Euis Rita Hartarti, Jakarta – The Saudi Arabian government has greenlit a Hajj quota of 221,000 people for the world's largest Muslim-majority country Indonesia this pilgrimage season.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), together with the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD), reported a doxing incident experienced by one of its researchers to the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police on Monday morning, January 13, 2025.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – The discovery of a mysterious 30.16-kilometre-long bamboo fence in the Java Sea, north of Tangerang, has left Indonesians disconcerted. A group of fishermen raised the alarm last week, expressing their concerns on social media.

Indonesia, West Papua – Protests by Papuan students in the cities of Yogyakarta, Java Tengah Province, and Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan Province) were forcefully dispersed by police officers on 1 and 2 December 2024 in commemoration of the 1st December 1961.

Jakarta – The results of a Kompas Research and Development (Litbang Kompas) survey show that the majority of people agree with the removal of the electoral threshold that was required to nominate a presidential candidate or the presidential threshold, which was abolished by a Constitutional Court (MK) ruling earlier this month.

Antara, Jakarta – Six former executives of state-owned mining company Antam (IDX: ANTM) have been charged with corruption, allegedly causing a loss of Rp3.31 trillion ($203.19 million) to the state. The charges relate to mismanagement and fraudulent activities involving 109 tons of gold from Antam between 2010 and 2022.

Jakarta – The coin-hunting craze through the Jagat application has hit the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex (GBK) in Senayan, Central Jakarta, as coin hunters reportedly crowded the area over the past week.

Jakarta – One of the highlights of Foreign Minister Sugiono's first foreign policy speech late last week was the prominent display of images of Indonesia's first president Sukarno as a backdrop for the event.

Jakarta – Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid has appointed model and celebrity Raline Shah as an official at the ministry, serving as a personal staffer advising the minister on global partnership and digital education.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto plans to hold another military-style retreat for all the regional heads who were elected into office in the November 2024 regional election.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday rejected a request by high-profile graft suspect Hasto Kristiyanto to delay his investigation until a court ruling is issued on his pre-trial motion.

Jakarta – Police are intensifying security patrols in Yalimo regency, Papua Highlands, following the shooting of two civilians last week, as they seek to stabilize the situation and capture the shooter.

BeritaBali.com, Badung, Bali – Indonesian authorities have dismantled an international online prostitution network, arresting two Russian nationals involved in the operation.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Ninis Chairunnisa, Jakarta – Democracy activists and academics have criticised President Prabowo Subianto's plan to send elected regional heads on a retreat similar to the one that ministers went to at the start of his term in office.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has expressed concerns that the recent visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Indonesia may signal a revival of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) program, which has been criticized for its potential negative environmental impacts.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The government allotted Rp13 billion for the construction of a memorial living park in Pidie Regency, Aceh, as part of the reparation for the victims of gross human rights violations in the region, said the Deputy Minister of Public Works, Diana Kusumastuti.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – After enduring a prolonged dry season due to El Nino, a large part of Indonesia endured hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landslides for most of last year, a trend likely to continue in the next few months, the country's disaster agency has warned.

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has reported the alleged doxing of ICW researcher Diky Anandya to the National Police (Polri) Criminal Investigations Directorate (Bareskrim) Cyber Crimes Unit.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – Indonesia is preparing to follow in Australia's footsteps in restricting social media access for children. Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid announced that the government is drafting regulations to set a minimum age limit for accessing social media. However, she did not disclose the specific age under consideration.

Angelina Tiara Puspitalova, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto proposed expanding oil palm plantations to increase palm oil exports. However, this idea has drawn criticism because it is considered to trigger deforestation.

Padang, W Sumatra – Manpower Minister Yassierli emphasized that the first half of 2025 is crucial for determining Indonesia's success in realizing its Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, which aims to transform the nation into an advanced country.

Jakarta – Mount Ibu in North Maluku erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and releasing a column of smoke and ash four kilometers, an official said.

The volcano, located on Halmahera Island, erupted at 7:45 p.m. eastern Indonesia time, sending a tall flaming column soaring into the sky.

Didik Fibrianto, Batu – The East Java government has launched a large-scale vaccination campaign following the infection of 11,317 cows by foot and mouth disease (FMD), making the province the epicenter of the outbreak.

Muhammad Iqbal Ikromi, Chandra Adi Nurwidya, Yogyakarta – Several members of the Yogyakarta Metropolitan Police are alleged to have tortured a Semarang resident, who later died from his wounds in September last year.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Chairperson of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) Shinta Kamdani discussed the impact of increasing the retirement age for workers in 2025. The retirement age for workers this year has increased to 59 years from the previous 58 years.

Andika Pratama, Palembang – Prosecutors have arrested Deliar Marzoeki, head of the South Sumatra Manpower and Transmigration Department, and his second wife, Hesti, 30, in connection with corruption allegations.

Antara, Jakarta – Jakarta Provincial Health Office recorded 214 cases of acute respiratory infection, or ISPA, caused by human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in data collection until January 2025.

Bogor, West Java – Japan will give Indonesia two high-speed patrol boats, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Saturday, as Tokyo seeks to boost regional maritime security cooperation in the face of competing territorial claims with China.

Ishiba made the pledge during a visit to Jakarta, where he held talks with President Prabowo Subianto on a range of bilateral issues.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the Bogor Presidential Palace on Saturday. The state visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations and explore various cooperation opportunities between the two nations.

Geneva, Switzerland – World Trade Organization experts on Friday largely upheld European Union restrictions on use of palm oil in biofuels following a complaint by Indonesia.

Indonesia, the world's leading producer of palm oil, in 2019 requested an expert panel review of the EU restrictions.

Jakarta – The South Jakarta District Court received on Friday a pretrial motion from Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for naming him a suspect in a bribery case.

Catherine Thorbecke, Tokyo – Indonesia isn't taking a step back from its hardball approach to Apple. The showdown has turned into quite a spectacle, but it's unlikely the wins will be sustainable.

Jakarta – In 1996 Tommy Suharto, the youngest, son of Indonesia's dictator, set out to build the Timor, a national car. The plan was to import models manufactured by Kia Motors, a South Korean carmaker, and rebrand them. Kia would teach Indonesians carmaking; strict local-content requirements would ensure the economy benefited.

Niniek Karmini and Achmad Ibrahim, Bogor, Indonesia – Japan and Indonesia pledged on Saturday to deepen economic and defense ties during a visit by the Japanese prime minister, seen as promoting regional cooperation as China flexes its muscle and Donald Trump prepares to take over as the next U.S. president.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Southeast Asia's largest economy Indonesia has included a "fairer international trade" as part of its foreign policy agenda, its top diplomat revealed Friday.

Antara, Jakarta – Starting January 1, 2025, Indonesian workers enrolled in the pension program managed by state insurer BPJS Ketenagakerjaan will have to wait until they reach the age of 59 before receiving their pension benefits. This change follows Government Regulation (PP) No. 45 of 2015, which gradually increases the retirement age for participants in the program.

Karunia Putri, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas has revealed that the current Rp71 trillion budget allocated for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program is only sufficient to sustain operations until June 2025. Furthermore, the available funds are inadequate to cover all school-aged children across Indonesia.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Samarinda – The East Kalimantan government has turned a former mining area in the provincial capital Samarinda into agricultural land for rice cultivation. Acting Governor Akmal Malik said this initiative supports food self-sufficiency and the free nutritious meals program introduced by President Prabowo Subianto.

Antara, Jakarta – Farmers participating in the government's inter-island migration program can earn around Rp 20 million per family per month, Transmigration Minister Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanegara said on Thursday.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has picked Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to lead the task force dedicated to expediting Indonesia's downstream industry development and national energy security.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto intends to bring an end to the long-drawn-out Russia-Ukraine war, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono.

Wijayanti Putri, Solo – Former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Friday congratulated the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on its 52nd anniversary, nearly a month after he was ousted by the party over irrecoverable differences.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Megawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno, expressed her gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto on Friday after the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) annulled a decree that linked Sukarno to the 1965 rebellion led by the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Jakarta – Jakarta is welcoming its new leaders after the local office of the General Elections Commission (KPU) confirmed on Thursday the victory of Pramono Anung and Rano Karno of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the November 2024 gubernatorial race.

D. Nicky Fahrizal and Winda Safitri, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court's decision last week to abolish the presidential threshold is both a landmark and phenomenal, with profound implications for the future trajectory of Indonesian democracy.

Agencies, Jakarta – Indonesia will expand its existing defence partnerships and step up its handling of strategic issues impacting its sovereignty, including maritime security and the safety of sea passage and fisheries, Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Friday.

Jakarta – The Religious Affairs Ministry is targeting to send one thousand da'i (Islamic preachers) to underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas during Ramadan 2025 to bolster religious literacy in regions with limited access to spiritual guidance.

Rendy Tisna, Banjarmasin, Indonesia – In October 2023 in the Indigenous Dayak village of Bangkal, Indonesian police fired on farmers demonstrating against PT Hamparan Masawit Bangun Persada (HMBP), a palm oil plantation company owned by Indonesia's BEST Group.

Macquarie Group has warned that potential cuts in nickel production from Indonesian mines could result in the loss of more than a third of global supply from the market.

The Indonesian Government is mulling over major cuts to nickel mine quotas, with output potentially dropping from 272mt in 2024 to just 150mt this year, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is reminding Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and President Prabowo Subianto about the Forestry Ministry's plan to open 20 million hectares of land under the pretext of supporting food and energy security.