Some 16 retail chains across Malaysia have pledged to no longer provide single-use plastic bags to customers from October 1, said Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming at the “Say No to Single-Use Plastics” campaign in Kuala Lumpur on September 26.

The Indonesian government is currently constructing a new national data centre (PDN) in Bekasi and will build another two in Batam and Nusantara capital city (IKN), Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Coordinating Minister Hadi Tjahjanto has stated.

The Governor of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture, Nagasaki Kotaro, on September 24 presented the token of 1 million JPY (over 6,900 USD) to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan to support the country’s disaster relief efforts in the wake of Typhoon Yagi and its subsequent floods and landslides.

Malaysia on September 20 launched its National Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence Governance and Ethics (AIGE) to establish a robust framework for users, policymakers, and AI technology providers to ensure adherence to the highest ethical standards.

Thailand remains committed to a people-centered foreign policy, focusing on "diplomacy for the people" and proactive economic diplomacy, the country’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said at a press briefing on September 19.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mekong River Commission (MRC) kicked off the second round of talks on water security in Vientiane, Laos, on September 18.

Malaysian authorities have frozen close to 100 bank accounts belonging to a charity group accused of running care homes where hundreds of children were allegedly abused.

The 38th ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council Meeting opened in Vientiane on September 16 under the chair of Lao Minister of Commerce Malaythong Kommasith.

A delegation of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) led by Deputy General Director Doan Thi Tuyet Nhung has attended a ceremony marking the 120th founding anniversary of the Russian News Agency TASS and the BRICS Media Summit in Moscow.

The Global New Light of Myanmar reported on September 15 that as of September 13 evening, flooding and landslides triggered Typhoon Yagi in the country had left 74 and 89 others missing.

In response to the severe loss of life and property caused by Typhoon Yagi in several countries in the region, ASEAN foreign ministers on September 11 issued a joint statement on its impact.

Since automated immigration lanes were introduced for all foreigners at Singapore’s Changi Airport in May this year, a higher percentage of travellers have been refused entry into the country.

The Thai government is expected to distribute 145 billion THB (4.28 billion USD) in cash under its digital wallet handout programme from late September to stimulate short-term development and support vulnerable groups.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia enjoys better international recognition now due to strategic cooperation with major powers such as China and Russia.

Negotiations on the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU-CEPA) are nearly 90% complete, with the deal expected to be finalised this month, according to Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on September 5 that it has launched a new six-year country partnership strategy designed to ensure that the Philippines' growth is sustained, inclusive, and resilient in the face of climate challenges.

The death toll from flash flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi and the southwest monsoon in the Philippines has risen to 15, while 15 people been injured and 21 still missing, according to the country's Office of Civil Defence (OCD).

Thailand's new Cabinet has been selected and will be submitted for royal endorsement within this week, the country’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has said.

The Bank of the Lao PDR is set to further increase interest rate on Lao kip deposits from 10% to 10.5% per year to alleviate inflationary pressures currently affecting the economy, reported the Vientiane Times.

Indonesia plans to expand its free meal programme, an initiative of President-elect Prabowo Subianto that is set to be implemented in 2025, to benefit not only school children but also pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers, an official has said.