Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupts as seen from Pululera village, East Nusa Tenggara, on Monday, August 18, 2025. -- Photo by ARNOLD WELIANTO / AFP
Malaysia:
* Curb bullying from primary school level, King decrees / Education Ministry to implement anti-bullying campaign in schools following royal decree
* Another MP is ejected as Speaker orders Awang Solahuddin to leave
* Zara Qairina case: Five minors to be charged with bullying, says AG
* Elements of bullying, neglect, sexual harassment found in Zara’s case, Home Minister tells Parliament
* Several suspects involved in Zara's bullying to be charged, won't interfere with inquest, says AGC
* Johor bullying case: No compromise, says Fadhlina as Education Ministry orders immediate probe
* Use human values to deal with AI challenge, says Anwar / Beware those who sow communal hate, says Anwar
* Cops recover thousands of ATM cards believed to have been held by loan sharks
* Court to hear Najib's bid to cite former AG Ahmad Terrirudin for contempt on Aug 19
* Inquest into Zara's death to begin Sept 3, says coroner
* Don't politicise deaths of bullying victims, Anwar warns
* Govt will not embark on mega projects, to focus spending on the people
* Carbon tax aligns with climate policy and carbon market, says Amir Hamzah
* Ramanan: Anwar scheduled to announce new initiative for Indian community tomorrow
* Process to separate powers of AG and public prosecutor at final stage, says Azalina
* Halim Saad fails bid to reinstate lawsuit against Dr M, two others
A woman covers her head with a sheet of paper as she walks along a street during a drizzle in Bangkok on Monday, August 18, 2025. -- Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP
Singapore:
* Singapore prioritises jobs amid a fragmenting world and the rise of AI, says PM Lawrence Wong
* Singapore: Three Sengkang Green Primary 3 students suspended after threatening to kill a classmate and her family
* Singapore cracks down on vaping in public transport
* ‘Skibidi’ and ‘tradwife’: Social media words added to Cambridge dictionary
* Singaporean gets 72 years' jail, 24 lashes for murdering wife and stepson
* Singapore key exports fall worse than expected in July as shipments to US plunge 42.7 per cent
* Workers' Party urges Singapore government to engage widely, explore all solutions following National Day Rally
Indonesia:
* Indonesia makes a breakthrough as it airdrops humanitarian aid to Gaza on 80th Independence Day
* From Indonesia’s poisoned gold tunnels, miners are now looking to farming
* Oil well fire in Indonesia's Blora district claims two lives, displaces dozens
* Indonesia's 2026 budget ripe with politics, thinner on strategy
* Indonesia’s ‘Gasoline Godfather’ targetted in US$18bil graft probe
* Dozens hurt after 5.8-magnitude quake rocks Sulawesi island
Protesters shout slogans as they rally against the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, in front of the presidential office in Seoul on Monday, August 18, 2025. -- Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
Thailand:
* Police and prosecutors interrogate Thai PM Paetongtarn over Hun Sen’s leaked audio clip
* Thailand to allow foreign tourists to convert crypto to baht
* Thais dissatisfied with MPs, losing faith in parties: poll
* Thailand's Q2 growth beats forecast but faces slowdown in H2 on tariffs
* Asia FX steady, stocks mixed ahead of US-Ukraine meeting, Fed symposium
Philippines:
* Philippine President Marcos wants a smoother zero balance implementation in hospitals
* Philippine gambling sites start moving to other apps
* Philippine flood control works get ‘fraud audit’
* South Korean and US militaries begin annual summertime drills to cope with North Korean threats
A building billows smoke as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that broke out in Osaka, Japan, on Monday, August 18, 2025. -- Photo: Kyodo/via REUTERS
Vietnam:
* China slams Germany for 'hyping' regional tensions in Asia
* Fitch Ratings warns Vietnam’s growth push may raise debt risks
* Vietnam proposes scrapping business conditions
* Vietnam PM attends ceremony announcing Unesco World Heritage status for Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes
Myanmar:
* Global inflation forecast to reach four per cent in 2025, German think tank says
* Myanmar to hold first phase of general election on Dec 28 despite raging civil war, state TV reports
* Myanmar district chief suspended for raping four women, sentenced to 10 years in prison and 300,000 yuan compensation
* Myanmar election to begin December 28: junta
A man is silhouetted as he carries plastic containers while heading home outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. -- AP Photo/Heng Sinith
Cambodia:
* Cambodian lotion and beauty tycoon jailed for incitement and demoralising army
* Thailand clears 99 per cent of landmines in areas bordering Cambodia
* Cambodian train derailment sees 70,000 litres of diesel spilt
* China-aided landmine clearance project benefits over 2.6 million Cambodians: official
Laos:
* Unicef: Climate change biggest threat to children, Asean children summit to tackle concerns
* South Korean projects bring better health to Laos
* Laos eyes export of rosella, onions, sesame to South Korea
Brunei:
* Brunei announces financing scheme for youth entrepreneurs
* Bruneians alerted to Macau scam
* Dollar braces for busy week of geopolitics and Fed speak
Armed police officers stand guard outside the West Kowloon court after Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai arrived for his national security trial in Hong Kong on Monday, August 18, 2025. --Photo by ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP
AseanPlus:
* Over 100,000 expected at Gaza solidarity gathering at Dataran Merdeka
* Sarawak GOF seizes smuggled goods, illegal timber worth RM4.85mil
* Chinese national jailed, fined for causing hurt to Immigration officer at KLIA
* Two foreigners without entry records detained at KLIA
* Spend now, stress later: The double-edged sword of buy-now-pay-later deals for Malaysians
* HK-based artiste Kelvin Kwan loses wedding ring while touring KL with his wife
* Qantas fined US$59mil for firing 1,820 employees during Covid-19 pandemic
* 'Running Man' star Kim Jong-kook, 49, to wed in private ceremony
* Military court finds New Zealand soldier guilty of attempted espionage
* Maggie Cheung, 60, joins Xiaohongshu; responds with grace to comments about her ‘looking old’
* US’ annual China human rights review shorter, remains sharply critical
* Australians more anxious about Trump tariffs than China, poll shows
* Action star Jet Li sparks health concerns after sharing video from hospital bed
* Modi's tax overhaul to strain finances but boost image amid US trade tensions
* Watchmaker Swatch apologises for 'slanted eye' ad after online backlash in China
* Hong Kong democrat Jimmy Lai given heart monitor for final stretch of marathon trial
* China stocks rally to decade-high on easing tariff tensions, rotation of funds
* Google agrees US$36mil fine for anti-competitive deals with Australia telcos
* A factory town in crisis shows Japan’s fading manufacturing era
* Shares nudge higher in Asia, oil slips on truce talks
* US cancels India trade talks scheduled for August
* Some of the world's best destinations for whale watching
* Heavy rain disrupts traffic, floods roads in India's Mumbai
* India's Modi has phone call with Russia's Putin
* A South Korean city wanted ‘Big Tree’ landmark. It got a $31.8m letdown
* Teen gaming addicts prone to stress, sleep loss, depression – survey
* South Korean actor Lee Ji-hoon accused of domestic violence by wife
* Japan steel groups seek reforms to stop tariff evasion as China exports surge
* Pakistan resumes rescue operations in flood-hit areas; death toll over 300
* How a driving score turned road safety into a national game in South Korea
* Foxconn’s Apple era fades as AI servers drive growth in Taiwan tech sector
* Pakistan defends flood response after over 270 people killed in north-western district
* South Korea's Lee orders partial phased implementation of existing North Korea pacts
* Photos of Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games show how a human touch is still needed
* Creeping into the hearts of many -- From fireflies to crickets, bugs are treasured companions in Japan
* Cricket - Pakistan tell Babar to improve strike rate for T20 comeback
* Motor racing - Piastri gets his own grandstand for 2026 Australian GP
* Japan’s Akie Iwai wins The Standard Portland Classic to join twin sister Chisato as 2025 LPGA Tour Rolex First Time Winner
