Thailand’s foreign minister says Thailand and Cambodia will resume talks to work toward a more durable ceasefire along their border.

Malaysia plans to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting in 2026.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to provide dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignments in Memphis and near the U.S.-Mexico border that could run through next fall.

East Timor has been formally admitted into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the group’s first expansion since the 1990s.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers held ahead of a landmark ASEAN summit that will welcome East Timor as the bloc’s 11th member and mark U.S. President Donald Trump’s first trip to Asia since returning to the White House.

Malaysia and the U.S. are working to secure an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.

The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to apply to enter the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there are “areas of potential cooperation” between Washington and Beijing.

The State Department has formally advised staffers that it will be sending layoff notices to some of them soon.

Sweeping tariffs set to be imposed by President Donald Trump next month may overshadow his top diplomat's first official trip to Asia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says Southeast Asian nations will forge a common front to face challenges including economic headwinds from U.S. tariffs and the four-year deadly civil war in Myanmar.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told Malaysia’s leader that China will be a collaborative partner and stand with its Southeast Asian neighbors in the wake of global economic shocks.

China has appointed a new trade negotiator in the midst of its tariff fight with the United States as the world’s two largest economies steadily increase tariffs on each other’s goods.

Authorities say a fireball that erupted from a burst gas pipeline soared into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city and injured 145 people.

Malaysia’s government has agreed in principle to accept a second “no find, no fee” deal from a U.S. company to renew the hunt for flight MH370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean over 10 years ago.

Swiss watchmaker Swatch has won a suit against the Malaysian government after a court ordered the return of 172 Swatch watches seized last year due to designs that authorities said bore LGBT elements.

Malaysia's High Court has ordered imprisoned former Prime Minister Najib Razak to enter a defense in his second corruption trial over the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund.

Starting her final round in a three-way tie for the lead, Yin Ruoning shot a 7-under 65 to win the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia by one stroke for her second title this month.

Jeeno Thitikul lost a lengthy playoff at the LPGA Tour’s Maybank Championship in 2023.

Malaysian police say they have rescued 187 more children and raided locations nationwide linked to an Islamic business group that is being investigated for alleged sexual assault of children.

The search for an Indian tourist who was swallowed by a sinkhole in Malaysia’s capital has entered a seventh day, with the operation hampered by strong undercurrent flows and worries about soil instability after a second sinkhole emerged nearby.

Malaysian authorities are working to salvage a 45-year-old fast attack naval ship that sank after it struck an unknown underwater object.

Police in Malaysia say that an Indian woman disappeared in Kuala Lumpur when pavement collapsed beneath her and she fell into a sinkhole, where she may have been swept away by an underground water current.

Traditional pomp and cannon fire marked the coronation of Malaysia’s billionaire King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, who pledged to govern fairly the five-year term he will serve under a unique rotating monarchy system.

Singapore authorities say a dredger boat reported a sudden loss in engine and steering control before it hit a cargo tanker last week, causing the oil spill that has blackened part of the city-island’s southern shores.

A cleanup was underway after an oil spill caused by a dredger boat hitting a stationary cargo tanker blackened part of Singapore’s southern coastline.

Diesel price in Malaysia have jumped by more than 50%, as part of a revamp of decades-old fuel subsidies to tighten government spending and save billions of ringgit annually.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the company will invest $2.2 billion over the next four years in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Malaysia.

A Malaysian shoe company has apologized and stopped selling some of its footwear after some Muslims said the logo resembled the Arabic writing for the word God.

The owners of a Malaysian convenience store chain and one of its suppliers were charged Tuesday with offending the religious feelings of Muslims after socks printed with the word “Allah” were found for sale on its shelves.

Malaysia’s government says it may renew the search for MH370 after a U.S. technology firm proposed a fresh search in the southern Indian Ocean where the Malaysia Airlines plane is believed to have crashed.

The CEO of chipmaker Nvidia views Malaysia as a potential hub for artificial intelligence “manufacturing.”.

In fading light and with another thunderstorm approaching, Celine Boutier made a birdie on the ninth playoff hole to defeat Atthaya Thitikul and win the Maybank Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Rose Zhang birdied the 18th hole for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Maybank Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Women’s professional golf has picked up another big money event.

Malaysia’s royal families have elected the powerful and wealthy ruler of southern Johor state as the country’s new king under a unique rotating monarchy system.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says subsidies will be progressively cut and new taxes launched next year as part of the 2024 federal budget.

The Malaysian government has questioned a move by Goldman Sachs to file for arbitration in a dispute connected with the multibillion-dollar looting of a sovereign wealth fund.

Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says it has begun releasing a second batch of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea after the first round of discharges ended smoothly.

Singapore has conducted its first execution of a woman in 19 years and its second hanging this week for drug trafficking.

Malaysia’s government says it will take legal action against Facebook's parent company, Meta Platforms, for failing to remove undesirable and harmful content from its social media platform.

Malaysia’s maritime agency says it has detained a Chinese-registered vessel on suspicion of looting two British warship wrecks in the South China Sea.

Singapore has executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency and protests that he was convicted on weak evidence.

Badminton has upheld its ban on Russian and Belarusian players in international competitions on the eve of the start of Olympic qualifying.

Michelle Yeoh says she is looking for new challenges including as a producer, as she credited perseverance, hard work and passion for her historic Oscar win last month.

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been arrested and will be brought to court to face corruption charges.

Malaysian former Prime Minister Najib Razak has been acquitted in the latest trial in response to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state fund.

Rescuers in Malaysia have found the bodies of a mother and her son, raising the death toll from a landslide on an unlicensed campground to 23 with 10 others still missing.

A thunderous crush of soil and debris has killed 21 people, including several children, at a campground in Malaysia.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has accused the U.S. of trying to provoke a war in Taiwan.

Economies in the Asia-Pacific are forecast to hit the doldrums this year as decades-high inflation and the war in Ukraine add to uncertainty and the aftereffects of the pandemic.

Malaysia’s film censors say it was Disney’s decision to ax the animated film “Lightyear” from the country’s cinemas after refusing to cut scenes promoting homosexuality.

Malaysia suspended exports of live chickens Wednesday.

Singapore has executed a Malaysian man convicted of drug smuggling after a court dismissed a last-minute challenge from his mother and international pleas to spare him on grounds he was mentally disabled.

The U.S. is sending two top officials to the Solomon Islands following a visit by an Australian senator over concerns that China could establish a military presence in the South Pacific island nation.

Thousands of Malaysians working in Singapore have returned home as Malaysia fully reopened its borders after more than two years of pandemic closure.

Malaysia will reopen its borders on April 1 after two years and lift remaining coronaviurs restrictions on businesses as it moves to restore normal life.

Malaysia’s AirAsia Group has changed the name of its listed holding company to Capital A to reflect the diversity of its business portfolio as it seeks to grow its non-airline revenue.

Intel is expanding its manufacturing operation in Malaysia as chipmakers work to diversify global supply chains that were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A positive COVID-19 test among U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s traveling party has cut short the top diplomat’s first official tour of Southeast Asia.

Malaysia’s government has proposed record spending for 2022 to bolster post-pandemic economic recovery, with various industrial incentives and cash handouts for the poor and windfall taxes for high-income companies.

Malaysia’s longest-governing political party has reclaimed the premiership it lost in a shock 2018 election defeat, after the king named its candidate, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as the country’s new leader.

The NBA announced that former President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner.

Malaysia’s government says it will not extend a coronavirus emergency further as Parliament reopened after a disputed seven-month suspension amid a worsening pandemic.

Images of bodies burning in open-air pyres during the peak of the pandemic in India horrified the world in May, but in the last two weeks three Southeast Asian nations have surpassed India’s peak per capita death rate as a new coronavirus wave tightens its grip on the region.

More than 25 years after its original publication, President Barack Obama’s memoir “Dreams from My Father” will be released in a young adult edition.

Malaysia has shut a mass vaccination center in its worst-hit state after more than 200 medical staff and volunteers tested positive for the coronavirus.

A white flag campaign is gaining traction to help Malaysians facing economic devastation during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Navajo Nation on Saturday reported five additional COVID-19 cases and two more deaths.

Malaysia’s prime minister says a near-total coronavirus lockdown will be imposed in the country, with social and economic activities to be halted for two weeks to contain a worsening outbreak.

A worsening coronavirus outbreak in Malaysia has sparked alarm and is spilling over into neighboring Thailand, which recently discovered a more infectious variant in its south believed to have come from Malaysia.

The International Federation of the Red Cross says coronavirus cases are exploding in Asia with over 5.9 million new confirmed infections over the past two weeks.

Malaysia’s finance ministry says the sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and a former subsidiary have filed 22 lawsuits to recover assets worth over $23 billion from various institutions and individuals.

Malaysian rubber maker Top Glove says it hopes to swiftly resolve a U.S. ban on its products due to allegations of forced labor after one of its shipments was seized at a U.S. port.

A staff locks the front gate of North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Sunday, March 21, 2021. Malaysia on Friday ordered all North Korean diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, an escalation of a diplomatic spat over Malaysia's move to extradite a North Korean suspect to the United States on money laundering charges. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)WASHINGTON – A North Korean citizen was taken into U.S. custody on Saturday after being extradited from Malaysia to face money laundering charges, making him the first North Korean extradited to the U.S. to face trial. They have argued that the extradition is “politically motivated” and aimed to increase pressure on North Korea over the nation’s missile program. Mun has denied allegations that he was involved in supplying prohibited luxury goods from Singapore to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions before moving to Malaysia in 2008.

(AP Photo/Vincent Thian)KUALA LUMPUR – North Korean diplomats vacated their embassy in Malaysia and were expelled Sunday, after the two nations cut diplomatic relations in a spat over the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States. The North Korean flag and embassy signage were removed from the premise in a Kuala Lumpur suburb. Ties between North Korea and Malaysia have been virtually frozen since the 2017 assassination of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysia denounced the decision and in a tit-for-tat response, gave North Korean diplomats 48 hours to leave. Malaysian officials never officially accused North Korea of involvement in Kim’s death, but prosecutors made it clear throughout the trial that they suspected a North Korean connection.

Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein tweeted that all Malaysian diplomats in North Korea had returned after the embassy’s operations were suspended in 2017. Experts say North Korea is taking a tough stance over the extradition because it sees it as a pressure tactic against the North. Nam said North Korea also likely worries that similar cases involving North Korean nationals could occur in other Southeast Asian countries. North Korea and Malaysia established diplomatic ties in 1973, but their relations suffered major setbacks over the 2017 killing of Kim Jong Nam. North Korea denied the victim was Kim Jong Nam and disputed it had any role in the man’s death.

A Malaysian court ruled Wednesday, March 10, 2021, that non-Muslims can use the word Allah to refer to God, in a major decision in a divisive issue for religious freedom in the Muslim-majority country. (AP Photo/Annice Lyn, File)KUALA LUMPUR – A Malaysian court ruled Wednesday that non-Muslims can use the word “Allah” to refer to God, in a major decision over a divisive issue for religious freedom in the Muslim-majority country. “The court has now said the word Allah can be used by all Malaysians,” Xavier said. AdThe United Malays National Organization and the conservative Islamic Party in joint statement said they viewed the court ruling with concern and demanded the government pursue the case in the Appeals Court. Anger over a lower court ruling against the government ban in 2009 led to a string of arson attacks and vandalism at churches and other places of worship.

Health workers shift a box containing COVID-19 vaccine from a vehicle to a cold storage at Commissionerate of Health and Family Welfare in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. WELLINGTON – India has started shipping COVID-19 vaccines to multiple cities, four days ahead of a nationwide inoculation drive. The first vaccine shipments contain the COVISHIELD vaccine made by the Serum Institute and developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. — Indonesia has received the raw materials to begin making 15 million doses of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine. Another Indian, HS Prannoy, an unidentified German and an Egyptian also tested positive on Monday, but their retests were found to be negative.

An electronic shop worker wearing a face mask watches a live broadcast of Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at a shopping outlet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. Malaysia's king Tuesday approved a coronavirus emergency that will prorogue parliament and halt any bids to seek a general election in a political reprieve for embattled Muhyiddin. With more UMNO lawmakers expected to follow suit, he said the emergency was an admission of defeat by Muhyiddin. He pledged to call a general election once the crisis has eased and it is safe to hold polls. King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said at the time that existing laws were sufficient to halt the virus spread.

Malaysia's Top Glove Corp., the world's largest rubber glove maker, said Tuesday it expects a delay in deliveries after it was hit by a coronavirus outbreak that affected thousands of workers. The government on Monday ordered 28 Top Glove factories in Klang to shut down in stages to allow workers to undergo screening and mandatory quarantine after 2,453 factory workers tested positive for COVID-19. Top Glove says it produces about 90 billion rubber gloves a year, about one quarter of the world's supply, and exports to 195 countries. Top Glove reportedly has about 13,000 workers at its 28 factories in Klang. It employs a total of 21,000 workers in its 41 factories in Malaysia and six others in Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, arrives for the opening of the first virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit, hosted by Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)KUALA LUMPUR – Leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, including U.S. President Donald Trump, pledged Friday to work toward free, open and non-discriminatory trade and investment to revive their coronavirus-battered economies. The APEC leaders’ meeting was the first since 2018 after last year’s host, Chile, canceled the annual summit due to violent domestic protests. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his remarks, urged countries to “defend multilateralism” and called for the establishment of an “Asia-Pacific free trade zone at an early date." APEC leaders adopted the Putrajaya Vision 2040, a new 20-year growth vision to replace the Bogor Goals named after the Indonesian town where leaders agreed in 1994 to free and open trade and investment.

Xi rejected suggestions Beijing might respond to U.S. sanctions on its fledgling technology companies by trying to separate their industries from global trading partners. “We will never go back in history by seeking to decouple or forming a ‘small circle' to keep others out," Xi said. Thursday's event came ahead of a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders hosted by Malaysia. The Trump administration has cut off Chinese tech giant Huawei’s access to most U.S. components and technology on security grounds. Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said free and open trade and investment, regional economic integration, as well as economic and technical cooperation must remain APEC's priorities moving forward.

Malaysia extended restricted movements in its biggest city Kuala Lumpur, neighboring Selangor state and the administrative capital of Putrajaya from Wednesday in an attempt to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)NEW DELHI – India reported 45,674 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, with the capital coping with a sharp surge of nearly 7,000 cases a day this week. India has seen an overall steady dip in new cases after touching nearly 100,000 a day in mid-September. The Indian capital also reported 79 deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest since June. Delhi state Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that apart from aggressive contact tracing, targeted testing in shopping areas and other busy locations also has started.

Another 1,168 new cases were reported Saturday, bringing Malaysia's total tally to 39,357 — compared to just 13,993 a month ago. It said he tested positive for the disease when he applied Wednesday to have his work permit renewed. The country has confirmed a total of 3,830 coronavirus cases, including 60 deaths. Szijjarto tested positive upon arrival in Thailand on Tuesday after his Cambodia visit. Hun Sen and four Cabinet ministers are in quarantine after they met with Szijjarto the same day he tested positive.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING — China is suspending entry for most foreign passport holders who reside in Britain, reacting to a new surge of coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom. ___MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota hospitals are under pressure and ICU beds are nearing full capacity as coronavirus cases reach a new high and hospitalizations continue to surge. ___PHOENIX — Arizona’s total coronavirus cases surpassed 250,000 and state health officials reported more than 1,000 hospitalized patients for the first time since late August. Latvia, Estonia’s southern neighbor, says it had a record number of new coronavirus cases: 313 in the past 24 hours. Latvian health officials say the nation of nearly 2 million has recorded 6,752 confirmed cases and 85 deaths.

Malaysia extended restricted movements in its biggest city Kuala Lumpur, neighboring Selangor state and the administrative capital of Putrajaya from Wednesday in an attempt to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)WELLINGTON – The Marshall Islands has reported its first cases of the coronavirus after two people who flew from Hawaii to a U.S. military base tested positive. The small Pacific nation had been among the last places in the world to have no reported cases of the virus. Home to about 78,000 people, the Marshall Islands maintains close military and civilian ties with the U.S. under a compact of free association. — Australia has sought to prevent new coronavirus cases from reaching its shores by banning most of its residents from leaving in the first place.

A man walks in front of a poster of UMNO ( United Malays National Organisation) President Ahmad Zahid at UMNO headquarter in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020. A key ally has reaffirmed support for Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's government, offering him a respite after his failed bid to declare a coronavirus emergency, but his political survival still hangs in the balance. The UMNO, the biggest party in the unelected governing coalition was angry at being sidelined amid rivalry with Muhyiddin's own Malay party. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

A key ally has reaffirmed support for Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's government, offering him a respite after his failed bid to declare a coronavirus emergency, but his political survival still hangs in the balance. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)KUALA LUMPUR – A key ally's reaffirmed support for Malaysia's prime minister offers him a respite after his failed bid to declare a coronavirus emergency, but his political survival still hangs in the balance. “Muhyiddin can now cling on to his political survival only at the whims of UMNO, which sees unresolved factional struggles. The king met Anwar earlier this month but has postponed meetings with party leaders to verify Anwar’s claim of a majority support. said Muhyiddin’s emergency plan was really an admission of defeat but he received “an indirect slap on the face” from the king.

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin attends a parliament session at lower house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 13, 2020. Muhyiddin said Monday, Oct. 26, 2020 his government was prioritizing protecting people from COVID-19 amid a new outbreak after the king rejected an emergency proposal that critics saw as an undemocratic attempt to hold onto power. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah waves as he leaves National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. National Palace statement says Malay rulers has decided not to accede to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's request to declare a state of emergency. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah waves as he leaves National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. National Palace statement says Malay rulers has decided not to accede to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's request to declare a state of emergency. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia's king on Sunday rejected a proposal by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declare a state of emergency to fight a new outbreak of the coronavirus. The king can declare a state of emergency that allows the country to be governed through ordinances that cannot be challenged in court. Some media outlets have cited sources as saying that Muhyiddin wanted an “economic emergency” to merely suspend Parliament, without any curfew.

A city hall worker sprays a disinfectant at Merdeka Square, or independence square, situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, background, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. Malaysia will restrict movements in its biggest city Kuala Lumpur, neighboring Selangor state and the administrative capital of Putrajaya from Wednesday in an attempt to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)MELBOURNE – Australia’s Victoria state has reported just one new case of COVID-19 and no deaths as the city of Melbourne moves closer towards the easing of some lifestyle restrictions. The state’s coronavirus death toll remains at 816 and the Australian total is 904. Melbourne residents are expecting COVID-19 restrictions to be eased on Sunday but it is unclear how much freedom will be regained.

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim gestures as he leaves after a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Anwar said he has secured a majority in parliament to form a new government that is strong, stable and formidable." (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim gestures as he leaves after a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. Anwar said he has secured a majority in parliament to form a new government that is strong, stable and formidable." (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday he has secured a majority in Parliament to form a new government, but parties in the ruling coalition called it a “cheap publicity" stunt. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Anwar must provide evidence, and “until proven otherwise, my National Alliance government still stands firm and I am still prime minister.” He urged Malaysians to stay calm. Once a high flyer in the ruling party, Anwar was convicted of homosexual sodomy and corruption after a power struggle with Mahathir in 1998.

KUALA LUMPUR Malaysia has denied it was clamping down on social media after an outcry over an announcement that all video production must be licensed amid a row with news broadcaster Al-Jazeera. Communications Minister Saifuddin Abdullah sparked confusion Thursday after saying every film and video, including those produced by media groups and social media users, must comply with a 1981 Film Act that requires licensing. Many Malaysians and opposition lawmakers criticized Saifuddins announcement that could potentially affect videos produced on popular social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Facebook and Instagram. Over 80% of Malaysias 32 million population are social media users. Police also questioned an activist about a social media post alleging mistreatment of refugees at immigration detention centers.

KUALA LUMPUR Goldman Sachs has reached a $3.9B settlement with Malaysia over the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund that was used to launder money. Malaysian and U.S. prosecutors had alleged that bond sales organized by Goldman Sachs for 1MDB provided one of the means for associates of former Malaysian leader Najib Razak to steal billions over several years from a fund that was ostensibly set up to accelerate Malaysias economic development. Najib was arrested as part of the scandal. Two former Goldman Sachs bankers have been charged for their role in helping 1MDB launder money. Goldman on Friday said it had agreed to pay the government of Malaysia $2.5 billion and to guarantee that it gets at least $1.4 billion in proceeds from assets that have since been seized around the globe.

KUALA LUMPUR Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin narrowly won a motion to boot the parliament speaker Monday, scraping through the first test of his support nearly five months after taking power. Its success could thwart the opposition's bid of a no-confidence vote against Muhyiddin, analysts said. Lawmakers engaged in heated debates over Muhyiddins unprecedented proposal to replace the house speaker with his own candidate. Then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad resigned in protest of the plan, and filed a motion of no-confidence against his former party ally. Chin said the speaker replacement suggested parliament cannot act as an effective check and balance against Muhyiddin.

KUALA LUMPUR Singapore sentenced a drug suspect to death at a court hearing held on the videoconferencing app Zoom because of the city-state's coronavirus lockdown, in a decision slammed by a human rights group as callous and inhumane. The Singapore court ruled that Genasan, 37, was involved in drug trafficking in October 2011. Singapore applies the death penalty to a range of offenses including drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, waging war against the government and use of firearms. Human Rights Watch said the death penalty is already cruel and inhumane, and the use of Zoom to announce it made it worse. Its death penalty adviser, Chiara Sangiorgio, said Singapore is only one of four countries that currently execute people for drug offenses.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian police say 15-year-old Nora Quoirin, who went missing from a jungle resort, died from intestinal bleeding caused by starvation and stress. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Negeri Sembilan state police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop said a post-mortem showed no evidence that Quoirin had been abducted or raped. "There were some abrasion and bruises on her leg but they were not likely to have led to her death," said Yusop. Quoirin, who disappeared from the Dusun resort on August 4, had died two or three days before her body was found Tuesday, according to investigators. Her family described Quoirin as "especially vulnerable" due to "learning and developmental disabilities."