12 h. ago From pledges to policy: Indonesia’s Prabowo marks 1 year in office

As Prabowo Subianto marks his first year as Indonesia’s president, the former general is grappling with the challenge of turning his populist campaign promises into lasting policy. While early initiatives such as free meals for children have drawn praise, concerns over civil liberties, economic sluggishness and foreign policy decisions threaten to overshadow his administration’s achievements. Prabowo, who was sworn in on October 20 last year, campaigned on a platform of ambitious social...

Events

6 d. ago ‘This is China versus the world’: US calls allies over Beijing rare earth curbs

US President Donald Trump’s administration vowed on Wednesday to work with its allies and other countries to get an upper hand in its trade talks with China, claiming Beijing’s recent rare earth control as a sign of being an “unreliable partner” that threatens global supply chains. The remarks marked the latest in a series of threatened countermeasures, as Trump officials have previously announced 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods from November 1 and also struck back on such targets like...

Politics

6 d. ago Will Indonesia’s plan to join Brics bank lead to heavier debt burden?

Indonesia’s plan to join the Brics-led New Development Bank (NDB) and fulfil a payment requirement for membership has spurred a debate on whether the move is feasible given the country’s strained finances to fund President Prabowo Subianto’s priority projects. Earlier this year, Prabowo announced that Indonesia was planning to join the NDB “to boost the national development transformation” after he met the bank’s chairwoman, Dilma Rousseff, in Jakarta. “The Indonesian government has decided to...

Economics

7 d. ago ‘Can I meet Eric?’: Prabowo’s hot mic moment amplifies private

The viral hot-mic moment in which Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was heard asking US President Donald Trump if he could meet his son Eric shortly after the Gaza ceasefire summit in Egypt has raised questions about Jakarta’s neutrality and its ties to the Trump family business. The offhand exchange has also sparked scrutiny of Prabowo’s diplomatic judgment and stirred debate about whether his Gaza diplomacy reflects national strategy or personal ambition. The brief conversation between the...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s fourth plenum poised for highest Central Committee turnover in 8 years

The fourth plenum of China’s ruling Communist Party taking place this month will be closely watched for potential reshuffles, with at least nine members of its top policymaking Central Committee set to be replaced. These changes are expected either due to ongoing corruption investigations or because some officials have passed away, marking a new high in turnover since 2017. The fourth plenum is one of seven typically held during each five-year term of the Central Committee. The coming edition is...

Politics

2 w. ago As fourth plenum looms, China braces for a major Central Committee shakeup

The fourth plenum of China’s ruling Communist Party taking place this month will be closely watched for potential reshuffles, with at least nine members of its top policymaking Central Committee set to be replaced. These changes are expected either due to ongoing corruption investigations or because some officials have passed away, marking a new high in turnover since 2017. The fourth plenum is one of seven typically held during each five-year term of the Central Committee. The coming edition is...

Politics

2 w. ago As fourth plenum looms, China braces for a major Central Committee shake

The fourth plenum of China’s ruling Communist Party taking place this month will be closely watched for potential reshuffles, with at least nine members of its top policymaking Central Committee set to be replaced. These changes are expected either due to ongoing corruption investigations or because some officials have passed away, marking a new high in turnover since 2017. The fourth plenum is one of seven typically held during each five-year term of the Central Committee. The coming edition...

Politics

2 w. ago Indonesia’s grand capital plan gets a downgrade as Nusantara is redefined

Six years after Nusantara was unveiled as Indonesia’s future capital and a symbol of national transformation, President Prabowo Subianto has redefined its purpose, prompting debate over the fate of the megaproject and the legacy of his predecessor. Under a presidential regulation Prabowo signed in late June, but made public only in September, Nusantara has been reclassified as Indonesia’s “political capital” – a phrase absent from existing legislation. The regulation, which outlines development...

Politics

3 w. ago GlobalFoundries opens Beijing office, doubles down on localizing production for China market

GlobalFoundries opens Beijing office, doubles down on localizing production for China market  DIGITIMES Asia

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Very tough’: why Japan’s love affair with US travel is fading

Japanese tourism to the United States is facing major headwinds – from a weak yen and safety concerns to dwindling interest among younger travellers – with the sparse American turnout at Japan’s biggest travel fair this year offering a glimpse of the market’s fragility. Analysts and tourism officials say the slowdown points to deeper structural shifts in Japan’s outbound travel patterns, though some US states are reporting modest gains and looking to high-profile events and celebrity appeal to...

Politics

3 w. ago Indonesia restores CNN reporter’s access, revoked after free meal question

The office of Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto on Monday restored access for a CNN Indonesia journalist, Diana Valencia. It had earlier revoked Valencia’s pass after she had asked the leader about a troubled free meal programme, sparking concerns about press freedom. CNN Indonesia editor-in-chief Titin Rosmasari met the Indonesian palace and confirmed Valencia’s access had been restored, CNN Indonesia reported. The palace had apologised for the revocation and said it would not be repeated,...

Politics

3 w. ago China's central bank pledges to step up policy support for growth

China's central bank pledges to step up policy support for growth  Reuters

Events

3 w. ago Indonesia’s free meals scheme under fire again over food poisoning cases

Calls for a temporary halt in President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals programme across Indonesia continue to mount after more than 1,300 students recently fell ill from consuming food distributed under the initiative. Officials have pledged to strengthen oversight but maintain that the programme – designed to combat child stunting and improve nutrition among vulnerable groups – will continue. Analysts and civil society groups warn that the government’s push to expand the programme...

Events

3 w. ago Hong Kong home prices rise slightly while rents near historic peak

Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices rose by 0.14 per cent in August, according to the latest official data, suggesting a gradual recovery in the city’s struggling residential property market. An official index measuring price movement among the city’s second-hand homes made a modest gain for the fifth straight month, narrowing this year’s price decline to 0.24 per cent, according to data from the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) released on Friday. Since April, Hong Kong’s home prices have...

Society

3 w. ago What Prabowo’s ‘bold’ UN speech means for Indonesia’s stance on Israel

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to send tens of thousands of peacekeepers to conflict zones and said the country could recognise Israel, but only if Palestinian statehood is first acknowledged. The idea of conditional recognition for Israel drew sharp reactions at home, with critics accusing Prabowo of undermining Indonesia’s pro-Palestinian stance, while others saw the shift as a calculated diplomatic overture aimed at boosting Jakarta’s standing on the world stage. In the...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong’s office market picks up amid IPO boom, demand from Chinese law firms

Hong Kong’s office segment is picking up due to leasing demand from mainland Chinese law firms and financial groups, supported by a buoyant stock market that has seen an increasing number of companies launch initial public offerings (IPOs) in the city. Office-leasing activity in August grew for a fifth straight month, with tenants absorbing 313,800 sq ft of net space, according to data compiled by JLL. The overall vacancy rate in the city increased 0.1 per cent to 13.5 per cent month on month in...

Economics

4 w. ago China’s rare earth magnet exports to the US decline amid trade war uncertainty

China’s exports of rare earth permanent magnets to the United States fell in August despite total shipments rising on the back of quicker approvals from Beijing. China shipped 6,146 tonnes of permanent magnets last month, up 10.2 per cent month on month and 15.4 per cent year on year, according to official customs data. That marked the highest monthly total since January, when exports reached 6,357 tonnes. The US, China’s second-largest buyer, imported 590 tonnes in August, down 5 per cent from...

Events