A helicopter drops water on burning forests and land in the Petuk Katimpun area, Palangka Raya, in Central Kalimantan, on Aug. 13, 2026. `

Wildfire smoke drives surge in respiratory infections

Indonesia is seeing a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses as a prolonged dry season fuels widespread land and forest fires, with health facilities in parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra reporting thousands of additional cases in recent weeks amid worsening air quality.

4 hours ago

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Make it rain: Indonesia chases clouds to stem El Nino fires

Indonesia believes cloud seeding can help it tackle a wildfire season that experts say is on track to be among the worst in years, driven by a strong El Nino.

12 hours ago

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Javan hawk-eagle Garuda hatches before Independence Day celebrations

Javan hawk-eagle is an endemic Indonesian animal which not only has important values for the ecosystem but also to the national identiy as Indonesia's coat-of-arms the Garuda.

16 hours ago

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Skyscrapers in Jakarta are shrouded in haze on July 20 in East Jakarta. Jakarta's Air Quality Index (AQI) averaged between 120 and 168 in mid-July 2026, placing the city's air quality in the unhealthy category.

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Rainless days exacerbate air pollution in Jakarta

Prolonged rainless days have worsened Jakarta’s air quality, with residents reporting respiratory discomfort and environmentalists warning that weather modification may not be enough to address the capital’s broader environmental problems that can exacerbate the conditions brought on by El Niño.

17 hours ago

Angry protesters shout at soldiers as they remove a Free Aceh Movement (GAM) flag on Aug. 15, 2026, displayed alongside the Indonesian national flag during a rally at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh. Thousands of people gathered to mark the 21st anniversary of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) peace agreement, which ended nearly three decades of conflict. The raising of the separatist-linked flag, although not explicitly banned by the 2005 peace deal, remains a highly controversial issue, with central government authorities often prohibiting its display.

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Aceh flag clash exposes frustration over central govt’s slow flood recovery

A clash between a group of people and security personnel erupted in Banda Aceh following the raising of a flag associated with a former separatist movement crescent in place of the national flag over the weekend, fueling tensions ahead of Indonesia’s Independence Day.

18 hours ago

A schoolchild is treated in a hospital in Jakarta on April 4, 2026, after consuming a packaged meal prepared under the free nutritious meal program.

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Negligence blamed for free meal poisoning that sickened 350 students

The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) said a total of 40,759 students, teachers, pregnant women and toddlers had fallen ill after consuming meals provided under the program since its launch.

18 hours ago

This handout photo taken and released on Monday by the National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows a rescuer conducting operations near a collapsed mosque following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Satar Kampas village, East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The 7.7-magnitude quake early on Saturday killed 54 people and injured more than 100. Rescue officials have said there were no reports of people missing.

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Economic woes, disasters dim Independence Day celebrations

Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day celebrations took on a subdued tone in parts of the country this year, with some communities scaling back festivities or opting out altogether amid economic pressures, political discontent and a series of devastating natural disasters.

18 hours ago

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Jakarta steps up efforts to reduce school dropout rates

Morning commute: Passengers wait for a Jakarta MRT train on July 3, 2026, at Blok M Station in South Jakarta.

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Jakarta commuters trade time for savings as fuel prices remain high

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Negligence blamed for free meal poisoning that sickened 350 students

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Powerful aftershocks rattle NTT as earthquake death toll climbs to 68

Two small bags of white powder lay next to an undated illustration of drugs wrapped in plastic packets.

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Returning migrant worker arrested for smuggling drugs from Malaysia

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Search for quake victims underway on Independence Day

Residents of villages in Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.

1 day ago

Villagers look on after spending the night in an open field in Nangahale village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), on August 16, 2026, after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off Indonesia's eastern Flores island. Rescuers combed through debris for survivors on August 15 after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores island, killing at least 47 people, according to disaster officials.

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Thousands await aid after deadly Indonesian quake

Thousands of evacuees waited for help Sunday on Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) after a powerful earthquake killed 48 people, injured dozens and damaged hundreds of houses and buildings.

2 days ago

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Rescuers search for survivors as NTT quake death toll rises to 47

Nearly 160 houses, dozens of educational and health facilities and other public buildings were damaged when the earthquake struck, according to the BNPB.

2 days ago

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Five dead after magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Flores, governor says

Indonesian geophysics agency BMKG recorded the first quake at 4:58 a.m. (2158 GMT) at a depth of 15 kilometers, followed by several aftershocks.

3 days ago

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Economic woes, disasters dim Independence Day celebrations

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Free meals drive leaves remote kitchen investors deep in debt

Mounting debts are the latest blow for an initiative that has struggled with governance issues, supply chains problems, mass food poisoning cases and financial cutbacks since it was launched last year, leaving kitchens idle, children unfed and investors owing tens of millions of dollars.

5 days ago