Bangladesh

Bangladesh's new PM pledges price stability

DHAKA: Bangladesh's new Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged to stabilise prices during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, restore the rule of law and advance economic and infrastructure reforms following his party's landslide victory in parliamentary elections.

Nation

Braking bad: Cops stop car on NSE carrying 30kg of meth, nab two childhood pals

SEREMBAN: Police arrested two childhood friends and seized about 30kg of drugs, believed to be methamphetamine, in an operation at KM236.9 of the North-South Expressway near Pedas.

Singapore

Lost in transit? Enthusiast creates wayfinding signs in service of commuters in Singapore

SINGAPORE: For transit enthusiast Vareck Ng, navigating Singapore means watching the ground as much as the signboards.

Economy

Malaysia's CPI rises 1.6% in Jan

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's inflation increased 1.6% in January as compared to the same month last year, the National Statistics Deparment reported on Thursday.

Thailand

Anutin's second cabinet sees Thamanat excluded, Bhumjaithai eyes strategic ministerial posts

BANGKOK: The formation of Anutin Charnvirakul's second cabinet has made headlines as the Bhumjaithai Party continues to discuss the inclusion of the Klatham Party in the government.

Indonesia

Indonesian police nab two Riau students over attempt to smuggle 18 foreigners to Malaysia

JAKARTA: Police have arrested two university students over suspicions of attempting to smuggle 18 Myanmar nationals to Malaysia by speedboat from Dumai, Riau, without proper immigration documents.

Laos

Laos posts US$202mil trade surplus as exports surge

VIENTIANE: Laos exported goods worth more than US$886 million in January, up 36 per cent from the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

North Korea

N. Korea flexes nuclear-capable rocket launcher ahead of key congress

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has unveiled a battery of huge nuclear-capable rocket launchers ahead of a key congress of the nation's ruling party, state media said on Thursday (Feb 19).

AI

ByteDance vows to boost safeguards after AI model infringement claims

Chinese tech giant ByteDance said it was taking steps to "strengthen current safeguards" after Hollywood heavyweights accused its new AI video model of copyright infringement.

AseanPlus News

Cambodian national dies while in US immigration custody

WASHINGTON: A detainee died in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Indiana on Monday (Feb 16), with the cause of death under investigation, ICE said on Wednesday, marking at least the seventh death in 2026 in federal immigration custody.

Philippines

Philippines lags behind Asean neighbours in tourism rebound

MANILA: The Philippines is among the slowest to recover in intra-Asean tourism, lagging behind most South-East Asian neighbours despite a regionwide rebound, according to Asean tourism statistics from 2019 to 2024 by the Asean Statistics Division (Aseanstats).

Indonesia

Deadly Indonesia floods force a deforestation reckoning

BANGKOK: Permits revoked, lawsuits filed, the threat of state takeovers. Deadly flooding in Indonesia has prompted unprecedented government action against companies accused of environmental destruction that worsened the disaster.

Nation

Anwar: Don’t let disputes derail nation-building efforts

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians must not be trapped in prolonged disputes, as such divisions would only weaken efforts to build a peaceful and resilient nation, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Nation

T'ganu beachgoers warned not to touch jellyfish that wash ashore

KUALA NERUS: The public has been warned not to touch venomous jellyfish that washed ashore at several beaches in Terengganu.

Nation

Ramadan a time to reflect and reset, says PM

PUTRAJAYA: Ramadan is not only a month of fasting, but a powerful opportunity for self-renewal, moral strengthening and collective responsibility towards building a better nation, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City emerges as hub for integrating digital tools

HO CHI MINH CITY: HCM City has emerged as the nation's central hub for integrating digital tools into all aspects of life, experts said.

Markets

Asia shares get tech lift as Iran, rate uncertainty loom over markets

SINGAPORE: Asian stocks rose on Thursday, supported by gains in technology giants on Wall Street, while lingering U.S.-Iran tensions kept oil prices supported and left gold underpinned by safe-haven flows.

Singapore

Three taken to hospital, including one with burn injuries, after fire in Singapore condo

SINGAPORE: Six people were rescued and three were taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a condominium in Kovan in the early hours of Thursday (Feb 19).

Thailand

Bangkok’s air quality worsens, with Thawi Watthana and Nong Khaem most affected by rising PM2.5 levels

BANGKOK: The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Air Quality Information Centre reported on Thursday (Feb 19) that PM2.5 (fine particulate matter under 2.5 microns) levels in the city had increased significantly.

China

China on track to finish world’s ‘most difficult’ railway project before 2030

330km Dali-Ruili Railway is expected to transform transport in Yunnan's mountainous west, and better link China to South and Southeast Asia