Author: Aburachman Rifqi

JAKARTA – The Health Ministry has urged greater vigilance amid a recent uptick in cases of new COVID-19 subvariants, both in the country and around the globe, while reassuring the public on the availability of vaccines. Health Ministry spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that a the number of novel coronavirus infections had risen “from previously only 10 to 20 cases weekly to 276 cases last week”. EG.5, informally dubbed “Eris”, and EG.2 had become the dominant Omicron subvariants in Indonesia, Siti added, but did not say how many confirmed cases had been linked to these subvariants.…

ASEAN has deemed the intensifying joint military exercises and cooperation between the Philippines, the United States and its allies, including Australia, and the related harsh response from China, as Manila’s domestic affairs. The regional bloc might come to regret taking such a blithe stance because sooner or later, the escalating tension could erupt into a full-blown conflict between the superpowers in its own backyard. The impression is that ASEAN is leaving it to Manila in confronting Beijing over their overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS), as if this were merely a bilateral issue between them. On the…

JAKARTA, Nov 15 (Reuters) – Defence ministers in ASEAN called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a durable solution to the crisis in Myanmar during the opening of a regional meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday. Defence ministers from the Asian bloc are attending the 2-day meeting alongside key players in the Indo-Pacific as major powers jostle for regional influence, and as conflicts deepen from Myanmar to the Middle East. Opening the annual get-together, Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto said the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation was deeply saddened by the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, particularly the “horrid” humanitarian situation. “Indonesia’s…

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi invited all ASEAN member countries to work together to maintain peace in the region, amidst the world’s volatile geopolitical conditions. “I think we shouldn’t take ‘peace’ for granted. It’s not something that falls from the sky… We really have to look after it. ASEAN needs to work hard to maintain peace, especially now when the world is clearly not all right ,” said Foreign Minister Retno. This statement was made by Foreign Minister Retno in her remarks at the 7th ASEAN Media Forum which was held at the ASEAN Secretariat in…

When Kenes Rakishev launched Oxus SPAC – a special purpose acquisition company designed to acquire companies and take them public on the American stock market, analysts speculated on what exactly he would invest in. Kenes Rakishev is known for his broad interest in robotics, battery technologies, communications, and innovations. No one expected Rakishev to choose an extremely unusual sector and put effort and money into the food industry. Kenes Rakishev took the company Borealis Foods public. The company is famous for its environmentally friendly and trendy products, and for its further growth, Kenes Rakishev enlisted the world-class culinary star Gordon Ramsay. Borealis Foods, a…

SINGAPORE/STOCKHOLM, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Southeast Asian countries are taking a business-friendly approach to artificial intelligence regulation in a setback to the European Union’s push for globally harmonised rules that align with its own stringent framework. Reuters reviewed a confidential draft of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) “guide to AI ethics and governance,” whose content has not previously been reported. Three sources told Reuters the draft is being circulated to technology companies for feedback and is expected to be finalised at the end of January 2024 during the ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting. Companies that have received it…

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Minister Bintang Puspayoga, on Tuesday, (September 26), emphasized the need for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect children in the region from adverse effects of technology. “During this era of rapid changes, we should ensure that our children get maximum benefits from digital technology while protecting them from its adverse effects,” Puspayoga remarked in her opening speech at the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Child Online Protection 2023 in Jakarta. The event, held under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship this year, carries the theme of “Racing Against the Clock: Pushing Forward…

The 43rd ASEAN Summit held in Jakarta from September 5th to 7th, 2023, carries profound implications for the future of Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region. As I reflect on the outcomes of this summit, it is evident that ASEAN has reaffirmed its role as a vital regional player and a catalyst for cooperation and progress. The theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth” encapsulates the essence of this summit. It underscores that ASEAN is not merely a geographical region but a dynamic force at the heart of growth and development in the Indo-Pacific. This theme reflects a vision of…

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will continue to see its ties with China strengthen with particular focus on economic matters, a Malaysian observer said. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations see the two sides move in lockstep to secure and improve their economic cooperation to face an uncertain global outlook, according to Azmi Hassan, a senior research fellow at Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research. China has proposed to accelerate ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations and strive to conclude negotiations in 2024,…

Tensions in the South China Sea are heating up. Record breaking incursions by Chinese jets and warships into Taiwanese territory, military exercises which simulate an invasion, and to top it off China’s Foreign Minister was abruptly dismissed in a move shrouded in mystery. The regional security situation is rapidly deteriorating, and Southeast Asian powers could soon be caught in the crossfire. But Taiwan is hardly the only country where China is ramping up hostilities. The Chinese coastguard recently attacked Philippine supply boats which were on their way to resupply one of their bases in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Yet…