As Indonesians welcomed the first day of Ramadan on Thursday, messages of peace and unity were put front and center, geared toward inspiring tolerance ahead of next year’s general elections.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry will soon start mapping out the number of political exiles abroad whose citizenship is eligible for restoration, following up on a recent decree to settle past human rights abuses.

Religious leaders have jointly declared their rejection of the politicization of religion in order to avoid a repeat of previous elections, as the nation navigates a political year ahead of the 2024 elections.

Just outside Indonesia's planned new capital on Kalimantan island, an orangutan catches a banana with one hand, thrown by a conservationist on a boat, while her other hand clings to a tree branch.

Prosecutors plan to appeal the Surabaya District Court's acquittal of two police officers in connection with the stampede and crush that led to the deaths of 135 people at Kanjuruhan Stadium last October, one of the deadliest stadium disasters in the sport.

Civil society organizations expressed dismay over the verdicts of cases related to Kanjuruhan soccer crush including the acquittal of two police officers, saying they had failed to provide justice for victims of the tragedy.

As debate swirls over the advantages and dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, some teachers, students and policymakers are eager to embrace the technology, claiming it would do more good than harm for the Indonesian school system.

Thrift-shop sellers and vintage-shopping aficionados have spoken up against the government’s decision to crack down on imported second-hand clothes, which it claims are harmful to the local garment industry.

Responding to criticism, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin is adamant that the omnibus health bill would help cut through the bureaucratic red tape that currently plagues the health sector, and that it would aid in ongoing efforts to reform the sector, including addressing Indonesia’s severe lack of doctors.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has again been involved in controversy after a high school teacher criticized him on social media. When reports began to surface that the contract teacher lost his job due to his criticism, the social media-savvy politician assured his followers that he was always open to criticism.

The leadership of the House of Representatives has vowed to kickstart its deliberation on the long-awaited domestic worker protection bill in the current sitting session as lawmakers returned from recess on Tuesday.

House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has come under fire for using an outdated conclusion as a reason not to kick-start efforts to introduce a much-needed new legislation to better protect domestic workers.

The Indonesian Cultural Heritage (WBI) Foundation held on Saturday an event dubbed Jagantara 2.0, geared towards celebrating and preserving Indonesia’s richly diverse culture.

Press rights groups and environmentalists have condemned an attempt to disrupt a media discussion on the Tapanuli orangutan and Batang Toru ecosystem on Thursday, calling it an affront to journalistic freedom and safety.

Indonesia has lodged a formal complaint with the Fijian government expressing its “deep disappointment” with the South Pacific country’s recognition of West Papua and support for the separatist movement there, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani “promises” to work with senior minister Mahfud MD to address reports about suspicious transactions amounting to Rp 300 trillion (US$19.4 billion) within tax and customs offices.

Downed communication lines following a landslide in the remote region of Natuna, Riau Islands, which killed at least 30 people, hinder evacuation efforts.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, Pahala said the KPK had flagged 134 tax officials with stakes in 280 companies in varying sectors, including tax-consulting services.

According to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, some 2 million Indonesians leave the country every year seeking medical treatment, costing the country Rp 165 trillion (US$10.6 billion) annually in capital outflows.

Organizing official gets 18 months, security official one year.

More sexual violence against women cases were reported last year following the passing of stronger regulations, a study by Komnas Perempuan has found.

"What I said is not a hoax; I have written proof," minister Mahfud said.

Activists and scholars are questioning the government’s commitment to free speech as the police press ahead with an online defamation case against two human rights defenders under a law that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said should be reformed.

PPATK head Ivan Yustiavandana confirmed the details on Tuesday and added that the amount could likely increase.

Amid lagging pediatric vaccination, Central Papua is struggling to curb the spread of measles in the newly created province, as health authorities report close to 400 cases since the start of the year.

The financial intelligence agency has frozen more than 10 bank accounts possibly linked to money launderers who helped Rafael Alun Trisambodo to conceal his sources of wealth, following a probe into the unusually huge wealth of the middle-ranking tax official.

In a workshop attended by club representatives from Liga 1 and Liga 2, the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) decided on Saturday to uphold the suspension of the current Liga 2 season as the soccer governing body outlines their ambition to transform the Indonesian soccer league into the best in Southeast Asia.

Antigraft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) warns that the recent scandal involving a tax official with unclear sources of wealth represents only the tip of the iceberg.

Up to 3.8 million hectares of peatland areas are at high risk from being burned, as peatland-restoration efforts are overshadowed by lackluster fire mitigation and weak law enforcement, according to environmental coalition Pantau Gambut

One Indonesian Military (TNI) soldier was killed and three others, including the regental military commander, were wounded in a rebel attack on Wednesday in Yahukimo regency, Papua Highlands province, the TNI has reported.