Asian equities staggered into the weekend Friday following a mixed week that saw a Middle East ceasefire and huge new AI investments play off against the US shutdown and concerns about a tech bubble.

Local administrations say meeting the strict waste-supply targets will be difficult to sustain over the long term.

Lawmakers say the new structure draws a clear line between regulator and operator, but Dony Oskaria’s appointment threatens to blur that boundary.

This aggressive stance comes as tax revenues have reached only 54.7 percent of the annual target in August and contracted 5.1 percent year-on-year.

Consumer views on their current income situation and plans to buy durable goods weakened, while perceptions of job availability dropped deeper into pessimistic territory.

The global economy is doing better than expected, even as it faces prolonged uncertainty and underwhelming medium-term growth prospects, the head of the IMF said Wednesday. 

Radioactive and carcinogenic contamination has prompted foreign buyers to become more cautious, tightening inspections or even delaying contracts with local suppliers, industry players claimed.

According to research from the World Bank, one out of seven young Indonesians may find themselves out of work.

Industrial production fell by 4.3 percent compared with the previous month, the federal statistics office said on Wednesday, the biggest fall since March 2022, just after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a 1.0 percent fall.

Recent indicators suggest that Indonesia's recent challenges are centered on declining purchasing power.

Governors have urged Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa to reconsider sharp cuts to regional transfer funds, warning the move would strain local budgets and may stall infrastructure projects, with smaller, low-revenue regions being hit hardest.

AI-related goods and a surge in exports to the United States to beat President Donald Trump's tariff hikes boosted global merchandise trade growth this year, the World Trade Organization said Tuesday.

DEFA serves as ASEAN's free trade agreement (FTA) focusing on enhancing digital economic cooperation and integration among member states by harmonizing rules for digital trade, services and innovation.  

Gold pushed through US$4,000 an ounce to hit a record on Wednesday, driven by investors seeking safety from mounting economic and geopolitical uncertainty, alongside expectations of further interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve.

Indonesia must urgently pivot from being a mere supplier of raw materials to investing in research and development (R&D) to secure its position in the global electric vehicle (EV) battery value chain, experts warn.

The Jakarta government is looking to issue municipal bonds next year for its so-called Jakarta Collaboration Fund to bridge a financing gap caused by central government budget cuts earlier this year.

Healthcare providers are facing a choice between continuing to react to insurer mandates or proactively shaping value-based arrangements through commercial, clinical and operational innovations.

Indonesia’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is to be presented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in Brazil next month.

Mining operations at Pani, run by publicly listed miner PT Merdeka Gold Resources, officially began on Oct. 1, with the first gold pour expected in the first quarter of next year.

The European Union will take a page out of US President Donald Trump's tariff playbook on Tuesday with a plan to hike levies and slash quotas for imported steel -- to protect the bloc's struggling industry from cheap Chinese competition.

The House of Representatives is seeking to expand Bank Indonesia’s (BI) mandate to include economic growth and job creation, which analysts warn could conflict with monetary policy goals and motivate political interference.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has handed over seized assets worth Rp 7 trillion from corruption cases involving mineral extraction to state tin miner PT Timah and state asset fund Danantara.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has insisted on cutting the state budget allocation for the free nutritious meal (MBG) program if spending on the flagship initiative remains slow.   

The mining giant recovered on Sunday the bodies of five remaining workers who went missing on Sept. 8, bringing an end to a nearly monthlong search and rescue effort for seven total workers, all confirmed deceased.

The Mandalika special economic zone (SEZ) has recorded Rp 5.7 trillion in realized investment, creating 19,010 jobs and hosting 28 active businesses within the area.

Japanese stocks and bond yields soared and the yen fell on Monday, after conservative China hawk and potential big-spender Sanae Takaichi won the leadership of the ruling party.

Pekan Iklim Bali (Bali Climate Week) has united regional leaders, climate activists, non-governmental organizations, funders and investors as well as the general public in a weeklong event dedicated to collectively promote collaborative, innovative and impactful climate action.