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Indonesia
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Indonesia

Indonesia
Indonesia
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion from Indonesia.
Capital
Jakarta
Head of State
President Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto
Head of Government
President Prabowo Subianto
Prabowo Subianto
Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (left) and son Prince Abdul Mateen arrive for the Asean Summit welcome ceremony in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8. Photo: EPA
South China Sea

Why Brunei prefers ‘quiet diplomacy’ over confrontation in South China Sea

As a nation with a small military, Brunei would rather work with Beijing in safe zones such as peacekeeping than butt heads, analysts say.

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Singapore

Indonesian arrested in Singapore over fake banknotes was victim of fraud: lawyer

Malaysia

As Malaysia bets big on a concert boom, where are the local acts?

Climate change

Indonesia breathing issues spike to over 170,000 cases amid wildfire haze

As blazes blanket some areas and neighbouring nations in toxic smog, oxygen canisters have been given out. Over 40,000 toddlers are affected.

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Firefighters in Indonesia extinguish fires in Banjar, South Kalimantan, on Monday. Photo: AFP
Energy

Indonesia to continue buying Russian oil despite ‘real risk’ of US penalties

Analysts say Jakarta made the ‘right decision’ for the country’s energy security but urge dialogue with Washington to maintain transparency.

Global South

Can Indonesia speak for the Global South in its UN Security Council bid?

Jakarta wants a fifth term on the council, but faces accusations of hypocrisy and being a ‘fence-sitter’, analysts say.

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SCMP Highlights

South Korean killer’s escape foiled, Duterte trial looms: 7 Asia highlights

From Singaporean minister’s Mandarin diplomacy to Indonesia’s Whoosh debt burden, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

A person dangles from a drone in this still from footage obtained by Korean broadcaster JTBC allegedly showing a practice run for Park Wang-yeol’s escape. Photo: YouTube/JTBC_News
Canada

Southeast Asia supports multilateralism, wary of US or China leadership: survey

A recent Rockefeller Foundation survey shows strong regional belief in global cooperation and a reluctance to accept superpower dominance.

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Australia

Named as an enemy: Indonesia’s uneasy Aukus moment

Aukus inquiry testimony in Australia cast Indonesia as a foe in a hypothetical war, reviving old suspicions.

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Malaysia

Malaysia deploys air force aircraft for cloud seeding to combat worsening haze

An Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft will be used as the main asset for the cloud seeding operations.

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Malaysia’s prime minister’s office in Putrajaya is partially obscured by haze on Thursday. Photo: AP
Vladimir Putin

Opinion | Why the Global South keeps its doors wide open to Russia

Far from being isolated, Moscow’s relationships across the non-Western world are a geopolitical constant the West cannot break.

Russian President Vladimir Putin waves while boarding a plane upon his departure from India on September 13. Photo: Kremlin/Sputnik/EPA
Defence

Pride or practicality? Indonesia welcomes first aircraft carrier

Jakarta has approved US$450 million for the aircraft carrier programme but some lawmakers warn the final bill could be higher.

Mainland China

Video | Chinese national arrested for allegedly killing sea turtle

The viral video showed a diver hunting an endangered hawksbill sea turtle in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat islands.

Malaysia

Malaysian woman scuba diving in Bali dies after being swept away by currents

Siti Nuraini was on a diving trip with several others when the incident occurred at Crystal Bay.

The incident has reignited concerns about safety at Indonesian tourist sites. Photo: Ullstein Bild via Getty Images
Marine safety

Indonesia faces reckoning over maritime safety after deadly ferry disaster

Experts say poor enforcement and inadequate supervision continue to leave passengers vulnerable, amid a rise in maritime incidents.

A video image released by Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows the bottom of passenger ferry Virgo Transport 8 is seen above the water after it overturned in bad weather in the Java Sea on Sunday. Photo: BASARNAS via AP
Environment

Indonesia’s Prabowo mulls labelling wildfires as ‘ecological terrorism’

Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with the hazardous haze also affecting neighbours Singapore and Malaysia.

South China Sea

‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’: why Japan’s Natuna port plan raises alarm in China

Tokyo offers port upgrades to boost maritime security, but analysts say Jakarta is being pragmatic, not taking sides against Beijing.

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Environment

‘My eyes sting, my head hurts’: health crisis grips Indonesians enduring haze

‘While working, my chest feels tight, my head dizzy, my eyes burning. Even with this unhealthy air, we still must work,’ a resident says.

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People travel on a river boat as haze from forest fires blankets Benua Melayu Darat village in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
John Lee policy address 2026

Hong Kong launching pilot scheme to bring in foreign carers for the elderly

Chief Executive John Lee says in policy address that the government will admit carers under a scheme modelled on domestic helper regime.

Environment

How wildfires are threatening Indonesia’s economy and carbon market

Total economic and health costs from January to August as a result of the haze could reach US$6.9 billion, analysts warn.

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India

‘Growing stronger’: India and Russia push to expand defence ties

Analysts say offers of Su-57 stealth jet tech and BrahMos upgrades signal an exit from simple buyer-seller deals.

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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Brics summit in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: Kremlin/dpa
Singapore

Singapore ministers earn millions. What do other Asian leaders make?

Political pay structures elsewhere in Asia are shaped by factors including bureaucratic hierarchy, austerity and symbolic restraint.

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Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s annual pay benchmark will rise to S$3.6 million (US$2.83 million) on October 15. Photo: Reuters
Asean

Opinion | As the global order fragments, at least Asean is still talking

A modest lesson in a multipolar world is that sometimes the achievement is simply that disagreement does not end the conversation.

Mainland China

Who will shoulder the debts behind Indonesia’s China-backed Whoosh railway?

Jakarta plans to transfer the US$56.5 million annual debt into state accounts as critics warn taxpayers will subsidise the losses.

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Prabowo Subianto

Indonesian finance minister notified of his firing in mid-meeting call

Purbaya ⁠Yudhi Sadewa said he was ‘upset’ over losing the top finance job, a move that also surprised markets.

Purbaya ⁠Yudhi Sadewa, who was sacked as Indonesia’s finance minister, addresses the media in Jakarta on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
SCMP Highlights

Thais stage rare Israel protest; India-Pakistan water row: 7 Asia highlights

From Thai PM Anutin’s US$90,000 amulet to the Philippines’ big bet on railways, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Protesters holding signs attend a rally demanding an end to alleged land-grabbing by foreigners in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo: AP
Climate change

Video | Indonesian volunteers deliver oxygen tanks as wildfire haze worsens

Sri Mulyani delivers oxygen tanks door-to-door to residents and firefighters suffering from breathing difficulties as wildfire haze worsens in the region.

Singapore

Toxic haze shrouds Singapore as air quality hits unhealthy levels

The financial hub’s air currently ranks among the 10 most polluted cities in the world, according to IQAir data.

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