Barisan Nasional (BN)'s chairman and UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi however adds that there would still be a need to reach some understanding with other political blocs.

Washington has accused Pyongyang of ramping up a cyber-warfare program responsible for the theft of billions of dollars in virtual assets in recent years.

United States President Donald Trump says his upcoming visit will be an “amazing event”, while Chinese observers say both sides need to prioritise risk management in the face of rising uncertainty worldwide.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met delegates to the ruling party's youth league congress in Pyongyang, a once-in-five-years political gathering aimed at mobilising citizens aged roughly 14 to 30. 

The suckermouth catfish originating from South America is swarming waterways in parts of Southeast Asia. 

The Japanese premier also called for Asian countries to cultivate "resilience" and the ability to "determine their own future".

China's tourism market is a bright spot in domestic demand, injecting momentum into a economy facing pressure from weak consumption and a prolonged property downturn.

The Philippines has a huge cockfighting industry, with Filipinos wagering tens of millions of dollars daily, according to some industry estimates.  

Japan is Vietnam's largest provider of official development assistance and a key investor and trading partner.

A train collided with a car in Central Java, killing four people including two children, just days after another fatal crash outside Jakarta.

Officials say the move is part of a broader push to curb tobacco use, with stricter rules likely to follow.