Ryunosuke Animal Hospital in downtown Kumamoto, which was jolted by a powerful earthquake this week, has converted a space into temporary housing for evacuees, with separate rooms for owners of cats and dogs.

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto said his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung made the request during his last visit to Seoul in April.

Interest is centred on whether Pakatan Harapan can rebound from a dismal performance in the Jul 11 Johor state election and fend off a challenge from a partner teaming up with a rival.

A pilot scheme to offer monthly vouchers in rural South Korea is boosting local spending and attracting new residents. But officials say reversing decades of depopulation will require much more than cash incentives.

The Asian Football Confederation expressed "deep concern" about the proposed establishment of a US$20 billion commercial subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the World Cup and FIFA's other events.

Negeri Sembilan heads to the polls on Aug 1, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan pact battling to retain power in the face of a Malay-Muslim unity narrative spun by Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.

Tens of thousands of residents are without power and water in temperatures forecast to approach 40°C this weekend.

Parties have tailored their campaigns to younger Malaysians, promising better jobs, affordable housing, education opportunities and improved public transport in a bid to win over the state's largest voting bloc.

The pilot had just flown a Malaysia Airlines plane from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta, and was found to have been under the influence of cocaine and methamphetamine after a urine test. 

They practise backflips and cartwheels in a narrow alley with little equipment or privacy. But the children from this poor Jakarta neighbourhood are proving they can compete with Indonesia's best.

A large-scale rescue operation is continuing after more than 1,100 residents were safely evacuated.

"Negotiations between parties are ongoing, particularly on (the) Strait of Hormuz and to de-escalate," says a Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman.

Around 126,000 Rohingya refugees are registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February.