Jayanty Nada Shofa, Makassar – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) doesn't have the slightest doubt about Indonesia's ability to pay off its debt on time, according to its top brass, amid Jakarta's new borrowings.

Is there anything more barbaric than stealing funds intended to deal with disasters? Especially when the perpetrators are senior officials at an institution called the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). It is truly unthinkable that this crime keeps recurring soon after disasters strike.

Antara, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan has highlighted the high cost of domestic rice production, which currently reaches Rp12,000 to Rp14,000 per kilogram. This figure far exceeds production costs in neighboring countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, which hover around Rp4,000 per kilogram.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Two offshore natural gas projects in East Kalimantan, developed with a combined investment of $891 million, are expected to become fully operational by the end of October, increasing the region's gas production by approximately 290 million cubic feet per day.

Nuevaterra Mambor, Jayapura, Jubi – The Papua Justice and Human Integrity Foundation (YKKMP) has reported alleged military sweeps, intimidation, interrogations and physical assaults, including against a man with disabilities, in Tolikara Regency, Papua Highland Province, on October 7-8, 2026.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Makassar – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts a full-year growth of 5.2% for Indonesia in 2026, falling short of the government's ambitions.

Imam Suhartadi, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's administration has the trust of 63.1% of the public, while 63.3% of respondents believe the president and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka are capable of governing, according to a Voxpol Center Research and Consulting survey.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Only a fraction of Indonesia's 83,000 legally established Red and White Village Cooperatives (KDKMP) have begun running businesses, raising concerns over the implementation of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's flagship grassroots economic program, a cooperative expert said.

Ananda Teresia, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's big-tent coalition has given him almost unchecked power for two years, but mass food poisoning and graft linked to his flagship free meals program have emerged as the first major test of their support for the former special forces commander.

Maretha Uli, Jakarta – When atmospheric haze from forest and peatland fires worsened in Kalimantan in mid-October, videos showing skies turning dusty orange spread widely across social media, including one posted by homemaker Firda Ayu Wahyuni in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said his administration was on the right track after two years in office. He cited food self-sufficiency, state investment agency Danantara, and a centralized export policy as key national programs.

Erfan Maruf, Ferry Yuniar, Cilegon, Banten – A passenger ferry caught fire as it approached Merak Port in Banten province on Tuesday afternoon in the latest maritime incident in recent months, sending thick black smoke billowing from the vessel and forcing passengers to scramble for safety.

Authorities said everyone aboard was successfully evacuated.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Human Rights has identified eight priority issues for national development planning, ranging from access to basic services and food to environmental protection and freedom of expression.

Stanley Widianto and Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam, Jakarta – Indonesia should reconsider its involvement in US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan because it is being shaped by Israel and the US and lacks a Palestinian voice, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories told Reuters on Thursday.

Iman Pambagyo – An economy does not grow because officials say it is strong or statistics look reassuring. It grows on confidence, built when businesses and investors see policies that are coherent, consistent, transparent, and predictable.

Last week, the market delivered a very strong message that all four were in short supply. MSCI merely sounded the alarm.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The two years of President Prabowo Subianto's administration have been met with high negative public sentiment, largely due to long-lasting forest fires.

Yenni Kwok, Jakarta – On Oct. 15, as thick smog continued to choke millions of people, Indonesian health policy research and advocacy organization the Nalar Rawat Institute shared a post on TikTok and Instagram about the health effects of the country's wildfires.

Little did it know what problems the innocuous posts would create.

The replacement of National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo with Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto cannot be viewed as an ordinary leadership change. Amid a political rift between President Prabowo Subianto and former President Joko Widodo, the appointment, followed by a sweeping shake-up within the National Police, has fueled suspicions of a "power play."

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Laboratorim Indonesian 2045 (LAB45) underscores the growing centralization of political control in the two years of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka's administration. LAB45 examined two years of the Prabowo-Gibran administration across four sectors: politics-media, economic-politics, gender, and politics, law, and security.

Nida Sahara, Jakarta – Indonesia's government remains too reactive in managing risks, often scrambling to respond only after a crisis hits despite warning signs that could have allowed authorities to prepare in advance, Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) founder Dino Patti Djalal said.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – Indonesia's 2026 minimum wage increases have yet to translate into better living standards for workers as rising prices continue to erode their purchasing power, while layoffs and short-term employment add to their economic uncertainty.

Martin Bagya Kertiyasa, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) kept its benchmark interest rate at 5.75% on Wednesday while raising its deposit facility rate by 25 basis points to 5.00%, as weak global growth prospects and heightened financial market uncertainty continue to cloud the economic outlook.

Nuevaterra Mambor, Jayapura, Jubi – The Ateta clan, an Indigenous customary law community of the Sumuri people in Teluk Bintuni Regency, West Papua Province, has announced a boycott of all activities by Genting Oil Kasuri Pte. Ltd. (GOKPL) on its customary land.

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – Children are bearing the brunt of the escalating crises triggered by widespread wildfires in the country as wildfires disrupt many aspects of their daily lives, sparking yet another call for an urgent response from authorities.

Sydney – Australia and Timor-Leste signed a defence deal on Oct 22 to boost cyber and maritime security as Canberra seeks to curb China's influence among its island neighbours.

Isabel Esterman – Thick smog covers the forest canopy in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, dimming the sun. On the front lines, forest and land fires are not just destroying habitats; they are pushing local primates close to extinction.

In the middle of this crisis, Veterinarian Komara and the Yayasan Inisiasi Alam Rehabilitasi Indonesia (YIARI) team stay alert.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia and Australia strengthened their cooperation on law and security during the 12th Indonesia-Australia Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) on Law and Security on Thursday, October 22.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said the meeting resulted in a joint communique between Indonesia and Australia.

Herman, Jakarta – Indonesia should address concerns over stock ownership transparency and trading fairness rather than treat MSCI's scrutiny as a challenge to national sovereignty, capital market analyst Hendra Wardana said, warning that failure to improve market standards could weaken investor confidence.

Singapore – As South-east Asia faces its most severe haze crisis in over a decade, governments and environmental organisations are starting to identify the companies that could be responsible for the widespread burning.

Nuevaterra Mambor, Jayapura, Jubi – Indonesian children's film "Teman Tegar: Maira – Whisper from Papua" has won the Global Peace and Friendship award at the Universal Kids Film Festival 2026.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia's membership in the Board of Peace (BoP) is intended to support the Palestinian cause, particularly the reconstruction of Gaza, the Foreign Ministry said, following criticism from Amnesty International Indonesia over the decision to join the body.

Over the past month, social media users have been showing off their downgraded lifestyles. Some are selling their cars, switching to cheaper vehicles, or giving up their vacation habits. Many are also cutting back on nonessential purchases. "In this economy," they say, frugal living has become a sensible choice. Frugal living is the trendy, popular term for living economically.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday launched a national financial welfare council to expand the government's focus from increasing access to financial services to improving the financial well-being of Indonesian households.

Padang, Indonesia – Four gold miners were killed after a hillside in the Jorong Jujutan forest of Sumatra's South Solok district gave way in the early hours of Oct. 6.

Islamabad – Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia on Wednesday signed a multilateral pact to promote cooperation in defence production and capabilities, the Turkish defence ministry said.

The signing took place in Qatar, with ministers of the four countries attending the ceremony. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan at the signing.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) received 2,088 public complaints on the unprofessionalism of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) in law enforcement. Komnas HAM received the reports over three years, from 2023 to mid-2026.

Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa – West Papuan civil society organisations have called on Indonesia to allow access to their region for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and to open up genuine, inclusive dialogue.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday warned that foreign companies implicated in Indonesia's recurring forest and land fires could face severe penalties, including the revocation of operating permits, as he called for tougher enforcement against businesses that repeatedly violate regulations.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian rupiah weakened against the US dollar at Thursday's close on October 22, falling 38 points, or 0.21 percent, to Rp18,060 per dollar from Rp18,022 in the previous session.

Sara Hussein, Bangkok – After months of fires in Indonesia that have caused thick regional haze, attention is turning to whether companies can be held accountable for the blazes and resulting air pollution.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – Authorities have finally released six activists from Greenpeace Indonesia who were previously arrested and detained at the Jakarta Metro Police late Tuesday, October 20, 2026. They were arrested after staging a peaceful protest by unfurling banners on top of the Selamat Datang Monument in HI Roundabout area in Central Jakarta.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto claimed that foreign interests have repeatedly sought to disrupt Indonesia's rise as a nation, alleging that some parties want to exploit the country's natural wealth.

Muhammad Isa Bustomi, Jakarta – A number of protest actions marking two years of the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka were held in Jakarta on Tuesday October 20.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Health said it has established 477 'oxygen houses' in community health centers, hospitals, and other facilities to tackle health impacts of forest fires.

Pribadi Wicaksono, Jakarta – A mass protest to mark two years of Prabowo-Gibran administration at the Yogyakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Malioboro Street ended in chaos late Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

The protest was marked by clashes after talks between lawmakers at DPRD Yogyakarta and protesters hit a deadlock.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Six Greenpeace Indonesia activists who were arrested after staging a peaceful protest at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, Jakarta, have been released.

Jakarta – Global index provider MSCI was trying to "intimidate" Indonesia but the country would not be afraid, President Prabowo Subianto told his cabinet on Wednesday, striking a combative tone in his first public reaction to last week's downgrade warning.

Muhammad Isa Bustomi, Jakarta – Eleven Greenpeace Indonesia activists arrested after unfurling protest banners on the Welcome Statue Monument at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Tuesday October 20 have been released.

Antara, Jakarta – Communication and Digital (Komdigi) Minister Meutya Hafid confirmed that no social media platforms operating in Indonesia have been asked to take down content about land and forest fires.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – Chair of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Setyo Budiyanto responded to the claim made by the Chair of the National Economic Council (DEN), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, regarding President Prabowo Subianto's approval of changes to the definition of corruption.