Jakarta – Indonesia's unaudited budget deficit for 2024 was smaller than the government's earlier estimate, official data showed on Monday, providing a buffer for fiscal needs in 2025 after authorities cancelled a planned tax hike.

President Prabowo Subianto's ambitious multi-billion dollar programme to provide free meals to more than a quarter of his people was officially underway on Monday, officials said, with 570,000 mouths to feed on its opening day.

Havana, Cuba – Jose Ramos Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, sent his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, a congratulatory message on the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution.

Jakarta – Police are still investigating alleged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities in the Permata Hijau area of North Grogol Village, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, which were shut down by local residents on New Year's Eve.

Han Revanda, Jakarta – Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that Apple Inc.'s investment commitment of US$1 billion, equivalent to Rp16.14 trillion (at an exchange rate of Rp16,146.25 per US dollar), is still relatively small compared to the tech giant's total sales within Indonesia, which he estimated at around Rp32 trillion.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government must make sure that the vendors in charge of making the meals for Indonesia's historic school feeding program get paid for their services, according to an expert.

Alfida Rizki Febrianna, Jakarta – The government spent Rp 43.4 trillion ($2.69 billion) from the State Budget in 2024 for the development of Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara, accounting for 97.3 percent of the Rp 44.5 trillion ceiling.

Banda Aceh – More than 260 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, arrived in Aceh after floating at sea for days, an official said Monday.

The mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia is aiming to record nearly $294.5 billion in exports this year to catapult the country's economy towards 8 percent growth as targeted by President Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta – Following the tradition of his predecessor Retno LP Marsudi, who issued an annual press statement every January, Foreign Minister Sugiono is also scheduled to meet with the press on Thursday. As the 100-day honeymoon period of President Prabowo Subianto ends in just two weeks, the new minister should use the opportunity to lay down his programs at least for 2025.

Ilham Oktafian, Widy Wicaksono, Jakarta/Semarang – The Indonesian National Police (Polri) revealed that a hotel in Semarang, Central Java, was built using funds linked to money laundering from online gambling activities. The hotel is reportedly managed by an individual connected to illegal online gambling syndicates.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – The Bunker Bar, located in the Permata Hijau shopping district in South Jakarta's Kebayoran Lama area, has been permanently closed following a New Year's Eve raid led by local residents on Jan. 1.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has reduced the proposed Hajj pilgrimage cost to Rp 89.7 million ($5,537) per person, down from the initial proposal of Rp 93.4 million.

The reduction comes in response to a directive from President Prabowo Subianto to ease the financial burden on Indonesian Muslims seeking to fulfill this religious obligation.

Jakarta – Indonesia launched an ambitious $4.3 billion free-meal program on Monday to combat stunted growth due to malnutrition, a key election promise of President Prabowo Subianto.

Prabowo has pledged to provide nutritious meals free to tens of millions of schoolchildren and pregnant women, saying it would improve their quality of life and boost economic growth.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta - Imparsial Director Ardi Manto Putra demanded that the legal process against the Indonesian TNI Navy members suspected of being involved in the shooting at KM 45 of the Tangerang-Merak Toll Road be transparent.

Han Revanda, Jakarta - Professor of Bogor Agricultural University or IPB University in Indonesia, Dwi Andreas Santosa, criticized the Prabowo Subianto government's food self-sufficiency target as still unclear. According to him, there are various definitions of food self-sufficiency.

Thomas Rizal, Andi Maulana, Jakarta – Indonesia will officially launch its first nationwide free meal program on Monday, aimed at providing nutritious meals to school-aged children, expectant mothers, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers. The initiative, introduced by President Prabowo Subianto, is a historic step toward combating malnutrition and fostering healthier generations.

Antara, Jakarta – Armed Forces Commander General Agus Subiyanto has named Air Vice-Marshal Mohammad Syafii as the new head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in a recent wave of top-level military rotations.

Bandung – The West Java branch of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) has expressed strong criticism of the governor's recent decision to implement sectoral minimum wage increases, arguing that it was based on flawed considerations and could deter investors from Indonesia's most populous province.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Amirullah, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid says the ruling by the Constitutional Court (MK) requiring Indonesian people to have a religion is a digression.

Jakarta – The West Sumatra (Sumbar) Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) is currently studying a plan to draft a regional regulation (Perda) to eradicate social diseases in the Minang area, especially lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

Jakarta – A New Year gift came from the Constitutional Court on Thursday as it, on the 33rd time of asking, finally accepted the argument that every political party should stand an equal chance of nominating a presidential candidate.

Jakarta – For the first time in history, Indonesia's subsidized fertilizer distribution started on time, precisely on Jan. 1.

This long-awaited timeliness has enabled farmers to get better access to subsidized fertilizers to better prepare for the planting season, according to the state-owned company Pupuk Indonesia.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Chinese polyethylene terephthalate or PET plastic manufacturer Wankai New Materials has pledged to establish a factory in Banten's industrial city of Cilegon.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police dishonorably discharged 31 officers in December 2024 for committing serious disciplinary violations, including desertion and drug-related offenses, a spokesman said on Friday.

Jakarta – A recent series of acid attacks in the country has highlighted the lack of regulation on the sale of corrosive chemicals in the country, making it easy for offenders to obtain the hazardous compounds.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – Inflation in Indonesia has dropped to the lowest year-end rate ever recorded by the country's statistics agency since it began tracking consumer prices more than 60 years ago.

Jakarta – The Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry has established 27 new task forces dedicated to preventing and addressing incidents of violence in educational institutions, Secretary General Suharti said.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The police reported Friday that they recorded fewer traffic accidents in the 2024 Christmas and year-end holiday season, marking a double-digit decline compared to 2023.

Antara, Jakarta – Chinese carmaker Wuling Motors has officially begun operating its electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Cikarang, West Java, marking a significant milestone in Indonesia's push toward sustainable transportation.

At the close of 2024, a non-profit organization called the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) released a list of nominations of people who were considered to have contributed greatly to worsening organised crime and corruption. Indonesia's seventh president, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, was included in the list of nominees.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto announced a free health check program for all citizens on their birthdays. The program is funded by the 2025 State Budget (APBN) with an allocation of Rp3.2 trillion.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo opened the first trading day of 2016 at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on Monday as the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) dropped 0.25 percent to 4,581 as investors remain in wait-and-see mode with regard to economic policies.

Jakarta – Indonesia's Constitutional Court on Thursday (Jan 2) said a law requiring a minimum number of votes for political parties to nominate a presidential candidate was not legally binding, which could allow a wider range of candidates in 2029.

Jakarta - The Constitutional Court (MK) rejected a judicial review request requesting that non-religious citizens be recognized in Law Number 23 of 2006 concerning Population Administration (Adminduk).

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – A call by the Indonesian President to expand oil palm plantations has drawn backlash from environmental and farmers' groups, which warn that his comments may set back efforts to curb deforestation in the country.

Savero Aristia Wienanto, Jakarta – The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed the reasoning behind former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's nomination as finalist of the most corrupt public figure of 2024.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – An Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher was doxxed by the Instagram account @volt_anonym, allegedly after responding to a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The report nominated Indonesian President Joko Widodo or Jokowi for the "Organized Crime and Corruption 2024" category.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Juli Hantoro, Jakarta – President Labor Party Said Iqbal welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court or MK, which abolished the presidential nomination threshold provision or presidential threshold of 20 percent.

Jakarta – The collapse of several peer-to-peer lending fintech companies has brought much concern to individual investors. They were late in anticipating the huge risks involved.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 24 December 2024, Mr Febrian Agapa, 20, was seriously injured after being shot at close range by the driver of a vehicle from a convoy escorted by security forces.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 20 December 2024, Mr Sulfianto Alias, director of the NGO Panah Papua, was beaten by a group of individuals in multiple locations in Teluk Bintuni, Papua Barat Province. One of the perpetrators allegedly identified himself as a police officer.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – In a controversial speech, Indonesia's new president argued oil palm plantations are like forests, calling for their expansion by stating, 'oil palms are trees... they've got leaves.'"

Jakarta – The Constitutional Court (MK) on Friday ruled that all marriages must be conducted in keeping with religious principles. It emphasized that a marriage not based on religious principles and rules would not be considered valid by the state.

Tria Dianti, Jakarta – Indonesia's Constitutional Court was able to issue a judgment that opened the door for more inclusive presidential elections because it wasn't under as much political pressure as before, analysts said.

Rahmat Fajar Nugraha, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has revealed that one of its researchers was doxed after commenting on former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's nomination for the most corrupt figure of 2024 by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

Indonesia experienced its hottest year on record in 2024, the country's weather agency said Friday, matching several other nations which have reported similar rises in temperature.

Indonesia still relies enormously on fossil fuel energy – which scientists say is a leading cause of global warming – and is listed as one of the top greenhouse gas emitters in the world.

Jon Emont, Singapore – Dozens of foreigners attending a large music festival in Indonesia were detained by police, accused of using drugs and allegedly told to pay thousands of dollars to gain their release, exposing what experts say is a deepening toll of corruption in a nation that aspires to be a global economic heavyweight.

Jakarta – Former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo clarified that his absence from the Bentang Harapan JakASA event on Dec. 31 was not due to any disagreement with former Jakarta governors, including Anies Baswedan and Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has seized approximately Rp 62 billion ($3.82 million) in connection with an alleged corruption case involving the state-owned construction company PT PP. The confiscated funds include deposits and cash found in a safe.