Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – Extreme weather is not the sole reason for the devastation left by flash floods and landslides in Sumatra. Erma Yulihastin, a researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said the energy from Cyclone Senyar only contributed about 20 percent to the damage, while the remaining 80 percent was all environment-related.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon officially launched the government's comprehensive new edition of Indonesian history, titled 'Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global' (Indonesian History: National Dynamics in the Global Flow). This book is part of the state-led project to rewrite the nation's history.

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – A suggestion by President Prabowo Subianto that regional Indonesian leaders be appointed and not elected by the people has sparked debate among political parties, with analysts saying it would be a setback for democracy that would not address corruption risk.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Labor Party and the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) are taking to the streets on Friday, December 19, to reject the formula for calculating the 2026 provincial minimum wage (UMP). The protest is set to take place scheduled to take place around the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has authorized the revision of the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP) to become Law No. 20 of 2025. The inauguration took place on December 17, 2025.

Aep Sopandi, Bandung – West Java Police have arrested a YouTuber who sparked widespread online outrage after making derogatory remarks targeting the Sundanese ethnic group, authorities said on Wednesday.

The suspect, Adimas Firdaus, known online as "Resbob," has been named a suspect in a hate speech case stemming from videos broadcast on his channel.

Andrew Tito, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has given all governors one week to finalize provincial minimum wages under a newly issued regulation, with a deadline of December 24, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian said on Wednesday.

Made Supriatma – Poor advice and a seeming refusal to acknowledge the reality and scale of the problem have hampered the Indonesian president's response to the disastrous floods across Sumatra.

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has officially acquired a hotel and land in Thakher City, Mecca, in a deal worth $500 million, a move expected to accommodate up to 23,000 Indonesian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.

Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani said on Wednesday that the Novotel Thakher City hotel purchased by Indonesia has a total capacity of nearly 4,400 rooms.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Flash floods and landslides in several regions of Sumatra in Indonesia have been highlighted by the World Bank. According to the institution, the disasters that occurred since late November 2025 in several areas of Sumatra, including Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, have the potential to have a negative impact on Indonesia's economy.

Mutia Yuantisya, Jakarta – The Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced three high-ranking officials of PT Petro Energy in the alleged corruption case involving fictitious loans from the Indonesian Export Financing Agency (LPEI).

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration has detained 26 Chinese nationals following an attack on Indonesian military personnel during a training session in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan. Authorities are currently reviewing the immigration documents of those detained.

Jihan Ristiyanti, Jakarta – The corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops at the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is now being heard in court. Three defendants appeared in a trial at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

Satya Adhi and Marchio Gorbiano, Aceh Tamiang and Jakarta – Nurlela Agusfitri has nowhere to turn after losing her home and business to devastating floods that wreaked havoc on her home in Aceh Tamiang, Aceh, killing more than 1,000 people.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Head of the Indonesian National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, stated that the budget for the free nutritious meals (MBG) in Papua is three times higher than the budget for MBG in Java.

Duncan Graham – A year after Prabowo Subianto's election, Indonesia's democracy is under strain as power centralises, dissent is curtailed and the military's influence grows.

Prabowo Subianto, a former army general with a disputed record of human rights abuses, was elected president last year through a democratic vote. Now he's trying to destroy the system:

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia's minimum wage is set to rise by about 5% to 7% next year under a new wage-setting framework signed into law by President Prabowo Subianto, opening the way for higher provincial minimum wages (UMP) in 2026.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Chairperson of the All-Indonesia Workers Union Association (Aspirasi), Mirah Sumirat, has criticized the formula for determining the provincial minimum wage (UMP) for 2026, arguing that it does not guarantee workers and their families a decent standard of living.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Manpower, Yassierli, announced that President Prabowo Subianto has approved the formula for calculating the provincial minimum wage (UMP) for 2026, formalized in the latest government regulation.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto has warned that officials who are unable to perform their duties or misuse state assets for personal or group gain will face dismissal.

Maria Gabrielle Putrinda, Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – The Ministry for the Protection of Migrant Workers will deploy 1,035 Indonesian migrant workers overseas this week, coinciding with the commemoration of International Migrants Day on December 18.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Disaster-handling across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra is entering its third week. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that the death toll from the floods and landslides that devastated the region has exceeded 1,000 people.

Antara, Jakarta – The Financial Services Authority (OJK) said on Tuesday it will tighten oversight of debt collection practices, emphasizing that primary responsibility rests with creditors or lenders who appoint third-party collectors.

Pribadi Wicaksono (Kontributor), Jakarta – The birth of investment management agency (BPI) Daya Anagata Nusantara, or Danantara, during Prabowo's administration, has drawn sharp scrutiny. Various parties have raised concerns about the governance and accountability of the agency that manages over US$900 billion in assets.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto urged the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to increase the number of operational Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPGs) in Papua to 2,500 by August 17, 2026, to serve Free Nutritious Meals (MBG).

Eko Susanto, Magelang – The Magelang City District Police have arrested two Tidar University (Untidar) students and a Ruang Juang (Struggle Space) activist. They will be held for 20 days in the first phase of the investigation.

Larissa Huda, Jakarta – The first court hearing of three activists accused of inciting the August 2025 demonstrations was marked by symbolic action.

Lokataru Foundation Director Delpedro Marhaen gave pink roses to the public prosecutor and the panel of judges during the hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday December 16.

Defara Dhanya, Jakarta – Social media platform X has fulfilled its obligation to pay an administrative fine of nearly Rp80 million to the Indonesian government.

The fine was imposed after the platform, owned by Elon Musk, failed to promptly comply with its obligation to moderate pornographic content.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office has released a list of 23 companies accused of having a hand in causing ecological disasters across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto admitted to being contacted by several other world leaders to assist in the handling of the Sumatra disaster. The Head of State expressed gratitude for the offers. However, Prabowo feels that the Indonesian government is capable of addressing this disaster.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto held a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday afternoon, December 15, 2025, addressing the disaster response in Sumatra. Prabowo conveyed instructions and warnings to his aides regarding the handling of the disaster in Sumatra. Here are some key points from the meeting:

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) has rejected the Draft Government Regulation on Wages, which will serve as the basis for determining the 2026 provincial minimum wage (UMP).

The government is scheduled to announce the UMP provisions on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

Dani Aswara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Army (TNI) has confirmed an incident involving an attack on the soldiers of the Combat Engineer Battalion 6 of the Division Unit during a training session in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The incident involved 15 foreign nationals from Beijing, China.

Jakarta – The Migrant Worker Protection Ministry recently inked 13 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and 5 cooperation agreements with strategic partners.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy has remained resilient despite rising global uncertainty, but persistent weaknesses in job quality and household purchasing power threaten the durability of growth, the World Bank said in its latest Indonesia Economic Prospects report released on Tuesday.

Antara, Denpasar – Flooding has affected five of Bali's nine regencies and cities since last week as heavy rain and strong winds linked to tropical cyclone system 93S continue to batter the island, the provincial disaster mitigation agency said on Tuesday.

Adi Abidin – In the pantheon of Southeast Asia's strongmen, Soeharto and Rodrigo Duterte occupy adjoining pedestals – both built on fear and polished by the rhetoric of 'order.' Each promised to rescue their nation from chaos, and each delivered that promise through killings.

Antara, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has not been able to make public the results of a study on illegal mining suspected to be the cause of flash floods and landslides in Sumatra.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – A fire tore through Jakarta's largest wholesale market, Kramat Jati, in East Jakarta, on Monday morning, destroying hundreds of stalls and prompting Governor Pramono Anung to order a thorough investigation amid renewed scrutiny of the capital's fire-safety standards.

Jakarta – The renewed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along their common border this past week has again exposed ASEAN's impotence when it comes to dealing with serious threats to the peace and stability of Southeast Asia.

Jakarta – The period of Suhartoyo's leadership may be called the Constitutional Court's redemption. The justices, guardians of the constitution, have issued normative, progressive rulings in various judicial reviews of laws.

Ni Made Tasyarani, Jakarta – The Tourism Ministry has admitted that its ambition to spread tourist arrivals beyond Jakarta and Bali to 10 priority destinations, known as the "10 New Balis" program, is falling short.

Rizal Harahap, Jakarta – Police in Meranti Islands, Riau, have arrested a recruiter of illegal migrant workers after one of his victims filed a police report following the latter's repatriation from Malaysia, the worker also claimed his wages had not been paid.

The report was filed by Surya Hafandi, a resident of Bokor village in Meranti Islands regency, on Dec. 5.

Mamay Sukaesih, Jakarta – The government has introduced a variety of fiscal incentive policies to support the property sector in 2025, one of which involves the government bearing the value-added tax (VAT) that homebuyers would otherwise pay.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto suggested that foreign forces are attempting to sow discord regarding the Sumatra disaster situation, claiming they are spreading lies suggesting the government is absent in managing the disaster response.

Jakarta – As of the third quarter of this year, domestic consumption contributes more than half of Indonesia's economic growth. Although all appears well, this figure reflects a fragile economy: the long-established middle class is spending money to relieve the pressures of life.

Jakarta – It is time for Jakartans to stop waiting. We can no longer afford to merely complain about the slow pace of the city administration's actions to reduce pollution in this choking megapolis: We must be proactive in creating cleaner air ourselves.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Solo, Central Java – The squat, one-storey school building near the Bengawan Solo (Solo River) appears unremarkable from the outside. Inside, rows of bunk beds line former classrooms, the blackboards and chalk replaced with simple shelves and medicine boxes.

Maudey Khalisha, Jakarta – On any given weekday, Jakarta's commuter trains echo with familiar reminders to safeguard wallets, phones and other valuables. But recent videos circulating on social media show that one more item has now joined the list: a tumbler.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Nawir Arsyad Akbar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has alluded to foreign parties who dislike Indonesia being a strong nation.

This was conveyed by Prabowo when he asserted that Indonesia was capable of handling the disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.