Jakarta – An Indonesian celebrity with a "questionable" university degree is under online scrutiny in Indonesia over his new role.

Mr Raffi Ahmad has been appointed as the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) from 2024 until 2029.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's outgoing leader Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said Tuesday that Indonesia's resource nationalism will extend outside of the mining sector as the country mulls banning exports of unprocessed agricultural products like coffee and cocoa.

Resource nationalism has been at the core of Jokowi's economic policies over the past years.

Duncan Graham – "Religion is being used as an instrument of power in Indonesia, manipulated by the State and big business. Politicians are continuing to use religion for their own ends and consequently risking harmony."

Indonesia, West Papua – On 15 July 2024, Mr Herik Gombo died under suspicious circumstances during custody at the Merauke Police. Mr Gombo and his colleague had been detained following a motorcycle accident earlier that day. His family and legal representatives demand clarity and accountability from the police regarding his death inside the detention cell.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Penajam Paser Utara – President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked the public not to rush to request that the capital be immediately moved from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan. Jokowi argued the haste in relocating the capital will bring more problems in the future.

Indah Handayani, Jakarta – Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves has gone down slightly to $149.9 billion as of end-September, according to the country's central bank.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have identified a total of nine suspects in connection with the vandalism and assault on a political discussion at the Grand Kemang Hotel in South Jakarta late last month.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 16 July 2024, the Indonesian military shot dead Mr Tonda Wanimbo, Mr Yotenus Wonda, and Mr Dominus Wonda in the Mulia District, Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province.

Fito Akhmad Erlangga, Jakarta – Indonesia's new capital project of Nusantara has recorded Rp 58.4 trillion ($3.7 billion) worth of private investments so far.

Rino Fajar Setiawan, Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Thousands of judges across Indonesia began a week-long strike on Monday, demanding higher wages. They argue that their salaries have remained stagnant for the past 12 years despite rising inflation.

Vinnilya, Jakarta – NH Korindo Sekuritas warns that the ongoing deflation trend poses urgent concerns for the Indonesian economy, suggesting that the working class has limited disposable income for spending.

Jakarta – Wolbachia has made headlines again recently, following the health authorities' plan to step up their fight against dengue fever using mosquito eggs infected with the bacteria.

Stefanno Sulaiman – President-elect Prabowo Subianto will increase the country's debt-to-GDP ratio level gradually, alongside efforts to boost tax revenues, his top adviser and brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo told a seminar on Monday.

Jakarta – A wild Sumatran elephant has been found dead in the forest of Way Kambas National Park (TNWK) in East Lampung regency, Lampung.

The adult elephant was discovered at the Toto Projo Resort, Bungur Region II Section, around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a sting operation in South Kalimantan on Sunday, October 6, 2024, as confirmed by Deputy Chair Alexander Marwata.

Daniel A Fajri, Eka Yudha, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – The Treasurer of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Olly Dondokambey, said the party chair, Megawati Soekarnoputri, already instructed its members to support the Prabowo-led government.

Hanin Marwah, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – Victor Gustaaf Manoppo, the Director General of Marine Space Management of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, said that 66 companies have applied for concession permits to manage sea sand.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – A recent climate march in Jakarta was forcibly disbanded by an unidentified group of people, which highlights the growing challenges to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in Indonesia.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has expressed concerns that the 2024 regional elections (Pilkada) may become a platform for transactional politics, particularly in areas rich in natural resources.

Ahmad Syamsudin, Jakarta – Indonesia's booming nickel industry, which is fuelled by massive Chinese investments, is marred by widespread corruption and illegal mining activities, both of which are closely linked to environmental damage, a new report launched Monday said.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Central Board of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) support the actions of the Indonesian people in condemning Israel's aggression against Palestine, especially in Gaza. One of the actions people have taken is to boycott products originating from or affiliated with Israel.

Aida Ulim, Jayapura – The South Papua Student Concern Front held a free speech forum on Monday October 7 in Jayapura city, Papua, rejecting investment and the deforestation of customary forests the Animha region of South Papua that the government want to transform into sugar cane and rice plantations.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Members of the House of Representatives (DPR) who reside in the official state housing complexes have been given until the end of this month to vacate their residences, DPR Secretary-General Indra Iskandar said on Monday.

Jakarta – Every member of the House of Representatives (DPR) can be entitled to Rp 70 million ($4,451) in house allowance per month as the official residential complex will be fully vacated by the end of this month, DPR Secretary-General Indra Iskandar said on Monday.

Antara, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara – Climate change, which triggers sea level rise, puts threats on small islands in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Indonesia, the provincial government stated.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) noted that batik exports in the second quarter of 2024 decreased by 8.39 percent on an annual basis (yoy).

Maria Gabrielle Putrinda, Iman Rahman Cahyadi, Jakarta – Pramono Anung announced on Sunday that he plans to introduce a flexible work environment for Jakarta government employees if elected governor in the upcoming election.

Heru Andriyanto, Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Dharma Pongrekun sparked controversy on Sunday by claiming that the Covid-19 pandemic was part of a "covert agenda by foreign nations" aimed at undermining Indonesia's sovereignty.

Jakarta – Gubernatorial candidate Ridwan Kamil pledged on Sunday to offer financial assistance to workers who lose their jobs, should he win the upcoming election in November.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Jakarta governor hopeful Pramono Anung has proposed job fairs as one of his key strategies to bring down unemployment rate as the ex-cabinet secretary confronted his election rivals in their first head-to-head debate on Sunday evening.

Pramono is facing Former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil and independent candidate Dharma Pongrekun.

Mulia Budi, Jakarta – Protesters from the Defend Palestine Indonesian People's Alliance (ARI-BP) held a defend Palestine action at the US Embassy in Central Jakarta on Sunday October 6 after holding a long-march from the nearby National Monument (Monas).

Wayne Palmer – Indonesia's ambitious nickel downstreaming program has sparked considerable interest due to its economic significance and strategic implications. But despite its touted benefits, the program overlooks critical aspects of occupational safety and health.

Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo praised Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto's efforts to modernize Indonesia's defense systems.

Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo instructed the Indonesian Military (TNI) to uphold national security and remain neutral ahead of two significant events: the inauguration of President-elect Prabowo Subianto on Oct. 20 and the 2024 regional elections on Nov. 27.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo led the 79th anniversary celebration of the Indonesian Military (TNI) at Silang Monas in Central Jakarta on Saturday, featuring a military parade and performances by popular Indonesian musicians.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo) is considering revising its vehicle sales target for 2024 due to a decline in consumer purchasing power. The initial target of 1.1 million vehicle sales for the year now appears increasingly difficult to achieve.

Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has been traveling across the country to bid farewell and apologize to locals ahead of his retirement, and a close aide said that this showed the two-term leader had been reflecting on his past policies.

BeritaSatu, Jepara – Villagers in the Central Java regency of Jepara have expressed outrage over the reckless disposal and incineration of pharmaceutical waste within residential areas earlier this week.

Mansuetus Darto – On September 12, 2024, I attended a meeting of the Joint Task Force (JTF) between the European Union Commission, the Government of Indonesia, and the Government of Malaysia. All civil society representatives from Indonesia and Malaysia attended online.

Febriyan, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government curb an illegal gold mining site in Lendek Bare Village, Sekotong District, West Lombok Regency.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – Director of Mental Health at the Health Ministry, Imran Pambudi, revealed that only 38 percent of community health centers (Puskesmas) in Indonesia provide mental health services. In response, the Ministry is actively intensifying training programs for healthcare workers to enable them to conduct mental health screenings.

Nabiila Azzahra, Antara, Hammam Izzudin, Jakarta – The Executive Director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), Bhima Yudhistira Adhinegara, believes that Prabowo's government plan to replace energy subsidies with cash assistance must also target the aspiring middle class of Indonesia.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Deflation for five consecutive months is not the sole indicator of a declining people's purchasing power. Tauhid Ahmad, the Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), asserted that several additional indicators signal a diminution in public consumption capacity.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Titiek Soeharto, the daughter of the late President Soeharto and ex-wife of President-Elect Prabowo Subianto, is now back as a lawmaker.

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – The five consecutive months of deflation since May have had a positive impact on the national economy by increasing the purchasing power of lower- and middle-income families, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Friday.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The Religious Harmony Index (KUB Index) in Indonesia for 2024 has been recorded at 76.47, marking a 0.45-point increase compared to 2023. The Research and Development Agency for Education and Training of the Ministry of Religious Affairs conducts regular surveys of the KUB Index.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Following the deaths of several students allegedly resulting from assaults by teachers, experts have called on the government to pay closer attention to educators' mental health, noting that many are enduring heavy workloads and low wages.

Ibrahim Kholilul Rohman and Fadli Jihad Dahana Setiawan, Jakarta – As China's economic engine begins to sputter, Indonesia finds itself at a critical juncture. The intricate economic relationship between these two nations, characterized by substantial trade and investment flows, now presents both challenges and opportunities.

Haryanti Puspa Sari, Icha Rastika, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) says that 354 out of the 580 new members of the House of Representatives (DPR) for the 2024-2029 period are affiliated with business.

This figure was obtained by ICW based on an investigation using publicly available data from July 31 to September 22.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – A researcher from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), Yassar Aulia, asserted that a high number of the House of Representatives (DPR) members implicated in corruption possess business backgrounds. According to ICW's 2022 research, at least 319 House members have been declared corruption suspects.