Wawan Kurniawan, Tangerang – Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq ordered the immediate shutdown of a steel blast furnace facility in Tangerang Regency, Banten, on Friday after witnessing thick black smoke billowing into nearby residential areas during a surprise inspection.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The Prabowo Subianto government had already spent Rp 3 trillion, or approximately $184.8 million, to carry out the nationwide free meal program as of May 21.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia is looking to expand its downstream industry policy to include benzoin resin, a high-value commodity largely overlooked amid the country's push to process natural resources like nickel and tin, according to National Economic Council Chairman Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

Andrew Mathieson – The Indonesian military has claimed to have killed 18 West Papuan separatists and a further three civilians during its latest operation in the easternmost region of the Papua territory during an ongoing internal conflict.

Paul Gregoire – Following his re-election as Australian PM Anthony Albanese paid a visit to relatively new Indonesia president Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, with foreign minister Penny Wong and home affairs minister Tony Burke in tow.

T. Handoko, Sukoharjo, Indonesia – Sarmi recalls the unusual blight that fell over Gupit village around 2017, when doves and finches appeared to vanish from the sky.

"With pollution that acrid and poisonous, there weren't any birds or animals around – they all went away," she told Mongabay Indonesia.

Resty Woro Yuniar – A sweeping new ban on small plastic water bottles in Bali has triggered backlash from Indonesia's beverage and plastics industries, even as environmental advocates hail it as a bold step towards tackling the island's growing waste crisis and microplastic contamination.

Ashoka Mukpo, Jakarta – Indonesia's push to meet its ambitious biofuel targets by expanding oil palm plantations could cost the country billions in environmental damage and social conflict, a new analysis by environmental NGO Madani Berkelanjutan warns.

Grace el Dora, Beijing – Indonesia's Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, met with senior Chinese officials this week to discuss a potential $1 billion mutual investment between Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara and a Chinese counterpart.

Antara, Jakarta – Wildlife authorities in Central Kalimantan have released five rehabilitated orangutans back into their natural habitat, marking another milestone in Indonesia's ongoing efforts to protect its endangered wildlife and restore forest ecosystems.

Servio Maranda, Bangka – The Indonesian National Construction Contractors Association (Gapensi) states that the government's budget efficiency policy has had the greatest impact on the construction services sector in the region.

Phesi Ester Julikawati, Bengkulu – Hundreds of houses in Bengkulu were severely and lightly damaged in the wake of a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the region early Friday, May 23, 2025, at 2:52 a.m. local time.

Bengkulu Governor Helmi Hasan reported no casualties thus far, but some were injured.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – The head of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono, announced that six companies will invest in the new capital project.

Jakarta – Bahlil Lahadalia has every right to issue an energy transition road map in the electricity sector. But it would be wrong to hope that the content of the latest policy from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is in line with its title.

Jakarta – Banten Deputy Governor Achmad Dimyati Natakusumah called on regional bus service Transjabodetabek to open a new bus route extending to Serang, while attending the launch of the new Transjabodetabek Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2 – Blok M line on Thursday.

Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) may believe it needs the added protection of the Indonesian Military (TNI) to go after high-profile criminal cases. That is a legitimate concern.

But what is far more troubling, and ultimately more corrosive to the fabric of democracy, is what this arrangement signals for the future of civilian supremacy in the country.

Agencies, Jakarta – A5.7-magnitude earthquake hit near Sumatra on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, damaging more than 100 houses with no reports of casualties.

The German Research Center on Geoscience said the magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes Southern Sumatra.

The quake was at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles), GFZ said.

Jakarta – Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto has defended the appointment of Lt. Gen. Djaka Budi Utama as the new leader of the customs office saying that the general had retired from the military.

Antara, Jakarta – Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia urged the state-run energy firm Pertamina to import American fuel regardless of the logistical challenges, as Jakarta's tariff negotiations continue.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform is urging President Prabowo Subianto and the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately review Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 66/2025 on State Protection for Prosecutors. They consider that the regulation is not subject to proper norms and legal order.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has highlighted the government's plan through the Ministry of Culture to rewrite Indonesian history.

Sharon Muller – Indonesian military operations have again been launched in Intan Jaya regency, Central Papua province. This is the umpteenth time operations have been launched by the TNI (Indonesian Military) on the pretext of pursuing the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation or TPNPB-OPM.

Herman, Jakarta – Global energy giant Shell plc has announced the sale of its entire fuel retail network in Indonesia to a joint venture between Citadel Pacific Limited and Indonesia's Sefas Group.

In a statement released Friday, Shell Indonesia confirmed that the transaction covers all its approximately 200 gas stations, including 160 company-owned site.

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has advised ministers in his Red and White Cabinet to refrain from making public comments that could incite controversy or discomfort. According to State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi, the President has urged the ministers to be careful in their public remarks.

Ni Made Tasyarani, Jakarta – The government plans to lower tax rates while still increasing tax revenue, as Indonesia's tax-to-gross domestic product ratio remains low compared to other countries.

Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – The Jakarta Metropolitan Police have identified 15 students of Trisakti University as suspects following a skirmish during the 27th-anniversary demonstration of the reformation movement on Wednesday, May 21, in front of Jakarta City Hall.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The community organization United Indonesian People's Movement (Gerakan Rakyat Indonesia Bersatu/GRIB Jaya) denied ever asking the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) for Rp5 billion in exchange for ending their occupation of land in South Tangerang. GRIB Jaya claims the occupation is to protect the rights of heirs.

Han Revanda, Jakarta – Zulkifli Hasan, head of the task force for accelerating the formation of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, has revealed why the cooperatives are working with investment management body Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara).

Jakarta – Culture Minister Fadli Zon's plan to launch a newly rewritten history of Indonesia by Aug. 17, in time for the nation's 80th Independence Day, is sparking both anticipation and controversy.

Tim Lindsey (The Conversation) – Making Jakarta their first overseas destination has become a set piece for newly elected Australian prime ministers dating back to John Howard in 1996.

Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Jakarta – A total of 93 individuals were arrested by the police during a demonstration commemorating the 27th anniversary of the reformation in front of Jakarta City Hall.

Amnesty Indonesia Director Usman Hamid said that all of those arrested were Trisakti University students.

Iim Halimatusa'diyah – It is not clear that some of Indonesia's renewable energy projects are designed with the people in mind. Some local communities and traditional Islamic boarding schools are pushing back.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – For years, Mikael Ane, an Indigenous farmer from the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, has faced prison not for harming the environment, but for trying to protect his ancestral land.

Wahyu Chandra – Hundreds of protesters, including young and Indigenous peoples from three coastal villages, have demanded the closure of sand dredging in Indonesia's West Sulawesi over environmental concerns and permit violations.

Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Representatives of online motorcycle taxi drivers, or ojol, held a meeting with the Ministry of Human Rights, during which a dozen members of the National Ride-Hailing Coalition (KON) voiced their concerns.

Septia Ryanthie, Sukoharjo – Around 1,300 former employees of PT Sri Rejeki Isman Textile Tbk. (Sritex) have been rehired by a company leasing Sritex's assets. The new investor reportedly began operations in early May 2025.

Ni Made Tasyarani, Jakarta – Property developers have proposed a rent-to-own scheme as a way to ease homeownership access for workers in the informal sector.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The National Police (Polri) have concluded their investigation into allegations that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo used a fake university diploma, declaring the document authentic and finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Stefani Wijaya, Jakarta – Indonesia's Manpower Ministry launched the 2025 National Job Fair on Thursday, offering more than 53,000 job opportunities amid persistently high youth unemployment.

The two-day event, taking place at the ministry's headquarters on Jalan Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta, drew large crowds of job seekers from early morning.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has identified contaminated raw ingredients and poor hygiene as key causes behind food poisoning incidents reported in 10 provinces since the launch of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in January 2025.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Presidential envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo said Wednesday that Indonesia didn't want to heavily rely on foreign investment for the country's housing program. To this end, the government is planning to fund the ambitious project, among others, through an SDG bond.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday issued a stern ultimatum to government officials and regulators, demanding an overhaul of Indonesia's energy bureaucracy to fast-track investment and achieve energy self-sufficiency.

Yurike Metriani, Jakarta – Social Security Forum (Jamsos) of labor and worker unions want the government to reconsider the single-tier inpatient care system in the national health insurance scheme BPJS Kesehatan.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts Indonesia's unemployment rate will reach 5 percent in 2025. This figure becomes the second-highest in Asia after China, which is projected to be 5.1 percent this year.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The government has once again reduced the number of inmates eligible for amnesty. From the initial list of 44,000 inmates, the number has significantly reduced to around 1,000 individuals.

Riri Rahayu, Jakarta – Economist Bright Institute Awalil Rizky stated that the online motorcycle taxi industry, or ride-hailing, is expanding not only because of technological innovation. He argued that the scarcity of the job market and layoffs also contribute to its growth.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The deputy chief of Presidential Staff, Muhammad Qodari, said President Prabowo Subianto's administration has introduced an economic democracy transformation concept, dubbed the 'Prabowonomics.'

Jakarta – Ten cities in Indonesia received Climate Action Plans (CAP) to mark the completion of the Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) program on Wednesday, which was funded by the European Union.

The cities receiving the CAPs were Bandar Lampung, Cirebon, Samarinda, Pekanbaru, Banjarmasin, Pangkalpinang, Gorontalo, Kupang, Mataram and Ternate.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Chinese nickel material manufacturer Huayou is set to break ground on its Indonesian electric vehicle (EV) battery ecosystem project by August, thus officially replacing South Korea's LG Energy Solution.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Devy Ernis, Jakarta – A number of '98 activists gathered at the JS Luwansa Hotel in South Jakarta on Wednesday May 21 for a cross-generation activist workshop titled "From political democracy to the transformation of economic democracy".