison sentence.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Police on Tuesday told supporters of terror convict Abu Bakar Baasyir not to crowd his home or public places when the elderly cleric returns to his hometown in Central Java later this week.

Baasyir is set to be released from jail on Friday when he completes his 15 years' imprisonment for multiple counts of terrorism.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian Navy is still trying to determine which country had launched the underwater drone or sea glider found in Selayar Island, South Sulawesi.

Jakarta – The government's desperate appeal for would-be holidaymakers to stay put for the recent Christmas and New Year break looks to have paid off, with the Transportation Ministry reporting receding mobility amid fears of another spike in COVID-19 cases.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Convicted child molesters will undergo chemical castration as an additional punishment under a new government regulation signed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

W. T. Whitney – U.S. imperialism was on a roll in the mid-20th century as Cold War problems were emerging. These included U.S.-Soviet conflict, nuclear-war fears, the Korean and Vietnam wars, domestic anticommunism, and Indonesia.

Sebastian Strangio – Last week, Indonesia's newly appointed religious affairs minister promised to uphold the rights of the religious minority groups like the Shia and Ahmadiyah and to work to prevent their persecution.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – The enforcement of human rights and the resolution of various cases of human rights violations in Papua in 2020 has worsened, say advocates.

Indonesia is being urged to immediately ratify the Rome Statute so that various cases of human rights violations in Papua can be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Questions about the potential use of pork products in vaccines is compounding vaccine hesitancy in Indonesia, experts have warned, urging officials and Muslim leaders in the Southeast Asian nation to speed up efforts to gain public trust ahead of a mass immunisation campaign against COVID-19.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Indonesia's capital city has extended its Covid-19 curbs called for transition partial lockdown for the next two weeks as it tries to pre-empt an expected surge in coronavirus infections following Christmas and New Year's Eve gatherings and travel.

Stanley Widianto, Tabita Diela, Jakarta – As Indonesia prepares to begin mass inoculations against COVID-19, its plan to prioritise working age adults over the elderly, aiming to reach herd immunity fast and revive the economy, will be closely watched by other countries.

Jakarta – Opposition by Tambrauw regency residents in West Papua province against the establishment of the Tambrauw 1810 District Military Command (Kodim) has attracted support from a number of different parties.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Indonesia's economic growth is expected to rebound this year after it fell in 2020 into its first recession since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, but the coronavirus pandemic will continue to dampen economic activities, according to the reports of several international organizations.