Teenage students who skip class or play too many video games could land themselves in military bootcamp if a disciplinary pilot project rolled out in one province this month proves successful, a government minister told AFP on Friday.

Indonesian Catholics have joyfully welcomed Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from North America and the Order of Saint Augustine, expressing hope that he will continue the legacy of his predecessor by prioritizing the poor and marginalized, and promoting unity within the Catholic Church.

The government’s recent suspension of a digital identity platform, where crowds lined up for iris scans in exchange for cash, has raised alarms over poor digital literacy, made worse by the absence of a long-promised data protection agency.

Civil society organizations have demanded the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights as the Constitutional Court reviews the newly revised conservation law, which potentially enables the exclusion and criminalization of indigenous communities for defending their customary lands.

As the government embarks upon President Prabowo Subianto’s push for the revitalization of over 10,000 schools this year, calls are mounting for stronger oversight and strategic planning to ensure the Rp 16.9 trillion (US$1.02 billion) program effectively addresses the country’s crumbling education infrastructure.

Global tech giants control ‘over 75 percent of ads’ in Indonesia, putting local media firms and news organizations in a tight position financially, leading to recent mass layoffs, according to professional journalist associations.

According to the senior security minister, the new task force is part of a governtment clampdown on rampant extortion involving mass organizations that he described as a threat to national stability.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said artificial intelligence will play a key role in unlocking new tools for health, education and agriculture at a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday.

The country is lagging behind on the implementation of basic principles of work safety and health, potentially hindering the adoption of AI and other automated technologies that can improve the overall condition of occupational safety and health.

More than 7,000 Indonesian pilgrims departed for Saudi Arabia during the first wave of this year’s haj departure, marking the official start of the annual pilgrimage for millions of Muslims worldwide.

In commemoration of National Education Day, which falls every May 2, President Prabowo Subianto announces some initiatives aimed at improving the country’s education system, ranging from school renovations to financial aid for teachers.

President Prabowo Subianto delivered on Thursday a fiery speech on International Workers’ Day, or May Day, pledging reforms to improve workers’ welfare and promote stronger labor protections, amid dissatisfaction over labor conditions and concerns of more job losses.

Launched in January, the vaunted programme has reached just 3.27 million recipients as of April 29, with more than 1,000 kitchens operating across the archipelago, the ministry said. 

Recent findings by antigraft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) showed President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship initiative, the free nutritious meal program, lacks key principles of good governance, showing poor accountability and transparency and leaving it vulnerable to fund mismanagement.

The free nutritious meals program has faced intense public scrutiny following several food poisoning incidents that have caused hundreds of students to be hospitalized since its launch in January.

Experts and activists believe that making data about emissions produced by coal-fired power plants across Java available to the public will help the country in its effort to shift away from fossil fuels.

Indonesia’s education sector sees a drop on its integrity index score from a survey conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), due to academic dishonesty and corrupt behaviors among teachers and lecturers, among other factors.

Calls have grown for President Prabowo Subianto’s administration to suspend and reevaluate its flagship free nutritious meals program amid cases of food poisoning and a report of embezzlement of funds earmarked for the initiative.

The allowance came after lecturers throughout the country staged demonstrations against years of unpaid incentives, prompting President Prabowo Subianto to issue a regulation on March 27 mandating the provision of monthly performance-based bonuses, which is retroactive to January this year.

To push local administrations to improve waste management, the Environment Ministry is threatening criminal charges against regional authorities that do not adhere to the waste processing standards imposed by the law.

Eligible to vote and be voted for as the next pope, Jakarta Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo said that he was not in the position to become the leader of the Catholic Church and did not prepare anything for the trip to the Vatican.

Catholics remember the late Pope Francis for his message to build bridges of hope and peace, while leaders of non-Catholic organizations vow to carry on the pontiff’s work to nurture humanity.

Three leading press organizations have opposed the government’s housing subsidy targeting journalists as a potential conflict of interest and instead called for greater protection of press freedeom in the country.

Government and Catholic officials mourn the death of Pope Francis, who is remembered as a role model for peace, humanity and commitment to the environment amid the world’s multiple crises.

Keen to end its reliance on rice imports, Indonesia wants to plant vast tracts of the crop, along with sugar cane for biofuel, in the restive eastern region.

"The world has once again lost a role model who had a great commitment to peace, humanity, and brotherhood," Prabowo wrote on social media.

The Health Ministry plans to reform the government's specialist residency program after a flurry of cases brought the issue of systemic abuse into the public spotlight, with measures that include mental health screening, a digital logbook and hospital oversight to prevent exploitative practices.