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Indonesia

Latest news, in-depth features and opinion from Indonesia.

Capital

Jakarta

Head of State

President Prabowo Subianto

Head of Government

President Prabowo Subianto

Trade

Indonesia’s economy slows as US tariffs, fiscal strains challenge Prabowo’s goal

Analysts expressed concerns that fiscal pressures, weak consumer spending, and the impact of US tariffs could worsen Indonesia’s economic outlook.

4 hours agovideocam

Hong Kong economy

Trump’s tariff chaos: top Hong Kong bra maker presses on to beat 90-day pause

7 May 2025 - 10:17AM

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong ranks 37th overall for journalists’ safety in new global index

6 hours ago

South China Sea

Opinion | To Lam – the pragmatic leader putting Vietnam on the geostrategic map

Little is known about Lam’s rise but he is already proving a deft diplomat and guardian of his country’s interest.

6 May 2025 - 8:49PMvideocam

To Lam has proved to be adept at balancing his country’s interests and ties with rival superpowers. Photo: EPA-EFE

2 children among dead in Indonesia bus crash after apparent brake failure

The bus sped out of control on a downhill road and overturned after the brakes apparently malfunctioned in Indonesia’s West Sumatra province.

6 May 2025 - 5:42PM

South China Sea

Will Vietnam’s protest over Sandy Cay escalate South China Sea tensions?

Vietnam has urged China and the Philippines to ‘refrain from actions’ and respect its sovereignty over the archipelago.

6 May 2025 - 3:34PMvideocam

Transport and logistics

Indonesians criticise public transport mandate for Jakarta’s civil servants

The civil servants have to take public transport every Wednesday in the capital, which is ranked the world’s seventh most congested city.

5 May 2025 - 7:50PMvideocam

Jakarta’s authorities have ordered civil servants to take public transport on Wednesdays in a bid to reduce the city’s traffic congestion. Photo: AFP

Electric & new energy vehicles

How ‘preman’ gangsters hold Indonesia’s EV revolution hostage

From China’s BYD to Vietnam’s VinFast, foreign EV investors in Indonesia are reportedly facing disruption from shadowy local enforcers.

5 May 2025 - 8:20AM

Luxury travel

Review | Anantara Ubud Bali Resort, where you’ll find total tranquillity, not overtourism

Opened late last year, this new addition to Bali’s hospitality scene allows visitors to discover an authentic side of a destination in a respectful manner.

6 May 2025 - 4:13PM

Thailand

Asian Angle | Trump’s tariffs: can Thailand escape the US trade trap after 90 days?

Thailand is seeking to boost imports from the US to address the challenges of Trump’s tariffs, but this is unlikely to improve its economic position.

4 May 2025 - 10:00AMvideocam

Cargo ships are loaded with containers at a port in Thailand last month. Photo: Reuters

Climate change

Indonesian clove farmers’ hopes wither as climate change hits hard

Erratic rainfall is affecting yields as flowers can be harvested only in a small window that depends heavily on the weather.

4 May 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

A worker holds a handful of clove pods at a spice sorting shop in Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: AFP

Trade

Trump’s tariffs drive Chinese solar firms to Indonesia after Southeast Asia levies

Indonesia is now appealing to companies seeking to relocate operations due to high US tariffs on Chinese solar firms in Southeast Asia.

2 May 2025 - 7:44PMvideocam

Donald Trump

Indonesian students in US fear immigration crackdown over political views

Concerns have heightened after an Indonesian student had his US visa revoked and was allegedly detained over his political activism.

2 May 2025 - 5:00PMvideocam

Food and agriculture

Indonesia’s food estate push targets self-sufficiency, but Papua concerns grow

Indonesia’s food self-sufficiency drive, spearheaded by President Prabowo Subianto, has raised environmental and Indigenous rights concerns.

2 May 2025 - 12:30PMvideocam

Workers operate a combine harvester in Merauke, South Papua, as part of Indonesia’s Food Estate Programme. Photo: AFP

Crime

Indonesian city considers China-style boot camps to curb youth crime surge

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi proposed the idea in response to a recent increase in youth crimes, such as drug use and violence, in Depok city.

1 May 2025 - 8:09PM

A sunny street view with large “Depok” city sign on the roadside.
The Indonesian city has seen a recent increase in youth crimes, such as drug use and violence. Photo: Shutterstock

Banking & finance

BlackRock-backed Suez taps HSBC to review China assets

A transaction could value the China water business at more than US$1 billion, sources say.

1 May 2025 - 2:00PM

Asia travel

Bali renews rabies warnings for tourists visiting monkey parks

Despite there being no cases of visitors contracting rabies from monkeys at the parks, officials still advise caution against getting close.

29 Apr 2025 - 9:18PM

Food and agriculture

Indonesia’s free meal scheme faces calls for stronger food safety standards

Several food poisoning incidents have led to calls for food suppliers involved in the free meals programme to undergo proper training.

29 Apr 2025 - 6:58PMvideocam

A free meal provided at a school in Depok, West Java under the Indonesian government’s free nutritious meal programme. Photo: EPA-EFE

Diplomacy

Opinion | As Trump rides roughshod over trade, China is ready to pick up the pieces

China’s message of stable cooperation is resonating as Trump accelerates the birth of a post-US world with rising powers independent of US whims.

28 Apr 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Opinion | Time for China to align with nations like it’s 1955

The need to unite for fairer international relations has not dissipated. The spirit of the Bandung Conference is a credible counter to ‘America first’.

27 Apr 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | Asean must see US tariff pause for what it is – a trade hostage crisis

By pausing tariffs instead of repealing them, Trump creates the illusion of flexibility while retaining coercive leverage.

27 Apr 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump speaks as Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth look on during a cabinet meeting at the White House on April 10 in Washington. Photo: AFP

Pakistan

Pakistan’s mining push: a chance to equal Indonesia’s nickel success?

A landmark deal unlocking vast copper and gold reserves has Pakistan eyeing a transformative economic shift.

26 Apr 2025 - 10:02PM

Copper smelting at an underground copper mine. Pakistan’s Reko Diq project is expected to yield 13.1 million tonnes of copper over its 37-year lifespan. Photo: AFP

Architecture and design

I started a sustainable furniture brand in Hong Kong. Here’s what I learned

In 2014, interior architect Caroline Olah founded her furniture brand with a commitment to responsible design. She recounts what happened when she saw the wood – not just the trees.

26 Apr 2025 - 6:00PM

US-China trade war

Crunch time for China’s solar panels as Trump’s 3,521% tariffs loom

Chinese firms have been exporting from offshore factories to beat US tariffs for a decade, and Washington is determined to shut the loophole.

27 Apr 2025 - 9:43AMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysians poor? ‘We have free healthcare, grandpa,’ they tell Bill O’Reilly

The US political commentator drew the ire of Malaysians by suggesting they were too poor to buy a hat or afford a proper meal.

25 Apr 2025 - 5:17PM

Bill O’Reilly hosts the No Spin News channel on YouTube. Photo: Instagram/Bill O’Reilly

Electric & new energy vehicles

Indonesia stays committed to EV battery hub goal despite LG’s ‘significant’ exit

China-backed Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt will replace LG Energy Solution, which pulled out due to ‘market conditions’, in a mega EV project.

25 Apr 2025 - 7:28PM

An electric car at an Indonesian auto show in 2023. Indonesia will keep its plan to build its electric vehicle battery supply chain despite LG’s exit from a mega project. Photo: EPA-EFE

Video gaming

Indonesian indie game Afterlove EP tells a moving story of grief and music

The final work of Coffee Talk and What Comes After game designer Mohammad Fahmi covers grief, new beginnings and the power of music.

24 Apr 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

The Philippines

Despite Trump’s tariffs, Philippines ‘strategically positioned to benefit’

The study found that low tariffs and exemptions may boost trade opportunities despite the Philippines’ infrastructure challenges.

24 Apr 2025 - 8:21PMvideocam

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