In the World Happiness Report, Finland remained the world's happiest country for a seventh straight year, while Indonesia improved its position from number 84 of 109 countries surveyed  in 2023. This year, 143 countries appear on the list.

Authorities are gearing up for this year's fire season as a BMKG forecast shows the dry season starting next month in NTT, NTB and Bali, followed by the rest of the country between May and June.

The Transportation Ministry expects as many as 33.7 million people to participate in the Idul Fitri tradition of mudik (exodus) a week before and after the holiday.

Last year's dry season was the most severe since 2019 due to an El Nino weather phenomenon that lasted longer than usual, bringing a drought that hurt crops and exacerbated forest fires.

Nearly three quarters of Indonesia’s population are expected to hit the road on the annual tradition of the mudik (exodus) at Idul Fitri next month, potentially making it the largest homecoming journey observed in the country.

Sudarmoto, the head of international relations and cooperation at the MUI, announced earlier this week that Israeli-grown dates should be considered haram or forbidden by Islamic law.

The number is a significant increase from last year's 123.8 million travelers, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi wrote in a Tuesday statement.

More than 1 million people in Indonesia still suffer from neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as leprosy, filariasis and snail fever or schistosomiasis.

Authorities have urged the public to stay vigilant in the coming weeks for potential extreme weather in many parts of the country amid multiple ongoing natural disasters that have claimed dozens of lives.

Questions remain over how presumptive president-elect Prabowo Subianto is planning to fund his flagship free school lunch program after a senior minister’s proposal to dip into school aid funds was met with widespread opposition from teachers.

Rights activist Usman Hamid and his band, The Blackstones, released a new single about the struggle of female Sasak buffalo herders on Lombok Island in commemoration of International Women’s Day on Mar. 8 and National Music Day on Mar. 9.

The country enjoyed a long holiday as the Balinese Hindu Day of Silence (Nyepi) fell on Monday this year, encouraging thousands to go on vacation during the long weekend. 

Ember, a London-based climate and energy think tank estimated that based on its studies, Indonesia's coal mine methane (CMM) pollution is up to eight times higher than official figures. 

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir announced that his ministry would adopt a four-day work week allowing employees to have longer weekends, in an attempt to address mental health problems.

The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) urged Batik Air to conduct regular cockpit checks and ensure that pilots and cabin crew were well-rested before their flights.

The Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry has launched a report on early childhood education centers as part of a larger effort to strengthen the policies introduced by minister Nadiem Makarim before the change of government in October.

Komnas Pereumpuan's 2023 report has found an increasing trend in reported incidents of sexual violence, which it attributed primarily to the 2022 Sexual Violence Law, but it also acknowledged the data was limited to reported cases.

As people around the globe prepare to welcome International Women's Day 2024, themed “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, two women's rights activists have highlighted the importance of clamping down on radicalization and terrorism by focusing on women and their roles at home and in communities, particularly in educating the young.

Teachers' associations have raised various objections as well as a handful of potential solutions after a senior minister suggested last week to use the school operational assistance (BOS) fund to finance Prabowo's signature free school lunch program.

Aquatic species are among the most affected by climate change, a BRIN researcher has said, underscoring the importance of conservation efforts and mitigation measures to safeguard biodiversity.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has issued a fatwa urging the House of Representatives to draft a law on preventing the climate crisis, citing extreme weather events and environmental damage.

The Religious Affairs Ministry plan to make KUA services more inclusive of all approved religions in the country has met with a mixed response, with many lauding the move while calling for public participation in the policy's formulation.

The recent occurrence of whirlwinds in multiple parts of West Java has prompted climate scientists to predict that the ongoing climate crisis could lead to more frequent and intense storms across the country.

Speaking at a National Press Day event, the President said content creators could continue working with global tech platforms without disruption as the presidential regulation only concerned the platforms' relationship with media firms.

Observers allege that the school did not form an antiviolence task force, as mandated in a 2023 education ministerial regulation, which is tasked with preventing and handling abuse cases in educational institutions.

Food and beverage establishments across the country provide promos and discounts for their products to encourage eligible voters to go to the polls, while also drawing in customers.

As regions across the country report a rise in dengue fever cases and deaths, the Health Ministry has downplayed the disease's spread but still urged the public to exercise vigilance by taking preventive measures.

The Democratic Party chairman has credited the presidency of his father Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the originator of the downstreaming policy, while giving a nod to the current administration's intensified efforts and expressing his belief that if elected, Prabowo-Gibran would continue the program.

While hailing more detected cases as an important milestone towards Indonesia's tuberculosis eradication vision, experts warn the government against complacency as health authorities still need more work to do in finding and treating more patients off the infectious respiratory disease.

The rainy season has arrived in Indonesia, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall that has caused flooding and landslides in several provinces over the past week, with both national and local disaster authorities warning people to stay alert for hydrometeorological hazards in the coming weeks.