Mass Food Poisoning Hits Indonesia’s Free School Lunch Programme, Over 1,200 Children Affected

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the Asia

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Image Souce: Yuli Saputra, BBC

More than 1,200 children in Indonesia have fallen ill this week after eating free school lunches provided under President Prabowo Subianto’s multi-billion-dollar nutritious meals programme, authorities confirmed.

Between Monday and Wednesday, at least 1,258 poisoning cases were recorded in West Java’s Cipongkor, according to local health officials. The outbreak follows similar incidents last week, when more than 800 students in West Java and Central Sulawesi were affected.

The free meals initiative, one of President Prabowo’s flagship policies, aims to provide lunches to 80 million school children nationwide. However, a series of mass food poisoning incidents has raised alarm among NGOs and education groups, who are urging the government to suspend the programme for review.

Victims of the latest outbreaks reported stomach pain, dizziness, nausea, and even shortness of breath an unusual symptom in food poisoning cases. Meals served this week included soy sauce chicken, fried tofu, vegetables, and fruit. Previous incidents have been linked to expired sauces and improper food preparation, including a case involving fried shark.

Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency (BGN) said technical errors by the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) were to blame for last week’s cases in Cipongkor. The unit’s operations there have since been suspended. West Bandung regent Jeje Ritchie Ismail has declared the outbreak an “extraordinary event” to speed up handling.

From January to 22 September, authorities recorded 4,711 cases of food poisoning linked to the programme, with most occurring in Java. An NGO, the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI), places the figure even higher, at 6,452 cases.

Despite mounting pressure, officials say there are no plans to halt the initiative. The government has already allocated more than $10 billion this year for the programme, which some experts warn could become vulnerable to corruption given its vast scale.

President Prabowo has defended the initiative as a crucial step in combating child stunting, though critics argue its high cost and repeated safety lapses demand urgent scrutiny.motive and ensure the safety of the area.

98.5 The Sports Hub’ Tim McKone Thinks Gonzalez Would Play & Make A Difference for Patriots on Sunday

Wanjiru Waweru, Jadetimes Contributor

W. Waweru is a Jadetimes News Reporter Covering America & Sports News

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Image Source: Spectrum News

Worcester, Massachusetts – The New England Patriots have been playing with the Cornerback Christian Gonzales since his training camp with a hamstring injury. 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tim McKone explained that he decided to play Sunday, yesterday, against Carolina, which would give the team confidence.

"It looks like the expectation is that he is going to get out on the field for the first time this year," said McKone. "Which is a huge win for the Patriots he hadn't practiced until late last week has been out since July 28 one of the first training camp practices. So this is your best player on the roster you've seen at times the defense desperately sort of missing a team that talent and for a team that doesn't have a lot of talent across the board to bring in an all pro caliber player. I think it's gonna make a huge difference."

Singtel Apologises After Optus Emergency Call Outage Linked to Four Deaths Mel Owens

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Business

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Image Source: Reuters/Kirsty Needham

Former NFL star Mel Owens has issued multiple apologies for controversial remarks about women over 60, just ahead of his debut as the lead on ABC’s “Golden Bachelor.” Owens, 66, sparked backlash after stating on a University of Michigan podcast that he would “cut” any woman older than 60 comments he now calls “way out of bounds” and a “mistake.”

Owens apologised directly to the 23 contestants on the show, who range in age from 58 to 77, ahead of the season premiere on September 24. “I’d say tune in, give me a second chance,” he told USA TODAY. “Make your own evaluation.”

A standout linebacker at the University of Michigan, Owens played nine seasons for the Los Angeles Rams before retiring in 1989 and later becoming a sports lawyer. Football remains central to his life, instilling discipline, teamwork, and resilience traits he says he carries into the dating show.

Owens, a divorced father of two grown sons, Lucas, 20, and Andre, 18, credits them with helping him navigate social media for the show, including Instagram and TikTok. “Two months ago, I had four followers. I think I have more than four now,” he joked.

Despite the early controversy, Owens remains confident in his ability to navigate criticism. “I was criticized all the time in football,” he said. “You take it because it’s your job. I don’t dig into social media comments.”

On the show, Owens describes himself as romantic and emotionally in tune, though not prone to tears like the first Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner. He also says he relies on intuition, or what he describes as extrasensory perception, to assess connections with contestants.

While not necessarily seeking marriage, Owens is open to finding new love. “Love is a good thing, it fills your heart, it makes you feel better, and it gives you a purpose,” he said. “You’re just going to have to watch the journey it’s an adventure.”