Malaysia on January 6 launched the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026), which focuses on two core pillars – high yield and sustainable tourism.

The Indonesian government is preparing to implement the mandatory 50% biodiesel (B50) programme in 2026 to stop diesel imports, according to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia.

The National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) of Indonesia is planning to set up the National Preparedness Centre in West Jakarta this year, according to head of the agency's general affairs bureau Fanfan Infansyah.

The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is planning to improve mobile banking security measures by limiting certain groups of people, such as teenagers and the elderly, from transferring more than 50,000 THB (1,500 USD) per day.

The Indonesian middle class has been shrinking over the past five years, the Jakarta Post reported on December 31.

From Sydney to Mumbai to Nairobi, communities around the world are welcoming 2025. In New York, packed crowds counted down as the ball dropped. This year’s celebration includes musical performances by TLC, Jonas Brothers, Rita Ora and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

The Cambodian government on December 28 decided to reduce e-visa fees for tourists and businesses or ordinary people from January 2025.

Thai auto manufacturers produced 117,251 vehicles in November, down 28.23% from a year earlier, with domestic sales down 40% to 37,229 units and exports down 20.6% to 80,022 units.

The Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Minister of of Trade, Industry and Energy Cheong In-kyo on December 26 said that the RoK-Philippines free trade agreement (FTA), set to take effect next week, will help the country further bolster its trade portfolio and contribute to maintaining a stable supply chain.

Four ride-hailing platforms in Singapore are set to increase fees by 0.5 SGD (0.37 USD) starting January 1, 2025, a move they say is meant to cover costs arising from the upcoming Platform Workers Act.

The Philippines’ outstanding external debt stood at 139.64 billion USD as of the end of September, up 17.5% against the same period last year, its central bank Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has said.

Psoriasis has become a significant health concern in Thailand, with more than 20,000 outpatient cases recorded in 2024. It is now the third most common dermatological condition in the country.

Malaysia-China economic ties have continued to strengthen, with bilateral trade reaching nearly 98 billion USD between January and November, matching the 2023 total trade volume.

The Indonesian government has unveiled a series of economic stimulus packages totaling 827 trillion Rp (51.65 billion USD) for 2025, designed to mitigate economic shocks and address the weakening purchasing power of low- and middle-income groups.

Thailand is expected to apply a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% on big international companies from 2025 in an effort to attract more foreign investment.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra as an informal adviser to assist with the country’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2025.

Authorities in Thailand have arrested two suspects following a blast at a festival near the border with Myanmar that killed three people and wounded dozens.

Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on December 12 ordered the police and law enforcement agencies to intensify the crackdown on illegal gaming and cyber cam hubs that continue to operate despite the ban, which will take effect by the end of December, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on December 11 approved a 500 million USD policy-based loan to help the Philippines pursue its public financial management (PFM) reform agenda and ensure quality public services for its people.

Malaysia is on track to become a global medical technology (medtech) hub with its strong policies in attracting and executing the right investments, including the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), said Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.