Siti Syafania Kose – When I visited Roshan Learning Center in South Jakarta, lunchtime was almost over.

A group of eighth graders approached me with awkwardness and curiosity familiar to 14-year-olds everywhere. They asked about my work, laughed at each other's jokes and debated everything from their last exam to math homework.

Jakarta/Singapore – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa pledged on Tuesday to uphold the independence of the central bank, after lingering fears about government interference in monetary policy drove the rupiah currency to a record intraday low.

Agencies, Jakarta – The government could potentially seize mining activities across 190,000 hectares (733.59 square miles) of illegally cleared forest, the deputy forestry minister told a House of Representatives hearing on Monday, as authorities tackle what they say is unlawful extraction in the country.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – Chairperson of the Press Council, Komaruddin Hidayat, has expressed his appreciation for the Constitutional Court's decision regarding legal protection for journalists, as stipulated in Article 8 of Law No. 40/1999 on the Press. Komaruddin emphasized that the ruling serves as a vital safeguard for national press freedom.

Budiarti Putri – It's been seven months since the Indonesian government announced the revocation of four active mining licences in Raja Ampat, West Papua, following widespread public criticism catalysed by the #SaveRajaAmpat campaign.

Alfitria Nefi Pratiwi, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Trade revealed that no garlic imports realization has been recorded thus far.

Antara, Jakarta – The Forestry Ministry is auditing 24 forest utilization permits across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra following deadly flash floods and landslides that struck the regions late last year, Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said on Monday.

Antara, Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has set a Rp 134 trillion ($8 billion) non-tax revenue target for Indonesia's mining sector in 2026, lower than last year's Rp 138 trillion intake, as the government moves to curb production of coal and nickel.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said record-breaking rainfall was the main cause of flooding that hit parts of the capital over the weekend, describing the downpour as the heaviest recorded during his nearly one year in office.

Grace el Dora, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund has raised its economic growth forecast for Indonesia in 2026, signaling growing confidence in the country's resilience even as global trade and policy uncertainty continues to cloud the outlook.

Jakarta – Rupiah hit a record low against the dollar on Tuesday as investors fretted about the country's central bank independence after President Prabowo Subianto nominated his nephew to join Bank Indonesia's Board of Governors.

Alfida Rizky Febrianna, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has ordered the revocation of business licenses held by 28 forestry, mining, and plantation companies found to have violated regulations and caused environmental damage, a senior aide said on Tuesday.

Handewi Pramesti, Bali – Growing up in Central Jakarta in the 1970s, I remember the glow of fireflies, or kunang-kunang, twinkling in the field full of banana trees in front of my house. Their flickering felt magical, yet completely ordinary. The nights were softer then, the city far less crowded.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Former Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer Gerungan, widely known as Noel, has confessed to his involvement in a corruption scandal.

Jakarta – The revocation of 28 company permits in Sumatra is the first step towards restoring the rights of the people and the environment in Sumatra.

Jakarta – The results of a Median survey show that the majority of respondents stated that human factors were the cause of the flash floods that hit a number of areas in Sumatra late last year.

This survey was a poll of social media users. The data was collected on January 9-13 with a target sample of one thousand respondents.

Herawati Nurlia – Amnesty International Indonesia has highlighted the series of incidents of terror and threats that have befallen activists from the University of Indonesia Student Executive Council (BEM UI).

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has reaffirmed that the Indonesian government has no plans to change the mechanism for electing the president and vice president, dismissing speculation that the system could shift from direct popular elections to selection by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesia's Constitutional Court has partially granted a judicial review petition against the 1999 Press Law, ruling that journalists cannot be directly subjected to criminal or civil prosecution without first going through dispute-resolution mechanisms under the Press Law, including the Press Council.

Allestisan Citra Derosa – My Sundays usually start slowly, with a rolled yoga mat or feeding stray dogs in the hidden slums of the city. But this one is different.

This Sunday finds me at the Lapangan Banteng park in Central Jakarta, with a glove on my right hand and a bin bag on my left, bending down to pick up a stranger's candy wrapper or, worse, a cigarette butt.

Jacobus E. Lato – The start of 2026 has brought cautious optimism to Indonesia's religious minority communities following the ratification of a new Criminal Code that promises greater protection for freedom of worship in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Prisma Ardianto, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has inaugurated the operations of 166 Sekolah Rakyat schools nationwide at the start of 2026, with state spending reaching Rp 6.6 trillion ($390.02 million) as of last year.

Dayat, Jakarta – State-owned railway operator Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) revealed on Sunday that the company had lost Rp 3.5 billion (nearly $207,000) due to ticket cancellations from the Pekalongan flood.

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Bandung – Baby Arya flew from Jakarta to Changi Airport in mid-2025 together with a couple posing as his parents.

He was one of at least 15 Indonesian newborns trafficked into Singapore by a syndicate that preyed on desperate parents in West Java, Indonesia, offering them up to 20 million rupiah (S$1,500) to surrender their babies.

Karina Tehusijarana, Jakarta – One might expect the recent police report filed against popular Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono for his Netflix special Mens Rea to make other Indonesian comedians think twice about tackling sensitive topics in their routines.

Yvette Tanamal, Jakarta – Indonesia has entered 2026 with a clearer vision of its foreign policy following Foreign Minister Sugiono's annual address, analysts say, but questions remain over how Jakarta plans to turn its stated ambitions for resilience into concrete policy

Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has nominated his nephew to join the central bank's board of governors, two sources told Reuters, amid growing concern about its independence as the government seeks more support for ambitious economic targets.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Jakarta – The Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) considers the disasters in Sumatra are the result of government policies that seem to legalize damage. This destruction has led to a major disaster that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government recently said it was ready to facilitate fish businesses that wish to gain 0% tariff on their Japan-bound tuna, skipjack, and mackerel.

Surabaya – Hundreds of students from the East Java Nusantara Student Executive Council (BEM) held a protest action in front of the East Java Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) building on Jalan Indrapura in Surabaya on Monday January 19.

The flood and landslide disasters that hit Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra starting on November 25, 2025, killed 1,190 and left 141 people still missing as of January 17.

In addition to this, more than 40 days since the disaster struck, there are around 131 thousand people still living in refugee camps.

Jakarta – Authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi province near a fog-covered mountain, but were still searching for the 10 people on board.

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.

Mila Novita, Jakarta – Bali in Indonesia was ranked number one as the world's best tourist destination in 2026 in TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations List. This marks the highest position Bali has ever achieved in the history of TripAdvisor's rankings.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – Several areas and roads in Jakarta were once again submerged in floodwaters on Sunday morning, January 18, 2026. The current cause of the flooding is persistent rain from Saturday evening to Sunday morning.

Chesa Andini Saputra, Dede Adhitama, Jakarta – Prolonged heavy rainfall over the past two days has caused flooding in parts of Jakarta and disrupted train services along the northern corridor of Java, prompting dozens of cancellations on Sunday.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.