Eight months after the Sumatra disasters, many survivors still seek justice amid reports of delayed aid distribution and slow recovery progress, while the government refutes a citizen lawsuit accusing it of poorly handling one of the country’s worst ecological disasters in years.

Several plaintiffs and education observers critiqued the Constitutional Court for not ordering the government to immediately revise the 2026 and 2027 state budget, which is still in deliberation, to exclude allocations for the free meals program from the education budget.

Major parties have largely brushed aside the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Kaesang Pangarep's decision to run for a legislative seat in the next race in 2029, a move that analysts say reflects the party’s serious push to break into the House of Representatives.

The government’s plan to clear over 900 hectares of forest land for military territorial development battalions has drawn criticism from environmentalists, who warn the move could accelerate deforestation and undermine the ecological functions of Indonesia’s forests.

Amid declining public confidence in the program, newly appointed BGN head Sudaryono has launched a sweeping governance overhaul, shutting nearly 900 kitchens out of 28,000 nationwide and dismissing hundreds of employees.

Like many indigenous settlements across the archipelago, Kasepuhan Cipta Mulya is dominated by wooden buildings, valued for their naturally cool interiors and earthquake resilience but highly susceptible to fire. Combined with strong winds during the current dry season, the flames spread through the village within minutes.

The court held that the program does not qualify as an educational expense, and that using education budget funds violates the Constitution, which mandates that at least 20 percent of the national budget be allocated to education.

More than 5,000 hotspots were detected as of July 29, a sharp increase compared to previous El Niño years in 2015, 2019 and 2023, BMKG official Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan said in an online briefing. The provinces of West Kalimantan, South Papua and Riau recorded the most hotspots.

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the recent rise in mob justice reflected the state's failure to provide adequate public security, urging police to step up crime prevention and public protection.

Etik is the fifth regional head in Central Java and the 11th nationwide to be arrested by the KPK on corruption allegations this year. 

Indonesia is expected to face a longer dry season this year as the impacts of El Niño intensify, bringing drier conditions from the Pacific Ocean to the archipelago.

The government is stepping up preparations for the peak of a strong El Niño this year, as drought continues to spread through parts of the country, including Central Java.

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has shut nearly 900 kitchens for the free nutritious meals program and dismissed hundreds of employees in its first sweeping governance overhaul under newly appointed agency head Sudaryono, amid declining public confidence in the program.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung called on residents to remain calm after Sunday’s violence in Menteng, Central Jakarta, and warned against sharing misinformation, particularly rumors claiming the clash was driven by ethnic tensions.

‘The spirit of people who [fought for democracy] will never fade as long as Indonesians continue to love their country,’ Indonesia’s fifth president said.

Months of frustration boiled over into a mass protest on Monday involving at least 500 residents in North Sumatra's Langkat regency, where over 73,000 survivors are still waiting for their data to be verified before the government could release recovery aid following the November 2025 disaster.

Pangolins are the most trafficked wild mammals in the world, driven by high demand for their scales and claws in traditional medicine.

Sutrimo, 42, is reported to have worked as the household manager for former assistant attorney general of special crimes Febrie Adriansyah, who was arrested for corruption, before his mysterious death on July 23.

A coalition of civil society groups has issued legal notices against the government over a policy allowing military and police personnel to assist tax officials in monitoring taxpayer compliance, warning that the policy could undermine civilian supremacy.

Since the start of the year, at least eight deaths involving intern and resident doctors have been reported across Indonesia, raising concerns over the health risks and pressures faced by young medical professionals.

Members said the initiative was born out of frustration that public concerns increasingly had nowhere to go, with the House of Representatives, dominated by Prabowo’s ruling coalition, showing little appetite for challenging the executive.

Announced during National’s Children Day, the Jakarta administration is planning to expand the number of integrated child-friendly public spaces (RPTRA) across the city, as only 173 of 267 subdistricts currently have such spaces.

North Sumatra was hit by widespread fuel shortages last week, forcing motorists to endure lines stretching up to 13 kilometers outside filling stations. Some drivers even had to wait overnight as stations ran out of fuel supplies.

Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) chairman Kaesang Pangarep is set to face a major challenge in the 2029 election after deciding to run for a House of Representatives seat from a Central Java’s electoral district, which is dominated by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politicians.

President Prabowo Subianto’s approval rating has fallen to barely 50 percent, marking a sharp drop from the strong public support he enjoyed during his first year in office as Indonesians grow increasingly pessimistic about the economic, political and law enforcement conditions, a new survey found.

The event triggered widespread backlash after several local residents said they were denied access to the club and prevented from joining the run after identifying themselves as Indonesian citizens, while applicants who identified themselves as foreign nationals were reportedly accepted without issue.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru facilitated the repatriation of 274 Indonesians from Melaka International Ferry Terminal in Malacca and Port Dickson Port in Negeri Sembilan to Dumai, Riau, and Tanjung Balai Asahan, North Sumatra.