Supporters of the Pramuka movement say the activities are beneficial as they teach important life skills, while opponents argue that poor implementation of the program in many schools means they are little more than time-wasting activities.

The Health Ministry has recorded at least 43,200 dengue cases and 404 deaths nationwide as of March 23, almost triple the same period last year. Experts are blaming El Niño as an important figure that leads to the dengue cases and deaths soaring this year.

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that no Indonesian nationals in Taiwan were harmed during the earthquake.

Indonesian health authorities have recorded at least nearly 5,500 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) from the beginning of the year until March 16.

Praktikno said the Pope’s stopover in Indonesia would be a state visit and protocol would allow for the two leaders to meet in the capital.

Some members of the Roman Catholic Church in Indonesia are praying hard for the pope's health amid recent concerns surrounding his condition during the Good Friday and Easter Sunday celebrations.

Tattoos are considered forbidden in Islam because they count as physical mutilation of the skin.

The Idul Fitri holiday this year will be dominated by light to medium rain, with potential for a tropical cyclone after April 11. 

The endemic Javan and Balinese tigers were wiped out in the 1980s and 1940s respectively, leaving only Sumatran tigers remaining in Indonesia.

An alleged human-trafficking scheme targeting Indonesian university students seeking internships in Germany has sparked concerns about the government’s oversight of students’ overseas internship programs, including the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry’s Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM).

The impacts of the climate crisis may force the residents of Pari Island in Thousand Islands regency, along with other small islands across Indonesia, out of their homes and become climate refugees, experts have said.

Constitutional Court rejects the second petition seeking the legalization of the medicinal usage of cannabis, arguing that Indonesia has insufficient research and regulation on the matter.

Experts are hailing a proposed provision on paternity leave for civil servants as a breakthrough, especially for its social engineering potential in encouraging fathers to take a more active role in child-rearing.

For the past six years, Tita Salina and Irwan Ahmett have documented and witnessed the rapid transformation of North Jakarta, an area of dramatic contrasts and home to 1.8 million.

South Tangerang takes first place among the top 15 Indonesian cities with the worst air quality, alongside neighbors Jakarta, Tangerang in Banten and Bekasi and Bandung in West Java.

An alleged group suicide of a family of four in North Jakarta has garnered nationwide attention and prompted calls for bigger efforts to prevent more cases in the future following increasing cases of suicides in the country.

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.