President Prabowo Subianto and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands ahead of a meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia.`

Diversification, not alignment: Reading Indonesia's Russia tilt

By courting Vladimir Putin as a strategic counterweight to Beijing, President Prabowo Subianto is reviving Indonesia’s non-aligned doctrine—hedging against Chinese dominance by adding a risky, sanctions-heavy third pole to Jakarta's geopolitical chessboard.

12 hours ago

Academia premium

When the pieces start playing themselves: AI in anarchy

As frontier AI models begin orchestrating covert operations on their own, the line between weapon and strategist collapses - leaving global order unequipped for a world where the pieces move themselves.

13 hours ago

Academia premium

No industrial off-takers, no 100 GW solar

Indonesia’s 100-gigawatt solar dream won’t fail for lack of sunlight, but for lack of buyers—unless the country connects its mineral downstreaming to the national grid.

13 hours ago

The Latest

Balancing act: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) presides over the second and final day of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 13, 2026, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin (left, front), and Chinese President Xi Jinping (right, front).

Academia premium

ASEAN warms to BRICS without sacrificing centrality

Southeast Asia is not swapping geopolitical camps—it is expanding its diplomatic toolkit to ensure it never has to choose between them.

14 hours ago

A woman walks past the Wisma Danantara Indonesia building on Aug. 11, 2026, on Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.

Opinion premium

Analysis: Danantara, Finance Ministry clash over SOE dividends

The Finance Ministry and state asset fund Danantara are at odds over who controls dividends from state-owned enterprises (SOEs), exposing an unresolved question at the heart of Indonesia's new state-asset architecture. Before Danantara was created, SOE dividends were paid to the state and recorded as non-tax revenue. Under the new framework, Danantara manages the shares and assets transferred to it and can use returns from those assets for investment and capital injections. Part of its eventual profits is to be transferred to the state after provisions for investment risks and capital accumulation. The dispute therefore is not simply about whether the government can receive SOE dividends, but about when and through what mechanism those funds should reach the state budget.

14 hours ago

A customer scans Japan's unified QR code JPQR to make a payment using the Quick Response Indonesia Standard (QRIS) on Aug. 25, 2025, at World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

Academia premium

Can QRIS digitize MSME credit?

The national standard for QR code payments has helped millions of small businesses move toward digital financial inclusion. The next step in this evolution is to use the data generated to enable access to financing.

14 hours ago

Firefighters battle a wildfire on Sept. 21, 2026, in Banjar, South Kalimantan, as the government struggles to extinguish blazes across Kalimantan and Sumatra as well as contain cross-border haze pollution.

Editorial premium

Beneath choking skies

As toxic haze blankets Southeast Asia and millions of tonnes of CO2 enter the atmosphere, the country is running out of excuses to rein in corporate polluters and honor its climate promises.

15 hours ago

President Prabowo Subianto arrives at the New Delhi venue hosting the 18th BRICS Summit on Sept. 12, 2026, in this photo provided by Russia’s state news agency Sputnik. (AFP/pool/Alexander Kazakov)

Editorial premium

insight

Insight: Securing a healthier future: The importance of Indonesia's plasma fractionation facility

The global health crisis brought on by COVID-19 tested healthcare systems worldwide, and Indonesia was no exception. As one of the world’s most populous nations, the nation faced immense challenges yet demonstrated resilience and adaptability in navigating the pandemic.

1 year ago

insight

Insight: Understanding sovereign wealth funds and their application in Indonesia

Toward the end of 2020, amid a world grappling with unprecedented challenges, Indonesia took a bold step in securing its economic future: establishing its first sovereign wealth fund (SWF), the Indonesia Investment Authority (INA).

2 years ago