Jakarta – BP Batam handed over Wednesday new houses for three Rempang locals.

The three families were those who were willing to move voluntarily out of their original homes back in September 2023 to support the Rempang Eco-City project. BP Batam's acting head Purwiyanto thanked the people who had supported the Rempang project.

Syakirun Ni'am, Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – Former Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Fatia Maulidiyanti and Lokataru Foundation founder Haris Azhar have won a Supreme Court appeal in the criminal case of alleged defamation against Coordinating Minister for Investment and Maritime Affairs, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Chandra Kurnia, Ichsan Ali, Cirebon – Approximately 18,000 students participate in a five-day trial of free nutritious meals program in Cirebon, West Java, on Wednesday.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – Former Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said Tuesday that President-Elect Prabowo Subianto's free meal plan could help unlock Indonesia's golden era.

Antara, Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, East Kalimantan – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo officially inaugurated three projects in Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara: the Australian Independent School (AIS) campus, the Teras Hutan Ibu Kota Nusantara restaurant by Plataran, and the Magnum Resort Nusantara.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is currently embroiled in a leadership dispute, with two figures – Anindya Novan Bakrie and Arsjad Rasjid – each claiming the position of chair.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Indonesian capital, Jakarta, experienced heavy rainfall on Wednesday afternoon, September 25, resulting in flooding in one residential area (RT) and two road sections. The Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that a residential area in Lubang Buaya, Cipayung Sub-district, East Jakarta, was inundated.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Jakarta Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has urged the three pairs of candidates for the 2024 Jakarta gubernatorial election to avoid repeating the negative incidents that marred the 2017 election. Chair Munandar Nugraha emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and integrity throughout the upcoming contest.

Jakarta – Not many remember that back in 1988 to 1993, President Suharto once formed a cabinet with 41 ministers. Now, 36 years later, Prabowo Subianto, who was once Suharto's son-in-law, is likely to form a cabinet with approximately the same number of ministers.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia has officially become a part of the world's anti-nuclear pact after Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi presented the country's ratified document to the UN Secretariat on Tuesday local time.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to export sea sediment that sparked debate about sea sand export after a two-decade hiatus. The sea sediment will be dredged in the waters of seven Indonesian regions; Demak, Surabaya, Cirebon, Indramayu, Karawang, Kutai Kartanegara, and Balikpapan; as well as Karimun Island, Lingga Island, and Bintan Island in Riau Islands.

Nandito Putra, Petir Garda B, Jakarta – The Indonesia Parliament Watch (Formappi) notes that 79 elected legislative candidates for the House of Representatives 2024-2029 are affiliated with a political dynasty.

Jakarta – Wednesday marks the start of the campaign season for the single-day regional head elections slated for Nov. 27 nationwide. Celebrities across generations, from actors to comedians, will join political parties and their candidates on the campaign trail, hoping to boost their chances of winning office.

Cirebon, Indonesia – A programme backed by the Group of Seven (G-7) to close coal power plants in emerging markets is facing further delays, after a July deadline passed without a deal on the early closure of an Indonesian power plant that would be the first to shut under the initiative.

Jakarta – Indonesia's President Joko Widodo broke ground on Sept 25 for a Chinese firm's property complex in the South-east Asian nation's troubled new capital on the island of Borneo, hailing it as a pioneering foreign investment that will lure others.

Raden Putri, Avit Hidayat, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is developing a new food estate program in Merauke, South Papua. This mega project, listed as a national strategic project (PSN), encompasses a vast area of 2.29 million hectares, seventy times the size of Jakarta.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is open to joining the upcoming government led by President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, according to the party's Political Affairs Chair, Puan Maharani.

Vedro Imanuel G, Jakarta – Pertamina Patra Niaga, a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina, affirmed that the company would comply with the government's policy regarding the distribution of subsidized fuel, including both Pertalite and Biosolar.

Sekarsari Sugihartono – Recently, Indonesia made headlines when it announced the lifting of a long-standing ban on the export of sea sand. This move, reversing a 2003 prohibition, opened the door to significant economic opportunities, but also stirred concerns about the environmental implications.

Jakarta – It would not have come as a surprise to the informed reader that Indonesia is on course to miss its clean power target by a wide margin.

The writing has been on the wall as investment in renewable energy generation has been hampered by a host of factors.

Vedro Imanuel G, Jakarta – An economist from Paramadina University, Didin S. Damanhuri, said the manufacturing industry sector in Indonesia is experiencing a significant drop, especially when compared to the New Order era. According to Didin, this decline is drawn by comparing industrial growth and the country's economic growth.

Jakarta – Protesters from various different organisations commemorating National Farmers Day (HTN) in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) parliamentary complex on Tuesday September 24 brought a number of demands related to agrarian reform, which they see as still not siding with the ordinary people.

Nick D – When the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) government crumbled in the face of Japan's military offensive in Southeast Asia, moves were made to evacuate the colonial regime. A month after General ter Poorten surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese Commander in-Chief on 8 March 1942, the NEI Commission was established in Australia to set up a colonial government in exile.

Juan Ardya Guardiola, Jakarta – Three pairs of gubernatorial and vice-gubernatorial candidates officially launched their campaigns for the Jakarta gubernatorial election by signing a declaration for a peaceful campaign on Tuesday.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recently launched the production of mining giant Freeport Indonesia's smelter at Gresik Special Economic Zone in East Java.

Delfi Neski, Padang – Three newly-elected members of a local legislative council in West Sumatra were arrested during a "meth party" at a hotel in the provincial capital, Padang, police said on Monday.

A private citizen who was with the councilors in the hotel room was also taken into custody.

Antara, Jakarta – The launch of Indonesia's National Data Center (PDN) 2 in Surabaya, originally planned for October 2024, faces delays due to budget constraints, Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatics Nezar Patria announced.

BeritaSatu, Jakarta – Indonesia has witnessed massive infrastructure development during Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's 10-year presidency.

Oyuk Ivani S, Jakarta – The Ministry of Trade reported that Indonesia's import value in August 2024 amounted to US$20.67 billion, a 4.93 percent drop compared to July 2024 at US$21.47 billion.

Geneva – The Mandalika urban development and tourism project in Indonesia poses the risk of irreparable harm to Indigenous Peoples' rights, UN experts* warned today, calling on all responsible parties to suspend the project until these concerns are addressed.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Bella Evanglista, East Kalimantan – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's presidential plane, the RJ-85, successfully made its inaugural landing at the VVIP Nusantara Airport in Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, East Kalimantan, on Tuesday. The historic touchdown took place at around 4 p.m. local time and was met with cheers and applause.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – A contract teacher from Banyuwangi, identified as Barik Abdul Ghofur, 25, has been arrested for hacking into the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) website and selling the stolen data on the dark web, allegedly earning $8,000 (approximately Rp 121 million).

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The headquarters of the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) said the involvement of former acting regent of Nduga, Edison Gwijangge, in the operation to free Susi Air pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was full of political interests ahead of the 2024 regional election.

Jakarta – Farmers called on the government to carry out agrarian reform during a protest near the Arjuna Wiwaha Monument in Central Jakarta on Tuesday to mark this year's National Farmers' Day.

Jakarta – The recent leadership turmoil within the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has sparked widespread concerns about political interference by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – Environmentalists and broad sectors of Indonesian civil society have welcomed with shock and disapproval the decision by outgoing President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, whose term expires on 20 October, to lift the ban on the export of ocean sand, used mainly in the construction industry.

Jakarta – The Urban Poor Network (JRMK) held a demonstration in front of the Jakarta provincial National Elections Commission (KPU) offices on Monday morning, September 23, supporting the three-candidate ticket movement or golput (to abstain from voting or invalidate the ballot paper) in the 2024 Jakarta election or election of regional heads on November 27.

Teguh Adi Prasetyo, Jakarta – A total of 8.2 million voters in Jakarta are set to cast their ballots at nearly 15,000 polling stations in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

The number of polling stations has been reduced by more than half compared to the voting booths available during the general election in February.

Jakarta – Jakarta and Wellington denied Monday a claim by rebels in Indonesia's restive region of Papua that a New Zealand pilot was freed from captivity over the weekend after they received payment from a local leader.

Phillip Mehrtens, 38, was released on Saturday by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group after 19 months in captivity.

Eva Corlett in Wellington – On 7 February 2023, Phillip Mehrtens' life took an unexpected and harrowing turn.

Caleb Fotheringham – The Foreign Minister has called claims a Papua New Guinea politician paid a bribe ahead of the release of kidnapped New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens "a disgrace".

New video footage has been released of a peaceful hand-over ceremony of Kiwi pilot Phillip Mehrtens' release in West Papua.

The footage, sent to RNZ Pacific by a member of the West Papua Council of Churches, shows a formal ceremony followed by Mehrtens shaking hands with a number of locals before entering a helicopter and being flown away.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has passed a revision of the Presidential Advisory Council Law, which will allow president-elect Prabowo Subianto to reward those who contributed to his electoral win with seats on the council.

Simon Hutagalung – As Prabowo Subianto prepares to take power next month in Indonesia, anticipation is rising that the soldier-turned-politician will stake out a more assertive role for the nation on the global stage.

Nabilla Azzahra, Jakarta – Paramadina University economist Wijayanto Samirin said there are four projects of President-elect Prabowo Subianto for the period 2024-2029 that are time bombs waiting to explode and fail. He said Prabowo should learn from the failures of the previous administration and plan thoroughly before implementing these projects.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government's Illegal Import Task Force found 2,929 rolls of illegally imported prayer mats and carpets worth approximately Rp10 billion. Minister of Trade, Zulkifli Hasan, confirmed the finding in an expose on Monday, September 23, 2024.

Indonesia, West Papua – A new report has revealed the devastating impacts of palm oil investment in Papua, Indonesia, on both the environment and indigenous communities. The study, conducted by researcher Wiko Saputra, found that while the economic benefits of the industry are limited, the environmental and social costs are significant.

Dayat, Jakarta – The Jakarta Election Oversight Body (Bawaslu) announced on Sunday that heckling gubernatorial candidates or obstructing their campaigns could lead to criminal prosecution.

The campaign period is set to run from Wednesday until four days before the election, which will be held on November 27.

Antara, Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidates Pramono Anung, Ridwan Kamil, and Dharma Pongrekun have pledged to keep their campaigns free of religious and identity politics, calling for a peaceful and exemplary election as they secured their ballot numbers for the 2024 race.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Weak passwords and negligence in accessing the data center may have contributed to a recent breach of the taxpayer identification number database, a senior official said on Monday.