At a time when every Southeast Asian economy has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic – ASEAN member state Brunei reported close to an eight percent increase in car sales in the first five months of 2020. This is indicative of the insatiable appetite of Bruneians’ for cars. According to figures released by the ASEAN Automotive Federation, a total of 5,388 units of cars were sold in the Sultanate within that period, compared to 4,966 units sold within the same period last year.

Dozens of people clutching bags full of plastic bottles and disposable cups queue at a busy bus terminal in the Indonesian city of Surabaya – where passengers can swap trash for travel tickets.The nation is the world's second-biggest marine polluter behind China and has pledged to reduce plastic waste in its waters some 70 percent by 2025 by boosting recycling, raising public awareness, and curbing usage.The Surabaya scheme has been a hit in the city of 2.9 million, with nearly 16,000 pa

Jakarta commuter Irnawati can spend up to four hours daily in her car, but now she and millions of others may get some relief as the traffic-clogged Southeast Asian city opens its first mass rapid-transit (MRT) system.Today, Jakarta will inaugurate the US$1.1 billion project seen as crucial to tackling some of the world's worst congestion, which can turn commutes into hours-long endurance tests.For Irnawati, the new line means she might now be able to move back to her suburban home on th