Indonesia
China issues $50bn warning to Indonesia, slamming nickel production cuts
China has issued a multi-billion-dollar warning to the Indonesian government amidst the economic escalation across the global electric vehicle supply chain
Illicit gold networks fuelling conflict, organised crime across Africa and global south, GI-TOC warns
Illicit gold has become a critical source of financing for organised crime, armed groups and sanctioned regimes across Africa, a Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime report finds.
Indonesian rupiah back under the IDR18,000 per dollar threshold
After collapsing to its weakest historical evaluation of IDR18,190 per US dollar on the morning of June 8, a powerful wave of institutional dollar-selling triggered a massive short squeeze on speculative positions.
Indonesian navy seizes trillions in rare earth cargo off Batam
Following the seizure, military and energy ministry scientists launched an emergency chemical audit of the seized containers.
Philippines quake leaves at least 15 dead and 129 injured
Several countries across the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, issued tsunami warnings following the quake, although most have since been lifted.
Global funds trigger "Sell Indonesia" shockwave, enforcing 36% IDX composite repricing
Data from the Indonesia Stock Exchange reveals that the Composite Stock Price Index or Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan has plunged more than 36% from its historical peak.
M7.8 Philippines earthquake triggers tsunami warning across Asia
The tremor struck at 7:37 am at a depth of 33 km, with its epicentre located 32 km south of Maasim.
Indonesian rupiah drops to historic low of IDR18,000 per US dollar
The Indonesian Rupiah has entered highly volatile territory, dropping to its weakest historical valuation on record as the currency broke through its psychological support wall to cross the IDR18,000 per US dollar mark.
South China Sea tensions drive a quiet realignment against Beijing
The Philippines is not alone as other countries bordering the South China Sea are also starting to push back. Surprisingly given shared Communist ideals is Vietnam, which has become one of the region's most active challengers of Chinese claims.
Asia’s EV race speeds up as China’s champions challenge Tesla
As of mid-2026, China remains the centre of gravity in the EV world.
Malaysia enforces under-16 social media ban
Moving to curb digital harms, the federal government, on June 1, officially began enforcing a blanket prohibition barring children under the age of 16 from creating or operating independent social media accounts.
Indonesian employers' association, mining cartels yield to country’s $66bn export monopoly
In a political concession to the state’s economic centralisation agenda, Indonesia’s powerful business consortia have announced their support for President Prabowo Subianto's newly launched export monopoly.
_1780224367.jpg)
Gulf War III squeezes tourism-dependent economies across Southeast Asia
War-driven fuel costs and ceasefire uncertainty are squeezing tourism across Southeast Asia, with Thailand's Middle Eastern arrivals down 57% and airlines raising surcharges sharply.
Indonesia bets on resource nationalism to plug fiscal gaps
Mineral export bans and upcoming windfall taxes have become the country’s overarching strategy - one that is increasingly running up against regulatory bottlenecks, illegal capital leakages, and local governance deficits.
Asia’s coal comeback complicates energy transition across region
Taiwan has struggled to secure LNG supplies through May and finalised contracts covering roughly half of June demand, but additional procurement costs are expected to reach into the billions of US dollars to complete.
SMBC Indonesia offloads $1.13bn pensioner loan portfolio to BTN
In one of the largest domestic banking asset reallocations of the year, PT Bank SMBC Indonesia, recently rebranded to reflect its parent Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, has agreed to sell its pensioner and pre-pensioner retail loan portfolio.
Surprise 50 bps Bank Indonesia hike signals hawkish tilt toward currency defence
The move caught the broader market off guard. A majority of 29 analysts predicted a milder 25 bps increase, while the remaining 13 expected the central bank to maintain its pause.
Indonesia seeks yuan lifeline with Panda bond debut
Once the physical and digital supply of yuan enters Indonesia’s domestic banking ecosystem, the government can make it easier for real-world import-export businesses to bypass the US dollar entirely.
Fuel prices cast a dark shadow over Asia travel season
There will be no real winners in traditional tourism this summer – only airlines, tourist destinations and central banks left counting the cost.
Malaysia shifts from Singapore overflow hub to regional AI data centre powerhouse
The Malaysian data centre landscape is in the middle of a transformation, in which the country tries to evolve from a secondary destination for Singapore’s overflow demand into a regional leader in high-value Artificial Intelligence infrastructure.