Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Friday (Oct 23, 2026)

From left: Myanmar Ambassador to the Philippines Ei Ei Tin, Royal Thai Police Maj. Gen. Apimook Karntayakorn, Timor-Leste Interior Minister Francisco da Costa Guterres, Vietnam Ministry of Public Security Foreign Relations Department Deputy Director Nguyen Minh Hieu, South Korean Ministry of Justice Chief Prosecutor Park Seong-min, Japan National Police Agency Deputy Commissioner General Koichi Tachikawa, Philippine Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla, Chinese Assistant Minister of Public Security Lyu Wuqin, Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs Deputy Secretary (Policy) Ngiam Shih Chun, Brunei Darussalam Minister at the Prime Minister's Office (Security and Law) Dato' Seri Setia Awang Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu, Lao Vice Minister of Public Security Maj. Gen. Kongsavat Bounlieng, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and Asean Deputy Secretary-General for the Asean Political-Security Community Dato' Astanah Abdul Aziz pose for a family photo during the 16th ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime Consultation in Makati, Philippines. -- AP Photo/Aaron Favila

Malaysia

* Rafizi to sue Ramanan over graft allegations

* Anwar apologises if ban on app causes inconvenience

* Federal Court to hear Negri Sembilan exco dismissal challenge on Dec 16

* Children's mental health our collective responsibility, says Queen

* ROS, Home Minister file appeal against stay on Perikatan's deregistration

* Cabinet to review terms of reference for corporate mafia probe

* Impostor posing as Raja Muda’s aide linked to 19 cases, say Police

* Eight nabbed, drugs worth RM16mil seized in Selangor raid

* Melaka polls: PAS denies joint candidate announcement with BN, seeks more seats

* Tuju app being optimised, updates in by Nov 6 latest

* Waze rejects Malaysia's data security claims after civil servant ban

* Government’s net 1MDB financial burden stands at RM20.1bil, says Anwar

* Perak cops nab six over online gambling scam that targeted Australians

* Police record statements from 24 witnesses in Kuching school attack case

* Civil servant in the dock after 73 police reports lodged over wedding planning scam

* Drug trafficking: Federal Court upholds 30-year jail term, 12 lashes for former lorry driver

People row a canoe along the Kallang river as the haze eases in Singapore on Friday, October 23, 2026. -- Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

Singapore

* How PM2.5 particles in haze can harm the human body

* Singapore launches RM457mil initiative to accelerate industrial decarbonisation

* Singapore: OCBC customers report difficulties accessing mobile app and internet banking

* 29 arrested after illegal casinos linked to drug trafficking discovered in Melbourne's east

* Brent crude hits more than five-month high on concern over Middle East escalation

* Asean wants a single digital economy. Will different state laws hobble its goal?

* Asian stocks stay near three-month low on AI funding fears

* Singapore home prices climb; rents surge by most since 2023

* BNM, Bank of Thailand join Singapore’s bloom cross-border digital money initiative

* ‘Incisive’ final report on the deadly Tai Po blaze singles out four government bodies

Indonesia

* Prabowo’s allies distance themselves from Indonesia’s free meals programme

* ‘We’re breathing in the smoke even as we sleep’: Living with haze in Sumatra

* Indonesia’s haze crisis sparks regional tensions ahead of ASEAN summit

* Malaysia's offer to help Indonesia fight forest fires still stands, says Fahmi

* Suspected man-eating tiger captured in Indonesia’s Riau province

* Indonesia seizes 1.16 tons of ketamine, police chief says

* Suspended Pati regent Sudewo sentenced to 8.5 years in prison

* Indonesian president's allies distance themselves from flagship free meals programme

People take pictures of a giant - Spooky Boo - installation during a Halloween-themed event at Central World shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, October 23, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

Thailand

* Thailand's exports forecast to surge 17.8 per cent in 2026 on strong AI and electronics demand

* Thailand to mandate safety standards for EV batteries; protection against overcharging, overheating, and short circuits

* Thai Airways cancels six flights between Bangkok and Taiwan over Typhoon Champi

* Little-known South Korean shipowner dominates Hormuz transits as oil flows rebound

* Thailand: Forced to live with a deluge

* Hong Kong's Matthew Cheung shows superb poise as he takes overall lead at the Hong Kong Open

* Iran sets seven conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz as talks with the US resume, says top official

Philippines

* 285 illegals sent back to Philippines via Lahad Datu after completing sentences here

* Philippine authorities investigate Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, after claims of child sexual abuse images

* Philippines puts bounty on Duterte's fugitive drug-war enforcer

* China says it allowed Philippines to resupply warship amid diplomatic tensions

* Ex-Bangsamoro lawmaker denies involvement in Laos drug smuggling case

* Innovation key driver of trade in Asia-Pacific region

* Typhoon Rosal weakens as it moves away from the Philippines; Signal No. 2 remains in Batanes, Babuyan Islands

A woman walks across the Long Bien Bridge covered by haze in Hanoi on Friday, October 23, 2026. -- Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

Vietnam

* Nationwide manhunt launched for four escaped prisoners in Vietnam

* Vietnamese PM calls for uninterrupted power supply for the people from 2027-2030

* VietJet flights from Changi unlikely to be disrupted despite legal troubles, experts say

* Indonesian police seize nearly 74,000 lobster larvae bound for Vietnam

* Vietnam: Proposal to let under-18s donate organs

* Hong Kong raids spark health warning over beauty jabs using dead people’s skin

Myanmar

* Myanmar’s Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival returns to Inle Lake

* Myanmar: Suu Kyi and son have first call in five years since coup

* South-East Asia's worst haze in over a decade sparks student protests

* Appeals court acquits Seoul mayor in campaign finance trial

* Middle schooler in South Korea beaten by peers over deepfake images of classmates

The eye of Typhoon Champi swirls over the Philippine Sea, as seen from space in this screengrab taken from a handout GIF image. -- Photo: CSU/CIRA and JMA/JAXA /Handout via REUTERS

Cambodia

* Cambodia's banking, microfinance associations pledge borrower protection amid rising household debt concerns

* Tesla’s ‘flying car’ draws public concern in China – and an official response

* Cambodia may tap Malaysia's halal expertise to develop its own sector, says ambassador

* Starbucks China rolls out buy-before-seating rule after reversing open-door policy in US

Laos

* Palm oil glut lures Indian buyers as price gap to rivals widens

* China is a beacon of global embryo research, says scientist on return from US to lead lab

* Taiwan shuts down as Typhoon Champi approaches

Brunei

* Brunei’s revised commercial electricity tariffs to take effect in April 2028

* Taiwan shuts US$5 trillion stock market as Typhoon Champi nears, almost 1,000 flights cancelled

* Soccer-Asian Cup to move to even years under AFC governance reforms

Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Friday, October 23, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS

Aseanplus

* Bites and scratches won’t deter Malaysian dentist from treating autistic kids

* Nine alleged 'Geng Yunaa' members charged

* Nation: Uncut 18-rated films do not mean relaxed censorship rules, says Fahmi

* Nepal floods: Banks offer repayment relief to families of missing Malaysians

* Unvaccinated girl, 12, becomes Hong Kong’s second child flu death this season

* All 14 Indians in yacht incident off Yemen coast reported safe, embassy says

* Suspicious letters containing white powder sent to two Hong Kong media outlets

* Abby Choi murder trial adjourned to Monday as chemist cross-examination paused

* Hong Kong to tighten media access to land records, triggering concerns

* Tokyo child under 5 dies from influenza-related encephalopathy

* India: Two ‘Cockroach’ leaders released

* At least 16 dead in Tibet quake: China state media

* South Korea proposes holding military talks with North

* India’s Eternal unveils AI assistant built for privacy

* Two Japanese climbers die on a Himalayan peak in Nepal

* Australia watchdog says weighing action in social media probe

* India: New Delhi steps up air pollution efforts ahead of winter

* South Korea donates eight retired military helicopters to Kenya

* Seoul to deploy 4,600 police officers for Halloween crowd safety

* Nepal to get $20 million from climate fund after deadly August flood

* How the multi-talented chef Fei became one of China's most awarded chefs

* Australia sanctions North Koreans over 'fraudulent' IT work, cybercrime

* Hegseth calls US$1.5 trillion defence budget ‘critical’ to counter China

* Taiwan shuts down ahead of Typhoon Champi, nearly 1,000 flights cancelled

* Australian TV reporter recalls 'terrifying' rescue of man from sinking car

* South Korean prostitution ring arranged more than 2,800 meetings in 44 days

* New Zealand's top military officer resigns over 'inappropriate relationship'

* Xi’s pledge to ‘uproot sick trees’ aired weeks ahead of Communist Party conclave

* Hong Kong loses record 40 kindergartens as birth rate drops, women wait to have kids

* US and China race to shape AI agenda ahead of Xi-Trump talks in Shenzhen, sources say

* Five Guangdong-registered yachts to sail into Hong Kong as southbound scheme launches

* Chinese scientists use open-source data to spot suspected Israeli electronic warfare units

* India police shoot hundreds of Muslim men accused of cow smuggling, AP investigation finds

* One Tech Tip: As Apple's Duo phone is released, here are dos and don'ts for folding phones

* Hong Kong firm accused of cost-cutting, false declarations over fire-safety parts in 48 lifts

* Squash: Smashing Sivasangari reaches Silicon Valley Open semis

* World: Explainer-What is Shamonda virus and what are the risks to humans and animals?

* Robotics: China’s Unitree unveils ‘guardian’ robot that can disarm attackers, lift cars

* Entertainment: HK star Sammi Cheng 'relieved' to see husband Andy Hui succeed after years of setbacks