A painting created at least 51,200 years ago in the limestone cave of Leang Karampuang in the Maros-Pangkep region in Sulawesi portrays three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig, in this undated handout image. `

Wildfires threaten cave art, burn indigenous burials in Sulawesi

Heat and smoke from the burning forest and land near caves where the rock arts are located may gradually damage the physical features of the painting and accelerate their decay, while soot from the blaze may also obscure the rock structures.

8 minutes ago

Politics premium

Nationalist rhetoric clouds Indonesia’s haze accountability

Indonesia’s recent row with neighboring countries over transboundary haze caused by local fires is fueling concerns that the government is wielding nationalist sentiment to deflect criticism of its response to the crisis.

20 minutes ago

Society premium

Govt passes buck on free meals oversight

The government has ordered regional administrations to establish their own task forces to inspect free meals kitchens and promised incentives for complying regions, which critics warn will only shift oversight responsibilities to regions already under tight fiscal constraints.

33 minutes ago

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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building is pictured under overcast skies in Jakarta on Jan. 22, 2025.

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KPK searches Djarum's office in excise graft probe

The antigraft body issued a new warrant in October for an investigation into alleged irregularities and bribery pertaining to cigarette excise, with the commission’s spokesperson saying investigators may summon related parties for questioning as the probe goes.

10 hours ago

Soldiers, tasked with fighting forest and land fires, celebrate as it rains in Banjar Baru, South Kalimantan, on October 28, 2026, following months of forest and land fires.

Archipelago

Rains bring relief to Indonesian provinces weary of fire haze

Light to heavy rains have recently fallen in Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and South Sumatra, encouraged by its cloud seeding operations, said Indonesia's climatology agency.

13 hours ago

Memorial portraits of pencak silat athlete Ayudiah Rivana Tridiandinita (left) and finswimmer Syabilla Rizkia Putri Raharja (right), who died in separate incidents during the 17th Central Java Provincial Games (Porprov Jateng XVII) in October 2026.

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Two female athletes die at Central Java provincial games

Syabilla Rizkia Putri Raharja, 22, a finswimmer representing Jepara regency, died on Sunday after collapsing near the finish of the women’s 3,000-meter open-water finswimming event while Ayudiah Rivana Tridiandinita, 19, a pencak silat athlete representing Semarang city, died early Wednesday after undergoing surgery for a finger injury sustained during a match.

21 hours ago

Students attend a class on Oct. 19 at state elementary school SDN 6 Pekanbaru in Riau. The Pekanbaru administration has resumed in-person classes for elementary and junior high school students, requiring them to wear masks as air quality improves after forest and peatland fire haze forced schools to switch to distance learning.

Society premium

Haze disrupts schooling, threatens learning outcomes

High school students across the country began taking the academic competency test (TKA) on Monday. But in Central Kalimantan, one of the provinces hardest hit by forest and peatland fires this year, students will have to wait until next month to sit the exam because of deteriorating air quality.

23 hours ago

Protesters holding posters shout slogans during a protest against President Prabowo Subianto’s policies, and his government's handling of forest fires, at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta, on Oct. 28, 2026.

Politics premium

Students return to streets as anger swells over wildfires, shrinking civic space

Students and civil society groups across Indonesia took to the streets once again on Wednesday to demand the government’s accountability over the persistent forest and peatland fires, while decrying what they say is a shrinking civic space under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.

1 day ago

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Students return to streets as anger swells over wildfires, shrinking civic space

politics

Students protest against President Prabowo policies, wildfires

Worsened by the El Niño weather pattern that leaves peatland vulnerable to fires, Indonesia has been faced with its worst forest fires and resulting haze in 11 years, increasing respiratory illnesses and polluting the air of neighbouring countries Malaysia and Singapore.

1 day ago