Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Monday (April 20, 2026)

This aerial picture show a general view of residential houses under rain clouds as they form at Darul Imarah on the outskirts of Banda Aceh on Monday, April 20, 2026. -- Photo by CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP

Malaysia

* Negri govt refuses to recognise, accept declaration to remove state Ruler, says MB

* Selangor Ruler chides state govt over unresolved flood woes

* Postpone Sukma until Middle East crisis ends, says Selangor Ruler

* Ten PKR MPs urge HR Ministry to prioritise local labour reforms

* Who are the four Undang embroiled in Negri Sembilan royal controversy?

* Appeals court dismisses Indira's bid to adduce fresh evidence in suit against IGP

* Power fault caused disruption to KLIA Terminal 1 BHS, Transport Ministry confirms

* Six relief centres offer shelter to 248 victims of Sandakan fire

* PM: Active non-alignment policy gives M'sia an edge in defence deals

* Govt cautious on inflation, supply chain risks despite strong Q1 growth

* Nga offers to be 'conduit' in EV factory talks between Putrajaya and Perak govt

* Majority of senior citizens battling chronic disease, survey finds

* Transport Ministry tightens SOPs, response mechanisms after KLIA BHS failure

* Mental health support being provided to Sandakan fire victims, says Dzulkefly

* Overlapping festivities: S'wak to get long holiday stretch in early June

* Azalina hopes proposed Law Ministry will become reality next year

* Tour agency loses licence after stranding umrah pilgrims in Madinah

* NHMS results show Senior Citizens Bill must be fast-tracked, says Dzulkefly

* Dialysis patient gets three years jail for sexual assault on 15-year-old girl

* Transfer of jumbos from Taiping zoo to Osaka part of a conservation pact, Perak assembly told

* Malaysia’s rapid ageing may outpace system readiness, warns Dr Dzul

* Prosecution seeks to drop the word 'receive' from Lim Guan Eng tunnel charge

* NGOs protest presence of defence firms 'complicit in genocide' at DSA and Natsec Asia

Immigration officials show evidence during a press conference following the arrest of three Pakistanis allegedly smuggling people to Australia in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Monday, April 20, 2026. -- REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana

Singapore

* Sarvambikai Shanmugaratnam, Singapore President Tharman’s mother, dies at age 99

* Most Singapore firms hit by rising energy costs, with some freezing hiring, trimming benefits, says poll

* ‘I didn’t know what injuries she sustained’: Singaporean mum whose daughter, five, was run over by van in 2023

* S$10,000 fine for elderly motorist who engaged accelerator instead of brake, killing two friends in crash

* Singapore tycoon seeks US$1bil from banks over collapsed firm

* Singaporean actor-artist Chen Xi and wife hold wedding in Japan

* After 14 years, eight IVF cycles and five miscarriages, Singaporean woman gives birth to twins at 41

* Singapore’s consumer safety watchdog issues safety alert over baby self-feeding pillows

* Shipping traffic remains at virtual standstill through Hormuz, data shows

Indonesia

* Google denies involvement in US$125mil Chromebook graft case in Indonesia

* Indonesian police and the United Nations strengthen cooperation on peace operations 

* Indonesia's Bandung proposes historic area for Unesco World Heritage status

* Indonesia introduces nutrition grade on drinks to curb unhealthy diets

* Indonesia rights body criticises military after 12 civilians killed in Papua

* US warship passes through Malacca Strait, says Indonesian Navy

* Oil jumps, stocks wobble as Mideast ceasefire hangs in the balance

Buddhist monks collect alms as they walk past fruit stalls at Mahanak Market in Bangkok early on Monday, April 20, 2026. -- Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP

Thailand

* Battle-scarred developing nations look for a path out of permacrisis

* Thailand considers an emergency decree for 500 billion baht borrowing due to current global uncertainties 

* Hormuz crisis spurs Thailand to fast-track long-standing landbridge project

* Fresh food prices surge in Thailand as cost pressures spread wider

* Warning of storms, strong winds and hail in upper Thailand

* From novice monk to Netflix lead: Thai trans model Mimi Tao stars in German series Crooks

Philippines

* Philippine forces kill at least 10 Maoist rebels in raids, confirms army 

* Doubts over talks between Iran and US after violence flares in Strait of Hormuz

* Fitch revises the Philippines' outlook to 'negative' as energy shock weighs on growth

* Philippine House panel eyes April 29 wrap on Sara Duterte impeachment hearings

* US begins Philippines war games in thick of Middle East conflict

* Diesel prices to drop by nearly P25/litre in the Philippines

Philippine and US soldiers salute as their national anthems are played during the opening ceremony of the annual Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) joint military exercise at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon city, suburban Manila on Monday, April 20, 2026. Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, began annual military exercises on April 20 set against the backdrop of the Middle East war. -- Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP

Vietnam

* Vietnam's southern hub, Ho Chi Minh City, to shift most international flights to new airport

* Vietnam plans to extend fuel tariff suspension to end-June, state media reports

* Vietnam plans first offshore airport on water

* Mandatory pre-arrival declaration for visitors

* Vietnam's FDI inflows forecast to reach US$38 billion annually in next five years

* Hanoi launches ambitious International Martial Arts Festival initiative

Myanmar

* Villagers evacuated after bomb from Myanmar air raid lands in Thai border province

* Oil prices jump and Wall Street slides with US, Iran clashing in the Strait of Hormuz

* Myanmar seals recovery pact to lift ageing oilfield output

* Bid to rebuild stutters year after quake

* 78 detained Filipinos released from detention in Myanmar

* Eight monks, a nun and four laymen killed in road accident in Myanmar's Thaton township

The Maersk Monte Olivia container ship, registered under the flag of Singapore, is seen docked at the container terminal of Southampton Docks in Southampton on the south coast of England. -- Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP

Cambodia

* Cambodian king has 'successful' surgery after cancer diagnosis

* Well wishes pour in as Cambodian King recovers from successful surgery in Beijing

* Aid reaches 5.4 million Cambodians; displacement crisis tests humanitarian response

* Formal protest against Thai border encroachments, Cambodia warns of sovereignty violations

* Policy space matters: Asian Development Bank believes Cambodia better positioned than in past economic crises

Laos

* President shares in temple rites as Lao New Year festivities unfold

* Lao govt moves to create investment fund to strengthen economic stability

* Vientiane expands Bus Rapid transit network with new Setthathirath Road route

* Shift to renewables speeds up

Brunei

* Brunei residents urged to stay vigilant against cybercrime threats

* Oil tankers transiting Strait of Hormuz since start of Iran war

* Gold falls on stronger dollar amid renewed US-Iran tensions

A man walks past fire-ravaged residential towers of the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex after the deadly fire in November, in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, on Monday, April 20, 2026. -- AP Photo/Chan Long Hei

Aseanplus

* No reports of Malaysians seriously affected in Japan quake

* Japan warns of ‘huge’ earthquake after 7.7-magnitude tremor strikes north-eastern coast

* 7.4-magnitude quake hits northern Japan, tsunami warning issued: Japan Meteorological Agency

* Malaysia-China strategic cooperation stabilises medical device supply, says Health Ministry

* AMRO warns of inflation risks, calls for stronger Asean economic integration

* AirBorneo to launch regional jet flights in July

* MalBatt on high alert amid tensions in Lebanon

* Say my name, it’s easy as ‘Abcideff’

* India's gold-buying festival sees tepid demand on price surge

* Residents return to ravaged homes months after Hong Kong fire

* Sri Lanka Easter bombings victims still seek justice seven years on

* First oil tanker in weeks heads to South Korea via Strait of Hormuz

* Japan PM Takaichi’s ratings stay high, with some wavering amid Iran impact

* India voter register deletions spark outrage over AI use and poll fairness

* Pakistan's military chief takes lead on US-Iran talks in diplomatic blitz

* Eight runners taken to hospital after South Korea marathon held in 30 deg C

* Campaign hagwon: Inside South Korea’s intensifying class president elections

* Grief meets AI with lifelike avatars / * Robots beat humans in half-marathon

* Iran's president stresses importance of diplomacy while noting distrust of US

* China voices concern over US seizure of Iranian cargo ship, urges further talks

* Cricket - Chakravarthy overcomes surface tension to end Kolkata's losing streak

* S. Korea and India agree to cooperate on energy supply chains amid Middle East war 

* South Korea vows to deepen strategic partnership with India amid West Asia crisis

* South Korea's Lee to seek big boost in economic ties in summit with India's Modi

* Foreign investors records RM17.35bil inflow across eight Asian markets last week

* Tamil Nadu firecracker factory blast: 16 killed, six injured; CM Stalin expresses sorrow

* India's Udhampur bus accident: 15 dead, 33 injured; PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh ex gratia

* Quirky China: Doctor removes worm from woman’s brain, under-fire gamer dyes her skin black

* FBI Director Kash Patel sues the Atlantic claiming false reporting about drinking, absences

* China influencer builds house for girl who claims to be raising sisters alone amid family drama

* UK pharmacist fights Indian extradition for allegedly killing his ex-mother-in-law with arsenic

* Seoul: North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards East Sea, flexing muscle amid Middle East war

* Body found floating on lake in Japan's Fukuoka Park; same lake where another body was found earlier this month