Droughts expose who gets left behind when basic public services aren't built for everyone.

At a time of historic inequality and inadequate public investment, the kind of redistributive policies promoted by politicians on the left are badly needed.

It is true that a hefty share of public spending went into FGDs, seminars and workshops that produced little. But his own government now suffers the opposite failure of executing before it plans, then improvising the plan as the execution collapses. Yet the damage is already done, heavily. 

Some are insisting that the new governor must be independent, which usually gets defined, rather narrowly, as someone able to say no. It is worth asking whether that is really the binding condition.

The arrest of 142 suspects by South Sumatra Police has brought renewed attention to what authorities describe as one of the largest fuel embezzlement cases in the country’s recent history. Between January and July 2026, police uncovered 96 cases involving the diversion and illegal trade of subsidized fuel, with an estimated 1.4 million liters of fuel allegedly siphoned from the official distribution system.

Similar to how money can buy some peace of mind but is no guarantor of happiness, a strong economy does not necessarily lead to general prosperity.

US corporate earnings are already running almost 60 percent above trend, with rapid growth still expected for years, mostly thanks to the AI boom. But the questionable economics of new AI data centers could pop this bubble.

While the country already has a regulation on digital child protection, the rapid advent of artificial intelligence and its growing integration in children's lives requires a shared effort by all stakeholders to instill safe and responsible use, especially among vulnerable individuals.

Amid the ongoing commotion regarding the draft law on citizenship, perhaps it is time to hearken back to the wisdom of Ibu Pertiwi, our national personification, in revising our policies so they welcome back all who claim Indonesian roots with open arms.

The geographical diversification of technological innovation has remained more of a dream than a reality.

As the country rushes headlong into AI, what is being left behind is the age-old wisdom that has been a cornerstone of human civilization for millennia: When entering someone's home, we knock first to obtain their permission, and we don't barge in anyway if they turn us down.

Modern colonialism no longer arrives in wooden warships or under foreign flags. It sits in executive offices, speaks the national language and cloaks itself in the slick rhetoric of "national development." 

For most of his first two years in office, President Prabowo Subianto enjoyed a honeymoon that simply refused to end. Survey after survey showed him with approval numbers most world leaders can only dream of. That period has now ended. It was a long and genuinely good run, but the latest data from Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) confirm that political reality has caught up with him.

Increased vigilance and prevention are the best defense in battling forest and land fires.

Does foreign investment genuinely strengthen Indonesia's industrial capabilities, technological base and global competitiveness - or is it simply taking advantage of the country's large domestic market? 

The recent bilateral summit in Jakarta was a master class in Southeast Asian statecraft, where the visiting Thai premier and the hosting Indonesian president showed off their diplomatic chops in the art of political survival.

Democratic governments can pursue long-term improvements without abandoning politically salient commitments to social welfare.

Most of the world seems to misunderstand why global capital is not financing the developing world’s climate transition.

While a public service academy has a place in the education ecosystem, nurturing future leaders that can navigate the country's positioning in the global arena of technology, innovation and business doesn't require building a whole new institution.

ASEAN’s 60th anniversary next year offers an occasion for both reflecting on the progress it has made thus far and considering the transformative efforts it must undertake to fulfill one of its founder's visions: a Southeast Asia that stands on its own feet.

Indonesia's latest return to China's capital market has been met with overwhelming demand as the government successfully issued two tranches of yuan-denominated Panda Bonds totaling 7 billion yuan (Rp 18.6 trillion or US$1.1 billion) to help finance the 2026 state budget. The offering was oversubscribed by 2.4 times, underscoring continued confidence in Indonesia's fiscal outlook. However, the timing of the issuance has also attracted attention, as it comes amid heightened scrutiny over Indonesia's economic relations with major global powers.

As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations turns 59, it should use the occasion to reflect on both its past progress and current challenges to determine future delivery in view of its diamond jubilee next year.

As the political center of Peninsular Malaysia shifts rightward, preserving the nation’s fragile multiethnic balance is becoming a crucial test, not just for its federation but for the stability of ASEAN.

Consumption in Indonesia does not merely endure macro volatility; it frequently accelerates through it.

The majority of our farmers are working plots so small they cannot generate a sustainable or dignified income.

This is a moment not to discard decades of progress in learning how to deliver aid but to reconsider priorities and demand greater accountability.

As American public opinion changes inexorably regarding their country's policy toward Israel, Indonesians should pay heed to how the voices of ordinary voters may ultimately redefine the future of US policy toward Palestine.