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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has signed Government Regulation (PP) No. 29/2025 concerning the Assistance Fund for Victims of Sexual Violence Crimes (DBK-TPKS). This regulation serves as a derivative of the Sexual Violence Crimes Law enacted in 2022.

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.

M. Raihan Muzzaki, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition consisting of YLBHI and KontraS has urged the police to conduct an evaluation following the Kanjuruhan football stadium tragedy. YLBHI Vice Chair Arif Maulana stated that the improvement is necessary to ensure that the police force is not abused against civil society.

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 – Official statistics showed Tuesday that the US remained a top buyer of Indonesian goods amid a looming tariff deadline, as Jakarta's surplus surpassed $7 billion as of end-May.

Ian Wilson – Paramilitary mass organisations (ormas) have re-emerged in recent months as volatile high-profile actors, prompting concerns over the potential resurgence of informal coercive practices under Prabowo's presidency.

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.

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.

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).

Jakarta – The government on Monday has unveiled a series of new import regulation that would ease access to specific goods and raw materials as well as eliminate overlapping rules that industry groups have long criticized as burdensome, ahead of July 9 deadline of ongoing bilateral tariff negotiations with the United States.

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.

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.

Daniel Ahmad Fajri, Jakarta – Chairperson of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Muhammad Isnur, expressed concern over the community's inability to maintain order when disbanding the Christian student retreat in Cidahu, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Isnur stated that the incident is a challenge for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and other stakeholders.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia announced Tuesday that it had booked a $4.30 billion surplus in May, maintaining the 61-month positive trade balance it has kept since May 2020.

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 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

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.

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.

Arnoldus Kristianus, Jakarta – Indonesia recorded a monthly inflation rate of 0.19 percent in June 2025, driven mainly by rising food prices, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Tuesday.

On an annual basis, inflation stood at 1.87 percent, while year-to-date inflation reached 1.38 percent.

Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto, accompanied by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, inaugurated the new headquarters of Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, Daya Anagata Nusantara (Danantara) Indonesia, in South Jakarta on Monday, as the country intensifies efforts to attract foreign investment and boost economic growth.

Yovanda Noni, Jakarta – Former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), along with 35 Indonesian artists across generations, have collaborated to release a music video titled "Save Our World."

Antara, Denpasar – Bali Governor I Wayan Koster has dismissed rumors of widespread layoffs in the island's tourism industry, claiming that the sector is currently experiencing a surge in hotel occupancy rates amid strong domestic and international demand.

Sultan Abdurrahman, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDIP, is urging Prabowo's government to halt the Indonesian history rewriting project, led by Culture Minister Fadli Zon.

Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – Indonesia is still shying away from explicitly condemning US' strikes on Iran as seen in Monday's hearing between Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono and the country's lawmakers.

Chairul Fikri, AP, Jakarta – Merince Kogoya, Miss Papua Pegunungan 2025, has been disqualified from the Miss Indonesia 2025 pageant following the circulation of a video on social media showing her expressing support for Israel, sparking online controversy.

Indonesia, West Papua – On 28 June 2025 at approximately 04:04 am, joint forces of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Police reportedly raided civilian homes in the Uam Village, Sumo District, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan Province.

Adil Al Hasan, Jakarta – Commission XI of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) have officially agreed to postpone the implementation of Circular Letter Number 7 of 2025, which concerns health insurance product implementation.

Anastasya Lavenia Yudi, Jakarta – The Indonesian E-commerce Association (idEA) is calling for a cautious and gradual implementation of new e-commerce tax regulations. This comes as the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP) announced that rules designating marketplaces as collectors of Article 22 Income Tax (PPh) are in their final stages.

Muhammad Farhan, Jakarta – Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman warned on Monday that he will publicly expose 212 rice brands accused of cheating consumers, unless the companies correct their practices within the next three days.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police (Polri) introduced a range of robots ahead of the force's 79th anniversary celebrations, aiming to enhance law enforcement capabilities while reducing human exposure to high-risk situations.

Jakarta – The government is in a bind with its housing program. If the properties are too expensive, they will not be bought, but if they are too inexpensive, they will not be built.

It was clear from the beginning that tackling a housing backlog accumulated over many years was never going to be easy.

Jakarta – Israeli military operations in Palestine and Iran, carried out with near-total impunity, are eroding global confidence in international law and could embolden other nations to engage in similar behavior, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono warned on Monday.

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – Assistant Professor from the Faculty of Forestry and Environment at IPB University, Agus Hikmat, stated that the blue orchid (Dendrobium azureum Schuit), a rare and endemic species found only in the Waigeo Island Nature Reserve in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua, could be threatened by long-term mining activities.

Antara, Jakarta – The Agricultural Ministry recently announced that over 1,500 dairy cows imported from the close neighbor Australia had arrived in Indonesia as Jakarta tried to boost its milk production.

The government of Catholic-majority Timor-Leste is pondering a complete ban on traditional martial arts, blaming it for ongoing gang violence between youth groups.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi – Dedi Mulyadi, the governor of West Java, Indonesia's most populous province, has been in the spotlight since he took office on 20 February 2025, partly due to his skilful use of social media to grow his support base.

Defara Dhanya, Jakarta – Researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) disclosed that Indonesia has reached a new level of climate change. This finding is based on an analysis of several key indicators in a long-term climate study from 1990 to a 2050 projection.