Theressia Sunday Silalahi, Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has said he is ready to work from Papua if ordered by President Prabowo Subianto, following reports that he would be tasked with overseeing development in Indonesia's easternmost province.

Rabul Sawal, Indonesia, Maluku, Indonesia – Just four months after Mongabay reported on a dramatic surge in diagnoses of respiratory illness near Indonesia's second-largest nickel industrial estate, new data indicate that up to half the local population may have been exposed to unsafe levels of mercury – and one in three to harmful arsenic.

Akmalal Hamdhi, Jakarta – Indonesia's textile industry faces potential job cuts as looming US import tariffs raise fears of widespread layoffs in the labor-intensive sector.

US President Donald Trump is set to implement new import tariffs starting August 1, 2025, including a 32 percent tariff on Indonesian products, in addition to an existing 10 percent baseline tariff.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) will once again be led by an army general following the honorable discharge of Lieutenant General Novi Helmy Prasetya, who will return to military service, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed on Wednesday.

Hotria Mariana, Aditya Mulyawan – Thousands of women from various civil society organisations and communities gathered for a peaceful demonstration titled "One Million Women for Gaza" in Jakarta on Sunday July 6. The action marked a new phase in the solidarity movement for Palestine, focusing on a strategy to boycott products affiliated with Israeli Zionism.

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump's decision to maintain a steep 32 percent tariff on Indonesian exports came as a surprise to Jakarta, despite extensive efforts by the Indonesian government to ease trade tensions.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesian state-run energy firm Pertamina had inked several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with its American counterparts, like the Texas-based oil giant ExxonMobil, as a sweetener in the ongoing tariff talks.

Hanin Marwah, Jakarta – The Cartenz Peace Task Force has handed over two members of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) as suspects of illegal ammunition trading to the Wamena District Attorney. The two individuals are La Ode Sultan Zaldi Saim and Praedy Wanimbo alias Kenyam.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM) has cast doubts on Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka's ability to resolve issues in the Papuan region.

Agnes Valentina Christa, Jakarta – The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warns of unusually heavy rainfall during what is typically the dry season, with weather anomalies expected to bring extreme rain across parts of the country from July to September.

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Former Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday in connection with mining management and licensing practices in eastern Indonesia. However, Arifin dismissed suggestions that he is implicated in a corruption case.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – U.S. President Donald Trump has offered Indonesia a chance to avoid the planned 32 percent import tariff, provided that President Prabowo Subianto's administration meets certain conditions.

Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – The Public Works Ministry has requested an additional Rp 12.5 trillion ($768.9 million) for its 2025 budget, raising the total to Rp 86.3 trillion ($5.3 billion), citing a presidential mandate to develop a new network of state-funded boarding schools for underprivileged children.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon announced that the draft of the rewritten Indonesian history, prepared by the Ministry of Culture's team, will be published on July 20, 2025. Alongside the history draft, the ministry will also reveal the list of writers and editors involved in the project.

Jakarta – News has recently resurfaced about Indonesian islands being sold or offered by foreign entities, despite clear regulations prohibiting the sale of land, including islands, to foreigners. This isn't a new issue; these incidents reoccur every few years, even though existing laws only permit investors to manage islands, not to buy them outright.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – United States President Donald Trump has sent a letter to President Prabowo Subianto pushing for progress in trade talks, warning that Washington will impose a 32 percent tariff on all Indonesian exports starting next month unless Jakarta works out a trade and investment deal with Washington.

Deni Ghifari, Raja Ampat – Raja Ampat, home to 75 percent of the world's coral species and a popular diving spot known to be "the last paradise" became the subject of a global conversation in late May when the environmental group Greenpeace managed to draw the public's attention toward an imminent threat to its marine biodiversity from nickel mining.

Fauziah Herlina Azhar, Jakarta – The residents of Neighborhood Unit (RT) 2 and RT 5, Community Unit (RW) 03, in Kalibaru Subdistrict, opposed the construction of a church on Palautan Eres Street, Cilodong Subdistrict, Depok, Indonesia, on Saturday, July 5, 2025.

Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – A letter from US President Donald Trump to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on tariffs and trade deficits offers a glimpse into how Washington views its economic ties with Indonesia. Yet beyond its substance, the letter, sent on official White House letterhead, reads more like a social media post than a diplomatic note.

Antara, Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – Torrential rains that began Sunday night have triggered widespread flooding across Jakarta and its surrounding areas, with water levels rising in several neighborhoods and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate as authorities brace for further heavy downpours.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is offering 75 oil and gas blocks for exploration and development, the majority of which are located in the eastern regions of the archipelago, as part of its drive to increase domestic energy production.

Yogi Eka Sahputra, Batam – An integrated team from BP Batam forcibly evicted homes and gardens belonging to residents who remained in the relocation housing area in Kampung Tanjung Banon, Sembulang Village on Rempang Island, Batam City, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – United States President Donald Trump has cautioned Indonesia against imposing retaliatory tariffs in response to the 32 percent reciprocal tariff he has implemented. This warning was conveyed in a letter to President Prabowo Subianto, signed by Trump on Monday, July 7, 2025.

Decylia Eghline, Jakarta – Environmental activists assert that air pollution in Jakarta and its surrounding areas has entered a chronic phase. They highlight that for the past decade, Jakarta's air quality has consistently been categorized as unhealthy, with an annual PM2.5 concentration reaching 46.1 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3).

The Prabowo government's ambitious goal for Indonesia of achieving energy self-sufficiency faces significant challenges due to the country's heavy reliance on fossil fuels and renewed large-scale biofuel ambitions.

Introduction

Jakarta – The governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are exploring ways to strengthen and expand their cooperation in security and defense.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jayapura – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert Kwokwo Barume, visited Jayapura, Papua, for a two-day meeting.

Addin Anugrah Siwi, Jakarta – President Donald Trump's suggestion that Indonesian businesses build manufacturing facilities in the United States is unrealistic, as it would increase production costs and hurt competitiveness, an economist said, as the Southeast Asian nation faces the prospect of 32 percent US tariffs starting next month.

Aqida Salma – From the 1960s to the early 1990s, Indonesia's development strategy was famously shaped by the influence of the "Berkeley Mafia", a group of US-educated technocrats – including Widjojo Nitisastro, Mohammad Sadli, Emil Salim, J. B. Sumarlin, and Ali Wardhana – so named for their association with the University of California, Berkeley.

Basten Gokkon – A Canada-based website's listing of Indonesian islands for sale has reignited fears of privatization, long linked to conflicts between companies and coastal communities.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Indonesia's House of Representatives has approved 24 ambassadorial candidates to represent the country abroad, clearing the final hurdle after the nominees passed fit-and-proper tests, Deputy Speaker Adies Kadir confirmed on Tuesday.

Rama Sukarta, Jakarta – US President Donald Trump will impose a 32 percent import tariff on Indonesian goods starting August 1, 2025, a sharp increase from the 10 percent temporary tariff implemented since April, as Washington moves to protect its domestic industries.

Rio De Janeiro – President Prabowo Subianto said on Monday that BRICS should be the conduit for further cooperation among countries in the Global South, calling for a further integration of trade ties and supply chains.

Yovanda Noni, Jakarta – The key to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) is the government's commitment to protecting the entire population through health insurance, Ghufron Mukti, president director of BPJS Kesehatan, said at a conference.

Jakarta – Corporal First Class Herman Bukit really does seem to be as impervious as a hill (bukit). Although witnesses have said he was involved in the murder of Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and members of his family, the military police have not punished him.

Antara, Jakarta – The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) opened lower by 10.09 points, or 0.15 percent, to 6,890.84, after Trump announced a 32 percent reciprocal tariff on Indonesia.

Dwi Haryadi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Blitar Regency has raised concerns over the rising trend of "sound horeg," a type of street entertainment characterized by extremely loud music, calling it "a deviation from religious values and Eastern cultural norms."

Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Legal, Political, and Security Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka is likely to be given an office in Papua.

According to Yusril, President Prabowo Subianto has assigned the vice president a special mandate to handle issues in the region.

Antara, Jakarta – The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Jakarta stated that flooding in Jakarta has once again expanded. Previously, it was mentioned that floods had inundated 35 Neighborhood Units (RT) in West, East, South, and North Jakarta, but now the number has increased to 46 RTs.

Jakarta – When President Prabowo Subianto shared the idea of state asset fund Danantara to Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio in March of this year, he described it as an agency that would move both "quickly" and "carefully." A bold promise for an agency established just several weeks earlier, especially when those two goals often pull in opposite directions.

The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) denounced the incident of forced dispersal of religious retreat at a shelter in Tangkil Village, Cidahu District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java. The conflict related to the prohibition of religious activity occurred on Friday, 27th June 2025.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta – Indonesia's fiscal deficit is projected to swell beyond the initial forecast for this year as weak tax receipts coincide with a surge in second-half spending and rising borrowing needs, which has prompted calls for the government to rein in its big-ticket plans to avoid piling on more debt.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – A senior economist at Bright Institute, Awalil Rizky, assessed that the projected 2025 State Budget deficit of Rp662 trillion, or 2.78 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as a concerning sign, particularly since President Prabowo's administration is only in its first year.

Tenggara Strategics, Jakarta – North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution consistently attracts negative press. The 33-year-old Gerindra politician and son-in-law of former president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo may soon be questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) after his close aide was arrested in a recent graft scandal in the province.

Singgih Wiryono, Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – A factual witness testifying during a formal review of Law Number 3/2025 on the Indonesian Military (TNI), Usman Hamid, has revealed that more than three articles were changed during revisions to the law.

Jakarta – The plan by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to join the government coalition of Prabowo Subianto is a nightmare for Indonesian politics. The hope that there would be an opposition to balance the government fades away because a new political cartel will arise.

Ilona Estherina, Jakarta – The Indonesian government and the House of Representatives (DPR) have agreed on the principles of macroeconomic assumptions for the 2026 state budget in a working meeting today, Monday, July 7, 2025. The government has set the target of 5.2 to 5.8 percent economic growth.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 12-13 June 2025, a coalition of NGOs has officially filed the extra-judicial execution and mutilation of Mr Abral Wandikbo, a 27-year-old indigenous farmer from Yuguru Village in Nduga Regency, to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) (see video below, source: CSO Coalition), the Military Police (MP), and the Witness and Victim Protection Agenc

Banda Aceh – A number of residents from the Aceh People's Alliance have opposed and challenged the establishment of Territorial Development Battalions in five areas and have asked the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) to return the management of the Blang Padang land donated for religious use (wakaf) to the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.

Simon Butt – Since its establishment in 2003, the Indonesian Constitutional Court has made major changes to Indonesia's electoral laws. Until recently, perhaps the most dramatic change came from a 2013 decision requiring that, from 2019, five types of elections be held together or simultaneously (serentak) – for various constitutional and efficiency reasons.