Indonesian police on January 6 arrested 20 terrorist suspects who have alleged ties with the extremist group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) linked to the Islamic State group in South Sulawesi province's capital of Makassar.

The Indonesian Government on January 6 decided to impose travel restriction from January 11-25, especially on Java and Bali islands amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indonesian Government will reform the social welfare system with the aim of erasing extreme poverty in 2024, said Minister for National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa.

Indonesia's inflation rate in December 2020 was clocked at 0.45 percent and 1.68 percent all through 2020, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Given the surging number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, local authorities have continued its cash aid programme and issued a plan to increase the number of hospital beds by up to 30 percent.

The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines said on January 4 that the country reported 959 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number to 478,761.

In contrast to some regional countries, Cambodia has begun easing restrictions imposed for the past six weeks that followed a COVID-19 outbreak last November.

Jakarta-owned bus operator Transjakarta has an ambitious plan to expand its electric bus (e-bus) fleet to 10,000 units over the decade as the city tries to push for cleaner air.

Senior staff nurse Sarah Lim has become the first person in Singapore to receive the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech.

A ceremony was held in HCM City on December 29 to mark the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Indonesia (December 30). ​

Several Southeast Asian countries are taking drastic measures with a view to preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesia recorded its biggest daily rise in COVID-19 deaths on December 25 with 258 fatalities, taking the total to 20,847.

Indonesia is set to send 79 containers of hazardous materials back to Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US beginning in January, the country’s Government recently revealed.

Thailand's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on December 24 that there will be no national lockdown but COVID-19 control zoning is being imposed, based on the number and degree of new cases in localities.