The first World Cup set in the Arab and Muslim world offered not only pieces of history, but also displayed a more-level playing field.

This Christmas season has brought especially good news to the country’s Christians, both Protestant and Catholic, because for the first time since COVID-19 cases were discovered in Indonesia in 2020 they will enjoy full freedom to attend Christmas services in person.

The Netherlands has finally issued a formal apology for its past involvement in the slave trade, but it will take much longer for the country and its people to come to terms with their collective guilt.

We think the risks are not so adverse because the monetary and fiscal authority and the Financial System Stability Committee (KSSK) should anyway maintain policy synergy.

In Indonesia, main attractions that service providers continue to rely on are still revolving around sports, feature films, short films, series and Korean drama.

The crux of the Depok controversy is that a school, and education in general, was set to be sacrificed just for the sake of bureaucratic convenience.

From the geopolitical perspective, the EU’s deep engagement with ASEAN is a must as the former has set its sight on more influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

As one Papuan human rights activist put it, the trial was designed to fail.

Straight out of the gate from easing its zero-COVID policy, China has filed a dispute with the WTO over the US’ microchip curbs, while the Asian superpower’s reopening also means a boon for Indonesia.

While not generally rich, many of the retirees living in Bali, Lombok, Jakarta and other places have lived in, loved and contributed for a long time to their country of choice.

At times, rice import is necessary to avert calamities such as a food crisis, speculator's intervention, a severe price hike or inflation and thinning Government Rice Reserves (CBP).

We still believe democracy remains the best option for preserving what is valuable in human life.

Disincentivizing the use of petrol vehicles through the gradual, yet steady phaseout of fuel subsidies is crucial to support overall market development and promote the growth of EVs.

As if kowtowing to the pressures of the conservative groups was not enough, the lawmakers have also chosen to incorporate illiberal provisions that turn the clock back on our democratic achievements. 

Rather than driving the country's progress toward our independence centennary, the latest RKUHP seems to indicate that we still haven’t gained our freedom from our colonial legacy.

One of the reasons behind the country’s success in drastically lowering COVID-19 infection is its mass-vaccination program, which has now reached its fourth phase. 

With their creativity and idealism, our art cinema talents have changed the direction of our local film industry. But sadly, outside awards nights, their movies have yet to receive significant attention in the country.

While China’s COVID-19 policies have negatively impacted the world, they have also had positive impacts, especially in saving millions of lives in the developing world through sharing the vaccines it had developed.

Jokowi’s electoral muscle could easily be interpreted as a challenge not just to his own political party, the PDI-P, but also to the whole party system as a key democratic institution.

Given that these deals could sound too good to be true, experts have reminded the country of the prudent use of the funds for early coal plant retirement and new investments in renewables. 

When assuming the ASEAN chairmanship in January next year, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo needs to take a diplomatic offensive to complement international efforts to deescalate tension in East Asia. 

Under Anwar, our relationship should blossom beyond the common Malay heritage based on our shared values for democracy, freedom, human rights and dignity.

While many communities came together to reach out a helping hand to their neighbors during pandemic lockdowns, we should also do so as a matter of course.

Even if the ban is lifted, nickel mining firms will not automatically export their nickel ores because most are tied up with domestic processing/smelting companies. 

Enforcement and monitoring are again the twin issues in ensuring that all property across the archipelago meet the country's mandatory building code.

Some religious minorities, including followers of the Ahmadiyah and Shia, continue to be the subject of officially sanctioned persecutions. 

The results of Saturday’s election showed that identity politics remained an effective tool to win the hearts and minds of voters, especially the majority Malay Muslims. Some observers even believe Malaysia is experiencing a surge of political Islam.

It is not an exaggeration to call the World Cup an ideal pause for those in conflict to lay down arms and return to the negotiating table.

The membership will pave the way for Timor Leste, Indonesia’s former colony, to accelerate its economic development and boost its international credentials as a member of one of the world’s most successful regional organizations. 

The stakes are high, considering the experience we had in the past two national elections, in which nationalist and Islamist rhetoric were both used to exclude others, paving the way for the rise of both hyper-nationalism and Islamic populism.