Asean News Headlines as at 10pm on Wednesday (Sept 30)

An excavator brings down a wall of one of the "villas" in the Cibinong men's prison, where inmates allegedly paid rent for the luxury accommodation, during demolition work of the structures on the prison grounds in Bogor on Sept 30, 2026. - AFP

Malaysia

* M'sia, Qatar call for immediate end to Middle East war, faster humanitarian aid delivery, says PM

* Negri royal row: End impasse now to restore confidence in state govt, says PKR

* 15 job scam syndicate members fined over US-targeted fraud

* MACC proposes governance improvements for Felda, two subsidiaries

* Minimum wage exemption gives MSMEs breathing space, says SME Malaysia

* Tun M admitted to IJN for observation following wife's passing

* Cabinet prays for Tun Dr M's health, says Comms Minister

vRising wages fail to ease financial strain for some urban families, study finds

* Zoo Melaka wants to know: Wakanda name best fits our new black panther cub?

* Flash floods: Nine workers trapped by floodwaters at Cyberjaya project site

* Four Singaporeans hurt after car crashes into drain on Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai road

* Malaysian firms generate RM305.62mil sales at China-Asean Expo

* Haze worsens with 33 areas nationwide recording unhealthy API readings as of 8am

* Nude man arrested in Melaka after attempted abduction of toddler

* Former investment bank employees charged over US$16mil fraud

* Court allows Anwar's bid for pre-trial ruling on issues in Yusoff Rawther suit

* Smoke from Kalimantan, Sumatra hotspots causing haze in M'sia, says DOE

* Unhealthy API readings recorded across 20 areas as of 4.30pm

* Nepal to help expedite status verification process for 55 missing M'sians, says Comms Minister

* SMEs exempted from new minimum wage hike for now, says cabinet

* Johor Bomba rescues 44 trapped inside kindergarten, nursery due to flash floods

* Hulu Selangor roads to close in stages for Le Tour de Langkawi on Oct 1, say cops

* Fuel prices Oct 1-7: RON97, unsubsidised RON95 down 5sen, unsubsidised diesel down 15sen

* Melaka polls: Nothing finalised in terms of collaborations, says Pakatan election director

* Myanmar man gets 16 years' jail for causing 80-year-old fruit seller's death

* KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit fares to get price hike on Jan 1

* Court orders care centre murder accused to undergo psych evaluation

Singapore

* Singapore man gets 7½ years’ jail for duping father and other victims of over S$3.8mil to help friend

* Electricity tariff for Singapore households to fall by 10.4% in fourth quarter of 2026

* Man who assaulted pre-school boy in Singapore gets 14 weeks’ jail; victim had shown him a lewd hand gesture

* Haze in Singapore: Air quality improves slightly but PSI in most areas still in unhealthy range

People wading through a flooded street after heavy rain in Bangkok. - AP

Thailand

* Bangkok weighs longer work from home arrangements as floods ease

* Minister tells Thai Airways to keep cargo moving and expects 8,000 bags cleared by Oct 2

* Thai government insures 30 million homes against disasters from Oct 1

* Bangkok floods wipe out 80% of restaurant sales amid cash-flow crisis

* Thai floods disrupt factories, capital still at risk, PM says

* Thai PM Anutin launches flood war room with daily briefings, defends cash handouts

* Thai Airways halts Suvarnabhumi cargo intake for a week from Sept 30

* Thai August factory output rises 4.44% y/y, beats forecast

Indonesia

* Death toll from capsized ship in Indonesia rises to 78

* ‘Luxury villas’ demolished at Indonesian prison as probe finds ‘abuse of authority’

* Indonesia’s health minister Budi Sadikin hopes to be first South-East Asian chief at WHO

* Indonesian governor orders halt on data centre project by Singapore's BDx due to lack of permits

* Indonesia suspends officials over inquiry into luxury prison cells

* 'Gift from God': Rain brings relief from Indonesia's toxic haze

Jeepney drivers and various groups walking along a street to protest against high fuel prices in Manila on Sept 30, 2026. The Philippines has been struggling to deal with soaring fuel costs from the Middle East war, and as an import-dependent country it declared a national energy emergency in March, forcing it to cast an ever-wider net for fuel, including purchases of oil from Russia. - AFP

Philippines

* MILF infighting in Philippines leaves boy dead, man wounded in Maguindanao

* Philippine President launches platform for transparent govt spending

* ICC rejects former Philippine president's bid to verify open-source evidence before trial

Vietnam

* Vietnam hosts Asean conference on combating fugitives

* Ho Chi Minh City probes death of Australian woman after cosmetic surgery

* Vietnam's Ta Xua named Asia's leading emerging tourism destination 2026

* Vietnam admits 'differing opinions' on Hanoi development

Cambodia

* Cambodia raises monthly minimum wage for garment workers to US$212 for 2027

* Young Cambodians tackle AI scams, misinformation, digital exclusion

* Cambodia's economic growth projected to slow to 3% in 2026 amid rising costs: IMF

Myanmar

* Almost 900 illegal oil sites cleared in central Myanmar

* One dead amid flooding in southern Myanmar

Laos

* China opens rare joint military support centre in Laos

Brunei

* Sultan stresses clear path for Brunei LNG, BGC competitiveness

* Brunei financial assets reach BND25.9B over decade

* Consumer protection supports fair, trusted market in Brunei

This aerial view photo taken on Sept 29, 2026 shows visitors watching a 3.5-metre shark (centre) trapped in an artificial waterway in the southeastern port city of Busan. The wayward shark became an unlikely celebrity in South Korea, drawing massive crowds, earning plaudits from the local mayor and even moving the stock market. - YONHAP/AFP)

Aseanplus

* Malaysian woman proud to find grandad honoured in China for secret WWII sacrifice

* 'Today's ruling has killed our family once more’: Parents of S. Korean girl killed in sexual assault lament lenient sentence

* Delhi’s ‘chonkiest’ dogs battle for hearts and a crown

* Japan faces price hikes on over 3,000 food items in October

* TikTok Korea removes former singer’s account over sex crime record

* US police report raises more questions about Chinese researcher Wang Danhao’s death

* Japan court rules human voice is protected in TikTok AI case

* Chinese team sets world record with swarm of 116 underwater drones

* Sydney airport near-misses spur probe of controller fatigue

* Chinese factory activity returns to growth in September amid AI boom

* Lost shark becomes viral star in South Korea

* In Nepal's flood zone, teachers mourn students who never returned

* China reveals plan to map the entire surface of Mars by 2028 amid race with US

* 79-year-old arrested after separate shootings in Japan’s Kobe leave one dead

* Sri Lankan ex-minister ordered to publish apology for taking truck

* North Korea calls DMZ mine blast a 'farce' as UN Command says armistice breach occurred

* China vows response if EU introduces moves targeting Chinese trade

* South Korea demands North Korea stop border fortification work immediately

* China pledges to ‘firmly support’ Cuba as US escalates pressure on Havana

* Indian opposition parties to launch protests over alleged manipulation of voter lists

* Countdown begins to biggest-ever Rugby World Cup in Australia

* HK actress Eva Lai, 62, to marry next year

* Chinese actress Angelababy stuns in sheer dress at Milan Fashion Week