Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Tuesday (March 17, 2026)

The wife of one of the Thai crew members of the bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, who gave her name as Bass, waits for her husband to arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. Twenty Thai crew members of a cargo ship that was attacked in the crucial Strait of Hormuz arrived in Thailand on March 16, with three of their colleagues still stranded on the vessel in the Gulf. -- Photo by Chanakarn LAOSARAKHAM / AFP

Malaysia:

* Over 3.49 million vehicles expected on highways this Hari Raya season, says LLM

* 50% toll discount for two days starting March 18, says Fahmi

* Hamzah denies meeting Anwar, claims he has support from more MPs than Bersatu

* Public sector work-from-home framework expected after Hari Raya

* Chin files motion to enforce Sabah’s 40% revenue share

* Zamri Vinoth charged over provocative remarks

* My status as Opposition Leader 'hanging', admits Hamzah

* Takiyuddin ready to serve as Opposition Leader if entrusted

* Bersatu veep questions deputy minister's presence at Arun's charging

* 87 companies under investigation for alleged umrah cartel, says Fuziah

* Deputy Law Minister clarifies brief meeting with Arun outside Jawi court

* Court adjourns charge against Tamim Dahri to May 15 as accused is in Riyadh

* MIC still with Barisan, no decision yet on whether to leave, says Saravanan

* Ops Hari Raya Aidilfitri: JPJ to use drones to monitor traffic

* Activist Arun Dorasamy to be charged in Jawi magistrate's court today

* Tok Mat: Malaysians in Mideast can fly back

* Muhyiddin denies Bersatu seeking closer ties with Pakatan

This aerial picture shows vehicles stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway heading out of Jakarta at a toll booth in Cikampek, West Java, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, as people are heading to their hometowns for the upcoming Eid al-Fitr (Hari Raya) festivities, which mark the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. -- Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP

Singapore:

* TMJ planning residential project on Singapore's Holland Road

* Man in Singapore arrested for allegedly deliberately insulting religion of a person

* Singapore's Scoot cancels flights to Jeddah till March 28 due to Middle East conflict

* Singapore Courts warns of fake ‘court orders’ asking for transfer of money

* Singtel says ‘small number’ of customers facing issues; unrelated to eight-hour disruption on March 16

* Asia stocks attempt a rebound with central banks in the spotlight

* Oil climbs over 2% as Iran war halts supply

* Singapore's February exports rise 4.% y-o-y, lower than expected

* Singapore - Singtel mobile services restored after eight-hour disruption; payments, ride hailing affected

Indonesia:

* 'It's time to be merry': Millions of Indonesians in Eid travel exodus

* Indonesian police detain three Europeans for producing porn

* Indonesia adopts flexible work and travel curbs under energy-saving measures

* Indonesia central bank chief expects stable rupiah, maintains growth outlook

* Indonesia weighs response to price pressures from Middle East conflict

* Indonesia - Police seek four suspects over acid attack on activist

Motorists queue up at a petrol station in Bangkok following import disruptions caused by the Middle East war. Oil prices jumped further above US$100, and Asian stocks mostly fell as the Iran war moved into a third week, with both sides showing no sign of backing down and diplomats trying to ensure safe passage for tankers through the crucial Strait of Hormuz. -- Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP

Thailand:

* Thai eSports players sentenced to three months' detention over SEA Games cheating scandal

* Thailand secures extra crude oil to ensure fuel supply during Songkran

* Thai PM holds tense two-hour talks with economic team on Middle East energy crisis

* Bangkok PM2.5 rises as temperatures hit 36°C and storms remain possible

* Thai monarch visits Laos and strengthens long-standing friendship; first visit in 32 years

Philippines:

* Philippine president set to gain powers on fuel taxes after Senate approval 

* Philippines starts P5,000 fuel aid for drivers; nationwide by April

* Currency bears beware, Asia’s central banks are drawing a line

* Middle East oil becomes the most expensive in the world as war cuts supply

* Philippine police thwart teenagers’ alleged plan to attack school with Molotov cocktails, bombs

Tricycle drivers prepare their documents to receive government cash assistance to support their livelihoods as oil prices continue to rise on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Manila, Philippines. -- AP Photo/Aaron Favila

Vietnam:

* Vietnam chemical boss and among the richest in the country, arrested for 'dumping, mining, tax evasion'

* Vietnamese PM meets with senior Chinese officials

* Vietnam's aviation regulator warns carriers of flight cuts

* UAV intrusion forces four flights in Vietnam to divert to alternate airport

* Vietnam firms vie for crypto licences as Hanoi plans ban on overseas trading

Myanmar:

* Seven foreigners arrested in India after allegedly training Myanmar rebels: reports

* Khin Yi elected new speaker of Myanmar's lower house

* South Korean man jailed 15 years in Yangon for human trafficking via “blind date” scheme

* Gold firms as investors assess Middle East fallout ahead of policy decisions

Motorists wait in a queue to refuel their vehicles at a petrol station in Vientiane. Long lines of vehicles queued for hours for fuel in the Laotian capital, Vientiane, as the ripples of the conflict in the Middle East reverberated in landlocked Laos. -- Photo by AFP

Cambodia:

* Thailand to start building border fences after Cambodia clashes

* Cambodian tuk-tuk drivers' income hit as fuel prices rise amid Middle East conflict

* Conservationist group discovers coral spawning for first time at two areas in Cambodia

* Bitcoin surprises as oasis of calm while Iran war jolts markets

Laos:

* Hours-long fuel queues in Laos capital Vientiane

* Laos strengthens disaster response amid rising climate risks

* Thai King and Queen arrive in Laos on state visit

Brunei:

* Brunei steps up environmental protection

* Currency peg to Singapore dollar key to economic stability: Bruneian minister

* Foreign outflows extend across Asian markets

The USS Tripoli (LHA-7) amphibious assault ship enters the Singapore Straits, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Singapore, on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Edgar Su

AseanPlus:

* Global funds look to Malaysia as Iran war shakes up asian assets

* Fahmi: Cabinet updated on US–Malaysia trade pact, no new info yet

* Melaka soldier gets seven years for sexually abusing own son

* Harith Iskander vents anger over long wait at NRD branch

* Speculation grows over Syed Saddiq–Bella Astillah Raya wedding

* Actress Atikah Suhaime gets RM10,000 cash bouquet from husband for 35th birthday

* Hari Raya no longer the same for actor Azhan Rani after father's passing

* Israel says it killed Iranian security chief Larijani in strike

* New Zealand minister warns of Middle East supply chain risks

* Japan removes Japanese crane from threatened species list

* Chinese economy gets off to solid start in 2026

* Nepal confirms first transgender lawmaker

* China calls for restraint after Pakistani strikes in Kabul

* AI to drive growth despite geopolitics, Taiwan's Foxconn says

* China says envoy sent on Afghanistan-Pakistan mediation mission

* Alibaba creates AI tool for companies to ride China agent craze

* Japan stocks face earnings risk as conflict in Iran lifts oil costs

* Family of Bondi shooting accused fear for their safety, court hears

* Sri Lanka announces four-day work week over fears conflict will drag

* Shady pilot licences expose Bangladesh national flag carrier to risk

* Japan's first cherry blossom of 2026 confirmed in Kofu, Gifu and Kochi

* Afghanistan says 400 people killed in Pakistan strike on Kabul hospital

* Samsung workers' strike plan would disrupt chip supply, union chief says

* China says takes note of US 'clarifications' on possible Trump visit delay

* Shigeaki Mori, Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor embraced by Obama, dies at 88

* Taiwan says sale of second package of arms from US is proceeding on schedule

* Citigroup cuts 12-month bitcoin, ether targets as US crypto legislation stalls

* 'It was like doomsday,' says Kabul hospital survivor after Pakistan air strike

* Australia central bank hikes rates in tight call as Iran war stokes inflation risk

* Four confirmed dead after fishing boat collides with cargo ship off north-eastern Japan

* South Korean military launches probe after child hit by suspected stray bullet in playground

* Seoul police ban civilian firearm retrieval ahead of BTS concert; safety measures stepped up

* North Korea to convene new assembly on March 22 to consider constitutional revision, KCNA says

* S. Koreans bask in Oscars triumph -- country basks in the success of KPop Demon Hunters after the film clinches two Oscars

* Iranian women soccer players granted asylum in Australia are pictured training in Brisbane

* Football -- Double blow for FAM as AFC overturn two wins, slap fine too

* Football -- Football fans protest outside FAM HQ

* Soccer - Kerr fires Australia into Asian Cup final; stunning goal ensures China go out of tournament