In an era of intensifying great-power rivalry and economic decoupling, Indonesia must move beyond passive non-alignment toward a doctrine of disciplined strategic autonomy. By integrating balance-of-power logic with sophisticated economic statecraft, Jakarta can transform global uncertainty into a source of national leverage.

The Illegal gold mining operations have a turnover of Rp 600 million per day from six mines in the South Tapanuli and Mandailing Natal regencies.

The rampant misuse of canisters of nitrous oxide gas ostensibly marketed as whipped cream chargers but increasingly used to induce euphoria, has exposed regulatory loopholes that raise concerns about its impact on young people.

The Constitutional Court ethics council has dismissed three complaints against the newest member of the court, Adies Kadir, whose abrupt nomination by the legislature had raised suspicions of a politically driven process.

Iran may be indefensible, but that does not make an illegal war against it justifiable. By remaining silent, Indonesia is not choosing neutrality; it is choosing to abandon its founding principles in the face of raw coercion.

State-owned PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara’s plan to import 105,000 pickup trucks from India has triggered strong criticism from domestic industry players, labor unions, and lawmakers who argue that the move undermines Indonesia’s automotive sector and contradicts national industrialization goals. The state-owned company, which is tasked with operating the Red and White Cooperatives (KMP) program, has defended the plan on the grounds of cost efficiency. Agrinas chief executive officer Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota stated that price considerations were the primary driver behind the procurement decision.

Azerbaijan became the latest country drawn in the war, as it accused Iran of firing drones at its territory and ordered its southern airspace closed for 12 hours. Iran, which has a significant Azeri minority, denied it had targeted its neighbor.

Greater Jakarta, recently dubbed the world’s most populous urban area by the United Nations, has long been afflicted by smog coming from, among other sources, internal combustion engine vehicles and coal-powered power plants and industrial areas.

The recent furor related to a couple of LPDP recipients shows that the government must run a rigorous screening process for all candidates, including a social media background check, to ensure that the national scholarship is granted to a deserving individual who represents the country, and preferably one from straitened circumstances.

The outlook for Indonesia's credit rating has dimmed further as Fitch Ratings revised its view to “negative” from “stable”, adding to warnings over policy uncertainty following a similar downgrade from Moody’s.  

Jakarta is scrambling to bring home thousands of umrah (minor haj) pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia after sweeping airspace closures linked to the United States–Israel war against Iran disrupted travel across the Middle East, though limited flights are still operating.

The Communications and Digital Ministry has issued a stern warning to the owner of Facebook and Instagram after finding the company’s compliance with Indonesian content moderation rules to be low when compared to other major digital platforms operating in the country.

As reading enthusiasm rises, bookstores are turning into the city’s community-driven third spaces.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said 1,045 military personnel and civilians have been killed since the war began. The country is effectively cut off from the rest of the world, with the internet operating at around one percent of capacity.

The breakthrough tennis player, who has put Indonesia back on the women's pro circuit map, appears to be taking a grounded approach to her second year on WTA Tour, balancing experience and enjoyment as she builds her career, one tournament at a time.

Ships operated by state-owned energy firm Pertamina with a combined capacity of about 450,000 deadweight tonnes are stuck in ports as the US-Israeli war against Iran disrupts navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Transformation Partnerships for Indonesia’s Clean Energy Transition report was prepared by Synergy Policies and the Foreign Ministry’s Foreign Policy Strategy Agency over 11 months to examine how foreign policy could aid Indonesia’s shift to clean energy.

"The escalating crisis in the Middle East is significantly worsening the global economic and security environment," President Lee Jae Myung said.

Muslims in Bali can celebrate takbiran with restrictions as Nyepi, the Hindu Day of Silence, coincides on the same day, reflecting the island’s long-standing tradition of interfaith respect and harmony.

Countries have rushed to evacuate their citizens from the Middle East this week after US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparked a regional war.

Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defiantly repeated calls of "no to the war" on Wednesday after the weekend US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the regional conflict, in his latest policy clash with Trump.

Asia sources 60 percent of its oil from the Middle East, leaving the region vulnerable to the disruptions. Refiners in Indonesia and Japan are sourcing more oil from the US to replace the shortfall. India will consider buying more from Russia, sources at two companies have said.

Security analysts and regional military attaches are watching China's budget closely as it scrambles to modernise the military by 2035, while stepping up deployments across East Asia and purging the top brass to tackle graft.

The request, the day before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, is the latest example of Washington's push for more access to the materials used widely in warfare.

Taken together, that makes GCC producers a core component of Western supply of a metal used across a wide spectrum of industries from automotive and construction to packaging.

Workers' associations have urged action to address the issue of “disguised employment” faced by some gig workers in Indonesia, while a government official says a dedicated bill to regulate the growing gig economy is underway.

While the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation remains a global gold standard for diplomacy, ASEAN must bridge the gap between its aspirational principles and the political will required to actually use them.