Over the past week, a number of international events have reflected growing pressure and instability across various regions, encompassing political, security, and global economic dimensions.
In the United States, thousands of residents took to the streets in Minneapolis as part of nationwide protests opposing actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by federal agents. Similar demonstrations were held in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, prompted a civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and drew criticism from politicians across party lines. Amid the situation, the U.S. government deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota for immigration enforcement operations; however, this move faced criticism and rejection from state authorities and the Minneapolis city government.
Tensions also escalated in the Middle East as relations between the United States and Iran continued to deteriorate. U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the window for negotiations with Tehran was nearly closed and announced the deployment of a large military fleet led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to areas surrounding Iran. Trump urged Iran to engage in negotiations regarding its nuclear program without nuclear weapons, threatening military action if Iran refused. Iran rejected negotiations under pressure and stated its readiness to retaliate against any aggression, while Gulf states and Turkey sought to encourage diplomatic channels amid rising tensions.
In Eastern Europe, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a Russian drone attack on a passenger train in the Kharkiv region as an act of terrorism, after the strike killed at least five people and injured several passengers. The train, carrying around 200 people, was hit by a drone on Tuesday (27/1), while two other drones exploded in the surrounding area. Russian attacks were also reported in Odesa and the Kyiv region, resulting in casualties and extensive damage to residential areas and energy infrastructure, leaving millions of Ukrainians without electricity, water, and heating during the winter season.
Meanwhile, in East Asia, on Thursday (29/1), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on the importance of strengthening bilateral relations during a meeting in Beijing. The meeting marked efforts to improve ties that had previously deteriorated. During his four-day visit to China, accompanied by dozens of business leaders, Starmer emphasized economic cooperation as a priority to support the United Kingdom’s economic growth amid global uncertainty. Xi Jinping expressed China’s readiness to build a long-term strategic partnership with the United Kingdom. Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation in global stability, climate change, and efforts to address illegal migrant smuggling.
In the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that Israel would not recognize Palestine even if it joined the Board of Peace, and rejected the reconstruction of Gaza prior to the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the territory. Netanyahu stated that the disarmament of Hamas was a primary condition for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the rebuilding of Gaza, including the Rafah area. He also rejected the presence of Qatari and Turkish forces in Gaza, emphasized that there would be no Palestinian state in the territory, and stated that the Rafah crossing would be opened on a limited basis with strict inspections by Israel.
Turning to Southeast Asia, on Friday (30/1), Indonesia’s financial markets experienced turbulence after the leadership of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the Indonesia Stock Exchange resigned abruptly following a decline of approximately US$80 billion in the Indonesian stock market over two days and rising concerns over transparency and market governance. The resignations occurred after MSCI issued a warning regarding a possible downgrade of Indonesia’s stock status, triggering significant market pressure and accelerating foreign capital outflows. The government announced its commitment to implementing capital market reforms, including increasing public share ownership and expanding the investment portion of pension funds and insurance companies, in order to restore investor confidence.
On the global economic front, gold prices declined after surging sharply over the past several months. According to data from Antam Precious Metals, gold prices were recorded at IDR 2,860,000 per gram, down IDR 260,000 from the previous day, as markets entered an overbought phase. Weakening was also observed in global markets, where world gold prices fell on a daily basis despite remaining higher on an annual basis. This movement was driven by profit-taking actions and short signals in derivative markets. Nevertheless, gold’s medium-term outlook remains strong, as global central banks continue to increase their gold reserves amid rising global economic risks.
Source:
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