https://www.scmp.com/rss/324752/feed Latest news, in-depth features and opinion from Indonesia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Rescuers on Saturday recovered the body of an Indonesian woman caught in a volcanic eruption at Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s remote island of Halmahera a day earlier, as search operations continued to find the bodies of two Singaporeans, officials said. The slain hikers were among 20 who set out to ascend the 1,355-metre (4,445-foot) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early on Friday, spewing a thick ash column that rose about 10 km (6 miles) into... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352972/2-singaporeans-1-indonesian-still-missing-after-mount-dukono-eruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352972/2-singaporeans-1-indonesian-still-missing-after-mount-dukono-eruption?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 03:18:17 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai Three People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships were spotted transiting the Tsushima Strait en route to the East China Sea last week, as Tokyo closely tracks such passages amid heightened regional tensions. The vessels were two Type 055 guided-missile destroyers and a Type 052D destroyer, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defence and Self-Defence Forces on Saturday. The ministry said the Japanese force’s JS Ootaka conducted “alert surveillance and intelligence gathering” on the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352919/are-china-and-russia-flexing-their-maritime-muscle-near-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352919/are-china-and-russia-flexing-their-maritime-muscle-near-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 11:00:06 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang China’s coastal aquaculture ponds are shrinking due to environmental policies while India’s are expanding at the fastest rate of any country, according to a new bird’s-eye view of fish farms worldwide. The conclusions are based on a fresh dataset compiled from millions of satellite snapshots of coastal aquaculture around the world in 2022. From 1990 to 2016, the global pond area for aquaculture expanded rapidly. After 2017, the overall area declined, but changes varied between countries. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351961/why-are-chinas-coastal-fish-farms-disappearing-while-indias-are-expanding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351961/why-are-chinas-coastal-fish-farms-disappearing-while-indias-are-expanding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Three hikers – two Singaporeans and a local – died in an eruption on Friday of Indonesia’s Mount Dukono volcano where they found themselves in a no-go zone, officials said. The eruption on Halmahera island sent an ash cloud about 10km (6.2 miles) into the air, with no towns or villages near enough to face any immediate threat. Twenty hikers were on the slopes when disaster struck, North Halmahera police chief Erlichson Pasaribu told reporters at a volcano monitoring station in Mamuya... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352852/9-singaporeans-among-20-hikers-trapped-indonesias-mount-dukono-volcanic-eruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352852/9-singaporeans-among-20-hikers-trapped-indonesias-mount-dukono-volcanic-eruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 05:32:25 +0000 Gayatri Bhaumik Gayatri Bhaumik Asia’s fitness scene received a shot of adrenaline when Hyrox hosted its inaugural race in Hong Kong in 2022. The European-born hybrid race quickly gained traction in regional hubs like Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, reflecting a broader shift in wellness trends across these markets. Now, there are dozens of races across Asia – not least this weekend’s event in Hong Kong – and between the ubiquitous branded backpacks, social media posts and gyms promoting their race-focused training, Hyrox... https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/special-reports/topics/hyroxs-rise-asia/article/3352709/hyrox-races-are-exploding-across-asia-clubs-hong-kong-tokyo-and-jakarta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/special-reports/special-reports/topics/hyroxs-rise-asia/article/3352709/hyrox-races-are-exploding-across-asia-clubs-hong-kong-tokyo-and-jakarta?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:03:48 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Sentiment is warming among some Southeast Asian members towards easing Myanmar’s isolation five years after a coup, with diplomats signalling a possible opening to bring the crisis-torn nation back into the fold. Southeast Asian foreign ministers have agreed to a virtual meeting with their Myanmar counterpart, according to Asean’s secretary general on Thursday. In an interview during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit ‌in the Philippines on Thursday, Kao Kim Hourn said Myanmar had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352831/asean-members-warm-towards-myanmar-raising-hopes-it-could-come-cold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352831/asean-members-warm-towards-myanmar-raising-hopes-it-could-come-cold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 02:18:28 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s economy grew 5.6 per cent during the first quarter of 2026, its fastest pace in more than three years, but analysts warn that the coming months will pose significant tests for Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Statistics body BPS attributed the growth to robust household consumption – which made up 54.36 per cent of gross domestic product and grew by 5.52 per cent year-on-year – and a surge in government spending. Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, head of BPS and deputy minister for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352750/indonesia-posts-fastest-first-quarter-growth-3-years-headwinds-loom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352750/indonesia-posts-fastest-first-quarter-growth-3-years-headwinds-loom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 09:37:58 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng TikTok is investing US$25 billion in data infrastructure projects in Thailand, the company’s biggest investment announced to date in Southeast Asia, as China’s technology giants continue expanding their footprint in the region. The investment would be used to install additional servers and expand data storage and processing infrastructure across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao provinces to support rising demand for digital services, according to an announcement by Thailand’s Board of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352736/tiktok-makes-record-us25b-investment-expand-digital-infrastructure-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3352736/tiktok-makes-record-us25b-investment-expand-digital-infrastructure-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A passenger bus collided head-on with a fuel tanker truck on a highway on Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people and injuring four others, officials said. The crash occurred around midday on the Trans-Sumatra Highway in North Musi Rawas regency of South Sumatra province, when an intercity bus carrying at least 20 people struck a tanker truck travelling in the opposite direction, said Mugono, a local disaster management agency official. Mugono, who uses a single name... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352658/bus-and-oil-tanker-collide-indonesia-killing-least-16-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352658/bus-and-oil-tanker-collide-indonesia-killing-least-16-people?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 14:06:31 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A chilling voice note from her husband was all the warning Indonesian housewife Shanty Shanaya received of his impending kidnapping in some of the world’s most treacherous waters. “I’m about to be attacked,” her 33-year-old husband, Captain Ashari Samadikun, said in the April 21 voice note threaded with fear as a group he assumed to be pirates approached. He was captaining the Palau-flagged MT Honour 25 tanker, which was carrying fuel from Oman to Somalia – a route once notorious for pirates who... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352643/indonesian-captain-among-crew-held-somali-pirates-strike-again-horn-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3352643/indonesian-captain-among-crew-held-somali-pirates-strike-again-horn-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 11:49:19 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia has unveiled a new vision to transform the holiday island of Bali into a global finance hub inspired by destinations such as Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore, but the tourist hotspot faces a raft of systemic and infrastructural hurdles before it can attain the lofty goal. Indonesian Chief Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto earlier this week said the government was finalising regulations to establish a financial hub in the Kura Kura Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on Serangan island, 500... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352624/can-indonesia-turn-holiday-island-bali-global-financial-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352624/can-indonesia-turn-holiday-island-bali-global-financial-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 09:42:29 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia is moving to reshape its ride-hailing industry from the inside, with officials saying the state has acquired stakes in app companies as President Prabowo Subianto seeks to raise drivers’ earnings and rein in commission fees. The move could mark a significant shift in one of Southeast Asia’s biggest on-demand economies, where millions of drivers for platforms such as Gojek and Grab have become a highly visible labour force and, analysts say, a potent political bloc. Last week, Prabowo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352510/indonesia-caps-ride-hailing-commission-fees-8-radical-correction-sector?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352510/indonesia-caps-ride-hailing-commission-fees-8-radical-correction-sector?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 10:20:24 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele Four men slipped aboard in the darkness. Armed with knives and moving fast, they descended into the engine room of the Taipan as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker threaded its way through the Singapore Strait on the night of April 22. The crew managed to raise the alarm in time and thankfully no one was hurt. But by the time the vessel was searched the intruders were gone, vanished back into the water with a clutch of spare engine parts in tow. It was a modest haul. It was also the 16th such... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352482/sea-robbery-fears-stalk-singapore-and-malaysias-busiest-waterways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3352482/sea-robbery-fears-stalk-singapore-and-malaysias-busiest-waterways?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:00:54 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s defence minister is touring Southeast Asia this week with what analysts describe as a clear, if diplomatically understated, mission: turning Indonesia and the Philippines into harder targets for Chinese maritime ambition. Shinjiro Koizumi landed in Jakarta on Monday to sign a defence cooperation pact with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, coming hot on the heels of Tokyo’s landmark decision to lift a decades-old ban on the export of lethal weapons last month. He heads next... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352442/japan-offers-indonesia-and-philippines-lethal-muscle-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352442/japan-offers-indonesia-and-philippines-lethal-muscle-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 04:29:00 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu OCBC, the second-largest banking group in Southeast Asia, has agreed to acquire HSBC’s retail and wealth management operations in Indonesia through its subsidiary, PT Bank OCBC NISP Tbk, according to the Singapore lender. The acquisition would add 336,000 customers and S$6.6 billion (US$5.17 billion) in assets under management to OCBC Indonesia, comprising S$4.3 billion of customers’ investments in mutual funds and bonds, as well as insurance policies and customer deposits of S$2.3 billion, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352432/ocbc-acquires-hsbcs-retail-and-wealth-management-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3352432/ocbc-acquires-hsbcs-retail-and-wealth-management-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 02:23:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore’s Grab reported first-quarter profit that exceeded analysts’ estimates, helped by resilient demand for ride hailing and delivery in a market rattled by economic and political challenges. Southeast Asia’s biggest ride-hailing and delivery firm has been trying to boost spending on its platform by incorporating artificial-intelligence features into its superapp and bundling its core ride-hailing, delivery and financial services. With oil and gas prices soaring due to the war in the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352424/ai-helps-singapores-grab-woo-tough-southeast-asian-crowd-exceed-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352424/ai-helps-singapores-grab-woo-tough-southeast-asian-crowd-exceed-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:11:06 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu China and Indonesia have launched a new cross-border QR payment system, marking the latest step in Beijing’s drive to build a regional digital payments network as it pushes to internationalise the yuan and reduce dependence on the US dollar. Users can now use domestic mobile apps – such as China’s Alipay and Indonesia’s QRIS – to scan QR codes and make retail payments in either country using their home currencies. Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for the Asia-Pacific region at French... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352360/china-indonesia-launch-cross-border-qr-payments-boost-global-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3352360/china-indonesia-launch-cross-border-qr-payments-boost-global-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:26 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Global efforts to protect children from online harm are being stepped up, from the bans on social media use to the measures making platforms safer. But the scourge of child pornography and the threat to the young of being groomed for sexual abuse remain prevalent. Law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to ensure their efforts to investigate, track down and arrest the culprits are successful. This requires close collaboration among police forces in different countries. The latest... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352133/recognise-need-protect-our-children-online-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352133/recognise-need-protect-our-children-online-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 22:45:12 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar When Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently visited Seoul for a state visit, one of the most memorable moments was a photo that he took with a 19-year-old Indonesian K-pop idol. Nyoman Ayu Carmenita, better known as Carmen of the girl group Hearts2Hearts, symbolises Indonesia’s ascendancy in the K-pop universe: no longer just a vast market for the genre’s stars, with the country increasingly playing a part in the industry’s global growth. Foreign Minister Sugiono said on April 22 that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352158/indonesias-aim-lure-more-k-pop-concerts-spurs-chorus-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3352158/indonesias-aim-lure-more-k-pop-concerts-spurs-chorus-doubts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters A ruling by a Dutch court ⁠on Monday threatens to throw the country’s football into turmoil if top-flight side NAC Breda succeed in their bid to force a replay of their match against Go Ahead Eagles over the eligibility of defender Dean James, with officials warning the decision could jeopardise the completion of the season. NAC are contesting their 6-0 defeat on March 15, arguing that James should never have been allowed to play. The club says the defender had lost his Dutch nationality after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352208/indonesian-passport-row-could-throw-dutch-football-total-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3352208/indonesian-passport-row-could-throw-dutch-football-total-chaos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 07:00:12 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre A former journalist who’s been living in Milan for well over two decades, California native J.J. Martin turned her impeccable taste and love for all things fabulous into La DoubleJ, a fashion and lifestyle label known for its bold prints, colourful aesthetic and “good vibes all around”, as the saying goes. Here, Martin shares her favourite finds from her adopted hometown of Milan and beyond. What I’m watching My favourite things to engage with are the consciousness teachings, lessons or... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3351836/style-according-jj-martin-founder-milan-based-la-doublej?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3351836/style-according-jj-martin-founder-milan-based-la-doublej?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 23:00:13 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Singapore and Thailand ranked among the world’s “least miserable” economies in an annual index compiled by a Johns Hopkins University economist, who said Southeast Asia was one of the “healthiest economic neighbourhoods” in the world. The 2025 Hanke’s Annual Misery Index (HAMI), compiled by applied economics professor Steve Hanke, measures the “economic temperature” of a country and seeks to approximate how its average citizen experiences the economy. This year’s HAMI found that several... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352182/why-singapore-thailand-are-among-worlds-happiest-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352182/why-singapore-thailand-are-among-worlds-happiest-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 12:58:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A train hit a car in Indonesia on Friday, killing four people including two children, police said, days after another deadly train crash outside the capital Jakarta. The driver of the car involved in the collision in Central Java province did not see the oncoming train on a level crossing due to thick fog, local traffic officer Eko Ari Kisworo said in a statement issued by the police. The train then collided with the car, which carried nine people and was flung about 20m (66ft) before hitting a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352180/4-killed-second-indonesia-train-crash-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352180/4-killed-second-indonesia-train-crash-days?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 12:55:39 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn A horrific train crash that killed 16 passengers on the outskirts of Jakarta has prompted Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto to pledge 4 trillion rupiah (US$230 million) to overhaul level crossings across Java after officials identified one such intersection as a key point in the chain collision. The pledge targets one of the key weaknesses in Indonesia’s rail network: crossings that are unguarded, poorly maintained or haphazardly created by local communities. Transport analysts said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352157/deadly-train-crash-indonesia-exposes-severe-safety-gaps-dangerous-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352157/deadly-train-crash-indonesia-exposes-severe-safety-gaps-dangerous-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 10:16:18 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The end of April marked the end of Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, offering a reminder that one disease deserves greater attention in Asia: nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a type of head and neck cancer. NPC has a strikingly uneven geography. It remains endemic in East and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352014/why-lifestyle-medicine-belongs-asias-nasopharyngeal-cancer-conversation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3352014/why-lifestyle-medicine-belongs-asias-nasopharyngeal-cancer-conversation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Stablecoin payments into Hong Kong are surging on the cross-border payment network of Circle Internet Group, operator of the world’s second largest stablecoin issuer USDC, as the US firm eyes regulatory approval in the Asian crypto hub, its CEO said in an interview. “Hong Kong remains a central trade hub, and cross-border payments and cross-border trade are major drivers in the adoption of stablecoins,” said Jeremy Allaire, co-founder and CEO of Circle. He said that payments into Hong Kong were... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3352027/hong-kong-key-global-hub-usdc-cross-border-payments-circle-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3352027/hong-kong-key-global-hub-usdc-cross-border-payments-circle-ceo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Roblox, a gaming platform popular with kids, announced Thursday that children under 16 in Indonesia will be required to undergo facial scans to verify their age to comply with new restrictions on minors’ use of social media and digital platforms in the country. Nicky Jackson Colaco, Roblox’s vice-president and global head of public policy, announced the changes in a press conference in Jakarta, describing them among the strictest that the company has implemented anywhere in the world. She said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352066/gaming-platform-roblox-require-facial-scans-users-under-16-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352066/gaming-platform-roblox-require-facial-scans-users-under-16-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:00:28 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk A 24-year-old Malaysian woman has been jailed for two years for throwing her newborn out of her 38th-floor flat in Kuala Lumpur. The court on Wednesday convicted Lua Mei Zhu of causing the death of her baby girl on February 26, 2025, the New Straits Times reported. Lua, who is not married, tossed her daughter out of the bathroom window shortly after giving birth between 1.30pm and 9pm. A resident on the ninth floor called police at about 10.20pm after finding the baby with severe head injuries... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351981/malaysian-woman-jailed-2-years-throwing-baby-daughter-38-floor-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351981/malaysian-woman-jailed-2-years-throwing-baby-daughter-38-floor-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:33:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday. The world lost 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest last year, down 36 per cent from 2024, said researchers from the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the University of Maryland. “A drop of this scale in a single year is encouraging – it shows what decisive... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351895/tropical-rainforest-loss-eases-after-record-year-still-11-football-fields-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:35:31 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s new legislation to protect domestic helpers has been hailed by rights groups as the beginning of a “new chapter” for millions – though they warn that the road to change remains long and winding. On April 21, Indonesia’s House of Representatives passed the domestic worker protection bill into law, 22 years since it was first proposed. The legislation “provides legal certainty, protects workers from various forms of unfair treatment, and encourages improvements in the skills and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351861/rights-groups-hail-indonesias-new-chapter-domestic-workers-warn-long-road-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351861/rights-groups-hail-indonesias-new-chapter-domestic-workers-warn-long-road-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:46:30 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong As the US-Israel war in Iran drags into its third month, sulphuric acid – a chemical ingredient critical for fertiliser production and metal processing that has seldom grabbed global headlines – has become a keenly watched commodity. The military conflict in the Gulf and the effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz initially triggered a squeeze on sulphuric acid, with prices on the rise after shipments in the region – which accounts for a quarter of global production – were largely stalled... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351630/how-chinas-reported-ban-sulphuric-acid-exports-could-have-overseas-buyers-reeling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351630/how-chinas-reported-ban-sulphuric-acid-exports-could-have-overseas-buyers-reeling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:12 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested a domestic helper on suspicion of child abuse after she allegedly put two young boys inside a dog cage in a Tsing Yi flat. Police said they received a report at 1.34pm on Tuesday from the 26-year-old mother of the boys, aged two and three, who alleged that her helper had confined them in a cage at a flat in the Grand Horizon estate on two occasions in February. A police source said the mother twice discovered through her mobile phone’s security camera feed that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351754/helper-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-putting-2-young-boys-dog-cage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3351754/helper-arrested-hong-kong-allegedly-putting-2-young-boys-dog-cage?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:12:18 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Jakarta’s move to press on with importing 150 million barrels of Russian oil despite latest EU sanctions against an Indonesian port underscores a growing divide between Western efforts to isolate Moscow and Asia’s push for energy security. On Thursday, the European Commission announced its 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which includes Indonesia’s Karimun Oil Terminal for its “connections with the shadow fleet and circumvention of the oil price cap”. The sanction on Karimun, located in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351703/energy-security-comes-first-indonesia-it-defies-eu-over-russian-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351703/energy-security-comes-first-indonesia-it-defies-eu-over-russian-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:20 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Herman Susanto and Dwi Aksan were heading from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta to the satellite city of Cikarang after a long day at work on Monday when disaster struck. Susanto, the head of the Indonesian Workers’ Federation, and his colleague, Aksan, were in the third carriage of a commuter train crammed with workers going home at around 9pm when it stopped to let passengers alight at Bekasi Timur station. The two men had hoped to rest before they reached their final stop, but instead, they found... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351713/survivors-describe-chaos-blood-and-twisted-metal-after-indonesia-train-crash-kills-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351713/survivors-describe-chaos-blood-and-twisted-metal-after-indonesia-train-crash-kills-15?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:33:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East has turned the spotlight on a strategic waterway thousands of miles away in Southeast Asia, with littoral states having different ideas on how to control their stake. Indonesian officials last week flirted with the idea of imposing tolls for passing vessels in the Strait of Malacca. Malaysia and Singapore, however, have insisted that navigation in the vital corridor remains free. The likelihood of tolls in the strait is low thanks to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351687/why-asean-cooperation-remains-primary-shield-against-malacca-strait-tolls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:58:19 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Why Indonesia is ceding its role as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore 2. Why Japan’s earthquake has Bali on edge over magnitude 9 ‘megathrust’ risk 3. 3 killed in Japanese Type 10 tank blast that has military baffled 4. This retiree in the Philippines downloaded an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3351648/aseans-natural-leader-bali-edge-over-japanese-earthquake-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3351648/aseans-natural-leader-bali-edge-over-japanese-earthquake-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:18:41 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A heatwave sweeping across Southeast Asia is making offices even warmer, as workers continue to adjust to energy-saving measures put in place by governments due to the war in Iran. Many countries have imposed temperature controls at government workplaces since the war began, among other measures to conserve energy. As the prolonged shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz drains energy reserves, relief does not look to be coming any time soon, with parts of the region set to bake in abnormally hot... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351634/southeast-asias-office-workers-reel-energy-saving-drive-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351634/southeast-asias-office-workers-reel-energy-saving-drive-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:57:28 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Across Southeast Asia, governments are seeking Russian oil and gas to ease fuel shortages triggered by the continuing chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a crisis that has sent energy prices higher and forced import-dependent countries to look beyond their usual suppliers. But analysts say the scramble for Russian fuel also raises a bigger question for the region: whether Moscow can turn a short-term role as an emergency energy supplier into longer-term influence there. Member states of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351613/will-aseans-scramble-russian-oil-fuel-shift-regional-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351613/will-aseans-scramble-russian-oil-fuel-shift-regional-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indonesia’s president ordered an investigation on Tuesday after a long-distance train smashed into a stationary commuter train overnight, killing 14 people and injuring dozens. Officials ended a nearly 12-hour rescue effort near Bekasi Timur station, east of the capital Jakarta, which saw crews prying open mangled carriages following the Monday night collision. “And this morning … it is all finished,” Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), told a news... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351619/4-killed-and-dozens-injured-train-crash-outside-jakarta?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351619/4-killed-and-dozens-injured-train-crash-outside-jakarta?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:54:23 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Grieving relatives of domestic helpers killed in the Tai Po fire have struggled to break the news to victims’ children while fending off scammers targeting their compensation from Hong Kong authorities, according to a workers’ rights advocate after a trip to Indonesia. Esther Tse Yan-yin, an organiser from the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, travelled to Indonesia in January to visit the immediate relatives of eight helpers who died in the inferno at Wang Fuk Court... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351582/families-indonesian-helpers-who-died-tai-po-fire-struggle-break-news-kids?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3351582/families-indonesian-helpers-who-died-tai-po-fire-struggle-break-news-kids?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:09:33 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The intensifying technological rivalry between the United States and China is often framed as a race over semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) models and advanced computing power. Much of this conversation treats Southeast Asia as a peripheral actor – a consumer market... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3351246/us-china-ai-race-southeast-asia-no-side-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3351246/us-china-ai-race-southeast-asia-no-side-act?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:26:49 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysian immigration authorities say they have uncovered an Indonesian migrant-smuggling syndicate that moved people from sea crossings to a more elaborate route through Singapore and southern Thailand. The raid, carried out before dawn on Saturday at two major transport terminals in Kuala Lumpur, led to the arrest of 11 Indonesians, including a suspected transporter, and the seizure of a Mazda CX-5 believed to have been used to move migrants to their next stop. Immigration director general... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351521/indonesian-migrant-smugglers-target-malaysia-entry-singapore-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3351521/indonesian-migrant-smugglers-target-malaysia-entry-singapore-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:30:37 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Police in Thailand have arrested an Indonesian who allegedly defrauded Americans of about US$10 million, Thai authorities say, adding that they will extradite him to the United States. The 33-year-old Indonesian man was arrested on Friday at a luxury resort in the coastal town of Phuket after a tip-off from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Suriya Poungsombat of the national immigration police said on Sunday. The FBI had informed Thai authorities that the suspect left Dubai and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351508/thailand-extradite-indonesian-man-us10-million-scam-targeting-americans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351508/thailand-extradite-indonesian-man-us10-million-scam-targeting-americans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:07:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Sunday killed 14 people, the deadliest day since a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war came into force over a week ago. It came as Israel and the Iran-backed group traded fresh accusations of breaching the fragile truce, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the military was “vigorously” targeting Hezbollah and the group vowing to keep responding to “violations”. Israel’s military has carried out repeated strikes... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351506/lebanon-reports-bloodiest-day-ceasefire-israel-targets-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351506/lebanon-reports-bloodiest-day-ceasefire-israel-targets-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:32:11 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Watch a cheap commercial drone destroy a battle tank on the frontlines in Ukraine, or a cut-price Iranian Shahed menace Tel Aviv, then ask yourself why Southeast Asia’s defence ministries are suddenly very interested in unmanned aerial vehicles. The answer was on full display last week at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, where vendors from Abu Dhabi to Pretoria were chasing deals in one of the global arms trade’s hottest emerging markets. “There is huge demand from the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351322/malaysias-arms-bazaar-drone-dealers-chase-southeast-asian-market-share?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351322/malaysias-arms-bazaar-drone-dealers-chase-southeast-asian-market-share?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau For six months, Adriana Lim Escano’s teenage son went to school and said nothing. He had tried to do the right thing – stepping in when a group of boys bullied a classmate – and paid for it with half a year of misery, name-calling and social isolation. His mother only found out when another parent called to say her son had voiced suicidal thoughts to a friend. The school’s response, when it finally came, was a talking-to from the discipline committee. No suspensions. No meaningful... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351336/singapores-answer-school-bullying-cane-and-counselling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351336/singapores-answer-school-bullying-cane-and-counselling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings After an hour’s drive through the jungle of Borneo, you reach more jungle. Your rental van from the Balikpapan city airport shakes precariously, navigating a partial bridge washout. A roadside sign admonishes against poaching the endangered sun bears. By hour three you’ve arrived at Indonesia’s new capital, which is due to start taking over from gridlocked, polluted and seaward-sinking Jakarta in 2028. Welcome to Ibu Kota Nusantara, known locally as just Nusantara or IKN. Eventually, if all goes... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350981/muddy-yet-clear-cut-how-chinese-investors-are-turning-jungle-indonesias-new-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350981/muddy-yet-clear-cut-how-chinese-investors-are-turning-jungle-indonesias-new-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar The plastic bag is an unlikely symbol of economic frailty. But in Indonesia, the soaring cost of that humble everyday item is raising uncomfortable questions about the country’s future growth prospects. At a market in Depok, south of Jakarta, the plastic bags Budi needs to sell his chicken have nearly doubled in price. “Plastic is really expensive right now,” he said in an interview on April 17. “Usually, I’d have to set aside at least 10,000 rupiah (58 US cents) for plastic bags, but now, I... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351248/mixed-bag-indonesias-8-growth-dream-hits-plastic-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351248/mixed-bag-indonesias-8-growth-dream-hits-plastic-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:14 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Faced with US-China rivalry and an uncertain future even beyond Donald Trump’s presidency, middle powers are building fluid coalitions and partnerships to hedge against American and wider unpredictability, according to a leading Southeast Asian affairs scholar. Traditional US allies are asserting greater autonomy and forming their own networks to hedge against risks – a shift that is creating openings for smaller neutral states to further diversify their partnerships, while mitigating the danger... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351311/why-future-fluid-middle-powers-sea-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351311/why-future-fluid-middle-powers-sea-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:00:09 +0000