An explosion at a public market in the southern Philippines wounded at least seven people early on Saturday, the fourth blast in that area in 13 months, the military said.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but a militant group operating in the mostly Christian city of Isulan in the province of Sultan Kudarat was among the suspects, the military said.The latest blast comes at a time of heightened tensions in the volatile southern Philippines after three incidents in…
Indonesia’s Yogyakarta targets Chinese students and tourists in bid to become another Bali
Yogyakarta contains multitudes. The Indonesian city is a tumult of culture shot through with rich veins of history – it’s still ruled by a functional monarchy; it has been home to storied, spectacular Buddhist and Hindu holy sites for well over a millennium; and is internationally renowned for everything from literature to silversmithing.All the same, the city is now better known for being an education hub. Besides its four state universities, Yogyakarta is home to more than a dozen private…
Asia’s beaches go quiet as China’s economy slows and tourists stay at home
From quiet beaches in Bali to empty rooms in Hanoi’s hotels, pangs from China’s economic malaise and weakening yuan are being felt across Southeast Asia’s vacation belt.A boom in Chinese outbound travel in recent years that stoked tourism across Southeast Asia is now in reverse gear. The abrupt decline of Chinese travellers is becoming a painful lesson for nations such as Thailand and Indonesia that had become overly dependent on Asia’s top economy.“The slump in Chinese arrivals and tourism…
Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe dies in Singapore hospital aged 95
Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe, has died in a Singapore hospital where he had been receiving treatment since earlier this year. He was 95.His health has been the subject of increased speculation in recent years and authorities in March arrested two journalists over a report alleging that he was “in bad shape”.It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe (1/2)— President of Zimbabwe (…
Jokowi tells ministers to take advantage of US-China trade war, as investors bypass Indonesia
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has demanded that his cabinet ministers serve foreign investors better, after research by the World Bank revealed Chinese companies choosing to relocate operations to Southeast Asia had bypassed Indonesia in favour of Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, was calm but forceful when he spoke at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, looking intently at the ministers as he underlined how Indonesia had been slow to take advantage of…
Grab and Gojek vie for Southeast Asia’s booming food delivery market
Nanik Soelistiowati, the owner of a banana fritter stall in West Jakarta, is the unlikely prize in a battle between two of the most valuable technology start-ups in Asia.The 64-year-old woman signed up for Gojek’s new food delivery service in 2015 after hearing about it from her children. Delivery motorbikes slalomed through traffic jams to deliver her delicious snack, which uses honey for a caramelised flavour, to all parts of congestion-choked Jakarta. Sales took off.Then in 2017, rival Grab…
Malaysian court set up to curb human trafficking criticised for low conviction rate
A Malaysian court that promised justice for victims of human trafficking made eight convictions in its first year despite the launch of hundreds of investigations in recent years, data obtained exclusively revealed.Malaysia is a magnet for traffickers due to its heavy reliance on foreign workers, many lured from nearby Indonesia and Bangladesh with promises of honest work but ending up trapped in unpaid labour, debt and facing exploitation.Malaysia is home to an estimated 212,000 of about 40…
1MDB scandal: Jho Low promised Najib Razak’s aides ‘boss will take care’ if they opened foreign bank accounts, court hears
“Boss will take care”. These were the exact words used by fugitive financier Jho Low to convince two of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak’s aides to open bank accounts in foreign countries.The accounts with BSI Bank in Singapore that he asked them to open were meant to be “standby accounts” for Najib’s political funds for the 13th General Election, the High Court heard on Wednesday.In 2012, Low sent Najib’s former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin and the late Azlin Alias, who…
The Philippines has a plastic pollution crisis on its hands and poverty makes it even worse
Armed with gloves, rubber boots and a rake, “Mangrove Warrior” Willer Gualva, 68, comes to Freedom Island in the Philippines almost every day to stop it being engulfed by trash.No one lives on the island, yet each morning its shores are covered in garbage, much of it single-use sachets of shampoo, toothpaste, detergent and coffee that are carried out to sea by the rivers of overcrowded Manila.“We collect mostly plastics here and the number one type are sachets,” said Gualva, one of 17 people…
Singapore will not escape economic impact if Hong Kong unrest persists, trade minister Chan Chun Sing says
Prolonged disruption to Hong Kong’s stability will have a “negative spillover impact” on Singapore and the wider region, the Southeast Asian city state’s trade minister warned on Monday.Chan Chun Sing said close trade and investment ties between the two cities meant Singapore would likely be impacted by the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.The southern Chinese city was Singapore’s fifth largest trading partner last year, Chan said, and its fourth largest investment destination at the end…