Humanoid robots controlled by a remote control by Unitree Robotics take part in a fight on July 18 during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai.

The world's $1.8 quadrillion balance sheet has a simmering problem

The rapid expansion of household net worth to some US$570 trillion last year is increasingly being driven by paper equity values, drifting away from tangible asset values and underlying economic performance.

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Poland and ASEAN deepen a growing partnership

Poland's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) is a clear statement that peace, dialogue and respect for international law remain the best foundations for security in an increasingly uncertain world. ...

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Indonesia must break out of a crumbling global order

In a fracturing global order ruled by tech giants and rising autocracies, Indonesia must abandon gradualism and execute a bold strategic breakout or else risk permanent economic subordination. ...

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Balinese Hindus pray during Galungan celebrations at Jagatnatha Temple in Denpasar, Bali, on June 17, 2026. Hindus across Bali gather at temples to mark Galungan, a religious holiday celebrating the victory of good (Dharma) over evil (Adharma).

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Baliology and the spirit of scholarship

More than a tropical resort, Bali is a living philosophy, and it's time to reclaim its culture from the lens of Western tourism.

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United States President Donald Trump gestures on July 22, 2026, as he arrives onstage to speak at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia.

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Trump's new tariffs are an opportunity to fight back

Once again, President Donald Trump is subverting domestic and international law in an effort to seize a larger fraction of global value and supply chains, this time on the hypocritical pretext of forced labor.

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Residents sign a white banner during an anti-LGBT rally on June 21 in Padang, West Sumatra.

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Making a fuss about LGBT: A moral panic

The moral panic over private LGBT lives misdirects state power away from genuine threats like corruption and pervasive sexual abuse. In a civilized society, citizens deserve privacy and safety in their homes, while public spaces continue to honor shared cultural norms

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A member of the Cimahi Clown Community presents a slice of watermelon to a student on July 14, 2026, during an orientation program it organized for new students at SDN Cibeber elementary school in Cimahi, West Java, combining entertainment, motivational activities and education while promoting the government's free nutritious meal program.

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Beyond kitchens: Building a homegrown school meals program

By transforming the free nutritious meal program from a centralized distribution chain into a community-rooted model, the nation can feed its children while also empowering its farmers and regional economies.

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A worker produces photovoltaic (PV) modules for solar panels on Jan. 23, 2025, in a factory in Suqian, in China's Jiangsu province.

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China’s clean technology dominance reshapes global net zero transition

Partnerships with China, not protectionism, will determine affordable, interoperable and equitable global decarbonization and energy security.

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A protester holds a life-size cardboard cutout of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte during a demonstration on Feb. 23 in support of him outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, where he is on trial on charges of crimes against humanity.

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The ‘Die-hard Duterte Supporters’ phenomenon abroad

Filipinos in Europe are enjoying the kind of governance that elevates human rights on a pedestal. But back home, why do they rabidly support the most fascist and the most murderous leader the Philippines has ever produced?

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Foreign ministers attend the 33rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, at the Philippine International Convention Center on July 23, 2026 in Pasay, Manila.

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Line in the sand: ASEAN must choose substance over speed in the South China Sea

Concluding a South China Sea Code of Conduct simply to meet a deadline would be a serious mistake. A weak, vague agreement could be worse than no agreement at all.

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The middle-income health trap

When a country crosses the World Bank’s threshold from low- to middle-income status, it is deemed too rich to qualify for aid, even though it is not yet rich enough to cover its health costs.

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A Chinese bank employee counts 100-yuan notes and US dollar bills on Aug. 6, 2019, at a bank counter in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province.

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Jakarta’s sizzling affair with panda bonds

Treating Jakarta's entry into China's onshore debt market as a routine fiscal transaction misses the deeper structural evolution underway in Southeast Asia.

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A National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) researcher inspects a nuclear reactor pond at GA Siwabessy nuclear facility in the BJ Habibie Science and Technology Estate in Serpong, Banten, on July 15, 2024.

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ASEAN’s nuclear choices, geopolitical consequences

Southeast Asia’s nuclear push locks countries into long-term strategic alignments, reshaping regional autonomy as major powers compete for influence.

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A farmer stands on a boat passing through solar panels installed as part of the Rawa Pening floating solar photovoltaic plant on Oct. 12, 2025, in Tuntang, Semarang regency, Central Java.

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Building institutions for Indonesia's solar push

Provinces know their own resources, their needs and their communities in ways no minister in Jakarta can.

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Kindergarten students eat meals on April 23 supplied by the government’s free nutritious meal program in Banda Aceh.

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Rice alone is not enough for Indonesia’s children

Large-scale food fortification is one of the most effective, affordable and evidence-based strategies to address micronutrient deficiencies.

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Former deputy attorney general for special crimes Febrie Adriansyah (left) speaks to reporters after questioning at the Attorney General's Office in Jakarta on July 24, 2026.

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Indonesia must avoid the disorder trap

Genuine freedom requires order under law and that order must begin with the powerful

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Pedestrians walk past a billboard that reads “Firmly reject LGBT“on July 27 in Banda Aceh, Aceh. Anti-LGBT sentiment is rising in Indonesia, with claims that food, vaccines and drugs can affect one's sexual orientation circulating online.

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When identity becomes a security threat, and citizenship conditional

Democracy does not require citizens to think alike. But it requires something more fundamental: disagreement cannot become a justification for denying equal citizenship.

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Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan (left) talks to registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler (right) on March 14, 2025, prior to the first appearance of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charge of crimes against humanity over his deadly crackdown on narcotics, in The Hague, the Netherlands.

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The US is betting against international law

Recent US behavior, acting as if the ICC can be trusted against an enemy, but never against a friend, ignores that the Rome Statute rests on complementarity.

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Employees work with aluminum ingots on Feb. 9, 2022, at a factory in Huaibei in China's eastern Anhui province.

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War? What war? Aluminum's Gulf disruption premium vanishes

After surging to a four-year high of US$3,787.50 per tonne in early June, London Metal Exchange (LME) three-month aluminum is now trading around $3,170 per tonne, which is exactly where it was before the United States unleashed its "Operation Epic Fury".

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A tree stands alone on Nov. 12, 2025, at a deforested area in the Amazon rainforest in the municipality of Ipixuna do Para, Para State, Brazil, during the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference.

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Climate change could rewrite tropical history

Changes that took millions of years can now happen in a matter of decades, and this accelerated rythm can be destructive, with dangerous consequences for the planet.

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A motorcyclist rides past a Red and White Cooperative outlet that has yet to begin operations in Ternate, North Maluku, on July 11, 2026. The Indonesian government aims to have 40,000 Red and White Cooperatives by the end of 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen rural economies, complete cooperative facilities and prepare professional staff to manage the program.

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Village cooperatives have existed before. What will make the new ones last?

The government's push for establishment of 80,000 village cooperatives will only succeed if top-down state ambition gives way to genuine, bottom-up member control.

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Then-Bank Indonesia (BI) governor Perry Warjiyo arrives at a media briefing on Jan. 19, 2023, at the central bank’s headquarters in Central Jakarta.

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A governor can be replaced, institutional reputation cannot

Markets were not pricing the departure of one individual, but they were reassessing something far more valuable: the institutional reputation of BI.

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A man walks past signage for the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) on July 16 in Shanghai, China.

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Why business leaders are souring on AI

Despite record investment, investors, executives and corporate boards are growing increasingly skeptical that AI will deliver significant productivity gains anytime soon.

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Briefing: Prabowo Subianto (left) speaks with several senior journalists, economists and analysts on March 17, 2026, at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java.

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Old labels, new targets: The colonial grammar ‘londo ireng’

By reviving colonial-era slurs to target press critics, President Prabowo Subianto imports a dangerous authoritarian logic that trades democratic accountability for loyalty tests.

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Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (center) speaks during a press conference after the release of state election results at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 12, 2023.

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Malaysian voters should not gamble with the country’s future

When faced with imperfect political options, Negeri Sembilan voters must choose steady reform over high-stakes experimentation, because a vote cast in frustration shouldn't gamble away the nation's stability.

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How Indonesia and Singapore handle information pressure

From election debates to AI‑manipulated content, audiences in both countries rely on legacy media for credibility during high-stakes moments while increasingly consuming politics through fast, visual and creator-driven formats.

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The logos of ride-hailing service providers Gojek and Grab are seen on helmets worn by two passengers using online motorcycle taxi services in the Kampung Melayu Besar area of South Jakarta on June 24, 2026.

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Gig platforms evade commission caps through hidden fees

Behind every discounted ride is a hidden algorithmic fee, leaving Indonesia’s gig workers stripped of basic earnings while regulations turn a blind eye.

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Tourists visit Ulun Danu Beratan in Tabanan, Bali, on May 15, 2026.

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Indonesia’s high-stakes Bali PFII gamble faces big risks

The rushed push to turn Bali into an international financial hub risks turning the island into a speculative tax haven unless policymakers fix critical legal loopholes and money-laundering blind spots.

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An electronic board displays stock prices at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in Jakarta on Jan. 29, 2026.

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IDX recovery is encouraging, but the real test lies ahead

The IDX Composite index is building momentum, but without regulatory predictability and solid earnings, the current upswing risks running out of steam.

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Containers are stacked on July 24, 2025, at a warehouse in the Batang Industropolis Special Economic Zone (KEK) in Batang regency, Central Java.

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Financial infrastructure will shape the next generation of SEZs

While physical hardware once built successful economic zones, the future of global trade belongs to regions that power their growth with invisible financial infrastructure.

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