Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Friday (Aug 1, 2025)
* Media a vital bridge of information between police and public, says IGP
* Penang defers implementation of new water tariffs to July 2026
* Children accused of crime must be treated with dignity, says Suhakam
* US cuts Malaysia tariff to 19% from 25%
* 'Governor's family not involved in student's death'
* Malaysia factory slump eases as July PMI hits five-month high
* Four teens nabbed for allegedly beating up classmate in Kajang mall
* Malaysian pharmaceuticals, semiconductors exempt from US tariffs, minister says
* Reduction of US tariff rate to 19% a significant achievement, says Zafrul
* Kuching Waterfront set to be longest riverfront nationwide
* Unemployed man charged with raping former sister-in-law in Cheras
* Man who stabbed cop in KL tests positive for dugs
* Ten police officers nabbed by MACC to face disciplinary action, says Bukit Aman
* CAAM-Mavcom rationalisation in effect, Mohd Sharil is new chairman, says Transport Ministry
* Minimum wage extended to contract apprentices as amended law takes effect, says HR Ministry
* Teen pregnancies still an issue in Sabah due to poor sex education, says state assistant minister
East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta delivers his speech at the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) Secretariat in Jakarta on August 1, 2025. -- Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP
Singapore:
* Man accused of raping Singaporean woman who hired him to fix lights in her flat claims she made first move
* Three Singaporean men charged over living on the earnings of prostitution
* Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Singapore says affected road will open progressively to motorists from noon on Aug 2
* Singapore's 2024 MRT breakdown could have been prevented with better coordination: SMRT CEO
* HK actor Raymond Lam and family kick off their summer vacation in Singapore
* Mariah Carey to stage shows in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Japan
* Asia: Stocks struggle as Trump unveils new tariff sweep
* S'pore cop among trio held over illegal exit attempt
* US, Australia hold joint military exercise in Papua New Guinea for first time
* Singapore's OCBC sees lower 2025 net interest income, Q2 profit matches forecasts
Indonesia:
* A treat for Nusantara music fans - Indonesian star Pamungkas and local boys Fugo join in the fun for Panggung Purnama concert on Sept 28
* World economies reel from Trump's tariffs punch, but most South-East Asian countries rejoice thanks to kinder rates
* Indonesian President Prabowo pardons political opponents
* RM2mil drug haul: Syndicate smuggling to Indonesia busted
* Farmer charged with trafficking six Indonesians into country
* Prabowo's political rivals among over 1,000 granted clemency
* Paradise beaches sit empty as Indonesia bets on saturated Bali
* Oil steadies as concerns about tariff impacts vie with Russian supply threats
Foreign military attaches from major powers and Asean member countries, along with diplomats from 23 countries and Thai military personnel, visit a shelter in Sisaket province following a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, where displaced people have been staying since July 24, in Sisaket province, Thailand, August 1, 2025. -- Photo: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
Thailand:
* Thailand seeks neutral venue for border talks with Cambodia; Malaysia seems to be best venue
* Thailand welcomes 19% US tariff as 'major success'
* Trump sets 19% tariff on Thailand, Cambodia after peace deal'
* Court to rule on Thaksin's hospitalisation jail dodge
* Trump's tariffs send Asian FX markets reeling, won leads losses
* New US tariffs draw regional reactions across Asia-Pacific
* Trump's call broke deadlock in Thailand-Cambodia border crisis
Philippines:
* World Bank to provide US$700mil loan to boost Philippines' resilience to natural disasters
* Philippines national nabbed at Kota Kinabalu airport with fake travel passes
* Philippines' Marcos eyes India trade, defence in talks with Modi
* Philippines records 10.5bil pesos infrastructure damage due to south-west monsoon, cyclones with death toll at 37
* Asian currencies fall to two-month low as tariff deadline nears
* On World Day Against Trafficking, UN sounds alarm on scam centre surge
China's swimmer Peng Xuwei dives as she competes in a semi-final of the women's 200m backstroke swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Friday, August 1, 2025. -- Photo by François-Xavier MARIT / AFP
Vietnam:
* Weather havoc in Vietnam - Flash floods kill three in mountainous north, nine more people missing
* Vietnamese PM calls for completion of 3,000 km of expressways by end-2025
* Flooding leaves 14 dead, missing in Vietnam's Dien Bien
* Vietnamese lychees attract global buyers
* Asia's factory activity worsens as US trade uncertainty bites
* Countries with no trade deal will hear from US by midnight, White House says
Myanmar:
* Myanmar enforces Cybersecurity Law, targeting unauthorised online gambling and VPN services
* Myanmar imposes martial law in 63 townships following state of emergency declaration
* US tariff set to shift Indochina economic balance with Myanmar and Laos worst hit
* Japan says 'seriously concerned' about Myanmar elections without release of those detained
* Conflict-ridden Myanmar to vote
A crew disembarks the Indian Navy ship guided-missile destroyer, INS Delhi, that is docked at Manila's port, Philippines, on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. -- AP Photo/Aaron Favila
Cambodia:
* Cambodia to nominate Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, says deputy PM
* Thailand returns two wounded soldiers to Cambodia but continues to hold 18 of their comrades
* Cambodia says the country had agreed to talks in Malaysia at Thailland's request
* Cambodia deputy PM says 19% US tariff rate averts collapse of its garments manufacturing sector
* Hun Manet urges troop release as ceasefire holds
Laos:
* Russia, Laos sign seven documents, including a roadmap for nuclear cooperation
* US tariff set to shift Indochina economic balance with Myanmar and Laos worst hit
* Laos launches digital ID system
Brunei:
* Brunei announces enforcement on abuse of dominant positions
* Brunei lion dance team heads to Kuala Lumpur for international debut
* Brunei enforces key provisions of the Competition Act
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith applause during a ceremony of exchange of documents following their meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. -- AP
AseanPlus:
* Penang chosen as filming spot for Miss HK Pageant 2025, joined by TVB stars Benjamin Yuen & Moon Lau
* Save my baby: Mother gives up baby girl while being nabbed during immigration raid in Tawau
* What's it like to scale the highest active volcano in South-East Asia
* Immigration nabs dozens of foreigners in raids on Pontian nightclubs
* Actress Eleanor Lee wins lawsuit against former assistant who doctored her audio recording
* Captain of Turkish yacht found safe after 40-hour ordeal at sea
* Forget dating apps: More young Malaysians go back to face-to-face interactions
* Beijing officials admit 'gaps' in readiness after rains kill dozens
* Man's naked body found surrounded by sex toys in Hong Kong flat
* China prepares to unseat US in fight for AI market
* Hong Kong police arrest 82 triad suspects, seize assets worth HK$15 million
* The cultural lore and hidden gems in 'KPop Demon Hunters'
* Trump says tariffs talks with China 'moving along well'
* Landslide-prone Nepal tests AI-powered warning system
* Australian minister says US tariffs to remain at 10%
* Hong Kong GDP expands 3.1%, faster than forecast
* Japanese woman with child injured in subway station attack in China, says Tokyo embassy
* Ancient 'lamp shells' practised social distancing, fossil find in China reveals
* Renewable energy on fast lane amid China's green transition
* Nvidia says no 'backdoors' in chips as China questions security
* Chinese warships arrive in Russia for joint Pacific naval exercise
* Did a lab of AI 'scientists' design a possible Covid-19 treatment?
* Taiwan to seek lower tariff after Trump's 'temporary' 20% levy
* China's manufacturing activity shrinks as exports drag, S&P PMI shows
* Trump sets 10% to 41% 'reciprocal' tariffs on dozens of countries' exports
* Toddler survives deadly encounter with cobra by biting its head off
* Japan plans another record hike in minimum wage, Kyodo News says
* Woman, 35, to deny making false statement to secure Hong Kong study permit
* China, HK stocks book steepest weekly losses since April on soft data, Trump tariffs
* Hulk Hogan's racist sex tape influenced estranged daughter Brooke to remove herself from will
* China courier puts sick daughter in delivery box at work to save on childcare
* Will China win renewables race while US pivots to fossil fuels and nuclear?
* Wu Yiquan: The Chinese AI researcher scoring big on the basketball court
* South Korea says it has no written pact on US trade deal
* South Korean restaurant owner puts pet dog inside fridge to prevent animal from overheating
* US President Trump hits dozens of countries' goods with steep tariffs; Canada, Brazil and India among worst hit
* Heat fuels China's booming night-time tourism - As sweltering heat waves sweep across China, a recent tourist trend has emerged
* South Korea's former President strongly resists special counsel's attempt to arrest him for questioning
* South Korea's ex-leader Yoon lay on floor of cell and refused to be questioned, prosecutors say / New arrest warrant for Yoon over missed summons
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
24 minutes ago
- The Star
Jitters over Jakarta's land seizure
THE Indonesian government is moving to confiscate palm oil plantation land parcels that was either illegally developed or linked to corruption investigations. And Malaysian plantation companies operating there are having the jitters. Industry insiders and analysts say Malaysian plantation companies face the risk of losing some of their estate land as Jakarta's forestry task force has set a target of confiscating three million hectares by August.
New Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Agrofood sector set for major reforms under 13MP
THE 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) has big ideas for the agrofood sector. High time, we say. It has been treated as a stepchild since the country transitioned to manufacturing in the 1980s. That should change by 2030, when the 13MP reforms the sector, leading to RM58 billion in value creation. Self-sufficiency rates are also being scaled up to 80 per cent for rice, 98 per cent for fisheries, 83 per cent for fruits, 79 per cent for vegetables, 140 per cent for poultry, 123 per cent for eggs and 50 per cent for beef and buffalo meat. Ambitious? Yes, given that the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has to hit the targets within five years, on top of resolving numerous issues plaguing the agrofood sector. Surely, an unenviable task. Land is a big ticket item, with most of what is available being devoted to industrial crops such as oil palm and rubber, because they are more profitable. In 2020, 7.6 million hectares of arable land was used for agriculture, of which 5.2 million was dedicated to industrial crops. Little wonder, our Asean neighbours' agrofood products are everywhere. Former director of Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Rozhan Abu Dardak, provides another reason why this is so in his article published in the Food and Fertilizer Technology Centre Agricultural Policy Platform website on April 14: Vietnam dedicated 33 million hectares for rice cultivation. Thailand 9.2 million hectares, Indonesia 10.6 million hectares and the Philippines 5.6 million hectares. What about Malaysia? Of the 996,950ha dedicated to the agrofood sector, only 373,383ha is being used to cultivate rice. The rest is used for growing fruits, other food crops and vegetables, the last, a measly 64,220ha to work on. If that is not enough, the agrofood sector has to compete with industries and housing for land. More land for agrofood should certainly be a reform to aim for. There is one reality our policymakers often miss. Malaysia is a land of small things. Like the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that dominate the country's economy, so do small-scale farms. According to Rozhan, more than 90 per cent of Malaysian farmers own small plots of land, averaging 2.5ha per person. Logically, bigger means better yields. But that doesn't mean technology can't be made to work on small plots to increase yields. Like we have learnt to live with SMEs, we must learn to live with small-scale farms. What the agrofood sector reform should focus on are the farms themselves: the what and how of the trade. The skyrocketing prices of farm inputs, too, are making farming a challenging vocation. Farmers need help. Providing subsidies to those who deserve it is one way. The 13MP's move to incentivise young agroentrepreneurs takes the reform to a good place. We are a nation of old farmers, most of whom are in their 60s. At that age, farming is a struggle. Malaysians will be keeping a keen eye on the agrofood sector reforms, because what happens in the farms will determine whether or not we have home-grown food on the table.
New Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Trump's 'America First' may fuel global currency shift
EUROPE and Asia could leverage United States President Donald Trump's "America First" strategy for their own benefit, eventually spurring the development of regional tripolar foreign exchange (forex) blocs that could erode the dominance of the US dollar and reshape global markets. The US dollar has struggled this year, especially since Trump's April 2 tariff announcement. While the currency jumped recently following the announcement of US-European Union trade deal, this short-term move doesn't change the long-term trends that could undermine the greenback's position. Economic dominance in the future could largely depend on access to affordable, efficient energy to power artificial intelligence technologies. And in the race to dominate the industries of the future, the US is arguably going in reverse. It's retreating from the renewables space, as seen in the administration's recent move to eliminate many clean energy subsidies. The president appears to be making the bet that the US can maintain energy dominance indefinitely by relying on its own fossil fuel resources. This could ultimately result in uncompetitive power costs in the future, given that China is already dominating in clean energy technologies like solar and electric vehicles. While Trump may be seeking to enhance American self-sufficiency, the administration's policies may actually be increasing the country's dependency on foreign capital. Trump's recently passed budget bill — which looks pretty ugly to fiscal watchdogs despite its name — could cement the US' position as the world's biggest capital importer by adding an expected US$3.4 trillion to the US deficit over the next decade, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, potentially locking in six to seven per cent budget deficits for years. The US has also been running current account deficits of roughly four per cent over the past several years, and this widened to six per cent of gross domestic product in the first quarter, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. By spending beyond its means and running these twin deficits, the US will continue to require large amounts of foreign capital inflows. But this capital may soon be harder to come by, if Europe and Asia seek to keep more of it closer to home. While Europe has agreed to increase US energy purchases through the recently announced US trade deal, much of that agreement remains up in the air. Meanwhile, Asia has begun to trade more internally, as China has been focusing on export diversification. A growing regionalisation of supply chains began during the Covid-19 pandemic and appears to be accelerating as Trump seeks to drive production back to the US and all major global powers focus on securing regional raw material access (e.g., rare earths and other critical minerals) for national security purposes. This shift could eventually create the foundation for true regional forex blocs across Asia, Europe and the Americas. Within Asia, Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People's Bank of China, has recently highlighted China's interest in having the yuan play a larger role in a multi-polar currency world. While China's capital account remains closed, Asian currencies already primarily trade off the yuan rather than the US dollar. Even though China faces challenges, such as its fight against deflation, its efforts on this front — namely, boosting consumption and reining in excess supply, especially in the renewable energy space across solar, wind and batteries — could ultimately help attract more foreign capital by boosting China's growth profile and corporate earnings. In a world of currency blocs, Europe and Asia could emerge as potential winners, as they erode the US' position as the world's financial powerhouse. So while many investors may get lost in the short-term currency noise, it might be wise to instead focus on the long-term signal.
