TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Monday, May 18, 2026. Here are the highlights: Fact Check: False Claim Says Prabowo Closed Malacca Strait, Angering Anwar Ibrahim; La Liga: Barcelona Beat Real Betis 3-1 in Final Home Match; Prabowo Criticized Over Weak Rupiah Remarks.
The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:
1. Fact Check: False Claim Says Prabowo Closed Malacca Strait, Angering Anwar Ibrahim
A video narrating Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's sealing of the Strait of Malacca has circulated on Facebook [archive] and TikTok. This action is claimed to have sparked anger in Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States (US), and even suggested it could lead to total bankruptcy for Singapore and Malaysia.
Did Prabowo really seal the Strait of Malacca? Check out the Tempo fact-check team's investigation here.
2. La Liga: Barcelona Beat Real Betis 3-1 in Final Home Match
Barcelona closed out their final home match of the season by defeating Real Betis 3-1 in Week 37 of the 2025/26 La Liga season at Camp Nou on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Raphinha scored twice, with Joao Cancelo also scoring for Barcelona. Real Betis briefly reduced the deficit through an Isco penalty. Read the full match report to find out more here.
3. Prabowo Criticized Over Weak Rupiah Remarks
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto often makes controversial statements in his various speeches. Most recently, he mentioned that even though the exchange rate of the rupiah weakened against the US dollar, it did not affect the villagers. His reason was that, according to him, villagers do not use dollars.
While intended to calm the public, analysts warn that oversimplifying the crisis ignores how inflation on imported commodities quickly ripples down to rural households. Read more here.
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Today's Top 3 News: Prabowo Says Villagers Don't Use Dollars, Rupiah Could Hit Rp18,000 by May's End
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Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Today's Top 3 News: Analyst Predicts Rupiah Could Breach Rp18,000 by End of May
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Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Top 3 News Today: Xi Jinping's Stance on Iran War, Prabowo's 8,900 Housing Promise for Judges
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Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Today's Top 3 News: Nadiem Makarim's Chromebook Case, Hantavirus Outbreak
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Today's Top 3 News: Indonesians Urged to Repatriate Offshore Assets, MSCI Rebalancing
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Today's Top 3 News: Solar Flare, Papuan Student Protest
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Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Today's Top 3 News: Prabowo Says Smart People in Jakarta Don't Care About Fishermen
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Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Today's Top 3 News: Bodies of Two Singaporeans Found After Mount Dukono Eruption
7 hari lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Today's Top 3 News: Indonesia Deploys F-16 Jets and Navy Ships to Secure ASEAN Summit
9 hari lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Today's Top 3 News: Countries on Alert After Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
10 hari lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
