Reviving historic vision: Visitors take a selfie in front of Asian and African countries' flags on April 16 at the main hall of the Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java. The building was the venue for the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference, where 29 Asian and African countries convened in the spirit of anti-colonialism.

Beyond nostalgia: Bandung Spirit and the fight for human rights today

The Bandung Spirit calls for a more democratic and inclusive interpretation, one shaped by the voices, histories and lived realities of the Global South.

4 months ago

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New mining royalty structure’s implications for investment

The introduction of higher royalties is a double-edged sword for direct investment. ...

4 months ago

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Why ASEAN should push for a trade pact with the EU

Under the CBAM, foreign exporters in carbon-intensive sectors, such as steel, cement, aluminum and fertilizer, must purchase carbon certificates that mirror EU carbon pricing. ...

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Proud reminder: Motorists ride in front of the Merdeka Building on April 16 in Bandung, West Java. The building was the venue for the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference, where 29 Asian and African countries convened in the spirit of anti-colonialism.

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The Global South in a shifting world: Challenges, aspirations and the road ahead

The threat against multilateralism is coming not only from the so-called major powers, but also from inward-looking foreign policies of some countries in the Global South.

4 months ago

Historic venue: A worker cleans chairs at the main hall of the Merdeka Building on April 16 in Bandung, West Java. The building was the site of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference, where 29 Asian and African countries convened in the spirit of anti-colonialism.

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Bandung principles, world order and the imperative for change (part 2)

The immediate impact of the recent global trends has been the painful marginalization, or more aptly, re-marginalization, of the Global South.

4 months ago

Schoolchildren wave Indonesian and Japanese flags to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during his visit to Bogor, West Java, on Jan. 11.

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Giving cash to poor, rural families can help bring down child marriage

A study of about 1 million girls suggests government programs can be effective in reducing the number of child brides.

4 months ago

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto (second left) waves to journalists as he leaves the stage along with Deputy Investment and Downstream Minister Todotua Pasaribu (left), National Economic Council (DEN) deputy head Mari Elka Pangestu (second right) and Second Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir (right) during a press briefing on April 14, following a meeting about United States tariff negotiations held at Airlangga's office in Jakarta.

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Opposing US tariffs without burning bridges

President Prabowo Subianto has been strangely silent and has yet to issue a specific public communication addressing the US tariff rise or laying out a strategy for its resolution.

4 months ago

Unwavering compassion: Pope Francis is pictured in his open coffin on Monday at The Vatican in this handout photo distributed by The Vatican Media on Tuesday.

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The enduring legacy of Pope Francis on women's leadership in Church

Pope Francis' legacy lies not only in the specific reforms he implemented, but in the broader paradigm shift he championed.

4 months ago

Cathedral staff set up an image of Pope Francis inside The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, informally known as Westminster Cathedral, in central London on April 21, following the news of his death. Pope Francis died on April 21, aged 88, a day after making a much hoped-for appearance at Saint Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, the Vatican said in a statement.

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Pope Francis’ greatest reforms and controversies

From the very start of his papacy, he seemed determined to do things differently.

4 months ago

Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel rappel from an Air Force H-225 M Caracal helicopter during the Super Garuda Shield 2024 joint military exercise, held on Sept. 6, 2024, which included Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in Situbondo, East Java.

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Letter to editor: Scholar responds

An Australian researcher has responded to the Russian ambassador’s letter over the former's views about reports of a Russian request to base its aircraft in Papua, in the context of bilateral cooperation, published in an op-ed on April 17.

4 months ago

Then-president Sukarno (right) delivers a speech during the Asia-Africa Conference in the Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java, on April 18, 1955.

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Bandung Principles, world order and the imperative for change (part 1)

The historic Asia-Africa Conference symbolized Asia’s resurgence, the promise of full liberation of Africa and strategic solidarity between two regions representing over half of the world’s population.

4 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (second right) holds a bilateral meeting with Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov at the State Palace in Jakarta in this handout picture taken and released on April 15 by the Palace.

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A Russian base in Indonesia? Should Australia be concerned?

Moscow and Jakarta have sought to deepen military ties in recent years, which should give Australia some reason for concern.

4 months ago

United States President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs on April 2 in the Rose Garden at the White House, Washington, DC.

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Is it still worth Indonesia pursuing trade ties with the US?

One cannot help but ask, is chasing a deal with Washington still worth the effort?

4 months ago

Containers and cranes are seen at the container port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China, on April 13.

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China is fighting for bigger consumer demand

There are signs that the Chinese economy has been improving, owing to the government’s September 2024 stimulus package.

4 months ago

A woman makes a purchase at a small store with e-wallet GoPay in this undated photo.

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Facilitating enterprise expansion with digital infrastructure

Developing Indonesia's digital infrastructure will be pivotal in supporting the proliferation of digital service-led strategies in Southeast Asia.

4 months ago

Bilateral exercise: Crew members stand on the Russian Navy's UFA submarine as it prepares to dock on November 7, 2024, at the North Jamrud pier of Tanjung Perak port for a 5-day joint military exercise between Indonesia and Russia, in Surabaya, East Java.

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Why Jakarta’s refusal to allow a Russian base is credible

Moscow has been Jakarta's close and reliable defense partner since Indonesia’s first president, Sukarno, was in power.

4 months ago

Police officers stand guard at the National Police's Internal Affairs Division's Transnational Crime Center (TNCC) building in Jakarta on March 17, 2025 during an ethical hearing against former Ngada Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Fajar Widyadharma Lukman Sumaatmaja. The National Police ethics commission (KKEP) dishonorably discharged Fajar after finding him guilty of ethical violations for molesting children as well as recording and spreading the footage on the internet and misusing drugs.

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Sexual violence still haunts Indonesian women

The national movement to end sexual violence has, to a large degree, centered women as both the primary victims and agents of change.

4 months ago

Worse for wear: Women in burka look through a pile of donated clothes on Jan. 14, 2020, outside al-Hol camp in al-Hasakeh, northeast Syria, which provides shelter for the stranded wives and children of former Islamic State fighters.

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Indonesia’s dilemma: Gaza’s victims welcome, but our own are forgotten

While the President's plan to evacuate injured Gazans is laudable, the government must also look to seek a solution for Indonesians stuck in Syrian camps, mostly women and children, if it truly intends to stand with moral authority as a global humanitarian leader.

4 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto welcomes seven senior journalists at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java, on April 6, 2025.

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From command to conversation: Fixing Prabowo’s public communications problems

Despite multiple bodies tasked with communications, the Prabowo administration lacks a central, disciplined voice.

4 months ago

Compounded catastrophe: People line up for food aid being distributed on April 3 in Sagaing, Myanmar, following the March 28 earthquake.

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A more coherent Thai policy on Myanmar

Thailand’s current position is regressively more than ambivalent.

4 months ago

Students of SD Bromantakan 56 state elementary school write about their aspirations for the future on April 19, 2024 at Ngarsopuro Market in Surakarta, Central Java, during a public activity to mark Kartini Day, which falls on April 21.

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Carrying the torch, lighting new paths: Women and leadership

While our grandfathers passed us the torch, and Kartini broke the first walls, we still find ourselves building the path as we walk it.

4 months ago

A motorcycle rider transports a passenger beneath Kewek Bridge in Yogyakarta on Dec. 5, 2021, past a mural urging the government and the House of Representatives to resume deliberations on the long-stalled bill on protection for domestic workers.

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Stand with domestic workers on Kartini Day, every day

Kartini Day 2025 is a moment to reflect on employee equity as regards Indonesian domestic workers and take action to push for passage of the domestic workers protection bill.

4 months ago

Protecting the next generation: Anti-tobacco activists encourage a shopkeeper on March 17, 2021, in Peta Barat Cengkareng, West Jakarta, to join the “Prevent Child Smokers” campaign by pledging not to sell cigarettes to children.

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Cigarettes, poverty and the invisible malnutrition trap

In many low-income households, cigarettes are not simply a vice, they are a daily expenditure that competes directly with food, especially nutritious food.

4 months ago

United States President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order after delivering remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled “Make America Wealthy Again“ at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025.

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The Global South will pay for Trump’s trade war

As with previous self-inflicted economic crises, the US economy will undoubtedly suffer, but the heaviest burden will fall on the developing world.

4 months ago

People gather outside the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on April 5, 2025, during the nationwide “Hands Off!” protest against United States President Donald Trump and his adviser, Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

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Trump's tariff boomerang

The current trade war as a result of Trump's tariff policy is not truly global, and we should not be distracted by this from focusing on the real danger the US president poses in terms of democracy, social justice and human dignity the world over.

4 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (right) greets Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu on Feb. 25, 2025, during a bilateral meeting at Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta.

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Letter to the editor: Russian ambassador responds

The Russian ambassador has responded to the views of an Australian researcher bout Russia's request to base its aircraft in Papua, published in an op-ed piece on April 17, in the context of bilateral cooperation.

4 months ago

An official explains regulations to a taxpayer at a tax office in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, on March 3, 2024.

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Indonesia’s tax disputes draw global attention

Indonesia’s tax dispute system, criticized for its complexity, bias risk and lack of legal certainty, has drawn global attention amid rising trade tensions and renewed calls for structural reform.

4 months ago

Pope Francis presides over the Easter Vigil on March 30, 2024, at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

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Celebrating Easter in love and compassion

Easter is an occasion to express love and compassion for our fellow human beings, especially through actions that show empathy for those who are suffering.

4 months ago

A Palestinian flag (foreground) flutters on April 8, 2025, as children play amid the rubble of a destroyed building at the Jabalia camp for displaced Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip.

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Considerations for the temporary relocation of Palestinians to Indonesia

The government has some long and hard thinking to do before deciding on whether to go ahead with the President's so-called temporary evacuation plan for Palestinians in Gaza, especially given the lack of regulations on handling refugees.

4 months ago