Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) has urged the government to temporarily halt the free nutritious meal program (MBG) for a comprehensive evaluation. This demand comes after another mass food poisoning incident involving children, including those in early childhood education (PAUD) in Tasikmalaya, West Java.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – Unlike his predecessor Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto attended the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in his first year as president. Jokowi, during his 10-year presidency, never attended the UNGA usually held in New York, United States.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – University of Indonesia (Universitas Indonesia, UI) has established the UI-Palestine Center to advocate for the struggle of the Palestinian people. Heri Hermansyah, the university rector, said the institution will conduct studies as part of advocating for Palestinian independence.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto is set to transfer 1,700 to 4,100 civil servants (ASN) to Nusantara Capital City (IKN). This regulation is outlined under the Presidential Regulation Number 79 of 2025 concerning the government work plan update for 2025.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Starting in 2028, President Prabowo Subianto has designated Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan as Indonesia's political capital. This provision is stipulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 79 of 2025, which concerns the update of the government work plan (RKP) for 2025 and was signed on June 30, 2025.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia is mulling restricting its citizens from having multiple social media accounts – a proposal that Presidential Chief of Staff Muhammad Qodari believes can do wonders on the country's fight against hoaxes.

Jakarta – Last week, our attention was drawn to Bali, but not for its natural beauty. The resort island's streets were paralyzed, buildings were submerged in mud and tourists were evacuated as floods swept through Denpasar and six of its eight regencies, including major tourist hubs Gianyar, Tabanan and Badung.

Agencies, Jakarta – Over 800 students fell sick in two cases of mass food poisoning this week after consuming free school meals sponsored by the government, officials said on Friday.

One case affected more than 500 and was the biggest outbreak yet under President Prabowo Subianto's flagship program.

Saskia Wieringa – The denial of the genocide which took place in Indonesia after 1 October 1965 has cultural, legal, discursive and affective dimensions. This genocide was one of the largest mass murders after World War II, yet it is hardly known internationally.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Indonesia's traffic police chief has announced a temporary suspension on the use of strobe lights and sirens by police escort vehicles, responding to widespread public complaints over the disruptive effects of these devices on daily traffic.

Agencies, Jakarta – Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has erupted multiple times, spewing a column of ash kilometers into the sky after authorities raised its alert level to the highest, prompting a local airport to suspend operations on Saturday.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Finance Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa explained the government's plan to reduce electricity subsidies without burdening the public with tariff increases. One of the discussions is about the development of Solar Power Plants (PLTS) as well as the utilization of other New and Renewable Energy (EBT), which are more efficient.

Andreas Iswinarto – The process of democratisation that followed Suharto's resignation extended into the realm of history. His fall marked the beginning of a freer and more open engagement with the past, breaking away from the rigid, state-controlled narrative of historical truth imposed during the New Order regime.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) has positioned the KHAN missile in the 18th Field Artillery Battalion under the Military Regional Command VI/Mulawarman in East Kalimantan Province. This ballistic missile was procured from Turkey in 2022.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is facing various challenges in determining the status of the suspects in the hajj quota corruption case. One of the challenges is examining the 400 or so hajj organizing agencies.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesia's State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi clarified that President Prabowo Subianto never agreed to the formation of an independent investigation team to probe the riots that broke out in late August 2025.

Jamal Abdun Nashr, Jakarta – The Pati City Police have deployed personnel to several points to secure the protest demanding the impeachment of Pati Regent Sudewo. The United Pati Community held a demonstration on Friday, September 19, 2025.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) has placed the Asset Forfeiture Bill among its top legislative priorities for 2025-2026, signaling renewed momentum on a measure long stalled in parliament.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Indonesia's 2026 state budget plan has undergone significant revisions less than two weeks after the appointment of Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, marking one of his first major policy shifts.

Antara, Jakarta – The Jakarta Environmental Agency sprayed 4,000 liters of water mist in several strategic locations to help reduce air pollution. The effort is part of the pre-events leading up to the Jakarta Eco Future Fest (JEFF) 2025.

Rahmad Nur, Central Sulawesi – A total of 277 students from various education levels in Banggai Islands Regency, Central Sulawesi, were suspected of suffering from mass food poisoning on Wednesday. Reports stated that hundreds of students experienced nausea, dizziness, and vomiting after consuming their lunch.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirmed on Thursday that Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, better known as Tutut, has withdrawn her lawsuit challenging a government travel ban imposed over unsettled debt.

Indonesia will ban the construction of new hotels and restaurants built atop cleared rice fields and agricultural land on the popular resort island of Bali, after recent flash flooding killed at least 18 people.

A state of emergency was declared on Bali on 10 September after the island experienced the most severe flooding in more than a decade.

Jakarta – Political developments in the past few weeks have not been very kind to the concept of civilian supremacy in the country.

In the wake of looting and rioting that took place in late August, President Prabowo Subianto agreed to the deployment of more than 75,000 soldiers from the Indonesian Military (TNI) to secure areas within and around Jakarta.

Ankur Banerjee, Karin Strohecker and Rae Wee, Singapore – Bank Indonesia's rate cut this week stunned markets for all the wrong reasons – investors fear the central bank is bowing to pressure from President Prabowo Subianto to juice the economy, compromising its independence and risking a rupiah sell-off.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives' (DPR) Commission IX, Sahidin, revealed that there are thousands of suspected fictitious free nutritious meal (MBG) kitchens across Indonesia. He obtained the information during his working visit to Batam in the Riau Islands Province on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

Hanaa Septiana, Jakarta – The East Java Regional Police announced the arrest of nearly 1,000 people suspected of involvement in riots that erupted during demonstrations across ten areas of East Java from Friday to Saturday, August 29-30, 2025.

Officers also confiscated various items, including books they claim promote anarchist ideologies.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – A recent survey by the Indonesia's Setara Institute revealed that most experts consider public trust in the Indonesian National Police to be poor.

The findings come as the government prepares to establish a Police Reform Commission under President Prabowo Subianto.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Technology (Komdigi) has opened the option of implementing face and fingerprint scans as a requirement for activating social media accounts. This step is considered a solution to the problem of owning and controlling multiple social media accounts anonymously.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Human Rights regards the hunger strike carried out by Gejayan Memanggil (Gejayan Calling) activist Syahdan Husein as part of his freedom of expression. The activist has been on a hunger strike since September 11, to protest his detention over alleged incitement during late August protests.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) and the government, along with the Regional House of Representatives (DPD), have agreed on 67 bills to be included in the Priority National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) for 2026.

Sigit Zulmunir, Jakarta – A total of 657 students in Garut Regency, West Java, Indonesia, have been affected by suspected mass food poisoning linked to the government's free nutritious meal program (MBG).

"Currently, only 10 students remain hospitalized, down from 30 at the peak," said Garut Health Office Head Leli Yuliani on Friday, September 19, 2025.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has signed a presidential regulation formally designating Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan as Indonesia's political capital by 2028.

The policy is outlined in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 79 of 2025 on Updating the Government's 2025 Work Plan.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Sixteen activists detained at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police have launched a hunger strike to protest their detention over August 2025 mass demonstrations.

Among them is activist Syahdan Husein from the Gejayan Memanggil movement, who is believed to have initiated the action.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa disapproves of tax amnesties, as the senior economist feared forgiveness would only build a bad habit among Indonesia's taxpayers.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia is preparing a new market-based incentive scheme to encourage citizens to repatriate U.S. dollar savings held abroad, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said Friday, outlining one of his first major policy priorities since taking office.

Muhammad Farhan, Jakarta – Indonesia will introduce new import restrictions on cassava and ethanol to protect local producers, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman announced Friday, following directives from President Prabowo Subianto.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has asked several prominent figures, including former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud MD, to join a newly planned National Police Reform Commission, a close presidential aide said Friday.

Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has criticised the confiscation of books by the police, in this case the East Java and West Java Regional Police (Polda), over last few days.

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – While Indonesia is experiencing a "wet dry season" with relatively high rainfalls, a recent independent analysis has revealed an increasing rate of forest and land fires across the country, particularly in oil palm plantation and energy concessions.

Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform has criticised a statement by the Ministry of Defence (Kemenhan) which said that the involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in guarding public facilities is similar to the situation in the United States (US).

Jakarta – The appointment of Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa as Finance Minister replacing Sri Mulyani Indrawati marks a new chapter in Indonesia's fiscal politics. Instead of bringing optimism, he gives rise to concerns about the direction of the management of state finances.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government urges the public not to conclude that there have been cases of enforced disappearance during the late August protests. This comes in response to the failure to locate two individuals, Reno Syachputra Dewo and Muhammad Farhan Hamid, after the protests in Jakarta.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Deputy Chief of the National Economic Council (DEN) Mari Elka Pangestu stated that the mass protests in Indonesia in August 2025 were not a result of President Prabowo Subianto's 10-month rule. According to her, these actions were the consequences of the legacy of economic policies over the past decade.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) is urging President Prabowo Subianto and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to immediately halt the free nutritious meal program. This demand comes against the backdrop of repeated mass food poisoning cases over the past week.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) has released its latest monitoring results on mass food poisoning cases allegedly caused by Prabowo's free nutritious meal program. By mid-September 2025, the organization had recorded at least 5,360 children across the country poisoned after consuming the state-sanctioned meals.

Responding to the government's decision not to form a Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) related to a series of demonstrations that claimed at least eleven fatalities at the end of August, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid, said:

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – The Head of the Information Bureau of the Secretariat General at the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Frega Wenas, stated that the involvement of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in securing the House of Representatives (DPR) building is part of their assistance task to the police.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Indonesian activist Syahdan Husein, a spokesperson for the Gejayan Memanggil movement, has been on a hunger strike for a week while detained at Jakarta Metropolitan Police (Polda Metro Jaya). He is protesting the arrest of several activists and demanding their release.

Dede Leni Mardianti, Jakarta – Food poisoning incidents continue to plague the Indonesian government's free nutritious meal (MBG) program.

The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) reported that at least 4,000 students have fallen ill after consuming meals from the program in the past eight months.