Jakarta – United States President Joe Biden spoke late last week with president-elect Prabowo Subianto to congratulate him on his election victory, said White House national security communications aide John Kirby.

Kirby added that Biden pledged to expand cooperation with Indonesia under the US-Indonesia comprehensive partnership in the Indo-Pacific economic framework.

Jakarta – Shortly after the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced election winners last week, attention has begun shifting to whether the nation will have an opposition force and which of the eight political parties will play a role in the legislature.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – The Finance Ministry has reported a surplus in the state budget amounting to Rp 22.8 trillion ($1.44 billion). As of March 15, state revenue reached Rp 493.2 trillion, while state expenditures totaled Rp 470.3 trillion. This represents a decrease of 81.4 percent in the state budget surplus compared to the same period last year.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Constitutional Court (MK) Judge Anwar Usman is prohibited from presiding over disputes arising from the 2024 presidential and legislative elections involving the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) due to a conflict of interest.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna & Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – Indonesia's latest import restriction has raised concerns about its potential to deter tourism and has sparked fears of extortion from customs officials at airports.

Yolanda Agne, Dewi Rina Cahyani and Sita Planasari, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) on March 20 declared Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming the victors of the 2024 presidential election. The KPU chairman Hasyim Asy'ari said the pair had secured 96,214,691 votes and won in nearly all provinces.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – Greenpeace has condemned mounting legal actions taken by Indonesian authorities against four activists for protesting illegal shrimp farms damaging a marine park off the island of Java.

Rabul Sawal, Indramayu, Indonesia – A veil of smog lurks over Surono and Umroh's home as relatives and neighbors file inside to greet the couple. Umroh welcomes the new arrivals over lunch as family members and friends congratulate the beaming pair on the birth of their second child.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) asserted on Monday its right to retain the speakership in the House of Representatives after securing the most votes in the Feb. 14 election.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – It is by far the least powerful job among the country's highest state political institutions, but for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the position of House speaker may be a consolation prize after emerging as the party with the most votes in the February general elections.

Yustinus Paat & Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – The ongoing legal motions by two defeated presidential candidates seeking to disqualify president-elect Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka are essentially challenging a ruling issued by the same court where the motion will be tried, state administrative law expert Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Sunday.

Andika Pratama, Palembang – A policeman is being sought after a video went viral showing him shooting a debt collector who was negotiating to seize his car for unpaid installments in the city of Palembang.

Jakarta – The legal team of losing Indonesia presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo filed a complaint at the country's constitutional court on Saturday, calling for a fresh election and disqualification of the winning team of defense minister Prabowo Subianto.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) filed a motion to the Constitutional Court on Saturday claiming that it had lost at least 200,000 votes, in its efforts to retain representation in the House of Representatives.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesian government has faced substantial criticism, questions, and recommendations from the UN Human Rights Committee regarding the transparency in addressing past serious human rights violations, the abolition of the death penalty, and ongoing violence in Papua.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court has received 63 lawsuits disputing the election results, including two cases related to the presidential election, just hours before the deadline arrived on Saturday.

Presidential candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo filed separate cases alleging widespread fraud in the Feb. 14 election and demanding a revote.

Andika Dwi (Kyiv Independent), Jakarta – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had a phone call with Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto on March 18, after the former general claimed victory in the February 14 election.

Jakarta – Last week, the government announced a plan to extend statutory paternity leave in a draft implementing regulation for the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) Law, recently passed to bring sweeping changes to the recruitment and welfare of state employees.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Farm-to-fork traceability has become an increasingly urgent, and often required, component of global supply chains, with a growing number of commodities now trackable all the way back to their source.

Indonesia stands at a critical juncture as plans to expand military regional commands (Kodams) gain traction in the last months of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Commander General Agus Subiyanto said the upcoming 2024 regional head elections this year are prone to conflict. According to Agus, the potential for conflict in regional elections is greater than in presidential or legislative elections.

The chairperson of the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI), Sunarno, has conveyed the importance of trade unions and labor movements in leading the struggle in a period of crisis.

Danur Lambang Pristiandaru – Environmental activist Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan is facing 10 months in prison after being indicted under the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law.

Suci Sekarwati, Jakarta – Hassan Mohtashami, UNFPA Indonesia Representative, hopes that teenage pregnancy and child marriage in Indonesia will become a priority concern of the government since it could impact the level of gender equality in Indonesia.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Demak – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi stated that the Demak flooding was not only triggered by extreme rainfall but also by the degradation of upstream areas due to illicit deforestation and land-use conversion. He made the statement during his visit to the flood-stricken Demak Regency in Central Java today, March 22.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif announced that the government officially extended the work agreement with PT Vale Indonesia Tbk. in the form of a special mining business permit (IUPK).

Advist Khoirunikmah (Antara), Jakarta – The Indonesian police headquarters uncovered a case of alleged human trafficking by sending students to Germany for internships through the Fereinjob program. A total of 1,047 students are suspected of being victims of human trafficking.

Yustinus Paat & Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto extended an invitation to the National Democratic (Nasdem) Party to join his coalition.

This proposition was conveyed directly to Nasdem's Chairman, Surya Paloh, during their meeting at Nasdem Tower on Gondangdia Street, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Cakra Nagara, director of building construction, and directorate general of creative works at the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), admitted that he was worried about the audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) over the construction work at the Nusantara Capital City or IKN, for which the ministry received a budget allocation of Rp68 trillion

Stefani Wijaya and Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – Following the tragic death of a child due to an accident while chasing the popular "telolet" horn from a Sinar Dempo bus at the Merak Ferry Terminal in Banten, the Traffic Corps of the National Police and the Transportation Ministry are urging buses to refrain from using telolet horns.

Wahroni, Tangerang – Flooding struck the Sedyatmo Toll Road leading to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten on Friday, causing significant traffic congestion in the vicinity.

Commissioner Bernard Bachtera Saragih, the Traffic Chief of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police, reported that the floodwaters on the toll road reached depths of 30-40 centimeters.

Jakarta (VNA) – The number of dengue cases in Indonesia doubled in March compared to the corresponding period in 2023, said the Health Ministry.

Henry Storey – Australia's undercooked economic relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was naturally a focal point of discussion during the ASEAN – Australia Special Summit in early March.

Here, there is perhaps no greater reminder of Australia's economic shortcomings than its underdone trade relationship with Indonesia.

Indonesia has revoked three controversial laws on defamation which are often been used against dissenters and rights activists in the Muslim-majority nation.

The Constitutional Court on March 21 stated that Articles 14 and 15 of the Law on Criminal Law Regulation as well as Article 310 of the Criminal Code were unconstitutional and no longer a legally binding force.

Rachel Chan, Singapore – A set of agreements between Singapore and Indonesia – dealing with air space management, defence and extradition – entered into force on Thursday (Mar 21), signalling a "major milestone" in bilateral relations, said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Kiki Siregar, Jakarta – Indonesia's current ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), scored a historic hat-trick in the country's latest legislative election, winning the most votes for the third time in a row.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno confirmed on Friday that he won't leave the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), which failed to secure a seat in the House of Representatives for the first time since its inception.

Heru Andriyanto, Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto visited National Democratic Party (Nasdem) Chairman Surya Paloh on Friday to extend respect and offer collaboration with his future government.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The leaders of Saudi Arabia have sent their best wishes to president-elect Prabowo Subianto who will begin governing the Muslim-majority Indonesia this October.

Vinnilya, Jakarta – The Indonesia Coal Mining Association (APBI) expresses concern over the government's ambitious coal production target exceeding 900 million tons in 2024, fearing it will exacerbate pressure on coal prices.

Dio Suhenda and Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has won the popular vote in the 2024 legislative election, according to the final General Elections Commission (KPU) vote tally, with the Golkar Party following in a close second.

Wijayanti Putri, Solo – Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the running mate of president-elect Prabowo Subianto, revealed on Thursday that multiple political parties outside of his coalition had expressed interest in joining the future government.

Jakarta – Thanks to the quick count method conducted by independent pollsters, only hours after the Feb. 14 balloting, voters could get a sense of what the final outcome of this year's general election would look like.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he is the first world leader to congratulate president-elect Prabowo Subianto after the official results by the election commission KPU are out.

Stanley Widianto and Stefanno Sulaiman, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto pledged on Wednesday to be a president for all Indonesians after official results showed him sweeping last month's election, even as rivals said they would mount legal challenges over the electoral process.

Agencies, Jakarta – Losing presidential candidate Anies Baswedan has asked the Constitutional Court to order an election re-run that exclude President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's son from the ticket, his lawyer Ari Yusuf Amir said on Thursday.

Jakarta – Outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has dismissed speculation that he is planning to take over the Golkar Party in a bid to exert political influence once he is out of office after Oct. 20 this year.

Losing Indonesian presidential candidate Anies Baswedan has filed a legal case at the constitutional court to challenge the outcome of last month's election, won overwhelmingly by defence minister Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta – Chairman of the NasDem Party Surya Paloh has responded positively to the election result announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) on Wednesday and congratulated president-elect Prabowo Subianto on winning the race.

Agencies, Beijing – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday congratulated Prabowo Subianto on his victory in the presidential election, Beijing's state news agency Xinhua said.