"The World Cup curse," said the front page of Italy's main daily Corriere della Sera, calling for a rebuilding of a movement that produced some of the game's greatest players but has won just one match at the finals since lifting the trophy in 2006.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned the economic shocks of the war in the Middle East would be felt for months and encouraged citizens to take public transport in a rare address to the nation on Wednesday.

A China-born accused scam boss was extradited from Cambodia, Chinese state media said Wednesday, linking him to an alleged kingpin indicted by the US for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from the Southeast Asian nation.

A monthly survey by S&P Global published on Wednesday showed Indonesia’s headline Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) slid from 53.8 in February to 50.1 last month.  

The reputational damage to the Middle East due to the Iran war may spur oil majors and the industry as a whole to realign their investment focus, though a shift to potentially higher-risk regions will lead to an inevitable rise in energy prices.

Amid Bali’s booming tourist sector, academics from Warmadewa University have called for greater protection of the island’s communal cultural intellectual property, particularly the endek catri fabric from Klungkung.

Bali Police’s General Crime Director Sr. Comr. I Gede Adhi Mulyawarman said the suspects, 35-year-old Darlan Bruno Lima Sanandana and 28-year-old Kalyl Hyorran, were identified through CCTV footage, GPS data and witness statements.

The two countries were also expected to advance defense ties, as well as strengthen cooperation in new growth areas such as artificial intelligence and nuclear power.

PT Socfin Indonesia successfully held the Socfindo Conference on Practical Application & Exhibition 2026 (SCOPEX 2026) with the theme "Practical and Sustainable Innovations in Palm Oil." The event served as a strategic opportunity for the company to strengthen its active role in developing applicable, collaborative and relevant innovations for the palm oil industry.

The reckless use of religion by state actors across all three Abrahamic faiths as a means of justifying the war in Iran has not been criticized as pointedly as its breach of international law.

Growing concern over global warming and plastic waste is accelerating research into environmentally friendly packaging for food and beverages. As consumers become more aware of sustainability issues, demand is rising for packaging that is biodegradable, renewable, safe and affordable.

A Malaysian court on Tuesday ordered jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported.

The government estimates the measures, which enter into force Wednesday and are to be reviewed every two months, would save between Rp 121 trillion and Rp 130 trillion ($7.1-7.6 billion).

As the Middle East undergoes a violent restructuring, the failures of Western-led regime changes offer a grim warning. For India, navigating this "region in churn" requires a masterclass in strategic autonomy and the pursuit of a new regional compact.

Asian stock markets including Jakarta rallied Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the Middle East war would be over in up to three weeks and his Iranian counterpart said Tehran had "the necessary will" to bring it to an end.

The Iranian FA (FFIRI)has been pushing to relocate the team's three World Cup group matches from the US to Mexico, citing the American military involvement alongside Israel in strikes that sparked the current regional war.

The illegal business had been running for two years with a turnover of Rp 7 billion (US$411,798) in three rented rooms in an apartment building.

The two peacekeepers with the UNIFIL force were killed on Monday near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon and two other soldiers were wounded. Another Indonesian soldier was killed overnight Sunday into Monday when a projectile exploded near one of the group's positions.

"I think there's no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to reexamine that relationship. We're going to have to reexamine the value of NATO in that alliance for our country," Rubio said to host Sean Hannity on Fox News.

As global energy tensions mount, Indonesia’s fiscal future hangs in the balance between rigid populist spending and the urgent need for structural reform.

Beyond Indonesia’s record-low unemployment lies a hidden reality: a growing "multi-jobbing" class where one paycheck is no longer enough to survive.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named two more suspects in its investigation into the alleged misallocation of the 2024 haj quota, a case that has implicated former Religious Affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

An independent probe from a civil society coalition found that at least 16 people were involved in the acid attack on human rights activist Andrie Yunus, while suggesting the existence of "intellectual actors" from "a certain big institution" were behind the assault.

Indonesia’s fiscal resilience is facing a high-stakes stress test as rising global oil prices collide with rigid domestic spending. While a crisis is not yet inevitable, the narrowing gap between political commitments and economic reality suggests the window for decisive action is closing.

President Prabowo Subianto has utilized the Lebaran (Idul Fitri) holiday to maintain his ties with key political figures, including Megawati Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). As the only major party that has not formally declared support for his administration, Megawati’s potential backing represents the “One Piece”: the final element needed for Prabowo to fully consolidate his leadership, an outcome he has long pursued.

Indonesia and Japan reaffirmed their shared commitment to playing a greater role in maintaining global peace and stability, as President Prabowo Subianto and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated the need to de-escalate the war in the Middle East.

Two other Indonesian UNIFIL were killed in southern Lebanon on Monday, one day after another peacekeeper died in an explosion amid the intensifying Israeli ground invasion.