Indonesia-US trade agreement, while Jakarta takes on a key role in Gaza

Today's headlines: two years and eight months added to the prison sentence of a Thai activist accused of violating the lèse-majesté law; Deutsche Welle journalist arrested in Turkey; The ninth Party Congress has begun in North Korea; Mining and oil production decline in Kazakhstan.

INDONESIA - USA

Yesterday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump signed a trade agreement establishing 19% tariffs on Indonesian goods, with the exception of palm oil, coffee, and cocoa. In return, over 99% of US goods will be able to enter Indonesia without customs duties. Jakarta has also agreed to purchase tens of billions of dollars worth of American exports and to seek to invest billion in the United States. Indonesia has also agreed to take on the role of second in command in the Gaza Stabilization Force, which will also include troops from Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania.

THAILAND

A Thai court has sentenced Arnon Nampa, 41, a lawyer and activist, to an additional two years and eight months in prison for insulting the monarchy during a demonstration in November 2020, bringing his total sentence to more than 30 years.

NORTH KOREA

At the opening of the ninth Party Congress, dictator Kim Jong Un said that North Korea had achieved important economic goals over the past five years. During the event, which began yesterday, there could be changes in leadership roles. In his speech, Kim did not mention relations with the United States or South Korea, nor did he refer to his country's efforts to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal.

INDIA

According to a study by the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy at Ashoka University, donations by Indian families amount to 540 billion rupees ( billion) per year, contradicting the idea that it is mainly billionaires and large companies that give to charity. About 68% of respondents said they make some kind of donation. “India is a very generous country. Our findings suggest that ordinary families play a much more important role than is commonly thought. Generosity appears to be widespread and culturally ingrained,” commented one of the authors.

TURKEY

Turkish authorities arrested Alican Uludag, a correspondent for Deutsche Welle television, in Ankara, accusing him of “spreading misleading information” and “insulting the president.” The Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement last night that it had launched a criminal investigation based on some of his social media posts. The man will be brought before the prosecutor today.

RUSSIA – UKRAINE

According to the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, the second round of peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States in Geneva was “difficult but constructive,” and a further meeting will soon be held to resolve the conflict. At the end of the first day, Axios journalist Barak Ravid observed, based on two sources, that the talks had ended in a “dead end” due to the Russians' inflexibility.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan's industry produced 6.6% fewer goods in January than in the same period in 2025, taking into account inflation growth according to the National Statistics Office, with January's constant being particularly significant this year, with a particularly significant decline of 21.5% compared to January 2025, especially in the mining sector due to a 31.9% drop in oil production.

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