Superfood warning as Tim Spector urges people to avoid one thing

 Professor Tim Spector has shared some much-needed advice to people to eat 'superfoods'. "Contrary to popular belief, there’s no set criteria for a superfood.

"It’s just a word for a food or drink that’s considered by some to be highly nutritious", Holland & Barrett explain. Speaking about food that boasts numerous health benefits, Tim Spector, an epidemiologist and founder of Zoe Health, shared a "sneaky tip" to make these superfoods even healthier.

In his Channel 4 series, titled What Not to Eat, he shared the tip that's not only free to do, but it requires no extra steps. He explained: "Whole foods are filling, nutritious and delicious. And I’ve got a sneaky tip to make them even better for you. To peel or not to peel. That is the question."

Answering his own question, he continued: "For me, it is generally to avoid peeling. This is for two reasons.

"The first is polyphenols, because most of these defence chemicals that plants produce are really good for us - and they’re in the skin. What they do is they help our microbes to proliferate, which boosts our immunity and helps us in all kinds of ways."

Using foods like apples, potatoes, and kiwis as examples, all of which are highly beneficial, he highlighted that keeping the skin intact can deliver surprising health advantages and may even help reduce the risk of various illnesses.

The professor noted: "An apple is something that most people bite into, and some people do peel, but they would be losing out on large amounts of the nutrients. Up to almost 30 times more of these defence chemicals are in the skin than they are in the flesh.

"Another example is kiwi fruit. Most people will peel it, but 50% extra fibre is what you get when you eat that [kiwi] with the skin." As he bit into an unpeeled kiwi, he said: "Just as good as eating with the flesh - and less messy."

He then added: "For your potatoes, try and keep the skin on because it’s got five times more fibre in it, so you’re missing out if you don’t do that."

According to Bupa, fibre can help:

improve our blood sugar control

boost our digestive health

reduce our risk of cardiovascular disease

reduce blood cholesterol levels

stimulate healthy bowel movements

help people maintain a healthy weight

But "don’t overstress about it if you can’t, because use the peelings, don’t throw them away. You just put them in a roasting tin, you add a bit of olive oil and a bit of salt and hey presto, you’ve got some fantastic crisps that are absolutely delicious."

Backing up his thoughts, one study said: "Bioactive plant compounds, including phenols, are responsible for the nutritional quality and sensory characteristics of fruits and vegetables, among other functions."

Apple

Banana

Orange

Kinnow

Melon

Mango

Pomelo

Pomegranate

Kiwi

Carrot

Exercise scientist’s easy trick to increase health benefits of walking

 It’s 2025, and walking 10,000 steps a day is one of the most popular fitness goals on the planet.

The scientific rationale is dubious – research suggests that doing 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day offers optimal return for your health. But the human psyche loves having a nice, round number to aim for, and if a step goal encourages people to move more, it’s hardly a bad thing.

However, a 2024 paper published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports suggests there’s more to consider than just how many steps you do if you want to maximise benefits such as losing weight, lowering your blood pressure and decreasing your blood sugar levels.

The article shows that both exercise quantity and quality (ie. intensity) are associated with the five cardiovascular risk factors for metabolic syndrome; elevated waist circumference, high triglycerides, low HDL (or “good” cholesterol), high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

To improve these, “the analysis says you can get away with just doing a higher volume of exercise, but you’re better off doing a higher volume and a higher intensity of exercise in combination,” the paper’s lead author Dr Elroy Aguiar tells me. “It’s the combination of quantity and quality that gives you the best benefit.”

In other words, incorporating a slightly faster spell of walking into each day could have significant positive impacts.

How to walk 10,000 steps a day for optimal health results

The good news is, particularly for those newer to exercise, upping your exercise quality doesn’t need to mean signing up for several sweaty HIIT classes or committing to sprint intervals. It can be as simple as walking a bit faster.

“Accumulating a high volume of walking throughout the day, then focussing on doing at least 30 minutes of faster walking or jogging, would be a way to lower your metrics for each of the progressive risk factors,” says Dr Aguiar.

However, even shorter bursts of more intense physical activity were shown to have a positive effect.

“One of the really interesting findings from our paper was that, if you look at people’s highest one minute of activity across each day, averaged across the monitoring period, that was a very strong signal for whether they had one or more of the metabolic syndrome risk factors present,” Dr Aguiar explains. “Even something as little as one minute of high-intensity activity could be beneficial.”

In practice, applying this advice might mean most of your daily steps are performed at your usual pace. Then, you can try to include a brisk stroll while running errands at some point during the day – a higher cadence, or the number of steps you take per minute, has also been linked to improved health outcomes.

Benefits of focussing on exercise quality and quantity

If you ask people about their fitness goals for 2025, “improving metabolic syndrome risk factors” probably doesn’t crop up too many times. But by breaking it into its requisite parts, the benefits of improved exercise quality and quantity become far more relatable.

“Exercise is one part of a behavioural strategy to lose weight, which would reduce visceral adiposity,” Dr Aguiar explains. Visceral adiposity refers to the fat found around vital organs, deep within the abdominal area.

“We know that if you store fat mass around your abdominal area, that’s more dangerous than storing fat mass in your lower body or subcutaneously [just under the skin]. Visceral fat around your vital organs wreaks a lot of havoc in terms of the metabolic signalling that goes on there. Essentially, it’s dangerous to store a lot of abdominal fat because it changes the way our vital organs in that area function.

“By accumulating a higher volume and intensity of activity, you can reduce your weight and abdominal fat.”

As ever, you’re likely to see the best weight loss results by changing both your activity levels and diet. But exercise alone will still deliver significant benefits.

“Especially for individuals who are overweight and obese, and may have metabolic syndrome, exercise and behavioural strategies can minimise and reverse risk factors when they are in their early stages,” Dr Aguiar adds.

Blood pressure is another of the metabolic syndrome risk factors that can be improved by increasing the quantity and quality of your weekly physical activity levels.

“Exercise is already well-known to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure; that’s called post-exercise hypotension,” Dr Aguiar says. “Within as little as 15 or 20 minutes post-exercise, you can see a decrease in blood pressure from one bout of walking, for example.

“Just going out for a walk at a brisk pace, faster than you would usually, will drop your blood pressure down for up to about 24 hours post-exercise.”

A quick trot is also capable of dropping your blood glucose levels for up to 48 hours, Dr Aguiar adds.

“Each of those metabolic syndrome five risk factors, on a small timescale of hours to days, can benefit from going out for a brisk walk, a slow jog, or something like that. By consistently meeting physical activity guidelines, all five risk factors will improve over time too.”

How to increase your activity levels

Overall, Dr Aguiar says the current World Health Organisation’s (WHO) physical activity guidelines provide a solid benchmark to aim for.

They state that “every move counts towards better health,” and each week adults should aim to collect 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity or a combination of the two. But this blanket prescription can take many forms to fit in with your lifestyle.

“Some people might choose to get most of their activity on the weekend, and some people might choose to break their activity up into smaller periods throughout the day,” Dr Aguiar says.

“You can also use incidental movement. The new WHO messaging says that all movement counts, so if that means walking a little bit more quickly to your car or the train station, just to elevate your heart rate and your metabolic rate a little bit for brief periods you can accumulate throughout the day, those things count in terms of exercise.

“And they’re incidental. We all walk, to some degree; from your office to the bathroom, or to a local cafe. If you can focus on walking a little bit faster than you normally do, that’s going to be beneficial for a lot of these risk factors, especially the blood glucose and blood pressure side of things.”

Indonesia races to restore healthcare in disaster-hit Sumatra

 Indonesia’s Health Ministry has delivered 80 percent of essential medical equipment to disaster-affected areas in Sumatra, underscoring the government’s push to restore healthcare services disrupted by the floods and landslides that devastated the region.

The ministry’s director for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, Lucia Rizka Andalusia, said on Monday that supplies have reached hospitals and primary healthcare facilities, including public health centers (puskesmas).

“We must ensure full operations immediately—meaning hospitals can resume all services, including surgeries,” she noted.

The effort combines new deliveries with repairs to damaged equipment, supported by donations from multiple stakeholders.

The Sumatra disaster in late 2025 and early 2026 was one of Indonesia’s deadliest recent calamities, with floods, flash floods, and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra leaving more than 1,190 people dead, 143 missing, and over 131,000 displaced.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin announced that the government aims to have all healthcare facilities in the affected regions fully operational by March 2026.

Key challenges include replacing thousands of patient beds destroyed by mud and repairing ambulances rendered unusable.

The ministry has approached automobile companies for assistance and opened donation channels to secure critical devices such as X-ray machines.

Beyond medical infrastructure, the Health Ministry is working with the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to renovate homes of healthcare workers impacted by the disaster, ensuring they can continue serving communities effectively.

This coordinated response highlights Indonesia’s broader commitment to resilience—restoring essential services swiftly while mobilizing partnerships to safeguard public health in the wake of disaster.

Cisarua landslide linked to ancient geology, saturated groundwater

  The Geological Agency revealed that the landslide accident that buried 30 hectares of land in Pasirlangu Village, Cisarua Sub-district, West Bandung, was not just a simple hydrometeorological disaster, but rather a combination of ancient geology and groundwater saturation.

Acting Head of the Geological Agency, Lana Saria, on Monday, informed that in-depth analysis indicated a fatal combination of fragile ancient geological structures and groundwater saturation that triggered the slope failure in the densely populated area.

"The soil characteristics at the site were like a geological time bomb that finally exploded," she said.

Based on secondary data analysis, Lana explained that the disaster site, located at coordinates 6.796861° South Latitude and 107.539694° East Longitude, rests on the Old Unseparated Volcanic Sediment Formation (QVu) rock unit.

"This unit generally consists of volcanic breccia, tuff, andesite-basalt lava, and pyroclastic material that has undergone intense weathering," she explained.

Advanced weathering of this volcanic rock drastically reduces the soil's shear strength.

Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated by the presence of geological structures in the form of northwest-southeast-trending faults and fractures.

These microscopic cracks act as highways for rainwater to penetrate deep into the soil, creating zones of weakness that are ready to slide millions of tons of soil material at any time, she continued.

The unavoidable triggering factor is heavy rainfall, where intense rainwater infiltration into the weathered soil layer causes a significant increase in pore water pressure.

When this water pressure increases, the soil's cohesion weakens, and when the driving force of the slope exceeds the resisting force, mass movement of soil and rock occurs along the slip plane that develops in the zone of weakness, Lana said.

This explains the technical mechanism behind the landslide's extensive extent.

She added that besides natural factors, human activity has accelerated this process.

Land use dominated by residential and agricultural land use, coupled with the cutting of slopes for roads without adequate drainage systems, has disrupted the stability of the natural slopes, which have reached more than 40 degrees in some areas.

Given that the incident location falls within the Medium Landslide Vulnerability Zone, the technical team issued crucial recommendations that must be followed to prevent further loss of life.

The technical recommendations emphasize that residents near the affected area should immediately evacuate to safer areas since the potential for further landslides remains high, especially due to the already disturbed soil structure.

"Landslide management and the search for missing victims must pay attention to the weather and avoid carrying out activities during or after heavy rain," Lana reminded.

This warning is crucial because further landslides could affect search and rescue (SAR) personnel and volunteers working in the danger zone.

Furthermore, the installation of disaster hazard signs and mitigation outreach are now urgent priorities. The public is urged not only to be aware of rain but also to understand the early signs of landslides in their neighborhoods.

The West Java Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) informed that as a result of the landslide incident on Saturday (January 24), 19 people have been declared dead, 73 people are still missing, 666 people have been displaced, and 51 houses have been severely damaged.

Manpower Minister presses for inclusive job training to expand access

  Manpower Minister Yassierli has called for inclusivity at vocational training centers (BLKs) to ensure all citizens, including people with disabilities, have equal access to skills training and decent employment.

"We must create equal opportunities for all. Every citizen has the right to work and live a prosperous life," he asserted in his statement here 

The minister further stated that the development of BLKs must align with current and future industrial needs, such as information technology, digital marketing, and artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the minister, vocational training is a strategic solution to address labor challenges while also supporting regional economic growth.

Yassierli said the government is prioritizing the revitalization of BLKs as part of a national strategy to prepare a competent and competitive workforce for both domestic and international labor markets.

He added that BLKs must design specialized training programs and establish communication with stakeholders who can provide job placement opportunities in line with participants’ skills and expertise.

“BLKs are not only intended to meet domestic labor market needs but also to prepare the Indonesian workforce for employment abroad,” he said.

The minister also noted that the revitalization and relocation of BLKs to district capitals would help expand access to training services, particularly for people who have faced challenges related to distance and transportation costs.

With improved access, BLKs are expected to contribute to enhancing the quality of the local workforce.

Yassierli further said that regions have strong potential as sources of high-quality labor, but this potential must be supported by training programs that are relevant to industry needs.

“Therefore, BLK development should focus not only on infrastructure, but also on updating governance and training programs so they can adapt to the changing world of work,” he added.

Jakarta's Kepulauan Seribu transplants coral reefs

  The Kepulauan Seribu district government in Jakarta Province has transplanted coral reefs in the waters of Pramuka Island, specifically in the Marine Protected Area of Panggang Island, North Seribu.

The district government conducted a coral transplantation in the waters of Pramuka Island, specifically within the Marine Protected Area (APL) of Panggang Island, on Friday.

“This coral transplant reflects our commitment to sustaining the marine ecosystem in North Seribu. Coral reefs play a vital role in biodiversity and support coastal communities,” said Nurliati, head of the district's Food, Marine, and Agriculture Office (KPKP), in a statement Friday.

She urged locals and tourists to support marine conservation through environmentally friendly fishing practices and responsible marine tourism activities.

Gama Eka Anantha, marine section chief at KPKP North Seribu, explained that 100 coral seedlings were transplanted using the patchwork method in APL Pramuka Island.

“The corals are hard corals, mainly acropora species. Five personnel carried out the activity, and it will continue twice a month,” Gama said.

He added the transplantation aims to accelerate reef recovery and improve the marine ecosystem, particularly in conservation zones.

“Healthy coral reefs help maintain marine biodiversity and provide long-term benefits for both the environment and local communities,” Gama noted.​​​​​​​

ANTARA data indicate the total coral reef ecosystem in North Seribu covers roughly 2,100 hectares within the overall 107,000-hectare marine area.

This figure represents a geographic estimate rather than the dynamic area of living coral, which changes over time.

The reef area lies within the North Seribu National Park, spanning about 107,489–108,000 hectares, including shallow waters, small islands, shallow reef flats, and other marine zones.

This area also includes 1,994 hectares of shallow reef flats and marine zones, 119 hectares of lagoons, 18 hectares of straits, and five hectares of bays that make up the shallow coral structures.

Regarding Indonesia’s efforts to preserve its coral reefs, ANTARA noted that the government has, since 1998, initiated the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems through the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program (COREMAP), funded by loans and grants.

Sakuranesia strengthens Indonesia-Japan ties through cultural envoy

 The Sakuranesia Foundation has stepped up efforts to strengthen friendship and cultural diplomacy between Indonesia and Japan through the appointment of a cultural envoy actively involved in a range of arts and cultural exchange activities throughout 2025.

In a statement received in Jakarta on Friday, the foundation said Japanese idol Ayaka Yasumoto, a member of the pop group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, had been appointed as a Cultural Ambassador of the Sakuranesia Foundation.

“The foundation is engaged in cultural and educational exchanges between Indonesia and Japan,” said Sakuranesia founder Tovic Rustam.

He said Ayaka Yasumoto’s appointment followed her involvement in a number of Indonesia-Japan cultural initiatives.

“Her participation reflects an active role in promoting cross-cultural dialogue and artistic exchange between the two countries,” he said.

The series of activities began in June 2025, when Ayaka was a guest at the Japan-Indonesia Friendship Cultural Dialogue organized by the Sakuranesia Foundation at the Indonesian Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

The event featured cross-cultural friendship dialogue highlighting the role of the arts and creative expression as a means of strengthening ties between nations.

During the dialogue, Ayaka appeared alongside several Indonesian cultural figures, including makeup artist and art practitioner Bubah Alfian, to discuss collaboration and cross-cultural understanding between Indonesia and Japan.

Cultural collaboration continued in August 2025, when Ayaka was invited to Indonesia as a Japanese guest performer at the Jember Fashion Carnival (JFC) in East Java.

Her participation was facilitated by the Sakuranesia Foundation as part of its cultural exchange program.

The Jember Fashion Carnival is widely recognized as an international-scale fashion carnival that showcases youth creativity and local cultural heritage.

The Sakuranesia Foundation said the appointment of Ayaka Yasumoto as a cultural envoy is expected to help strengthen Indonesia-Japan friendship, particularly among younger generations, while opening opportunities for sustainable cultural collaboration.

Through approaches encompassing the arts, culture, education, and cross-border dialogue, the foundation aims to foster long-term cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in the cultural and educational sectors.

Basarnas sets 1-km search radius from ATR 42-500 aircraft debris site

 The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) has established a one-kilometer search radius around the fuselage debris of the ATR 42-500 aircraft, focusing efforts on locating victims.

The debris was found on the peak of Mount Bulusaraung in Pangkep District, South Sulawesi, during a search operation on Sunday morning.

Basarnas Deputy for Operations and Preparedness Edy Prakoso said the search area has been divided into four zones, with land-based Search and Rescue Units (SRU) deployed to each zone to speed up operations in the mountainous terrain.

“The operation is currently focused on searching for victims,” Prakoso said on Sunday.

The search and rescue (SAR) operation involves 376 joint personnel from Basarnas, the National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and other SAR volunteers.

The team is working across rugged karst terrain at an elevation of approximately 1,200 meters above sea level, facing rapidly changing weather conditions.

The ATR 42-500 aircraft was found on Sunday morning, less than 24 hours after it was reported missing by aviation authorities in South Sulawesi.

Initial indications of the aircraft’s location were detected at about 7:17 a.m Central Indonesia Time (WITA) after an air patrol spotted white debris in the Mount Bulusaraung area.

Ground teams confirmed the discovery of aircraft fragments on the northern side of the peak at approximately 8:02 a.m. WITA, followed by the finding of the fuselage at around 8:09 a.m. WITA.

The ATR aircraft was reported missing while en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar, South Sulawesi, at around 1:17 p.m. on Saturday (Jan 17). According to the flight manifest, the aircraft was carrying 11 people, including the crew.

BNN emphasizes importance of drug prevention through education

  Head of the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Suyudi Ario Seto emphasized the importance of strengthening preventive measures from an early age through massive education and cross-sector collaboration, including with schools, families, and the community.

During a working visit to the BNN Office in Surakarta City, here on Thursday, he said that the trend of drug abuse at a young age is an alarm for all parties to strengthen the resilience of the next generation.

"This is a wake-up call for all of us that drug abuse is already targeting young people, so prevention efforts must be strengthened from the outset by involving families, schools, and the community," Seto said, as quoted in a statement confirmed here on Saturday.

In line with this, he emphasized that prevention efforts from an early age need to be continuously strengthened through the National Anti-Narcotics Action Program Starting from Children (ANANDA), which targets the family and school environment as the initial step to protect children from drugs.

The visit, which was carried out with the Head of the Central Java Province BNN, accompanied by the Head of the Surakarta City BNN, was part of an effort to strengthen the performance of work units in the region.

After the visit, the head of the Indonesian BNN held a dialogue with all levels of the Surakarta City BNN.

The open and interactive dialogue discussed the challenges of carrying out tasks in the field as well as the dynamics of problems in handling narcotics in Surakarta, which continue to develop along with changes in patterns of drug distribution and abuse.

During the dialogue, the Surakarta City BNN staff stated that the majority of identified drug users were teenagers.

One case of a teenager known to have a history of drug abuse dating back to elementary school is a serious concern for Seto.

At the end of such a series of activities, Seto motivated all members of the Surakarta City BNN to remain enthusiastic in carrying out their duties.

He emphasized that their role in the regions is very strategic in protecting the community from the threat of narcotics.

He also invited all ranks to continue working with dedication and high integrity to realize a drug-free Indonesia.

Indonesia allocates Rp335 trillion for free meals program in 2026

 The Indonesian government has allocated Rp335 trillion from the state budget for its Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in 2026, targeting about 82 million beneficiaries and aiming to boost nutrition and grassroots economic growth.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the program is fully funded by the state budget (APBN), ensuring secure, sustainable and measurable implementation nationwide.

"The guarantee comes from the APBN. For 2026, the government has prepared Rp335 trillion for the Free Nutritious Meals program, so it is secure," Airlangga said at the Road to Jakarta Food Security Summit in Jakarta

Airlangga said the program would stimulate the economy as Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), or MBG kitchens, are paid upfront, strengthening cash flow for operators and encouraging local investment, small businesses and regional economic activity.

He said the SPPG business model provides payment before production, ensuring cash flow certainty and accelerating capital turnover, prompting some operators to plan expansion into multiple units.

From the total allocation, nearly Rp80 trillion is expected to be distributed to grassroots communities every quarter, exceeding the government’s first-quarter stimulus of nearly Rp37 trillion in the previous year, he said.

Airlangga added that quarterly disbursements would support economic growth through higher consumption, production and job creation, with the program projected to absorb up to three million workers.

He estimated the program could potentially lift economic growth by up to 7 percent. Even if only half of that potential is realized, it could still add around 3 percent to Indonesia’s economy in 2026.

B40 mandate still applies this year as B50 undergoing review: Minister

 Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto has confirmed that Indonesia will maintain its mandatory biodiesel blending policy at B40 this year, as plans to move to B50 are still under further study.

Under the B40 mandate, biodiesel consists of a blend of 60 percent petroleum diesel and 40 percent palm oil-based biofuel.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday, Hartarto said the transition to B50 requires comprehensive assessment, particularly of the price gap between fuel oil, petroleum diesel, and palm oil in both domestic and international markets.

He stressed that the B50 policy has not been canceled. Technical studies and automotive trials are continuing, while the government closely monitors price fluctuations and the readiness of the domestic industry from upstream to downstream.

Hartarto said the government is consistently calculating the price differential between biodiesel, petroleum diesel, and palm oil to ensure the fuel-blending policy remains balanced, safeguards energy supply, and supports national economic stability.

Preparations for the B50 mandate are still ongoing, he said, but implementation will depend on market developments. For now, President Prabowo Subianto has directed the government to maintain the B40 policy.

“We are preparing for the second half of the year, but based on current price conditions, the president’s directive remains B40, although we are ready to implement B50,” Hartarto said.

Indonesia began implementing the B40 biodiesel blending mandate in early 2025 as part of broader efforts to strengthen energy security and advance its green and sustainability agenda. The government has previously set a target to increase the mandate to B50 in 2026.

The policy aligns with the Asta Cita missions of the Prabowo Subianto administration, which place food and energy security among its top priorities.

RI Govt maps post-disaster recovery challenges across Sumatra

  Indonesia has begun mapping key challenges in handling floods and landslides across Sumatra after Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian was appointed to lead a task force accelerating post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction, as recovery efforts enter a critical transition phase.

“The main point is that we are mapping the current situation. Some regions have ended the emergency response phase, while others are still extending the response for the next 15 days,” Karnavian said in a statement 

The assessment was conducted during a coordination meeting involving Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, and Task Force Deputy Head Lieutenant General Richard Taruli Horja Tampubolon.

Karnavian said a total of 52 districts and cities across three provinces — Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra — were affected by the disasters that struck late last year.

Since the outset, the central government has worked with regional administrations and other stakeholders to mount a large-scale emergency response, including reopening road access, constructing temporary bridges, providing health services and ensuring the delivery of basic necessities.

Based on field monitoring and consolidation of reports, most affected areas have made significant progress. Recovery has been marked by the resumption of local government functions, restored connectivity on main roads, the return of basic services such as health care and education, and the gradual revival of economic activity.

However, Karnavian noted that several areas still require focused attention. In Aceh, 11 of the 18 affected districts and cities have gradually returned to normal conditions, while seven remain priorities for further handling. Similar patterns are seen in parts of North Sumatra and West Sumatra.

He added that almost all national road sections in the three provinces have been reconnected, while repairs to provincial and district roads are continuing.

The government is also accelerating the collection and verification of data on damaged homes to speed up assistance distribution and reduce the number of evacuees still living in temporary shelters.

To further hasten recovery, the task force plans to deploy additional personnel from the military, police, civil service and universities.

Two main disaster recovery command posts will be established in Jakarta and Banda Aceh to strengthen coordination and ensure sustained progress toward full rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Jakarta police halt probe into death of young Indonesian diplomat

 Jakarta metropolitan police have halted their investigation into the death of a young Indonesian foreign ministry diplomat, saying they found no evidence of a crime, authorities said 

Police ended the probe after investigators reviewed evidence and witness statements and found no criminal act during a case review, Jakarta police spokesman Budi Hermanto said.

He added investigators would reopen the case if the family submitted new and valid evidence for further examination.

The decision was conveyed in a formal notice from Jakarta police criminal investigators to the family, dated Jan. 6, 2026, with reference number B/63/I/RES.1.24/2026/Ditreskrimum.

Earlier, the family’s lawyer, Nicholay Aprilindo, had asked police to hold a formal case review into the death of Arya Daru Pangayunan.

Nicholay said on Nov. 26, 2025, that police had never conducted a full case review, based on information provided by Jakarta police.

He said police had only held a news conference on July 29, 2025, to announce expert conclusions, without a comprehensive review process.

Nicholay said the family wanted a case review and for the matter to be elevated to a formal investigation to allow legal measures against anyone suspected of involvement.

Arya Daru Pangayunan was found dead in his rented room in Jakarta’s Menteng district on July 8, 2025, police said.

His face was wrapped in tape or plastic, while the room showed no signs of struggle, with the bed neatly arranged and no visible blunt-force injuries.

The room was secured with a smart-lock system, raising questions about how anyone could have accessed it, police and the family said.

Arya Daru’s wife, Meta Ayu Puspitantri, earlier appealed to President Prabowo Subianto to ensure the case was investigated thoroughly and transparently.

She publicly urged the president, the national police chief, and the foreign minister to ensure the case was resolved honestly and fairly, speaking in Yogyakarta on Sept. 27, 2025.

The case has drawn attention from Indonesia’s National Police Commission, which said it was closely monitoring how authorities handled the investigation.

Commission member Yusuf said on Jan. 5, 2026, the body would continue to follow developments and monitor police actions in line with the wishes of the victim’s family.

Indonesia probes alleged corruption in land purchase for MXGP circuit

 Indonesia’s prosecutors are investigating suspected corruption in the Rp52 billion (approximately $3,1million) purchase of land for the Motocross Grand Prix (MXGP) circuit in Samota, Sumbawa, after state losses of Rp6.7 billion, approximately $400,000, were uncovered

The West Nusa Tenggara High Prosecutor’s Office has uncovered state losses equivalent to $400,000, linked to inflated land prices for the circuit, and has named two suspects in the corruption probe.

Muh. Zulkifli Said, Assistant for Special Crimes at the West Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed the findings during a press conference in Mataram on Thursday.

Investigators allege that the financial damage was caused by a deliberate mark-up in the land's valuation between 2022 and 2023.

The investigation revealed that an initial appraisal by the Public Appraisal Office (KJPP) valued the 70-hectare site at Rp44.8 billion, approximately $2,68 million.

However, a second assessment allegedly manipulated the figure to Rp52 billion.

An audit by the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) confirmed that the difference represents a direct loss to the state.

Two individuals have been named as suspects, Subhan, Head of the Central Lombok Land Office, who acted as chair of the land procurement committee while serving as Head of the Sumbawa Land Office; and Muhammad Julkarnaen, a private sector appraiser from KJPP.

Both suspects have been charged under Indonesia’s new Criminal Code (KUHP), specifically Articles 603 and/or 604 in conjunction with Article 20(c) of Law No. 1 of 2023 on corruption-related offenses.

As part of the investigation, prosecutors have questioned at least 40 witnesses, including former East Lombok District Head Moh. Ali Bin Dachlan, who owned and sold the land to the Sumbawa District Government for Rp52 billion.

The Samota circuit was built to host the MXGP, a premier international motocross championship.

VP ensures protection and faster recovery for Banjar flood victims

 Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has pledged to protect and accelerate recovery efforts for all flood victims in Banjar District, South Kalimantan.

During a visit to an evacuation post at Sungai Tabuk Community Health Center in Banjar on Thursday, he emphasized the importance of providing maximum protection for vulnerable groups and ensuring basic services run optimally.

"We must pay close attention to the evacuees, especially older adults, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and people with disabilities," he said.

Gibran also stressed the need to ensure that emergency kitchens provide meals three times a day and that health posts remain active 24 hours a day.

Furthermore, he requested that the supply of medicine, clean water, sanitation, and other support facilities be maintained properly, particularly to prevent the outbreak of diseases caused by prolonged flooding.

The vice president emphasized that the central government is committed to accelerating emergency response efforts and the recovery of affected areas.

"The government will repair the damaged houses," he assured the victims.

Based on preliminary data, flooding in Banjar affected 9 sub-districts and 121 villages. A total of 23,133 houses have been impacted, with 13,732 of them still inundated.

The disaster affected 42,082 households or 118,151 individuals, including 371 pregnant women, 687 infants, 2,145 under-five children, 4,356 children, 3,944 older adults, and 366 people with disabilities.

During his visit, Gibran spoke directly with residents, listening to their concerns and needs during their stay at the shelters.

He also reviewed the emergency kitchen to ensure that the provision of meals for the victims is running well and sufficient, and checked the conditions of the flood-affected houses in person.

Indonesia's FLPP housing financing hits record in 2025

 The Indonesia Public Housing Savings Management Agency, or BP Tapera, said the distribution of the Housing Financing Liquidity Facility, known as FLPP, reached 278,868 housing units in 2025.

“The distribution of FLPP financing in 2025 closed at its highest level in history, reaching 278,868 housing units with a total value of Rp34.64 trillion,” BP Tapera Commissioner Heru Pudyo Nugroho said in a statement in Jakarta 

He said the financing was channeled through 40 participating banks and 22 housing associations, covering 13,249 housing projects developed by 8,113 developers across 33 provinces and 401 regencies and cities.

Private-sector workers accounted for the largest share of FLPP beneficiaries in 2025, receiving 205,311 housing units, or 73.63 percent of the total distribution.

They were followed by self-employed workers with 39,218 units, or 14.06 percent, civil servants with 20,814 units, or 7.46 percent, members of the military and police with 5,409 units, or 1.94 percent, and other occupations with 8,083 units, or 2.90 percent. A further 33 units, or 0.01 percent, were allocated to other segments.

Compared with 2024, the number of private-sector worker beneficiaries rose by 31.3 percent, while distribution to self-employed workers increased by 58.7 percent. Civil servants recorded the highest growth at 145.7 percent, followed by military and police personnel, which rose by 36.9 percent.

West Java remained the province with the highest number of FLPP beneficiaries nationwide, with 62,591 housing units, or 22.44 percent of the total distribution.

It was followed by Central Java with 24,470 units, or 8.77 percent, South Sulawesi with 23,255 units, or 8.34 percent, Banten with 18,966 units, or 6.80 percent, and East Java with 18,361 units, or 6.58 percent.

At the regency and city level, Bekasi District recorded the highest number of beneficiaries with 14,702 housing units, followed by Bogor District with 10,195 units and Tangerang District with 8,246 units.

Other major recipient areas included Karawang District with 7,097 units, Kendari City with 6,895 units, Maros District with 6,233 units, Palembang City with 6,198 units, Deli Serdang District with 5,992 units, Kubu Raya District with 5,246 units, and Gowa District with 5,242 units.

Heru said the 2025 FLPP distribution reached 79.68 percent of the government’s target of 350,000 housing units.

“Although it did not meet the target, this year’s achievement represents the highest level of FLPP fund distribution since the program began in 2010,” he said.

Of the total distribution, 278,865 units, or 99.99 percent, were landed houses, while three units, or 0.001 percent, were apartment units.

Bali to screen tourists' finances under quality tourism plan

 The Bali Provincial Government plans to begin screening incoming international tourists by verifying the adequacy of their financial resources as a prerequisite for entry starting in 2026.

“One aspect of quality tourism is the amount of money in visitors’ savings accounts over the past three months,” Bali Governor Wayan Koster said in Gianyar on Thursday (Jan 1).

In addition to checking financial capacity, Koster said foreign tourists entering Bali will also be screened based on the intended length of stay and planned activities during their visit.

“This is to ensure everything is under control. When we travel to other countries, similar checks are applied, and we will implement the same approach, in line with policies adopted elsewhere,” he said.

Koster told the Tourism Minister that Bali recorded 7.05 million foreign tourist arrivals by air throughout 2025, while around 71,000 visitors arrived by sea.

He said the number marked the highest level in the history of Balinese tourism, with arrivals continuing to rise each year after the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.

In 2022, tourism business associations urged the Bali Provincial Government to reopen access for foreign tourists by offering various facilities, which led to a surge in arrivals that proved difficult to manage, Koster said.

“We must address this issue, and it cannot be resolved in a day or two. It requires patience,” he said.

The provincial government, he added, acknowledged that a range of problems have emerged, including environmental and infrastructure challenges. Rather than attributing issues such as waste, traffic congestion, and flooding solely to tourism growth, Koster emphasized the need for stronger regulations and better governance.

The central government has yet to set a target for tourist arrivals in 2026. However, the Bali administration aims to prioritize quality over quantity in tourism development.

“It is important to determine which foreign tourists are allowed to enter and which are not, so that visitors do not cause problems and instead contribute positively, particularly to the tourism sector,” he said.

Going forward, we will focus on quality tourism, not merely on numbers, through regional regulations and improved tourism governance,” Koster added.

VP Gibran inspects ongoing development of Nusantara capital city

 Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, accompanied by Second Lady Selvi Ananda, visited the country’s future capital Nusantara (IKN) in East Kalimantan Province to inspect progress in public infrastructure and facilities development.

According to a statement cited here, the two-day visit aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction for optimal monitoring to ensure that Nusantara’s development proceeds in an integrated and inclusive manner while prioritizing public service.

Gibran departed for the new capital aboard a presidential Boeing aircraft operated by the Indonesian Air Force from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta on Tuesday at 9:50 a.m. local time, arriving at Nusantara International Airport around two hours later.

Upon arrival, the entourage was welcomed by Head of the IKN Authority (OIKN) Basuki Hadimuljono, East Kalimantan Governor Rudy Mas'ud, Commander of the IV/Mulawarman Military Region Command Major General Krido Pramono, and East Kalimantan Police Chief Inspector General Endar Priantoro.

The vice president is scheduled to begin his official agenda with firsthand reviews of construction at several key sites, including the IKN State Mosque, the Plaza of Harmony, the IKN Basilica, and the Vice Presidential Palace.

Plans for Wednesday (December 31) include visits to the IKN Education Area, the construction site of legislative and judicial institution buildings, and a market in Sepaku, North Penajam Paser District.

Through the visit, Gibran reaffirmed the central government’s commitment to maintaining continuous supervision of Nusantara’s development as an environmentally friendly future seat of government that embodies the nation’s harmony in religious and cultural diversity.

Also accompanying the vice president were Deputy Minister of Public Works Diana Kusumastuti, Acting Vice Presidential Secretary Al Muktabar, and Vice Presidential Special Staff Member Achmad Adhitya.

Indonesia’s plan to relocate its capital city was initiated during the administration of the seventh president, Joko Widodo, who argued that the move was necessary to promote more balanced national development beyond the long-standing Java-centric model.

President Prabowo has assured that his government would carry on the construction of Nusantara, aiming to declare it as the capital for political affairs by 2028.

To support that target, the government is preparing to begin the second phase of development, which will focus on the construction of key infrastructure and facilities for judicial and legislative institutions and is scheduled to run through 2029.

Soetta Airport foils 137 illegal migrant worker departures

  The Immigration Office at Soekarno-Hatta Airport Immigration Checkpoint (TPI) in Tangerang, Banten, thwarted the departure of 137 prospective migrant workers suspected of illegally departing during the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

In preventing the 137 illegal migrant workers, authorities found that they intended to travel to Asian destinations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Hong Kong, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which are known as destinations with risks of illegal migrant worker placement.

“They all claimed to be tourists who wanted to go on holiday,” Head of the Immigration Office at Soekarno-Hatta Galih Kartika Perdhana remarked here on Tuesday.

He stated that based on more in-depth examinations by immigration officers, strong indications showed that they were non-procedural migrant workers.

“They were unable to clearly explain their travel purposes, such as how long they would stay and where they would be staying,” he said.

According to him, from January to December 29, 2025, Soekarno-Hatta Immigration prevented the departure of 2,917 passengers, of whom 1,905 were indicated as non-procedural migrant workers and potential victims of human trafficking and people smuggling.

Meanwhile, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Checkpoint Division Jerry Prima said detection has become more complex as prospective workers understand inspection patterns

Nevertheless, officers apply a two-layer screening system through physical observation, brief interviews, and the Subject of Interest systems. Initial indications include suspicious behavior, inconsistent answers, and inability to explain travel plans.

During 2025, the office also rejected 197 passport applications linked to trafficking and smuggling.

"Soekarno-Hatta Immigration reaffirms its commitment to continuously tightening supervision and increasing vigilance to protect Indonesian citizens from the risks of exploitation and human trafficking practices, especially during long holiday periods such as Christmas and New Year," Prima said.