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People ride a wooden boat on the Kahayan River as haze from wildfires shrouds Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan, on October 18, 2026. — People ride a wooden boat on the Kahayan River as haze from wildfires shrouds Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan, on October 18, 2026.`

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Haze response draws ire at home and abroad

Indonesia faces mounting criticism over its handling of the haze crisis and spreading wildfires, with the government allegedly silencing public scrutiny and downplaying the scale of the blazes, as neighboring countries speak out against Jakarta’s muted gestures toward accepting firefighting assistance.

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Haze from forest fires still blankets Sumatra, Batam Islands

North Sumatra ordered distance learning for all school levels to start on Friday because haze has blanketed all regions in the province

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Firefighters, villagers unite as wildfires threaten Sumatran elephant habitat

Wildfires have been burning inside the Padang Sugihan Wildlife Reserve since August. By early September, approximately 2,300 hectares of the reserve’s 88,148 ha had been burned, accounting for about 2.61 percent of its total area.

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Military personnel Sami Lakka, Nandala Dwi Prasetya, Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono and Edi Sudarko charged over an acid attack on human rights activist Andrie Yunus, a ‌deputy coordinator with the rights group Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), known for campaigning against the expanding public role of the armed forces, stand at the courtroom for their verdicts at the Jakarta Military Court on June 10, 2026.

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Constitutional Court orders end to military impunity

Jane Rosalina of Kontras said the Constitutional Court's ruling had broken through the wall of military impunity and offered an opportunity for the government, lawmakers and the Supreme Court to accelerate military justice reform.

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Wildfire flames and smoke rise above a forest in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park near Mount Bromo in Probolinggo, East Java, on Aug. 10, 2026.

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Four killed fighting wildfire in Mount Bromo National Park

Wildfire-fighting operations have claimed at least eight lives nationwide this year amid a severe fire season.

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Haze shrouds Jakarta on September 17, 2026.

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Smoke from Kalimantan fires reaches Jakarta skies

Satellite imagery from Himawari-9 captured on Friday showed smoke spreading across parts of Banten, Jakarta and West Java. The smoke was detected at an altitude of around 2 to 3 kilometers above the ground, according to the BMKG.

2 days ago

President Prabowo Subianto (right) and Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto (center), stand in an open ceremonial vehicle labeled 'INDONESIA 1' to review the ranks during the 81st TNI Day Parade in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Oct. 5, 2026.

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Dissatisfaction with democracy hits record low under Prabowo

Public satisfaction has fallen sharply since Prabowo won the presidential election in February 2024, when 74 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the state of democracy. By March 2026, the figure had dropped to 62 percent, before falling further below 40 percent in the latest survey.

2 days ago

Motorcyclists queue to refuel on Wednesday at a gas station in Denpasar amid a fuel supply shortage on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

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Kilometer-long queues, traffic jams as fuel shortages hit Bali

Komang Juli Astawa, 28, a resident of Pendem village in Jembrana, was forced to spend the night sleeping on his motorcycle while waiting in line for fuel at a local gas station.

2 days ago

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President Prabowo Subianto (right) and Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto (center), stand in an open ceremonial vehicle labeled 'INDONESIA 1' to review the ranks during the 81st TNI Day Parade in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Oct. 5, 2026.

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Dissatisfaction with democracy hits record low under Prabowo

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla presents his public lecture at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Illinois, the United States, on Oct. 13, 2026.

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Public office requires more than just popularity, Kalla says in lecture in Illinois

Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak (left) and Gen. Tandyo Budi Revita are sworn in on Thursday as Indonesian Military (TNI) deputy commander and Army chief of staff, respectively, in a ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta.

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Prabowo swaps army chief, TNI deputy commander in latest reshuffle

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) official Gabriel Purwaka Sigit (left), Bima Setiawan (right) who is the younger brother of BNPB chief Suharyanto, and private-sector figure Syifa Nrika Ghifarian (second left) walk in detainee vests after questioning at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday (Oct. 14, 2026). The KPK has detained five suspects in an alleged corruption case at BNPB, uncovered through a sting operation.

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Lawmakers call for audit of disaster agency after graft scandal

A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk firefighting helicopter operated by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) sits on the tarmac enveloped in haze on Sept. 24 at Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan. Low visibility caused by persistent forest fires has hampered both commercial air travel and aerial firefighting operations across the province.

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Five arrested for corruption at disaster agency amid funding concerns

Newly appointed National Police chief Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto (center) arrives for his inauguration on Oct. 1 at the State Palace in Jakarta.

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More shake-ups at police force under new chief

President Prabowo Subianto (left) walks past the podium ahead of a swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed cabinet ministers during a cabinet reshuffle at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Oct 1, 2026.

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Public confidence in Indonesia’s direction falls under Prabowo: Survey

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Haze shrouds Jakarta on September 17, 2026.

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Smoke from Kalimantan fires reaches Jakarta skies

Students take part in a physical education activity outside state elementary school SDN Jati Pulo 07 and 08 in Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. The Jakarta administration, through the Jakarta Education Agency, recently renovated the school buildings.

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Jakarta school renovations win praise, but funding leaves others waiting

Passengers walk after disembarking from a TransJakarta bus on July 7, 2026, at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle bus stop in Central Jakarta, Indonesia.

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Jakarta gears up to expand Transjakarta portfolio

The skyline of downtown Jakarta appears in the distance on Nov. 1, 2022, beyond the lush greenery of Tebet Eco Park in Tebet, South Jakarta.

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Residents flock to Greater Jakarta's growing green spaces

Workers clear debris at the train collision site after the locomotive of a passenger train pierced through the rear car of a commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station in Bekasi, West Java on April 28, 2026. President Prabowo Subianto ordered an investigation on April 28 after a long-distance train smashed into a stationary commuter train overnight, killing 15 people and injuring dozens.

Police charge train driver over crash that killed 16 women in Bekasi

A long-distance train smashed on April 28 into a women-only car at the back of a stationary commuter train near Bekasi Timur station in West Java.

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A group of people take advantage of Car Free Day on Dec. 4, 2022, exercising along a Jakarta thoroughfare closed to motor vehicles between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m.

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Extending Jakarta’s CFD may raise awareness but not dent pollution

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung (left) poses with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a bilateral meeting at Civic Hall in New York in the United States on Sept. 20, 2026, on the sidelines of the Urban 20 Mayors Summit.

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New York offers Jakarta assistance on municipal bond plan

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Motorcyclists queue to refuel on Wednesday at a gas station in Denpasar amid a fuel supply shortage on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

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Kilometer-long queues, traffic jams as fuel shortages hit Bali

Haze blankets Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, on Oct. 14, 2026. Airport authorities temporarily suspended flights as smoke from wildfires reduced visibility.

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Orange skies, ash-covered homes as wildfire smoke engulfs Palangka Raya

A technician from state electricity company PLN stands atop a transmission tower during regular maintenance work on Dec. 27, 2023, in Palu, Central Sulawesi.

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Batam blackout caused by wild animal costs at least Rp 233.9 billion

President Prabowo Subianto (center) arrives at the National Monument (Monas) to attend the International Workers’ Day commemoration in Central Jakarta on May 1, 2026.

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Geopolitical uncertainty leads to mass layoffs in East Java

A teacher gives a lesson to students on Sept. 9 under a tree at SDN Jarak elementary school in Golo Mori village, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), after damage to their classroom forced lessons outdoors. Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry data show that 1,931 schools, involving 171,476 students, have resumed classes after being temporarily closed following the NTT earthquake.

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Flores quake victims demand govt accountability over slow disaster response

People commute along a road as haze from forest and land fires shrouds Palembang, South Sumatra, on Oct. 2, 2026.

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Protests erupt across Sumatra as frustration grows over persistent wildfires

Bullying illustration

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Serious bullying cases in Central Java raise questions over student safety

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Motorcyclists ride in the morning in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan on October 14, 2026. Thick haze has turned the skies in the city into apocalyptic shades of yellow and orange on Thursday, reducing visibility to a few dozen meters as wildfires cause a regional air pollution crisis.

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Government accused of limiting access to forestry data amid raging wildfires

Illustration of a police tape sealing a crime scene.

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Deadly Ciputat blast put free meals safety under scrutiny

Demonstrators ride in a convoy on Oct. 13, 2026, to the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park office to protest Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s planned concert in Magelang, Central Java. Members of various community groups gathered at the complex to oppose the concerts, scheduled for Borobudur Temple on Oct. 31 and Jakarta on Nov. 3, citing the singer’s perceived links to Israel.

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Bocelli concerts face uncertainty after MUI opposition

Students embrace their teacher’s hands during a Teacher's Day celebration at an elementary school in Semarang, Central Java, on Nov. 25, 2025. The event, held under the theme “Great Teachers, Strong Indonesia” and attended by hundreds of students, the event aimed to deepen their understanding of teaching and inspire them to follow in their teachers’ footsteps.

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Teachers push for better pay in education bill

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People with mental illness need greater say in care

Students collect buffer meals at state junior high school SMPN 2 Kandeman in Batang regency, Central Java, on Oct. 8, 2026. The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is testing a buffet-style meal service model to provide warmer and fresher meals, reduce the risk of food spoilage that could cause health problems and strengthen the educational experience for beneficiaries.

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Free-meal buffet trial leaves safety risks unresolved

The Threads' Instagram app is pictured on the App Store, in this photo illustration created in Washington, on July 5, 2023. Threads, meant to compete with Twitter, was released in 2023.

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Indonesia flags Meta’s gaps in child safety compliance

Today's ePost

Mon, October 19, 2026

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