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 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 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A suspected Chinese underwater drone hauled out of Indonesian waters this month has sharpened global focus on a security race that analysts say has been years in the making across South and Southeast Asia: undersea surveillance. The torpedo-shaped device was found near the Lombok Strait, one of the few deepwater channels through which submarines can transit submerged between the Pacific and Indian oceans and a passage closely watched by the United States and Australia. Beijing said it did not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351348/chinese-drone-discovery-sharpens-focus-asias-undersea-security-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351348/chinese-drone-discovery-sharpens-focus-asias-undersea-security-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:27:31 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn Indonesia’s blasphemy law has once again come under scrutiny after former vice-president Jusuf Kalla was reported to police over remarks linking past Muslim-Christian conflicts to beliefs about martyrdom. The case is unusual because it involves Christian complainants against one of the most senior Muslim figures in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and reflects what critics have long called the law’s central flaw: its susceptibility to politicised use. Kalla, a career politician... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351325/indonesias-blasphemy-law-religious-protection-or-political-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351325/indonesias-blasphemy-law-religious-protection-or-political-purpose?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:54:11 +0000 CNA CNA Although he was already married, a man began dating a domestic helper he was introduced to and later got married to her in Batam, Indonesia. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) caught wind of the bigamy and flagged the case to the police, who arrested both the man and the woman. Low Kok Peng, a 61-year-old Singaporean man, was sentenced to two months’ jail on Friday. He pleaded guilty to one charge of bigamy under the Women’s Charter. His co-accused, 50-year-old Indonesian woman Komariah, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351278/married-singaporean-man-jailed-bigamy-after-secret-indonesian-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351278/married-singaporean-man-jailed-bigamy-after-secret-indonesian-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:45:07 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele US interceptions of Iranian-linked tankers in Asian waters suggest Washington’s maritime pressure campaign may be spreading eastward, raising new risks for Southeast Asian states overseeing crucial sea lanes. Analysts said that although Southeast Asian nations were not parties to the war, countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore were not insulated from rising US-Iran maritime tensions. For these states, the bigger risk may not be a Gulf conflict spilling directly into their waters,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351281/why-us-interception-iran-tankers-asian-waters-pose-new-risk-asean-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351281/why-us-interception-iran-tankers-asian-waters-pose-new-risk-asean-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:10:33 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond 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. Trump extends Iran ceasefire, claims interception of ‘gift from China’ US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute extension of the ceasefire with Iran following a request from Pakistan’s top leadership, even as he appeared to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351072/trump-extends-iran-ceasefire-hong-kong-actress-second-cancer-shock-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3351072/trump-extends-iran-ceasefire-hong-kong-actress-second-cancer-shock-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:30:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesia’s top diplomat said the country will not pursue tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Malacca, seeking to calm concerns after its finance minister raised the idea this week. “As a trading nation, Indonesia supports freedom of navigation and expects open sea lanes,” Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Thursday in Jakarta. “So Indonesia is not in a position to impose such charges – that would not be appropriate.” Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Wednesday questioned whether... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351233/indonesia-rules-out-collecting-transit-fees-ships-malacca-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351233/indonesia-rules-out-collecting-transit-fees-ships-malacca-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:30:13 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen US confrontations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz point to future American attempts to contain China via maritime chokepoints, a Chinese policy adviser has warned, suggesting that Beijing boost its naval presence in the region. In a policy recommendation addressed to Beijing, Gu Dingguo, an East China Normal University research fellow in neighbourhood diplomacy and security, said the Iran war reflected Washington’s greater emphasis on implementing its maritime security strategy. “By... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351104/undeniable-reality-why-china-should-be-wary-us-focus-global-maritime-chokepoints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351104/undeniable-reality-why-china-should-be-wary-us-focus-global-maritime-chokepoints?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Health authorities will provide free measles vaccinations to Hong Kong airport workers from Friday, following the detection of three cases among aircraft maintenance staff. The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) warned on Thursday of the “relatively high” risk of measles transmission at the aviation hub, citing the high volume of travellers passing through there and the sizeable proportion of non-local-born workers who might not have received measles jabs in childhood. “In order to prevent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351189/hong-kong-airport-staff-offered-free-measles-jabs-bid-prevent-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351189/hong-kong-airport-staff-offered-free-measles-jabs-bid-prevent-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:52:14 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s new front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme has been welcomed by health advocates as a long-overdue measure to tackle excessive sugar, salt and fat intake. But experts said the labels were only a first step and would do little on their own to slow Indonesia’s growing burden of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other diet-related diseases. A decree issued by the health ministry on April 14 requires ready-to-eat food and drink products to carry nutrition labels and health messages... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3351170/indonesias-new-food-labels-are-long-overdue-can-they-help-fight-rising-obesity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3351170/indonesias-new-food-labels-are-long-overdue-can-they-help-fight-rising-obesity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:40:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Turkish lawmakers passed a bill late on Wednesday that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, state media reported. The legislation is the latest in a global trend to protect young people from dangerous online activity. Its passage comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, in a gun attack. Police are investigating the online activity of the perpetrator, who also died, in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351147/turkey-passes-bill-restrict-social-media-access-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351147/turkey-passes-bill-restrict-social-media-access-under-15s?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:59:42 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The Iran war has done in two months what years of climate policy could not: make green hydrogen look economically viable. Soaring oil and gas prices since February’s outbreak of hostilities have narrowed the cost gap between the zero-emission fuel and its fossil rivals, paving the way for wider uptake across Asia. The eight-week US-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) complex have sent Asian fuel... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351139/iran-war-makes-green-hydrogen-viable-asia-fossil-fuel-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351139/iran-war-makes-green-hydrogen-viable-asia-fossil-fuel-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:33:00 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Mainland China’s population of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) – those with assets exceeding US$30 million – has grown by 23 per cent over the past five years to 121,677, and is projected to expand a further 18.8 per cent to 144,602 by 2031, according to Knight Frank. Despite that growth, China’s share of global UHNWIs edged down by one percentage point to 17 per cent this year and was expected to fall further to 15 per cent by 2031, as rapid wealth creation in the United States... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3351114/mainland-chinas-ultra-wealthy-numbers-rise-hong-kong-tipped-faster-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3351114/mainland-chinas-ultra-wealthy-numbers-rise-hong-kong-tipped-faster-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:00:03 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asia is entering a dangerous summer for food production as scientists warn of a “super El Nino” suppressing rainfall while the war on Iran drives up energy and fertiliser costs for farmers. India’s Meteorological Department has forecast a below-average monsoon, after two successive years of above-normal rains, while in Australia – a major wheat producer and exporter – a shortage of farm inputs and persistent dryness has reportedly pushed planting acreage to a seven-year low. Farmers across South... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350988/asia-braces-food-shortages-super-el-nino-iran-war-effects-collide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350988/asia-braces-food-shortages-super-el-nino-iran-war-effects-collide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:38 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit Japan on Monday has renewed worries on Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali, which sits on the same Pacific Ring of Fire. Hours after the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special advisory warning of a slightly elevated risk of a temblor with a magnitude of 8 or stronger in the coming days. It said there was a 1 per cent chance of a megaquake, compared with 0.1 per cent at other times. Monday’s temblor came just days after the Bali Meteorology,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350994/why-japans-earthquake-has-bali-edge-over-magnitude-9-megathrust-risk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350994/why-japans-earthquake-has-bali-edge-over-magnitude-9-megathrust-risk?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:15:53 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The geopolitical fallout from the Strait of Hormuz chokehold in the Middle East is just a “dry run”, with the Pacific being where the real action will occur if superpowers were to clash, Singapore’s top diplomat has warned. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also revealed on Wednesday that Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia shared an interest in keeping the Strait of Malacca open, even under the spectre of tolls being imposed on the strategic Southeast Asian waterway. His stance however... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350983/singapores-balakrishnan-warns-hormuz-just-dry-run-if-us-china-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350983/singapores-balakrishnan-warns-hormuz-just-dry-run-if-us-china-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:45:45 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s decision to raise prices for some non-subsidised fuel products could push more households towards subsidised grades, economists have warned, raising the risk of tighter supplies and piling pressure on a state budget already straining to contain politically sensitive energy costs. State-owned energy company Pertamina’s move highlights Jakarta’s challenge in aligning fuel costs with global markets while insulating lower-income households from rising prices. By allowing the price of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350903/rising-fuel-costs-indonesia-spark-concern-about-tighter-supplies-subsidy-strain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350903/rising-fuel-costs-indonesia-spark-concern-about-tighter-supplies-subsidy-strain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:27 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Edith Lin Matthew Cheng,Edith Lin A former director of Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) in Jakarta and Bangkok is standing in the United Kingdom local elections for the right-wing Reform UK party. Lee Sheung-yuen, who left government in 2023 after serving as the first director of the Bangkok ETO and concurrently served as director general of its Jakarta office, is now contesting a seat on Ealing Council in London. He also previously served as the government’s assistant commissioner for tourism and as administrative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3350924/former-hong-kong-trade-office-chief-contesting-uk-local-elections-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3350924/former-hong-kong-trade-office-chief-contesting-uk-local-elections-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:05:40 +0000