Protesters throw sacks at police on Tuesday during a demonstration outside the East Kalimantan governor’s office in Samarinda. The rally, which called for a full audit of provincial government activities and an end to corruption, collusion and nepotism, turned chaotic.`

Lawmakers urge modesty for regional leaders after Samarinda unrest

Lawmakers have urged regional leaders to tighten spending and exercise greater restraint in public office, following protests in East Kalimantan’s capital Samarinda over lavish government expenditures that have drawn criticism amid economic hardship.

47 minutes ago

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Jakarta declares war on janitor fish as population explodes

The fish, locally known as ‘ikan sapu-sapu’, survive better in polluted waters compared to other fish, making them a dominant species in heavily contaminated rivers across Jakarta.

1 hour ago

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YouTube to remove underage accounts, stop ads targeting kids

Google’s video sharing platform YouTube became the latest platform identified as having a ‘high risk’ for children to comply with the government’s restrictions on social media use for children under 16.

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Free meal beneficiaries: Children receive free nutritious meals on April 7 in Slipi, West Jakarta. The government has spent Rp 44 trillion (US$2.57 billion) on the program, reaching 61.62 million beneficiaries as of March 9 out of a total allocated budget of Rp 335 trillion for the program this year.

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BPOM yet to test free meals over budget limits

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) admitted that it has yet to test food samples from the government’s free nutritious meal program, despite a growing number of reported food poisoning cases nationwide, citing budget constraints.

14 hours ago

Prospective Indonesian haj pilgrims practice circumambulation rituals on April 5, 2026, around a replica of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, at the Al Mahmudah Manasik Training Center (AMTC), a haj training facility featuring the replica, in South Tangerang.

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Immigration foils unauthorized haj attempt by 13 pilgrims

Last year, Indonesian immigration authorities prevented the departure of approximately 1,250 Indonesians who attempted to perform the pilgrimage through unauthorized channels.

22 hours ago

(From left to right): Executive director of Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jose Rizal Damuri, chair of CSIS board of directors Djisman Simandjuntak, economist Gabriela Ramos and Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Stella Christie listen on Wednesday as a moderator opens the Digital Lecture Series.

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Don’t rush to bring AI into classrooms: Deputy technology minister

Deputy Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Stella Christie said that early education could benefit from the fact that the human brain, even at the early stage of human growth, has a superior capability than even the most advanced form of artificial intelligence.

23 hours ago

An activist puts up posters including one reading “Acknowledge the 1998 mass rapes“ on April 22 ahead of a press briefing at the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) office in Jakarta.

Politics premium

Fury as court dismisses 1998 mass rape lawsuit

The court’s dismissal of the case against Culture Minister Fadli Zon, which was done on procedural grounds, brings back a ‘very dark chapter’ for the victim's pursuit of justice and reinforces a culture of impunity, plaintiffs have said.

1 day ago

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla (center) shakes hands with Christian delegate from the Malino I peace talks, Rinaldi Damanik (right) on Tuesday during a meeting with figures involved in the Malino I peace process for Poso and Malino II for Maluku in Jakarta. The meeting was held in an effort to ease tensions following a viral video clip of Kalla’s lecture at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), which was accused of blasphemy and led to police reports.

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Housing project launched for Senen shantytown dwellers

Robot arms hover above an enlarged keyboard against text that reads “AI artificial intelligence”, in this illustration created on Jan. 27, 2025.

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East Jakarta officials under fire for using AI image in addressing complaint

archipelago

Aceh journalist prosecuted in alleged media spending graft case

Kadri Amin, a journalist that leads online media Gumpalannews, was named a suspect in February after he was accused of securing a media advertising project from the Simelue administration without proper procurement procedures, allegedly causing state losses of Rp 697.5 million (US$40,658).

1 day ago