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.

Indonesia's Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani, who is also head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), is currently on a visit to Singapore with a view to attracting more investment to the archipelago nation. 

Various prevention measures against monkeypox (mpox) have been put in place although Malaysia has recorded no new cases since December last year, according to Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad.

At least seven people were killed, two others were injured and some were likely to be missing after flash floods and landslides hit the Indonesian eastern province of Maluku on the morning of August 25, according to the locality’s disaster management and mitigation office.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who freshly concluded a three-day official visit to India, has noted that during the visit, investment commitments totalling 4.5 billion RM were secured from various sectors and companies in the South Asian nation, according to Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama.

Experts say that while the World Health Organisation (WHO) did the right thing in declaring this viral disease a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), it will have minimal effect on countries like Singapore.

Thailand’s Education Ministry plans to limit the use of digital communication devices in schools by young students as it fears their development will suffer if they become hooked on the technology.

Patsnap, a Singaporean startup that helps businesses search for and analyse patent information, is starting to offer more services tailored to specific industries by increasingly tapping generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Korean confectionery maker Orion has announced that its business performance in the first half of 2024 has posted the highest growth rate ever recorded and a record revenue, with particularly impressive results in the Vietnamese and Chinese markets. 

Indonesia is gearing up to move away from a predominantly coal-based economy to one focused on natural gas and renewable energy sources to achieve its pledge of net zero emissions by 2060.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has recently asked tourism-related agencies in Phuket province to gear up for the upcoming high tourism season from September to February, with top priority given to tourist safety.

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has raised concerns over the potential domination of Thailand’s steel industry by Chinese companies, and called for regulatory action, reported The Nation.

Thailand's Commerce Ministry is working with the private sector to launch a price reduction campaign for goods and services three months before the much-anticipated digital wallet scheme begins.

A ceremony to celebrate the 57th ASEAN Day was held at the ASEAN Secretariat’s headquarters in Jakarta on August 8.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently signed Decree No. 25/2024 establishing a task force to promote foreign investment attraction in the the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).

Malaysia needs to focus on developing its own semiconductor design capabilities, lessening dependence on imported chips moving forward, said Malaysian Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli at the launch ceremony of the country’s Semiconductor IC Design Park in Puchong on August 6.