Jakarta – Government authorities have seized a small section of the world's largest nickel mine for encroaching on forest areas without permission, authorities said Friday.

The Weda Bay Nickel concession, which has long been criticized by environmental and Indigenous rights groups for its effects on surrounding forest, spans 45,000 hectares on Halmahera Island.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – The government has announced plans to shift some state deposits from the central bank to commercial banks to allow for more loan disbursements and thereby invigorate private sector activity in a bid to achieve 6 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

The report, Bringing it All Back Home: The Role of British Companies in the Destruction of West Papua, is co-authored by Professor David Whyte and Samira Homerang Saunders from Queen Mary's School of Law. It presents the first comprehensive audit of British involvement in extractive industries and large-scale agriculture in the region.

Jakarta – State health insurer BPJS Kesehatan will require its participants to undergo a health screening test, starting this month or in October.

The screening is mandatory for those who wish to access primary healthcare facilities, community health centers (Puskesmas), clinics, and independent doctors' practices. The new policy is part of early detection efforts.

Rome (AsiaNews/Agencies) – On Wednesday, some 300,000 people gathered at the Taci Tol esplanade in Dili, Timor-Leste, to mark the first anniversary of Pope Francis's visit to the Southeast Asian country.

Agencies, Denpasar – Floods in Bali have killed at least nine this week and affected 600 people, blocking off major roads in the capital and disrupting a busy travel destination, officials said on Wednesday.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – A concrete barrier, reportedly 2 to 3 kilometers long, has appeared along the coast of Cilincing, North Jakarta. In response, the Jakarta Provincial Government stated that the construction is not under its authority.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto's cabinet shake-up, coming after weeklong protests viewed as the toughest test of his presidency so far, signal the start of his bid to reconsolidate power by replacing underperforming ministers in key government posts and programs with longtime loyalists, analysts said.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity has filed a lawsuit against Culture Minister Fadli Zon at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) over his statements denying the 1998 mass rape incidents.

Andrew Mathieson – A new report about British involvement in occupied West Papua was tabled on Tuesday in the UK parliament.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Some people involved in the Gerakan Nurani Bangsa are urging Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to promptly form an independent investigation team to look into the recent protest unrest at the end of last August.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has sealed off and isolated areas contaminated with radioactive Cesium-137 at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate in Serang Regency, Banten, following reports of tainted shrimp exports to the United States.

Antara, Jakarta – Director General of Tax at the Finance Ministry, Bimo Wijayanto, reported that Indonesia's tax revenue by the end of July 2025 was Rp990 trillion. This represents a 5.29% decrease compared to the Rp1,045.3 trillion recorded during the same period in 2024.

Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – Indonesia's Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios) has released the China-Indonesia Province Index 2025, a study that measures the extent of China's influence across Indonesia between August 1, 2024, and August 1, 2025.

The findings highlight China's expanding footprint in multiple sectors, with the economy being the most dominant.

Jakarta – A recent study may provide another definitive answer to why we should save the forest and prevent further deforestation.

In the study, researchers analyzed satellite images of tropical forests in various regions in the world, including Southeast Asia, from 2001 to 2020 to measure ground temperature increases and the role of deforestation.

Associated Press, Sopian Hadi, Denpasar – Rescuers in Bali retrieved five more bodies on Thursday as floodwaters receded, raising the death toll on the resort island to 14, while two residents remain missing.

Jakarta – The agrarian conflict in Sipora Selatan subdistrict, Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra, has once again shown that the central government is not serious about protecting the rights of indigenous communities. There are strong indications that the government is putting the interests of the corporations ahead of those communities.

Yanuar Nugroho – On 8 September 2025, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto carried out a Cabinet reshuffle, introducing a handful of new appointees.

Antara, Jakarta – The equatorial Rossby phenomenon that triggered deadly floods in Bali earlier this week has shifted westward toward Java, Indonesia's disaster management agency said Wednesday.

Jakarta – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in Indonesia Sara Ferrer Olivella formally presented her credentials to Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono during a ceremony on Tuesday, marking her official start as the new UNDP resident representative.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration, and Law, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, stated that the government does not need to form an independent investigation team to probe the mass protest accompanied by riots in the last week of August 2025.

Antara, Jakarta – Rescue teams at Freeport Indonesia's Grasberg mine in Papua are scrambling to reach seven workers trapped underground after a torrent of mud flooded the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) tunnels earlier this week.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Economist Achmad Nur Hidayat from the University of Pembangunan Nasional (UPN) Veteran Jakarta warns that the recent decline in Indonesia's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) signals a potential drop in household purchasing power if the labor market is not strengthened quickly.

Antara, Riau – The Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Riau Regional Police has deployed an investigative team to probe the sudden death of an elephant calf named Kalistha Lestari, or Tari, one of the fostered animals at Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Pelalawan Regency, Riau.

Basten Gokkon – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has set up a new authority to build a massive seawall along the north coast of Java, a project aimed at shielding millions of residents from flooding and sinking land, but observers reject it as a true solution while highlighting risks, elite bias and lack of consultation.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – According to a recent survey by Bank Indonesia (BI), retailers' expectations for retail sales over the next three to six months are declining. It is expected that sales performance in October 2025 and January 2026 will be lower than before.

Antara, Timika, Papua – The Timika Search and Rescue (SAR) Office confirmed Thursday that all four people aboard the Intan Angkasa Air Service helicopter PK-IWS, which crashed in Jila District, Mimika Regency, Central Papua, were found dead.

I Kadek Adi Dwipayana, Jakarta – A mass protest carried out by a group of protesters around the House of Representatives (DPR) building in Jakarta on Monday night, August 25, 2025, ended in chaos. The protesters highlighted the excessive salaries and allowances of DPR members, which exceeded Rp100 million.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) suspects that the death of Indonesian online motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan during the August 28, 2025, protest in Jakarta may constitute a criminal act of murder.

Fadli, Batam – Dengue fever cases and deaths are on the rise in several regions across the country, with health officials warning that the ongoing wet-dry season weather anomaly is creating ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes, the primary vector of the viral disease.

Antara, Timika, Papua – Rescue teams at Freeport Indonesia's (PTFI) Grasberg Block Cave mine in Mimika, Central Papua, were still working Wednesday to evacuate seven contract workers trapped underground following a landslide that struck earlier this week.

Vinnilya Huanggrio, Jakarta – Newly appointed Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has made his first move by transferring Rp200 trillion from central bank reserves into commercial banks to stimulate lending and revive economic growth.

Iman Rahman Cahyadi, Denpasar – Four people are reported missing and two confirmed dead after heavy flooding swept Denpasar and Jembrana in Bali on Wednesday morning.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto led a limited meeting with several ministers at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) said the meeting discussed the acceleration of the government's priority program implementation.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – The SETARA Institute, a human rights and democracy watchdog, has raised concerns over the Indonesian Military's (TNI) Cyber Unit consulting with the police regarding alleged criminal acts by Malaka Project CEO Ferry Irwandi.

The group warned that this move could undermine democratic consolidation and security sector reform.

"Based on the Constitutional Court ruling, institutions cannot file defamation reports.

Ananda Teresia and Stefanno Sulaiman, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati was chairing a meeting with top ministry officials when she received a call from President Prabowo Subianto's office informing her she would be replaced within an hour, two sources said, underscoring the abruptness of the longtime finance czar's sacking.

Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) Director Ardi Manto Adiputra reported alleged acts of terror against him to the Jakarta Metro Jaya Regional Police on Tuesday September 9. Adiputra said that his car was broken into and important document belonging to him had disappeared.

Ahmad Rifqi Danwanus, Lumajang – Heavy rainfall over the slopes of Mount Semeru, Lumajang, East Java, triggered a lahar flood that reached the Regoyo River on Wednesday afternoon. The disaster paralyzed community activities in Sumberlangsep Hamlet, Jugosari Village, Candipuro District.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – The bill on asset forfeiture has been listed in the priority national legislative program (locally known as prolegnas) for 2025. A civil society coalition has raised several concerns about the Asset Forfeiture Bill to ensure it will not be drafted in favor of the ruling elites.

Jakarta – Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer is a perfect illustration of the classic saying, "a wolf guarding the sheep." Appointed to a position in which he should have protected workers, he exploited it to enrich himself. This type of corruption has happened repeatedly in the Manpower Ministry.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Indonesians remain pessimistic about the job availability, a survey released by Bank Indonesia reports. This is reflected in the Job Availability Index, which has stayed below 100 in the pessimistic zone since May 2025.

In August, the index parked at 93.2 points, the lowest after a brief jump in July with 95.3 points.

David Wilson, East Nusa Tenggara – The death toll from flash floods in Nagekeo Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, has risen to five, while five others remain missing as search and rescue operations continue in Mauponggo District, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported Wednesday.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Eisha Maghfiruha Rachbini, assessed the post-COVID-19 pandemic economic growth of around 5 percent as deceptive. This is because this growth is not accompanied by an increase in real wages for workers.

Joniansyah, Jakarta – Police at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport say they have identified dozens of social media accounts spreading hoaxes and provocative narratives aimed at paralyzing the airport during the riots and demonstrations in Jakarta at the end of August.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – A Chinese diplomat said Wednesday that its recent military parade that President Prabowo Subianto had attended was not meant to convince the Indonesian leader – and other foreign guests – to sign an arms purchase deal.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) member from Gerindra Party faction, Rahayu Saraswati, has resigned from her position as a legislator. Rahayu is the niece of President Prabowo Subianto and served as a member of the House of Commission VII for the 2024-2029 period.

Jakarta – The writing was on the wall a little over a week ago when an unruly mob descended on the affluent neighborhood of Bintaro in Tangerang and began ransacking the home of the erstwhile finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – The Indonesian Economists Alliance urged the government to sharpen its focus on poverty reduction and job creation to ensure growth translates into real benefits for the people.

The call followed President Prabowo Subianto's recent cabinet reshuffle, which saw Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati replaced by economist Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) is urging President Prabowo Subianto to immediately dismiss National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo. This demand responds to alleged procedural errors by the police in protest handling last month, which claimed lives.