Indonesian police said on Thursday they have enough initial evidence to pursue treason charges against four suspects in a case involving the wiretapping of President Prabowo Subianto, as lawmakers urged detectives to uncover who ordered the ‌bugging. Former police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who is not related to the president, and three other senior police officials were arrested last week over accusations of unauthorised monitoring of phones belonging to Prabowo, government officials,...

'We've been using the Asean way of working for more than 20 years.'

PARLIAMENT | Lim calls for scrutiny of ex-PM's house arrest arrangements.

South Korea should use its growing economic clout over Laos to crack down on Pyongyang’s IT workers allegedly using the Southeast Asian nation as a base to secure remote jobs under false identities and funnel earnings to their regime’s weapons programmes, according to analysts. Authorities in Seoul and Washington have launched investigations into such schemes, with analysts warning that Laos is emerging as a hub for North Korea’s operatives exploiting its weak banking networks and...

A six-figure dinner bill in Japan involving Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s family has drawn scrutiny over her perceived lavish lifestyle, as ordinary Filipinos grapple with elevated inflation and a slowing economy. The 205,007-peso (US$3,220) tab was racked up at an upscale Tokyo restaurant in 2023 by a group of 11 people. Charged to the credit card of her lawyer-husband, Manases Carpio, the expense took centre stage on Thursday at Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial, which is...

A Bangkok court sentenced a businessman to 1,244 years in prison on Wednesday for defrauding 311 people through a tour package investment scheme, though Thai law caps his term in this case at 20 years.

Authorities say 'Unveiling Choice' and its translations contradict the teachings of Sunni Islam.

Singapore has opened its national gold vault to foreign central banks, a move analysts say will sharpen its head-to-head rivalry with Hong Kong for the title of Asia’s leading bullion hub. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has announced that it would store gold for overseas central banks, international financial institutions and sovereign entities in its currency vault. The facility can hold 500 tonnes and has room for expansion. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who chairs the...

A man from eastern China has bought a 68-square-meter apartment in the northeastern Chinese city of Hegang for 11 yuan (US$1.64) in a Singles' Day promotion on Alibaba's asset auction platform.

DAP will leave Loke's replacement to Anwar, he adds.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak is barred from political activity and media appearances under house arrest, according to the home minister on Thursday. Any breach will send him straight back to prison. The announcement will remove any ambiguity about Najib’s possible role in the Melaka state election on Saturday and help shore up the credibility of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, already facing recriminations for not being able to stop the house arrest, an expert...

Ho Chi Minh City's new chairman Le Quoc Phong has pledged to focus on tackling traffic congestion, flooding, and environmental pollution while improving residents' quality of life.

PARLIAMENT | PM says bilateral trade remains strong, with both exports and imports increasing.

Indonesia’s Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka formally resigned on Thursday in the midst of a scandal over his academic qualifications, leaving President Prabowo Subianto with a difficult choice over who should replace him. Gibran, 39, the eldest son of former president Joko Widodo, submitted his resignation letter to the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), a day after submitting a separate letter to Prabowo, bringing an end to a tense period that had seen mounting pressure for his...

PARLIAMENT | PM claims only business groups want the tax system reintroduced.

Le Quoc Phong, 48, standing deputy secretary of the municipal Party Committee, has been elected chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, replacing Nguyen Van Duoc.

UPDATED 12.34PM | PARLIAMENT | 'Proposal will provide a more accurate perspective on the process.'

For Malaysian content creator Iqbal Fatkhi, making news content credible to younger audiences sometimes means making it less like traditional journalism. Instead of polished broadcasts using formal language, the 33-year-old editor-in-chief of news portal CiliSos Media prefers conversational videos that speak to audiences on their own terms. “It’s ironic in a way that, to gain credibility, you have to look not credible in that sense,” he said. His approach reflects a broader shift in news...

UPDATED 11.46AM | Other visitors must get written approval from the Prison Department.

Dior CEO Delphine Arnault will receive an honorary doctorate from Ewha Womans University in Seoul on Thursday, in a ceremony expected to draw several of South Korea's top business figures.

A foreign man who allegedly hacked off a Malaysian policeman’s right hand during an attack at an apartment in Desa Amanpuri, Kepong, was shot dead. Armed with two machetes, the suspect charged out of a residential unit and attacked police officers, firefighters and health ministry staff at about 7pm on Wednesday. Selangor police chief Commissioner Shazeli Kahar said the suspect was shot after he was spotted near a playground, not far from the flat, between 7.30pm and 8pm, shortly after injuring...

Foreign national allegedly attacks authorities while armed with two machetes.

Relentless heavy rain has triggered severe flooding across central Vietnam, severing critical roadways, submerging excavators, and forcing hundreds of households to battle rising waters.

MALACCA POLLS | Malaysiakini lists key observations on contesting parties.

‘The rakyat look for leadership, not just managers’

Their suspensions have expired; they can resume playing at club level only.

More than a year into construction, many sections of the expressway linking Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh airport are being widened to 10-12 lanes, with bridges and major interchanges taking shape.

A father in southern China's Shenzhen has used artificial intelligence to modify his TV so that his son must answer a school question correctly every 10 minutes to keep watching.

MALACCA POLLS | They may have won the popularity contest, but can they capture voters' hearts?

With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. On a weekday afternoon, the basement food hall of a central shopping centre was packed. Office workers queued for Chongqing noodles, while a different noodle joint...