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.

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.

2 months ago

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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. ...

2 months ago

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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. ...

2 months ago

The Latest

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.

2 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.

2 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Indonesia-China: Forged by history, guided by vision

In these turbulent times, Indonesia and China need more successful, exemplary cooperation that inspires and empowers across borders.

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The Spanish theater production “Una Isla” showcases artificial intelligence potentials on the big screen during the 2024 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) at Singapore’s School of the Arts (SOTA) Drama Theatre on May 18, 2024.

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AI and art: An everlasting ethical debate

The question is no longer whether we need artificial intelligence, but whether we are prepared, courageous and focused enough to use it as a tool to solve our most pressing national challenges.

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Children play at an early childhood education (PAUD) center near Danone's factory in Prambanan, Yogyakarta.

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Javanese sayings for a world losing its way

Indonesia is in a deep crisis, not one of headlines or emergencies, but of systemic erosion with real-life consequences.

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Welcoming the golden age of Indonesia, facilitated by AI

As the country moves toward realizing the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision of being an advanced and prosperous nation, the development of Indonesia has been tremendously assisted by the advancement of technology.

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Palestinians transport goods along the coastal Al-Rashid Road, linking Gaza City in the north and Nusseirat in the central part of the Palestinian territory on April 4, 2025. Israel announced the launch of a new ground offensive in Gaza City on April 4, with rescuers saying military operations had killed at least 30 people across the Palestinian territory since dawn.

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Saving Gazans but forgetting about Palestine

Sympathy without structure can devolve into sentiment without solutions, especially if the receiving country lacks the systems needed to truly welcome, care for and protect the displaced.

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

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Can a global trade war be avoided?

If the rest of the world responds wisely, the damage could be circumscribed entirely to the US with even a small dose of liberalization for everybody else.

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Up and running: Workers check on packages of battery cells on July 3, 2024, at the Hyundai LG Indonesia (HLI) Green Power plant in Karawang, West Java, following its inauguration.

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Reforming Indonesia’s local content requirement policy

A major shift in global trade dynamics, coupled with the growing evidence of LCR-related inefficiencies, makes recalibrating the policy a logical and necessary step.

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A picture released by the NASA Earth Observatory on July 22, 2009 shows a detailed photograph of the summit caldera of the Tambora volcano, on the island of Sumbawa.

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Reflecting on the Tambora eruption 210 years ago

The 210th anniversary of the Tambora eruption is a moment to contemplate, and to educate the public about volcanoes’ threats and their value to mankind.

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Former communications and information minister and graft defendant Johnny G Plate (right) listens to questions from prosecutors during a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Oct. 19, 2023. The NasDem politician was indicted of accepting Rp 17.8 billion (US$1.1 million) in kickbacks from inflated procurement in a government 4G telephony project.

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Indonesia’s CPTPP bid must begin with procurement reform

Joining the CPTPP could help accelerate much-needed change, but only if Indonesia treats the agreement as a lever for structural reform, not a shortcut to foreign markets.

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The 2025 ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting is seen on April 10, 2025, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center in Malaysia.

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Making the case for ASEAN's relevance: Can Indonesia lead the way?

If Indonesia seeks to play a leadership role globally, it must start by strengthening its regional peacemaking initiatives.

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In this file photo taken on Nov.8, 2017 United States President Donald Trump (left) and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands during a business leaders event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

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Trump vs. Xi: A global leadership contest

The US-China trade war is not only a geopolitical confrontation but also a powerful contest of leadership.

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Reflection on the 75th years of Indonesia-China relations

The current situation may be the toughest test for the Indonesia-China partnership, especially for Indonesia's new government.

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United States President Donald Trump (right) and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un hold a meeting on Feb. 28, 2019, during the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi.

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South Korea, Indonesia can cooperate in hosting North Korea-US summit

In a rapidly multipolar international order, where the Global South is rising, South Korea has been bucking the trend by deepening its value alliance with the US and Japan.

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Tourists read leaflets as they look at portraits of victims of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh on March 28.

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Cambodia still haunted by Khmer Rouge

Fifty years on, the Khmer Rouge’s legacy continues to shape Cambodia: politically, socially, economically and emotionally

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ASEAN should expand to counter Trump's tariffs

Current ASEAN chair Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim can marshal the full power of the bloc to present a unified front and develop policy initiatives that can help shield members from the economic disruption caused by Trump’s tariffs.

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A broken Buddha statue is pictured on April 4 inside a damaged pagoda following a strong earthquake in Amarapura township, Myanmar.

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Myanmar recovery: An urgent plea for ASEAN-led global action

ASEAN must step forward to guide the recovery in Myanmar, potentially building on the model of the Tripartite Core Group, involving the military junta, ASEAN Plus (with China and India) and the UN.

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Muscle machine: A worker uses a container lift truck on Sept. 17, 2024, at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta.

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Scale or sink: How to compete in new global trade era

The “reform” and “deregulation” initiated by the government sends a clear message that Indonesia is positioning itself as an open and competitive player in a newly adversarial trade environment.

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A cargo ship full of shipping containers is seen on March 6 at the port of Oakland as trade tensions escalate over United States tariffs, in Oakland, California, the US.

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Trump’s tariffs hit East Asia hard, but Americans pay the price

Tariffs cannot resolve America’s deeper economic challenges, such as mounting public debt, widening fiscal deficits, crumbling infrastructure and persistent inequality.

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Advancing solutions: United Nations headquarters is seen on Sept. 24, 2016, in New York City, the United States.

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The new UN debt initiative is different

As their debt burdens and debt-service costs soar, many developing countries are being forced to divert resources away from education, health care and climate mitigation.

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