A vendor hangs decorations in a market in Beijing on Friday, January 24, 2025, ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Snake which falls on January 29. - AFP
Malaysia:
* 1MDB trial: Najib tells court he had brief corporate experience before politics, released from the stand
* 1MDB trial: I genuinely believed the RM600,000 cheque from Najib was his personal money, says witness
* Malaysia objects to Trump's tariff talk, policies restricting free trade, says PM
* Muhyiddin pays RM1.4mil to Guan Eng pending defamation appeal
* Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to sue AirAsia over unauthorised use of murals
* AmBank: Malaysia's GDP growth to moderate to 4.6% in 2025
* Govt files notice of appeal against High Court decision on pension adjustment
* KLIA aerotrain to be back in action by Q2 of 2025
* Parents want justice for 12-year-old son allegedly beaten by teacher
* Immigration nabs 10 bogus foreign doctors offering illegal medical services
* Malaysia Airports says its sale to GDA consortium now unconditional
* Police report lodged after foreigners arrive at Hospital Serdang with gunshot wounds
* Frozen frog meat among RM1.4mil seized smuggled Chinese New Year goods
* IP on cop who allegedly made obscene gesture submitted to AGC, says KL police chief
* Inquiry paper connected to police reports against Hannah Yeoh submitted to AGC, says KL's top cop
A woman walks past a display for the upcoming Lunar New Year at Raffles Place in Singapore. - AFP
Singapore:
* No swimming at Singapore's Sembawang Park Beach due to high levels of bacteria in water: NEA
* 16 Malaysians arrested in KL; linked to more than 50 government official scam cases in Singapore
* Elderly man who raped domestic helper gets 19 and half years’ jail sentence
* ‘I write red words on a white wall; I write until I weep’: A Singaporean hoarder’s sad tale
* Woman allegedly performed sex act in public, man accused of acting as lookout; both charged
* When could GE2025 be held in Singapore and how might electoral boundaries be redrawn?
* Ex-TV personality charged with harassment, multiple sex offences against minor
* MAS eases Singdollar policy for first time since 2020 as it lowers key inflation forecast
* Emerging Markets - Asian currencies shine as Trump talks of likely Sino-US trade pact; Singapore dollar up 0.6% after c.bank loosens policy
Indonesia:
* Indonesian rescuers halt evacuation due to bad weather after landslide kills 25, official says
* Prabowo arrives in India for four-day visit ahead of Republic Day celebrations
* Indonesia's free meal programme reaches 650,000 children so far
* Indonesia, France to sign deal to transfer Frenchman on death row
* Indonesia showcases returned artifacts from the Netherlands
* Rescuers dig as Java landslide deaths mount
* Oil prices poised for weekly fall on Trump's energy policies
* Pearly-Thinaah keep it simple to reach semis in Jakarta / Man-Tee will face seniors Aaron-Wooi Yik in an all-Malaysian semis in Istora
Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Affairs Yusril Ihza Mahendra (left) shakes hands with France's Ambassador to Indonesia Fabien Penone during a press conference on the deal to send home Serge Atlaoui, an ailing French national on death row for drug offenses, in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. - AP
Thailand:
* Emergency measures introduced as dangerous smog engulfs Bangkok
* Jagat coin hunt chaos: Game players trespass, damage properties across Thailand in latest craze
* Russian tourist charged with murder after throwing son overboard from boat
* Upper Thailand to get colder with strong winds from Sunday
* Ice in the sky: Thailand's fight against air pollution
* Bangkok gets free public transport for a week in smog crisis
* PM2.5 pollution continues to plague Bangkok residents / PM2.5 pollution can cost Bangkok up to 6 billion baht: KResearch
Philippines:
* Philippines launches comic book to counter China’s 'disinformation' in the disputed South China Sea
* Philippines to ‘respond favourably’ if ICC seeks Interpol arrest warrants over drugs crackdown
* US Typhon missile to stay in Philippines for now: Security official
* Philippine military says US missile deployment to boost readiness, help regional security
* 429-day ordeal ends for 17 Filipino seafarers held by Yemen rebels
* Filipino tourist faces fine for risky railway photo
* BSP easing cycle seen extending until next year
A young girl kisses one of the statues of a Buddha with children at a mall in Manila on January 24, 2025, ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Snake. - AFP
Vietnam:
* EV maker VinFast's losses heap pressure on parent Vingroup as foreign investors continue selling shares
* Vietnam going big in cyber space as digital tech companies earn a whopping US$158bil in 2024
* Vietnam's Dong Tam snake farm, Mekong Delta's one-of-a-kind 'snake kingdom'
* Vietnam durians face stricter regulation in China market as traces of yellow colouring found
* Livestock department in Vietnam proposes halving tax for imported soybean meal
* Trump’s climate exit: Why Asean must lead the way
* Asia shares buoyed by Trump's China comments; BOJ hikes
Myanmar:
* Myanmar's Yangon Zoological Garden home more than 1,4000 animals marks 119th anniversary with carnival
* Myanmar rebel group admits to beheadings
* Chinese embassy in Myanmar hosts Spring Festival celebrations
* 5.2-magnitude quake hits western Myanmar
Vietjet aircrafts are seen on the tarmac amid air pollution at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam. - Reuters
Cambodia:
* Phnom Penh second most polluted city on Friday morning, Dhaka now the worst on the list
* Sustainable procurement in Cambodia ‘key’ for EU market access post-LDC graduation
* UNDP mine clearance project lauded for ‘gifting life’ to 1.2M Cambodians
* Red envelope stampede leaves four dead in Cambodia, draws widespread condemnation
Laos:
* Laos aims to tackle environmental challenges and also wants to increase sustainable consumption in country
* The year 2025 may be the one Laos breaks through in tourism
* Unicef: Extreme weather kept nearly 250 million kids out of school in 2024
Brunei:
* Royal audiences for Malaysian Parliamentary Speaker in Brunei
* Brunei Sultan grants audience to Myanmar Deputy Prime Minister
* Minister outlines global trends, opportunities for Brunei startups
A view of the city amid air pollution in Bangkok, Thailand, on FridsaJanuary 24, 2025. - Reuters /Chalinee Thirasupa
AseanPlus:
* Game face off: Popular streamer surprises fans with appearance at awards ceremony
* Three human trafficking victims rescued in PJ, 29 other foreigners arrested
* Sabah Immigration sends 165 undocumented migrants home
* Sabah determined to strengthen synergy with China, says Hajiji
* Extensive preparations being made for Asean meetings, says KL top cop
* Taylor Swift, Aaron Kwok, Psy: 10 celebrities born in the Year of the Snake
* Chinese knifeman sentenced to death for deadly attack on Japanese school bus
* 'He liked me' as Trump says he will reach out to North Korea's Kim again
* Southeast Asian cities among world's most polluted, ranking shows
* Singer Mimifly spends an hour learning sign language for 'Angkat' music video
* China readies for Lunar New Year, amid worries about the economy but record travel expected
* Former actor Chen Xi graduates from King’s College London’s master’s programme
* Hong Kong police arrest 13 who sold non-existent tickets to Andy Lau concerts
* Cash, subsidies boost births for one Chinese city, but will it reverse long-term decline?
* South Korean Telegram sex crime ring busted after exploiting more than 230 victims
* WHO chief to cut costs, reset priorities after US exit, document shows
* North Korea reopens border city Rason to travellers for the first time in five years
* Bank of Japan raises interest rates to highest in 17 years, yen jumps
* How Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is competing with Silicon Valley giants
* Hong Kong tourist killed in Japan after being hit by train while taking photos
* C-section surge: Indian families in US race against Trump birthright citizenship cutoff
* China’s frugal tourists avoid far-flung trips over Lunar New Year holiday
* Japanese tonkatsu eatery shrinks vegetable serving as climate change cooks up 'cabbage shock'
* North Korea suspected of preparing to send more troops to Russia, Seoul says
* US man shares old photos with China actress Song Zuer on RedNote, sparks romance speculation
* Mickey, Minnie in hanbok deliver CNY greetings at Disneyland, set off online comment war in S. Korea
* Tennis-Defiant Djokovic still targeting Grand Slam wins after Australia setback
