This aerial handout picture taken on Dec. 21, 2024, and released on Jan. 31, 2025 by Auriga Nusantara shows a general view of deforestation at an area on Kawei Island in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua province.

Nature’s groceries and safety net: Forests help feed the world better

We must urgently address the question of how we can ensure food security for all, while protecting the forests that are so fundamental to our agrifood systems.

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The world according to the oligarchs

Over the past 40 years, technology has been used to reorganize work worldwide, creating large gains for the already wealthy and highly educated, but making life harder for everyone else. ...

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TNI Law, civilian-military relations and leadership in social change

It seems many civilians still feel more confident with the presence of military figures, both in government and social life. ...

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The Latest

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech on Feb. 13, 2025, during the proclamation rally for his political party PDP-Laban's senatorial candidates ahead of the midterm elections, at Club Filipino in San Juan, Metro Manila, the Philippines.

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The political fallout from a Philippine strongman’s fall

Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest on an ICC warrant spotlights the clash between the Duterte and Marcos family political dynasties.

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Prospective airplane passengers queue to enter terminal 1A of Soekarno Hatta Airport on Dec. 21, 2024, in Tangerang, Banten.

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Strategic partnerships key to Indonesia’s soaring aviation industry

To cement its status as a true aviation hub, Indonesia must address critical challenges in infrastructure and workforce development.

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A doctor checks a pediatric dengue fever patient on March 8, 2024, at the Sunan Kudus Islamic Hospital in Kudus, Central Java.

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Doctor tax updates: A hardship or a hidden gain?

Doctors and the government can both take active steps in navigating the new tax system, including improving their tax literacy, so they can better manage their personal finances and focus on delivering quality patient care.

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Three activists from the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform enter a room on Saturday in Jakarta’s Fairmont Hotel, in which a secret, closed-door meeting between the government and members of the House of Representatives took place to discuss revisions to the Indonesian Military (TNI) Law.

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TNI Law revision must uphold civilian supremacy and human rights

TNI soldiers must have the capacity, capability and professionalism to protect the people and uphold democracy and civilian supremacy.

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A worker checks a fresh fruit bunch of oil palm during harvest on July 12, 2022, at an oil palm plantation in Khammam district in the southern state of Telangana, India.

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The biofuel sham could worsen global hunger and inequality

The benefits of biofuels have often been overstated, and their costs underestimated.

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Muslim women wait to break their fast at Istiqlal Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Jakarta, on March 1, 2025.

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As economic worries grow, Ramadan feels different

If Ramadan spending is slowing, the key to reviving it lies in restoring optimism.

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The headquarters of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is seen on May 30, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Academia

Beware of refugee repatriation scams

There is a disconcerting malpractice whereby those who have been granted refuge or asylum in a neighboring (or other) country are pushed back or repatriated to the country of origin or areas of danger, without adequate guarantees of safety and dignity.

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Cleanup time: Students collect metal food trays used in the free nutritious meal program on Feb. 18 at SD Banjarsari 5 state elementary school in Serang, Banten.

Academia

Partnering for better health and nutrition in Indonesia

As Indonesia journeys toward becoming a high-income country by 2045, its investment in its youngest citizens may be its wisest strategy.

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PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), one of the biggest nickel producers in North Konawe, Central Sulawesi, is seen from above on May 14, 2023.

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Nickel industry’s toll on Morowali’s future

To give Morowali breathing room to exercise their economic diversification, a halt to the expansion of the nickel industry is necessary.

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(From left to right) Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe, Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, China's Premier Li Qiang, Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao pose for a group photo at the 27th ASEAN-China Summit during the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits in Vientiane on Oct. 10, 2024.

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Why ASEAN-China unity is Asia's best defense against trade wars

Now, more than ever, Southeast Asia and China must forge a united front against destabilizing forces and champion free trade as the cornerstone of their shared economic future.

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Dim outlook: United States President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the jobs report on March 7 from the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC.

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Signs of a US recession

While it appears unlikely that US GDP will contract in the first quarter, the economy could enter recession territory in the second or third quarter of 2025.

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A truck passes through an oil palm plantation in Muaro Jambi, Jambi, on Nov. 20, 2024.

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Which path will Indonesia’s palm oil sector take next?

Local governments play a crucial role in promoting multi-stakeholder processes to drive policy innovation for sustainable palm oil.

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Search and rescue officers use a raft on March 4, 2025, as they evacuate people from the flooded Pondok Gede Permai Housing Complex in Bekasi, West Java.

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Building community resilience is key to flood response

The latest flooding to hit the capital this month shows that while local administrations must continue to take the lead by developing community resilience against disasters, residents must also do their part by participating actively in preparedness and mitigation efforts.

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French President Emmanuel Macron (left) welcomes Defense Minister and president-elect Prabowo Subianto on July 24, 2024, for a working dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris.

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Between needs and interests: Indonesia’s partnerships in the age of uncertainty

The shifting geopolitical landscape and great power rivalries pose a new challenge for Indonesia's policy stance of nonalignment and “neutrality”.

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Women use smartphones on Sept. 28, 2023, at the entrance of Tanah Abang Market, Southeast Asia's largest wholesale shopping center for garments and textiles, in Jakarta.

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Why should we trust the government with our hard-earned money?

The most crucial question about our trust in the government is how dependable it can be when corruption is a deeply rooted part of Indonesian culture.

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A man walks past a poster for artificial intelligence (AI) at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Oct. 16, 2024, the first day of the world's biggest book fair, held in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

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Europe must break free from its digital dependence

The time is ripe for Europe to wean itself off the services and platforms provided by US tech companies, revitalize its digital infrastructure and implement bold industrial policies that safeguard its sovereignty.

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Workers wait for customers at a filling station of state-owned oil company Pertamina in Surabaya on March 4, 2025.

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Preventing corruption in SOEs through fair competition

Fair competition serves as a natural deterrent to corruption by introducing higher levels of scrutiny.

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European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels on June 5, 2020.

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Kremlin’s fertilizer cash stream is blind spot in EU sanctions

The bloc continues to overlook one of the Kremlin’s critical revenue channels: fertilizers.

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British-US influencer Andrew Tate arrives handcuffed and escorted by police at a courthouse in Bucharest on Feb. 1, 2023 to hear the court decision on his appeal against pre-trial detention for alleged human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal group.

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The manosphere thrives on old-style sexism, money just helps

It is wrong to say the very public rise of misogynist masculinity is about economic power. Money is simply fueling a revival of old-style views of gender power.

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Hundreds of farmers grouped under Customary People and Farmer Alliance rally on June 10, 2024 outside the North Maluku gubernatorial office in Medan, North Sumatra, to demand fulfillment of the government’s land distribution program.

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Indigenous peoples’ rights: The ASEAN paradox

Indonesia, despite the third constitutional amendment that recognizes and respects traditional communities, still denies legal protections for its indigenous peoples.

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A couple poses for wedding photos on Feb. 11, 2025, outside the Forbidden City in Beijing. China in 2024 saw a one-fifth decline in marriages, the latest sign of persistent demographic challenges as Beijing works to encourage births despite an uncertain economic outlook for young families.

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Emerging economies must get rich before they get old

Within a generation or two, many emerging economies will likely face the same demographic problems plaguing their developed-country counterparts – without the financial resources needed to cushion the blow.

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Hilly terrain forms a backdrop on Nov. 9, 2023, against the Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant, the largest facility of its kind in Southeast Asia that was jointly developed at Cirata Reservoir in Purwakarta, West Java, by the Indonesian government and Abu Dhabi-owned renewable company Masdar of the United Arab Emirates.

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The ESG drive is virtually dead in the US. What about in Indonesia?

The US appears to have entirely dropped out of the race toward sustainability while Indonesia still has challenges, particularly as regards regulatory maintenance and strengthening to support ESG compliance in high-risk and land-related sectors, not least to attract serious investors to Danantara.

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Racegoers dressed in the national colors of Ireland hurl their hats into the air during a Saint Patrick's Day celebration on March 13, 2025, the third day of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse in the western English town.

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Celebrating Ireland-Indonesia bonds on St. Patrick’s Day

A message from the Irish ambassador to Indonesia on bilateral ties and cooperation for global peace and stability, on the occasion of St. Patrick's Day

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The crucial question in the age of AI: Are you human?

With the advent of the AI era, governments around the world, including in Indonesia, need to step up their policymaking to protect people from others that might wield the technology as a weapon of manipulation and disruption instead of a tool for development and prosperity.

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Low clouds pass on Oct. 25, 2024, over the Tujuh Bukit gold mine operated by PT Merdeka Copper Gold subsidiary PT Bumi Suksesindo in Banyuangi, East Java.

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The planned gold royalty hike could discourage investment

Indonesia's gold royalty rate is higher than that of most other jurisdictions and is generally perceived as regressive, so the government needs to consider at least four possible actions to maintain competitiveness and encourage investment while boosting revenue.

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