Lizkimbrough – When a young boy went missing near his mother's rice field in Indonesian Borneo, the entire village searched for him. After nearly a day, he was found near a large strangler fig tree. The boy insisted he hadn't been hiding.

Denpasar – The Bali Regional Police (Polda) have revealed that three of the four activists arrested in Bali last week have been released. Meanwhile, one activist has been transferred to the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) in Jakarta.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has confirmed that a surge of wet hydrometeorological disasters swept across Indonesia this past weekend. As of Sunday morning, December 21, 2025, the agency had recorded flooding and extreme weather events spanning five major provinces: South Kalimantan, Lampung, West Java, Central Java, and East Java.

Surabaya – A "Reset Indonesia" book discussion and review that was to be held in Madiun, East Java, was closed down by the authorities on Saturday night December 20. The organisers said that the closure occurred despite having previously notified police of the event.

DW (Deutsche Welle), Jakarta – A Swiss court is set to hear a climate case against cement giant Holcim after admitting a complaint filed by four residents of the low-lying Indonesian island of Pari.

The residents say rising sea levels are swallowing their home and accuse Holcim of failing to cut carbon emissions.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – The government is still hoping to secure a tariff deal with the United States before the year draws to a close, as Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto is expected to meet with the US Trade Representative (USTR) just days ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesian Environmental Law Society (PHLI) says the hydro-meteorological disasters that hit Sumatra in late November were not caused solely by illegal logging, but were also exacerbated by deforestation carried out under government-issued permits.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia and the Russia-backed Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have just signed a free trade pact, a document that is expected to act as a cushion against rising US protectionism.

Banda Aceh, Aceh – The Aceh provincial government stated that humanitarian assistance from the international community for the Sumatra disaster, particularly Aceh, has been allowed to enter, but only on a non-governmental basis.

Djibril Muhammad, Heru Andriyanto, Bandung – Land in the Greater Bandung area is sinking at a rate exceeding five centimeters per year, a trend that has also been recorded in several coastal cities across Java, Indonesia's Badan Geologi said on Sunday.

Shinta Maharani, Jakarta – A group of women from the Suara Ibu Yogyakarta movement is preparing to hold a demonstration to protest the Indonesian government's delay in declaring a national disaster status due to flooding in several districts and cities in Sumatra.

Herman, Jakarta – The central bank has issued a firm response after a viral social media video showed an elderly woman being denied the purchase of bread at a Roti'O outlet for attempting to pay in cash.

Bank Indonesia said the rupiah is legal tender across the country and must not be refused in payment transactions.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Indonesia's Government regulation on the placement of active police officers in civilian roles will soon be formulated. The assignment of police officers to 17 ministries/agencies was previously regulated in National Police Regulation Number 10 of 2025, which was deemed to conflict with the Constitutional Court's decision.

Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono – When the hotels and beach clubs were built to lure tourists to this beautiful, haunted isle, the bones emerged, white and smooth.

Ni Made Tasyarani, Jakarta – Foreign tourist arrivals are expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels, even as the sector shows steady post-pandemic recovery. Experts point to intensifying competition from neighboring countries, limited diversification beyond popular destinations such as Bali and a lack of "major breakthroughs" in promoting Indonesian tourism.

Nariswari K. Nurjaman, Cambridge – Earlier this month, President Prabowo Subianto suggested that Papua should be planted with oil palm to boost biofuel production and reduce Indonesia's dependence on imported fuel.

Agencies, Jakarta – A coach bus slammed into a barrier on a highway in Central Java early Monday, flipping over in an accident that killed at least 16 people, a rescue worker said.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says it is continuing its investigation into the killing of prominent human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, more than two decades after his death. The renewed probe has been underway since early 2023.

Jakarta – Waiting for President Prabowo Subianto to complete the investigation into the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib is like waiting for a river to stop flowing.

Chesa Andini Saputra, Jakarta – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said on Monday that at least 175 people remain missing following a series of floods and landslides that struck parts of Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra late November.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The release of the Indonesian National History Book by the Ministry of Culture has raised concerns among history teachers, who fear that the state-backed publication could standardize historical narratives and narrow space for critical thinking in classrooms.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia sees the latest developments in the Hajj Village development as a reflection of its close links with Saudi Arabia, but this megaproject comes with what ulemas call "exclusivity risks" if Jakarta is not careful.

Zacharias Wuragil, Jakarta – The Jakarta Provincial Government, in collaboration with PT Morego Green Indonesia, officially inaugurated the plastic waste collection and recycling center in Ciracas on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto said Indonesia is as vast as Europe, from London in the west to Moscow in the east.

Medan, Indonesia – As recovery efforts continue to overwhelm local administrations' capacities, regional leaders in the hardest-hit areas have been placed in a difficult position, forced to turn away offers of assistance from overseas while humanitarian support remains limited for more than one million people affected by the floods.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia plans to cut production of both nickel and coal next year as the world's biggest supplier of the two commodities moves to curb oversupply that has dragged prices lower, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia is keeping its fingers crossed that it will win the bid to lead the UN Human Rights Council next year.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the mass signing of 50,030 subsidized housing units through home loan (KPR) under the Housing Financing Liquidity Facility (FLPP) program, which are distributed across 33 provinces in Indonesia on Saturday, December 20, 2025.

Philip Jacobson, Padang, Indonesia – At low tide along Padang's coastline, fishing boats sit idle, not because of rough seas, but because the water is clogged with timber.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's push to attract foreign investment risks losing momentum as the country falls behind Southeast Asian peers in deploying 5G networks that multinational manufacturers increasingly view as critical infrastructure.

Responding to the phenomenon of people raising white flags in Aceh amidst the poor handling of aid for victims of the ecological disaster on Sumatra Island, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said:

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – As development of Indonesia's future capital continues, nearly 150,000 people are now living in the Nusantara area, according to data released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Philip Jacobson, Pidie Jaya, Indonesia – A group of specialist Sumatran elephants have joined recovery operations in Aceh following the catastrophic landfall of Cyclone Senyar in late November – two decades after the veteran responders supported rescuers after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has accused a prosecutor from the Banten Provincial Prosecutor's Office of extorting a South Korean national who was standing trial in Indonesia, the agency said on Friday.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Friday swore in six new Indonesian ambassadors to various countries, including Nurmala Kartini Pandjaitan Sjahrir, who was appointed ambassador to Japan.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – The government recently said that any assistance sent by Indonesian diaspora to the Sumatra flood victims would be tax-free as long as they follow the right procedures.

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – Prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) have indicted four activists arrested after the August nationwide unrest, accusing them of spreading social media campaigns that incite hostility toward the government and encouraging students, including minors, to take part in riots.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Mukhlis Takabeya, the regent of Aceh regency of Bireuen, said his government has yet to receive any assistance from foreign governments, and subsequently, none are rejected.

"No aid has been rejected," Mukhlis said when confirmed on Friday, December 19, 2025.

In recent days, restrictions on reporting on the disaster in Sumatra have been widespread and systematic. The pattern is clear and dangerous.

Jakarta – The government must not be complacent regarding the offer from a Russian company to construct a nuclear power plant (PLTN). There must be thorough preparation and careful calculations to ensure that the hope of clean and cheap electricity does not end in disaster.

Esti Utami – On Thursday December 18 Greenpeace Indonesia held a creative peaceful action in front of the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Jakarta.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture (PMK) Pratikno stated that several regencies/cities have declared an emergency transition status following the Sumatra post-disaster. The determination of the transition status is based on the conditions of each region. However, Pratikno did not specify the areas.

Ni Made Tasyarani, Premium – The state budget deficit widened in November amid declining revenue and a year-end spending push.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – The Government has allowed timber debris left behind by recent floods and landslides in Sumatra to be used for disaster recovery, including the construction of temporary and permanent housing.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) is concerned about the impact of the 2026 Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP) formula on the sustainability of labor-intensive industries. This comes after the government set the minimum wage with an alpha range of 0.5-0.9.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that the death toll from the Sumatra disaster has reached 1,068. This data was recorded as of Friday, December 19, 2025, at 09:30 a.m. The latest figures were accessed directly from the BNPB Disaster Data Geoportal.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is building temporary and permanent housing for residents affected by floods and landslides in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh. But this undertaking raises a crucial question: how to ensure these houses are built in disaster-safe locations.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – Employers and labor unions have both voiced dissatisfaction with the government's new formula for setting minimum wages in 2026, with businesses warning that the proposed increases are too high and could push up prices, while unions say they still fall short of meeting living standards.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's planned minimum wage increase in 2026 is unlikely to sway foreign investors, who continue to favor other Southeast Asian countries due to economic inefficiencies, an economist said Tuesday.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's tax revenue reached Rp 1.63 quadrillion as of Nov. 30, equivalent to 78.7% of the full-year outlook of Rp 2.07 quadrillion, leaving a remaining Rp 442.5 trillion to be collected to meet this year's target.