Latest Indonesia News &amp; Current Events in English

Law revision must prioritize competitive elections, forum says

The upcoming revision of the General Elections Law must strengthen fair competition and effective governance rather than merely adjust electoral mechanics, a forum of experts said on Monday as political elites begin informal talks on the issue ahead of the 2029 elections.

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Peatland agency revival tests commitment to curb unchecked conversion

Environmental watchdogs have largely welcomed the planned agency but question whether it can succeed without stronger government efforts to halt the unchecked conversion of peatlands.

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A resident walks past a house destroyed by flooding in Bundar Village, Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang Regency, Aceh, on Dec. 9, 2025.

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Aceh, North Sumatra hit by floods despite prolonged dry spell across the country

The latest floods in Aceh and North Sumatra come amid a sharp contrast in weather conditions across parts of the region, with some areas facing heavy rainfall while others continue to experience prolonged drought associated with the El Nino weather pattern.

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Officials show a room previously raided by the Indonesian Ombudsman at the Cibinong Penitentiary in Bogor, West Java, on Sept. 24, 2026. West Java Corrections directorate head Yudi Suseno said the residences were designated for several prison officials, including the Cibinong penitentiary head. The authorities are still investigating the Ombudsman’s findings and will take action in accordance with procedures if the premises are found to have been misused.

Calls grow for probe into alleged luxury Cibinong cells

The Immigration and Corrections Ministry said the cluster was designated as an official residential complex for prison officials but might have been converted into luxurious cells.

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This picture taken on August 14, 2026 shows a woman weaving outside her home after it was damaged at Meken Detun village, Sikka regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake on August 15. The quake near Flores island damaged tens of thousands of homes and left the water supply in limbo on one small island, but it has also been followed by roughly 15,000 aftershocks.

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'Struggling to eat': Survivors suffer after NTT quake

Sitting outside her damaged house in Flores's Sikka district, Maria Onselia said she has struggled since the disaster to find buyers for the fabric she weaves.

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An aerial view of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry that capsized in the Java Sea, Sept. 13, 2026, in this still image taken from a video handed out by the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).

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Ferry death toll hits 66 as search enters 16th day

The current death toll stands at 66 people, with 108 survivors and 69 still missing, Basarnas figures show.

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Farmers wearing hats reading “True agrarian reform“ protest against what they described as the government's failure to implement agrarian reforms as they commemorate National Farmers Day in front of the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Sept. 24, 2024.

New agrarian law expected to curb farmer criminalization

Farmers urge the government to swiftly implement the law by, among other measures, forming an agrarian reform agency as mandated by the new legislation, while law enforcement agencies are also urged to adopt an agrarian justice perspective in looking at land dispute cases.

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New agrarian law expected to curb farmer criminalization

Firefighters from the specialized peatland wildfire tactical unit (Manggala Agni) direct a high-pressure water stream at a burning area in a field of tall dry grass in Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra on Sept. 25, 2026. Low visibility caused by persistent forest fires has hampered both commercial air travel and aerial firefighting operations across the province.

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Prabowo turns to experts to tackle peatland fires after swipe at researchers

The newly acquired aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi (left), now KRI Sriwijaya, is accompanied by KRI Brawijaya (center) and KRI Prabu Siliwangi as they sail through the Bangka waters on Sept. 17, 2026.

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KRI Sriwijaya joins Navy fleet, ready for operations

Former education minister and cofounder of tech firm Gojek, Nadiem Makarim, poses ahead of the verdict hearing against him at the Jakarta Corruption Court in Central Jakarta on June 30, 2026. The judges sentenced him to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty of abusing his authority in the procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools nationwide between 2020 and 2022.

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Court cuts Nadiem’s sentence but he seeks another appeal

Students attend a class on Sept. 23 beside a collapsed wall at SDN 3 Sukajadi
elementary school in Sukakarya, Bekasi regency, West Java. According to the
school, three classrooms have been damaged for the past three years because of
the aging building, disrupting lessons and posing safety risks to students.

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Prabowo’s universal free education plan raises feasibility questions

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka gestures before President Prabowo Subianto delivers his annual State of the Nation address during the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) plenary meeting on Aug. 15, 2025, at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Jakarta ahead of the country's 80th Independence Day.

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Gibran faces fresh challenge over eligibility as VP

Culture Minister Fadli Zon speaks during a media briefing on the launch of Sejarah Indonesia: Dinamika Kebangsaan dalam Arus Global (Indonesian History: National Dynamics in Global Currents) in Jakarta on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. The Culture Ministry launched the first five volumes of the 10-volume series, which are available for free download through its digital platform, pustakabudaya.id.

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Inconsistencies mar Indonesia-centric history books

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Extending Jakarta’s CFD may raise awareness but not dent pollution

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (left) poses with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a bilateral meeting at Civic Hall in New York in the United States on Sept. 20, 2026, on the sidelines of the Urban 20 Mayors Summit.

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New York offers Jakarta assistance on municipal bond plan

South Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) personnel fill residents’ buckets with water on Sept. 16 in West Cilandak, South Jakarta. BPBD South Jakarta, in collaboration with city-owned water company PAM Jaya, distributed free clean water to residents affected by water shortages caused by drought, which has left water supplies cloudy and reduced availability.

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Jakarta water shortages worsen as dry season drags on

President Prabowo Subianto (second left) and Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (second
right) test the Jakarta light rapid transit (LRT)’s extension from North Jakarta to Manggarai,
South Jakarta, on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026.

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Prabowo opens new LRT link, backs Jakarta’s expansion push

Extra lesson: Children in fourth to sixth grade do coloring activities with volunteers during the noon session at Rumah Belajar Senen in Senen, Central Jakarta, on July 18, 2026.

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Jakarta’s makeshift classrooms under sweltering threat

Director of the Jakarta Police Criminal Investigation Department, Sr. Comr. Iman Imanuddin,(left) and spokesperson Sr. Comr. Budi Hermanto (right) show face sketches of alleged perpetrators of unrest that led to the killing of 60-year-old mirror vendor Bambang Setiyawan in Pejompongan, Central Jakarta, during a press briefing at the Jakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Sept. 2, 2026. The police also named 47 suspects allegedly involved in the damaging of public facilities and other violent acts during the unrest.

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Calls mount for police to hunt down mastermind behind deadly Jakarta unrest

Firefighters spray water along Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta on Sept. 9, 2026 to clear volcanic ash spewed from Mount Anak Krakatau's eruption.

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