Latest Indonesia News &amp; Current Events in English

Malaysia nabbed for smuggling etomidate vapes to Medan

The suspect, identified as FCB, has twice smuggled vapes containing etomidate from Malaysia to Medan before being arrested by the police.

2 hours ago

Australian man arrested for alleged public sex act in Bali

The arrest was made by a joint team of officers from Ngurah Rai Immigration Office and detectives from Badung Police for an indecent act in public.

5 hours ago

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Imam Taufik, a coconut grower in Kuala Selat, Indragiri Hilir, Riau, points on July 26, 2023 to the land that used to be his coconut plantation. He has lost six plantations because of coastal erosion and seawater intrusion following mangrove deforestation.

Illegal logging persists in Riau as wildfires sweep province

The Riau Forest Rescue Network (Jikalahari) said its records showed that 66 percent of Riau’s natural forest had disappeared over the past 25 years, falling from 3.91 million hectares in 2000 to 1.31 million ha in 2025.

6 hours ago

Police officers and protesters face each other during a demonstration urging lawmakers to immediately pass an asset forfeiture bill for corrupt officials outside the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 27, 2026.

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Jakarta deadly unrest prompts calls to probe alleged mobilizers

By late Thursday afternoon, another wave of people had gathered outside the Senayan Legislative Complex. Some burned trash and attempted to breach the perimeter, with violence continuing in the area through Friday morning. One man reportedly died during the unrest.

7 hours ago

Participants of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) national congress (Muktamar) interrupt the first plenary session of the event on Friday at the Tambakberas 'pesantren' Islamic boarding school in Jombang, East Java. The plenary session was suspended because of a wave of interruptions from attending participants.

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NU leadership race tests strength to distance itself from Jakarta

The country's largest Muslim group will hold a leadership contest during its 35th national congress (Muktamar) in Jombang, East Java amid concerns of political interference that will sway the race result for external political interests.

8 hours ago

About 200 graduates of master's and doctoral programs gather for their commencement ceremony on Thursday at the Lecture Hall of the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) in Depok, West Java.

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UIII marks first commencement ceremony for doctoral graduates

The graduating class came from UIII’s four schools of Islamic studies, social sciences, economics and education sciences, including 99 international graduates from 22 countries.

16 hours ago

An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by American tech billionaire Elon Musk transmits data on Sept. 25, 2022, in Izyum, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Backlash after man jailed for reselling Starlink service on remote island

The suspension of the Starlink-based service following Yogi’s arrest had directly affected schools, teachers, students and digitally based micro, small and medium-sized businesses on North Pagai Island.

1 day ago

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NU leadership race tests strength to distance itself from Jakarta

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Post-protest unrest disrupts Jakarta commute

Friday morning saw the remnants of unrest following Thursday’s protest at the Senayan Legislative Complex, which spread into nearby Pejompongan and Slipi, where residents mounted a defense against unidentified groups via makeshift roadblocks.

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President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech on Aug. 27 during the opening ceremony of Nahdlatul Ulama’s 35th congress in Jombang, East Java.

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Prabowo highlights NU’s role in maintaining national stability

Projo cofounder and chairman Budi Arie Setiadi (center) speaks on July 6, 2023, during a meeting at the South Jakarta headquarters of the organization, known as the largest group of supporters of former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

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Jokowi loyalist Budi Arie apologizes for 'early election' remarks

Protesters deliver speeches and put up posters and banners on a gate on Thursday during a demonstration urging lawmakers to immediately pass an asset forfeiture law for corruptors outside the Legislative complex in Jakarta.

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From Pati to Senayan, protesters take aim at corruption

Residents and online motorcycle taxi drivers arrange boxes of bottled water donated by members of the public for participants of the United Pati People’s Alliance (AMPB) rally outside the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta on Aug. 26, 2026.

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Protesters swarm House to demand asset forfeiture, end to graft

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi smiles on Feb. 20, 2025, after the inauguration ceremony for 961 governors, mayors, regents and their deputies presided over by President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace complex in Central Jakarta.

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West Java governor’s political future in spotlight amid party-switch rumors

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Too hot for Jakarta kids to play outside

Visitors look at the National Monument (Monas) against a backdrop of air pollution, from the balcony of the National Library on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan on Sunday in Central Jakarta.

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Borderless pollution chokes Greater Jakarta as policy gaps persist

Students stage a protest in the city center on Aug. 18, a day after the 81st Independence Day in Jakarta, demanding the government eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism, end wasteful programs, and lower the prices of basic necessities and fuel.

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Jakarta police plan to limit protest sites draws backlash

Skyscrapers in Jakarta are shrouded in haze on July 20 in East Jakarta. Jakarta's Air Quality Index (AQI) averaged between 120 and 168 in mid-July 2026, placing the city's air quality in the unhealthy category.

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Rainless days exacerbate air pollution in Jakarta

This screengrab, with no time or location provided, shows the atmosphere during The Sounds Project music festival held Aug. 7-9, 2026, at Ecovention & Ecopark Ancol in North Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Quran challenge for alcohol draws outrage, police probe

Commuter train passengers wait for the wagons to stop during the morning rush hour on November 8, 2024, at Manggarai Station in Jakarta.

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Teen’s death on commuter train track stirs calls for transit safety

A motorboat carries ballot boxes for the 2024 general elections arrives on Feb. 9, 2024, at Pramuka Island in Thousand Islands regency, Jakarta.

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Transjakarta’s water transit plan raises connectivity hope for Thousand Islands

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Backlash after man jailed for reselling Starlink service on remote island

North Sumatra Vice Governor Surya (left) shakes hands with Belgian Ambassador to Indonesia David Jordens (center) next to assistant to North Sumatra Secretary for governance and people's welfare Basarin Yunus Tanjung, during a meeting in Medan on Aug. 24, 2026. Jordens said he planned to reactivate the Belgian honorary consul post in Medan, given the city's strategic position as one of Indonesia's international gateways and its status as the largest city on Sumatra.

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Belgium to reactivate honorary consul in Medan

Elisson Campos poses with his 1-year-old brother, Jose Wesley Campos, who was born with microcephaly, one of many serious medical problems that can be caused by congenital Zika syndrome, on Sept. 27, 2016, in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. AP Photo/Felipe Dana

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Bali plays down Zika concerns after US issues travel health warning

A visitor observes the historic Telaga Tunggal 1 oil well, in operation from 1885 to 2010, on Aug. 11 in Telaga Said village, Langkat regency, North Sumatra. Experts from the North Sumatra Cultural Heritage Team are preparing a proposal to designate Indonesia's first commercial oil well as national cultural heritage.

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Historic North Sumatra oil well proposed for national cultural heritage site

Former vice president and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Mustasyar (advisory council) member Ma'ruf Amin (right) speaks as he is accompanied by NU senior cleric Ali Akbar Marbun (left) on Thursday during a press briefing after a meeting between the group's senior clerics at the organization's headquarters in Central Jakarta.

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NU congress begins in East Java to select new leaders

President Prabowo Subianto (right) greets residents while visiting an earthquake evacuation center at Berdikari Field in Nagekeo regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Aug. 26, 2026. The visit was aimed at ensuring that the government’s response and assistance for communities affected by the disaster were being carried out effectively.

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Prabowo visits NTT as quake death toll reaches 105

Be prepared: Farmers loosen soil using water flow from an irrigation canal on May 19 in Batang regency, Central Java. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has said the government is allocating around Rp 5 trillion (US$282.28 million) for irrigation programs and the distribution of superior seeds to address potential drought caused by the upcoming El Niño weather system.

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