Nick Sas, Vonia Vieira, Rory Callinan – Walking in the same dirt his father did 50 years ago brews a stew of emotions for Evan Shackleton. This is the dirt, in the Timor-Leste border town of Balibo, where his father laid his last footprints.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Maman Abdurrahman, has sparked controversy by proposing that local entrepreneurs should produce counterfeit or knock-off branded bags.

Hendrik Yaputra – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has asked the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Nusantara Investment Authority (BPI Danantara) to downsize the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from 1,000 to 200-240 companies.

Rafiqa Qurrata A'yun and Tim Lindsey (The Conversation) – Mass demonstrations against the greed of politicians led to protests in late August across Indonesia, calling for major reforms to the political system and police force. Civil society groups played a key role in these events.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has allowed foreigners to take leadership roles at Indonesia's state-run enterprises, especially if they are up to the job.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has launched the People's School (Sekolah Rakyat) initiative aimed at breaking the cycle of extreme poverty in Indonesia through access to quality education.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto mentioned the number of food poisoning cases related to the Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) in front of global Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). The Head of State mentioned that the food poisoning victims were 0.0007 percent of the 35.4 million MBG beneficiaries.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Indonesia's Aceh Regional Police has established 94 drug-free villages (KBDN) across all regencies and cities. The Aceh Police Chief Inspector General Marzuki Ali Barsyah stated that these villages could serve as centers for narcotics education and early detection by involving the community.

Vinnilya Huanggrio, Jakarta – The Indonesian government should consider lowering its value-added tax (VAT) rate to strengthen competitiveness in Southeast Asia and narrow the gap with Vietnam, which has posted its fastest economic growth in a decade, a retail industry leader said on Thursday.

Antara, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto said Wednesday that a combination of capitalism and socialism would suit Indonesia's economic system the best.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has raised questions about the large sum of government funds piling up in fixed bank deposits. According to his records, the central and regional government funds in the form of fixed deposits were at Rp204.1 trillion and Rp204.2 trillion in December 2023 and December 2024, respectively.

Fachrizal Baladraf, Maidina Rahmawati and Erasmus AT Napitupulu – Imagine the horror: as students were praying, the concrete structure above them suddenly collapsed. The main building of the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School (pesantren) in Sidoarjo, East Java, crumbled on 29 September 2025, trapping hundreds inside.

Defara Dhanya, Jakarta – A recent report from Climate Rights International (CRI) urges the Indonesian government and companies in the mining sector, particularly nickel, to immediately stop violating the rights of local communities, clean up air and water pollution, and gradually phase out the use of captive coal.

Jakarta – Following the upcoming return of over 28,000 fossils from the Netherlands, the government is broadening its repatriation efforts to include artifacts currently held in Germany and other European countries, marking a significant step in Indonesia's campaign to reclaim its heritage from abroad.

Jakarta – The policy disarray in the energy sector is increasingly concerning. After causing public unease through restrictions on the distribution of three-kilogram cooking gas canisters, now the intervention by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia in relation to fuel import quota for private gas stations has caused new turmoil.

Kennedy Muslim and Burhanuddin Muhtadi – Almost a year into office, Indonesia's central government must balance its ambitions against rising public discontent. There is still time to right the ship.

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – In a new report, marine activists are demanding restoration efforts from nickel miners and the Indonesian government for affected areas of Raja Ampat while also urging authorities to enforce the ban on mineral extraction in coastal and small island regions.

Ria Fortuna Wijaya, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia is on track to achieve up to eight percent economic growth, driven by his flagship Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program that he claims is already feeding 35 million people a day, the equivalent of "seven Singapores," while creating millions of new jobs.

Antara, Jakarta – The Jakarta provincial government is stepping up its response to extreme heat, launching weather modification efforts, accelerating tree-planting programs, and warning residents to limit outdoor activity as temperatures in the capital hit 35 degrees Celsius this week.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Union (KNTI) highlights the declining welfare of national fishermen in recent years. The Chair of KNTI, Dani Setiawan, said the Fishermen's Exchange Rate (NTN) has been decreasing since 2022.

Hanaa Septiana, Jakarta – All victims of the collapse of Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School in Buduran, Sidoarjo have been identified. In total, there are 63 identified bodies. The head of the Medical and Health Division of the East Java Regional Police, Commissioner Pol. Dr.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Hospitals and clinics across Jakarta and surrounding regions have reported a recent uptick in patients showing flu-like symptoms.

Similar surges have also been recorded abroad, including in Malaysia, where thousands of cases have forced several schools to temporarily close.

The Indonesian government's ambitious National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke has entered a critical phase marked by escalating conflict between indigenous landowners and corporations backed by state authority, with customary land seizures now accompanied by police criminalization of community members resisting plantation development on their ancestral territories.

Deni Friawan, Jakarta – What do President Prabowo Subianto and his newly appointed Finance Minister, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, have in common? The answer lies in their shared confidence that Indonesia can achieve significantly higher economic growth than it has in recent decades.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Around Indonesian sixty women staged a symbolic picnic in front of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) building in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. They spread picnic mats and shared home-cooked meals of rice, meat, fruits, and vegetables, turning their lunch into a peaceful protest.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Inspector General of the Jakarta Metro Police, Asep Edi Suheri, announced a major collaborative effort to maintain security and public order in the capital, inviting approximately 5,000 members from various mass organizations to partner with the force.

Jakarta – Indonesian television network Trans7 has issued a public apology following widespread backlash over a broadcast about Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) that many viewers said insulted Muslim clerics and religious culture.

Keith Anthony Fabro – Off the western coast of Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands rise from the Indian Ocean in a patchwork of emerald forests and winding rivers. The canopy shelters endemic macaques and gibbons, hornbills and orchids, while coastal villages still echo with rituals that tie people to the land and sea.

Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has found himself at the centre of global attention – and domestic debate – at the Gaza peace summit in Egypt, a high-level gathering aimed at ending hostilities and planning reconstruction in the war-torn enclave.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – A massive fire tore through three two-story homes in a residential complex on Pademangan Raya Street, Pademangan District, North Jakarta. Fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at about 03:55 a.m. local time.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto believes that the Rp10,000 (US$0.60) per portion budget for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program is sufficient to provide a complete and nutritious menu, including chicken and eggs.

On 25 July 2025, members of the Indonesian National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) reportedly intimidated indigenous residents in Sailala Village, Sayosa Timur District, Sorong Regency, through social media. The threats reportedly followed a local protest against the presence of armed security forces guarding the activities of palm oil company PT Mancaraya Agro Mandiri (MAM).

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – A group of supporters of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka are planning to establish a cyber team. Their aim is to counter the narrative regarding the free nutritious meal program (MBG) which they believe is being slandered on social media.

Jakarta – A group of mothers, young people and women who are members of the Voices of Indonesian Mothers (Suara Ibu Indonesia) are urging the government to halt the free nutritious meals (MBG) program following cases of mass poisoning in various regions.

On 23 September 2025, police officers from the Jayapura Police arbitrarily detained thirteen members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in the Sentani area while they were distributing leaflets to announce an upcoming peaceful demonstration marking International Farmers' Day (24 September 2025).

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, views the practice of exporting raw materials, including mineral resources, as akin to the methods employed by the United East India Company (VOC) during the colonial era.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – The Finance Ministry announced on Tuesday that the government had rolled out Rp 192.2 trillion (approximately $11.6 billion) in energy subsidies and compensation as of early October this year.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has issued a new decree to restart international carbon emission trading after a four year hiatus.

The country issued carbon market rules in 2021 that focused on compliance carbon markets rather than transactions in voluntary markets.

Indonesia, West Papua – Indonesia's Constitutional Court rejected formal review petitions challenging Law No. 3/2025 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), ruling that the legislative process did not violate the 1945 Constitution despite procedural controversies and widespread criticism from civil society organizations (CSOs), academics, and students.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – The Central Command Headquarters of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has formally urged President Prabowo Subianto and the House of Representatives (DPR) to take decisive action regarding the political status of Papua and the cessation of violence in the conflict zone.

Shannon Brincat – On October 16, 1975, five journalists were killed in the remote Timorese town of Balibo. To this day, no one has been charged with their deaths.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Gerindra Party politician Habiburokhman claimed he has never encountered anyone who rejected the free nutritious meal or MBG program. He claimed that the individuals he met in his electoral district supported the Prabowo-led free meal project for school students.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Hundreds of alumni from Islamic boarding schools gathered at the Transmedia building in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday morning, October 15, 2025, in a protest titled "Silaturahim dan Meruwat Trans7" (Strengthening and Nurturing Trans7).

Rebecca Tan and Winda Charmila – When President Donald Trump proclaimed an end to the war in Gaza on Monday, he was flanked by leaders from the Middle East and Europe as well as, at the corner of that historic stage in Egypt, a guest from elsewhere: Prabowo Subianto, the president of Indonesia.

Jakarta – Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin on Wednesday held a meeting with senior politician and chairman of the NasDem Party Surya Paloh at the ministry's headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Muhammad Farhan, Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa clarified on Tuesday that the reported return of Rp 70 trillion ($4.2 billion) in unused funds by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program did not come from the official state budget but from an additional funding proposal that was never approved.

Indonesia, West Papua – Indonesia's National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) visited the Jubi Editorial Office on 15 August 2025 to inquire about developments in the ongoing investigation into a Molotov cocktail attack on the independent news agency.

Adhyasta Dirgantara, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – The Rose Team (Tim Mawar), which was a small team created by the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) Command Group IV in 1998, apparently still leaves traces to this day.

Jakarta – The statement by Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Nusron Wahid that 474,000 hectares of land in South Papua that was released from forest classification as 'state land' and 'uninhabited' shows a mistaken and dangerous viewpoint. This statement appears to be reviving the terra nullius doctrine inherited from European colonialism.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, has raised concerns over what he described as media exaggeration of sexual crimes in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren).