Support from afar: Members of the Muslim community protest in front of the Arjuna Wijaya Statue in Central Jakarta on Sept. 20, 2023, against a government plan to develop Rempang Island near Batam into a Chinese-funded economic zone that would displace around 7,500 people.

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Ordinary people are more acquainted with news spread by the “influencers” than by professional journalists.

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Recruiting more doctors: A solution, or creating new problems?

Before rushing to create policies based on the "doctor emergency" narrative, the government should verify and streamline data on physician numbers and other relevant factors as well as involve medical organizations to identify the actual issues for effective solutions. ...

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Analysis: Hasto’s criminalization escalates Jokowi-Megawati tensions

The full-blown graft investigation launched against Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto has intensified the ongoing feud between former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the party. Named a suspect in a graft case tied to fugitive Harun Masiku, Hasto’s legal troubles have ignited allegations of political retaliation and discriminato...

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Indonesia's South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong salutes the fans after the U23 AFC Qatar 2024 Asian Cup third-place match between Iraq and Indonesia at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha on May 2, 2024.

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'Kamsahamnida', Shin Tae-yong

Shin has played an instrumental role in building a team that can someday restore Indonesia’s reputation as a regional soccer powerhouse.

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Women activists from various organizations stage a long march in the Thamrin area, Jakarta, on March 8, 2020.

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Given Muhammadiyah's substantial contribution to the religious, educational and healthcare development of Indonesia, it has real potential to make a contribution to global welfare.

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EU and Indonesia need to listen to each other first

The EU and Indonesia must unite to uphold the rules-based order amid Russian aggression and looming US-China tensions while providing an alternative.

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Prabowo Subianto (left) and Gibran Rakabuming Raka walk past a portrait of President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo, Gibran's father, on April 24, 2024, during the plenary meeting of the General Elections Commission (KPU) to announce the 2024 presidential election winner in Jakarta.

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Alienation of the intelligentsia under Prabowo’s presidency (part 1)

In the past three years, the intelligentsia has been the most alienated group on Indonesia’s public stage.

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A retrospective on Trump's first year back

No one can know what US president-elect Donald Trump will do, but one can speculate.

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Threshold removal: A game-changer for Indonesian democracy?

The removal of the threshold should enable political parties to nominate qualified, capable and integrity-driven members as presidential and vice presidential candidates.

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Jakarta governor-elect Pramono Anung (right) and deputy governor-elect Rano Karno (left) greet their supporters during an event in Jakarta on Dec. 14, 2024, celebrating the pair's victory in the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

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Although Jakarta lost its national capital status with the issuance of a presidential decree (Keppres) last month, its many problems persist.

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Activists hold up posters bearing a photo of Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam during a candlelight vigil outside the Singaporean embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 8, 2021, to protest the death sentence handed down to the Malaysian national over a decade earlier for trafficking heroin into Singapore. Dharmalingam was executed at Changi Prison on April 27, 2022, aged 33.

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Ending capital punishment is not a false hope

Hope could very well be the defining force behind the drive to abolish capital punishment: hope for redemption, hope for personal improvement, hope for national betterment, and above all, hope for humanity.

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Finance no panacea for world’s climate woes

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Students eat meals from the free nutritious meals program at a school in Jakarta on Jan. 6, 2025.

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Food waste dilemma behind free meals program

Without proper planning and management, the free meals program risks exacerbating Indonesia’s mounting food waste problems, undermining its lofty goals and creating unintended socioeconomic and environmental consequences.

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Superholding for maritime SOEs: Risks and opportunities

Financial, operational, regulatory and reputational challenges will inevitably emerge as major risks in the merger.

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Indonesia’s entry into BRICS: Reshaping the global legal order

BRICS promotes adherence to international rule of law and contests the strategic use of international law to serve particular political preferences and power interests.

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Papua land is never empty, it is a source of livelihood for many

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Building BRICS: Government officials attend a plenary session in the outreach/BRICS Plus format at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Oct. 24, 2024.

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Playing with BRICS fire

Prabowo believes his government can reap economic benefits from BRICS, although the international community perceives it as a group driven by political, rather than economic interests.

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People lay flowers during a demonstration in Bangkok on Oct, 15, 2024, to remember the victims of the Tak Bai massacre on Oct. 25, 2004. At least 78 unarmed Muslim protesters died of suffocation and other health conditions after they were detained with around 1,300 others and forced to lie down atop each other in military trucks, while seven protesters were fatally shot.

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A package of anti-torture measures at Thailand’s doorsteps

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Palm plantations cannot replace forests, Mr. President

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Making their pledge: New civil servants take their oath during an induction ceremony at Bogor City Hall in Bogor, West Java, on March 22, 2024.

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Prabowo needs bureaucratic reforms to deliver his economic agenda

The President needs an effective and strong bureaucracy to deliver his campaign pledges.

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Regular and thorough inspections of the whole process, from the procurement of ingredients to food distribution, are imperative.

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Letter to editor: Turkish ambassador responds

I would like to emphasize that there was no “walk-out” by the President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the speech by President Prabowo Subianto at the D-8 Meeting in Cairo.

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