A small fishing boat sails on the waters near the New Prior Container Terminal One (NPCT1) on Aug. 20, 2024, in Cilincing, Jakarta. Indonesia enjoyed a US$470-million surplus in trade balance in July, with $22.21 billion in exports and $21.74 billion in imports.

Import surge, export slowdown shrink trade surplus in January

Shipments of crude palm oil (CPO) surged 59.6 percent in January, while coal and steel exports declined by 16.04 percent and 0.13 percent, respectively.

1 hour ago

Middle East and Africa

Major Saudi refinery, Kurdish and Israeli oil, gas fields shut amid Mideast strikes

The shuttering will likely add to supply anxieties as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil consumption flows, grinds to a near-halt after vessels were attacked around it on Sunday. ...

1 hour ago

Markets

US dollar gains as Iran conflict fuels safe‑haven demand, higher oil

Investors are closely watching developments around shipping in the crucial Strait of Hormuz which was disrupted by retaliatory Iranian attacks. ...

1 hour ago

The Latest

A grocery stall shopkeeper attends to customers on June, 1, 2024, at Rangkasbitung Market in Lebak, Banten. Prices for several staple foods have risen recently, including shallots from Rp 30,000 (US$1.85) to Rp 45,000 per kilogram and red chili from Rp 30,000 to Rp 50,000 per kilogram.

Economy premium

Inflation surges to near three-year high amid Ramadan demand spike

Bank Permata chief economist Josua Pardede projected that headline inflation would remain above 3 percent in the first quarter of 2026 before moderating below 3 percent toward the end of the year.

2 hours ago

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026.

Middle East and Africa

China calls for ceasefire, diplomacy to end Middle East conflict

One Chinese citizen was killed as a result of the conflict in Tehran, where Israel and the United States have been carrying out strikes in an operation that killed the Islamic republic's supreme leader.

3 hours ago

Indonesian women dressed in Japanese kimono style clothes pose under artificial cherry blossoms during the Japanese Summer Festival at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, a cultural park, in Jakarta on July 7, 2024.

Society premium

Japan draws Indonesian workers amid #KaburAjaDulu trend

Japan’s labor demand and high-quality public services are fueling a wave of Indonesians seeking work, stability, and a fresh start far from domestic frustrations.

3 hours ago

FEATURES

Show up, show off and call it self-care: Strong is the new flex

With toned arms as the new status symbol, maybe it’s time we rethink why we come to the gym and pick up those dumbbells.

4 hours ago

Containers are stacked on May 22, 2024, at Tanjung Perak Port in Semarang, Central Java.

Economy premium

Manufacturing activity hit two-year high in February on stronger demand

The country’s headline Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 53.8 in February from 52.6 in January, marking the highest reading since March 2024. The index remained above the 50-point threshold, which separates expansion from contraction.

4 hours ago

Smoke rises after Israeli strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon, March 2, 2026.

Middle East and Africa

Israel strikes Beirut suburbs in response to Hezbollah attack

The Israeli military said that "in response to Hezbollah's projectile fire "Israeli forces had "begun striking targets of the Hezbollah terrorist organization across Lebanon".

4 hours ago

Police officers stand guard at the gates of the Royal Air Force Akrotiri base, a British overseas territory near the Cypriot coastal city of Limassol, as peace protesters rally against its alleged use to supply Israel's war in Gaza, a claim denied by Britain, on January 14, 2024.

Europe

Suspected drone strike hits British air base in Cyprus

The first attack on the British military facility since a rocket attack by Libyan militants in 1986, the incident represents a marked escalation in the conflict.

5 hours ago

An electronic quotation board displays numbers of the Nikkei Stock Average on Jan. 5 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo.

Academia

Blistering EM equity rally can't keep this pace up. Can it?

Even the most ardent EM bull must be wondering if this blistering rally can continue.

6 hours ago

A crew member (left) from the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine nonprofit OceanX, completes safety protocols with the pilot of a submersible on Jan. 12, 2026, prior to a deep-sea mission in the waters off Sulawesi Island

Academia

Who owns the ocean’s genetic wealth?

As geopolitics spreads into a new global era, developing states risk being sidelined unless they step up now to demand an equitable, inclusive seat at the High Seas Treaty table.

7 hours ago

Former vice president Try Sutrisno (center), flanked by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (left) and former VP Jusuf Kalla, attends the inauguration ceremony for President Prabowo Subianto on Oct. 20, 2024, at the Senayan Legislative Complex in Central Jakarta.

Politics

Former vice president Try Sutrisno dies, aged 90

The retired Army general, who served as vice president in 1993-1998 during the Soeharto administration, will be interred at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in South Jakarta.

7 hours ago

Markets

Crude soars, Asian stocks drop after US strikes on Iran

Analysts do not rule out the possibility of oil prices hitting US$100 a barrel, a level last seen at the start of the war in Ukraine.

7 hours ago

A group of demonstrators gesture on Oct. 30, 2025, as they call for better working conditions during a labor rally near National Monument Square in Central Jakarta.

Academia premium

Making human rights due diligence work for social justice in Indonesia

To turn a paper tiger into a genuine catalyst for social justice, Indonesia must move beyond voluntary pledges and adopt a supported mandate that balances global trade demands with the practical needs of local businesses and workers.

8 hours ago

A staff member monitors a control panel on Feb. 27, 2024, inside the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine manufacturing unit of the Serum Institute of India (SII) at its headquarters in Hadapsar, Pune, India.

Academia premium

Global health financing needs a reset

Dependence on a small number of provider countries has become a structural vulnerability, as shifts in their political and fiscal priorities reverberate across the entire system.

9 hours ago

Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto (second right) and United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer (second left) show signed copies of the United States-Indonesia Agreement on Reciprocal Tariffs (ART) on Feb. 19 during the signing ceremony of the agreement in Washington, DC.

Americas premium

Indonesia reaffirms free and active policy amid tariff concerns

The tariff deal with the United States should not be interpreted as Indonesia siding itself with one side, but rather as an effort to seek cooperation with all friends and partners that align with President Prabowo Subianto’s vision on foreign policy, according to the Foreign Ministry.

10 hours ago

A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026.

Economy

Shipping companies divert vessels around Cape of Good Hope after strikes on Iran

Maersk stated that the firm will continue to prioritize the Trans-Suez route once the situation stabilizes and security conditions permit again.

10 hours ago

A tugboat pushes a sand barge on May 10, 2024, in the waters off the port development project of state-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi.

Academia premium

Reform the mining licensing system to buoy 8% growth target

To unlock the President's 8 percent growth target, the government must overhaul its centralized mining bureaucracy and replace administrative bottlenecks with a streamlined, high-compliance licensing system.

10 hours ago

Activists rally at the South Jakarta District Court on Oct. 27, 2025, after the court rejected fellow activist Delpedro Marhaen’s pretrial motion against the police for naming him a suspect of inciting riots during the August protests without due process.

Politics premium

Prison sought for activists in August unrest sparks outcry over free speech

Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) are seeking two-year prison terms for four activists accused of inciting last year’s nationwide riots, a demand civil groups denounce as an attempt to silence government critics.

10 hours ago

Children play at a playground on Feb. 20 in the Danantara temporary housing site for survivors of cyclone-induced floods and landslides in Tanah Datar regency, West Sumatra. At least 20 families from Guguak village have been staying at the site located next to the Singkarak Lake in the province since Feb. 7.

Society premium

Social, economic condition hinders Gen Z from having children: UN

Three out of four young people in Indonesia want to have two children or more, but they also believe they will eventually have fewer children in their lifetime, according to the United Nations family planning body.

11 hours ago

An intercepted projectile falls into the sea near Dubai's Palm Jumeirah archipelago on March 1, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and US bases across the Gulf.

Middle East and Africa

Israel hits Tehran again after killing Khamenei, leadership council takes over

US and Israeli strikes - and Iranian retaliation - sent shockwaves worldwide through sectors from shipping to air travel to oil, amid warnings of rising energy costs and disruption to business in the Gulf region.

11 hours ago

A team from the National Border Management Agency (BNPP) visits severe coastal erosion locations on Feb. 12 on Rangsang Island in Meranti Islands regency, Riau.

Archipelago premium

Coastal erosion on Rangsang Island threatens agriculture, state border

Coastal erosion on Rangsang island tends to increase during year-end when the northerly wind blows.

11 hours ago

A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali on March 1 following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

Academia premium

Four circuit breakers stand between the US-Iran war and World War III

Commentators reach for the most dramatic analogy: World War III. The analogy, while not absurd, overstates the probability of escalation.

11 hours ago

US President Donald Trump greets President Prabowo Subianto during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025. Trump landed in Egypt on October 13 for a summit on Gaza, following a lightning visit to Israel after a ceasefire he brokered entered into force.

Academia premium

Analysis: Indonesia’s trade gamble amid Trump’s policy mood swings

Indonesia’s much-celebrated breakthrough in lowering United States tariffs is already losing its shine. Just one day after the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) was sealed, securing a headline tariff cut to 19 percent, the US Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump’s earlier tariff regime was unlawful. The question now is not how deep the cut appears on paper, but whether Indonesia has genuinely strengthened its bargaining position or is merely navigating an increasingly unpredictable trade landscape.

11 hours ago

Qatar Airways and Emirates Airways planes are parked at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport as some flights to Dubai and Doha were canceled on March 1, following strikes on Iran launched by the United States and Israel, in Kuta, Bali.

Middle East and Africa premium

Indonesia monitors pilgrims, migrants as US-Israel strikes on Iran raise war fears

In the wake of the United States-Israeli war on Iran, markets are shaken and hundreds of thousands of Indonesians in the Middle East are left fearing an escalating war during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

11 hours ago