Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) legislation board (Baleg) has decided to stop deliberating the controversial draft family resilience bill (RUU) which was decided after five factions expressed their objection.

Jakarta – The seven-day average of newly coronavirus cases hits a new high in Jakarta as officials said the city is facing new clusters of infections due to recent mass gatherings led by controversial Muslim group leader Rizieq Syihab.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – What appears to be a casual photo of Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan reading a book on Sunday morning has sparked debate among social media users, with some claiming that the photo is a subtle jab at President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration.

Choky R. Ramadhan – Members of the Indonesian parliament have just proposed an alcohol prohibition bill, setting off a public debate.

This bill would criminalise the producers, distributors, sellers, buyers and consumers of alcoholic beverages. Violators would be sentenced to fines and prison time.

Marta Pascual Juanola – At this time of the year, Jimbaran local Yeny Fita Wulandari would usually be run off her feet, juggling jobs in a busy spa and thriving tour business in Poppies Lane, one of Kuta's many buzzing laneways.

But this year, the mother-of-three can barely put food on the table.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has reminded the national COVID-19 task force and committee as well as provincial leaders across the nation to balance efforts aimed at containing the coronavirus with efforts to revive economic activity.

Jakarta – Banyumas regency in Central Java will temporarily close some tourist attractions in the area to contain the spread of COVID-19, antaranews.com reported.

Banyumas Regent Achmad Husein said on Monday that the local administration would close both government-owned and privately owned tourist attractions gradually, following the surge of COVID-19 cases.

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Indonesia's former two-term vice president Jusuf Kalla in an interview with Tempo Magazine, as many other experts have, opined about the return of Rizieq Shihab and the large crowd that gathered in welcoming home the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader amidst the strict COVID-19 health protocol.

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy is expected to return to growth in 2021 after facing a recession this year, economists say, but unemployment and poverty may rise further as economic activity will remain sluggish.

Amy Chew, South China Morning Post – In the week and a half that hardline Islamic cleric Habib Rizieq has been back in Indonesia, he has called for the beheadings of those who insult the Prophet Mohammed, sought the release of a convicted terrorist leader and sanctioned prayers for President Joko Widodo's death.

Jakarta (Reuters) – Indonesia hit a grim milestone on Monday (Nov 23) in surpassing more than half a million cases of the coronavirus, as hospitals across the country's most populated province edged closer towards capacity.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government is currently pursuing various efforts to revive tourism, including allocating Rp 14.4 trillion (US$972.6 million) for businesses and issuing cleanliness, health, safety and environmental sustainability (CHSE) certification for service providers in the industry.

Rizki Fachriansyah, Jakarta – Indonesia's confirmed COVID-19 case number has exceeded 500,000 as the country continues to endure the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly nine months since it reported the first infections in March.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says that war crimes need to be included as gross human rights violations. The group said this in the context of commemorating 20 years since the enactment of Law Number 26/2000 on a Human Rights Court.

Bogor, West Java. Indonesia will hold the G20 presidency in 2022, a year earlier than arranged, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has said.

Jakarta – The Limapuluh Kota Police in West Sumatra have disbanded a public wedding reception held for the child of local Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Joni Amir, alleging a violation of COVID-19 protocols.

Jakarta – New Covid-19 cases have been recorded following a series of mass gatherings centred around the return of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab from self-exile in Saudi Arabia on Nov 10.

Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab is refusing health screening by authorities, sources close to him say, as those who have been closely associated with his return from Saudi Arabia two weeks ago have tested positive for COVID-19 in the dozens.

Budi Sutrisno, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has brushed off criticisms calling its move to alter its organizational structure "fattening", with the antigraft body saying it has tried to balance the number new positions with those removed.

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The Jakarta administration announced on Sunday that it would extend the transitional period of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) for another two weeks until Dec. 6 amid a recent surge of new COVID-19 cases and following a number mass gatherings that led to accusations of widespread violations of health protocols.

Jakarta – Indonesia plans to resume accepting visa applications from residents of eight countries that require a calling visa for entry starting Monday following a temporary suspension imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, an immigration official has said.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan in Sunday's statement revealed a 70 percent drop in percentage of people's health protocol obedience during the past week which referred to data from University of Indonesia's faculty of public health as of November 21.

Jakarta – As the central government plans to reopen schools for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year, the National Child Protection Commission (KPAI) is urging it to focus on preparing infrastructure and protocols for students returning to classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bandung and Jakarta – COVID-19 hospitals in Bandung, West Java, are running out of beds with at least 88.6 percent of bed capacity already occupied.

Bandung City secretary Ema Surmana said that the occupancy had skyrocketed compared with two months ago when it was still at 32.5 percent.

Jakarta – Indonesia is unlikely to procure Covid-19 vaccines produced by the American multinational pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer and a German biotechnology company Biopharmaceutical New Technologies, or BioNTech, as the vaccines require refrigeration temperature far beyond the archipelago's logistical capability, a top executive at a state-owned pharmaceutical company said on S

Jakarta – The transportation industry is among the sectors hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Stay-at-home and physical-distancing policies, coupled with the closure of tourist destinations and shopping centers, have caused earnings in the sector to plummet.

Farid Firdaus, Jakarta – Flagship carrier Garuda Indonesia has set to raise $600 million from mandatory convertible bonds by the end of this year to keep the airline's afloat through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – The Jakarta Military Command's decision to take down banners depicting firebrand cleric and Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab has raised questions over the Indonesian Military's (TNI) participation in civilian matters.

Jakarta – The government's plan to transfer licenses for the import of refined sugar directly to the industries that use it has been held up at the ministerial level, even though it could reduce rent-seeking.

Jakarta – Many children have experienced physical or psychological abuse at home during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Child Protection Agency (KPAI).

Jakarta (Reuters) – Indonesia has secured a Euro 550 million (S$876 million) loan from Germany's state bank KfW to fund its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Jakarta's embassy in Berlin said.

The proceeds would be used to upgrade hospitals and procure medical equipment, among other things, the embassy said in a Facebook post this week.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Indonesia is getting closer to the 500,000 mark amid widespread infections in key hotspots, most notably Jakarta which set a new high in daily cases on Saturday.

Jakarta – Three mothers of sick children are fighting for legal changes to allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Together, they submitted a request to the Constitutional Court on Thursday for a judicial review of the 2009 Narcotics Law.

Azka Namirah, Jakarta – "It is so hard to earn a living as a fisherman today. Years ago, my wife and children never had to ask me to make more money because it was enough. This area used to be wide open. We could fish and get paid. But not anymore. Reclamation is everywhere, we are stranded."

Jakarta – Indonesia's drug supervisory body has revoked the authorization for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate use in the Covid-19 patient treatment after a study suggesting the drugs increase the risk for heart rhythm disorders among the patients.

Jakarta – Many volunteers with the COVID-19 task force have resigned following the task force's controversial donation of 20,000 masks for the wedding of the daughter of controversial Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab.

One of the volunteers, Abdul Mufid, claimed that around 2,000 volunteers in the Greater Jakarta area had decided to quit the task force.

Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has urged businesses to partner with 2 million independent farmers by 2023 to improve their productivity, as Indonesia seeks to improve its farmers' welfare and food security.

Arlina Arshad – Chaotic scenes of men in white robes and matching turbans celebrating the return of Indonesian firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab from self-exile in Saudi Arabia have been hogging the media spotlight for over a week now.

It's official. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has signed the Regional Regulation (Perda) on COVID-19 mitigation, through which those who refuse COVID-19 vaccination, when it becomes available, can be fined up to IDR5 million (US$354).

Sabrina Asril, Jakarta – The practice of obstructing press freedom has happened again. This time it befell Kompas.com reporter Nirmala Maulana whose mobile phone was seized by a rogue TNI (Indonesian military) officer when he was covering TNI personnel taking down an Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) billboard depicting the face of the group's leader Habib Rizieq Shihab.

Imam Hamdi, Jakarta – The Head of the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), Arifin, on Friday requested the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) to take down public billboards showcasing images of Rizieq Shihab. The agency said the billboards' installation had violated the city's public order.

Sausan Atika, Jakarta – Like many parents during the COVID-19 pandemic, Siti Masita, 36, sits with her 8-year-old daughter during remote learning sessions every weekday.

Over time, she started to notice that her second-grader, a state elementary school student in Bekasi, West Java, wasn't able to complete school assignments on her own.

Erin Cook – The return of Jakarta's notorious cleric Rizieq Shihab portends more upset in Indonesia's devastating year of pandemic and recession. But for the thousands of Islamic Defenders Front, or FPI, who gathered at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport just outside Jakarta to welcome the religious leader's flight from Saudi Arabia last week, it's a new beginning.

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab returned from Saudi Arabia on National Heroes' Day in Indonesia, Nov 10, after a three-year self-imposed exile, calling for a "moral revolution" to save the country.

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim today announced that schools across Indonesia can reopen and conduct face-to-face learning starting January, provided that they fulfill the requirements and are authorized by their respective regional governments.

Eisya A. Eloksari, Jakarta – The Finance Ministry's Taxation Directorate General on Tuesday appointed another 10 digital technology companies as "VAT collectors", which are obliged to collect 10 percent value-added tax (VAT) from the foreign goods and services they sell under the government's new digital tax.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The seven-day average of newly coronavirus infections hit a new high on Thursday as Indonesia is heading into a second peak of the outbreak.

The country has been averaging 4,461 cases in the past week, surpassing the previous high of 4,379 on Sept. 26.

Jakarta – The Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) has criticized the hate speech verdict handed down against Bali-based musician I Gede Ari Astina, better known as Jerinx, saying his conviction was "unacceptable".

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – A 34-year-old man in North Sumatra who sold a meteorite that smashed through his roof for Rp 200 million (US$14,000) found out later that he could have received 100 times the sum as the space rock is actually worth around $1.85 million.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has come down hard on those who have broken health protocols in the aftermath of massive crowds turning up to welcome the return of controversial cleric Rizieq Shihab in two events last week.