News Headlines

The Philippines, which is chairing ASEAN this year, convened the special meeting as concerns over the Iran conflict deepened.

Beijing has portrayed itself in the region as a reliable alternative to an erratic US President Donald Trump, who launched sweeping tariffs last year that unsettled global trade.

The Malaysian government is in a strong position to absorb the higher costs due to the various fiscal reforms and consolidation measures implemented over the past three years, said Finance Minister II Amir Hamzah Azizan.

As part of a three-year diploma programme, students will receive specialised training in areas like ingredient selection, charcoal control and flavour development, alongside business and restaurant management skills.

A second arms package, worth around US$14 billion, could be approved for Taiwan after US President Donald Trump visits Beijing later this month.

Thailand alleges that the area had been used as a base of operations by the Cambodian military as well as criminals running transnational scams.

What if the answer to volatile oil markets lies not in oil fields, but in food waste? This alternative could make airlines much less susceptible to fluctuations in oil prices. 

Japanese premier Sanae Takaichi is expected to discuss the initiative with US President Donald Trump during their planned Mar 19 meeting in Washington.

Disruptions to energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have prompted India to prioritise household and transport gas supplies, leaving restaurants and other businesses scrambling for fuel.

"He will support Malaysia (when Singapore faces Malaysia), but will always show up for me," said Siti Khadijah Shahrem.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his government have little time to lose in pushing harder for reform, if they wish to retain their support base, says an academic.

Fervour for AI agent OpenClaw has consumed China in recent weeks but underneath the excitement, there are concerns, says Catherine Thorbecke for Bloomberg Opinion.

Sources tell CNA that PM Anwar Ibrahim instructed his former political aide-turned-business figure Farhash Wafa Salvador to withdraw from a campaign to take control of the company.  

Officials will weigh impacts and responses to surging oil prices as well as disruptions to shipping, logistics and trade flows.

Late last month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the federal government has been turning away applications for new data centres that are unrelated to artificial intelligence over the past two years or so.  

India invoked emergency measures last week to divert gas to priority areas, leaving the hospitality industry struggling to get sufficient supply.

The service linking the capitals will operate four days a week in both directions.

The Hong Kong flagship carrier said that the price of jet fuel has "approximately doubled" due to conflict in the Middle East.

The law implements a trade agreement for South Korea to invest US$200 billion in US strategic industries and US$150 billion in shipbuilding-related cooperation in return for more favourable tariff terms.

From diplomatic signalling to efforts to revive domestic demand and “invest in people”, China’s Two Sessions that closed on Thursday (Mar 12) offered clues to Beijing’s priorities for the year ahead and beyond.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Iran war has disrupted global oil shipments and driven fuel prices sharply higher.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck the Thai-registered Mayuree Naree for ignored "warnings".

The bodies were found inside a car in Queensland’s flood-hit Gympie region.

Non-governmental organisations say they are receiving more complaints from Myanmar nationals over issues like unpaid wages, as well as allegations of recruitment scams that lure workers into illegal work such as sexual services.

The US said it found that Singapore had excess global capacity in semiconductors despite a trade deficit.

Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter Ju Ae has long been seen as next in line to rule the country.

Oil prices jumped more than 9 per cent on Thursday to break back above US$100 a barrel as Iran struck two tankers in Iraq and threatened to bring down the global economy.

The language of China's 2026 government work report reveals the tensions shaping its economic strategy, say experts.

While the Iran war has not spilled out of the Middle East, defence planners from Asia will look closely at how it is being fought, says defence writer Mike Yeo.

Some parents and experts question how realistic enforcement will be, whether children will find ways to bypass the restrictions, and how digital literacy can go in ensuring young people’s online safety.

Several airlines, including Air New Zealand, Qantas and Thai Airways, have raised fares amid a surge in jet fuel prices driven by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Photos showed heavy black smoke billowing from the hull and superstructure of the Thai-registered Mayuree Naree, with life rafts floating in the water.

About 4,900 of the accounts were taken down with the help of the Singapore Police Force.

Japan's strategic oil reserves are among the world's largest and stood at more than 400 million barrels as of December.

United States President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that America First Refining will build the new facility at the Port of Brownsville, Texas.

United States President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that America First Refining will build the new facility at the Port of Brownsville, Texas.

From drafting reports and organising emails to booking flights, artificial intelligence agent OpenClaw has taken China by storm. Despite the excitement, analysts and authorities are warning of security risks.

The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima caused more than 22,000 deaths and ravaged parts of the region, including a nuclear power plant.

The rise of 35-year-old Balendra Shah from the capital Kathmandu's mayor to expected prime minister caps a bold gamble and marks one of the most dramatic results in recent Nepali politics.

President Lee Jae Myung has said his government is unhappy with the reported asset move but acknowledged there was little it could do about it. 

Economists warn that prolonged disruptions in Middle East oil flows could move the region from price shocks to fuel shortages, with broader risks to growth and inflation.

The IEA has proposed a release of oil reserves that would exceed the 182 million barrels member countries put on the market following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to a Wall Street Journal report.