Pressure is mounting on the central government to declare a national state of emergency after floods and landslides devastate northern and western Sumatra, cutting key transportation networks and leaving local administrations struggling to provide relief.

The death toll surged 435 on Sunday, up from 303 on Saturday, official data uploaded on a government website showed, as officials compiled reports of casualties and damage pouring in from the western island of Sumatra, where three provinces had been devastated by landslides and floods after the rains.

Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed swaths of the three countries this week and left thousands stranded, many on rooftops awaiting rescue.

At least 279 people are still missing even as about 80,000 people have been evacuated and hundreds are still stranded in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

Rescuers in Indonesia were struggling to reach the worst-affected areas of Sumatra island, where more than 100 people were still missing.

Musofa was the first Javan rhino ever translocated from Ujung Kulon’s forest. His move to the conservation area was intended as a crucial step to stabilize the population, strengthen genetic diversity and enable more structured habitat management.

The proposed 2026 allocation would mark the lowest level of village funding since the program was launched by former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2015.

Over the years, teachers have absorbed increased administrative duties, beyond teaching. The most notable one recently being the distribution of the free nutritious meal program introduced in January by the administration of President Prabowo Subianto.

Two internal affairs officers were questioned separately in Jakarta and Medan to uphold professionalism and transparency in the investigation.

State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) has replaced the president director of its commuter rail subsidiary, PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI), amid public scrutiny over how it handled a viral incident involving a missing tumbler on a commuter train.

Higher urban sprawl from surrounding areas may put a heavier burden on Jakarta to accommodate the public needs particularly because of the soaring cost of living and increasingly competitive job market, experts have warned.

The Navy is preparing a number of its ships to help victims of flooding and landslides that are devastating Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, while the Air Force is deploying four heavy transport aircraft. 

Tropical Cyclone Senyar, which formed over the Malacca Strait, reached Sumatra’s mainland on Wednesday, unleashing extreme rainfall and strong winds that triggered severe flash floods and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Lt. Gen. Suharyanto acknowledged that there had been discussions on raising the disaster status from the provincial level to the national level for flood and landslide mitigation in northern and western Sumatra, but noted that such a decision has historically been rare. 

During a bilateral meeting with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, President Prabowo Subianto acknowledged Indonesia’s need for a structured and robust national strategy to promote financial health awareness.

The cyclone blew across the Indonesian archipelago's western-most area, inundating the nearby Malacca Strait and causing floods and landslides that have killed at least 61 people, authorities said. They fear the toll could go up with rain continuing and 100 residents still missing.  

Indonesia, along with neighbouring Malaysia and Thailand have been hit by severe rains that have caused dozens of deaths across the region in recent days.

The attack marks the latest chapter in the long-running land conflict in Tesso Nilo, Riau, stemming from unclear boundaries between conservation areas and community land, as well as disputes over residents’ legal status.

Authorities continue to face significant challenges reaching affected communities in Sibolga and North and South Tapanuli, as landslides have blocked key access roads at multiple locations, severely delaying relief and evacuation efforts.

The limestone karst formations of Citatah in West Java that first appeared millions of years ago are once again under attack from expanding mining operations that are destroying the fragile ecosystem and disrupting rural livelihoods.

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka made his global debut at the G20 Summit in South Africa earlier this week, stepping in for President Prabowo Subianto in a move seen as both a test of his diplomatic capabilities and a sign of Prabowo’s growing trust in his young deputy.

The convictions of former top officials of state-owned ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry and their subsequent pardons have prompted a public debate over whether bad business decisions that incur state losses should be subject to corruption investigations and trials.

Identified as 47-year-old Seni, the migrant worker was tortured and never received salary during her employment. 

A power struggle within Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s most influential Islamic organization, has continued as chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf rejected a letter from the group’s council of senior clerics declaring his removal from office and he pressed on with his official duties.

Burhanuddin Masyud, an expert in Ecology and Wildlife Management at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), recently reported that around 1,585 hectares of Sumatran elephant habitat in the Seblat landscape, Bengkulu, one of the species’ remaining key habitats, was lost between January 2024 and October 2025.

The locally made BNT-250 will allow Indonesia to reduce its reliance on United States-made Mk. 82 bombs. 

In a metropolis shaped by speed, pressure and long commutes, brief encounters with street cats have become small rituals of joy, lifted by online trends, shared care and a growing appetite for bite-sized escapes in the city.