Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Friday (Oct 30, 2026)

A woman rides a motorcycle with a student across a cold lava flood path from Mount Semeru following heavy rain in Jugosari village, Lumajang, East Java. -- Photo by HAYU YUDHA / AFP

Malaysia

* CSA not unusual, precedent set by previous governments, says PM Anwar

* FBM KLCI bucks regional sell-off, ringgit hits near two-month high

* Melaka polls: 'This is what commitment looks like', says Dr Wee

* Refugee repatriation to continue

* Pedestrian crossing needed at Ipoh Railway Station

* Penang welcomes special charters, eyes new markets

* Poser over philanthropist ‘Datuk’

* Prices of 11 essential items capped

* QuickCheck: Is Phase 4 of the Rahmah cash aid being paid out on Oct 30?

* Two priority corridors proposed for Johor Baru e-ART system to ease congestion

* PJ Police hunt foreigner after woman allegedly splashed with acid post-breakup

* MMEA detains two passenger boats off Port Klang for lacking valid documents

* KLIA passengers told to expect traffic congestion during MotoGP

* Melaka polls: 'This is what commitment looks like', says Dr Wee

* Finance Ministry has never directed cancellation of rural road projects, says Tengku Zafrul

* Three foreign minors claim trial to intimidating elderly woman with weapons in Bukit Mertajam

* Fisherman and girlfriend jailed 30 years, caning for trafficking 173kg of methamphetamine

* Over 6,500kg of chicken seized, 12 foreign men arrested in Puchong halal compliance raid

* Hold employers, syndicates accountable to stop flow of undocumented migrants, says Lee Lam Thye

An orangutan reaching its fingers through the metal bars of a transport cage covered with leaves during a relocation journey in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan. Deep in an Indonesian Borneo forest, conservationists open a cage. A female orangutan and her baby waste little time, clambering up the towering trees and disappearing into the canopy, safe at last. The pair were among nine orangutans rescued from devastating wildfires ravaging their forest home in Ketapang, West Kalimantan province, in August and September. - Photo by Ilham Pratama / AFP

Singapore

* Singapore braces as Indonesia slaps back at neighbours amid haze, political woes

* Climate change to cut rise, maze and sugarcane output in South-East Asia, says study

* Retrenchments in Singapore inch up in Q3 2026

* Six firms, one lawyer appointed to specialist panel tasked with probing 10 Singapore firms’ links to haze

* Singapore Airlines extends Dubai flight cancellations to February 2027

* Hong Kong teen jailed for eight years for acid attack on Singaporean tourist

* Ultra-wealthy families in Asia, including Singapore, lack succession and crisis planning: DBS report

* Oil set for fourth monthly gain as Hormuz tanker attack highlights supply risks from war

* Banking: Maybank Singapore to allow firms to deal in ringgit

* Football fest in Singapore - Vinicius Jr, Gabriel, Raphinha among Brazil stars set to play in friendlies on the island

Indonesia

* Back to the treetops: Orangutans rescued from Borneo’s fires find a new home

* Indonesia minister accuses Singapore of reselling LNG amid calls to ease bilateral tensions

* Air quality shapes daily routines for M’sians in Indonesia

* Forest fires hit five Indonesian provinces while floods affect thousands in North Sumatra

* Graft and haze spark protests in Indonesia

* Fire pollution killed 3,560 people in Indonesia in September: report

* UAE to ship 30 million crude oil barrels to Indonesia

* Indonesian shares head for worst month in 18 years, AI retreat hits Korea, Taiwan

* Badminton: Aaron-Roy King stun Indonesian top seeds to check into Hylo Open quarters

A man riding a motorcycle takes children to school across a stream of cold lava flow from Mount Semeru at Jugosari village, Lumajang, East Java. -- Photo by HAYU YUDHA / AFP

Thailand

* Thailand's favourite darling and Blackpink's Lisa sparks controversy over RM101 underwear merchandise

* Thailand extends activist and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa's jail term to more than 34 years

* Thailand probes assets of chief rabbi stripped of citizenship, widening scrutiny of a religious leader

* Thai department issues urgent evacuation warning over Phuket landslide risk

* A billion-dollar asset hunt in Thailand

* Phuket designates four Karon villages as a flood disaster area

* Thailand has sufficient food, energy supplies, PM Anutin assures public

Philippines

* Hegseth pledges stronger military framework with Philippines, but lacks details

* Former interim leader elected to the Philippines' Bangsamoro parliament's first regular chief minister

* 58 passengers rescued from distressed sea vessel off Real, Quezon

* Philippines raises volcano alert level as blast sends ash skyward

* Philippines’ China hawk defence chief open to 2028 presidential showdown with V-P Duterte

* Filipino Jaden Dumdumaya to keep fighting after making halfway cut at wind-swept Asia Pacific Amateur Championship

Fans hold signs bearing the face of Filipino singer Carmelle Collado, who will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest Asia during a send-off program at the ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City, Philippines, on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. -- AP Photo/Basilio Sepe

Vietnam

* Vietnam's Hanoi offers cash incentive to boost birth rate

* US should spy on Chinese firms to maintain edge in tech race: ex-CIA official

* Vietnam faces hurdles in securing reliable, affordable energy supply

* Microsoft tops on cloud growth as AI bets pay off

* Trump on Iran war: It's going to get wrapped up soon

* Iran's IRGC navy says two tankers stopped south of Hormuz after incidents

Myanmar

* Asean envoy ends Myanmar trip with no public Suu Kyi meeting

* Yangon readies over 600 heat relief shelters amid El Nino concerns

* Japan pushes to remove Myanmar from global financial watchdog's blacklist

* Asean envoy meets Myanmar minister, discusses civil war and aid access 

* UN chief urges greater inclusion of women in peace processes as conflicts and sexual violence rise

Vietnam Veterans of America perform the 21-gun salute during day two of the 2026 World Bass Enterprises - The Champions Tournament on Friday, October 30, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.-- Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP

Cambodia

* Malaysia-Cambodia unity shines at 2026 Malaysia National Day celebration in Phnom Penh

* Never ending cruise residents ‘beached as’ in Cambodia's Sihanoukville as owners suspend operations

* Relocated Pursat riverside families find safety, but struggle to earn a living

* Immigration rules deter nearly half of Asia-Pacific air travellers, survey finds

* Roundtable: Building smart and sustainable cities

Laos

* Overseas airlines schedule new flights to Laos

* Proposal to import 500MW of renewable electricity from Laos to Singapore mooted

* Gold slips as higher oil, US inflation data bolster Fed hike bets

* Mbappe's Mao remarks expose the costs of crossing China's red lines for celebrities all over the world

Brunei

* Red tide phenomenon persists in Brunei

* Good air quality across all districts in Brunei

* Football: Substitute Luan stars for Brunei in win against Negri

A girl waves before a welcoming ceremony for Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, October 30, 2026. -- Photo by Kai Naito / AFP

Aseanplus

* Cathay Pacific joins growing list of airlines hit by data breach

* Ringgit extends rally against US dollar as traders reassess Fed rate hike prospects

* China dismisses US report of suspected spy targeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as ‘groundless’

* ‘Don’t have the illusion’: Graduate job ads down 22% as AI rewrites the rules in Hong Kong

* Why Guangdong accounts for one in eight of China’s newborns as births fall nationwide

* Real Madrid issues apology to China over Mbappe’s Mao remarks

* Australia returns ancient stone heads to China after more than 30 years

* Chinese boy who donated US$1.5 to end power cuts now works for energy company

* Abby Choi’s ex-father-in-law pleads guilty to illegal disposal of her body in stark U-turn

* Hello Kitty maker Sanrio cuts ties with Japanese TV spy show 'Vivant' after China backlash

* Three foreign minors claim trial to intimidating elderly woman with weapons in Bukit Mertajam

* Scammers target students with cash prizes

* Timely rains cushion El Niño blow to Malaysian palm oil output

* Families urge removal of Itaewon crush footage from video game

* Fearless stray dog breaks up jumbo fight

* Hong Kong world’s first airport to receive digital identity certification from IATA

* Swiss foreign minister discusses security issues with North Korea

* At least six dead after Cyclone Arnab slams coast

* Tesla wins lawsuit in South Korea over FSD feature delays

* Australian woman loses appeals over deadly mushroom meal

* Stocks slump, bonds leap as AI giants' spending spooks investors

* Japan's beleaguered shoppers are a worry for convenience stores and the economy

* India's animal megacentre vows reset after criticism

* Smart glasses pose new threat to Korea's college entrance exam

* South Korea to prosecute students cheating with smart glasses

* South Korea to respond firmly to North Korean breaches of border, security aide says

* Kindness returned: Chinese woman helped disabled man eight years ago, now gets financial aid

* Bhutan glacial lake outburst triggers flood, no injuries reported

* 'Superintelligence' instead? Trump to ban term 'AI' in official docs

* Japan’s Mt. Fuji sees first snowcap of season, seven days earlier based on new system for checking

* 13 airlines hit by check-in disruption at Incheon Airport

* Bhutan lake burst sparks flood scare in Bengal; over 10,000 shifted, Sankosh on red alert

* South Korea to prosecute students cheating with smart glasses

* Real Madrid issues apology to China over Mbappe’s Mao remarks

* Cricket-Injured India seamer Krishna out of ODI series in NZ

* Hockey: Azrai scores twice as Malaysia trounce Bangladesh in Asian Champions Trophy

* 'On the horizon of making history' Defending champion Miyu of Japan goes on a birdie blitz to seize the Maybank Championship lead

* Rugby-World player of the year Marx to leave Japan and return to South Africa