Jakarta – The Jakarta administration is holding a three-day festival to promote urban farming as part of an effort to boost local food security.

The Urban Farming Festival, held at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta, started on Tuesday.

Jakarta – The recent appointment of Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi as the United Nations secretary-general's special envoy on water affairs is a testament not only to her diplomatic aptitude but also Indonesia's growing role on the global stage.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – After days of back and forth, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has dropped plans to question President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's youngest son Kaesang Pangarep to clarify the details regarding his lavish private jet trip to the United States, despite mounting public pressure to investigate.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – President-elect Prabowo Subianto is poised to include private schools in his flagship free nutritious meals program in addition to public schools centers, the National Nutrition Agency said.

Fuad Iqbal Abdullah, Penajam Paser Utara – During President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's 10-year administration, Indonesia has witnessed extensive infrastructure development with a focus on equitable distribution across provinces.

Muhammad Iqbal Ikromi, Semarang – Nuzmatun Malinah, the grieving mother of Dr. Aulia Risma Lestari, broke down as she revealed the harsh conditions her daughter endured during her specialist training at Diponegoro University's Anesthesia Program at Dr. Kariadi General Hospital.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has approved the 2025 State Budget (APBN) totaling Rp 3,621 trillion (USD 237.4 billion), which will be utilized by President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the first year of their administration.

Thresa Sandra Desfika, Monique Handa Shafira, Jakarta – Indonesia is moving towards the electric vehicle (EV) era, with a mid-term goal of adopting 15 million EVs by 2030, primarily consisting of two-wheelers, an official said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Gold miner Masmindo Dwi Area (MDA) recently responded to claims that the company had violated the rights of other landowners in Latimojong, Luwu, South Sulawesi after a video of its workers cutting down local residents' trees in the said area surfaced on social media.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Democratic Party recently said that they would not intervene with President-Elect Prabowo Subianto's cabinet makeup process, saying that it would be up to the former army general to decide how many Democrats would become ministers in the upcoming cabinet.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Ridwan Kamil is on track to win the Jakarta gubernatorial election, with support reaching 51.8 percent, according to a new poll by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) released on Wednesday.

Badung, Bali – Virgin Australia Airlines has become the first international airline to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by Indonesia's state-run oil company Pertamina.

The SAF is made of 38.43 percent of synthetic kerosene and 61.78 percent of regular fossil fuel. The synthetic kerosene is produced with used cooking oil.

Hammam Izzuddin, Anwar Siswadi, Jakarta – The West Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that the 4.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Bandung Regency, Garut, and surrounding areas on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, resulted in losses totaling Rp385,017,956,250. The damage primarily affected hundreds of residential homes and dozens of public facilities.

Defara Dhanya Paramitha, Jakarta – Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has issued a strong appeal to Harun Masiku, a fugitive wanted in connection with a bribery case involving civil servants to secure a seat at the House of Representatives (DPR). Harun has been on the KPK's Most Wanted List (DPO) since January 17, 2020.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – General Chair of the Labor Party, Said Iqbal, has called upon President-elect Prabowo Subianto to review the Job Creation Law (UU Cipta Kerja), or Omnibus Law. He emphasized the need for a specific review of the employment cluster within the regulation.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Jakarta – Residents of Rempang Island once again experienced acts of intimidation and violence on Wednesday afternoon, September 18, 2024. In response, Wirya Adiwena, Deputy Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, urged the government to immediately halt the Rempang Eco City project, which is included in the national strategic project (PSN) list.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Excavators have begun clearing land in the Indonesian region of Papua in what's been described as the largest deforestation undertaking in the world.

A'an Suryana and Norshahril Saat – Negative reactions in Aceh to the ritual of rain shamanism do not mask the contradiction of parts of the Islamic community tolerating 'Islamic shamanism' or mysticism and ritual over science and modernity.

Tria Dianti and Victor Mambor in Jakarta and Jayapura, Indonesia – An international human rights watchdog has detailed what it calls entrenched racism and systemic discrimination against the indigenous ethnic Melanesian people in Indonesia's Papua region in a new report released on Thursday.

Maria Gabrielle, Jakarta – Pramono Anung has unveiled plans to revive a waterway transport system as part of his campaign platform if elected Governor of Jakarta.

Kurniawan Fadilah, Jakarta – President elect Prabowo Subianto has expressed his commitment to fight for justice for workers and invited all parties to unite.

Jakarta – Alibaba, one of GoTo's largest investors has confirmed its intention to remain a long-term shareholder of the Indonesian tech company, addressing market fears about overhang in GoTo's stock.

Jakarta – Most people would be reluctant to have their salaries cut to feed into a state-sponsored program, especially at a time when everyone is concerned about weakening purchasing power.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 6 percent, following a review of inflation forecasts and the strengthening rupiah.

The central bank also lowered the deposit facility rate to 5.25 percent and the lending facility rate to 6.75 percent during its meeting on September 17-18, 2024.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said Wednesday that he had decided to not rush with the signing of the presidential decree on the new capital, even saying that there is a possibility for his successor Prabowo Subianto to ink the document.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo criticized the lengthy and complex permit process for geothermal power projects in Indonesia, warning that such delays are hindering the development of the country's vast geothermal resources.

Zhulfakar, Jakarta – Djayadi Hanan, the executive director at pollster Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI), recently said that the public deserves an explanation on why President-Elect Prabowo Subianto would need a 44-strong cabinet.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian Labor Party will declare its support for the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka's government, as confirmed by party leader Said Iqbal.

Jakarta – A new clause relating to network sharing between state electricity company PLN and private electricity producers, also known as power wheeling, in the New and Renewable Energy Bill (RUU EBET), could drive reforms to our national electrical power system.

Riri Rahayu, Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – People residing in the Nusantara Capital City or IKN area in Penajam Paser Utara (PPU), East Kalimantan, are set to stage a demonstration today, September 18, 2024. This marks their third protest in response to unresolved land disputes.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government's suppression of widespread protests after a 2019 attack on Papuan university students highlighted longstanding racial discrimination against Indigenous Papuans in Indonesia, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

Jakarta – Labour Party President Said Iqbal has declared the Labour Party's support for the incoming administration of president-elect Prabowo Subianto and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who will be inaugurated in October.

Nineteen-year-old Alfa Hisage was arrested on August 30, 2019, for joining a student-led protest against anti-Papuan racism in Jayapura, a city in the Indonesian territory of West Papua. He told Human Rights Watch that at the police station, officers beat and racially abused him, particularly for his dreadlocks. "They pushed my head on the table," he said.

A rebel group in Indonesia's conflict-hit West Papua has proposed terms for the release of a New Zealand pilot held hostage for a year and seven months while appealing to all parties to support the "humanitarian mission."

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Having nominated a rival candidate in the last presidential election, the National Awakening Party (PKB) won't ask a reward in the form of cabinet representation in the future government under President-elect Prabowo Subianto.

Whisnu Bagus Prasetyo, Jakarta – Indonesia and Malaysia, which together control the world's palm oil supplies, have set up a joint task force in response to the European Union deforestation-free regulation (EUDR), an official said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – Intimidation and violence against the people of Rempang Island in the Riau Islands is still occurring.

Responding to the intimidation and violence against the communities defending their land, Amnesty International Indonesia Deputy Director Wirya Adiwena is asking the authorities to investigate the perpetrators of the violence and stop the intimidation.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Riri Rahayu, Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo denied that his government has reinstated sea sand exports. He clarified that the current exports involve sedimentation.

Binoy Kampmark – Like eager lice on a ripe scalp, tourists have become a much-reviled feature of various economies. While cash and contributions come in their wake, such an industry depletes, drains and pollutes the very site it idealises. International tourism does its bit to bloat global greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation constituting the lion's share.

Rezwan – On February 14, 2024, the Indonesian general elections took place, marked by a high voter turnout.

Jordyn Beazley – Rebels in Indonesia's West Papua region have proposed terms for the release of the New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens a year and seven months after he was detained.

Arif Ferdianto, Jakarta – The government has officially reopened the sea sand export tap after a 20-year moratorium. The restoration of sand sea export shows the government's panic in trying to increase non-tax state revenue (PNBP).

Laurens Ikinia, Jakarta – The Land of Papua is widely known as a land full of milk and honey. It is a name widely known in Indonesia that refers to the western half of the island of New Guinea.

Its natural wealth and beauty are special treasures entrusted by the Creator to the Papuan people who are of Melanesian ethnicity.

Jakarta – An armed rebel group in the easternmost region of Papua released a proposal on Tuesday to free New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who they kidnapped more than a year ago.

Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto plans to announce his cabinet on the day of his inauguration as the next president next month, a senior politician of his Gerindra Party said.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – A rushed law revision might allow Prabowo Subianto to build a big-tent coalition government after he is inaugurated on Oct. 20 as Indonesia's eighth president, but the bigger question is if he has the skill and acumen to manage the diverse political parties and pressure groups he is bringing into the fold.

Jakarta – When it comes to the size of the government, or the cabinet, the adage "small is beautiful" should still hold. Yet with an imminent piece of legislation that will remove the cap on the size of the cabinet, currently set at 34, the incoming government is going to be very big, and it is not necessarily going to be more effective or efficient.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Defense Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto was in Vietnam on an official visit from Friday to Saturday in what appears to be a continuation of his ASEAN tour earlier this month.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's youngest son and Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Kaesang Pangarep went to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building in Jakarta on Tuesday to clarify his use of a private jet during a recent overseas trip.

Whisnu Bagus Prasetyo, Jakarta – The government will raise the tax on private house construction from 2.2 percent to 2.4 percent starting next year, a Finance Ministry advisor announced on Tuesday.

The tax applies to the construction of houses with a minimum size of 200 square meters, said Yustinus Prastowo.