Max Lane – On 9th February TEMPO media published an interview with me where issues such as the impact of colonialism and challenges today were discussed. TEMPO media puts out a daily and a weekly publication and maintains a major Internet Media presence at https://www.tempo.co/

Bandar Seri Begawan – Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia have formalised their first bilateral framework to combat drug abuse and trafficking, with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Prime Minister's Office, and Indonesia's National Narcotics Board (BNN) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – A latest consumer survey by Bank Indonesia (BI) indicates growing public optimism over job availability in the country. The Index of Job Availability (IKLK) reached 109.9 in January 2026, up from 106.5 in the previous month.

Tirtawening – At the beginning of 2026, the Indonesian public was drawn to the memoir Broken String, by Indonesian actress Aurelie Moeremans. Now 32, the book recounts her experiences of being groomed and sexually abused as a teenager while dating an older partner.

A series of blows from "foreign" forces over the last nine days has exposed the weakness of the Indonesian economy. Without changes to governance and policy, it seems that one or two more "blows" will be enough to bring our economy to its knees.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Presidential Palace ensures that the debt payment for the Whoosh high-speed rail will use the state budget. President Prabowo Subianto had previously committed to paying Rp1.2 trillion for the debt of the project built during former President Joko Widodo's government.

Julia Payne, Brussels – The European Union has proposed extending its sanctions against Russia to include ports in Georgia and Indonesia that handle Russian oil, the first time the bloc would target ports in third countries, a proposal document showed on Monday.

Sita Planasari, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono, strongly condemns Israel's decision to impose unlawful Israeli sovereignty in the occupied West Bank, Palestine, calling it an "accelerating attemps" at illegal annexation.

Muhammad Iqbal, Jakarta – The pollution of the Cisadane River has sparked widespread concern among local residents. The contamination is suspected to have originated from a pesticide warehouse that caught fire in South Tangerang City on Monday, February 9, 2026.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) and the government have agreed to temporarily reactivate BPJS Kesehatan coverage for 11.53 million low-income beneficiaries whose memberships were recently suspended, following public backlash over patients being denied medical care.

Tim Lindsey (The Conversation) – President Prabowo Subianto waited decades for his chance to lead the country. The controversial former general finally won the office by a landslide in the 2024 election, his third attempt.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has recorded a shift in how consumers allocate their income for consumption, savings, and debt repayments. According to the latest survey by the central bank, the proportion of income dedicated to savings and debt has increased, while the share allocated for consumption has declined.

Andrew Tito, Jakarta – Executives from two Chromebook laptop vendors denied in court on Tuesday that their companies' involvement in a massive procurement project at the Education Ministry was backed by political influence, as prosecutors detailed allegations of corruption that prosecutors say caused Rp 2.1 trillion ($125 million) in state losses.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The 5th Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri received an honorary doctorate from Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday, February 9, 2026. The honorary doctorate was conferred on Megawati by Acting Rector of PNU, Fawziyah bin Suliman Al Amro.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will enroll 4,000 civil servants in reserve component training starting in April, a Defense Ministry official said on Tuesday, as part of efforts to strengthen national defense readiness.

Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto said the two-month program is designed to avoid disrupting participants' regular duties.

Julian Borger – Indonesia has said it is preparing to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza to be part of a peacekeeping force under Donald Trump's Middle East plan.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Indonesia will roll out a Rp 911.16 billion ($54.26 million) transport discount program during the Ramadan – Eid al-Fitr holiday period this year as part of an economic stimulus to manage peak travel demand and support domestic consumption, Chief Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Tuesday.

Jakarta – Indonesia has signed two separate Letters of Intent (LoIs) during the recently concluded Singapore Airshow to acquire Italian-made M-346 Master trainer jets and Russian-made Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum jet fighters.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry is planning to conduct training for the reserve components (Komcad) for civil servants soon. Deputy Minister of Defense Donny Ermawan Taufanto claimed that this training agenda would not contradict or interfere with the main duties of civil servants in their respective agencies.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia (BPS) noted that the number of unemployed individuals reached 7.35 million in November 2025. Head of BPS Amalia Adininggar Widyasari stated that this figure decreased from 7.46 million in August 2025.

"It decreased by 0.109 million compared to August 2025," she said in a press conference on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Survey institute Indikator Politik Indonesia recently released the results of a new survey on public satisfaction and trust in state institutions. The survey, released on February 8, 2026, shows that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is the most trusted state institution.

Zhulfakar, Jakarta – Two senior judges in Depok, West Java, have been temporarily suspended after being named corruption suspects, a spokesman for the Supreme Court said on Monday.

On the night of 2 February 2026, personnel of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) reportedly shot dead Mr Pit Nayagau during a raid conducted on the outskirts of Dogatalipa Road, along the Dogabu River, located in the Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Central Papua Province.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has delegated Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin) to attend the peak of the 2026 National Press Day commemoration at Masjid Al Bantani in Serang, Banten, on Monday, February 9, 2026. Cak Imin said that Prabowo could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, but did not elaborate.

Ria Fortuna Wijaya, Jakarta – The government is intensifying efforts to expand industrialization and strengthen investor confidence as part of a broader push to improve Indonesia's investment climate and support long-term economic growth, a senior official from the Investment Ministry said.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – The Supreme Court of Indonesia on Monday swore in Thomas Djiwandono, a nephew of President Prabowo Subianto, as Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia for the 2026-2031 term.

Muhammad Fajar Mutaqien, Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Serang, Banten – Indonesia's Press Council and the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) reaffirmed their commitment to press integrity at the closing of the 2026 National Press Day (HPN) in Serang, Banten, on Monday, as journalists staged a protest against ongoing intimidation and criminalization of media workers.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Survey institute Indikator Politik Indonesia released the results of a survey on public trust in the free nutritious meal program (MBG). According to the survey, 72.8 percent of respondents are satisfied with the program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesian consumer confidence strengthened in January 2026, reflecting improved perceptions of current economic conditions and a more upbeat outlook for the months ahead, according to a survey released by Bank Indonesia on Monday.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Active ground movements continue to occur in the Central Javan village of Padasari in Jatinegara, Tegal, causing more and more residents to evacuate, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).

Andrew Mathieson – Indonesian military strikes in Indigenous West Papuan territory have forced civilians to flee villages and refugee camps into the forests for shelter.

The air and land raids in the Puncak Regency, an administrative division of Indonesia, have continued through this month since the first of the operations were launched on January 31.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan announced that the Indonesian government will require food and beverage businesses to include high-sugar labels on product packaging.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – An independent survey found 330 landslides upstream of the Garoga and Siondop rivers after the rare tropical cyclone Senyar struck South Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra in late November

Jakarta – On February 9 the Regional Representative Council (DPD) hosted a meeting with several civil society organisations that reported on alleged human rights violations in Papua.

The meeting was attended by DPD Deputy Speaker Yorrys Raweyai and a Senator from West Papua, Filep Wamafma.

Maretha Uli, Jakarta – Recurring cases of suicide among children across the country, including a recent incident in Ngada, East Nusa Tenggara, have laid bare persistent shortcomings in the state's ability to provide psychological protection for minors, prompting renewed calls for stronger prevention and early-intervention effort

Yunia Pratiwi, Jakarta – The pattern of Indonesian tourist hotel bookings in 2025 has increased compared to the previous year, according to the latest data from SiteMinder, a hotel guest acquisition and revenue platform. This is consistent with last year's 19 percent increase in domestic travel. The increase can also be utilized by hotel management.

Choi Jeong-yoon, Seoul – Indonesian K-pop fans are calling out a major South Korean bank over its financing of coal-linked industrial projects, showing fan communities' potential to mobilize as political and social actors.

Cahyo Pamungkas – In January 2026, Human Rights Monitor reported that the number of refugees in Indonesia's West Papua province had reached 105,878. These people, mostly Papuan native, fled from their home villages due to the protracted armed conflict between Indonesian armed forces and the West Papua National Liberation Army.

On 31 January 2026, personnel of the Indonesian Navy Marine Corps stationed at the Km 6 guard post arbitrarily detained two activists, Mr Alokni Keroman and Mr Oroni Gombo (see photo on top, source: independent HRD), in Dekai Town, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Highlands Province.

Jakarta – Indonesia has seized the center stage of K-pop and K-drama fandom following Netflix's decision to film portions of its action sequel, Extraction: Tygo, across Greater Jakarta. The high-profile production features a star-studded cast, including BLACKPINK's Lalisa "Lisa" Manobal, Train to Busan actor Ma Dong-seok and Squid Game's Lee Jin-wook.

Chesa Andini Saputra, Jakarta – The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) has tightened its disclosure rules, requiring shareholders with ownership stakes of 1% or more to disclose their identities, down from the previous 5% threshold.

The policy is part of Indonesia's broader capital market reform agenda, aligned with recommendations from global index provider MSCI.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The debt rating agency Moody's has downgraded the outlook for five major banks in Indonesia from stable to negative. The five banks are Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Central Asia (BCA), and Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN).

Sita Planasari, Jakarta – Indonesia expresses deep concern over the termination of a nuclear weapons limitation agreement between the United States and Russia. Jakarta also urges both countries to immediately engage in negotiations to maintain the limitation of nuclear weapons.

Lusa – The GX Foundation has been supporting students from Timor-Leste in undertaking medical internships in Hong Kong and Macau, the president of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) said on Sunday.

Mita Amalia Hapsari, Jakarta – The Jakarta government has begun relocating residents living along the banks of the Ciliwung River as part of a river-widening and dredging project aimed at increasing water capacity and reducing flood risks during the rainy season.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The survey conducted by Indikator Politik Indonesia revealed the public satisfaction rate with the performance of President Prabowo Subianto. Released on Sunday, February 8, 2026, the satisfaction rate for the current head of state has reached 79.9 percent.

Antara, Jakarta – Public satisfaction with President Prabowo Subianto has climbed to nearly 80%, surpassing approval levels recorded by his two predecessors, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), according to a new national survey released on Sunday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – An Iranian envoy is urging Indonesia not to fear doing business with Tehran despite US sanctions.

The Donald Trump 2.0 administration has been keeping a close watch on Iran since the latter's protest crackdown. At some point, Trump had even issued an ultimatum that any of Iran's trade partners would risk paying 25% tariffs on US-bound goods.

Agencies, Jakarta – The death toll from a landslide in Cisarua district, West Bandung regency, West Java has climbed to 74, authorities said Friday, while announcing an extension for the search for missing people and bodies nearly two weeks since it began.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) extended its recent downturn over the week of Feb. 2-6, 2026, as concerns over Indonesia's credit outlook, market governance, and global index eligibility weighed heavily on investor sentiment.