HEADLINE

Since November this year, Aceh — the easternmost province of Indonesia — has seen over 1,600 Rohingya refugees arrive by boats, coming in nine waves (UNHCR, 2023), and more are expected. Regardless of the alleged involvement of human trafficking rings who exploit the misery of vulnerable refugees, they are already in Indonesia and must be taken care of immediately. 

Changes in seasons and weather patterns in Indonesia are a logical consequence of the increase in the earth’s average annual temperature, which has been approaching 1.5 degrees Celsius in 2023. This means that Indonesia as an archipelagic state needs to immediately master accurate high-resolution weather and climate prediction technology as most of its territory is covered by water.

The United States (US) is the largest economy in the world, with a GDP of US$25.46 trillion in 2022, accounting for 10.95 percent of global GDP. The size of the US economy is 19 times larger than Indonesia’s (US$1.32 trillion in 2022). No wonder it has become many countries’ strategic cooperation partner, including that of Indonesia. 

On February 14, 2024, Indonesians will vote for their next President and Vice President. In contrast to the Presidential elections in 2014 and 2019, the 2024 edition will see an interesting three-cornered battle.

Indonesia must continue to transform its economy if it is to achieve the status of a developed country. To realize this dream, the Government has made various breakthrough efforts, as it requires high economic growth and a move away from “business as usual”.

Finally, after a long delay, the Palm Oil Futures Exchange was launched by the Trade Ministry, on Friday (13/10). The establishment of a CPO bourse has long been a dream of Indonesian palm oil stakeholders. However, it is worth mentioning that it is in fact not the first CPO exchange in Indonesia. It complements the several existing exchanges, namely, the Indonesia Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (ICDX) for CPO asset class; the Jakarta Futures Exchange for palm olein (derivative of CPO) asset class; the physical exchange run by the PT Kharisma Pemasaran Bersama Nusantara (KPBN), a subsidiary of state-owned plantation holding company PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (PTPN); and the CPO auction held by PT Astra Agro Lestari, one of the leading palm oil companies in Indonesia. 

The horrific and unprecedented terror attacks of Hamas left the world sickened and sad. The Hamas October 7th slaughter of innocent men, women, children and old people left 1300 civilians and soldiers dead and 3300 wounded. President Biden described it as a campaign of pure cruelty. “Not just hate but pure cruelty… and I would argue that for Jews it is the deadliest day since the Holocaust.”

Compared to the Industrial Revolution, the Earth’s surface temperature has increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius in January-September 2023 with a moderate El Niño, even reaching 1.75 degrees Celsius in September alone. Many people are surprised by this situation, when El Niño is moderate but has a super impact.

In today’s era of digitalization and media convergence, there is a paradigm shift toward a trend in which individuals can now generate income through digital platforms, the amount of which is sometimes even greater than that from their main job. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the global icons of football, is a clear example of this phenomenon. He is able to generate much more money from social media than from his contract with Juventus FC in 2019. 

Starlink is a project begun by exploration company SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. It aims to provide faster, more affordable, global broadband internet access via satellite networks. The Company uses thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), at about 500- 1,400 km above Earth, allowing for lower latency and higher internet speeds than conventional satellites. SpaceX has regularly launched Starlink satellites into LEO. The company plans to increase the number of its satellites to tens of thousands in the next few years, from a current 4,600. 

The integration of natural gas pipeline networks throughout a region plays a strategic role in achieving its economic resilience and ensuring the sustainability of energy supply. In regard to Indonesia, it is highly crucial to distribute natural gas, which is mostly produced in the eastern part of the country, across western Indonesia, so it can be utilized by consumers who reside populous Java / Sumatra.