Rescue workers operate heavy equipment on July 21 during a search for victims following an explosion at the Grand Polonia residential complex in Medan, North Sumatra. According to the Medan Police, the explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas leak.`

Police find gas leakage point in Medan blast killing three

The police and natural gas distribution firm PT Pertamina Gas Negara previously had different conclusions on whether there was a gas leak.

49 minutes ago

Archipelago premium

Whale shark found stranded on West Java beach dies

A 2025 study by Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia and Konservasi Indonesia documented 115 whale shark stranding events across 23 provinces in Indonesia between 2011 and 2023. The researchers recorded 127 stranded whale sharks during the period, of which 80 were confirmed dead.

2 hours ago

Society premium

Explainer: Why small protests are drawing outsized attention on social media

Unlike prior mass protests, recent rallies have been smaller in scale and more sporadic, leading some social media users to question why they appear to receive relatively little coverage from news outlets.

4 hours ago

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Thick smoke rises from a forest and land fire on Tuesday in Tumbang Nusa village, Pulang Pisau regency, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Central Kalimantan provincial government has declared a forest and land fire emergency through Oct. 31. As of Monday, fires had burned 1,715.14 hectares across 907 incidents in the province.

Society premium

Early wildfire surge raises alarm in Indonesia

Indonesia may be heading toward its worst wildfire season in years as fire activity surges ahead of peak burning months, fueled by a prolonged dry spell expected to intensify under a strong El Niño.

5 hours ago

Balinese Hindu women return from the beach on March 12, 2024, during a ritual a day after Nyepi, the day of silence that marks the New Year in the Balinese Hindu calendar, in Jimbaran, Bali.

Archipelago premium

US citizen investigated after allegedly trying to sell Bali land on social media

The controversy began after a video went viral on social media showing a foreign national promoting a 5,400-square-meter plot of land on a hillside in Kintamani, Bangli regency, Bali, drawing scrutiny from the public over the legality of the transaction.

6 hours ago

A woman lies on a wooden frame above a floor piled with green mussel shells on Sept. 20, 2025, in Cilincing, North Jakarta. Green mussels are widely harvested in Jakarta Bay, but there are concerns that pollution from factories and households may accumulate in them, including heavy metals and other contaminants.

Jakarta premium

Jakarta steps up efforts to reduce school dropout rates

The Jakarta administration's new "Back to School" program has won praise for seeking to return out-of-school children to classrooms, but education experts caution that free schooling and outreach alone will not solve the factors driving children to drop out.

15 hours ago

Plumes of smoke rise from the Mutiara Sentosa II, a ferry which caught fire on Aug. 2 off Madura Island in East Java province.

Society premium

Ferry fire raises concerns over lax national maritime safety oversight

The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire occurred only a month after a ferry carrying more than 70 passengers sank while sailing near Selayar, a small island off South Sulawesi.

1 day ago