Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – Hundreds of students from several schools in the Pulogebang area of Cakung, East Jakarta, have fallen ill with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming the free nutritious meal (MBG), the government's hallmark program.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has found potential Rp49.5 billion in state losses in the National Nutrition Agency's (BGN) halal certification service procurement project. The anti-corruption group has reported its findings to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for further investigations.

Jakarta – Sixteen people were killed on Wednesday after a passenger bus collided with a fuel truck on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency, South Sumatra, just 10 days after a double train crash in Greater Jakarta also claimed 16 lives, renewing concerns over national transportation safety standards.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – Indonesia, along with 12 other countries, has condemned Israel's interception last week of the Global Sumud aid flotilla bound for Gaza and the subsequent detention of humanitarian activists in international waters, calling the move a violation of international law.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The government-sanctioned police reform commission has proposed demilitarizing the work culture of the National Police as part of broader reforms, amid persistent cases of police brutality that have fueled public demands for systemic change within the institution.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Dadan Hindayana, Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), has detailed the reasons behind involving correctional institutions to support the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. According to Dadan, prisons have adequate facilities and are located within communities, making them ideal hubs to support the program's implementation.

Fachri Hamzah, Jakarta – Victims of the devastating floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra filed a lawsuit against the central government at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The case is registered under case number 167/G/LH/2026/PTUN.JKT.

The Indigenous Peoples Bill has returned to the national legislative priority list after being in limbo for 16 years. The House of Representatives (DPR) suddenly began to take the matter seriously. The government is also optimistic that the bill can be finalized this year. It may initially seem like good news. However, many suspicious contradictions lie behind this acceleration.

Erik Hoffner – Protecting nature is still a struggle due to funding gaps that governments across developing countries are struggling to close. Indonesia is no exception. For instance, its national parks are chronically underfunded, receiving only about $5 per hectare ($2 per acre) per year, far below the estimated needs of around $18/hectare ($7.30/acre) per year.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Fires have burned part of a decade-long orangutan habitat restoration site in Indonesian Borneo, raising fears among conservationists that another severe fire season could wipe out years of recovery efforts before the dry season has even fully begun.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Indonesia's government debt approached Rp 10,000 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, with the vast majority financed through state securities issuance, according to Finance Ministry data.

Total government debt stood at Rp 9,920.42 trillion ($571 billion) as of March 31, 2026, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Tempo.co, Jakarta – The United Nations has launched a campaign in Indonesia to strengthen the role of women farmers in climate resilience and food security, as global agencies push for greater recognition of women's contributions to agriculture and rural economies.

Antara, Jakarta – Currency swap agreements being pursued by the Indonesian government and Bank Indonesia may help stabilize the rupiah in the short term, but they are not a sustainable long-term solution for strengthening the currency, a financial analyst said on Thursday.

James Guild – The Indonesian rupiah is currently trading at around 17,400 to one U.S. dollar. The currency, which has been steadily weakening against the dollar for many years, pushed past the 17,000 mark last week and is now at its weakest point in history.

Jakarta – After fuel shortages disrupted several areas in Riau last week, the impact has since spread to Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan, where long lines have formed at gas stations as motorists scramble to secure fuel.

Vidya Pinandhita, Jakarta – Jakarta now requires households to sort their trash for composting and recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills in an effort to ease pressure on the overloaded Bantargebang landfill in Bekasi, West Java, as it heads toward a waste tipping point driven by more than 9,000 tonnes of garbage per day.

Vientiane – The governments of Laos and Indonesia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening long-standing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across key sectors over the years ahead.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – Yusuf Rendy from the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) said Indonesia's declining open unemployment rate (TPT) to 4.68 percent does not necessarily reflect an improvement in the labor market. Instead, he described it as a paradox amid ongoing layoffs across multiple industries.

Yuni Rohmawati, Jakarta – A deadly accident occurred on Sumatra's National Road in the Karang Jaya area of North Musi Rawas on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at approximately 12:00 p.m. The incident involved an Inter-Provincial Bus (ALS) and an oil tanker truck traveling in the opposite direction. The impact triggered a powerful explosion and a fire that engulfed both vehicles.

Corruption in the education sector is more than simply a matter of losses to the state, it could deprive millions of students of the right to a proper education. If the case is mishandled, the same thing could happen again.

Jakarta – The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) says that the trial hearing a case against four Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers over their involvement in an acid attack on Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Deputy Coordinator Andrie Yunus reinforces the view that military justice is full of theatre.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) found indications of price inflation in the procurement of halal certification services at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). According to ICW, these indications have the potential to harm the state finances by Rp49.5 billion.

Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – The National Food and Nutrition Agency (BGN) has received formal test results from the Natuna District Health Office following a mass poisoning linked to the Free Nutritious Food (MBG) program. According to the findings, the distributed meals were contaminated with borax and E. coli bacteria.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy expanded 5.61% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, but the gains have yet to be fully reflected in business activity, according to a business association.

Shinta Kamdani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo), said companies are facing rising cost pressures despite signs of resilient domestic demand.

Priyatno, Parigi – Indonesia's elite counterterrorism unit has arrested eight suspected militants believed to be linked to a sleeper cell of Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) in Central Sulawesi, police said on Wednesday.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has formally written to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) regarding the absence of State Officials' Wealth Reports (LHKPN) for President Prabowo Subianto and 38 members of his Red and White Cabinet.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Former Minister of Education and Culture Anies Baswedan asserted that the prerequisite for leadership is the ability to earn the trust of followers. However, he warned that this trust can erode when personal or group interests are prioritized over the public good.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – Indonesia's Commission for the Acceleration of Police Reform has submitted a comprehensive ten-volume final report to President Prabowo Subianto, outlining six key recommendations aimed at overhauling the country's police institution.

Endang Mulyani, Jakarta – The number of slum areas in Jakarta has fallen by more than half over the past nine years, declining from 445 neighborhood units in 2017 to 211 in 2026, city officials said on Wednesday.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The concern came on the heels of the Army's successful establishment of 155 of so-called territorial development battalions as of April, a program which the government outlined in November last year, to have one unit in each of 514 regencies and cities across Indonesia.

Indonesia's economy grew 5.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, the national statistics agency said Tuesday, topping the government's own forecast despite pressures of the Middle East war.

The reading exceeded the 5.4 percent recorded in the final three months of 2025, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti told reporters in Jakarta.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto approved seven Bank Indonesia (BI) strategies to strengthen the rupiah exchange rate, especially after it weakened (undervalued) in recent days.

Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have escalated their handling of last week's fatal train collision at Bekasi Timur Station in West Java, moving from a preliminary inquiry to a full investigation amid renewed scrutiny over railway crossing safety following another deadly crash in Central Java.

A'an Suryana and Ary Hermawan – Most Indonesian Muslims are against the US-Israeli war against Iran. But some of them evince anti-Iran sentiment stemming from their belief that Shi'a Islam is a heretical sect.

Nasori, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia has reduced the amount of US dollars individuals can purchase in the domestic market without supporting documentation to $50,000 per month, as authorities step up efforts to stabilize the rupiah amid mounting global pressures.

President Prabowo Subianto seems reluctant to admit that his pledge to build three million homes per year is a difficult goal to achieve. It was an overambitious target to begin with, and the government's persistence in pursuing the project could actually create new problems down the road.

Deni Ghifari, Jakarta – The Indonesian economy exceeded expectations in the first quarter as the country posted the strongest gross domestic product growth in years, but the performance is clouded by the Iran war that might change the growth story for the rest of the year.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara has acquired less than 1% stake in GoTo, the tech giant confirmed on Tuesday night, amid the government's plans to slash ride-hailing commission fees.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission, Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK), is reviewing a Rp 27 billion ($1.55 million) procurement plan for student shoes under the government's People's School program following public scrutiny over a reported price of Rp 700,000 ($40) per pair.

Mutia Yuantisya – The Head of the Monetary and Asset Management Department at Bank Indonesia (BI), Erwin Gunawan Hutapea, stated that the rupiah's exchange rate fluctuations since the onset of the Middle East conflict remain in line with the performance of most other emerging market currencies.

Populism can make leaders resort to some absurd tactics to gain public support. On a stage at the May Day commemoration in Jakarta's National Monument (Monas) area on May 1, 2026, President Prabowo Subianto joined in singing The Internationale – a hymn synonymous with socialism and communism worldwide.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Human Rights (HAM) has inserted a specific clause regarding the right to be forgotten in the Revision of the Human Rights Law.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Indonesian Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai addressed concerns over the growing presence of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri) personnel in civilian posts, saying the practice stems from initiatives by individual ministries and agencies rather than directives from the national leadership.

Antara, Endang Mulyani, Jakarta – The Jakarta provincial government will continue to offer full tax incentives for electric vehicles, maintaining exemptions on both annual vehicle tax and ownership transfer fees as part of efforts to accelerate the city's transition to cleaner energy.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's unemployed population is shrinking, but the average monthly wage of the country's workers stands at only Rp 3.29 million (roughly $189), according to government data.

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – The Jakarta administration is expanding its free private school program this year by funding more than 100 schools across the capital, as the number of out-of-school children remains high.

Maretha Uli, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded its highest number of malaria cases in 2025 mainly driven by population mobility and climate change that hamper elimination efforts to reduce patients, especially in high-burden regions such as Papua.

Nikita Grace Panggabean, Jakarta – One day before International Labor Day 2026, the government signed a long-awaited regulation on outsourced work. Manpower Minister Regulation (Permenaker) No. 7/2026 restores limits on the types of work that can be outsourced, reversing the broad flexibility introduced by the Job Creation Law five years earlier.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Human Rights and Justice, Natalius Pigai, stated that the government has no right to determine the status of human rights defenders, or activists. The determination of who qualifies as a human rights activist will be decided by civil society alongside independent commissions with authority.

Alif Ilham Fajriadi, Jakarta – Researcher of the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Tubagus Solihuddin, revealed the erosion occurring in the coastal areas of the Northern Coast of Java (Pantura) has reached 65.8 percent of the coastline.