Dani Aswara, Jakarta – Heavy rains that poured down on Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sunday, January 18, 2026, caused flooding in several areas. The Head of the Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Data and Information Center, Mohamad Yohan, stated that as of 7:00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), 16 neighborhood units (RTs) and 10 roads were affected.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Vice-Chair of the Macro-Micro Economic Policy Analysis at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Indonesia, Aviliani, believes there needs to be an evaluation of the reduction of transfers to regions (TKD) policy. This policy is considered to have the potential to affect regional economic growth.

Indah Ayu Pujiastuti, Jakarta – Indonesia's ambitious target to sell 2 million new cars annually by 2030 has drawn mixed reactions, with economists and researchers questioning its feasibility while industry leaders argue the goal remains achievable with the right policy support.

Nida Sahara, Jakarta – Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services are increasingly becoming a preferred payment option for Indonesian consumers, offering flexible installment payments without disrupting cash flow, according to data from the Financial Services Authority (OJK).

Aep Sopandi, Bandung – Indonesia's Ministry of Environment has filed civil lawsuits against six companies accused of causing environmental damage linked to severe flooding and landslides in Sumatra, seeking compensation of Rp 4.8 trillion ($283.9 million), the government said.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Jakarta Metro Police are now using 40 handheld electronic traffic law enforcement devices to crack down on traffic violators. The device, named the Electronic Traffic Law Enforcement (ETLE) Handheld Presisi, is intended to enhance the effectiveness of ticketing in urban areas.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta – Experts have called for a change in thinking among business leaders and regulators after Indonesia dropped sharply in a global cybersecurity ranking, warning that the country's digital economy is at risk.

We, the undersigned organisations, collectives, and individuals across the world, express our deep concern regarding the prosecution of Laras Faizati, a young Indonesian woman and dedicated worker supporting her family, who is currently standing trial at the South Jakarta District Court for her social-media expression following the death of ride-hailing driver Affan Kurniawan during

Basten Gokkon – When Indonesia designated Flores a "geothermal island" in 2017, identifying up to 21 geothermal sites, the policy was framed as a cornerstone of the country's renewable energy transition. Backed by international lenders and enshrined as a "national strategic project," Flores was positioned as a global showcase for clean energy.

A'an Suryana – The government has launched an ambitious plan to improve the experience for Indonesian haj pilgrims. The question is whether worldly rewards might compromise the holiness and rightfulness of the mission.

Sesilia Ayu Febriani, Martin Bagya Kertiyasa, Jakarta – Foreign investors posted a net outflow of Rp 7.71 trillion ($455.6 million) from Indonesia's financial markets in the second week of January, driven by sales of government bonds, even as equities saw inflows and the rupiah showed modest stability.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Aksi Kamisan has continued for 19 years. The demonstration, held weekly in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, reaches its 19th anniversary on January 18, 2026.

Jakarta – An Indonesian court found a woman guilty of incitement on Jan. 15 over social media posts during nationwide protests, with activists saying hundreds of others are on trial on charges related to last year's unrest.

Nadhifa Azkiya Hurin – "Long live the victims, don't be silent, fight!". A phrase that is presented at every Kamisan (Thursday) action in various different cities across Indonesia.

The phrase is not just a rallying cry, but rather a deep breath of resistance that is maintained so that memories do not fade and promises of justice continue to be met.

Sahat Simatupang, Jakarta – Fifty days after the ecological disaster in Sumatra, recovery is not progressing significantly. Law enforcement against corporations suspected of damaging ecological infrastructure has not shown a deterrent effect.

On 2 January 2026, Indonesia enacted its new Criminal Code (KUHP) and Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), prompting a coalition of civil society organizations to declare an "Indonesian legal emergency." The new laws, which replace Dutch colonial-era criminal legislation, have drawn sharp criticism from legal experts, human rights defenders, and historians.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesia's government has confirmed that the Draft Law on Countering Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda is still in the discussion stage and has not yet been formally drafted.

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi emphasized that the plan remains a discourse rather than concrete legislation.

Hanifah Salsabila, David Oliver Purba, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid believes that Laras Faizati's probationary sentence of one year of supervision is the same as imprisonment without bars.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Professor of Political Science at the Indonesia University of Education, Cecep Darmawan, said the meeting between professors and university leaders with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta did not involve a dialogue session.

M Fathur Rohman, Jakarta – A Kamisan (Thursday) action was again held in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday January 15.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has scrapped a plan to retire a major coal-fired power plant, after having promised for years to do so.

Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) is asking that discussion on the Draft Law (RUU) on Countering Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda be stopped.

Prasetyo said that the government is currently developing strategies to fulfill the need for doctors.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) reported a total of 2,301 cases of violence against children in 2025. Most of the victims were girls, making up 51.5 percent, with boys 47.6 percent, and gender-unspecified children making up 0.9 percent.

Antara, Jakarta – Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director of the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), identified factors that will increase pressure on consumer purchasing power this year in Indonesia. He believes the lack of formal employment or job opportunities is one factor putting pressure on people's purchasing power.

Putri Maharani Kristiana, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Sugiono highlighted ten of Indonesia's recent successes in international diplomacy, including its election as President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for 2026.

Wahroni, Tangerang, Banten – The Tangerang City administration, on the outskirts of Jakarta, is planning to revise two long-standing local bylaws that strictly ban prostitution and the sale of alcoholic beverages, reopening a sensitive debate over morality, zoning and local revenue in one of Indonesia's most populous urban areas.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Executive Director of Parameter Politik Indonesia, Adi Prayitno, predicts that the issues of extending the president's term and the president being elected by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) will emerge during the era of President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Indonesia will need nearly Rp 60 trillion ($3.55 billion) to rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and rebuild almost 239,000 homes following flash floods in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra last November, the government said.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto gathered academics at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday, January 15, 2026. Prabowo will deliver a briefing to them at the event, which will take place this morning.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia Climate and Energy Campaign Manager Iqbal Damanik on Wednesday submitted evidence of an alleged intimidation campaign to Indonesia's National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), including a decapitated chicken carcass and a written threat sent to his home.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Research funding during Prabowo's administration has increased up to 218 percent, said Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology Stella Christie.

"This is a significant raise," said Stella on Thursday, January 15, as it occurred in the first year of Prabowo's presidency.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) has warned that child grooming and sexual violence against children remain serious threats.

Minister Arifatul Choiri Fauzi said perpetrators often manipulate children in subtle and hidden ways.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – PT Aneka Tambang (Antam), Indonesia's state-owned mining companies, has responded to circulating reports and social media videos claiming an explosion at its Pongkor gold mine in West Java and that hundreds of workers were trapped inside.

The company confirmed that the information is false.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has criticized the government's proposed Bill on the Prevention of Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda, saying it contradicts the 1945 Constitution.

YLBHI warned that the bill could curtail the freedom of expression guaranteed under Articles 28E and 28F.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has requested PT Nestle Indonesia to temporarily halt distributing and importing S-26 Promil Gold pHPro 1 baby formula with batch numbers 51530017C2 and 51540017A1.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – An analyst said Thursday that Indonesia should think twice about joining the Gaza security force that US President Donald Trump had pitched, citing concerns over Jakarta being the "face of new colonialism" in the war-torn enclave.

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – Flooding and landslides have struck parts of Java amid persistent rainfall, with coastal areas bearing the brunt due to ongoing erosion, and conditions are forecast to deteriorate further.

Shaan Amin – Prejudice against queer people in Indonesia is on the rise in many forms.

Fadli, Batam – An Indonesian migrant worker from South Sulawesi, identified only as MRI, has escaped the death penalty after a six-year legal battle over an alleged 2020 murder.

The release was a result of cooperation among the protection task force at the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru, the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and law firm Gooi and Azura.

Nawir Arsyad Akbar, Jakarta – Kompas Research and Development (Litbang Kompas) has released the results of a poll showing that the majority of Generation Y or Millennials reject the election of regional heads (Pilkada) via Regional Representative Councils (DPRD).

Generation Y or Millennials are a demographic group born between 1981 and 1996.

Adinda Jasmine, Jakarta – Foreign Minister Sugiono has called for Indonesia's diplomacy to adapt to an increasingly uncertain and volatile global environment, urging a strategy rooted in preparedness, vigilance, and realism.

Han Revanda Putra, Jakarta – Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto compared the quality of land for the food estate in Merauke, Papua province, Indonesia, with land conditions in Australia for the development of a national food barn area based on large-scale production.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Nine law students from several Indonesian universities have filed a judicial review at the Constitutional Court challenging a provision in the country's newly enacted Criminal Code (KUHP), arguing that it threatens freedom of expression and legal certainty.

The year 2025 can rightly be referred to as a highly repressive era. But the good news is that this repressive political climate has triggered an explosion of resistance art. Art has transformed into the language of resistance against silencing.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – The iconic raptor, the Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi), is facing mounting risks from habitat degradation that threatens its remaining populations, according to recent findings, as forest loss and land conversion continue across parts of Java.

Jakarta – Indonesian policymakers love targets, and always have, and the administration of President Prabowo Subianto is no exception. The problem is that targets can come back to haunt their creators.

Lisa Hiwasaki and Haekal A. Haridhi (The Conversation) – Weeks after Cyclone Senyar made landfall in northern Sumatra, the province of Aceh continues to struggle. The cyclone passed through the Strait of Malacca in late November, bringing heavy rains and causing widespread flooding in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Authorities in Indonesia's Majene Regency, West Sulawesi, have confirmed that an alleged food poisoning incident linked to the government's Free Nutritious Meal program (MBG) has affected not only young children but also pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and teachers.

Stefanno Sulaiman, Jakarta – Millions of Indonesian ride-hailing drivers would receive major increases to financial and social benefits under a draft decree being considered by President Prabowo Subianto, two sources said, threatening the profitability of ride-sharing platforms in their largest market in Southeast Asia.