A new large mosque - named Hasyim Asy'Ari Grand Mosque - was opened on Saturday (15/04) on Jalan Daan Mogot in West Jakarta. At the inauguration Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized the new mosque has to become a friendly and moderate Islamic symbol in Jakarta and Indonesia, acknowledging the diversity and pluralistic nature of the country, and strengthening the spirit of moderate and tolerant Islam. Although Indonesia has a clear Muslim-majority population, it is also home to millions of Christians, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhists.

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Heavy rains during the rainy season - in combination with insufficient drainage infrastructure - caused massive flooding across Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that there are 54 areas in Jakarta, mostly in the eastern part of the city, that were flooded on Tuesday (21/02). At some locations in East Jakarta's Cipinang Melayu the water level was even as high as 150 centimeters.

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A new rally, organized by the Indonesian Muslim Forum (FUI), will be staged on Tuesday (21/02) in front of Jakarta's national legislative complex on Jalan Gatot Subroto in Senayan (South Jakarta). An estimated 10,000 protesters will urge authorities (in this so-called "212 rally") to suspend Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok). Ahok is currently on trial for blasphemy based on a manipulated video that surfaced on social media last year.

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Although all quick count results show that the Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama - Djarot Saiful Hidayat pair won the first round of Jakarta's 2017 gubernatorial election, the Anies Baswedan - Sandiaga Uno pair may feel like the moral winner of this election as there is only a small margin (less than four percent) between both pairs. The winner of the second round, ergo winner of the election, will thus be determined by those who voted on the Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono - Sylviana Murni pair in the first round (this pair cannot participate in the second round).

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Starting from 7:00 am local Jakarta time on Wednesday (15/02), the capital city of Indonesia is voting for their next governor. There are more than 13,000 polling places spread across Jakarta to accommodate the 7.1 million eligible voters. Although actually in more than 100 provinces, cities and districts the regional heads are being elected today, most attention goes to Jakarta where ethnic and religious tensions are high due to the participation of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as Ahok), a Christian, ethnic Chinese politician who is being prosecuted for blasphemy.

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On 12 February 2017, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website over the last seven days. Most of the topics involve political, social and economy-related topics such the Jakarta gubernatorial election, Indonesia's GDP growth, credit ratings, nautical tourism, rice production, legal certainty, investment, balance of payments, much more.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo witnessed the inauguration of the first newly built container terminal, part of the New Priok Port, an extension of Indonesia's busiest port (Tanjung Priok) in North Jakarta, on Tuesday (13/09). At this occasion Widodo urged the developers of the New Priok Port to speed up construction of the port so that phase one can be completed by 2019. The New Priok Port, consisting of three phases, will relieve the overloaded systems at the existing Tanjung Priok port and bring Indonesia's port facilities on par with other world-class ports.

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Since the groundbreaking ceremony on 10 October 2013, witnessed by then-Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta has made progress. According to the latest updates, the first phase of the North-South line has been completed for slightly over 50 percent per July 2016. This first phase, which is estimated to require USD $1.5 billion worth of investment, connects Lebak Bulus in South Jakarta to Bunderan Hotel Indonesia in Central Jakarta.

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At the first day of Indonesia's Idul Fitri holiday (4-8 July 2016), the capital city of Jakarta has become relatively quiet as some 6.7 million Jakartans are estimated to have left the city to spend a couple of days with their families in the suburban or rural areas (a tradition called mudik). The peak of the exodus occurred on Saturday-Sunday and choked toll gates in the Greater Jakarta area. Meanwhile, the number of air passengers during this year's Idul Fitri is expected to be the highest ever, supported by higher purchasing power and better airport and flight services.

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Good news for those who love beer and live in Jakarta. About one year after Indonesia announced it had banned sales of alcoholic beverages in minimarkets and kiosks - a move conducted to "protect the morals and culture of Indonesian society" - Jakarta Governor Basuki Purnama Tjahja (Ahok) said alcoholic beverages with alcohol content up to five percent (which includes beer) will again be available in the capital city's minimarkets, the small retailers that have mushroomed across the city streets.

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Last Thursday night, a Nigerian drug dealer, imprisoned since 2004, was executed by firing squad near Kepulauan Seribu to the north of Jakarta's coast. This execution is the first since the execution of three Islamic radicals (who were involved in the 2002 Bali bombings) in 2008. Meanwhile, on Friday morning, counter-terrorism squad Densus 88 killed three suspected Muslim militants that robbed a jewelry store in Tambora, West Jakarta.

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