Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The Indonesian Capital Authority (OIKN) continues its investment target of Rp100 trillion in 2025 for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN). Previously, the Authority targeted Rp100 trillion in 2024, but the value realized at that time was only Rp58 trillion.

Jakarta - The saying that there is no perfect crime is both a belief and the slogan of the police when investigating cases. But the National Police (Polri) headquarters is increasingly perfecting the chain of crimes committed by its own members.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia is gearing up to establish a special economic zone (SEZ) dedicated to semiconductor chip development in partnership with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in West Java, senior economic advisor Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan announced on Wednesday.

Salsabilla Azzahra Octavia, Nurhadi, Jakarta – This year, Kamisan (Thursday) actions have entered their 18th year. The actions, which are held every Thursday in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta, have consistently demanded that the state resolve cases of gross human rights violations in Indonesia.

Antara, Jakarta – The government is nudging more state-owned enterprises or SOEs to go public.

At present, there are dozens of SOEs, including the state-run bank BNI and telco giant Telkom, that already have their shares listed at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). SOE Minister Erick Thohir recently nudged state-run enterprises to hold their initial public offering (IPO).

Sabrina Mutiara Fitri, Ihsanuddin, Semarang – Exactly 18 years since the first Kamisan (Thursday) action was held, dozens of activists have again taken to the streets to fight for justice for victims of human rights violations.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has officially adopted a global minimum tax rate of 15 percent to foster a healthier and more competitive investment climate, a senior official announced on Thursday.

Jakarta – Hundreds of islanders have been evacuated, with thousands more awaiting their turn following increased volcanic eruptions in North Maluku, officials said on Thursday.

Mount Ibu, located on the remote island of Halmahera, erupted on Wednesday, sending a column of smoke up to four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the sky.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 28 November 2024, a tragic incident unfolded in Parim Village, Serambakon District, Pegunungan Bintang Regency, when Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel killed Mr Methodius Uropmabin, 28, and Mr Nerius Oktemka, 25.

Sally Brooks and Natasya Salim – A university student was getting ready for church on Christmas Eve in Indonesia when a man snuck into her apartment to carry out an attack that would scar her for life.

As she stepped out of the shower with a towel around her torso, the man allegedly poured acid over her face and body.

Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, a former Army general, won the presidential election in February 2024. Prabowo was implicated in grave rights violations while he was in military service that had led to his dismissal. His running mate, Gibran Raka, is the eldest son of outgoing President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – Anindya Novyan Bakrie, the president and CEO of the Bakrie Group, was officially inaugurated on Thursday as chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the country's most influential business lobbying group. His appointment follows a brief internal dispute but ultimately emerged unopposed.

Vinnilya, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia's (BI) decision to cut the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 percent has raised concerns among economists about its impact on the exchange rate of the rupiah.

Jakarta – Car sales have been plummeting in Indonesia lately, but maybe that is not all bad news.

Figures presented by the Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association (Gaikindo) earlier this week show that 14 percent fewer new cars were sold from factories to dealers in 2024 than in 2023, and 2023 had already marked a decline from 2022.

Jakarta – The Mutual Assistance Consultative Organization (MKGR), one of the founding organizations of Golkar Party, has opened its membership doors to former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his eldest son Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, according to MKGR chair Adies Kadir.

Theressia Sunday Silalahi, Jakarta – Firefighters recovered four bodies from Glodok Plaza shopping center in West Jakarta on Thursday after a massive fire engulfed the upper floors of the building the night before.

Initial reports indicated that at least eight people were missing following the incident.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday called for increased private sector involvement in Indonesia's infrastructure development, signaling a shift from the state-owned enterprises' dominance under the previous administration of President Joko Widodo.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) is reviewing complaints from online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers against application fees. The drivers claimed to have received deductions of up to 30 percent.

Pujud Andriastanto, Purbalingga – Sumanto, infamously known as the "Hannibal Lecter of Java," has turned into a rising social media content creator known for his unique and entertaining videos that often carry motivational messages.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday called for stronger collaboration between businesses and the government to achieve an ambitious economic growth target of 8 percent, as he welcomed the new leadership of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

Rachel Farahdiba Regar, Jakarta – A researcher at the Center for Law and Social Justice Studies (LSJ) of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), and a member of the Collective for Critical Legal Studies (Colleges), Markus Togar Wijaya, believes that human rights enforcement in Indonesia under the Prabowo Subianto government is merely rhetorical.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) urges the government to consider the use of e-voting for the next election as part of the solution to address some persisting cases of human rights violations during the general elections.

Fika Nurul Ulya, Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Denny JA Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) is recommending that the nomination limit or threshold in the election of regional heads (Pilkada) also be abolished as it was for presidential elections (Pilpres).

Wahroni, Jakarta – Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait announced plans to use land confiscated in corruption cases as a resource for the government's 3 Million Houses Program.

Ali Mirin – In a concerted effort to stifle support for West Papua's aspiration for independence, Indonesia has embarked on diplomatic initiatives with Pacific nations and communities.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is planning to send elected regional heads, including governor-elects, on a retreat – similar to what his ministers went on at the start of their term.

Septia Ryanthie, Hussein Abri Dongoran, Solo – Former President Joko Widodo or Jokowi responded to a report on docking to the Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

Rania Teguh – On the eve of a long-anticipated increase in Indonesia's value added tax (VAT) rate from 11 to 12 per cent, President Prabowo Subianto abruptly decided to revise the hike, announcing that it would apply only to luxury goods.

New vehicle sales in Indonesia declined by 6% to 79,806 units in December 2024 from 85,284 units a year earlier, according to wholesale data compiled by the local automotive industry association Gaikindo. Last month's sales came up against already weak year-earlier volumes, after the strong rebound from the pandemic lows had fizzled out last year.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Environment said food waste generated from the free nutritious meal program will be influenced by several factors, including the scale of the program, the number of beneficiaries, distribution efficiency, consumer behavior, and the program's operators.

Jakarta – Following the failure of its pilot project, the government is actually extending the food estate program in North Sumatra. Natural forests and customary lands are under threat.

Hendro Dahlan Situmorang, Jakarta – Anindya Novyan Bakrie, elected as Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) during a congress on Sept. 14, is set to be officially inaugurated for the 2024-2029 term, ending a leadership dispute with rival Arsjad Rasjid.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the immediate removal of bamboo barriers illegally installed along 30 kilometers off the coasts of Tangerang Regency, Banten province, a close aide said on Wednesday.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Judge Rudi Suparmono has been accused of accepting bribes from the defense team of a defendant who fatally assaulted his girlfriend while serving as the chairman of the Surabaya District Court, a senior prosecutor revealed on Wednesday.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto on Wednesday criticized the tendency of many wealthy Indonesians to shop abroad rather than spend their money locally, arguing that this behavior undermines the national economy.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, has expressed concerns that abolishing the parliamentary threshold could disrupt legislative functions. He argues that an excessive number of political parties in parliament would hinder the effectiveness of both the legislature and the executive branches.

Anwar Siswadi (Kontributor), Bandung – The Bandung City government is urging the developers of the Jagat app to take responsibility for the damage caused to public parks by users engaged in "coin hunting" within the app.

Fika Nurul Ulya, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – The Denny JA Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) has revealed that the discourse on the election of regional heads (Pilkada) by Regional Representative Councils (DPRD) has received a negative response from the public, with as many as 76.3 percent expressing a negative sentiment on the idea.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – Prabowo's spokesperson, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, said that President Prabowo Subianto and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri are good friends.

When asked about whether Prabowo is open for PDIP to join the government, Dahnil said it has been Prabowo's stance "from the start."

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a trade surplus of $2.24 billion in December 2024, though the surplus decreased by 48.7 percent from the previous month and contracted by 31.9 percent compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Basudiwa Supraja, Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said Wednesday that Bank Indonesia's decision to cut the key interest rate to 5.75 percent could boost the people's purchasing power.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) lowered its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 percent during its January policy meeting, marking its first cut in four months.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Zacharias Wuragil, Batam – The Riau chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) regrets the move by the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BP Batam) which is allegedly involving the TNI (Indonesian Military) in pushing through the Rempang Eco City National Strategic Project (PSN).

Jakarta – A volcano located in Halmahera erupted on Wednesday morning spewing a four-km (2.5-mile) high ash cloud, forcing authorities to raise the alert level in surrounding areas to the highest, officials said.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The percentage of Indonesia's population living in poverty decreased to 8.57 percent in September 2024, a decline of 0.46 percentage points compared to March 2024 and a 0.79 percentage point decrease from the same month in 2023.

President Prabowo Subianto might not have thought his remarks would spark a controversy when he recently suggested that Indonesia expand oil palm plantations without worrying about deforestation.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 10 December 2024, a group of students from the Walter Post School of Theology (STT) in Jayapura were arbitrarily stopped by police while they were driving to a public commemoration worship for the Human Rights Day, organised by the Papuan Council of Churches and Indigenous Pastors.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The Nusantara Capital Authority (IKN) is still awaiting President Prabowo Subianto's availability to conduct the groundbreaking ceremony for the ninth phase of the IKN project. IKN Authority Spokesperson Troy Pantouw confirmed that his team and the Ministry of Public Works have submitted a request for the inauguration to the Presidential Palace.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Prominent Indonesian environmental forensic expert Bambang Hero Saharjo faces yet another potential lawsuit for serving as a state witness against alleged violators, this time in a high-profile tin laundering case.

Ali Mirin – Indonesia officially joined the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa – consortium last week marking a significant milestone in its foreign relations.