Erwin Renaldi and Hellena Souisa – With its crystal-clear waters and picturesque islands, Raja Ampat – often described as "the last paradise on Earth" – has long been a dream destination for tourists.

But this archipelago off Indonesia's east coast has emerged as the latest battleground between groups at odds over the country's nickel industry.

Heru Andriyanto, Wahroni, Tangerang – The Indonesian government has strongly condemned a Canadian-based website for listing several islands within Indonesia's territory for sale, declaring the practice illegal and misleading.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The Garda Indonesia, an online motorcycle taxi drivers association, alongside various alliances of online motorcycle taxi (online ojek or ojol) organizations and communities across Greater Jakarta or Jabodetabek, plans to hold another demonstration at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta in the near future.

Thomas Rizal, Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – The government has come under fire for its plans to shrink the already tiny proposed subsidized housing.

Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – House Member on education commission, Ledia Hanifa Amaliah, found several schools facing challenges in managing waste from the free nutritious meal program.

She mentioned that the challenges arose due to the ineffective and slow waste management system, both at the schools and in the respective region.

Saint Petersburg, Russia – President Prabowo Subianto on Friday denied snubbing the G7 summit to visit Russia, in a speech at an economic forum alongside Vladimir Putin.

The former soldier declined an invitation to the G7 in Canada earlier this week in favor of talks with Putin in Saint Petersburg, a decision that raised concerns about Jakarta moving closer to Moscow.

Olivia Subandi, Jakarta – The Free Palestine Network (FPN) organized simultaneous demonstrations in eight cities across Indonesia on Friday, June 20, 2025, to urge the United States and its allies to halt the supply of weapons to Israel and end the genocide in Palestine.

Jakarta – Jakarta turns 498 on Sunday and will be celebrating with fanfare: from cultural exhibitions at National Monument Square and a vibrant culinary showcase in the Glodok Chinatown area to the ever-anticipated Jakarta Fair in Kemayoran, dubbed the largest multiproduct expo in Southeast Asia.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto claims that Indonesia's economy is on the right track and promising. According to Prabowo, as stated by experts, Indonesia's economic growth in the first half of 2025 is over five percent.

Jakarta – The government recently announced that Indonesia had substantially concluded the trade pact negotiations with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

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.

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Nickel miner Gag Nikel will soon resume operations in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, after the Indonesian government found its environmental management to be satisfactory. The company had been temporarily suspended due to public concerns over environmental damage.

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.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – Three government office buildings in Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua Province, were allegedly set on fire by unknown individuals in the early hours of Friday, June 20, 2025. According to the police, the three burnt buildings are the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) office, the Health Office, and the Ministry of Religion.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto's first Russian state trip had led to the possibility of Moscow exporting more wheat while also introducing its meat to Jakarta.

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).

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.

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 – 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.

Jakarta – National unity faced an impromptu challenge recently when a dispute erupted between the country's two westernmost provinces after the Home Ministry issued a regulation that placed the four border islands of Lipan, Panjang, Mangkir Besar and Mangkir Kecil, which had been part of Aceh jurisdiction for decades, under North Sumatra, citing their geographic proximity to the nei

Jayapura – The Papuan Student Alliance or AMP, which is located at the Kamasan dormitory in Yogyakarta, Central Java, was sent four packages containing a chicken carcass, chicken droppings, garbage and provocative messages.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Finance Ministry stated that the country's competitiveness remains strong despite the announcement that Indonesia's competition level dropped 13 ranks in the World Competitiveness Ranking 2025 within a year.

Hammam Izzuddin, Jakarta – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) is suspected of attacking civilians in Lambera Village, Yugumoak District, Puncak Regency, Central Papua. The police claimed that three civilians died in the attack that occurred on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. local time.

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.

Antara, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati reaffirmed that Indonesia's state budget deficit will remain below 3 percent, in line with the mandate of the state budget law.

She conveyed this commitment during a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), represented by First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath.

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 – 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.