Farmers plant rice in a paddy field on June 28, 2025, in Lambaro, Aceh.

The smart way to food security isn’t self-sufficiency

Producing food is not the same as ensuring people can eat. The difference lies not in production but in income levels, logistics, market integration and purchasing power.

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Indonesia’s civil–military boundaries under new pressure

The plan to train thousands of civil servants as military reservists raise risks of militarizing the bureaucracy. ...

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Lessons for Indonesia from the harbingers of a new tanker war

Learning from the ongoing war in the Middle East, it is essential for TNI-AL to consider increasing capacities for mine hunting in particular and underwater warfare in general. ...

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Indonesian nationals, formerly employed in scam centers, line up during questioning at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Feb. 22, 2026, upon returning from Cambodia on commercial airliners.

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Trafficked Indonesians risk blame after scam escape

Framing returnees as potential criminals is politically convenient but counterproductive. It discourages victims from seeking help from authorities.

1 day ago

The logos of ride-hailing service providers Gojek and Grab are seen on helmets worn by an online motorcycle taxi driver and another passenger in Jakarta on Jan. 26, 2026.

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The early signs of platform power in our ride-hailing economy

As ride-hailing drivers report increasing scarcity and pay-to-participate barriers, the invisible hand of the algorithm is reshaping our digital economy. We must ask whether platform innovation is expanding opportunity or quietly redefining the terms of fairness for millions.

1 day ago

Cars are stuck at traffic at a segment of the trans-Java toll road in Semarang, Central Java, on March 14, 2026. Travelers from Greater Jakarta have begun the 'mudik' (exodus) ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday, which is expected to fall on March 20 or 21.

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Muslims and Catholics walk together to achieve peace

Catholics and Muslims, together with all people of goodwill, are called to envision and open new paths through which life can be renewed.

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(From left to right) Activists Delpedro Marhaen, Muzaffar Salim, Syahdan Husein and Khariq Anhar pose on March 6 ahead of the verdict hearing against them at the Central Jakarta District Court in Jakarta. The judges acquit the defendants of all charges of incitement during nationwide anti-government protests in August 2025 that later turned into riots.

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Streets, screens and gavels: Indonesia’s new cycle of contention

The pulse of Indonesian democracy has moved to three arenas of contention: the asphalt of the streets, the viral volatility of social media and the high-stakes theater of the courtroom.

2 days ago

Homebound travelers: Passengers wait for the bus at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta on April 4, 2024, that will transport them to West Sumatra as part of the free 2024 Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) program held by Gerindra Party lawmakers.

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When Idul Fitri becomes an interrogation for single women

When the "warmth" of the Idul Fitri living room becomes a cold interrogation, a woman’s Ivy League degree and global achievements are often reduced to a single, stinging metric: her marital status.

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A poster with flowers is seen during a demonstration on March 14 in Yogyakarta, in support of activist Andrie Yunus of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras), who was attacked with acid by unidentified persons.

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Attacks on human rights workers are a manifestation of state terrorism

When a state uses acid to silence its critics, it ceases to be a protector and becomes a perpetrator of terrorism.

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Cheers: Racegoers dressed in Irish colors hurl their hats into the air on March 13, 2025, during St Patrick's Day celebrations at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, the United Kingdom.

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Ireland and Indonesia celebrate shared friendship

We are honored that many citizens and friends of Ireland will commemorate St Patrick's Day across Indonesia’s vast archipelago.

2 days ago

Ramadan under tents: Disaster survivors have a predawn meal (sahur) on Feb. 19, 2026, at an emergency shelter in Bundar village, Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang, Aceh. About 23 families liveed at the site, and cook simple meals for their sahur as they observe the Ramadan fast.

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Not an end game: Waqf to help Aceh recover from disasters

For waqf to play a meaningful role in post-disaster recovery, governance must be strengthened through clear asset mapping, professional management, transparency and integration with broader development and disaster-risk strategies.

2 days ago

Police officers deliver water bottles to rallygoers on Sept. 24, 2025, during a demonstration on National Farmers' Day in Jakarta.

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More than just police reform: A social contract for policing

True police reform is more than a change in regulation; it is a living social contract where legitimacy is earned daily and security is co-produced by the police and the public.

2 days ago

Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Andrie Yunus testifies on July 14, 2025, during a judicial review hearing against the revised Indonesian Military (TNI) Law at the Constitutional Court in Jakarta.

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A brutal warning shot: The decisive moment for Indonesia’s fragile democracy

This cycle of impunity sends a clear and dangerous message: those who silence dissent through violence operate with the implicit protection of the state’s inaction.

3 days ago

Smoke rises from the Fujairah oil industry zone in the United Arab Emirates on March 14, 2026, reportedly from burning debris after air defenses intercepted a drone during the United States-Israel attacks on Iran.

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Gulf states navigate US-Israeli war on Iran

The GCC countries are between a rock and a hard place as regards shaping the outcome of the ongoing Middle East conflict, assuming that Washington doesn't have a clear-cut strategy for the region.

3 days ago

Workers operate heavy equipment on Feb. 2 to remove damaged asphalt for repairs on a section of the Java Northern Highway in Pekalongan, Central Java.

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The trillion-rupiah slumber: Why is public money sleeping in banks?

Hundreds of trillions of rupiah meant to build infrastructure, create jobs and stimulate local economies are simply gathering dust in bank vaults.

3 days ago

A phone user shops online on Oct. 13, 2025, for shoes in Semarang, Central Java.

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Trust as the new currency of Indonesia’s e-commerce

Indonesia's e-commerce industry in 2026 is entering a more mature phase, shifting from low-trust, price-driven marketplaces toward authenticity-led “mall” environments anchored by authorized sellers.

3 days ago

Relatives celebrate with a family member after he was released from Insein prison in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 2, 2026 to mark Peasants' Day. Myanmar's military junta on March 2 announced amnesties for more than 7,000 prisoners convicted of financing or sheltering a “terrorist group“, a designation it has used to outlaw pro-democracy factions opposing its rule.

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Prisoner ‘amnesty’ is no sign of reform in Myanmar

Such moves are a familiar tactic used by the military to project legitimacy and deflect international criticism

3 days ago

The ASEAN secretariat building in Jakarta was inaugurated in August 2019 in conjunction with the 52nd anniversary of ASEAN.

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ASEAN at 60: Why the region needs a visionary secretary-general

ASEAN needs a secretary-general that can act as both secretary and general - someone capable of convening difficult conversations, anticipating emerging conflicts and articulating a compelling vision for ASEAN’s role in the world.

3 days ago

The Thai bulk carrier "Mayuree Naree" spews smoke near the Strait of Hormuz after being struck on March 11, 2026, in this handout photo released by the Royal Thai Navy. The Thai Navy has said that at least 20 crew members were rescued from the vessel.

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The Strait of Hormuz: Is international law under siege?

The ongoing US–Israeli attacks on Iran appear to contradict the spirit of international law and have contributed to heightened instability in the Middle East.

5 days ago

The art of charity: A visitor takes a close look at a statue on display during an art exhibition featuring collaborative works by Acehnese artists at the Aceh Arts and Culture Park in Banda Aceh, Aceh on Feb. 11, 2026. Featuring 96 works, the exhibition, titled “Creating and Giving”, was held to support victims of the November 2025 flash floods in Aceh.

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When geopolitics fractures the world, culture keeps societies whole

In a world fractured by geopolitical rivalry and rising polarization, the quiet resilience of cultural expression, from Aceh to the global stage, may be the most enduring foundation for social peace.

5 days ago

Giving season: Muslims share food and drinks during iftar on Feb. 20, 2026, as they gather to perform the tarawih (Ramadan evening prayers) at Times Square in New York City, the United States.

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Neon crescent: Navigating faith and fasting in the heart of Las Vegas

For young Muslims, the urban, commercial environment of Las Vegas does not just challenge their faith; it transforms how they express it.

5 days ago

Fashion designer Didiet Maulana poses in his home office, from where he provides online entrepreneurship classes, in this undated photo.

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Feudalism, meritocracy and why innovation becomes performative

Indonesia has mastered the aesthetics of innovation through endless incubators and certificates, yet true ventures are consistently traded for the safety of status and hierarchy. Until the culture stops rewarding symbolic participation and starts embracing the risk of public failure, entrepreneurship will remain performative rather than practiced.

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Dozens of protesters hold a rally to condemn United States and Israeli attacks on Iran and Palestinians while holding posters reading 'US Imperialists, President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka are a US puppet regime' on March 3 in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta.

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Public diplomacy: The hidden cost of war

History repeatedly shows that military success does not necessarily translate into strategic success

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People stand on the roofs of their houses in Tehran and watch plumes of smoke rise from a series of explosions on March 1, 2026, following the opening salvo of the joint United States-Israeli attacks on Iran.

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The hegemon's veto: Why Washington cannot accept a nuclear Iran

The US campaign against Iran’s nuclear program is not a mission of peace but a violent maintenance of empire; an attempt to bomb a rival into submission before the logic of deterrence makes the hegemon's presence obsolete.

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Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a resolution by Russia and China on Sept. 26, 2025, to delay by six months the reimposition of sanctions on Iran during the 80th UN General Assembly in New York City, the United States.

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Middle powers and the struggle in a US–China world

Can “middle powers” bolster existing multinational institutions like the United Nations? Can they cooperate where their interests align to safeguard shared goods?

6 days ago

A person points at a page on the Marinetraffic website that shows commercial shipping traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast, on March 4 in Paris.

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The Hormuz crisis and Indonesia’s food security time bomb

The Strait of Hormuz crisis has exposed our energy fragility. But the far graver threat, one that could unravel the nation, is food.

6 days ago

People wait in a queue to refuel their vehicles on Sunday near a fuel station in Dhaka.

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Oil shocks and crashes: Where are we headed with the 2026 crisis?

Past oil shocks reshaped energy policy and fuel use. With electric transport and renewable power expanding rapidly, the latest disruption may reinforce trends already reducing the world’s reliance on oil.

6 days ago

A Garuda Indonesia Airbus A330 lands on July 13, 2021, at Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Blang Bintang, Aceh.

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Garuda’s 50 Boeing planes deal: Between ambition and survival

Garuda’s multi-billion dollar bet on 50 new Boeing jets will either modernize Indonesia's skies or ground the carrier in debt, depending entirely on whether the deal prioritizes operational logic over political optics.

6 days ago

Containers are loaded and unloaded on Feb. 4 at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta.

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Indonesia’s CPTPP accession: Unlocking opportunity

As the global trading system continues to face pressures and shocks, CPTPP offers a unique platform for ambition: to deepen trade, expand opportunities for businesses and uphold high standards.

6 days ago