Recent rainfall has eased conditions in some of Indonesia’s worst fire-hit areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan, but continuing blazes elsewhere, particularly in Papua, show that the country’s wildfire season remains far from over and requires sustained prevention and control efforts.

Co-founded by celebrity-turned-government official Raffi Ahmad, the carnival saw vendors withdrawing from its latest edition after backlash over Raffi's involvement in a Thursday youth rally organized by the police.

Indonesia’s overall climate action is deemed ‘critically insufficient’ to meet the threshold to mitigate the climate crisis, prompting calls from environmentalists for the country to be more aggressive in mitigating the crisis’ impacts as well as to avoid false solutions.

Alternative movements based in cultural spaces, among other places, may help young people to express their political stance and understand more about today’s politics, although experts argue more work is necessary to push for changes in the system.

Heat and smoke from the burning forest and land near caves where the rock arts are located may gradually damage the physical features of the painting and accelerate their decay, while soot from the blaze may also obscure the rock structures.

The government has ordered regional administrations to establish their own task forces to inspect free meals kitchens and promised incentives for complying regions, which critics warn will only shift oversight responsibilities to regions already under tight fiscal constraints.

High school students across the country began taking the academic competency test (TKA) on Monday. But in Central Kalimantan, one of the provinces hardest hit by forest and peatland fires this year, students will have to wait until next month to sit the exam because of deteriorating air quality.

Tapanuli orangutans in North Sumatra face increasing threats as their habitat gets fragmented by forest-encroaching business activities, while Bornean orangutans in Kalimantan are choked by haze-causing forest and peatland fires.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) is still mulling over the technical assistance on offer from Singapore and Malaysia to put out the fires, with cooperation to be focused on closing gaps from existing efforts.

Amid rapid expansion of artificial intelligence worldwide, experts and business representatives are pushing for ethics and humanity values to be included as safeguards in the development of the technology.

Reports from environmental groups claim there were 807 fire hot spots with high confidence levels in the national strategic project (PSN) area, with blazes allegedly tied to land clearing for road and airport construction.

Some Indonesians have been turning to social media to voice their frustrations and apologize about the uncontrolled wildfire that causes toxic haze reaching Malaysia, Singapore and other countries, while urging them to protest the Indonesian government over their handling on the issue.

Nearly half of acute respiratory illness cases caused by wildfire in Sumatra and Kalimantan recorded in the past two months are children who are more vulnerable to wildfire haze because of their biological conditions.

Various officials have raised ideas to give dual citizenship for people with Indonesian descent with “exceptional talents”, but some Indonesian diaspora conveyed that such a scheme should also be opened regardless of potential contribution to the country.

The figure, an area nearly 12 times larger than London, is a conservative estimate in part because haze has complicated satellite verification, said David Gaveau, founder of deforestation monitoring site Nusantara Atlas.

The Forestry Ministry is accused of restricting data amid widespread wildfires raging the country, as it threatens criminal charges against unauthorized copy and use of geospatial data crucial for tracking deforestation and fire hot spots.

A deadly explosion at a warehouse in Cimanggis Market in Ciputat, South Tangerang, on Wednesday has raised questions about safety oversight across the government’s free nutritious meal program, as police investigate whether the facility was part of the initiative’s supply chain.

The Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) objection to Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s planned concerts, given his past activities linked to Israel, has put the events under a cloud, with the Tourism Ministry signaling it would respect the council’s position.

Teachers have urged the House of Representatives to revise the national education law to strengthen teacher governance, including by guaranteeing minimum salaries and better welfare regardless of employment status.

While Indonesia grapples with gaps in mental health services, people with mental illness should have a greater say in their care and be involved in treatment decisions to better support recovery, a media briefing held to mark World Mental Health Day has said.

A buffet-style system currently being tested under President Prabowo Subianto’s free meals program does not eliminate the risk of food contamination, as meals are still prepared at kitchens outside school complexes and must be transported to schools. 

Indonesia has again urged Meta to comply with the country’s Child Protection in Digital Space Regulation, known as PP TUNAS, singling out its Threads platform for failing to report any action against underage users more than six months after the regulation took effect.

Teaching the use of artificial intelligence at schools has become the quiet responsibility of teachers in Indonesia and worldwide to develop the practical knowledge of what responsible AI integration actually looks like.

National Nutrition Agency (BGN) chairman Sudaryono said that the trial was aimed at assessing whether the system could improve food quality and safety by shortening the time between cooking and consumption.

Local volunteers are eager to help put out forest fires across the country, but some have received little to no support or resources necessary to perform their duty.

More than two months into haze crisis, worsening air quality and mounting health concerns are fueling frustration among residents and renewed calls for authorities to hold those responsible for the fires accountable.

What grows wild in Indonesia’s forests is finding a new place on the table, as women from forest communities turn overlooked ingredients into food products, delicacies and new sources of income.