A group of people take advantage of Car Free Day on Dec. 4, 2022, exercising along a Jakarta thoroughfare closed to motor vehicles between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m.`

Extending Jakarta’s CFD may raise awareness but not dent pollution

While the city administration has cited emissions reduction as a potential benefit of extending CFD to Saturdays, Walhi says it would do little to help improve air quality, though it could provide a foundational base for a wide-ranging public awareness campaign.

1 hour ago

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Govt kicks off Rp 150 billion revamp of historic Surakarta Palace

The renovation comes amid a leadership dispute within the palace following the death of Sultan Pakubuwono XIII on Nov. 2 last year, with two of his sons from different marriages each claiming the throne. The rival claims have divided the royal household and complicated efforts to manage and restore the palace complex.

2 hours ago

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Veteran Aceh journalist and Serambi Indonesia founder Sjamsul Kahar dies at 80

Born on Oct. 9, 1945, Sjamsul began his journalism career as a reporter for national daily Kompas in Aceh. After gaining experience in the profession, he and his colleague M. Nourhalidyn founded Serambi Indonesia on Feb. 9, 1989.

14 hours ago

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Discharged policeman sentenced to death penalty for killing sister-in-law

The death penalty verdict against the dishonorably discharged police officer was tougher than the life sentence demanded by the prosecution.

22 hours ago

Two children play with a kite at the dried-up Sumberkepuh Reservoir in Nganjuk, East Java, on Sept. 6, 2026. The 20.9-hectare reservoir, which provides irrigation for about 400 hectares of farmland, has been dry for the past two months amid the prolonged dry season.

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East Java prepares for long dry season

The province faces double ecological crisis in 2026, consisting of floods and landslides during rainy season and forest and land fires as well as expanding extreme drought during dry season.

1 day ago

Police officers conduct a security check at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral Church, known locally as the “Hati Kudus Yesus“ church, on Christmas Eve in Surabaya, East Java, on Dec. 24, 2025.

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Tangerang church disruption rekindles fears among minorities

Kinari, a Protestant from South Tangerang, feared that allowing intimidation to end with an apology could encourage more serious acts in the future. She also pointed to what she saw as a double standard in the treatment of religious minorities.

1 day ago

Former education minister and cofounder of tech firm Gojek, Nadiem Makarim, poses ahead of the verdict hearing against him at the Jakarta Corruption Court in Central Jakarta on June 30, 2026. The judges sentenced him to 10 years in prison after finding him guilty of abusing his authority in the procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools nationwide between 2020 and 2022.

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Court cuts Nadiem’s sentence but he seeks another appeal

An appeals court in Jakarta has reduced the sentence of former education minister Nadiem Makarim convicted of corruption in the procurement of Chromebook laptops for school nationwide during his term in office.

1 day ago

Students attend a class on Sept. 23 beside a collapsed wall at SDN 3 Sukajadi
elementary school in Sukakarya, Bekasi regency, West Java. According to the
school, three classrooms have been damaged for the past three years because of
the aging building, disrupting lessons and posing safety risks to students.

Politics premium

Prabowo’s universal free education plan raises feasibility questions

Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara said there would be no additional allocation for free state schools, with the government instead reviewing how the existing education budget is distributed among the central and regional governments, ministries and agencies.

1 day ago