Witnesses reported seeing staff at the Le Constellation bar carrying so-called fountain candles atop bottles of champagne.

The "Edit Image" button feature first rolled out in late December on Grok allows users to modify any image on the platform, with some users deciding to partially or completely remove clothing from women or children in pictures, according to complaints.

With a budget nearing one-tenth of this year’s state spending, President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free nutritious meal program faces mounting pressure to justify its cost, amid criticism over food safety incidents, weak oversight and competing policy priorities.

Israel suspended 37 foreign humanitarian organizations from accessing the Gaza Strip after they had refused to share lists of their Palestinian employees with government officials.

Partial results from Myanmar's first election since 2020, released by the Union Election Commission (UEC) for 56 constituencies, showed the junta-backed party winning by a wide margin as expected, despite thin turnout.

During his fifth visit to the disaster-hit northern Sumatra provinces, President Prabowo Subianto reasserted his administration’s commitment to “return normalcy” to the region within three months, focusing on rebuilding bridges, houses and other public facilities.

Landfills should operate only for residual waste, making disposal a last resort rather than a primary solution.

From tall totes to short-shorts, the past year was a sartorial journey to remember (or not).

Prosecutors indicted Yoon in November on several charges of aiding the enemy, alleging that he ordered drone flights over North Korea to strengthen his effort to declare military rule.

Authorities added that the recurring floods carried large amounts of mud, rocks and other debris, making rivers shallower and more prone to overflowing. They also warned that the fresh flooding has complicated search efforts for people still missing, who are believed to be trapped beneath thick debris.

Riau Islands province has a strategic location in the Malacca Strait, making it prone to trans-national crimes such as human trafficking and drug smuggling.

From the unravelling of eFishery saga to corruption probes ensnaring venture capital executives tied to state-backed funding at TaniHub, the year stripped the gloss from Southeast Asia’s most coveted start-up market.

Several articles of the new Criminal Code (KUHP) and Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) may erode civil liberties and freedom of expression, especially rights to criticize government policies, according to pro-democracy activists and scholars.

S&P Global's latest manufacturing PMI report showed the December reading slipped 2.1 points to 51.2 from the previous month, though it noted that surveyed firms anticipated a pickup in demand in the new year.

Indonesians ushered in the New Year with subdued celebrations, as scaled-down festivities across the country served as a gesture of solidarity with millions affected by deadly disasters in northern Sumatra.

The bourse has marked its first trading day of 2026 on Friday with the IDX Composite rising 1.17 percent to 8,748.13 points.

Around 40 people died and more than 100 were injured in the fire that ripped through the crowded Le Constellation bar around 1:30 a.m. local time.

The injections are part of Rp 276 trillion in government deposits redirected from the government’s accounts at Bank Indonesia (BI) in September and November to support liquidity at state-owned banks.

Xi's invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.

Most regions held joint prayers for the New Year’s Eve celebration for people affected by cyclone-induced floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, but some still opted to set off fireworks in several locations across the country.

In a speech following his public swearing-in, Mamdani promoted core campaign promises of universal childcare, affordable rents and free bus service.

Stocks began 2026 on a positive note in holiday-thinned trade as investors braced for a year set to test the AI-led rally, usher in a change of guard at the Federal Reserve and potentially more market turbulence under Donald Trump's presidency.

The Cambodian Ministry of Interior reported that 5,192 displaced persons returned home during the latest reporting period, but large populations remain in temporary shelters or host communities, particularly in Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces.

Pertamina made its first purchase of crude oil produced by a community-managed operation in Jambi, since a 2025 ministerial regulation was enacted to formalize previously illegal small-scale operators.

Despite a slowdown in the first nine months of 2025, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa says Indonesia’s economy could outpace the government’s own budget assumption.

President Prabowo Subianto spent the final day of 2025 with hundreds of displaced people in South Tapanuli regency, North Sumatra, among the hundreds of thousands who welcomed the New Year at emergency shelters following the floods and landslides that devastated the island’s northern region.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te says 2026 a crucial year for Taiwan, while Chinese President Xi Jinping says 'reunification' cannot be stopped