People join a rally outside the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Feb. 4, 2026, to call for the impeachment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr as lawmakers conduct a hearing on the merits of the impeachment complaints against the Philippine leader.

Politics of hope: Cynicism is not a strategy

In a departure from the past politics of cynicism, Filipinos need one based on hope that comes with concrete policies to address genuine problems in building our nation.

59 minutes ago

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When disasters test Indonesia's legal and recovery systems

The Sumatra disaster in late November indicates that judicial and law enforcement reform is needed to treat environmental destruction and damage as criminal violations, as well as to create a clear and transparent mechanism for the use of related compensation funds. ...

2 hours ago

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The technocratic sunset: Institutional decay and the Rp 17,000 ‘vibe check’

As the rupiah stumbles past the 17,000-mark, Indonesia is facing a "vibe check" that no amount of political muscle can ignore. When nepotism shifts from a political exception to a bureaucratic rule, the resulting "Technocratic Sunset" threatens to transform a G20 economy into a fragile family office. ...

1 day ago

The Latest

A student receives a diphtheria vaccine shot at an Islamic elementary school in Banda Aceh on Nov. 21, 2023.

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Financialization will not improve global health

This new architecture distorts the risk landscape in ways that socialize losses, while privatizing profits and control.

1 day ago

An employee displays United States dollar banknotes at Bank Syariah Indonesia in South Tangerang, Banten, on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Global panic at our doorstep: Can Indonesia weather the next storm?

Indonesia must brace for a global liquidity storm of historic proportions. With the traditional "central bank put" now missing, the nation's survival depends on fortifying its economic ship before the waves of capital flight reach our shores.

1 day ago

A teller shows US dollar and rupiah banknotes at a foreign currency exchange counter in Jakarta on May 15, 2025.

Academia

Dollar risk premium is rebuilding

The year is already so jarring that many in markets barely have time to digest one seismic news event from Washington before another one hits. But a dollar risk premium appears to be rebuilding regardless, most clearly in last week's sudden swoon.

23 hours ago

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa hold hands for a photograph on Jan. 27, 2026 prior to their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

Academia

What the EU–India deal means for global trade

The deal will affect a combined population of 2 billion people across economies representing about a quarter of global GDP.

1 day ago

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) welcomes President Prabowo Subianto on Jan. 25, 2025, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

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Indonesia Open Network: A new paradigm for an inclusive digital economy

ION, Indonesia's digital public infrastructure initiative, is set to not just revolutionize domestic e-commerce but also position the country as a leader among emerging economies.

1 day ago

Workers from a Nutrition Service Unit (SPPG) distribute boxed meals to residents affected by flooding at the Pekalongan Social Affairs Agency in Central Java, on Jan 20, 2026.

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How priority programs risk eroding meritocracy in bureaucracy

Indonesia’s pursuit of "fast-tracked" priority programs risks breaking the moral contract at the heart of its bureaucracy. When new initiatives jump the queue, the state doesn't just bypass a backlog of honorary workers, it threatens to replace meritocracy with programmatic proximity.

2 days ago

A patient consults her oncologist for early detection of cervical cancer at the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) in South Jakarta.

Academia

Underfunding threatens Asia’s cervical cancer elimination promise

Without sufficient investment, many Asian nations risk perpetuating disparities in cervical cancer prevention and care, leaving women in low-resource settings at highest risk.

6 days ago

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (enter), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (right) and European Council President Antonio Costa gesture as they pose for a photograph before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Jan. 27, 2026.

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The promise of a middle-power alliance

A united middle-power alliance would have considerable leverage, as its members would each wield outsize influence over specific domains.

2 days ago

A technician inspects a rooftop solar power plant (PLTS) on Sept. 8, 2025 at Trans Studio Mall in Bandung, West Java.

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From subsidies to signals: Making Indonesia’s power market investable

The current setup asks PLN to be planner, procurer and operator. That was useful in the past decades, but today it blurs incentives, slows competitive procurement and makes it hard for investors to price risk.

2 days ago

Employees watch a digital screen displaying stock movements on Jan. 28, 2026, at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in Jakarta.

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National economic resilience faces a test of public transparency

Within MSCI’s methodology, a shift from emerging to frontier status is not merely symbolic; it reflects an assessment that a market has become less accessible or less safe for international capital.

1 day ago

United States President Donald Trump (center) gestures toward President Prabowo Subianto (right) and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as they take part in a charter announcement for his Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, alongside the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2026.

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Board of Peace and the dilemma of Indonesia’s involvement

If ending occupation is not established as a non-negotiable prerequisite, then the destiny of Gaza and Palestine will not be shaped by the Palestinian people themselves, but by global geopolitical interests.

2 days ago

National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo attends a hearing on Jan. 26, 2026, with House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta.

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Police reform: When the instrument rejects its frame

Civic space is narrowing in Indonesia, not through explicit bans, but through the routine presence of security forces across social life.

2 days ago

Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) president director Iman Rachman (center) announces his resignation to reporters on Jan. 30, 2026 at the IDX media center in South Jakarta. Iman stepped down after the IDX Composite index fell by up to 8 percent over the past two days.

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The risks of reordering Indonesia’s financial governance

The push to "align" Indonesia’s financial regulators with political objectives marks a fundamental paradigm shift from stability to short-termism. While these moves may sustain growth today, they defer systemic costs to a future where institutional safeguards may no longer exist to catch the fall.

3 days ago

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Indonesia’s realist bet on Trump’s Board of Peace

Joining the BoP may seem like a betrayal of our values. But not joining may mean total irrelevance in decisions that will affect Palestine’s future.

3 days ago

Elderly people fill out forms and wait in line on Nov. 23, 2025, to register or renew their Free Service Card (KLG) during Car Free Day at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta. The event provides an opportunity for seniors aged 60 and above to obtain free access to public transportation services such as TransJakarta, MRT Jakarta and LRT Jakarta, offered by the Jakarta administration.

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Demographic bonus: Who pays the price tomorrow?

With only 5 percent pension inclusion, the demographic bonus is on a collision course with an aging reality. It is time to stop blaming individual financial planning and start fixing a system that leaves 120 million workers behind.

3 days ago

Words reading “Artificial intelligence AI“, a miniature robot and toy hand are pictured in this illustration created on Dec. 14, 2023.

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The hidden footprint and opportunity of AI’s economic promise

If artificial intelligence remains concentrated in a small number of advanced economies, firms and platforms, it risks reinforcing global inequality rather than narrowing it.

3 days ago

Muslim pilgrims pray at dawn on June 5, 2025, on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the haj, as Saudi officials called on participants to refrain from being outside during the hottest hours of the day.

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‘Kampung haji’ and the challenge of building a sustainable pilgrimage hub

By serving the broader Southeast Asian Muslim community, the year-round demand base would become sufficiently large for kampung haji to stabilize occupancy and smooth seasonal fluctuations.

3 days ago

Employees stand near a screen showing the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) down 8 percent on Jan. 28, 2026, at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in Jakarta.

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Power, trust and Indonesia’s stock crash

The crash of Indonesian stock prices last week is less about market technicalities and more about a profound collapse of political trust.

4 days ago

President Prabowo Subianto wipes his face on Aug. 15, 2025, moments before delivering his annual State of the Nation Address at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta.

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Prabowo’s presidency: Promises, power and constraints

Entering into the second year of his presidency, the public will be watching his policies and programs closely with regard to his campaign promises, ultimately judging whether his administration delivers tangible economic and welfare outcomes.

4 days ago

An employee places an old uniform into a bin provided by Pertamina for its sustainability program, which recycles uniforms into eco-friendly clothing and encourages all Pertamina employees to become sustainability agents to contribute to achieving Indonesia's net-zero goals.

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The net zero revolt has begun

Even if all rich countries were to cut to zero emissions by mid-century, the climate models clearly show that the impact would avert less than 0.1 degree Celsius.

3 days ago

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The MSCI's ‘nuclear option’ is a bluff. The coming haircut is not

While Indonesia is too big to be kicked out of the emerging market club, a new "governance penalty" could still shake up the market.

4 days ago

Red alert: An electronic display board inside the main hall of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in South Jakarta shows an overall downward movement across most stocks during the lunch break on Jan. 29, 2026, when the IDX Composite index fell 6.3 percent after global investment firm MSCI raised concerns about free float and trading transparency.

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MSCI, IDX and the long shadow of institutional credibility

Legibility is key to building the credibility of the Indonesian bourse so it can develop beyond a mere "conjecture" toward institutional maturity and certainty.

4 days ago

Members of Myanmar's Union Election Commission (UEC) count ballots on Jan. 25 at a polling station in Yangon after the closing of polls in the third phase of Myanmar's general election.

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Myanmar at 5: Regional responsibility and the price of impunity

Five years on, the 5PC has become a procedural shield rather than a protection mechanism, a failure reflected in consultations that multiply without delivering results.

6 days ago

Lunch break: A student shows his free nutritious meal on Jan. 28, 2026 at SDN 18 state elementary school in Tukka, Central Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra. The program has resumed after floods hit the regency in November last year.

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Children’s well-being begins with their parents’ decent work

While free meal programs offer a vital safety net, true child welfare is only sustainable when anchored by the dignity and security of a parent's decent work.

6 days ago

Business hours: An employee arranges on Jan. 22, 2026 premium rice products for sale at a Red and White rural cooperative in Metuk village, Boyolali regency, Central Java.

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Turning 80,000 new cooperatives into real engines of change

By adopting cooperatives as 'value-chain partners', corporate actors can provide the technical mentorship and quality standardizations that professionalize rural operations.

6 days ago

Workers and soldiers complete a Bailey bridge in Beutong Ateuh Banggalang district, Nagan Raya regency, Aceh on Jan 5, 2026 that would connect Central Aceh regency and Nagan Raya regency.

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Weaving resilience into the fabric of the ASEAN Community

In 2026, Indonesia is in the position to recalibrate the region’s preparedness and response toward disasters and strengthen the region’s blueprint for a resilient future.

6 days ago