Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has confirmed that Chinese J-10 fighter jets are set to soar across Indonesia's airspace, ending months of speculation. While this procurement follows Indonesia's recent acquisitions of Rafale jets from France and fighter aircraft from Turkey, the Beijing deal has drawn particular attention for its speed and opaque timing.

Several private companies, including Garibaldi "Boy" Thohir's Adaro Energy, have been dragged into the spotlight after prosecutors charged PT Pertamina and its subsidiary, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga (PPN), with corruption that allegedly cost the state trillions of rupiah. The case centers on the underpricing of unsubsidized Solar and Biosolar, Pertamina's diesel and biodiesel fuel brands, sold to numerous private sector buyers. The indictment, which could result in state losses of up to hundreds of trillions of rupiah, has sparked a heated debate among experts and civil society. Some caution against the potential criminalization of private sector buyers, while others insist on pursuing all possible corporate links to the corruption scheme.

President Prabowo Subianto spent much of the first year since his October 2024 inauguration trying to fulfill his campaign promises, but he has also been quietly consolidating power over his political detractors, with a little help from his Army friends.

Cooperatives and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are now eligible to manage mining concessions over significant land areas across the country following the issuance of a revision to the Government Regulation (PP) No. 39/2025 on implementation of mineral and coal mining operations. While the government has presented this policy to boost local economic participation, particularly among communities near existing mines, it has also raised concerns over the limited technical capacity of co-ops and SMEs and the risk that they could be used as fronts for large corporations.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa is facing growing backlash from regional governments after the central government decided to slash local transfers in the 2026 state budget to their lowest level since 2016. Purbaya insists the move is crucial to safeguard fiscal stability amid mounting budgetary pressure. Yet, his rationale raises a critical question: Can regional governments withstand the burden of this fiscal tightening?

The governance and controversial politics surrounding Islamic academic institutions came to a head in recent weeks after a three-story pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Sidoarjo, East Java, collapsed last month, killing 67 students and injuring over 170 others.

With Indonesia’s national soccer team failing to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Erick Thohir faces intense pressure as chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI). The setback may also threaten his role as Youth and Sports Minister in President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet, a position now seen as vulnerable given his lack of formal political party backing and the apparent move to expel former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s allies from the government.