Thousands of fires are raging in West Kalimantan and elsewhere. “We can no longer make a living,” a witness told AsiaNews. Indonesia is receiving international aid from eight countries, including Malaysia, Laos, and Vietnam. The disaster has put the spotlight on the need for ecological conversion.
Customs checks in the United States of imported shrimps from Indonesia set off alarm bells. The Cikande area in Serang district has been declared a special incident area. According to a preliminary investigation, the contamination appears to come from uncontrolled processing of metallurgical industry waste. Cesium-137 poses long-term health risks.
A court in Wenzhou has convicted 39 members of the Ming family, originally from Shan State in northern Myanmar, for fraud and drug trafficking, among others, activities that generated estimated proceeds of over 10 billion yuan. Among those sentenced to death are the son and granddaughter of the family patriarch, Ming Xuechang, who died under controversial circumstances during his arrest. This is part of Beijing’s broader crackdown on crime syndicates operating in Myanmar.
Bangkok's currency continues to rise against the dollar: its value has risen by 8% since the beginning of the year, despite economic fundamentals that do not justify such a trend. With a political crisis effectively postponed until the early elections in 2026, there is a risk that speculative manoeuvres will further undermine exports (already struggling with Trump's tariffs) and tourism.
The Kelantan State police chief has suggested amending the law so that minors who "consent" to sex are also prosecuted along with their adult partners. Malaysia’s federal government and NGOs have reacted harshly to the proposal, which would criminalise victims and reinforce the culture of blaming women. Instead, some groups want the law to protect consensual relationships between peers.
Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court scheduled a new hearing on 26 January 2026 after the Singapore-based company responsible for one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history failed to pay the first $250 million instalment of the compensation it ordered.
More than 50 bishops and Church leaders from the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences met in Samphran from 22 to 26 September. The focus was on the Synod's final document and the Bangkok Document. Discussions included the role of local Churches and communion with the poor and neighbouring faiths. The 12th Plenary Assembly will be held in Bali in 2026.
To mark the 50th anniversary of his fashion house, the great Italian designer, who died on 4 September, wanted to create Casa Mariù, a solidarity initiative for educational facilities in some of the poorest areas of the world. Among the eight projects supported are a centre for the disabled in Phrae and two schools in Suihari and Taytay promoted by PIME missionaries and Caritas.
On two occasions, dozens of extremists interrupted Sunday prayers at a Protestant community. The attackers claimed that the shop-house did not have the necessary permits to be used as a house church. Controversy erupted online, with calls for freedom of worship. Once again, urban planning practices were used as a pretext to prevent Christians from praying.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto made the announcement at the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he reiterated his commitment to the two-state solution as the only way forward in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, he condemned the violence in Gaza, and expressed openness to future recognition of Israel if it recognises Palestine. The world's most populous Muslim country has a long history of lowkey contacts with the Jewish state.
Datchinamurthy Kataiah, 39, will be hanged tomorrow in Changi Prison fourteen years after his arrest. His sister's appeal against a sentence that is ‘too severe and extreme for a naive act committed by a young man’. The appeal of 33 local NGOs for a moratorium after the Wong government promoted a case for commutation of the sentence for the first time. Currently, 40 people are on death row.
For years, a battle has been raging between local people and the pulp and paper giant PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL). Yesterday, a rally turned violent after heavy-handed police intervention. Religious leaders raised the issue in parliament. Biodiversity and natural ecosystems are at risk.
In an interview with AFP, CEO Shmuel Yoskovitz announced that the Singapore-based company will not pay the first instalment of the $1 billion compensation ordered by the Colombo Supreme Court. "It undermines the principle of limitation of liability on which maritime trade is based. We have already spent $170 million to repair the damage." Sri Lanka had announced criminal proceedings in the event of non-compliance.
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