What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 9am, 2pm, 6pm, and 9pm.
Sep 17, 2026
Indonesia's capital Jakarta has emerged as one of Southeast Asia's leading intelligent urban centers, ranking second in the region in an assessment of cities using AI and digital technology to enhance urban life.
Sanofi and Vietnam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) have signed a joint declaration on next-generation vaccine manufacturing in Vietnam, with three vaccines initially selected for assessment as potential candidates for local production.
Loke reminds them that they took their oaths in front of the state ruler.
Contingency plans being weighed for budget airline's operations.
UPDATED 2.34PM | Exco instructed state secretary to proceed, Ismail says.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for stricter regulations and sanctions against those who use slash and burn methods to clear land, as the country struggles to contain wildfires that have been raging for weeks. Indonesia is battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with “super El Nino” weather parching the country’s forests and fields. The islands of Borneo and Sumatra have been the worst hit, with the hazardous haze causing a spike in respiratory illnesses. Transboundary...
They note the state exco's earlier backing of the state ruler and an interim court injunction to preserve status quo.
The online Identity Knowledge quiz offers an interactive way to learn about Việt Nam’s policies, history, culture, heritage, arts, tourism and people.
Electronic payment providers need to be more diligent in vetting companies that use their platforms to protect people from fraud, the Philippine central bank said. The requirement came after Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas found thousands of illegal businesses on the payment platforms, including many online casinos masquerading as more ordinary companies like beauty salons and bakeries. “We want to protect consumers from online fraud, illegal activities and also from money launderers,” Deputy...
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic caused profound loss, daily life has returned to normal for most people. But for many children who lost their fathers or mothers, the void left by the loss of a parent remains.
Singapore has opened online bidding on hundreds of luxury handbags and jewelry pieces seized in its largest money laundering case, launching a series of 15 auctions that will run through May 2027.
Australia will stop foreign students from bringing their partners and children to accompany them while they study and tighten rules for temporary migrants to switch visas, media reported on Thursday, ahead of a minister's speech on immigration changes.
Drums may seem familiar to people but carry a world of stories about culture, history, arts and crafts that are told to audiences at the One Drum, A Single Drumbeat, A Thousand Years of Civilisation programme in Hà Nội.
Perak seems to be the hardest-hit state today, with several areas recording in the 180 range.
The central city aims to welcome and support nearly 93,000 MICE visitors in 2026, up about 12 per cent year on year. To accelerate the market in the final months of the year, the municipal tourism sector is strengthening links with corporations, businesses and event organisers while diversifying tourism promotion activities.
Co-organised by the Embassy of Colombia, the Đà Nẵng Department of Foreign Affairs, the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Hội An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Centre, the programme contributed to strengthening cultural exchanges, connecting young people and promoting friendship between the two countries.
Jabs in Malaysia Day address come amid tensions in Putrajaya.
For the Mông people in Tà Đùng, Đắk R'măng is not merely a weekly rendezvous, but a space preserving memories of their northwestern hometowns and cultural identity in their new land.
Originally a practical tool that enabled fishermen to move easily across tidal mudflats while harvesting aquatic resources, stilts gradually evolved into a distinctive cultural tradition, reflecting the creativity, diligence and resilience of the region's coastal people.
From winding canals and lush orchards to traditional villages and wetland ecosystems, Đồng Tháp is drawing increasing numbers of visitors with tourism experiences that bring them closer to nature, local life and the province’s rich cultural heritage.
The number of foreigners entering South Korea for study and training surpassed a record 500,000 in 2025, marking more than a sixfold increase since 2021, driven by the global expansion of Korean pop culture.
This comes amid friction with Umno, Borneo support needed for stability.
'If you can't say, just say you can't.'
Rainfall exceeding 150 mm in several parts of Hanoi from Wednesday night to Thursday morning has caused widespread flooding, with some schools switching to online classes.
Rainfall exceeding 150 mm in several parts of Hanoi from Wednesday night to Thursday morning has caused widespread flooding that paralyzed traffic and forced shop closures.
Rainfall exceeding 150 mm in several parts of Hanoi from Wednesday night to Thursday morning caused widespread flooding, paralyzing traffic and forcing businesses and schools to close.
Sep 16, 2026
Struggling to breathe through the acrid haze emanating from wildfires on Indonesia’s Borneo Island, residents said on Wednesday they feared for their health but had little to do but wait out the foul-smelling hazard. Indonesia, which shares Borneo with Malaysia and Brunei, is grappling with forest fires that have ravaged swathes of the island, partly caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon that has also affected other countries in Southeast Asia and beyond. In Pontianak, the capital of West...
China has completed drilling a key tunnel on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which will create a shorter trade route to Europe and bypass Russia.
Tran Quang Vinh, an International Physics Olympiad gold medalist, was the only student to win two of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology physics department's academic awards this year.
This leader earns about US$1.7 million a year, more than four times what the U.S. president makes.
Singapore has been ranked the world’s most welcoming city for travelers, ahead of London and Sydney, in a global study by travel eSIM provider Holafly.
Aminuddin calls for solidarity, urges rakyat to defend sovereignty of the constitutional monarchy.
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida visited Hanoi University, meeting its staff and students on Wednesday.
Malaysia will formally invite Myanmar leader Minh Aung Hlaing to visit Kuala Lumpur to discuss efforts to repatriate nearly 200,000 refugees from the war-torn nation that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says have placed a heavy social and economic burden on his country. Refugees from Myanmar, particularly ethnic Rohingya, have faced worsening hostility in recent months in Malaysia, where they are accused of causing social problems and taking over small local businesses in areas where they have set...
UPDATED 9.37PM | Hassan says fundamental requirements were not fulfilled, rendering April 19 proclamation invalid.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have used brief pulses of a weak magnetic field to eliminate breast tumors in 75% of the mice they tested, without any chemotherapy.
Forest and peatland fires raging across Indonesia are threatening to become more than an environmental emergency, with analysts warning that the thickening haze could weigh on economic activity, strain public health and test confidence in the nation’s fledgling carbon market. Indonesia is no stranger to forest and peat fires, but this year’s super El Nino has helped make it the country’s most intense wildfire season in 11 years. Toxic haze and smoke have also drifted to neighbouring countries...