Buoyed by the success of hosting the Asian Games 2018, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo affirmed Indonesia's bid to host the 2032 Olympics, and is set to compete with Australia, Germany, India, Qatar, and a unified (North and South) Korea in the bidding process.“The 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games have been successfully held. It has improved our confidence and is an eye-opener for the world that Indonesia is capable of hosting international events.

Following years of pressure from advocacy groups, Indonesia's Parliament revised its national laws last year to increase the legal age a girl can marry. The amendment to the Marriage Act raised the age of marriage for girls to 19 years old which is in line with the legal age for boys, with parental permission, while the legal age for men and women to marry without parental consent is 21.

Indonesia's military "executed" a church leader in its insurgency-wracked Papua region, the National Human Rights Commission said Monday, in the latest allegation of a civilian killing by soldiers.A report by the agency, citing witness testimony, alleged pastor Yeremia Zanambani was tortured and then shot by deputy army chief Alpius Hasim Madi during an interrogation on 19 September.

United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China's Communist government a "predator" Wednesday as he sought to tempt Sri Lanka away from Beijing's influence and later bolstered the US diplomatic presence in the neighbouring Maldives to counter the Asian superpower.Sri Lanka and the Maldives, both strategically located on key Indian Ocean trade routes, have borrowed heavily from Beijing in recent years, worrying Washington and other countries concerned by Chin

Newly appointed Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga certainly understands the political importance of continuity, especially in Southeast Asia. Suga recently made a first stop in Hanoi, Vietnam and continued on to his second visit in the region to Jakarta, Indonesia. Both these Southeast Asian countries are seen as key to Japan's “free and open Indo-Pacific,” strategy. There are other reasons for Suga to visit these two countries as well.

Indonesia’s National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) had received 1,192 reports of violence, including physical, psychological or sexual abuse towards children in the first half of 2019.Unfortunately, as the current coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay home, some children living with violent parents or guardians have found themselves increasingly at risk of abuse.In July, I Gusti Bintang Ayu Puspayoga, Indonesia’s Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister said that at

Indonesia has an issue as far as meeting the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution go. The quickly evolving landscape and potential demands on the country’s workforce is shaping into a real concern.

Vietnam, as the current Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2020, has been actively involved with the association since 1995 when it joined the bloc with the aim of bringing all Southeast Asian countries together to promote regional peace, freedom, and prosperity. Vietnam has been making great strides in projecting itself as an effective leader, particularly with its proactive governance in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change policy, and for its

Developing countries must have 'equal access' to future COVID-19 vaccines, Indonesia's foreign minister warned, as wealthy nations scoop up billions of doses.Retno Marsudi said it was crucial for rich and poor nations to work together so "we can guarantee equal access to a safe and affordable vaccine"."Can you imagine...if most vaccines go to developed countries?" Marsudi said in a video interview from London."What will be the fate of the developing cou

A report titled, “Policies to Support Investment Requirements of Indonesia’s Food and Agriculture During 2020-2045” found that 22 million people in Indonesia suffered from chronic hunger between the years 2016 and 2018. The report, published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) with support from Indonesia’s National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) also acknowledged that there was strong growth in Indonesia’s agricultu