Indonesia

Indonesia says US agrees to tariff exemption for its palm oil, cocoa and rubber

JAKARTA: The United States has agreed in principle to exempt Indonesian exports of cocoa, palm oil and rubber from the 19% tariff imposed by President Donald Trump since Aug 7, Indonesia's top trade negotiator said on Tuesday (Aug 26).

Nation

Bukit Aman takes over probe into death of UTM Palapes cadet

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman's Classified Criminal Investigation Unit (USJT) has taken over the probe into the death of Reserve Officers Training Unit (Palapes) cadet from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai, Syamsul Haris Shamsudin.

Economy

China's industrial profits extend decline in July

BEIJING: China's industrial profits fell for a third consecutive month in July, as businesses struggled in the face of subdued demand and persistent factory-gate deflation despite policy measures to help shore up the economic recovery.

Markets

FBM KLCI fails to rebound as previous day's decline sparks caution

KUALA LUMPUR: The strong selling momentum on the FBM KLCI yesterday put investors on a cautious footing, which could prevent a quick rebound on the market.

Entertainment

Local actress Koe Yeet shares photos from betrothal ceremony: 'My heart is full'

In an interview with StarLifestyle in January, Koe admitted to feeling both excited and nervous about the changes marriage will bring.

Forex

Ringgit opens higher on US rate cut expectations

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar and most major currencies on Wednesday, lifted by growing expectations of a US interest rate cut amid weakening consumer confidence and concerns over rising prices from escalating tariffs.

Commodities

Oil falls 2% as investors weigh tariffs, Russian supply

Oil prices fell 2% on Tuesday, erasing gains from the previous session, as investors watched developments around US tariffs, the war in Ukraine and the potential disruption of Russian fuel supplies.

China

Alert after kids die from brain-eating amoeba

The recent deaths of two children from a rare but usually fatal brain infection transmitted by organisms thriving in freshwater have raised concerns about the risks of swimming in lakes and rivers.

South Korea

Lee lives through summit without a ‘Zelenskyy moment’

South Korea's Lee Jae Myung narrowly avoided what he called a "Zelenskyy moment" after US President Donald Trump welcomed him to Washington with right-wing conspiracy theories but then pulled off a high-stakes summit without unwanted drama.

Philippines

Top cop who nabbed Duterte, Quiboloy loses post

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has fired his national police chief, who gained attention for leading the separate arrests of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte on orders of the International Criminal Court and televangelist Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, who is on the FBI's most-wanted list for alleged child sex trafficking, Philippine officials said Tuesday.

India

Ambani zoo under scrutiny

The country's Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into allegations of illegal animal imports and financial misconduct at a vast private zoo set up by the son of Asia's richest person.

China

‘China, Russia should safeguard interests’

China and Russia should jointly safeguard their security and development interests, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the visiting Russian parliament speaker in their efforts to build a more "equitable" international order.

China

Xi to welcome Putin, Modi

President Xi Jinping will gather more than 20 world leaders at a regional security forum next week in a powerful show of Global South solidarity in the age of Donald Trump.

Japan

Oldest Mount Fuji climber is 102

A 102-year-old man with a serious heart condition has been certified as the oldest person to climb Mount Fuji – but still shrugged off the feat as nothing special.

Indonesia

Measles vaccination drive follows after 17 deaths

Hundreds of children lined up for free measles shots as authorities rolled out a vaccination campaign in response to an outbreak that has caused 17 deaths.

Vietnam

Kajiki claims three lives

The death toll from Typhoon Kajiki rose to at least three, as rescue workers battled uprooted trees and downed power lines and widespread flooding brought chaos to the streets of the capital Hanoi.

Singapore

Filipina maid in Singapore given nine months’ jail for hitting seven-month-old baby

SINGAPORE: A domestic worker was handed nine months' jail on Tuesday (Aug 26) for hitting a seven-month-old baby multiple times earlier in 2025.

Singapore

Man who raped stepdaughter gets 24 years’ jail, 24 strokes of the cane in Singapore

SINGAPORE: A 38-year-old man who raped his stepdaughter when she was between eight and 10 years old was sentenced to 24 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Tuesday (Aug 26).

AseanPlus News

Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Tuesday (Aug 26, 2025)

Here's a look at the news highlights from Asean countries in the Star-AseanPlus section for Tuesday (Aug 26, 2025)

Cambodia

Cambodia lodges new protest over Aug 25 Thai incursion

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia sent a "strong" protest letter to Thailand, regarding their actions on Monday (Aug 25), which Cambodia said violated the current ceasefire by encroaching on Cambodia's sovereign territory.