TheJakartaPost

Forest fires break out in Sumatra, Kalimantan despite ongoing rainy season

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) detected 190 fire hotspots across Sumatra on Monday, with Aceh recording the highest number at 110, followed by North Sumatra with 43.

17 hours ago

Government sues firms over environmental damage linked to Sumatra floods

The government has filed lawsuits against six private companies it believes contributed to massive environmental degradation in North Sumatra following deadly floodings in the region, a move critics say must be followed by stronger commitments to environmental restoration and governance reform.

18 hours ago

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Pati Regent Sudewo (center) is escorted by security officers upon arriving at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in Jakarta on Jan. 20, 2026. Sudewo is among several people arrested by KPK investigators in a raid in Pati, Central Java, in a corruption case pertaining to the appointment of village officials in the regency.

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Controversial Pati regent named graft suspect

Sudewo, the regent of Pati in Central Java whose name made headlines last August after he became the target of local tax protests, has been named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in an alleged corruption case pertaining to the appointment of village officials.

19 hours ago

Students pray on Oct. 30, 2025, before eating lunches supplied by the government's free nutritious meal program at an elementary school in Banda Aceh, Aceh.

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Lab tests reveal E. coli contamination in free meals that sickened 800 students

BGN head Dadan Hindayana said the agency aims to eliminate food poisoning incidents entirely this year. However, he acknowledged that since the start of 2025 there have already been 10 food poisoning incidents nationwide, caused by violations of standard operating procedures by the kitchens that prepare the meals.

19 hours ago

An aerial photo shows a palm oil plantation (right) and a peatland forest in Bangsal village, Ogan Komering Ilir regency, South Sumatra on June 10, 2025. Indonesia has more tropical peatland than any country, but it is also quickly losing this poorly understood ecosystem, which experts deem of exacerbating the global heating and climate crisis

Politics

Government targets illegal mining on 190,000 hectares of forest land

Indonesia's unprecedented crackdown, which has seen military-led teams take over palm plantations and mines, has unnerved the industry, pushing up global palm oil prices over concerns it will hit output, and more recently, powering rallies in the prices of metals like tin.

1 day ago

A worker moves bags of subsidized fertilizers to be distributed to retailers.

Authorities break up suspected subsidized fertilizer fraud ring in Riau

Pelawawan chief prosecutor Siswanto said the alleged subsidized fertilizer irregularities took place in the districts of Bandar Petalangan, Bunut and Pangkalan Kuras.

1 day ago

Nine arrested in North Sumatra over alleged baby trafficking

Authorities said the babies were trafficked when they were only days old, with younger infants commanding higher prices.

1 day ago

politics

Government targets illegal mining on 190,000 hectares of forest land

1 day ago

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building is pictured on Jan. 22, 2025, under overcast skies in Jakarta.

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KPK probes possible involvement of NU executives in haj quota graft case

Journalists hold banners during a protest on May 2, 2025, to commemorate World Press Freedom Day in Surabaya, East Java. The protest, organized by the Surabaya chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI Surabaya) and other civic groups, condemned intimidation and violence against journalists.

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Press freedom under strain as journalists face more threats

An illustration of a dictionary entry of “disinformation“

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Planned bill on anti-disinformation, foreign propaganda draws criticism

A protester holds a banner calling for the passage of the asset forfeiture bill during a protest on Sept. 1, 2025, at the Lampung Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) in Bandar Lampung, Lampung. During the protest, rallygoers urged the government to pass the long-awaited asset bill and improve welfare for teachers and lecturers in the country, as well as for the legislature to cut lavish allowances for lawmakers.

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House kicks off process for asset forfeiture bill

Diplomatic dispatch: Foreign Minister Sugiono delivers his 2026 annual press statement on Jan. 14 at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta.

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Uncertainty lingers over Indonesia’s foreign policy direction

Defendant Laras Faizati Khairunnisa attends a verdict hearing against her on Jan. 15 at the South Jakarta District Court. Judges found Laras guilty of inciting mass violence through her social media post during the nationwide unrest in August 2025, but ordered her to walk free from prison.

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Rights groups decry guilty verdict, probation for online critic

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Motorists pass a pile of household waste on Jan. 6 in South Tangerang, Banten. The municipality administration has declared a waste emergency due to unmanaged waste generated across the city in the past month.

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South Tangerang temporarily stops sending waste to Bogor

Indonesian policemen escort one of two terror suspects link to Central Jakarta's Sarinah bomb on March 2, 2016, in Malang, East Java. The 2016 bomb-and-gun assault on Central Jakarta's Sarinah area killed eight people, including four attackers.

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Ten years after Sarinah attack, Indonesia’s fight against terror moves online

Road users pass through tidal flooding in Muara Angke, Jakarta, on Dec. 3, 2025. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast potential tidal flooding in several parts of Jakarta’s northern coast until Dec. 10, 2025, caused by maximum sea tide conditions coinciding with the full moon phase, which could significantly increase sea levels.

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Jakarta sinks deeper as subsidence worsens flood risks

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Flooding disrupts traffic, public transit in Greater Jakarta

Morning commuters faced flooded roads and transit disruptions in and around the capital on Monday due to heavy rainfall.

1 week ago

Acute pollution: A resident covers his nose on Dec. 16, 2025, while walking past piles of garbage covered with tarps in Serpong, South Tangerang, Banten. The South Tangerang city administration covered the trash with tarps as a temporary measure to reduce odors during reorganization at the Cipeucang landfill, which has led to a temporary halt in waste transportation activities.

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Waste crisis haunts Greater Jakarta

A motorist passes by piles of garbage on Jl. Raya Otista in Cimanggis, South Tangerang, Banten, on Jan. 6, 2026. The South Tangerang city administration has struggled to manage the accumulating waste, which has persisted for the past month.

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South Tangerang reroutes garbage to Bogor after Serang protests

Provocative charges: Prominent Indonesian comic Pandji Pragiwaksono is seen waving in this undated photograph.

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Comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono faces police report over ‘provocative’ show

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Authorities break up suspected subsidized fertilizer fraud ring in Riau

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Nine arrested in North Sumatra over alleged baby trafficking

A search and rescue official carries the wreckage of a turboprop aircraft operated by charter airline PT Indonesia Air Transport, a day after it crashed while en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar, on Mount Bulusaraung in South Sulawesi on Jan. 18, 2026.

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Transportation ministry says crashed surveillance plane airworthy

A train passes through floodwaters in Tirto, Pekalongan city, Central Java, on Jan. 18, 2026. The Pekalongan city administration has declared a 14-day emergency response period from Jan. 17 to 31, 2026, following flooding that affected 8,692 households and displaced 1,472 residents.

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Persistent floods kill 5, paralyze transport across Java

Forest rangers close an illegal gold mining tunnel on Nov. 20, 2025, during an operations in Mounts Halimun Salak National Park in Sukabumi regency, West Java. The ministry has identified some 1,400 illegal gold mines and closed 88 of them.

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At least five killed in toxic gas leak at PT Antam gold mine

A customer (left) picks some red chilies at a supermarket in Batam, Riau Islands, on Dec. 7, 2025. Natural disasters in the northern part of Sumatra have caused the red chili price to surge to Rp 120,000 (US$7.19) per kilogram while green chili is selling for Rp 100,000 per kg.

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Batam prepares market operation to reduce price volatility ahead of Ramadan

An ATR 42-500 turboprop airplane operated by PT Indonesia Air Transport is seen at Soroako Airport in East Luwu regency, South Sulawesi.

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