Philyons K Liliefna, Sorong – In a rare and symbolic gesture, five members of a separatist group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM) laid down their arms and pledged allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia in a ceremony held Friday in Sorong, the capital of Southwest Papua province.

Antara, Jakarta – Indonesia is considering Chinese and Russian technology for its first nuclear power plants, as it looks to tap into a 24,000-ton uranium reserve in West Kalimantan to support its future energy needs, according to the 2025-2034 electricity plan (RUPTL).

Kiki Safitri, Robertus Belarminus, Jakarta – Deputy Social Affairs Minister (Wamensos) Agus Jabo Priyono has stressed that the involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in the People's School principals retreat is not a form of militarisation of education.

Jakarta – Saving Garuda Indonesia through funding from Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency, or Danantara, to the tune of Rp20 trillion carries with it major risks for the future. The government is gambling on retaining a state-owned airline that has really long been bankrupt for the sake of prestige.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara and its Russian counterpart RDIF recently announced that they would set up a joint investment platform worth 2 billion or approximately $2.3 billion.

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – Indonesia has received more than 1.7 million overseas job requests from partner countries as of May 2025, but has only managed to fill around 297,000 of those positions, leaving 1.4 million vacancies unfulfilled, according to Migrant Worker Protection Minister Abdul Kadir Karding.

Agencies, St Petersburg, Russia – President Prabowo Subianto met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday and hailed growing ties with Moscow in a burgeoning relationship that has caused concern among some of Jakarta's Western allies.

Jakarta – Hundreds of people from the Free Palestine Network (FPN) held a demonstration in front of the United States Embassy in Jakarta on Friday afternoon June 20. This action was a form of protest against Washington's military support for Israeli aggression in the Palestinian territories.

Roy Adriansyah, Jakarta – Former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim has been summoned by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) for questioning on Monday, June 23, as part of a corruption probe into the Education Ministry's Rp 9.98 trillion ($615 million) Chromebook procurement project.

Nanda Febrianto, Jakarta – The TNI Headquarters is coordinating with the Attorney General's Office to investigate Marcella Santoso's statement (MS), a suspect in a case of alleged obstruction to case handling, related to negative content in the TNI Law Draft.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government recently denied dishing out raw food instead of hot meals in Indonesia's colossal school-feeding program, as the country spent trillions of rupiah so far.

Two international organisations are leading a call for the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to elevate the membership status of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) at their upcoming summit in Honiara in September.

Hundreds of ethnic Timorese who fled to the Indonesian territory of West Timor decades ago to escape Timor-Leste's violent struggle for independence have called for land ownership from the government and rejected a resettlement plan.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has extended the grace period for credit card bill payments until Wednesday, December 31, 2025. This prolongs a relief policy previously set to expire on Monday, June 30, 2025.

Maria Siow – Indonesia's recent signing of several defence acquisition agreements has shed light on its desire to accelerate military modernisation, but its ability to finance and maintain new systems amid economic challenges has come under scrutiny by observers.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), a major nickel processing hub, has pledged to improve its environmental compliance and adopt more sustainable business practices following a warning from Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – State-owned electricity company PLN reported Rp545.4 trillion ($33.33 billion) in revenue for 2024, marking an 11.9 percent increase from the previous year. The company also posted a net profit of Rp17.76 trillion, down 19.5 percent from Rp22.07 trillion in 2023.

Kuala Lumpur – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday said ASEAN remains committed to supporting Timor-Leste's full membership in the regional grouping, while acknowledging that the process of meeting key requirements is complex and gradual.

Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia held a demonstration in front of the US Embassy building in Jakarta on Thursday June 19 rejecting the genocide against the people of Gaza in Palestine.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – The Raja Ampat islands, which have long been known as the center of the world's marine biodiversity, are now facing a serious threat due to nickel mining activities.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consulate General in New York has secured the return of three smuggled cultural artifacts from US authorities, including items from the Asmat, Dayak, and Batak ethnic groups, a Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday.

Widy Wicaksono, Kendal, Central Java – Indonesia has officially opened its largest integrated solar cell and module factory to support its push for renewable energy. The plant, run by Trina Mas Agra Indonesia (TMAI), is located in the Kendal Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and is a joint project between China-based Trina Solar Co.

Olivia Subandi, Jakarta – Indonesia has joined 23 countries in a joint statement strongly condemning Israel's attacks on Iran that have been ongoing since June 13, 2025. The statement, initiated by Egypt, marks a strong regional solidarity amidst unprecedented escalation of Middle East conflict.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Papua – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organization (TPNPB-OPM) attacked Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) personnel at Aminggaru Airport in Ilaga, Omukia District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Defara Dhanya, Jakarta – The installation of a stairlift, or a device to facilitate going up and down the stairs at Borobudur Temple in Indonesia some time ago was carried out without impact analysis and clear procedures. However, Borobudur Temple is a World Heritage site strictly regulated by UNESCO.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – The rupiah closed lower today, June 19, 2025, trading at Rp16,406 per US dollar. This weakening occurred as the dollar strengthened following the U.S. central bank's (the Federal Reserve or The Fed) decision to maintain its benchmark interest rate.

Oyuk Ivani Siagian, Jakarta – The Indonesian police name 44 suspects after raiding a conventional gambling site in Kosambi, Bandung, and arresting 63 people. The raid occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at karaoke and billiard entertainment venues that provided casino gambling facilities.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – Indonesia has suffered a sharp decline in its global competitiveness, falling 13 spots to 40th place in the 2025 World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) released by the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC) recently. The country now trails regional neighbor Malaysia, which surged 11 places to rank 23rd globally.

Haura Hamidah, Jakarta – One of the clusters in Indonesia's Thousand Islands, Pari Island, is now under serious scrutiny due to the activities of PT Central Pondok Sejahtera (CPS) suspected of damaging the mangrove and coastal ecosystem in the area.

Indonesia, West Papua – Human rights organisations have condemned the trial process against Mr Rife Kerebea (see photo on top, source: Suara Papua) as unfair. Mr Kerebea was arbitrarily arrested and processed for the alleged murder of 13 gold miners in Seradala District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province.

Surabaya – Three students in Blitar, East Java, were arrested during a visit by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka to the area on Wednesday June 18. The three are members of the Blitar Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (PMII) branch leadership.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – The Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has uncovered illegal mining activity on Citlim Island, located in Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province (Kepri). According to the agency, Citlim Island covers an area of just 22.94 square kilometers.

Lusa – The President of Timor-Leste, Jos Ramos-Horta, began a private visit to Malaysia on Tuesday, from where he will travel to Monaco for a working visit to promote regional cooperation and strengthen international partnerships.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – Government borrowing surged to Rp 349.3 trillion ($21.4 billion) in the first five months of 2025, marking a 164 percent increase from Rp 132.2 trillion in the same period last year. The spike reflects intensifying fiscal pressure as the government tries to maintain budgetary health under growing spending demands.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday sentenced Meirizka Widjaja to three years in prison for bribing judges to secure the acquittal of her son, Ronald Tannur, in a controversial murder case.

Celvin Moniaga Sipahutar, Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Former senior Supreme Court official Zarof Ricar was sentenced to 16 years in prison on Wednesday for accepting bribes in exchange for helping secure an acquittal in a high-profile murder case and amassing an enormous fortune from unexplained sources during his tenure on the bench.

Klas Lundstrom – Prabowo Subianto first made his name as an Indonesian military leader trying to crush East Timor's push for independence. Today he is president – and his government is fighting another colonial war in West Papua.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Wali Nanggroe of Aceh Malik Mahmud Al Haythar hopes for the endorsement of regulations regarding the raising of the Aceh flag. He expressed this after the central government of Indonesia returned four islands that were previously disputed with North Sumatra to Aceh.

Indonesia, West Papua – In the early hours of 18 June 2025, the Indonesian military (TNI) launched a coordinated armed assault on the villages of Bulapa and Yoparu in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency.

Vinnilya Huanggrio, Muhammad Farhan, Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – The government's plan to shrink the size of subsidized landed houses has drawn sharp criticism from urban planners, lawmakers, and civil society, with opponents warning that the policy risks undermining citizens' dignity and violating housing regulations.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Labor Party and the Workers' Union Coalition are planning to stage a rally to protest the war and genocide in Palestine on Friday, June 18, 2025. Protesters will move from the United Nations' office, then proceed with a long march to the United States Embassy, and end at the Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta.

Agencies, Jakarta – Several flights to Bali were cancelled or delayed and the airport in Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara province was closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said on Wednesday.

Jakarta – There's no denying that soccer is the most popular and passionately supported sport in the country. It captures national pride like no other, with emotions running high every time the Garuda squad plays.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 5.5 percent following its June 17 18 Board of Governors Meeting, maintaining the Deposit Facility rate at 4.75 percent and the Lending Facility rate at 6.25 percent.

Agencies, Jakarta – Three Australians were arrested in Indonesia over the murder of a male compatriot in Bali and face the death penalty, police said Wednesday, after a days-long manhunt.

Authorities had been searching for several suspects over the shooting of Zivan Radmanovic, a 32-year-old Australian national, on Saturday.

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – The government is planning to implement DNA-based testing as the primary cervical cancer screening method for women between 30 and 69 years old as a measure to achieve its target to eliminate the disease by 2030.

Jakarta – The revelation of extortion of foreign workers at the Manpower Ministry shows the poor support for the investment climate in Indonesia. Those recruiting staff are usually foreign companies investing capital in a number of sectors. Government officials should be supporting these investments, not turning it into a cash cow.

Novali Panji Nugroho, Jakarta – A spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom, reported a shootout between his group and the Indonesian Military (TNI) in Kampung Kulapa, Intan Jaya, Papua, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. He claimed that five civilians were shot by military personnel during the incident.

Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) revealed that it has purchased Government Bonds (SBN) worth Rp124.33 trillion throughout the current year, 2025. This was stated by BI Governor Perry Warjiyo during a virtual press conference to announce the results of the BI Board of Governors Meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

Ichsan Ali, Jakarta – The number of student applicants for public schools in Jakarta for the 2025/2026 academic year soared to 277,231 as of the 8:00 a.m. cut-off on Wednesday, June 18, according to the Jakarta Education Agency.