The detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus in wild birds on mainland Australia has raised concerns across the Asia-Pacific, with experts urging Indonesia to strengthen surveillance and biosecurity to prevent cross-border transmission.

As investigations continue into an alleged extortion case involving former deputy immigration minister Silmy Karim, mixed-marriage families expressed hopes for real improvement in Indonesia’s immigration system.

Indonesia’s experience offers important lessons on the value of partnership, innovation and long-term investment, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Development Program (UNDP) Kanni Wignaraja said.

The discovery of a West Java woman in critical condition after years of alleged confinement and abuse has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for stronger protections against gender-based violence.

A Singapore-based think-tank assessing transboundary haze from forest fires issued a rare “code red” warning on Wednesday, flagging a risk for severe regional haze between August and September and urging Indonesia to step up mitigation efforts ahead of the warming El Nino weather phenomenon.

The involvement of elementary school students in a rally supporting President Prabowo Subianto’s free nutritious meal program in Batam, Riau Islands, has prompted criticism from child protection advocates and education observers, who say the mobilization risks exploiting minors.

YY's complaint was followed by the emergence of a video that allegedly documented the abuse. Malaysian police said the footage, recorded on July 26 last year, showed a man and a woman repeatedly punching and slapping a domestic worker while another man and a woman verbally abused her.

Civil society groups have condemned growing calls from religious leaders and lawmakers to criminalize LGBTQ people and advocacy, warning that such proposals would violate fundamental rights and further marginalize an already vulnerable minority.

As controversy and pressure mount over President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program, some beneficiaries say they are willing to forgo the assistance intended to combat stunting if it allows the government to address the initiative’s shortcomings, even as operators and other stakeholders voice concerns over its continuity.

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).