Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka (center) talks with student protesters after receiving them in a meeting at the Vice Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on June 15, 2026. In the meeting, Gibran reportedly took notes of their concerns in a small notebook. `

Gibran’s outreach to student protesters raises questions over policy impact

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka’s decision to engage with student protesters amid waves of demonstrations against President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship programs has raised questions about whether the move is aimed at increasing his political visibility and the possibility of a meaningful policy response.

6 minutes ago

Society premium

Beneficiaries willing to forgo free meals to improve quality

As controversy and pressure mount over President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program, some beneficiaries say they are willing to forgo the assistance intended to combat stunting if it allows the government to address the initiative’s shortcomings, even as operators and other stakeholders voice concerns over its continuity.

42 minutes ago

Archipelago premium

Protests erupt in North Sumatra amid subsidized fuel shortage

In North Sumatra’s capital Medan, hundreds of ojol (online motorcycle transportation) drivers protested outside Pertamina's office on Thursday, demanding a solution to fuel shortages that have led to long queues at gas stations across the city.

43 minutes ago

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In this file photo dated Oct. 10, 2025, stacks of cash totaling Rp 13 trillion (US$785 million) are displayed in the lobby of the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in Jakarta during the handover of assets recovered from a corruption case involving crude palm oil export permits.

Politics premium

AGO confiscates billions in assets, cash linked to fugitive convict Eddy Tansil

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has confiscated assets worth around Rp 30 billion (US$1.68 million) belonging to convicted corruption fugitive Eddy Tansil, in addition to Rp 51.68 billion in cash, as part of the government’s broader push to recover state losses from corruption cases.

12 hours ago

Former Pati regent Sudewo, center, walks after an examination at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in Jakarta on Jan. 20, 2026. The KPK named Sudewo a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving extortion in the appointment of village officials, seizing evidence worth Rp 2.6 billion ($168,000).

Archipelago premium

Graft trial of former Pati regent Sudewo starts in Semarang

Sudewo is charged with extorting officials appointed to fill various positions in 401 village administrations in 21 districts across Pati and taking bribes from railway track projects at the Transportation Ministry’s Railway Directorate General in 2022.

22 hours ago

A woman uses a megaphone before a police line on June 12, 2026, during a student-led protest in Jakarta against the steep rise in nonsubsidized fuel prices and wasteful government spending, urging a halt to the costly free nutritious meal program.

Politics premium

Student unions dissociate from BEM Bersatu after political ‘infiltration’ allegations

A rift seems to have appeared in the ongoing student movement against excessive budgetary spending and rising fuel prices after BEM Bersatu alleged that certain student unions may have been swayed by political influence, which elicited prompt denial from its peers as well as the PDI-P.

23 hours ago

Pilgrims walk to their gate on April 22 before heading to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to perform the annual haj pilgrimage, at Juanda International Airport in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Society premium

Prabowo orders shorter wait times for Indonesian pilgrims

President Prabowo Subianto has praised the country’s 2026 haj management but called for further improvements, including better services and shorter wait times for pilgrims.

1 day ago

President Prabowo Subianto inspects the implementation of the free nutritious meal program on June 2 at State Junior High School (SMPN) 111 Jakarta.

Society premium

Pressure mounts to halt, review Prabowo’s free meals program

Calls are growing to suspend and review President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program amid mounting concerns about persistent implementation problems, even as the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), under new leadership, moves to improve oversight.

1 day ago