Padar and Komodo islands in Komodo National Park have been temporarily closed to visitors due to potential extreme weather, says the Labuan Bajo port authority.

The revision focuses on areas such as digital and green trade, along with intellectual property provisions — key improvements China needs to make to meet the standards of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The bus carrying 19 passengers overturned on a mountainous road in Vietnam's northern province of Yen Bai, ‌state-run media reported.

"Both sides agree to maintain current troop ⁠deployments without further movement," their defence ministers said in ‍a joint statement on the ceasefire, to take effect at noon local time (1pm in Singapore) on Saturday (Dec 27).

In Mandalay city, about 600 km north of Yangon, the lack of campaigning is palpable, with no sustained canvassing for votes just days ahead of the polls, two residents say.

"Regional stability in Yangon region is improving now," said a statement shared by junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun.

If Thailand and Cambodia can come to an agreement, they will make a deal in line with the previous pact brokered with the help of US President Donald Trump, said Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

 A man in his thirties, armed with a survival knife and a gas mask, was reportedly arrested.

Voting kicks off on Sunday (Dec 28) and will be held over three phases, limited to areas where the military maintains varying degrees of control. 

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an said "through today's high-intensity drill, we will thoroughly and comprehensively review the existing defence mechanisms, leaving no stone unturned".

SIA cancelled four flights between Singapore and New York as well as two flights between Frankfurt and the US state.

Chinese officers, working with counterparts from Thailand and Myanmar, arrested suspects and dismantled gambling and fraud facilities, China’s Ministry of Public Security said.

Friday’s decision by Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah came after a trial that had stretched across 302 days over a period of six years.

Companies that rely on skilled workers to keep global trade moving are increasingly worried about the impact on long-term operations.

The draft budget is up 9.4 per cent from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan's ongoing five-year programme to double its annual arms spending.

Cambodian and Thai officials were in their third day of talks at a border checkpoint on Friday, with defence ministers from both countries scheduled to meet on Saturday. 

Synthetic diamonds can sell for 50 to 90 per cent less than natural ones. 

The upheaval in Malaysia’s smallest state could reportedly have wider implications for the opposition Perikatan Nasional pact as well as national politics.