Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Sunday (Jan 4, 2026)

Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) shows rescue personnel securing a body bag containing the remains of missing Spanish man Fernando Martin Carreras, from waters off Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday (Jan 4, 2026). Rescuers retrieved on Sunday the body of a Spanish man who had been missing since a tourist boat sank in rough seas off eastern Indonesia more than a week ago, an official said. -- Photo by Handout / INDONESIA'S NATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE AGENCY (BASARNAS) / AFP

Malaysia

* Anwar says US action in Venezuela violates international law, calls for Maduro's immediate release

* Teaser fuels talk on reviving Muafakat Nasional / * Call for Umno to quit govt

* Brighter KL to beckon the world

* Seven-meter python captured in Baling plantation

* Umno withdrawing from unity government a matter for supreme council, says Zambry

* Melaka DAP exco ready to resign if Barisan withdraws from state govt

* Anwar hails UMMC for successful liver transplant on four-month-old baby

* Remand extended for lawyer linked to prison drug smuggling case

* Zambry: PTPTN restructuring targets non-paying borrowers only, open for discussion

* Two killed in crash involving buffalo, car, 4WD in Tangkak

* Company director charged with insulting Islam, acting aggressively towards police

* U-turn at KM9.5 on Sg Besi Expressway to close for six months

* Education Ministry focuses on two priorities for 2026 school session, says Fadhlina

* Rising market participation likely to push Bursa Malaysia upwards from Monday (Jan 5) onward

* Ringgit projected to appreciate to 3.95 against the US dollar by year-end, thanks to solid fundamentals 

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) receives flowers from a child as he and his wife Kim Hea Kyung arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport for their official visit, in Beijing, China, on Sunday, Jan 4, 2026. -- Photo: Dai Tianfang/Xinhua

Singapore

* Singapore gravely concerned by US intervention in Venezuela, urges all parties to exercise restraint

* Singaporean women are healthier than their Chinese counterparts, says top actress Fan Bingbing

* Man filling RON95 in a Singapore-registered car identified, says Johor cop

* Fan Bingbing on the rise of C-beauty and entering the Singapore market

* Collecting your passport and IC in Singapore takes just five minutes with ICA’s new robots

* Wolf supermoon peers through cloudy night sky above Singapore

* 20 evacuated after fire breaks out at People’s Park Complex home in Singapore

* ‘No fixed cultural identity’: new Chinese-American writers are telling their own stories

Indonesia

* 2026 car market: World hits the brakes on EVs as hybrids rise to be the new automotive heroes

* Indonesian rescuers find Spanish tourist's body after boat sinks; said to be the body of Carreras, the Valencia women's coach

* Dead chickens sent to government critics

* New penal code takes effect, marking historic break with colonial law

* Do-or-die year in Indonesia for Prabowo’s free meals rollout

* Trampoline fitness trending in Indonesia

Thailand

* Thai PM Anutin urges public to trust army, dismisses fears of third clash with Cambodia 

* Durian Wars: Vietnam set to overtake Thailand and Malaysia in Chinese market within three years, says Asean expert

* AI bubble fears and policy splits loom over Asia stocks in 2026

* Tourism in Thailand faces challenges but shows growth as long-haul arrivals soar

* Most Songkhla voters prefer Abhisit as Thai PM and vow to back Democrats: Nida poll

Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi soars through the air during the trial round for the Men's Individual Large Hill HS128 event of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, the third leg of the Four Hills Tournament, in Innsbruck, Austria on Sunday, January 4 , 2026. -- Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP

Philippines

* Philippines' lawmakers blast US govt over invasion of Venezuela

* ‘More hassle than fun’: Philippines struggles to draw tourists as it lags regional peers in arrivals

* Feast of the Black Nazarene: Crowd in Manila reaches 8,000

* Niño Jesus image stolen from nativity display in Philippines' Olongapo City parish

Vietnam

* Vietnam's VinFast-linked GSM eyes international IPO;  floats US$20 billion valuation 

* All Vietnamese citizens in Venezuela are safe, says Ambassador

* Vietnam voices concern over Venezuela situation, urges restraint and respect for int'l law

* Tourism breaks pre-pandemic records in Vietnam in 2025

Myanmar

* USDP leads in early polls tally in Myanmar

* Myanmar junta says to release over 6,000 prisoners in annual amnesty

* Myanmar removes companies from blacklist after export earnings fully deposited

* Foreign residents make up 9.5 per cent of people in 20s in Japan

Cambodia

* Cambodia records 6.33 million international air passengers in the first 11 months of 2025

* Cambodia: Border village annexed

* Cambodia reaps US$1.5bil from raw cashew nut exports

* Plea for peace as thousands of Cambodians remain displaced by border encroachment

Laos

* Laos posts significant achievements across sectors over the past five years

* Laos' average inflation rate stands at 7.7 per cent in 2025

* The 14 global tends that will shape the climate in 2026

Brunei

* Brunei Sultan sends message of congratulations to Myanmar

* Brunei royalty grace football match

* OPEC+ to keep oil output steady despite turmoil among members, sources say

A person slides down an ice slide at the annual Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China, on Sunday, January 4, 2026.--Photo: REUTERS/Go Nakamura

Aseanplus

* From New York to KL, Tengku Irfan asserts his place in the world of conducting

* VM2026: Police step up security nationwide

* Historic unveiling of Buddha gems by India

* Man bares all for emperor at New Year’s palace event

* Ex-president Yoon’s detention extended

* In a frozen northeastern Chinese city, an annual ode to ice rises

* Malaysia keeps close watch on Caracas amid heightened security tensions

* Australia, NZ back international law after US raid on Venezuela

* North Korea fires ballistic missiles in first test of 2026

* India security forces kill 14 Maoist rebels: police

* In a frozen northeastern Chinese city, an annual ode to ice rises

* Young South Koreans warming to marriage again, survey shows

* Thai motorcyclist killed in crash on Kuala Besut Bridge

* Stuck in Afghanistan, Pakistanis want border to finally reopen

* Why Malaysians are now the biggest consumers of beef in South-East Asia

* The scars of Gaza: Much talked-about docudrama 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' makes its way to Malaysians screen on Jan 8

* South Korea's Lee begins China state visit after North fires missiles

* Chinese Embassy warns citizens in Japan to stay vigilant amid surging violent incidents 

* China woman films dog eating from plate at restaurant; shop vows to sue after brief closure

* Rape survivor’s husband lodges complaint against accused Indian Legislative Assembly member

* Government to facilitate return of 36 umrah pilgrims stranded in Madinah

* Japan’s department stores close for New Year, giving their employees a break

* Hong Kong’s sex offence laws are to be overhauled. What needs to be updated?

* Just how close did a PLA drone come to the heart of Taipei during drill?

* Australia's Super-K flu strain drives record global outbreaks

* Trump, Venezuela and rewriting the world order

* NGOs, activists want US to cease military action against Venezuela immediately

* Over 100 people die of cold-related illnesses in Bangladesh's Rangpur district in three days

* Over 20 per cent of South Koreans 65 and older in 2025: data

* Worker dies in northeast Australian mine collapse

* Reduced risks, not breakthroughs main aim of South Korean President Lee's trip to China

* Tea leaves cause 11-car pileup in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture; resulting in one death, three taken to hospital

* Groups welcome updated Hong Kong biodiversity plan but call for more details

* Tennis - Raducanu pulls out of Osaka tie at United Cup as fitness concerns resurface

* Cricket - Bangladesh seeking to move T20 World Cup matches from India: report

* Cricket - Brook finally shows the patience and control his critics have demanded

* Badminton -- Chance for Pearly-Thinaah to break home curse