Former Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has said he is ready to face trial cooperatively after the Jakarta Corruption Court rejected his preliminary objection in the hajj quota corruption case. Yaqut expressed confidence that he will ultimately receive justice, while acknowledging that it may come slowly. The trial will proceed to examination of the case on 1 September 2026, with Yaqut accused of causing state losses of Rp622.09 billion.

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has reported that weather modification operations successfully induced rainfall in three provinces prioritised for forest and land fire management. The operations, conducted in Riau, South Sumatra, and West Kalimantan, used cloud seeding to trigger light to moderate rain in several affected areas. The BNPB noted that similar operations could not yet be carried out in other priority provinces due to a lack of suitable cloud formations.

Hundreds of residents in Indramayu, West Java, took part in the annual Mandi Grujug tradition, bathing with water drawn from a sacred well at the Baiturrahmah Dermayu Heritage Mosque. Participants, ranging from elderly residents to infants, believe the water from the Sumur Penganten carries blessings and spiritual benefits. The tradition is held ahead of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday commemoration.

Kuningan Regency is seeking to expand its groundwater irrigation infrastructure, proposing 16 additional Jaringan Irigasi Air Tanah (JIAT) units for the second term of 2026 after eight are scheduled for construction in the first term. The initiative aims to provide alternative water sources for farmland affected by seasonal drought and to boost planting area and cropping intensity. The regency recently received a donated JIAT well in Ciawi Lor village, valued at Rp1.48 billion, from the Ministry of Public Works.

An Australian man has been detained by authorities in Badung, Bali, after being identified from CCTV footage engaging in a public indecency act in a residential alley. The suspect admitted the act was spontaneous and occurred while intoxicated, and he did not know the identity of the female foreign national involved. Police have handed him over to immigration for deportation as the offence carries a penalty of less than five years and the homeowner declined to press charges.

Yuwanky, the owner of the Planet Batam nightclub and a wanted fugitive in a suspected narcotics distribution case, has been arrested by the Indonesian National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim). He was detained at Soekarno-Hatta Airport shortly after landing from Singapore. Police believe Yuwanky acted as a drug supplier at the entertainment venue, working with another suspect, Basri Lemaiwang, who was previously apprehended after fleeing to Malaysia.

A forest and land fire in the Perhutani area of Ponorogo, East Java, has burned approximately 10 hectares and is sending smoke towards nearby homes. The fire is believed to have originated from land clearing by residents and spread into the state-owned forest. Local officials warn that the smoke poses a direct hazard to nearby communities and crops.

A military tribunal has sentenced retired Rear Admiral Leonardi, former head of the Defence Ministry's Defence Facilities Agency, to two and a half years in prison for corruption related to a satellite procurement project. The sentence is far lighter than the eight years sought by prosecutors, with judges finding him guilty only on a subsidiary charge. Leonardi's legal team argues the ruling contradicts a Constitutional Court decision requiring proof of actual state loss.

PT Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE) is advancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) development to position Indonesia as a regional hub for cross-border CO₂ networks. Speaking at the International Indonesia CCS Forum 2026, PHE highlighted the Asri Basin's potential as a CCS hub and stressed the need for regulatory alignment, commercial certainty, and integrated value chains. The company is pursuing technical, regulatory, and commercial preparations in parallel to support a connected regional decarbonisation ecosystem.

A South Jakarta District Court judge has rejected a pre-trial motion seeking the return of family photographs seized during a search of a Sentul residence linked to former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah. The judge ruled that the presence of personal items alone does not invalidate the entire search, while questioning why the applicant's family photos were found in a house he claimed was not his residence. The court held that ownership and occupancy issues should be resolved in the ongoing corruption and money laundering investigation.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has placed the Ciayumajakuning region of West Java on Alert status for meteorological drought from 21 to 31 August 2026. The warning follows more than 50 consecutive days without rain recorded at the Kertajati and Jatiwangi meteorological stations. Residents, particularly farmers and livestock breeders, are advised to take precautionary measures as water availability is expected to decline.

PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) IV PalmCo is advancing gender equality by preparing female talent for future leadership roles within the agribusiness sector. The company held the 'Srikandi PalmCo: Women in Leadership' forum in Jakarta to build capacity and encourage women to take on decision-making positions. The initiative aims to create a more inclusive, adaptive, and competitive agribusiness industry.

A person who contracted West Nile virus locally in the Netherlands has died, according to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). This marks the first confirmed locally acquired human case in the country since 2020, with three cases reported so far in 2026. The virus has also been detected in a horse and a bird, indicating circulation among local mosquito populations.

A new Indonesian Chinese Cultural Centre has been inaugurated in Bandung, coinciding with the 50th Golden Jubilee of the Yayasan Dana Sosial Priangan. The centre aims to document the long history of Chinese-Indonesian civilisation and social interaction in West Java, particularly through cuisine, fashion and creative works. It is expected to become a new hub for cultural preservation and strengthening tolerance in the region.

US distillate fuel inventories dropped to their lowest August level since records began in 1982, falling 2.2 million barrels to 103.4 million barrels last week. The decline comes as retail diesel prices hit their highest level in more than four years, driven by tightening global refined product markets. The EIA cited reduced Russian refined product exports and renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz as key factors constraining supply.

Kudus Regent Sam'ani Intakoris participated in the Central Java Investment Business Forum 2026 to attract investment and boost regional economic growth. The forum offered 19 investment projects worth approximately Rp14.9 trillion to potential investors. Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi and central government officials emphasised investment's role in job creation and economic resilience amid global uncertainty.

Hundreds of Diponegoro University students demonstrated outside the Central Java Governor's Office in Semarang, criticising the government's flagship programmes and its handling of forest fires. They argued that the Free Nutritious Meals and Red-and-White Village Cooperatives schemes are politically motivated and drain funds from essential services. The protesters also condemned the erosion of freedom of expression and urged the government to address pressing social issues.

The legal team of former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Febrie Adriansyah, has called on the public to examine the judge's legal reasoning rather than focusing solely on the outcome of his pretrial motion. The South Jakarta District Court rejected Febrie's pretrial petition, ruling that the investigation and related procedures were lawful. His lawyer, Febri Diansyah, highlighted the judge's acknowledgement of administrative carelessness in the investigation, arguing such matters can have serious consequences for those named in a case.

A South Jakarta District Court judge has revealed that former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah is alleged to have received Rp 40 billion from businessman Tan Kian in connection with the ASABRI and Jiwasraya corruption cases. The pretrial ruling found that police had sufficient preliminary evidence to justify the search, seizure, and naming of Febrie as a suspect. The judge stressed that the pretrial assessment concerned only the legality of the investigative actions, not the truth of the bribery allegations.

A video has gone viral showing primary schoolchildren in Timor Tengah Utara, East Nusa Tenggara, chanting encouragement at the district education chief as he crossed a fast-flowing river to reach their school. The river is the only access route for pupils at SDN Oelbaf, as no bridge connects the area. Social media users criticised the government, saying officials should feel ashamed that children face such conditions daily.