Nearly 60,000 people are still taking shelter across the quake-hit regions, with the province facing potential threats from aftershocks that can crumble buildings and other structures already damaged in the initial earthquake on Aug. 15, according to seismologists.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The economic disparity is most apparent in the eastern part of Indonesia, such as Sulawesi and Papua, where extractive industries, which are done by businesses led by wealthy people and driven by Jakarta-centered development, have exacerbated the wealth rift.

The government’s plan to put expiration date labels on free nutritious meal packages has drawn criticism that it could shift responsibility for food poisoning onto beneficiaries while leaving deeper food safety problems unaddressed.

With more than 107,000 hectares already ravaged by land and forest fires this year, the government is scrambling to strengthen its response as a prolonged dry spell and worsening climate conditions threaten to fuel a wider fire season.

Amid a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Indonesia, the council said in a statement such behavior was "haram" or forbidden.

The death of a National Health Insurance (JKN) patient after waiting hours for a hospital bed, coupled with insensitive social media remarks by healthcare workers responding to his earlier complaint, has intensified scrutiny of Indonesia's strained healthcare system and professional ethics.

An assessment issued in April by Jakarta-based think-tank Center for Economic and Law Studies (Celious) estimated that between 62 million and 120 million packages of meals prepared and disbursed under the program were wasted each week. 

A YouTube livestream showing children promoting vape products has drawn condemnation from child protection advocates, who say the incident exposes weak enforcement against online nicotine advertising and the growing exploitation of children in digital marketing.

The paper, which features President Prabowo Subianto as its coauthor, upholds the free nutritious meal program as a means of strengthening the country’s food security that also stimulates economic growth.

Forensic experts concluded that the doctor died from the effects of a lethal dose of Rocuronium, which caused paralysis of the respiratory muscles and resulted in asphyxia.

The Health Ministry is prioritizing treating hypertension, hyperglycemia and high cholesterol as the conditions may lead to noncommunicable diseases such as stroke, kidney failure and other cardiovascular diseases that can be fatal.

Unlike prior mass protests, recent rallies have been smaller in scale and more sporadic, leading some social media users to question why they appear to receive relatively little coverage from news outlets.

Indonesia may be heading toward its worst wildfire season in years as fire activity surges ahead of peak burning months, fueled by a prolonged dry spell expected to intensify under a strong El Niño.

The KMP Mutiara Sentosa II fire occurred only a month after a ferry carrying more than 70 passengers sank while sailing near Selayar, a small island off South Sulawesi.

The government's plan to introduce a syllabus that aims to prevent "the spread of LGBTQ culture” has garnered broad criticism from education and rights observers for its antidemocratic stance and its potential to not only reinforce but also legitimize systemic discrimination against a minority group.

The government's proposal to grant dual citizenship only to adults with expertise needed by the state has drawn criticism from mixed-marriage advocates, who say it lacks clear eligibility criteria and unfairly overlooks children with stronger legal claims under Indonesia's citizenship law.

The Constitutional Court's ruling on the removal of the free nutritious meal program from the education budget should pave the way for long-overdue investment in teacher welfare, school repair and equal access to education, teachers and education experts have said.

Official data show that 6,622 Indonesians are currently in Malaysian prisons and 314 Malaysians are in Indonesian correctional facilities, while the two governments are working on a draft agreement on prisoner transfers so they can finish serving their time at home.

Eight months after the Sumatra disasters, many survivors still seek justice amid reports of delayed aid distribution and slow recovery progress, while the government refutes a citizen lawsuit accusing it of poorly handling one of the country’s worst ecological disasters in years.

Like many indigenous settlements across the archipelago, Kasepuhan Cipta Mulya is dominated by wooden buildings, valued for their naturally cool interiors and earthquake resilience but highly susceptible to fire. Combined with strong winds during the current dry season, the flames spread through the village within minutes.

More than 5,000 hotspots were detected as of July 29, a sharp increase compared to previous El Niño years in 2015, 2019 and 2023, BMKG official Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan said in an online briefing. The provinces of West Kalimantan, South Papua and Riau recorded the most hotspots.

Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the recent rise in mob justice reflected the state's failure to provide adequate public security, urging police to step up crime prevention and public protection.

The government is stepping up preparations for the peak of a strong El Niño this year, as drought continues to spread through parts of the country, including Central Java.