Indonesia

Woman recovered after volcanic eruption on remote island, while operation to find two missing Singaporeans goes onRescuers on Saturday recovered the body of an Indonesian woman who was caught in a volcanic eruption on Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s remote island of Halmahera, as search operations continued for the bodies of two Singaporeans, officials said.The dead hikers were among 20 who set out to scale the 1,355m (4,445ft) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early on Friday, spewing a thick ash column about 6 miles (10km) into the air. Continue reading...

• Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs issued a new regulation on May 8, 2026, requiring all large foreign tech platforms to host at least 60% of their AI models serving Indonesian users within the country by end‑2027. • The rule, framed as a national‑security and data‑sovereignty measure, targets companies including Meta, Google, and major Chinese AI firms, mandating local data‑center partnerships and annual compliance audits conducted by the Indonesia Data Center Association. • Jakarta estimates the mandate could attract $4–6 billion in data‑center investment over five years while enforcing stricter content‑moderation standards for localized models.

Two foreigners among the dead, say authorities, after early morning eruption that spewed ash miles into the airThree hikers have died and 10 are missing after an eruption at Mount Dukono on Indonesia’s eastern Halmahera island spewed an ash cloud about 10km (6 miles) into the air, local police have said.“There are three dead, two foreigners and one resident of Ternate [island in east Indonesia],” Erlichson Pasaribu, the police chief of North Halmahera district, told Kompas TV. Continue reading...

• Laos is ramping up regional diplomacy before the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu on May 7-8, with Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane visiting Indonesia for bilateral talks. • Discussions covered trade, investment, tourism, human resource development, and broader ASEAN priorities, including meetings with business groups and the ASEAN Secretariat. • Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will lead Laos at the summit, focusing on unity amid geopolitical tensions in Southeast Asia.

• OCBC announced the acquisition of HSBC's Indonesia wealth and retail banking operations for $6.6 billion, marking a major expansion in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. • The deal is expected to increase OCBC's Indonesian subsidiary's assets under management by approximately 25%, significantly strengthening its regional presence. • This acquisition reflects OCBC's strategic focus on wealth management and retail banking growth across Southeast Asia amid competitive market dynamics.

• Pemerintah Indonesia dan Pemerintah Singapura menandatangani kerja sama untuk memperkuat pembangunan kepemudaan kedua negara di Jakarta. • Kerja sama ini bertujuan menyiapkan generasi pemimpin yang berdaya saing di kancah global melalui program bersama. • Inisiatif ini mendukung agenda ASEAN dalam pengembangan sumber daya muda untuk menghadapi tantangan regional.

• TNI AD dan Tentara AD Singapura mempererat kerja sama strategis di bidang pertahanan pada 5 Mei 2026. • Fokus utama pada penguatan sinergi militer regional untuk menjaga stabilitas ASEAN. • Kerja sama ini bagian dari komitmen bilateral dalam menghadapi ancaman keamanan bersama.

Experts urge separate tracks for long-distance and commuter trains, among other measures, in the wake of Monday’s (Apr 27) train collision that killed 15 people and injured dozens.