Today's Top 3 News: Indonesia Deploys F-16 Jets and Navy Ships to Secure ASEAN Summit

2 hours ago 3

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Here are the highlights: Indonesia Deploys F-16 Jets and Navy Ships to Secure ASEAN Summit; Purbaya to Launch Bond Stabilization Fund, What Is It?; and Indonesia to Issue Panda Bonds in China to Cut Dollar Reliance.

The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:

1. Indonesia Deploys F-16 Jets and Navy Ships to Secure ASEAN Summit

The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) conducted a readiness operation in the North Sulawesi region on Friday, May 8, 2026, as part of the security support for the High-Level Conference of ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines. The operation involved fighter jets, transport planes, and three warships.

The Head of Information Bureau of Defense at the Ministry of Defense's General Secretariat, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that the deployment of these military assets was part of the TNI's readiness operation to ensure regional stability during the ASEAN Summit.

Read more about Indonesian military's security support for the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, here.

2. Purbaya to Launch Bond Stabilization Fund, What Is It?

Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa is set to launch a Bond Stabilization Fund (BSF), a mechanism that will use reserve funds to support the domestic bond market amid rising government bond yields and risks of capital outflows weighing on the rupiah.

The fund is designed to contain borrowing costs and stabilize government securities (SBN), as higher yields have pushed down bond prices and increased volatility. Purbaya said the government plans to activate reserve funds that have long existed but have not yet been utilized.

Click here to read more about the Bond Stabilization Fund and why Indonesia is planning to launch the initiative.

3. Indonesia to Issue Panda Bonds in China to Cut Dollar Reliance

Indonesia plans to issue so-called Panda Bonds in China as part of efforts to stabilize the rupiah by diversifying its international financing sources, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said.

“To strengthen the exchange rate, we will also issue Panda Bonds in China, which offer lower interest rates, so that we are not overly reliant on the US dollar. With this, our financing diversification will improve in the future,” Purbaya said, as quoted by Antara News Agency on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Purbaya explained that the diversification strategy is aimed at reducing Indonesia’s dependency on the dollar. Read here to know more about Indonesia's plan to issue Panda Bonds.

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Today's Top 3 News: Countries on Alert After Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship

21 jam lalu