Ahmad Rifqi Danwanus, Jakarta – Mount Semeru in Lumajang, East Java, erupted with volcanic ash reaching a height of 900 meters on Saturday. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation has urged people living around the slopes of the mountain to stay alert and maintain a safe distance.

Marina Ika Sari – The establishment of a National Defence Council (NDC) is a significant development in the early months of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's administration. The NDC represents a good first step towards better defence policymaking, but Indonesia's broader defence strategy is in increasingly urgent need of revitalisation.

Jakarta – For Erick Thohir, the chairman of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI), the national team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is nonnegotiable. This explains why under his watch, the PSSI has been relentless in its hunt for naturalized players who can make the country's long-held dream come true.

Taranaki, New Zealand – Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have stopped an Indonesian ship offloading 30 thousand tonnes of palm kernel expeller (PKE), destined for use as animal feed by the country's biggest environmental polluter, dairy giant Fonterra.

Mathias Hariyadi, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto personally attended the funeral of Mgr Petrus Turang, Archbishop Emeritus of Kupang, in Jakarta Cathedral. He died yesterday at the age of 78.

Jakarta – There has been a new trend in the House of Representatives (DPR) in the last three years: the Legislation Body has been gaining strength as a producer of laws. The DPR's auxiliary body is both an entrance and an exit for bills put forward by the government or on the initiative of the lawmakers.

Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir and Rafiqa Qurrata A'yun – Fears of an authoritarian reversal in Indonesia have gained traction, especially after Prabowo Subianto, a former military general known for his record of alleged gross human rights violations, assumed the presidency in Indonesia.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Senior journalist Najwa Shihab has denied claims that she was offered the position to lead the Indonesia's Head of Presidential Communication Office (PCO) as a replacement for Hasan Nasbi.

Tatang Guritno, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – Musician Baskara Putra has revealed the reasons behind the making of a song in collaboration with Maria Sumarsih, the mother of the Benardinus Realino Norma Irawan, or Wawan as he was known by friends, a student who was killed in the Semanggi I tragedy in 1998.

Secretly and in violation of internal procedures, the House of Representatives (DPR) passed the revisions to Law Number 34/2004 on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (UU TNI). The revisions to the TNI Law will give more power to the military.

Jakarta – Indonesian activists on Thursday (Apr 3) decried a new regulation allowing police to monitor foreign journalists and researchers working in the country, a move they say would limit press freedom.

Joseph Rachman – Students are protesting across Indonesia – chanting slogans; skirmishing with police; and in one city, even throwing Molotov cocktails. The protesters are demanding the repeal of a law passed on March 20 that they say threatens to bring Indonesia back to the days of the military dictatorship that lasted from 1965 to 1998.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati visited former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at his residence in Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday in celebration of Idul Fitri.

Jakarta – There's only a thin line separating good communication strategy with bad public relations. When the government is backed up by a well-planned communication strategy, an effective messaging campaign and a team of professionals, even a crisis can be an opportunity to score a win.

Yovanda Noni, Nusantara – The number of visitors to Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara, has seen a significant uptick during the Eid al-Fitr holiday season. Daily visitor numbers rose from around 8,000 on the first day of Eid (April 1) to over 14,100 by April 3.

Salsabilla Azzahra Octavia, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) noted that the rupiah has weakened against the US dollar recently. Previously, BI revealed that the rupiah closed at Rp16,575 per US dollar on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. Meanwhile, on Thursday's opening, March 27, 2025, the rupiah weakened again to Rp16,590 per US dollar.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Press Council, Ninik Rahayu, regretted the issuance of Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025. The regulation required foreign journalists to have a police clearance (SKK).

Dr. Sameer Kumar – Indonesia sits atop the world's biggest nickel reserves – a metal essential for electric vehicle (EV) batteries and the renewable energy transition. In recent years, Jakarta has boldly wielded its resource might by banning exports of raw nickel ore to force global companies to invest in domestic processing.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Calls are mounting for President Prabowo to pick his envoy for the US after US President Donald Trump slapped 32 percent retaliatory tariffs on imports coming from Indonesia.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) announced that President Prabowo Subianto has formulated mitigation strategies in response to the import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Indonesia.

Aristyo Darmawan and Jeremia Humolong Prasetya – Much has been said about the controversial amendment of the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law. Critics say is meant to revive the dual function (dwifungsi) of the military that underpinned Soeharto's authoritarian regime.

Antara, Jakarta – Minister of Housing and Residential Area Maruarar Sirait said the government is preparing 1,000 units of subsidized housing for journalists and 20,000 for farmers from the Housing Financing Liquidity Facility (FLPP) program.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas said only a small number of drug convicts will be granted amnesty. "There are only about 700 convicts who are pure drug abusers," said Supratman at the Widya Chandra Complex, Jakarta, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

Ilham Rian Pratama, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has criticised National Police Regulation (Perpol) Number 3/2025 on the Police's Functional Supervision of Foreigners which regulates the supervision of foreign journalists and researchers working in Indonesia.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – The Chief of the Indonesian National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, has enacted Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025, which includes regulations for monitoring foreigners in Indonesia. One of the decree's articles even regulates journalistic activities requiring police clearance.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday local time a 32 percent "reciprocal" tariff on imports from Indonesia while accusing Jakarta of being unfair in the bilateral trade.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – West Java Governo Dedi Mulyadi threatened to take legal measures against local government officials who have been involved in requesting holiday allowances from several entrepreneurs or businesses.

According to him, such actions are illegal and can be considered as extortion. Dedi emphasized that this matter could be taken to the legal domain.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – The newly imposed 32 percent tariffs by the United States on Indonesian imports are expected to significantly impact Indonesia's automotive and electronics exports, a leading economist warned on Thursday.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – US President Donald Trump has imposed a steep 32 percent tariff on imports from Indonesia, significantly higher than the baseline 10 percent levied on many other countries.

The White House cited several reasons for applying the elevated tariffs, primarily targeting countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits.

Nur Janti, Jakarta – With the growing influence of food vloggers, many people have turned their love for food into careers, recommending dining spots, reviewing dishes and sharing their culinary experiences with the public through social media.

Aditya Hadi, Jakarta – Shinta Kamdani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo), has said this year's Idul Fitri did not bring the usual surge in economic growth, despite the holiday traditionally driving a spike in spending as millions travel to their hometowns.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government will soon implement a student loan to aid students with tuition fees. Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) Stella Christie explained that students will only be required to repay the loan after working and earning a certain wage benchmark.

Stefani Wijaya, Jakarta – The National Police on Thursday denied reports that foreign journalists are required to obtain a police-issued acknowledgment letter to work in Indonesia. The clarification comes after the recent issuance of a police regulation concerning the monitoring of foreign nationals.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to negotiate with the US after its president, Donald Trump, launched a 32 percent reciprocal tariff on imports from the Southeast Asian nation.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – A senior economist said Thursday that Indonesia should try to get much closer to the China-led BRICS trade-wise after US President Donald Trump launched sweeping tariffs on nearly all of Washington's trading partners.

Antara, Jakarta – Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director of the Center for Economic and Law Studies (Celios), commented on the United States' reciprocal tariff policy on Indonesia, which stands at 32 percent.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Inspector General Sandi Nugroho, Head of the Indonesian National Police Public Relations Division, clarified the circulating information about Police Regulation No. 3 of 2025 concerning the issuance of a police clearance letter for foreign journalists and researchers planning to work in Indonesia.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Maman Abdurrahman, mentioned online gambling as one of the factors weakening people's purchasing power. According to him, based on the findings of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), the money flowing into online gambling reaches Rp900 trillion annually.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Muhammad Isnur, has criticized a new Indonesian Police Regulation that mandates oversight of foreign journalists and researchers covering events within the country.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – Puan Maharani, Chairperson of the Central Leadership Council (DPP) of the opposition party PDIP, has announced that Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto, Chairperson of the ruling party Gerindra, are scheduled to meet in the near future.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Bima Arya Sugiarto, has announced that the second stage of the regional head retreat will be held shortly after the 2025 Eid al-Fitr holiday. However, the government has yet to determine the precise date for this event.

Jakarta – An open mosque is an oasis in the desert of exclusivity that seems to have been spreading over the last few decades. Mosques like this not only become houses of worship for building a bond with God but also places to embrace others. Mosques thus serve as centers for cultural and intellectual development benefiting society.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Danantara is open to the possibility of backing the government's 3 million affordable housing program, according to the fund's boss Rosan Roeslani.

President Prabowo Subianto wants to build 3 million affordable houses each year. He has also put Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait to oversee this program and search for investors.

Rohingya refugee Abdul Aziz was in high school when he first fled to Indonesia, but four years on, he remains in limbo, desperately missing home at the start of Aidilfitri festivities.

The 19-year-old, and thousands like him, languish at temporary shelters in the western Aceh province, after escaping squalid conditions in a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is reportedly preparing to sign the revised Indonesian Military or TNI Law. The House of Representatives (DPR) formally approved the revisions during a plenary session held on March 20, 2025.

Jakarta – Gadjah Mada University (UGM) – known as 'the blue campus' – has punished a lecturer involved with sexual violence. In order to prevent a recurrence of this offense, the rectorate of the university in Yogyakarta should also announce the dismissal of the professor as a civil servant.

Jakarta – The government is planning to disburse the second round of social aid this year after the Idul Fitri holiday, while also seeking to begin utilizing the newly launched Single National Social and Economic Data (DTSEN) system.

Coordinating Social Empowerment Minister Muhaimin Iskandar has assured that the social aid will be rolled out quarterly as planned.

Carolyn Nash – Every Thursday evening, a group of activists assembles in front of the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia's congested capital city. They wear matching black t-shirts and carry signs demanding accountability for a legacy of military-led human rights abuses.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Member of House Commission III and Deputy Speaker of DPR, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, said that lawmakers have no plan to discuss the amendment to police or the prosecutor's bills.

Helen Davidson and Chi-hui Lin, in Java – Ricky* was one of the first to see his crewmate's dead body. It was 2023 and he was six months into a stint at sea, working on a longline tuna boat in the Indian Ocean for $480 a month. The crew were mostly Indonesian, like Ricky, or Chinese, like the captain and owners of the boat.