Government clarifies Ramadan meal budget as Indonesia reports no confirmed Nipah virus cases

Here is a summary of the latest news that is still worth reading.

BGN responds to MBG Ramadan menu that deviates from the budget The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has reiterated that the budget for food ingredients for the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) is set at Rp8,000–Rp10,000 per serving, not Rp15,000. This was stated by the Deputy Head of BGN for Communication and Investigation, Nanik S. Deyang, in response to the widespread discussion on social media regarding the Ramadan menu, which is considered to deviate from the budget provisions. Read more here. TNGR reopens Mount Rinjani climbing from 28 March The Mount Rinjani National Park (TNGR) has announced the reopening of climbing on Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, starting on 28 March 2026, after it was temporarily closed due to extreme weather conditions. “The plan is to reopen climbing on 28 March 2026,” said the Head of TNGR, Budhy Kurniawan, in a statement in Mataram, Tuesday (24/2). Read more here. Heavy rain for four consecutive days, floods inundate residential areas in Denpasar River overflows have flooded several residential areas in the Denpasar Selatan area, Bali, partly caused by heavy rain for four consecutive days. “The water rose to about 30 cm, below knee level,” said Yuli, a resident of Jalan Kerta Dalem, Denpasar, Tuesday (24/2). Read more here. Government receives 30 tons of dates from the UAE The government, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, has received a donation of 30 tons of premium dates from the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the people of Indonesia during Ramadan 1447 Hijri/2026 AD. The donation was symbolically handed over by the UAE Ambassador to Indonesia, Abdulla Salem Obaid Al Dhaheri, to the Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, in Jakarta. Read more here. Ministry of Health: No confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection in Indonesia The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has confirmed that there are no confirmed cases of patients infected with the Nipah virus in Indonesia, with several suspected cases reported in several areas, all of which showed negative results in laboratory tests. The Director of Surveillance and Health Quarantine at the Ministry of Health, Sumarjaya, in an online discussion followed from Jakarta, Tuesday (24/2), explained that there have been no reports of confirmed cases of patients infected with the Nipah virus in the country, although in the period 2024-2026 there were 16 suspected cases reported. Read more here. Copyright © ANTARA 2026