Jakarta – Culture Minister Fadli Zon has appointed Hashim Djojohadikusumo, the younger brother of President Prabowo Subianto, as the chairman of the Museums and Cultural Heritage Trustees Board.

The minister stated that Hashim is an ideal candidate for the role due to his enthusiasm for supporting museum development and willingness to work without pay.

Denny Armandhanu, Izzah Aqilah Norman, Jakarta – Papua province's Youtefa Bay, known for its azure waters and lush mangrove forests, has seen infrastructure development that has helped improve locals' lives and the economy.

Cafes and restaurants have mushroomed there since the Youtefa bridge's inauguration by then-Indonesian president Joko Widodo in 2019, for instance.

Jakarta – Jakarta governor-elect Pramono Anung plans to implement a free breakfast program for students across the city, his transition team has said, adding that school canteen vendors, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will participate in the program.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Ruang Setara Project founder Aulia Hakim criticized the DPR's decision to approve the Legislative Body's (Baleg) proposal on the revision of the Law on Minerals and Coal or Minerba Bill. The revised policy includes the granting of mining business permits (IUP) or mining permits for universities.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – A middle-ranking Jakarta police officer is under internal investigation for allegedly extorting two suspects involved in the April 2024 deaths of two teenage girls, demanding Rp 20 billion ($1.2 million) in exchange for dropping the case.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Nusantara, East Kalimantan – The government will soon open the bidding process for the construction of legislature and court buildings in Nusantara, Indonesia's future national capital, an official announced on Saturday.

Agencies, Jakarta/Mumbai, India – Indonesia and India signed a wide range of agreements on Saturday covering culture, health, maritime, security and digital sectors.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by President Prabowo Subianto and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of India's Republic Day celebrations on Sunday.

Agencies, New Delhi, India – President Prabowo Subianto looked on as guest of honour at India's annual military and cultural parade in New Delhi held to mark the country's 76th Republic Day on Sunday.

Novie Fauziah, Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Indonesia on Sunday accused Malaysia of excessive use of force following the fatal shooting of a migrant worker and the injury of four others by the Malaysian maritime patrol.

M. Rizki Yusrial, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor-elect Pramono Anung stated that Jakarta is one of the cities with high levels of air pollution. He plans to implement a policy that forces people to switch to using public transportation.

Hendro Situmorang, South Tangerang – The value of cryptocurrency trading in Indonesia surged by an astonishing 335.9 percent year-on-year in 2024, reaching Rp 650.61 trillion ($40.2 billion), a senior official announced on Friday.

Agencies, Jakarta – Authorities on Friday paused search efforts because of bad weather as the death toll from a landslide in Pekalongan, Central Java rose to at least 25 people, said a spokesperson for the local rescuers.

Torrential rain in the city triggered the landslide on Tuesday. Hundreds of rescuers were deployed to the area.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – The head of the Defense Ministry's Information Office, Brig. Gen. Frega Wenas Inkiriwangsaid he had not received any instructions to discuss the Sea Fence Task Force. "For now, I haven't monitored it at all," Frega said when met at his office in Jakarta on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia said one of the dominant human rights violations during the 100 days of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration was violence and extrajudicial killings by police officers.

Muhammad Almer Sidqi – The Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) has evaluated President Prabowo Subianto's performance in the first 100 days of his administration by surveying 95 journalists who have in-depth insights into government performance.

Jakarta – Public perceptions of the Constitutional Court have started to improve, a recent survey has suggested, after it previously declined due to its controversial ruling on the requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Jakarta – The ceasefire in Gaza, as precarious as it may seem, presents a rare opportunity for Indonesia to play a bigger role in the search for a lasting peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, more than what we have achieved so far, which has largely been confined to calling for and endorsing resolutions in the United Nations.

Rezya Agnesica Helena Sihaloho – Papua, often referred to as the "paradise on earth" within Indonesia, is a land of immense natural wealth and cultural diversity. Its breathtaking landscapes and abundant natural resources highlight its extraordinary potential.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The Student Executive Board of the University of Indonesia (BEM UI) has rejected the proposal of permission for universities to manage mining, as outlined in the revision of the Mineral and Coal Mining Bill. BEM UI Chair Iqbal Cheisa Wiguna stated that such a proposal could lead to significant regression for the academic sector.

Aep Sopandi, Bandung – The West Java Education Department on Friday criticized a high school in Cianjur Regency for conducting pregnancy tests among its students, saying that the program lacks legal grounds and does not align with the department's policies.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has received a report regarding allegations of corruption in the issuance of the right to build certificate (HGB) and ownership rights certificate (SHM) in the waters of Tangerang, Banten, which has been sealed with a fence.

Jakarta – Where does America First leave the rest of the world, including Indonesia?

With Donald Trump's return to the White House earlier this week, that question is occupying the minds of policymakers around the world, especially in countries that have tied themselves very closely to the United States, whether politically, economically or both.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Batam – Business players in Batam City have complained about the recent increase in gas prices. As a result, electricity prices in industrial estates have also increased. They are worried that this condition will make investors reluctant to come to Batam City amid economic competition among countries following the launch of the Johor Special Economic Zone.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Center for Economics and Law Studies (Celios) considers the miscoordination regarding the 12 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) increase at the end of 2024 as one of the worst issues in the first 100 days of the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka administration.

Aisyah Llewellyn, Jakarta – For many Indonesians, last year's disbandment of the militant group behind the 2002 Bali bombings may have come as a relief, but one convict incarcerated for his role in the twin attack fears the move increases terror threats.

Jakarta – It has been revealed that a number of sea areas in Indonesia are recorded has having right to build (HGB) permits and land ownership certificates (SHM) after the polemic over the sea fence of the coast of Tangerang regency surfaced and came into the public spotlight.

A House of Representatives' proposal to grant universities mineral and coal mining concessions seeks to make the institutions complicit in environmentally and socially harmful mining practices and stifle dissent from academics, activists say.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has confirmed that the school zoning system will not be eliminated from the New Student Admissions (PPDB) process under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – The competition watchdog has fined Google Rp 202.5 billion (US$12.4 million) for engaging in monopolistic and unfair business practices related to its payment system services on Google Play Store, its software distribution platform.

Jakarta on Friday said Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, held on death row in Indonesia for nearly two decades, is to be returned to his home country.

In recent weeks, Indonesia has freed some half a dozen high-profile detainees, including a Filipina mother who was also on death row over a drugs conviction and the remaining five members of the so-called "Bali Nine" narcotics ring.

Dwiyanti Kusumaningrum – A bizarre 6.5-km bamboo fence that has appeared in waters off the coast of Tangerang, Banten, has made national headlines across Indonesia in the last few weeks.

Syakirun Ni'am, Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) believes that the planned revisions to the Mineral and Coal Mining Law (UU Minerba) are a major gateway for the expansion of the mining industry, marked by the issue of guarantees there will be no changes to spatial planning and giving out mining concessions to tertiary institutions.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Center for Economics and Law Studies (Celios) has raised concerns about the potential for budget leakage up to trillions of rupiah in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program if its management lacks transparency. This risk stems from several factors, including inefficient program management and opportunities for corruption.

Victoria Wanata, Jakarta – Indonesia pitched domestic renewable and green energy investments to businesses and foreign representatives at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting running from Jan. 20 to 24 in Davos, Switzerland, saying the government had readied multiple incentives to make the potential deals worthwhile.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's target of 8 percent economic growth this year seems like a futile endeavor. As there has been no structural overhaul of policies to stimulate the economy, and given the uncertain global situation, it will be difficult to achieve this target.

Irsyan Hasyim, Erwin Prima, Jakarta – The Ministry of Environment said it could not intervene in the verdict of a judge of the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) which rejected a lawsuit by the Padang Legal Aid Institute (LBH) regarding the environmental impact of the Ombilin Steam Power Plant or PLTU Ombilin.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Illegal deforestation has reportedly surged to record levels in a wildlife reserve at the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra Island that's known as the "orangutan capital of the world."

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed that bribery and gratification practices remain prevalent in ministries/institutions and regional governments. Based on the results of the 2024 Integrity Assessment Survey (SPI), the KPK recorded a National Integrity Index score of 71.53 points.

Pekalongan, Indonesia – The death toll from a landslide on Indonesia's main island of Java rose to 21 with five people still missing on Jan 23, officials said, as rescuers raced against time and bad weather to find survivors.

Christine Tan, Singapore – A man who allegedly handed a counterfeit $10,000 note to a bank employee has been hauled to court.

On Jan 23, Indonesian Chandra Ahmadyani, 36, was handed one charge of using a counterfeit banknote. His charge sheet states that he allegedly committed the offence at noon on Dec 23, 2024, at the DBS South Bridge Branch at Hong Lim Complex.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Wahyu Sakti Trenggono admitted that his KKP ministry was caught off guard by the discovery of the illegal sea fence in Tangerang, Banten. He made this admission during a hearing with Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) today.

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) revealed that corruption is one of the problems hindering national strategic projects (PSN). ICW researcher Dewi Anggraeni said her institution recorded at least six PSN corruption cases in 2022-2024.

Jakarta – The sprawling sea fence of unexplained origin in Tangerang, Banten, that has impeded fisherfolk's access to the sea has sparked a fierce debate about the issue of unlicensed land reclamation.

We cannot put a price tag on our waters, particularly when it is still unclear who installed the 30-kilometer bamboo barrier off Tangerang's coast and for what purpose.

Jakarta – The government has set up a new task force to scale up efforts to improve forest management and curb illegal oil palm plantations and illegal mines within forest areas.

Presidential Regulation No. 5/2025, signed on Jan. 21, forms the legal basis for the task force, Tempo.co reported.

Riski Maulana, Cianjur, West Java – A high school in the West Java town of Cianjur has sparked controversy by requiring its female students to take pregnancy tests in an effort to "protect the school's reputation."

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov recently said that the Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet deal with the Southeast Asian nation remained "on the table".

Olena Wibisana, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta City Government has reimposed a local regulation designating the Malioboro tourist area as a smoke-free zone. According to this regulation, people caught smoking on Malioboro Street will face a fine of Rp 7.5 million ($461), authorities announced on Thursday.

Bella Evanglista Mikaputri, Jakarta – The feud between Higher Education, Science, and Technology Minister Satryo Sumantri Brodjonegoro and his staff has been resolved amicably, a senior official confirmed on Wednesday.

Antara, Jakarta – The Industry Ministry has revealed that US technology giant Apple plans to invest approximately $200 million in an AirTag device manufacturing plant on Batam Island. This amount is significantly lower than the previously reported $1 billion investment pledge.

Roy Triono, West Lampung – A villager was found dead in a plantation near a national park in West Lampung Regency, Sumatra, on Tuesday, in what authorities suspect was a tiger attack.

The dismembered body of Zainudin, 28, a resident of Kegeringan Village in Batu Brak District, was discovered two days after he left home to work on his farm.