Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Monday (Oct 12, 2026)

A dancer performs during the IMF/World Bank 2026 Annual Meetings at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, October 12, 2026. --Photo: REUTERS/Patipat Janthong

Malaysia

* King Sultan Ibrahim conferred Jordan's highest civilian honour / * Sultan Ibrahim attends state welcome for Jordan's King Abdullah II

* King expresses confidence in stronger M'sia-Jordan ties

* King grants audience to Armed Forces Asst Chief of Staff for personnel services

* Jordan's King Abdullah II departs Malaysia after two-day state visit

* TH: Depositors' savings safe, core systems, services restored after cyberattack

* Attendance at Conference of Rulers does not require invitation, clarifies Royal Household Comptroller

* Malaysians advised to postpone umrah trips amid security concerns

* 19-year-old charged with murder of polytechnic student in Kuantan

* Nurses can look forward to better support and career prospects

* Haze: 22 areas record unhealthy API as at 8am, Johor still worst hit

* Youths must take the lead now, not just in future, says Anwar

* Ambulance response times for critical cases falling short, says Dr Dzul

* Authorities detected 25 'rat lanes' in Perlis as of Sept, Dewan Rakyat told

* AI-aided border control command centre underway, says Home Ministry

* KLIA Ekspres services disrupted by cable cut incident

* Budget 2027: Mitra gets RM150mil to boost Indian community programmes

* Melaka Pakatan files suit over amendment allowing up to seven unelected assemblymen

* Air Force to receive first FA-50M fighter jets on schedule, says Defence Minister

* One-off RM1,000 aid for taxi, school bus drivers to be paid in stages from Oct 14, says Loke

* Kedah cops cripple online scam syndicate impersonating as Indian police

* Fill Sabah hospital staffing gaps first with 9,000 permanent positions, says state Asst Minister

* Local woman allegedly raped by foreigner in shopping mall / * Single mother charged with exposing daughter to sexual abuse

People stand next to the IMF/World Bank 2026 Annual Meetings logo at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, October 12, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Patipat Janthong

Singapore

* At least five races and running club events cancelled due to haze pollution in Singapore

* IMF says AI investment keeps global growth around 3% but brings massive disruption

* Singapore MP Jamus Lim in hospital with pneumonia

* Indian national charged for allegedly trespassing into F1 Singapore Grand Prix event area

* Singapore mosques to remain open for daily, Friday prayers, with haze-related precautions in place: MUIS

* Singapore's President warns of AI's risk to employment for fresh graduates

* Oil falls on hopes Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire will boost supplies

* Chinese national arrested for allegedly stealing Swarovski bracelet from Singapore's Changi Airport store

* Visa clock ticks for Saudi Arabia-bound Bangladeshi workers; nearly 3,000 passengers affected by Riyadh airport closure as migrants face job deadlines, uncertainty

* TVB actress Bambi Lok quits acting after 3 years to start new life in Canada

* Shares cautious in Asia as earnings loom, oil slips / * China says it 'condemns' Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

Indonesia

* From buses to boats and helicopters? Jakarta dreams of taking public transport sky-high

* Emerging Asia's power-driven LNG demand at risk as renewables gain ground

* Indonesia's Finance Ministry curbs state spending

* Indonesia: Orang utan find safe haven

* Pressure intensifies on Indonesia as regional haze worsens

* Opinion - Fires and cross-border haze: What can still be done

* Help Indonesia fight haze but don’t let plantation owners escape accountability

* Indonesia arrests Brazilian with cocaine in shampoo

* Nation: Syariah Court fines Indonesian woman RM5,000 for prostitution, close proximity

Tongchai Donhomla (right), father of a teenage girl whose body was found in a suitcase, with Miruntree Thanachai, her aunt, cries as he talks to reporters outside Pattaya Provincial Court in Pattaya, Thailand, on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. -- AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn

Thailand

* Grieving family faces accused Australian in Thai court over teen's killing, seeking death penalty

* Thailand eyes IMF-World Bank meetings as economic springboard to the future

* IMF warns Thailand faces ageing risk as Asia hits turning point

* Rescuers evacuate bedridden patients as overnight floods hit almost 100 homes in Phetchaburi, Thailand

* Thailand flood death toll since September 16 rises to 71: Interior Ministry

* Saudi Arabia faces new missile and drone fire after major attacks on airports

* TSMC expected to report sixth straight quarter of record profit thanks to AI boom

* Saudi energy minister says global energy security faces 'real test'

Philippines

* Philippine lower house approves bill restricting minors' social media access

* Village chair shot dead in Philippines' southern-central Mindanao

* No Saudi deployment ban, but Filipinos told to avoid nonessential travel

* Timor-Leste aims to attract Russian tourists

* Pope Leo to be hospitalised on Tuesday ahead of surgery, Vatican says

* Grieving family faces accused Australian in Thai court over teen's killing, seeking death penalty

* Global smartphone shipments record worst third quarter in 14 years amid memory shortage

* Hyderabad man killed in Riyadh airport attack, three Indians in ICU as Saudi Arabia faces fresh strikes

A dancer performs during the IMF/World Bank 2026 Annual Meetings at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, October 12, 2026. --Photo: REUTERS/Patipat Janthong

Vietnam

* Vietnam sets two inflation scenarios for 2026

* Vietjet Thailand launches daily Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur flights 

* Safari park plan sparks fresh wave of resident angst in Vietnam

* China's top political advisor meets Vietnam's National Assembly chairman

* Critically ill Indian seafarer evacuated from cargo vessel off southern Vietnam

* Vietnam updates two inflation scenarios, tightens price management for year-end

* Da Nang: From war-ravaged city to one of Vietnam's top tourist destinations

* Microsoft plans huge deployment of its own AI chips, with an eye on saving costs

Myanmar

* US lifts sanctions on daughter of Myanmar military-linked businessman

* Two women who falsely reported being robbed in Myanmar's Pathein Gyi Township jailed six months with hard labour

* China grassroots singer shoots to fame after saving delayed Hacken Lee concert with two-hour set

* UN refugee agency's funding shortfall is impacting refugees worldwide, its chief says

* Reporters accuse India of crackdown on journalists, press freedom at youth-led protests

* Solar panel prices nearly double in Myanmar amid reports of possible Super El Niño, with prices fluctuating within the same day

Dancers perform during the IMF/World Bank 2026 Annual Meetings at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, October 12, 2026. -- REUTERS/Patipat Janthong

Cambodia

* Cambodia's Angkor tourism expected to rebound as kingdom spares no effort to end online scams

* PM Manet insists on Cambodian venue for talks with ex-Opposition lawmaker Um Sam An; proposes ‘on-site verification’

* Cambodia's trade with Asean, EU posts double-digit growth during Jan-Sept

* NATO general sets out tough military response to any 'foolish' Russian attack

* Saudi Arabia extends suspension of operations at Riyadh Airport following Houthi attacks

* Economic stars: US researchers win the Nobel Prize for work on macroeconomic stability

Laos

* China-Laos Railway's foreign trade value tops 100 billion yuan; durians among top trading earners

* Laos aims to strengthen postal connectivity

* Vietnam accounts for largest share of Laos’ approved investments in 2026

* Drugs go up in flames in Laos to mark National Day against Drug Abuse

* Super El Nino could make 2026 the hottest year: climate monitor

Brunei

* Brunei Sultan receives Singapore Acting Minister for Muslim Affairs

* Bruneians receive key guidelines to prevent crocodile encounters

* Myanmar reassigns five Deputy Ministers and one Civil Service Board member reassigned; five new Deputy Ministers appointed

* Brunei reaffirms regional energy commitment

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva (4th R), Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (C), World Bank Group President Ajay Banga (4th L), Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas (3rd L), and Minister of Industry Varawut Silpa-archa (2nd L) pose for a group photo with other officials during the opening ceremony of -- The Royal Legacy: Empowering People, Building Resilience -- exhibition on the opening day of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 12, 2026. The week-long global financial summit, hosted by Thailand from October 12 to 18, brings together over 15,000 finance ministers, central bank governors, economic leaders, and economists from 191 member countries to discuss global economic growth, financial stability, and sustainable development. Finance ministers and central bankers meet in Bangkok this week for the annual gatherings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, with the global economy buffeted by the US-Iran war's energy shock, rising debt pressures, and the AI boom.-- Photo by Panumas Sanguanwong / AFP

AseanPlus

* 1MDB reaches settlement with Deutsche Bank in US$1.1bil lawsuit

* Malaysia to raise haze issue at Asean foreign ministers' meeting

* DPM Ahmad Zahid begins five-day China visit

* No talks held on support for AirAsia, says Loke

* Local institutions record net inflows of RM99.9mil - MBSB IB

* More than 100 foreign trekkers stranded in flood-hit region of Nepal, official says

* Melbourne man linked to suspected flydubai hijacker condemns 'false accusations'

* Malaysia Airlines inks collaborations to facilitate India growth

* Overseas piracy of K-content nears 500mil cases in 2025: Lawmaker

* Emergency rule imposed in Imran’s provincial stronghold

* Villages evacuated ahead of Budhi Gandaki river flooding

* North Korea fires missiles days after South Korea's hypersonic test

* Hong Kong domestic helper arrested for alleged murder of 93-year-old woman

* China’s 'Green Great Wall' tames desert growth, but the fight is not over

* China announces sanctions on Paraguay, Belize ministers over Taiwan ties

* No plans for female conscription, South Korean military manpower chief says

* As New Zealand First pushes culture-war policies, analysts warn of limited appeal

* Egg prices near record high in Japan as rising feed costs threaten supply crisis

* Jacinda Ardern breaks political silence to support NZ Opposition

* Bangladesh arrests four on sedition charges after portrait defaced

* Minibus driver hospitalised, 18 others injured, after collision with goods truck in Hong Kong

* Japan’s Supreme Court rules unauthorised copies of music scores on website obstructed publisher’s business

* Delhi shuts metro stations, restricts traffic as opposition marches against election chief

* Jailed South Korean ex-president Yoon, wife received US$1.62mil in inmate funds

* ‘Special-forces’ travel: Chinese woman wins admiration after climbing five famous peaks in five days

* As rising waters flood homes and temples, villagers protest India's $87 billion river-linking project

* Car hits scooter, kills three in India's Kochi; ‘drunk’ 19-year-old driver allegedly says ‘dad will handle everything’

* Pakistan province leaders of ex-PM Imran Khan's party detained, minister says

* North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles, adding to streak of weapons tests

* Korean men, foreign women give 10-minute 'rotation dating' a try in Seoul

* Opposition, journalists allege police abuses during India protests

* Fire burns for over nine hours at warehouse of plastics factory north of Tokyo

* Bangladesh continues talks with IMF for fresh loans

* Man apprehended for murdering woman under police protection in Jeju, Korea

* China says sanctions on Latin American ministers over Taiwan ties 'a warning to others'

* Anita Mui’s ashes missing from Hong Kong monastery, family appeals for help

* Misha Omar still learning, growing after 24 years in music industry

* Fan site dedicated to T.O.P shuts down after 20 years, members accuse rapper and agency for neglecting them

* Anwar lauds U-17 women's football squad's fighting spirit in Asian Cup qualifiers