Mecca, Saudi Arabia – President Prabowo Subianto performed umrah (minor haj) early on Thursday, at the Al-Haram Grand Mosque in Mecca, shortly after concluding his bilateral talk with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS).

Basten Gokkon – A new study has shown the first habitat suitability model for the endangered bear cuscus in Indonesia's South Sulawesi, showing its limited and fragmented range, much of which is threatened by mining and poaching, and calling for increased legal protection and landscape connectivity.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia has condemned the Israeli airstrike that killed the director of Gaza's Indonesian Hospital, Dr Marwan Al Sultan.

Dessy Sagita, Jakarta – When an Indonesian mother dropped off her daughter at school in May, she did not expect her to become violently sick after eating lunch from the government's new billion-dollar free meal program.

M. Faiz Zaki, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry has sealed a 50-hectare illegal limestone mining site in Gunung Karang, located in the Klapanunggal District of Bogor Regency, West Java.

According to Rudianto Saragih, Director of Forestry Criminal Enforcement, mining activities at four points within the area have caused damage to the limestone mountain.

Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – The government is urging national and multinational companies to take responsibility and do more to tackle the increasing volume of plastic waste, as the country is failing to achieve its waste reduction target with post-consumer trash continuing to drown parts of the country.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) urges the Financial Services Authority (OJK) to revoke the co-payment rule for health insurance risk sharing. This rule obligates policyholders to bear 10 percent of the claim costs.

At least four people have died and dozens are missing after a ferry carrying 65 people sank on its way to the Indonesian resort island of Bali, according to local police.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto once sent a message of hope concerning the management of state finances. Before he was sworn in as president, he announced the plan to form a State Revenue Agency, which can also be referred to as the Ministry of State Revenue.

Ilham Oktafian, Jakarta – Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the 1998 mass rapes that occurred during Indonesia's political turmoil will not be included in the government's ongoing national history rewrite project, arguing the initiative aims to build a positive narrative that avoids deepening ethnic and communal divisions.

Alfitria Nefi P, Jakarta – The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) predicts that Indonesia's economic growth in 2025 will be lower after the Ministry of Finance revised it to 5 percent. Researcher Esther Sri Astuti from INDEF stated, "The reality will be lower," during a live-streamed discussion on YouTube on Tuesday, July 2, 2025.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition against Impunity interrupted a working meeting between Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and House of Representatives (DPR) Commission X at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Wednesday July 2.

Indonesia, UN on West Papua, West Papua – In the past months, the situation surrounding the National Strategic Project (PSN) in Merauke, Papua Selatan Province, has further escalated.

Divya Karyza, Jakarta Indonesia's inflation edged up in June as food prices rose amid Idul Adha festivities and the start of school holidays, both of which boosted household consumption.

Ruth Dea Juwita, Jakarta Indonesia recorded a hefty trade surplus of US$4.3 billion in May, fueled by a surge in exports of vegetable oils and steel, according to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) released on Tuesday.

The figure marks a sharp rebound from the modest monthly surplus in April of around $160 million, the smallest in five years.

Olena Wibisana, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta city government has launched designated smoking areas along Malioboro shopping street, the city's most visited destination.

Sharon Muller – Terror against Papuan students has again been launched in several cities around Indonesia. This time round it has been through the delivery of packages containing rotten animal carcasses, threatening letters, the distribution of posters and videos as well as other threats.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – The Supreme Court has upheld the graft conviction of former House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto but reduced his prison sentence from 15 years to 12.5 years.

Rama Sukarta, Jakarta – Indonesia's manufacturing sector showed further signs of weakness in June as the country's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell deeper into contraction territory.

Jakarta – As citizens of an archipelagic nation, we often find ourselves lacking awareness, or even feeling helpless, about our water-bound existence.

Entering its eighth decade since independence, Indonesia still faces the same challenges that stem from the vast geography of seas, waterways and coastal areas that make up around 71 percent of its territory.

Jakarta – Unprompted, Minister of Housing and Settlements Maruarar Sirait claims the ministry has built 157,000 houses around 5.2 percent of the ambitious target of 3 million homes promised by President Prabowo Subianto. The number sounds impressive if only the public is aware of where these houses are.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 12 June 2025, police officers arbitrarily detained Mr Imanus Komba, a lawyer working for the Papuan Legal Aid Institute (LBH Papua), and a protester named Mr Kolki Gwijangge during a peaceful demonstration at the Abepura roundabout in Jayapura City, Papua Province (see photo on top, source: Jubi).

Indonesia, West Papua – Nearly 11 months after the fatal shooting of Mr Tobias Silak in the Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province, criminal proceedings have commenced at the Wamena District Court against the four police officers, Muh.

Coinciding with the 79th Bhayangkara Day – An official anniversary celebration of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) – which is commemorated on 1st July 2025, the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) launched a Policy Paper titled "Kekerasan yang Menjulang di Tengah Penegakan Hukum yang Timpang" (English: Soaring Violence Amid Unequal Law Enforcement)

Pribadi Wicaksono (Kontributor), Yogyakarta – Tourists and tourism business owners who dare to smoke in public areas on Malioboro Street, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, will face new sanctions prepared by the Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) for the Management of Yogyakarta's Cultural Heritage Area.

Dian Rahma Fika, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity disrupted a working meeting between the House of Representatives Commission X and Minister of Culture Fadli Zon on July 2, 2025. The protest was aimed at opposing the Ministry of Culture's project to rewrite history.

Kuala Lumpur – After 26 years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is set to welcome its first new member since 1999 as Timor-Leste nears full accession.

This milestone carries significant implications for both the nation and the regional bloc amid shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.

Melynda Dwi Puspita, Jakarta – The persisting waves of layoffs remain a source of anxiety among Indonesian workers. According to the Ministry of Manpower data, as many as 77,965 workers were laid off throughout 2024, up 20.21 percent compared to the same period in 2023 with 64,855 people.

Dio Suhenda, Jakarta – The debut of the government's new school admissions system has been marred with problems similar to those that plagued its predecessors, as reports of fraud and technical glitches have prompted calls for immediate corrective action and more stringent oversight.

Max Lane – On June 23, 2025, the Editorial Board of Indonesia's premier English language newspaper, the Jakarta Post, published a sharp criticism of Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, "deploring his dismissive statements" regarding rapes and sexual violence during rioting in May, 1998, seemingly orchestrated to discredit the process that was unfolding and forcing President Suhar

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) estimates that the state suffered a loss of Rp 700 billion ($43 million) in an alleged corruption case involving state-owned lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Septia Ryanthie, Solo – The founder of the Ecoton Foundation for Ecological Studies and Land Conservation, Prigi Arisandi, revealed the results of microplastic research in Indonesian rivers in East Java. There are facts about the serious dangers of microplastics to human health and aquatic ecosystems.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesian National Police (Polri) Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the police have seized nearly Rp 7 trillion ($430 million) worth of narcotics in a nationwide crackdown since the beginning of 2025, claiming the operation has saved more than 35 million lives from the dangers of illegal drugs.

Eka Yudha Saputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto called upon the Indonesian police to deeply connect with the people and understand their struggles. He delivered this message during the 79th anniversary of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta, on July 1, 2025.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Tuesday that Indonesia's tax revenue is unlikely to meet the target set in the 2025 state budget, citing several economic challenges.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) stated that the police constantly ranked first as the institution with the highest number of torture cases. The organization documented violent incidents from year to year, and the National Police (Polri) once again became the number one perpetrator of torture this year.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia's government debt issuance surged in the first half of 2025, reaching Rp 315.4 trillion ($19.5 billion), a 46.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) wishes the Polri (National Police) a happy 79th anniversary and will continue to encourage improvements and reforms to the police of the Republic of Indonesia so that they are professionals who firmly uphold the Constitution as a state institution that fully guarantees the principles of a democratic constitutional state, and guar

Bambang Ismoyo, Jakarta – Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) has proposed allocating between Rp 97.37 trillion ($6 billion) and Rp 104.97 trillion ($6.49 billion) in electricity subsidies for 2026, targeting 44.88 million customers nationwide, primarily low-income and vulnerable households.

Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' Commission X plans to summon Minister of Culture Fadli Zon on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, to seek clarification on several recent controversies, including his statement that the mass rape during the May 1998 Riots was merely a rumor lacking evidence.

Nabiila Azzahra, Jakarta – The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) recorded 411 cases of shooting by police officers over the past year. The figure is based on the organization's observation of police violence throughout July 2024-June 2025.

Nandito Putra, Jakarta – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is seeking to provide electricity access to more than 10,000 isolated locations across Indonesia. Director General of Electricity Jisman Hutajulusaid the program will serve as the foundation for the national electricity roadmap and will require a significant investment of up to Rp50 trillion.

Aliy Arivin, Jakarta – The Chairperson of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) DPP, Danik Eka Rahmanigtyas, has condemned the forced disbandment of a Christian student retreat in the Cidahu District of Sukabumi Regency. She referred to the action as a form of intolerance.

Jakarta – The conflict between Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin and doctors has yet to be resolved. Members of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) challenged the omnibus law, Law No. 17/2023 on Health, with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the government had intervened in the independence of the medical association.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia's palm oil exports enjoyed a double-digit growth this year as of May, with an unchanged list of top buyers, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data released on Tuesday.

Indonesia sold $8.90 billion worth of crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives to its trading partners in the first five months of 2025.

Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has praised the Indonesian National Police (Polri) for actively supporting the government's food security and free nutritious meals program.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto said Tuesday that someone would always try to bring down the Indonesian police force.

Prabowo, however, did not go into details on the individual or group who wished to ruin the crime-fighting body.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court has rejected the appeal filed by businessman Harvey Moeis, upholding his 20-year prison sentence in a major corruption case linked to the country's tin trade.

Indonesia, West Papua – On the evening of 7 June 2025, 25-year-old Maikel Edowai was reportedly shot by police officers at Taman Gizi Park in Oyehe, Nabire Town, Papua Tengah Province. Mr Edowai was reportedly purchasing alcoholic drinks as police personnel opened fire without warning, causing bullet wounds to his hand and thigh (see video below, source: independent HRD).

Alfi Dinilhaq, Jakarta – State-owned energy company Pertamina has officially raised the prices of non-subsidized fuel across the country starting Tuesday, as part of its monthly price review in line with global crude oil movements.