Hendro Dahlan Situmorang, Jakarta – The Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) under the Ministry of Religious Affairs officially enforced mandatory halal certification starting Friday, Oct. 18. Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 on the Implementation of Halal Product Assurance applies to all food products within Indonesia, and imported foods will become mandatory by 2026.

Chairul Fikri, Herman, Jakarta – A TikToker known as Dokter Detektif has revealed that thousands of cosmetic products in Indonesia are allegedly mislabelled, raising concerns about misleading claims regarding their ingredient contents and potential harm to the skin.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has projected Indonesia's economic growth to reach 5.1 percent by the end of 2024, slightly below the 5.2 percent target outlined in the 2024 state budget, but higher than the 5.05 percent recorded in 2023.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia's Executive Director, Usman Hamid, has called on President-elect Prabowo Subianto's administration to prioritize human rights protection. He highlighted numerous rights violations that occurred during President Joko Widodo's tenure.

Irfan Ma'ruf, Jakarta – A demonstration by students from a number of different universities who are part of the National Association of Student Executive Councils (BEM SI) ended in chaos on Friday October 18 after security forces and demonstrators attacked each other.

This afternoon on Friday October 18, the National Association of Student Executive Councils (BEM SI) held a demonstration in front of the Horse Statue monument on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.

There were not many protesters at the demonstration and according to Kumparan's observations only around 50-70 students were present.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has spoken out regarding the controversial meeting between KPK Deputy Chairman Alexander Marwata (AM) and former Director General of Customs and Excise Eko Darmanto (ED).

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has reaffirmed Solomon Islands' measured approach to the West Papua issue, stating that his GNUT administration respects Indonesia's sovereignty.

Yustinus Paat, Bogor – President-elect Prabowo Subianto outlined five key priorities to prospective ministers, deputy ministers, and agency heads during a briefing at his residence, Padepokan Garuda Yaksa, in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday.

Jayanty Nada Shofa & Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Jakarta – It is now much easier to travel from one village to another in Indonesia compared to 10 years ago.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government's initiative to provide motorcycles to the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel assigned to rural communities, known as Babinsa, has significantly improved their ability to reach remote areas.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Within a decade of presidency, Indonesia's outgoing leader Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has led massive infrastructure development as seen in the addition of over 40 dams spread across the archipelago.

Antara, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has issued a new regulation providing post-term healthcare coverage for state ministers through Presidential Regulation No. 121 of 2024. The law guarantees health maintenance services for ministers who have completed their terms, except those convicted of criminal charges or who resign due to legal cases before a final verdict.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Starting Dec. 1, 2024, Bank Indonesia (BI) will waive the merchant discount rate (MDR) for transactions up to Rp 500,000 ($32) made through the Quick Response Indonesian Standard (QRIS) system. Transactions exceeding this amount will still incur a merchant fee.

Jakarta – The latest Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) survey has revealed an increase in the fear most people feel about talking politics over the 10 years President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) administration.

Djibril Muhammad, Jakarta – Teguh Setyabudi, the Director General of Civil Administration at the Home Affairs Ministry, is set to be installed as the Acting Governor of Jakarta on Friday, succeeding Heru Budi Hartono, who has served in the role for the past two years.

Heru's tenure expired on Thursday, and Teguh will take over immediately the following day.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) will deploy four F-16 fighter jets to escort foreign dignitaries arriving for the presidential and vice-presidential inauguration of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka on Oct. 20.

Dewi Kurniawati, Sukabumi, West Java – Sixth-grader Shakila Fitriyani, a day laborer's daughter who dreams of becoming a doctor, says she is keener to go to school these days because she is served a free lunch.

Stanley Widianto, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said it would support incoming president Prabowo Subianto, but it was unclear on Thursday whether it would formally join his already dominant coalition just days ahead of the inauguration ceremony.

Kiki Siregar, Jayapura, Papua – Dozens of military and police personnel lined up neatly, lifting a 1km-long red-white Indonesian national flag above their heads at the border post between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea in Jayapura city.

The scorching sun and 31 degrees Celsius heat were not an issue for them.

Edward Aspinall & Fauziah Mayangsari – One of the legacies Joko Widodo leaves Indonesia is a dramatically changed relationship between government and civil society.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Jakarta – Indonesia's incoming president Prabowo Subianto has plans to grow the country's economy with pitches centred on investor-friendly and tourist-centric policies. All these in the hope of hitting a growth target of 8 per cent by his third year in office.

Daniel A. Fajri, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has ratified Law Number 61 of 2024, which amends Law Number 39 of 2008 concerning the State Ministry. This revised law was signed on October 15, 2024, and promulgated by the State Secretary Minister Pratikno on the same day.

Antara, Jakarta – Bali Regional Police Cyber Crime Directorate states that the cybercrime perpetrator in Denpasar purchased 300,000 pieces of personal data from the dark web for Rp25 million. The sold data consists of Population Registration Numbers (NIK) and Family Cards (KK).

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) explained the data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) regarding the estimate of national rice production this year which dropped by 760,000 tons or 2.43 percent compared to 2023.

Irsyan Hasyim (Kontributor), Jakarta – Indigenous people from Merauke, South Papua, voiced their rejection of the National Strategic Project (PSN) food estate in their region, staging a protest at the Defense Ministry office on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, to demand its immediate halt.

Jakarta – Sakti Wahyu Trenggono seems to be following the example of the way President Joko Widodo treated his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. While Jokowi smoothed the way for Gibran to become Mayor of Solo and then vice president, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is alleged to have made it easier for his son, Indra Nugroho Trenggono, to succeed in business.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, as there are indications of corruption related to the palm oil industry.

The attorney general's office said the case relates to the management of oil palm plantations within forest areas from 2005-24.

Antara, Jakarta – The local distributor of Mercedes-Benz has supplied 60 luxury sedans for the upcoming inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as Indonesia's eighth president, scheduled for Sunday. The vehicles will transport distinguished guests, including world leaders and other high-profile attendees.

Vinnilya, Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia has witnessed many major changes over the past 10 years of the outgoing leader Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, but one of the most noticeable changes is how the population has increasingly gone cashless.

Jakarta – With just a week left before President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo hands over the reins of power, there are several items on his agenda that remain unfinished. Yet, of all the issues on his list, none stand out as sharply as his insistence on continuing the selection process for new commissioners for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Nina A. Loasana, Jakarta – The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) is scaling up its efforts to clamp down on the illicit trade of prescription skincare products amid growing concerns from the public about the impact on health.

The BPOM temporarily closed down a factory in Bandung, West Java, over the weekend on suspicion of mass producing illegal prescription skincare.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decade-long leadership has spurred the massive development of Indonesia's special economic zones which have given the country a major economic boost.

Sella Rizky Deviani, Jakarta – The House of Representatives accepted Wednesday the nomination of Muhammad Herindra as the head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), replacing Budi Gunawan who has led the agency throughout the past decade.

House Speaker Puan Maharani said Herindra is the sole candidate for the BIN head proposed by President Joko Widodo.

Theo Kelen, Jayapura – The Indonesian Military Headquarters or Mabes TNI has stated that they will use a humanist approach in supporting national food security programs in the land of Papua, especially the 1 million hectare rice field National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke regency.

Andi Muttaqien – The European Union's recent decision to propose a 12-month delay to the enforcement of the Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR) has sparked new conversations, especially for nations like Indonesia.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Novel Baswedan, a former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator, said he was puzzled by the conduct of the anti-corruption agency's leadership. According to him, the KPK's way of handling the case of South Kalimantan Governor Sahbirin Noor, or Uncle Birin, was too soft.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – An alliance of All Indonesia Student Executive Councils (BEM SI) held a protest action at the House of Representatives (DPR) building on Wednesday October 16 to criticise 10 years of the President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration.

Surabaya – A number of people from the Empty Box Movement arrived at the inaugural debate venue for the 2024 election of the Surabaya mayor (Pilkada) at the Dyandra Convention Centre on Wednesday evening, October 16.

Anastasya Lavenia Y, Jakarta – Head of the Information Center of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), Hariyanto, stated that the military is involved in assisting the free nutritious meal program (MBG) supported by the elected president and vice president, Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – Indonesia has seen little progress in its energy transition over the past decade as President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has straddled two diverging boats, trying to increase power generation from renewable sources but failing to phase out coal.

Jakarta – In July, when asked about democratic backsliding in Indonesia, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo responded by saying that democracy is alive and well in the country, citing regular elections as proof.

The outgoing President also cited the fact that people could still criticize him on social media as more proof of the health of Indonesia's democracy.

Jakarta – A group of people claiming to be former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan volunteers, under the banner of Pejuang Anies (Anies Warriors), declared their support for Jakarta governor and deputy governor candidates Pramono Anung and Rano Karno at the Hariston Hotel in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Sunday.

Jakarta – Government authorities plan to inspect grocery store shelves to check compliance with a law requiring halal labels on food items from Friday, officials said, although some importers and restaurants face hurdles in complying.

Rifky Pratama Wicaksono and Dewi Abiola Buchita Natakusuma – Indonesia faces the dual challenge of leveraging its demographic dividend while mitigating the risks posed by an aging population.

Jakarta – Chair of the central executive board of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Puan Maharani, said that her party strongly supports the government of President- and Vice President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Arti Ekawati – On October 20, Prabowo Subianto will be inaugurated as Indonesia's president. He won an election in February by running a populist campaign that included promises of 8% economic growth while ending poverty and malnutrition.

In recent decades, the Southeast Asian nation has been a success story, recording rapid growth rates and reducing extreme poverty.

Ary Hermawan – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will end his presidency on a low note this week as a "reformist" president who turned back the clock on Indonesian democracy. According to the latest polls, he remains popular among the general population, but he has lost any credibility with the progressives that once supported him.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus, Jakarta – An attack on the editorial office of Papua-based media outlet Jubi on Wednesday using Molotov cocktails set fire to vehicles but resulted in no casualties, Indonesian police said.

Dili, Timor Leste – Along the waterfront of Timor Leste's capital, buzzing restaurants sell local dishes and Portuguese colonial fare facing turquoise waters where the Indonesian military launched an invasion nearly half a century before.