Candidates in the Jakarta gubernatorial election will immediately hit the campaign trail tomorrow as the General Elections Commission (KPU) assigned them their unique ballot numbers for the race on Monday.

The Jakarta Police say that seven male teenagers, whose bodies were found in the Bekasi River in West Java on Sunday, are believed to have drowned after jumping into the water to evade police arrest.

Former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama has thrown his support behind gubernatorial candidate Pramono Anung and his running mate Rano Karno, saying he will assist in the pair’s campaign to win the November election.

Critics have slammed a law passed on Thursday that would allow president-elect Prabowo Subianto to appoint allies, including outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, as his advisors once he takes office next month.

Jakartans can use the limited space in their surroundings for urban farming to boost food resiliency, acting Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono said on Tuesday.  

The former West Java governor claims that Riza's appointment as the head of his campaign team, which will be announced in the coming days, is because of his experience as Jakarta deputy governor.

Jakarta gubernatorial nominee Ridwan Kamil has been rejected by some potential voters throughout his unofficial campaign in the city, but he and his electoral coalition have downplayed the incidents, saying it was all “part of democracy”.

Pope Francis praised Indonesia for bringing into life a sense of friendship among different religious groups with the tunnel.

NasDem party executive Ahmad Sahroni has stepped down as the head of the campaign team for Ridwan Kamil's gubernatorial bid in Jakarta, only a day after he was appointed to the position.

The Jakarta Police have announced temporarily road closures to accommodate Pope Francis's tight itinerary during his visit to the city, while the local transport agency has advised alternative routes for road users.

Many Catholics are eager to attend a Mass led by Pope Francis in Jakarta this week, as the pontiff brings a message of peace and interfaith harmony on his first visit to Indonesia.

Two potential candidate pairs registered their candidacy for the Jakarta gubernatorial election with the local branch of the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Wednesday, setting the stage for a three-horse race in November.

After having previously denied that any protestors were arrested, Jakarta Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. Ade Ary Syam Indradi confirmed the arrest of protestors. 

While thousands of people staged demonstrations at several strategic points in Jakarta on Thursday, online ride-hailing (ojol) drivers and street vendors continued business by exercising some caution as to avoid potential violence.

Acting Jakarta governor Heru Budi Hartono claimed he had used his own operational funds to hold the first trial of the free nutritious meals program, which is slated to be implemented nationally under president-elect Prabowo Subianto’s incoming administration.

Around 100 refugees staying at an empty building formerly occupied by the West Jakarta Military Command (Kodim) face further uncertainty as the Jakarta administration has reportedly issued an eviction notice stating that the government is planning to renovate and utilize the facility.

Thousands of residents who fell victim to a huge fire in Manggarai, South Jakarta, on Aug. 13 are receiving adequate assistance from authorities, but their future remains uncertain.

Dasco said that Ridwan, now a senior politician with the Golkar Party, would be paired with senior Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Suswono. 

The Jakarta administration plans to arrange for low-income students to attend up to 1,000 private schools for free in the next academic year to prevent them dropping out of education because of financial problems, as the city’s limited public schools often fail to accommodate them.

The Jakarta Education Agency (Disdik) is working to provide 2,650 non-permanent teachers with the opportunity to obtain Individual Work Contract (KKI) status.

Miktrotrans drivers get a salary “far below what is decent”, one protesting driver said. Each driver is required to meet a daily target of 100 kilometers of travel to receive the full daily wage of Rp 150,000 (US$9.28), which still puts them below Jakarta's minimum monthly wage.

Kaesang also said that he would be ready to join the race in Jakarta if the people in the capital wanted him to run.

The string of challenges faced by Jakartans today – from having limited space to live, worsening air pollution and the threat of land subsistence to traffic congestion – have further prompted young couples to think twice about having more than one child, or having any offspring at all.

Police have named the owner of a preschool in Depok as a suspect of child abuse after video clips of CCTV footage of the incidents under investigation went viral on social media.

Mikrotrans drivers protested on Tuesday over a distance-based wage scheme that they said was nearly unattainable due to the city’s notorious traffic and left them with incomes below Jakarta's minimum wage.

The Cilincing fishing community in North Jakarta is battling to save their livelihoods against an increasing tide of waste that is polluting the waters and killing fish in Jakarta Bay, and has seen very few signs that either the local or central governments are tackling the recurring problem.

As one of the 149 contract teachers affected by the policy, Imam was about to lose Rp 3 million (US$185) of his monthly salary for being a member of teaching staff at a state school in North Jakarta.

The Jakarta administration has promised to offer more long-term and fixed placements for nonpermanent teachers in the city, following recent backlash over the sudden dismissal of over 100 contract educators across different levels of education – from elementary to senior high schools – last week.

Amid the hustle and bustle of the Cililitan Wholesale Center (PGC) in East Jakarta lies an abandoned settlement known as Kampung Zombie.

While Jakarta continues to struggle in addressing perennial problems related to the limited green spaces in the city, its Thai counterpart has reached a milestone in adding more natural areas to Bangkok by bringing to life thousands of mini parks, a strategy that experts say can be adopted in the Indonesian capital.