The Jakarta Post

On Monday night, an intercity train traveling from Jakarta to East Java slammed into the rear car of a commuter train at Bekasi Timur Station in Bekasi, West Java.

The commuter train had been waiting for clearance to continue its journey after another train on the opposite track struck a stalled electric taxi at a nearby level crossing.

#Jakarta story by Maretha Uli.

Photos by REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan.

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16 hours ago | [YT] | 8

The Jakarta Post

Indonesia will lend a breeding pair of endangered Komodo dragons to Japan under an agreement signed Wednesday between zoos from the two countries that emphasised the project's conservation merits.

The five-year renewable deal, criticised by animal rights group PETA, will in turn see Indonesia's Surabaya Zoo receive a pair of red pandas, a pair of giraffes, four Aldabra giant tortoises and two female Japanese macaques from iZoo in Kawazu in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture, officials said.

"This is not just animal exchange. This is a bridge between our two countries, Japan and Indonesia," iZoo director Tsuyoshi Shirawa said at the signing ceremony.

Indonesia's environment ministry said in a statement this month the programme's main objective was "long-term conservation".

PETA Asia has expressed concern that any dragon offspring born in Japan will be "condemned to a lifetime of confinement".

"True conservation protects Komodo dragons where they belong -- in their natural habitats -- not by exporting them for political optics or public relations gains," PETA Asia president Jason Baker said in a statement.

The ministry said conservation of the dragons in their natural habitat remained "the main priority".

"Through this cooperation, it is hoped there will be more Japanese people and tourists coming to Indonesia, particularly to the Komodo National Park... to witness Komodos in their natural habitat," Indonesian forestry official Ahmad Munawir said at Wednesday's event.

Story by AFP.

Photos by AFP/Juni Kriswanto.

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#Portraits.

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1 day ago | [YT] | 16

The Jakarta Post

A narrative nonfiction account of 20 Indonesian engineers working across 120 countries reveals the reality behind meritocracy, where resilience, not reputation, determines who lasts.

#Book review by Alexandra Kayla.

Illustrated by Aldi

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2 days ago | [YT] | 6

The Jakarta Post

The upcoming dry season, which is predicted to be longer and drier due to the impact of El Niño, has raised concerns about health risks faced by many Jakartans, especially those who must continue working outdoors under the heat.

#Jakarta story by Vidya Pinandhita.

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3 days ago | [YT] | 8

The Jakarta Post

The House of Representatives has finally ratified the long-awaited Domestic Workers Protection Law (UU PPRT), marking a watershed moment in Indonesian labor history. This victory follows a grueling 22-year advocacy process — a generational struggle championed by civil society groups, labor unions and human rights activists.

For decades, domestic work in Indonesia existed in a precarious legal "gray zone". leaving millions of workers, the vast majority of whom are women, vulnerable to the whims of individual employers and systemic exploitation.

#Opinion by Muhammad Isnur.

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3 days ago | [YT] | 14

The Jakarta Post

The expansion of the city-owned bus network Transjakarta has reduced household spending while generating economic returns worth three times its subsidy, a new study found, underscoring the broader benefits of investing in reliable public transportation systems.

#Jakarta story by Gembong Hanung.

Illustrated by Adinda.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 18

The Jakarta Post

Vast tracts of Indonesian rainforest home to endangered orangutans have been cleared for plantations supplying a maker of "carbon-neutral" packaging, an investigation by AFP and The Gecko Project has found.

#Investigation by AFP/Sara Hussein.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 16

The Jakarta Post

The Health Ministry and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) have introduced a graded labeling policy for sugar, salt and fat content in beverage products in a move to promote healthier dietary habits.

#Society story by Maretha Uli.

Illustrated by Adinda.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 10

The Jakarta Post

A humanoid robot competing against flesh-and-blood runners broke the world record at a Beijing half marathon on April 19, showcasing the rapid technological advancement achieved by Chinese makers.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 7

The Jakarta Post

A dangerous illusion is taking root across many democracies in the developing world, perhaps including Indonesia: the belief that unity is always preferable to a contest of ideas, and that a government stripped of opposition will be more efficient, stable and decisive.

History proves, however, that this notion is more than a mere mistake. It is a fatal error. A democracy without opposition and public criticism is not a democracy at all; it is simply power without a correction mechanism.

As Robert A. Dahl reminds us, the essence of democracy lays not just in the act of voting but in the dual pillars of contestation and participation. Without a genuine opposition, contestation vanishes and democracy loses its soul.

#Opinion by Laksamana Sukardi.

Illustrated by Adinda.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 18