Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Friday (July 3, 2026)

People watch as Mount Merapi volcano spews hot lava and steam as seen from Srumbung, in Magelang, Central Java province, Indonesia, on Friday, July 3, 2026. - Photo: REUTERS/Dwi Oblo

Malaysia

* Malaysia not changing stance on Jho Low despite possible US pardon, says Anwar

* Azam Baki's NFCC advisory board membership not tied to MACC chief post, says Anwar

* Azam Baki named to NFCC board in his personal capacity, D-G clarifies

* Controversial businessman Albert Tei wants MACC probe into Aminuddin

* Johor polls: Pakatan unveils 10-point manifesto

* Five warders from Taiping Prison claim trial to hurting inmates

* Anwar announces RM10mil boost for taxi industry rejuvenation

* Johor polls: Five BN candidates for Greater JB area launch joint manifesto

* Johor polls: PAS calls on youths to help PN prevent Pakatan victory

* Negri polls: Albert Tei to take on Loke in Chennah with PN's 'support'?

* Coup plot probe: Na'imah and children believed to be in Europe, says Home Minister

* Subsidised diesel applications open for company jeeps and pickup trucks, says Armizan

* DPP to decide if expanded probe needed over Pamela Ling's disappearance, says Home Minister

* Three Chinese nationals fined RM5,000 each for World Cup gambling

* Barisan set to retain two-thirds majority in Johor, say analysts

* New hospital to be built in Bandar Enstek to ease HTJ congestion, says Dzulkefly

* Malaysia assures Belgium that South China Sea will remain open

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) and East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta shake hands at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace in Dili on Friday, July 3, 2026. -- Photo by Valentino Dariell DE SOUSA / AFP

Singapore

* AI spending and construction boom drive Singapore's growth forecast to 4.3 per cent in 2026

* Porridge shop owner in Singapore faces tax evasion and laundering charges; Lamborghini, S$2.4mil cash listed in claims

* Singapore, Timor-Leste to strengthen economic ties, bilateral exchanges: PM Wong

* Johor must become economic powerhouse instead of Singapore 'feeder', says Pakatan’s Amirudin

* US State Department approves possible sale of Hellfire missiles to Singapore

* Bowling - Singapore shatter title dream, Qurratu'Ain and Co settle for bronze

* Super Junior’s Donghae apologises to fans after collapsing at Hong Kong concert

* US Supreme Court strikes down Trump birthright citizenship order

* Singapore firms can hire Timorese work permit holders from mid-2027 in sectors like construction

Indonesia

* India's Modi confirms visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand next week

* Beijing’s message for Asean – China doesn’t want to become a regional hegemon

* Oil prices little changed ahead of long US weekend as peace efforts hold

* Indonesia's Aceh canes couple for kissing in TikTok video

* Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes Halmahera, Indonesia

* Indonesia seizes 3.37 tonnes of cannabis buds intended for vapes

* Body of American pilot killed in Indonesian separatist conflict recovered

* Alleged bullying death of 16-year-old in Indonesia renews fears of school violence

Emily (left), a sex worker, waves as she waits for clients in the back of a bar in Pattaya on July 2, 2026. Scantily dressed and wearing stiletto heels, hundreds of girls, some apparently very young, form a seedy guard of honour under the lights of Soi 6, a street in one of Pattaya's red-light districts. -- Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP

Thailand

* Malaysians' safety top priority, assures Thailand after Tak Bai bomb blast

* Thai police detain man to facilitate the investigation into Tak Bai bomb blast

* Thai nurse defies Buddhist custom to save monks in deadly crash

* Death toll hits 10 in Thai monk procession crash

* How drug gangs use social media to recruit Thai air crew as couriers

* Thai exports seen up 8% to 10% this year, shippers' group says

* Thai police arrest husband and wife in Melbourne heroin case

* Tropical Storm Maysak brings heavy-rain warning for 15 red-zone Thai provinces

Philippines

* Carney and Marcos deepen Canada-Philippines ties as Ottawa looks beyond US trade

* Dollar heads for biggest weekly drop since April as jobs data dims Fed hike bets

* Asian markets find footing as US jobs data, PMIs lift stocks

* Graft charges for pro-Duterte senator ahead of impeachment trial

* China ramps up warning to Japan, Philippines over maritime talks

* Bomb, gun threats shut down Philippine high school in Eastern Samar

People attend the beatification mass for the late Vietnamese Catholic priest Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep at the Tac Say Pilgrimage Center in Ca Mau province in southern Vietnam. Tens of thousands of Catholics flocked to a small parish in the Mekong Delta on July 2 for the first beatification ceremony held on Vietnamese soil, with an envoy of Pope Leo XIV presiding over the special mass. -- Photo by AFP

Vietnam

* European Free Trade Association and Vietnam conclude long-negotiated free trade agreement

* Vietnam police prosecute 22 suspects in transnational diamond-smuggling ring, seize 1,100 diamonds

* Vietnam auto market sees strong growth in EVs

* Vietnam Q2 GDP growth accelerates to 8.39% year on year

* Vietnam: Thousands honour martyr in ceremony near Mekong Delta

* Vietnam's captain marvel Nguyen Quang Hai primed for key role in his team's title defence of Asean Hyundai Cup

Myanmar

* Myanmar set to restart contentious US$3.6bil dam project backed by China

* Myanmar ex-junta chief makes first Asean outing as civilian leader

* Malaysian Immigration Dept nab 13 foreigners including blacklisted individuals in Kelantan raids

* Over 800 killed, 2,051 injured in road accidents in Myanmar in first five months of 2026

* Asean news: Police bust over US$300mil in illegal World Cup betting ring

Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing (left) and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith attended a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Vientiane. - Photo by Myanmar's Presidential Press and Information Bureau / AFP

Cambodia

* Manet shares Cambodia's desire for peaceful border solution with international Red Cross

* Surge in Indonesians seeking repatriation as Cambodia cracks down on scam centres

* 18,000 hectares of Battambang rice fields hit by water shortages during rainy season

* Alibaba to ban Claude Code in workplace over alleged backdoor risks, source says

Laos

* Thanaleng Dry Port drives Laos’ land-linked future

* Lao senior officials hold talks on key national priorities

* Iran warns oil tankers to use approved routes in Strait of Hormuz or face a 'forceful response'

Brunei

* Twelve suspects arrested in Brunei drug operation

* Fishermen's Day to promote conservation of Brunei's marine resources

* Gold heads for first weekly rise in five on easing Fed rate-hike bets

Philippines' Alexandra Eala signs autographs for fans after winning her second-round match against Australia's Maya in the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Photo: REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Aseanplus

* Mohamad Sabu to represent Malaysia at Iran supreme leader's funeral

* Ringgit ends higher against US dollar on favourable Asian currency sentiment

* HK actor Michael Tao makes rare appearance with wife in KL, following secret marriage last year

* India investigating Tata data leak that exposed Apple iPhone secrets

* Japan to drastically raise foreigners' residency fees from October 

* 'Supergirl' can't get off the ground in Korea, either

* Economy: Solid factory activity boosts expansion

* Japan deploys bear cameras in mountains as attacks surge

* South Korea: US accuses Seoul of targeting e-commerce firm

* China's June services activity slows slightly, private PMI shows

* Indian PM Modi to make first official visit to New Zealand next week

* Australian PM condemns delay of changes to child social media ban

* Japan keeps yen intervention threat alive, says in close touch with US

* Will China build an electric rocket launch pad on the roof of the world?

* Why Chinese-American success stories still provoke prejudice and fear

* Japanese concrete firm serves up grey curry to put fun spin on industry

* India: Seven workers crushed to death at stone quarry in Southern India

* South Korean police officer accidentally kills woman she was sent to help

* A US$450 taxi fare sparks fresh concerns over tourist scams in South Korea

* Wang Yi warns Marco Rubio to approach Taiwan affairs with ‘utmost caution’

* Chinese Venezuelans turn community networks into lifeline after earthquakes

* China to cut gasoline and diesel prices by the biggest margin in nearly six year

* Fallen firefighter Ho awarded Medal for Bravery in Hong Kong’s 2026 Honours List

* EU sets October deadline for ‘tangible results’ on China imbalances after key trade talks

* Chinese woman, 93, ‘reunites’ with Korean war husband 70 years later via restored photo

* G-Dragon named honorary ambassador for Unesco heritage committee meeting in Busan

* UBTech’s lifelike humanoid robots built for companionship arriving in homes across China

* US hollows out G20 agenda, casts Miami summit as ‘backdrop for Trump-Xi meeting’: sources

* Single China mum carries steel tubes to fund education, weeps, hugs daughter who aces gaokao

* Bengaluru horror: Toddlers put inside washing machine, sprayed with toilet jet; five booked, daycare shut

* Tropical Storm Maysak hits southern China's Hainan, flights and ferries suspended as thousands expected to be affected

* Malaysian super-music legends, including Karyawan Chairman Khatijah Ibrahim, will stage the 'Legends Concert' in Miri on Saturday (July 4)

* Entertainment: Actress Christy Chung gifts daughter Jaden RM20k bracelet for 18th birthday

* Soccer-Climate change behind sweltering World Cup, scientists say

* Badminton: Zi Yu guarantees Malaysia two medals at Asian Juniors

* Badminton: Zii Jia reaches Canadian Open quarter-finals

* Football: Explainer-Soccer-Why is South Korea so furious at its World Cup coach?

* Special feature: The Asean Hyundai Cup - the dreams of nations and their future in the game of football in South-East Asia