Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Financial Services Authority (OJK) reported that outstanding financing within the online lending industry reached Rp94.85 trillion as of November 2025. According to the regulator, online loan debt surged by 25.45 percent on an annual basis. This growth is higher compared to the 23.86 percent year-on-year increase recorded in October 2025.

Laurens Ikinia, Jakarta – The island of Papua is a land of profound paradox. Beneath its ancient, cathedral-like forests and within its mineral-rich mountains lies a narrative of staggering contrast.

It is a place where immense natural wealth exists alongside some of Indonesia's most acute human development challenges.

On 16 December 2025, Mr Ermin Dabiye, a twenty-one-year-old student from Kenyam, was reportedly killed in Kenyam District, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan province, under circumstances strongly suggesting unlawful use of lethal force by Indonesian military (TNI) personnel. The body was later found far from the victim's last known location.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Balikpapan, E – Kalimantan. Indonesia will stop importing diesel fuel in 2026 as output from the newly upgraded Balikpapan refinery pushes domestic supply into surplus, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said during the refinery inauguration on Monday.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has urged Indonesia to emulate the nationalism of Japan and South Korea, arguing that these East Asian nations have achieved global dominance despite lacking the vast natural resource wealth found in Indonesia. According to Prabowo, their strength as modern powers stems from the patriotic spirit of their citizens.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is boasting about the free nutritious meal program (MBG) once again. According to Prabowo, his priority program has reached 58 million beneficiaries.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that several regions in Indonesia were hit by floods over the past two days. The Center for Operation Control (Pusdalops) report shows that hydrometeorological disasters occurred in Sumatra, West Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, and Java.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said the giant sea wall construction could potentially address two primary issues faced by the region: land subsidence and clean water. "Hopefully, President Prabowo Subianto's directive on the giant sea wall can be implemented soon," said Pramono when met in East Jakarta on Monday, January 12, 2026.

Tri Listiyarini, Jakarta – Businesses are unhappy with Indonesia's decision to slash the meat import quota for private companies to just 30,000 tons this year.

Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – The Ministry of Agriculture has expanded its paddy field expansion program to several regencies across Papua. The initiative is no longer concentrated solely in Merauke, but now includes West Papua, Southwest Papua, the Papua Mountains, and other surrounding regions.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – Indonesia and China have agreed on 16 new investment projects worth a combined $2.19 billion (Rp36.4 trillion), spanning sectors from basic metals and seafood processing to advanced technologies such as drones, batteries, and artificial intelligence.

Andrew Mathieson – The West Papua provincial government has stressed to Jakarta any release of forest areas for palm oil plantation expansion must obtain approval from Indigenous communities, who under new protections hold customary land rights.

Heru Andriyanto, Theressia Sunday Silalahi, Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan – President Prabowo Subianto on Monday inaugurated the operation of 166 People's Schools – state-run free boarding schools for children from low-income families – across 34 provinces.

Septia Ryanthie, Jakarta – Hundreds of former employees of PT Sri Rejeki Isman, the textile giant known as Sritex, staged a protest at the Semarang Commercial Court in Central Java on Monday, January 12, 2026.

Jakarta – The idea from the leaders of political parties supporting President Prabowo Subianto to return regional head elections to the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) has no firm basis. High costs are a cliche, a broken record played so many times that is easily debunked.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Over 1,000 children have reportedly suffered from food poisoning after consuming free nutritious meals (MBG) in January 2026, said the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI).

Wahroni, Jakarta – Severe weather over Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Monday disrupted flight operations, forcing dozens of aircraft to circle in the skies over Jakarta and divert to alternative airports, air traffic authorities said.

Jakarta – A torrential downpour has caused flooding in large swaths of Greater Jakarta, leading to massive traffic snarls and commuting disruption early on Monday morning, according to the Jakarta Police's Traffic Monitoring Center (TMC), which reported severe floods in North, South, East and West Jakarta.

Rhett Butler – It was 27 December 2004. I was sitting at my computer in my office in Jakarta, Indonesia, my mind busy with plans for the New Year party I had organized with friends in the city, when my phone started ringing nonstop.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Hundreds of ad hoc judges who are members of the Forum Silaturahmi Hakim Ad Hoc (FSHA) Indonesia are planning to go on strike for 10 days, starting tomorrow, Monday, January 12, 2026. FSHA coordinator Ade Darusalam has urged members to ensure that the strike does not disrupt court proceedings.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Sunday convened an unscheduled meeting with several cabinet ministers at his private residence to discuss a range of strategic issues, including the development of Indonesia's semiconductor industry.

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) General Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri has condemned the United States military intervention in Venezuela because it seen as a serious threat to the sovereignty of sovereign nations.

Yuni Rohmawati, Jakarta – The Indonesian province of South Sumatra is in a state of narcotics emergency, with a high prevalence of drug abuse at the national level. One of the concerns for authorities is the narcotics found in the liquid of electronic cigarettes (vape). The trend of using vape in modern lifestyle has become a new gateway for drug crimes.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Themis Indonesia opposes the idea of regional elections through the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). According to the researcher and advocate at Themis Indonesia, Kafin Muhammad, the efficiency cited by several parties as a reason for indirect regional elections is questionable.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Indonesia's free nutritious meal project (MBG), has been running for over a year. Several problems continue to haunt the project, a result of what the civil society coalition considers poor governance.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Bank accounts belonging to peer-to-peer lending platform Dana Syariah Indonesia remain frozen by financial authorities amid an unresolved debt default totaling Rp 1.4 trillion ($83 million) owed to thousands of creditors.

Gandhi Armansyah, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named three officials at the North Jakarta Tax Office as suspects following their arrest on Saturday over allegations of granting illegal tax relief to a mining company in exchange for cash and gold.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Antara, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said on Sunday that the city will begin dismantling more than 100 massive concrete pillars left behind by a long-abandoned monorail project, ending a two-decade blight on several of the capital's main thoroughfares.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – The Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries (Gaikindo) recorded 803,687 wholesale car sales units (factory-to-dealer sales) throughout 2025, dropping 7.2 percent compared to 2024 with 865,723 units.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK arrested eight individuals in a sting operation in North Jakarta on Saturday, January 10, 2026.

"Confirmed, an operation in Jakarta area," said KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo when confirmed by Tempo on Saturday.

Jakarta – A hospital in Bandung, West Java, has reported Indonesia's first death linked to the so-called super flu, as health authorities step up surveillance to contain the virus.

The term super flu refers to the H3N2 influenza A variant known as subclade K, which has been spreading globally since the final quarter of 2025.

Guardian staff and agencies – Indonesia temporarily blocked Elon Musk's Grok chatbot on Saturday due to the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to deny access to the AI tool.

The move comes after governments, researchers and regulators from Europe to Asia have condemned and some have opened inquiries into sexualised content on the app.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Jakarta – Floods and landslides have struck Tempur Village in the Keling District of Central Java's Jepara Regency on late Friday, January 9, 2026, cutting off access to a tourism village on the slopes of Mount Muria and prompting a power blackout.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Constitutional Judge Arsul Sani has advised petitioners challenging Indonesia's marriage law not to equate the country's regulations with those of other nations. He made the remarks during a preliminary hearing for case number 265/PUU-XXIII/2025 at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – The Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, reported that about 30,000 hectares of fish ponds in Aceh were damaged due to Sumatra floods. "Not only in Pidie Jaya, which was reported, but there are about 30 thousand hectares in the entire Aceh," said Zulkifli, in a written statement on Friday, January 9, 2026.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi responded to the survey results showing that the majority of the public rejects the idea of indirect regional elections. The survey, conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) Denny JA, was released previously.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry has responded to criticism from a civil society coalition regarding a draft presidential regulation (Perpres) that grants authority to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in counterterrorism.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – The latest consumer survey by Bank Indonesia (BI) shows rising public optimism over job availability in Indonesia, with the Job Availability Index (IKLK) strengthening in December 2025.

BI reported that the IKLK climbed to 106.5 in December, up from 103.7 in November, signaling improved perceptions of current employment opportunities.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – Researcher from the Center of Reform On Economics (CORE) Indonesia, Eliza Mardian, said that the price of Harvested Dry Grain (GKP) at Rp6,500 per kilogram affects the increase in rice prices even though Indonesia had achieved rice self-sufficiency at the end of December 2025.

Jakarta – Regional health authorities have intensified surveillance and vigilance nationwide following the detection of dozens of so-called super flu cases across the country.

At I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, management has installed thermal scanners in the international arrivals terminal as a precautionary measure to detect potential cases early.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas as a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving the allocation of the 2024 hajj quota.

KPK Vice Chair Fitroh Rohcahyanto confirmed the decision on Friday, January 9, 2026. "It's true," Fitroh said in a brief message.

Suci Amaliyah, Jakarta – One year since its launch, the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program still faces serious problems. In addition to being seen as rife with conflicts of interest, the flagship government program is also considered to be eroding the education budget and potentially reducing the quality of national education.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Indonesia's rich cultural heritage and vast natural beauty should make it Southeast Asia's top tourism destination, but the country continues to lag behind regional rivals Thailand and Malaysia in foreign visitor numbers, according to industry leaders.

Jakarta – Law enforcement against companies contributing to the ecological disaster in Sumatra as of the end of 2025 has not been carried out in a comprehensive, participatory or optimally manner.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is one year into Indonesia's most ambitious welfare experiment, and the political stakes are rising fast.

Roy Adriansyah, Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – Comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono is facing police reports over material in his stand-up comedy special Mens Rea, igniting debate over the limits of satire, free expression and the application of Indonesia's new Criminal Code.

Jakarta – Terror and intimidation have long been part of Indonesian politics, including during the relatively democratic period following the downfall of the New Order authoritarian regime.

Indonesia has been appointed President of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. On the surface, this moment may be seen as a diplomatic achievement and a reflection of global confidence, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region, which delivered 34 out of 47 votes from the Asia-Pacific Group (APG).

On 19 December 2025, Papuan students in Makassar City, South Sulawesi province, carried out a peaceful demonstration in commemoration of the TRIKORA Military Operation, which took place on 19 December 1961.

Larius Kogoya, Jayapura, Jubi – Reinhart Kmur, a legal aid officer from the Papua Legal Aid Foundation, (LBH Papua), says that the formation of three new Indonesian Military (TNI) battalions in three regencies in Papua has the potential to create human rights violations.