The United States posted weaker-than-expected job growth in June as new data showed the labor market is facing headwinds ahead of testing midterm elections for President Donald Trump's Republicans.

Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), the country’s first sovereign wealth fund, has no immediate plans to issue debt, because it has sufficient capital to fund investments, its new chief executive says, despite recent market volatility weighing on some of its portfolio.   

While exploring different options was par for the course in seeking potential partnerships, experts agree that careful consideration in package composition vis-à-vis Indonesia's needs and goals, including compliance with any existing deals, is key to realizing its nuclear energy ambitions.

Indonesia's manufacturing sector suffered its sharpest contraction in a year, with the PMI plunging to 46.9 in June as new orders dried up and factory-gate prices rose at the fastest pace in nearly 13 years, intensifying calls for government help.

The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) said it is currently simplifying 22 agency regulations and coordinating with multiple ministries to implement a single submission and single inspection system.

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said that the move came as a response to the “Rp 15 trillion cut” in regional transfer funds (TKD) from the central government, which brought “fiscal pressure” on the capital province.

OpenAI has discussed giving the US government a 5 percent stake, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, as AI firms face growing scrutiny in Washington over the potential misuse of advanced models and whether Americans will share in the sector's profits.

Asian shares skidded on Thursday as investors rotated out of chipmakers following a stellar quarter, while currency and bond markets braced for US jobs data that could gives hints about the risk of interest rate hikes.

Indonesia’s balance of trade has turned negative for the first time in six years as skyrocketing oil prices pushed up imports while weak global demand weighed on exports.

Gasoline was the largest contributor to transportation inflation, with a contribution of 0.21 percentage points, followed by airfare and engine lubricants.

Following the President's instruction in May to "reactivate" Husein Sastranegara airport, the Transportation Ministry has announced that preparations were underway for the West Java capital to start welcoming domestic and international passengers on both propeller and jet aircraft in September.

The S&P Global Indonesia Manufacturing PMI plunged to 46.9 in June from 50.0 in May, which is also the threshold that separates expansion from contraction, signaling a fresh decline in the health of the goods-producing sector.

The communications ministry and US tech giant Meta are set to form a joint team to tackle a sharp rise in spam comments flooding platforms with gambling promotions, with a view to expanding cooperation with other social networks.

US President Donald Trump's administration is expected to formally declare on Wednesday that it will not extend the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, starting a decade-long clock to wind down the 32-year-old North American free trade zone as the three countries haggle over proposed changes.

Foreign demand for Indonesian sovereign bonds has improved thanks to recent interest rate hikes from Bank Indonesia (BI), while the stock market is still in the doldrums.

Labor organizations argue that taxing old-age benefits (JHT) withdrawals undermines the purpose of the social security program, particularly as workers face mounting layoff risks and rising living costs.

The KSPSI previously estimated that rising industrial gas costs could put roughly 55,000 workers at risk of layoffs.   

On the demand side, home sales fell by 25.7 percent year-on-year (yoy) in Q1, according to a Bank Indonesia survey.

The yen slumped to levels not seen since 1986 on Tuesday, stoking worries that direct intervention from Tokyo was around the corner, while the dollar backed away from 13-month highs ahead of jobs data that could influence the US rate outlook.

Asian stocks wobbled toward the end of a sparkling quarter on Tuesday, while a resurgent dollar pushed the yen to a four-decade low and was headed for a fourth straight quarterly rise.

In its latest report titled “Indonesia Economic Prospects” published in June, the World Bank highlighted that the country’s decreasing medium- and high-skilled employment has further eroded the supply of jobs capable of supporting middle-class livelihoods. 

Weak transparency in public institutions creates opportunities for mismanagement and corruption that could threaten Indonesia’s economic ambitions, unless the greater state role in the economy is matched by stronger oversight and accountability, antigraft groups have warned.

Experts have warned that the bioethanol push demands rigorous scrutiny, citing potentially severe trade-offs, as producing ethanol from crops could disrupt food security, trigger land conflicts and incentivize deforestation.

The maker of Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarettes aims to save £600 million ($792 million) a year by 2028 in a restructuring that will affect around 20 percent of BAT's 47,000-member workforce, it said in a statement.

Raunak Mehta, cofounder and CEO of Singapore-based insurance technology (insurtech) firm Igloo, spoke with The Jakarta Post's Ni Made Tasyarani on June 18 to explain how the company aims to bridge Indonesia's coverage gap and drive growth through partnerships with local companies and the use of artificial intelligence.

The Tasmania-based artificial intelligence company is set to build one of the Asia-Pacific's largest digital infrastructure facilities on the island of Batam, under a multinational partnership that includes global chipmaker Nvidia to woo AI-native customers.

Asian stocks wobbled on Monday after Iran and the United States agreed to halt renewed hostilities that had cast a shadow over an interim peace deal and kept oil prices supported, while the dollar stood tall near a one-year high on rate-hike bets.