Bad news travels. Good news doesn’t. When Afghanistan’s government collapsed recently, the whole world watched. But when Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country, produces the world’s most effective democratically elected leader today – President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi – almost no one outside the archipelago knows the story. That story is all the more remarkable because Jokowi has succeeded in one of the world’s most difficult countries to govern.

Philippine boxer-turned-politician Manny Pacquiao declared Sunday he will run for president in 2022, ending months of speculation about whether the legendary fighter would seek the country's top job."The time is now – we are ready to rise to the challenge of leadership," said Pacquiao, as he accepted the nomination of a rival faction in President Rodrigo Duterte's ruling party. The eight-division world champion and beloved national hero made the announcement weeks

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter and heir apparent has declared that she will not run for the presidency in May 2022 but many remain sceptical after the months of meetings she has held with the country’s major political blocs over the past few months.Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is currently mayor of Davao, said on Thursday that with her father’s decision to run for vice president, she would not run for the top job.“I am not running for a national position as we both agreed only on

The transition from Trump to Joe Biden has been like going from a daily crack pipe, to a small bottle of low-alcohol beer once a week.The daily White House briefings now are a snooze fest. There are no fights, no name-calling.No middle of the night Twitter storms, no payments to porn stars, no rollicking MAGA rallies.So, does all this mean it's been a boring presidency? Absolutely not. This is a far more interesting presidency - so far - than I think any of us had imagined.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (12 April) made his first public appearance in two weeks, quashing wild rumours about his purported failing health and even untimely death.He squarely addressed questions about his health."If you want me to die early, you must pray harder," he said, needling those spreading rumours that he had died in Singapore, where he was purportedly taken after a health scare.He said he deliberately avoided appearing in public for two weeks to make

President Rodrigo Duterte has not made any public appearance for close to two weeks now, fuelling speculation that his health is declining, with some even claiming that he has died.His aides and sources have dismissed the rumours – one was that he had suffered a mild stroke and was taken to Singapore where he purportedly died, another was that plans were being drawn up for a military junta to run the Philippines.Adding to the fog was a disclosure that his daughter, Davao Mayor Sara D

United States (US) President Joe Biden said Thursday his "expectation" is to run for re-election in 2024, an apparent effort to douse speculation that the oldest person to assume the office will step down after a single term.The Democratic president also attacked Republican efforts to limit voting, describing the actions in dozens of states that would make it more difficult for millions of people to cast ballots as "sick" and "un-American."In his first extended g

An emotional President-elect Joe Biden flew to Washington Tuesday on the eve of his inauguration, as his predecessor Donald Trump - who will snub Biden's swearing-in - for the first time wished success to the new administration.Tears rolled down Biden's cheeks at a farewell ceremony in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, where he paid tribute to his late son and rising politician Beau, before catching a plane to the capital."I only have one regret, that he's not here,&qu

After negotiating her own confirmation as president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen must now put together a 27-nation team to help her run the bloc.The former German defence minister will need all her political and diplomatic skill to knit together a commission from different countries and parties.And then, in October, she will have to go back to a European Parliament that only barely approved her own coronation and ask it to back her appointments.She has quite a summer