Ignoring Asia
Viewing the world
Sunday, April 5, 2026
The widening gap between rhetoric and reality
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes in Indonesia, sparking tsunami alert
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck the Northern Molucca Sea region in Indonesia, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake, which hit early on Thursday local time, had depth of 35km and its epicenter was 127km (79 miles) west-northwest of Ternate, Indonesia, the USGS said.
The US tsunami warning system said tsunami waves were possible with 1,000km of the epicentre, along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. It warned that tsunami waves reaching 0.3 metres to one metre (3.2ft) above the tide level were possible for some of the Indonesian coastline.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Sunday, March 22, 2026
War spirals as information control tightens
The war on Iran has entered a much more damaging phase with more assassinations of the leadership in Tehran, the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and major strikes on energy infrastructure across the region.
As the war has escalated, pressure on news organisations in the United States, Israel and Iran is increasing.
Fuel rations and cash handouts: Iran war energy shock hits Asia
Across south-east Asia, governments are scrambling to find ways to conserve energy and shield the public from soaring costs, as war in the Middle East causes huge disruption in the global oil market. In Thailand, news anchors are ditching their jackets after orders to reduce air conditioning use, while government workers in the Philippines are operating on a four-day week. Asia relies heavily on imported energy, much of which passes through the strait of Hormuz, and officials have warned further measures could be considered if the energy crisis worsens