Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted Sunday spewing hot ash clouds a mile into the sky and sending rivers of lava down its side, sparking the evacuation of nearly 2,000 people exactly one year after its last major eruption killed dozens. The eruption of the highest mountain on Indonesia’s main island of Java, around 800 kilometres (500 miles) southeast of capital Jakarta,
Indonesian authorities raised the warning on Semeru volcano to the highest level on Sunday, Kompas TV reported, after an eruption spewed a column of ash high into the air. The evacuation of people living near the volcano in East Java province had begun, a top regional administrator, Thoriqul Haq, told the broadcaster. The plume from the volcano
Malaysia’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday that he would also serve as the country’s finance minister, retaking a cabinet role he first held 30 years ago as he looks to address a slowing economy. He also appointed Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has been charged with graft, as a co-deputy prime minister, indicative of the need
Thai Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and its English website, Thai PBS World, recently gathered journalists and young political leaders from Asia to discuss the challenges they face and the most pressing issues confronting their countries. The Asian Media Forum, cohosted by the Asia News Network (ANN), was held right after Bangkok successfully hosted this year’s
Malaysia‘s newly-appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will announce his cabinet line–up on Friday, state news agency Bernama reported. The report did not state what time the announcement would be made. Anwar‘s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timing. Anwar was sworn in as premier by Malaysia‘s king last week, after an election that saw no coalition winning a simple majority. The cabinet announcement comes as Anwar looks to address rising costs and a...
The Ukraine-Russia conflict, China-Taiwan tensions or even the situation in Myanmar may seem far away and irrelevant to us in Thailand. Most Thais wouldn’t imagine that Thailand foreign policy has an effect on our lives, to certain extent, or that quiet Thai diplomacy on those issues matters. Some may wonder why we should care about
The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Indonesia’s province of West Java rose to 318, with 14 others still missing, a senior official of the country’s disaster agency said Saturday. The 5.6-magnitude quake hit West Java on Monday. Eight more bodies were recovered in the search operation on Saturday, bringing the death toll to
One question that has arisen almost right after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was appointed Malaysia’s prime minister last week is what role he wants Kuala Lumpur to play in helping resolve the decades-long conflict in southern Thailand. To get a glimpse of what he thinks – or what he used to think – about
First, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim must be congratulated for being the 10th leader of Malaysia since independence. His patience and fighting spirit have paid off, after nearly 22 years as a prime minister in waiting. His leadership comes at the right moment, as the country needs a leader with intellect and wisdom. From now on,
Malaysia‘s king appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister on Thursday and he will be sworn in at 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), ending five days of unprecedented post-election crisis after inconclusive polls. Anwar’s appointment caps a three-decade long political journey from a protege of veteran leader Mahathir Mohammad to a prisoner convicted of
Indonesian authorities struggled on Thursday to get aid to thousands of evacuees displaced by a deadly earthquake in western Java, as rain-triggered landslides and difficult mountainous terrain hampered the efforts of rescue teams. Monday’s 5.6-magnitude earthquake in the town of Cianjur, about 75 km (50 miles) south of the capital Jakarta, killed at least 271
Malaysia‘s king said on Tuesday he will pick the next prime minister, after the leading two contenders failed to win a majority in last weekend’s election and his proposal for the two to work together was turned down. The vote resulted in an unprecedented hung parliament, with neither opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim nor former premier
