Epidemiologists have urged the government to bolster third dose rollout and address vaccine shortages as Indonesia faces a possible new wave of COVID-19 infections triggered by new and highly contagious XBB, a subvariant of Omicron.

The Indonesian Ombudsman has pointed to potential maladministration by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and the Health Ministry in the circulation of medicines that have been linked to the deadly spike in acute kidney injury (AKI) cases among children.

Apindo has raised concerns that the article criminalizing sexual intercourse between unmarried people could deter foreign visitors from the country, where the tourism sector is still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.

Changes in raw ingredients of medicines are likely to blame for child acute kidney injury (AKI) case spike in Indonesia, minister says.

Petitioners in the Jakarta air pollution citizen lawsuit have welcomed the Jakarta High Court’s rejection of the central government’s appeal against the lawsuit’s ruling and have urged the government to pursue no further legal appeal against improving Jakarta’s air quality.

Spokesperson for the ministry M. Syahril said that the booster shot would be key to reducing the severity of infection from the new strain. "For those who haven't taken the third shot, please take it," he said in a statement released on Sunday.

As a probe continues into rising cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) that have so far killed more than 100 children, the drug regulator said it was not conducting inspections on medicinal syrups that were currently on the market, but planned on revising this stance going forward.

 Bonnie Triyana, a historian and a member of the Indonesian repatriation team, said the pieces include statues from Java's Singosari, or the Islamic holy book Koran owned by an Indonesian national hero, and bones excavated in Java in the 19th century by Dutch paleoanthropologist Eugène Dubois, which became known as Java Man.

Indonesia saw a spike in acute kidney injury (AKI) cases this year, prompting a probe and ban on all syrup and liquid medicine prescriptions and sales.

The Health Ministry said it has “75 percent confidence” that the poor production quality of a solvent widely used in medicinal syrups was the cause of a string of acute kidney injury (AKI) cases that has resulted in nearly a hundred child deaths.

Indonesia and Norway have signed a contribution agreement (CA) following the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on emission reduction in the forestry sector, kickstarting the delivery of Norway’s first contribution worth US$56 million to support Jakarta’s effort in reaching its carbon sink goal.

The Soccer Association of Indonesia’s (PSSI) executives have rejected calls for resignation after the task force investigating the causes of the deadly Oct. 1 stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, concluded that the association had been negligent in the enforcement of regulations.

Amid improved COVID-19 case numbers, a waning appetite for booster shots and a lull in government vaccine imports, regions across the country have run short on vaccines.

Consumer groups, lawmakers and pharmacists are calling for more action by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) following its decision to order several medicinal syrups to be recalled from the market over their possible links to fatal kidney injuries among almost 100 children.

The Health Ministry has temporarily banned sales of all syrup-based medications and has been looking closely at paracetamol syrups used locally to treat fever in children that contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

The Health Ministry has temporarily banned the prescription of all syrup-based medicines and their over-the-counter sales amid an ongoing probe into an unexplained rise in the number of acute kidney injury (AKI) cases that has left nearly 100 children dead so far this year.

Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) founder Dino Patti Djalal said grassroots-oriented forums like its Global Town Hall were increasingly needed as many governments were locked in "fighting mode".

The ban comes as health authorities probe an unexplained rise since January in the number of children's deaths from acute kidney injury (AKI).

The rise in fatalities comes as Gambia's government probes the death of 70 children from AKI linked to paracetamol syrups used to treat fever, which contained excessive levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.

The development comes as health officials in Gambia said nearly 70 children had died from AKI after taking a locally sold paracetamol syrup used to treat fever.

Identified as the first-ever example discovered of a Homo erectus, a forerunner of anatomically modern humans, "Java Man" is the centrepiece of an important collection at the Naturalis museum in Leiden.

Keen to move on from the Kanjuruhan stadium tragedy, the government has entered into a partnership with FIFA to bring about sweeping changes to the local game.

The Health Ministry has formed a team of medical experts to investigate cases of acute kidney failure of unknown origin in children as cases continue to pop up around the country.

A new ministerial regulation allowing regional administrations to govern traditional dress as school attire has raised concerns from parents and education experts over financial burden and discriminatory practices.

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) also said it was investigating the possibility that the ingredients, diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, had contaminated other materials that are used as solvents.

Politicians are expected to double down on social media campaigns for the 2024 general election, as such platforms are the preferred source of information for prospective young voters.

The probe comes as authorities in Gambia said nearly 70 children died from acute kidney injury after taking a locally-sold paracetamol syrup used to treat fever. 

On the heels of fatal flooding in Greater Jakarta and beyond last week, vast swathes of the archipelago are being asked to prepare for more extreme wet weather in the coming days.

Negative sentiments surrounding the National Police linger as people remain disappointed with their probe into the deadly Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy despite the police having named six suspects thought to be responsible for the incident.

On Thursday evening in Malang, National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo announced that the police had named six suspects following the fatal stampede on Saturday at Kanjuruhan Stadium, one of the world’s worst soccer stadium disasters in recent decades.