Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – The Government has allowed timber debris left behind by recent floods and landslides in Sumatra to be used for disaster recovery, including the construction of temporary and permanent housing.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Business circles assess the plan to increase the Regional Minimum Wage (UMP 2026), valued at 0.5-0.9 alpha, as incongruent with the actual state of the business world. According to the Chair of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo), Shinta W.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The Police Reform Commission has proposed an omnibus law covering the revised National Police Law, government regulations, and other regulations related to police affairs. Commission head Jimly Asshiddiqie said the idea is being floated due to the abundant cross-institutional police-related regulations.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has signed a new government regulation on wages that will serve as the basis for setting minimum wage increases in 2026, the Manpower Ministry revealed, just before the turn of the year.

Singapore – Recent landmark Indonesia-Singapore agreements did not materialise overnight but were the payoff from decades of groundwork and trust-building, panellists said at the launch of a book on the "next chapter" of bilateral ties.

Romora Edward Sitorus and A. Prasetyantoko – Indonesia's first high-speed train project is historic but its government now has to prevent it going off the rails as costs spiral and boomerang onto the state and taxpayers.

Martin Bagya Kertiyasa, Jakarta – Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) halted trading in shares of Toba Pulp Lestari on Thursday afternoon, citing uncertainty over the company's business continuity following a government-ordered suspension of its operations.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has confirmed that its investigation into alleged corruption in Bank BJB's advertising procurement will continue uninterrupted, despite the ongoing divorce between former West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, a witness in the case, and her wife, Golkar Party lawmaker Atalia Praratya.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Manpower Yassierli said the government will apply an adjustable index, with an alpha range of 0.5 to 0.9, to calculate the increase in Provincial Minimum Wages (UMP) for 2026.

He said the approach is intended to reduce regional disparities, as previous policies relied on a single uniform figure for all provinces.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has reported a surge in hydrometeorological disasters over the last 48 hours, with East Java, Riau, and South Kalimantan emerging as the hardest-hit regions.

Anwar Siswadi (Kontributor), Jakarta – The Geological Agency has identified several regions across Java currently experiencing land subsidence exceeding five centimeters per year. While often associated with coastal areas, the phenomenon is also affecting highland regions like Bandung.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Labor Party has rejected the formula for calculating the 2026 provincial minimum wage (UMP) proposed by President Prabowo Subianto's cabinet, arguing that it fails to meet workers' basic needs.

Jakarta – From the outset, it has been difficult to accept the conclusion that the death of diplomat Arya Daru Pangayunan was the result of suicide. There are too many irregularities that strongly indicate a murder and cover-up.

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.

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.

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.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has reportedly detained several prosecutors and other individuals in a series of separate operations conducted over the past two days in Banten, Jakarta, and South Kalimantan.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Remittances sent by Indonesian migrant workers reached Rp 212 trillion, or about $12.7 billion, by the end of the third quarter of 2025, highlighting their increasingly important contribution to the national economy, Migrant Worker Protection Minister Mukhtarudin said on Thursday.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.