President Prabowo Subianto has praised the country’s 2026 haj management but called for further improvements, including better services and shorter wait times for pilgrims.

Calls are growing to suspend and review President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program amid mounting concerns about persistent implementation problems, even as the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), under new leadership, moves to improve oversight.

Drought has begun affecting several regions across Java as the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warns that the country’s dry season is expected to peak in August and may last longer than usual.

Tulus Abadi, chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (FKBI), said soaring medicine and vitamin prices were an unavoidable consequence of the rupiah’s depreciation, noting that between 85 and 90 percent of the raw materials used by Indonesia’s pharmaceutical industry are imported.

Under its newly installed leadership, the BGN plans to audit all SPPG across the country before the new school year starts, focusing on quality as well as beneficiary data in a bid to improve the flagship feeding program.

The TNI's increasing involvement in national waste management efforts is another example of military overreach in civilian affairs and risks potential conflicts of interest in commercial waste projects, watchdogs say.

Consumers worry that beverage sellers or brands may manipulate nutritional labels, while business owners are concerned about additional costs to test their products.

New innovations in fertility treatment are giving Indonesian couples greater opportunities to achieve their dream of building a family.

BPJS Kesehatan President Director Priharti Pujowaskito said the agency is currently paying out significantly more in healthcare claims than it collects in premium contributions, resulting in a persistent funding gap.

Hundreds of Indonesian women and girls continue to die in gender-based killings, with activists warning that state neglect, inadequate healthcare and systemic injustice are increasingly contributing to preventable deaths, particularly in eastern Indonesia.

Studies looking at Australia and other countries that have imposed plain packaging for tobacco products found a drop in the number of smokers following the implementation of such a policy.

Yenny Wahid, the daughter of late president and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leader Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, was elected chairperson of the Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani) in an extraordinary congress last week, amid an ongoing leadership dispute that questioned the election’s legitimacy.

Some parents believe the extra French lesson in school may help improve their children’s competitiveness in the global market, but educators have raised concerns whether the country’s education system is ready to introduce another foreign language in the curriculum.

The new Domestic Workers Protection Law grants long-sought legal recognition, but key rules on wages and enforcement could take another year, leaving workers like Arnida waiting for tangible change.

All but one of the students found violating the university’s regulations for sexually explicit conversation were suspended for one to three semesters, and will be required to undergo psychological counseling and complete an anti-sexual violence course.

Just days before his removal, former National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Dadan Hindayana had proposed expanding the free meal program to Saudi Arabia, following his recent visit to the country.

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is considering expanding President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meals program to Saudi Arabia following a recent visit to the country, despite ongoing implementation challenges at home.

The Communications and Digital Ministry has warned that children can easily access pornographic content on social media due to weak age-verification systems and platform algorithms, underscoring the urgency of stronger safeguards mandated under the Child Protection in Digital Space Regulation (PP Tunas).

Low scores in elementary and junior high school exams have highlighted the need to improve Indonesia’s education system, with observers calling for reforms focused on teachers and school governance.

A pair of Indonesian “researchers” participating in a leading international medical symposium in Denmark have come under intense scrutiny after allegedly using fabricated studies to secure travel grants and present at the event, fueling concerns over academic integrity and the credibility of Indonesian researchers on the global stage.

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has stopped distributing free nutritious meals during school breaks and weekends as part of the government’s austerity drive, after the policy drew criticism for encouraging wasteful spending. 

Indonesian haj pilgrims have arrived in Mina to begin the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual, marking the final stage of the annual Islamic pilgrimage as the government intensifies efforts to ensure smooth services amid scorching temperatures and logistical issues.

People with disabilities often lacked adequate accommodation in policymaking forums, including accessible meeting venues and the availability of sign language interpreters, SMERU study finds.

The government is aiming to complete the final phase of recovery efforts in disaster-hit areas of northern Sumatra within the next three years, allocating more than US$5 billion for infrastructure-focused rehabilitation and reconstruction programs.

Education watchdogs are pressing the government to immediately enforce a Constitutional Court ruling mandating free basic education at both public and private schools, a year after the decision was issued with no concrete follow-up from the state.

Indonesian pilgrims kicked off this year’s haj pilgrimage on Monday, as the government intensified measures to ensure the orderly movement, accommodation and safety of more than 200,000 pilgrims during the annual Islamic rite in Saudi Arabia.

Over the past month, Saudi authorities have arrested dozens of Indonesians for various haj-related violations.