Abdallah Naem, Malinau, Indonesia – Indonesia is pressing ahead with construction of a new network of dams in Borneo to power a major "green" industrial estate that will relocate Indigenous communities and cut into one of Asia's largest stretches of intact rainforest.

Jakarta – The Indonesian authorities arrested three judges who acquitted three palm oil companies of charges of corruption in obtaining export permits, an official said on April 14, following the arrest of a local court's chief judge on bribery charges in the same matter.

Kadek Swarniati, Jakarta – Indonesia's current account deficit pressures the middle class, forcing them to use their savings. The rupiah's volatility has increased import costs, reducing household expenditure.

Putri Safira Pitaloka, Jakarta – Kelawasan Island in Teluk Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, has been officially designated as a protected area and will become the center for an orangutan sanctuary development project.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) conducted a survey on the level of public trust in institutions, including the president, the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and law enforcement agencies. The survey results showed that the public's trust in President Prabowo Subianto remains high.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) has officially provided protection for Tempo journalist who has become the target of pig's head terror and the carcasses of rats. This decision was made during the Board Meeting of LPSK on April 9, 2025.

Beijing – President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulations on Sunday with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto over the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, vowing to continue enriching the dimensions of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future with the features of the new era.

Apriadi Gunawan, Jakarta – Prosecutors have filed an appeal against Kabanjahe District Court's life sentences for two murderers and a 20-year jail term for a third man convicted in the killing of a journalist and his family in Karo regency, North Sumatra.

North Sumatra Prosecutors' Office spokesman Adre Wanda Ginting said the appeal had been submitted on Tuesday.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Achmad Fauzi, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) detained three judges on Sunday evening over allegations that they accepted bribes in exchange for acquitting three companies accused of illegally exporting crude palm oil (CPO).

The corporate defendants in the high-profile case are Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group, and Musim Mas Group.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Doha – President Prabowo Subianto recently revealed that Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara had just secured Qatar's commitment to invest approximately $2 billion.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto responded to the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. He emphasized that Indonesia does not side with any country.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – In response to the 32 percent import tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, Indonesia has outlined a series of strategic measures to balance trade with the United States and, hopefully, reduce the tariffs.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – House Speaker Puan Maharani mentioned more meetings are to come between President Prabowo Subianto and the chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Megawati Soekarnoputri. She stressed that last week's meeting between the two leaders won't be the last.

Giffar Rivana, Jakarta – The Supreme Court announced on Monday the formation of a special task force to evaluate the performance of judges across Jakarta, following the arrest of four judges – including the chief of the South Jakarta District Court – over alleged corruption.

Stania Puspawardhani, Jakarta – Mr Andri Prihatin has been patiently unloading sacks of rice and bottled water in the past week at a neighbourhood grocery store in Jakarta, leaving behind his wife and two toddlers nearly 300km away, in search of a better life for his family.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) urges stringent action by the government related to the rape case involving a 31-year-old resident doctor at Padjajaran University, Priguna Anugerah Pratama. The commission condemns the case of sexual violence that occurred at Hasan Sadikin Hospital in Bandung.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III, Hasbiallah Ilyas, approves the Indonesian government's decision to maintain the provision of the death penalty. This clause is known to be stipulated in the new Indonesian Penal Code (KUHP).

Han Revanda, Jakarta – Economist Khudori of the Indonesian Political Economy Association (AEPI) said the interpretation of President Prabowo Subianto's instruction to remove import quotas as a means to open the floodgates of imports is less precise.

Marchio Gorbiano, Jakarta – Indonesian palm oil companies are seeking new markets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East as they try to protect themselves from the impact of Donald Trump's trade war, a top industry executive told AFP.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Associated Press, Jakarta – Indonesia's benchmark stock index slumped nearly 4 percent this week, marking its steepest decline in years, as investors digested fresh trade tensions. The selloff erased billions in market value and pushed foreign investors to further retreat from Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has strongly criticized the ongoing discussion regarding the potential conferment of the title of national hero upon Soeharto, the second President of Indonesia.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Antalya, Turkiye – President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed Indonesia's neutral stance on the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, stating that both nations are vital trading partners for Indonesia. The escalating tit-for-tat tariff increases between the world's two largest economies have heightened global trade tensions.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – The number of travelers for the annual Eid al-Fitr homecoming, or mudik, in 2025 dropped by 4.69 percent compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Transportation Ministry on Saturday.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has addressed concerns regarding the proposed evacuation of one thousand refugees from Gaza to Indonesia, emphasizing that this initiative is a temporary humanitarian endeavor and not a permanent relocation, as some reports have suggested.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named two suspects in a corruption case involving the sale and purchase of gas at PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN).

The suspects are Iswan Ibrahim, former Commissioner of PT Inti Alisindo Energi (IAE), and Danny Praditya, Director of PT PGN.

Jakarta – The new police regulation restricting the movement of accredited foreign journalists in Indonesia comes after a series of incidents between the police and journalists in general, suggesting that something is not right in their relations.

The Indonesian Committee for the Safety of Journalists (KKJ) strongly condemns the digital attack in the form of distributed denial of service (DDoS) against the Tempo news portal. Not stopping at Tempo, a number of other mass media that published articles on the DDoS attack against Tempo also experienced the same thing.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Chairperson of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) Hariyadi B.S. Sukamdani stated that layoffs have already begun in several hotel businesses. He warned the wave could grow larger if economic conditions remain unstable.

Fadhilah Fitri Primandari – Waves of mass protests have swept across Indonesia over the past two months. In February, protesters from Papua to Sumatra rallied to protest President Prabowo Subianto's free meal program and "efficiency" measures, demanded affordable education and protection of academic freedom, and called on the government to listen to "the people" (rakyat).

Jakarta – Indonesia has often displayed hypocrisy. While condemning foreign governments that have sentenced its citizens to death, Indonesia is steadfast in maintaining capital punishment at home, defying decades of calls for an end to the practice.

Salman Mardira, Cirebon – A total of 1,126 employees who were laid off by footwear company Yihong Novatex Indonesia in Cirebon, West Java, may potentially be rehired, a Manpower Ministry official said on Friday.

The company, which operates in the textile and footwear industry, is reported to have resumed operations after suspension due to labor strikes last month.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto recently said that it was about time for Indonesia and Turkiye to get rid of trade barriers as the two countries are trying to secure a deal that can open up each other's market access.

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto should not risk playing with fire when managing state-owned banks. The 1998 crisis taught us that political and economic turmoil became unbearable when the banking system collapsed.

Gatra Priyandita and Christian Guntur Lebang – The Indonesian military has a new role in cybersecurity but, worryingly, no clear doctrine on what to do with it nor safeguards against human rights abuses.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) recorded that hundreds of people fell victim to violence and were arrested by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Indonesian Police (Polri) during the Dark Indonesia (#IndonesiaGelap) rallies against the TNI Law on March 20-27.

Tri Listiyarini, Jakarta – Indonesia is on track to achieve a rice surplus of up to 12 million tons this year, bolstering its ambition to become a major player in the global rice export market, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on Friday.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – The Indonesian Iron and Steel Industry Association (IISIA) on Friday warned of a possible influx of Chinese steel products into the domestic market, as China seeks alternative export destinations following the United States' recent decision to impose a steep 145 percent tariff.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesian furniture and handicraft exporters are bracing for potential disruptions as the United States considers imposing a steep 32 percent tariff on imports from Indonesia, threatening the country's largest export market for the sector.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – An analyst recently warned about the dire consequences of easing local content policy just to get the US to revise its reciprocal tariffs.

President Prabowo Subianto recently floated a plan to make Indonesia's local content policy "more realistic and flexible". This rule mandates manufacturers to include locally-made parts in their products.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has stated that President Prabowo Subianto's sympathy towards the families of corruptors is misplaced. Prabowo had previously suggested that the impoverishment of these families should be addressed with caution and fairness.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) has released findings on the acts of repression that took place during the protests against the Indonesian National Armed Forces Law (TNI Law) between March 21 and March 28, 2025.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Jakarta chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI Jakarta) and the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) condemned the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Tempo's news website. The attack lasted from Sunday, April 6, to Thursday, April 10.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government denies trying to move Palestinians out of their homeland in the evacuation plan that President Prabowo Subianto had just floated, reiterating that the evacuated Gazans would eventually return to their homes.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) has urged President Prabowo Subianto to abolish the death penalty in the revision of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics. According to the criminal law reform institution, this step is in line with Prabowo's anti-death penalty stance.

Jakarta – Governments around the world are grappling with how to react to steep tariffs slapped by the United States on almost all imports.

China, the number one target of the measures and on the receiving end of increased US protectionism for many years, has chosen the most defiant response, vowing to "fight to the end" with retaliatory tariffs and trade restrictions.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Convicted graft felon Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra has been dragged back into the spotlight after anti-corruption investigators questioned him over an alleged meeting with long-time fugitive Harun Masiku.

Jakarta – National strategic projects (PSN) that it is claimed will accelerate development have in fact repeatedly harmed local people. And in a number of locations, these projects have triggered conflict, deprived people's living space and damaged the environment.

Agencies, Jakarta – France could eye future investments in Indonesia in the country's energy, tech, AI (artificial intelligence) and transport sectors, said French trade minister Laurent Saint Martin on Wednesday.

"There are many French companies investing in Indonesia in the energy sector, tech or transportation. There are many sectors in which France excels," he said.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The spokesperson of the Authority of the Capital City of Nusantara (IKN) Troy Pantouw mentioned that the development of the new capital city is still ongoing. The construction of the legislative and judicial buildings will also be conducted soon.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – With the Islamic month of Ramadan now over, a familiar sight has returned to the streets of daytime Jakarta: street vendors serving up chicken porridge, and everyone from office workers to delivery drivers perched on plastic stools around the steaming carts, digging into a bowl of the congee-like breakfast staple.