Jakarta, VIVA – A fervent outcry has erupted from the halls of Indonesia’s parliament following revelations that a venerable Islamic boarding school, Pesantren Al-Fath Jalen, located in Tambun Utara, Kabupaten Bekasi, has been issued a Property and Building Tax (PBB) bill. Rieke Diah Pitaloka, a prominent member of Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) from the PDI …

Jakarta, Indonesia – The esteemed family of General (Ret.) TNI Wiranto is enveloped in profound sorrow following the passing of his beloved wife, Hj. Rugaiya Usman Wiranto binti Mustafa Usman, who peacefully departed on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 3:55 PM Western Indonesia Time (WIB) in Bandung, West Java. Her death marks the end of a remarkable life, distinguished by …

TOKYO – Japan’s formidable industrial landscape, a global benchmark for precision and efficiency, is currently grappling with an unprecedented and rapidly escalating crisis: severe disruptions in the supply of naphtha-based raw materials. As of April 15, 2026, this critical shortage has begun to exert immense pressure across a broad spectrum of sectors, notably construction and manufacturing, forcing numerous companies to …

Jakarta, VIVA – Renowned musician and burgeoning actor Ardhito Pramono is set to captivate audiences with a starkly different persona in the upcoming horror-comedy film, Gudang Merica. Slated for release on May 21, 2026, the MVP Pictures production, helmed by director Imam Darto, promises a fresh cinematic experience by intertwining elements of supernatural dread with lighthearted humor. Pramono, known for …

The Indonesian staple food industry, particularly the vital tahu (tofu) and tempeh sectors, continues to grapple with the persistent challenge of volatile soybean prices, a recurring issue that has significantly impacted producers and raised concerns about national food security. While a specific instance in October 2022 saw tahu producers in Desa Lapang, Johan Pahlawan, Aceh Barat, facing a drastic 50 …

The landscape of Indonesia’s food and beverage industry has reached a significant milestone with the official inauguration of PT LOTTE Indonesia’s latest high-tech manufacturing facility in Cikarang, West Java. This strategic expansion is specifically dedicated to the production of the company’s flagship product, LOTTE CHOCO PIE, and represents a multi-million dollar commitment to the Indonesian market. By integrating cutting-edge manufacturing …

The rapid digital transformation of the food and beverage industry has birthed a new era of marketing, where social media influencers and food vloggers hold significant power over a restaurant’s reputation. However, this power dynamic has recently come under intense scrutiny following a series of viral disclosures from small business owners regarding the predatory practices of certain content creators. The …

The conflict in Lebanon has reached a critical and increasingly lethal juncture as Israeli military operations continue to expand across the southern regions of the country. Despite a surge in high-level diplomatic activity led by Washington, aimed at brokering a ceasefire and establishing a framework for direct negotiations between the two nations, the reality on the ground remains defined by …

The burgeoning alliance between United States President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, once characterized by mutual ideological admiration, has entered a period of significant turbulence. The friction became public following a series of sharp rebukes from the American president, who accused his Italian counterpart of a lack of resolve regarding Middle Eastern security and a failure to …

The drums of war beaten by the United States and Israel against Iran since late February have triggered a profound fiscal alarm, with experts warning that the conflict’s economic toll could become a significant "boomerang" for American taxpayers. Professor Linda Bilmes, a distinguished scholar of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and a leading authority on the financial costs …