KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Malaysians in South Korea should make use of the knowledge they learn from the nation's first nationwide civil defence exercise  which is set to take place today (23 August).

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug.

BANGKOK, Aug 22 — Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was given an eight-year prison sentence today, can seek a royal pardon and the process might take one to two months, said the Department of Corrections' Deputy Director-General Sitthi Sutivong.

BANGKOK, Aug 22 — Srettha Thavisin, until recently chief of one of Thailand's biggest real estate developers, was on Tuesday voted in as Prime Minister at the head of an unlikely alliance of populists and pro-military parties after weeks of post-election deadlock.

BANGKOK, Aug 22 — Real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin won the backing of Thailand's parliament on Tuesday to become prime minister, paving the way to a new coalition government and ending weeks of uncertainty and political stalemate.

SEMARANG, Indonesia, Aug 22 — Indonesia's Trade Minister and Asean Economic Ministers chair for 2023 Zulkifli Hasan said Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) members are open to countries looking to join the free trade agreement, reported Antara news agency.

JAKARTA, Aug 22 — Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called on Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states to strengthen their collective efforts in combating cross-border crimes.

SINGAPORE, Aug 22 — The nomination of three candidates eligible to run for president was completed successfully today.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles is scheduled to visit Malaysia and the Philippines this week to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in the realm of defence and security.

JAKARTA, Aug 22 — The Indonesian Defence Ministry and United States planemaker Boeing have signed an agreement for the sale of 24 F-15EX fighter jets to help modernise Jakarta’s ageing fleet, the ministry and the company said.

PHNOM PENH, Aug 22 — Cambodia’s newly elected Parliament endorsed military general Hun Manet as prime minister today, completing a historic transfer of power in a fast-changing country led by his father for nearly four decades.

BANGKOK, Aug 22 — Thailand braces today for the return of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 17 years of exile, a historic homecoming that coincides with a bid by his allies to form a new government with some of its biggest rivals.

TOKYO, Aug 22 — Japan said today it will start releasing more than one million tonnes of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday, executing a plan that has drawn strong criticism from China.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Southeast Asian national oil companies (NOCs) and traditional upstream players are progressively focusing on cleaner and more environmentally friendly energy initiatives with investments set to exceed US$76 billion (RM353.4 billion) from 2023 to 2025, according to Rystad Energy.

JAKARTA, 21 August — The Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin, has emphasised the importance of cooperation between the two countries in overcoming the issue of workers without valid permits through the relevant ministries and agencies.

TOKYO, Aug 21 — Japan's weather agency said on Monday that scorching heat continues to push temperatures above 35°C across the country, with heatstroke alerts having been issued for many prefectures.

HANOI, Aug 21 —The Vietnamese retail sector is expected to maintain growth of between eight and nine per cent in 2023 despite difficulties, Xinhua reported quoting local newspaper Vietnam News’ report on Monday.

BASINGSTOKE, England, Aug 21 — A new study from Juniper Research, the foremost experts in emerging payment markets, has found the volume of QR code payments in leading Southeast Asian markets will increase by  more than 590 per cent,  from 13 billion in 2023 to 90 billion in 2028.

SINGAPORE, Aug 20 — Having come through Covid-19, Singapore, like any other country, is once again being tested amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

JAKARTA, Aug 20 — Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said investment flows to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean ) countries in 2022 had grown five per cent, surpassing the global level and developed countries, Antara news agency reported.