Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Saturday (June 20, 2026)

Seven-month-old male giant panda cub Satrio Wiratama, known as Rio, is pictured with his mother Hu Chun at the Panda Palace of Taman Safari Indonesia in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, marking the first panda cub born in Indonesia via artificial insemination from a breeding pair brought from China in 2017 under a 10-year loan agreement. -- Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP

Malaysia

* Hawana 2026: PM commends local media for upholding ethics, integrity

* Malaysia’s fuel, gas supply secure for 20 years after talks with Putin, says Anwar

* MMC probing fake MC syndicate amid alleged insider involvement

* Dewan Rakyat sitting begins Monday, key bills set to take centre stage

* Doctor, Revenue Board officer among three killed in Pekan road crash

* Malaysia needs to examine the blind box economy

* National Food Security Bill to be tabled in 2027, says Mat Sabu

* Mitra distributes laptops to 258 Indian undergraduates in Johor

* Wildlife officials seize elephant tusk, live pangolins in Kinabatangan operation

* Bangladesh PM's Malaysia visit to add impetus to finalise FTA, says trade body 

* Payment made to Kok, Jamal's asset auction scheduled for June 22 put on hold

* Refugees must respect Malaysian laws in exchange for protection, says UNHCR

* 52,540 taxpayers declare RM4.07bil income under e-invoicing drive, says LHDN

* Amanah unveils fresh faces for Johor state election: Majority are new candidates

* Advanced Specialist Training Programme transparent, merit-based, says Health Ministry

* Southern shuttle service uses diesel trains temporarily until new EMU trains arrive, says Loke

* Johor polls: DAP fields Lee Wern Yiing as Johor Jaya candidate, Nor Zulaila Abd Ghani for Tiram

Satrio Wiratama, nicknamed - Rio - top, the first giant panda cub born in Indonesia, plays with his mother, Hu Chun, in their enclosure during a public viewing at Indonesia Safari Park in Cisarua, West Java, Indonesia, on Saturday, June 20, 2026. AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana

Singapore

* US approves sale of US$73mil high mobile rocket system upgrade for Singapore 

* Singaporean art director Amanda Koh wins an Emmy after 13 years in Hollywood

* Emergency doctor in Singapore warns of risk to road users amid reports of accidents involving drug abuse

* Two men arrested for theft of diamond worth over S$235,000 at Singapore's Chinatown jewellery store

* Three Singapore doctors fail in court challenge against IRAS ruling over tax avoidance scheme

* Singapore PM Wong, Turkish President Erdogan reaffirm warm, longstanding ties between both countries

* Three days’ jail for man who allowed chicken compost to be dumped at Tuas site he oversaw

* Singapore's HarbourFront Centre to close from July 27

* Switzerland says US-Iran talks continue at Bürgenstock, declines to identify participants

Indonesia

* House leaders in Indonesia meet student protesters in a rally against fuel prices and for free meals

* Indonesia’s blanket fuel subsidies favour the rich, say economists, urging targeted aid

* Fatality at Jakarta marathon raises concerns on safety, readiness

* Indonesian Govt halts free meals drive during holidays

* Indonesia: Last-known wild Bornean rhino sought for IVF

* The oil price syndrome - Brent set for 8% weekly fall as Israel, Hezbollah agree ceasefire

*  Love again - US billionaire John Paulson to marry fiancée 33 years his junior after turbulent split from first wife

Moo Daeng, an almost three-month-old female pygmy hippo, eats food from a tray marked with a US flag, ahead of the 2026 World Cup soccer match between the United States and Australia during an event in which animals predict match results at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand. -- Photo: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Thailand

* Man killed after old building in Bangkok partially collapses

* International departure fee goes up to US$34.20 at six Thailand airports from Saturday (June 20)

* Malaysia, Thailand step up talks over shrimp import suspension

* Man jailed 18 months over royal Facebook comment

* Heavy rain warning for 48 provinces as Bangkok braces for downpours

* Cannabis policy reviewed in Thailand amid widespread sales and legal loopholes

Philippines

* President Marcos sees opportunities for stronger Asean-Russia cooperation

* Philippines' Bureau of Immigration arrests American linked to US$2bil healthcare scam 

* 'We welcome you' Philippines to launch the Discover More To Love campaign to boost domestic travel 

* No robbery motive seen in Korean man’s slay in Philippines' Nueva Ecija

* Rodrigo Duterte ICC trial: Confidentiality issues to be sorted in next hearing

Philippine and South Korean troops participate in an amphibious raid military exercise at the Marines training base in Ternate, Cavite province, west of Manila, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, as part of the annual Philippines-US joint Marines exercise dubbed Kamandag (Venom). -- Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP

Vietnam

* Vietnamese man deported from US to South Sudan is repatriated after months in detention

* Vietnam affirms its full commitment to Asean and promises to create more new growth space 

* Beauty with brains - Hanoi high-schooler gets into top-tier US computer science university with self-developed app

* Two Vietnamese women charged in chicken feet smuggling worth US$13mil

* Japan remains top destination for Vietnamese workers as deployment reaches 60 per cent of annual target

Myanmar

* UN reports record violations of children in conflict, with government forces the main perpetrators

* Over 60,000 births involving Myanmar nationals in Malaysia since 2000

* United Nations envoy calls for release of Myanmar's Suu Kyi on 81st birthday

* Myanmar marks World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with various activities

A woman rides a motorbike transporting bundles of grass on a road in Hanoi. -- Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

Cambodia

* Cambodia and Malaysia strengthen media ties through an MoU on information development 

* No jail time but shut out of politics

* Cambodian PM Manet speaks with Thai counterpart Anutin, urges Thailand to appoint JBC chief

* Cambodia's Pursat selected for new ‘giant king grass’ planting campaign

Laos

* Laos seizes over 60 kg of suspected wildlife products and 294 live animals in two operations

* Laos boosts preparedness for flood risks in rainy season

* Laos works on national agenda to boost rural development, poverty alleviation

Brunei

* Keeping Brunei's human trafficking awareness in focus

* From startup to scale-up: Brunei founders going regional

* Losing its shine: Hawkish Fed signals send gold to third straight weekly loss

Philippine and South Korean troops participate in an amphibious raid military exercise at the Marines training base in Ternate, Cavite province, west of Manila, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, as part of the annual Philippines-US joint Marines exercise dubbed Kamandag (Venom). -- Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP

Aseanplus

* 186 illegal immigrants detained in Op Kutip

* Bangladesh PM to visit Malaysia, China on first foreign tour

* PM Anwar backs Nallini to strengthen Media Council’s standing, credibility

* RM1mil allocation for media workers under Tabung Kasih@Hawana, says Anwar

* Ringgit expected to stay softer vs US dollar next week

* Japanese men told to clean at home, not just the World Cup

* Too hot to work? Now there’s a payout

* Fire breaks out at Tokyo school

* Kashmir grounds to a halt

* Pakistan roadside blasts kill seven, AP says

* Australia detects first case of contagious H5 bird flu

* Two killed in fire at auto supplies market in Central China

* Telegram loses bid to overturn temporary blocking of the app

* Trapped on Everest for days, Nepali survivor recounts escape

* Trump reportedly seeking to turn attention North after Iran deal

* China says to impose 55% levy on Australian beef after quota hit

* Trump says US quietly moved 87 oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz

* Japan foreigner entry visa fees to be hiked five-fold to US$90 from July

* The Chinese scientists hoping to use a space solar plant to power the world

* Vance calls Iran deal a ‘win-win’ as Trump lashes out at ‘fools’ who oppose it

* Hong Kong surgeon misidentified organs in fatal blunder, hospital probe finds

* Punch and other monkeys to get air-conditioned, bigger yard at Japanese zoo

* Trump shows no regret over the deaths of three Indian sailors in Modi meeting

* South Korean ex-vice governor found guilty of perjury over 'drinking party' claims

* Chinese infant admitted to ICU for toxicity after being fed vegetable juice formula

* ‘Harder to quit than drugs’: illegal online gambling fuels Hongkongers’ growing addiction

* Chinese scientists create record-smashing brain implant electrode array thinner than hair

* China’s ‘soy sauce’ intestinal detox scam swindles over 100 seniors out of US$1.5 million

* Chinese man marries woman three days after blind date video call, regrets nine days later

* South Korean police confirm human leg found in Incheon was mistakenly discarded by hospital

* Indian women officers set to lead Defence Services Welfare Department in Punjab for the first time

* Two sisters allegedly thrown into river by family in Rajasthan’s Dholpur, honour killing angle probed

* Hong Kong abuzz with Dragon Boat Festival, APEC tourism ministers’ meeting, transportation tech forum

* Motorcycling - Ai Ogura takes pole at Czech Grand Prix with Brno lap record

* Soccer - Ancelotti expects Neymar back for Brazil's Scotland World Cup showdown

* Soccer-Turkey coach laments early exit but says players showed heart and soul / Tearful Turkey crash out without a goal