The cost of petrol rose more than 20 percent in Vietnam on Friday after the government announced an overnight hike amid fears of oil and gas shortages caused by the Middle East war.

President Prabowo Subianto has said that the acid attack against activist Andrie Yunus was a “barbaric, terror act” that must be thoroughly investigated, pledging to personally ensure that those who masterminded the assault are brought to justice.

Myanmar's parliament will start the process to elect a new president on March 30, officials said on Friday, a vote many analysts expect will be won by the head of the junta that seized power in a coup in 2021.

The government has declared that Idul Fitri will fall on Saturday, following an isbat (moon sighting confirmation) meeting on Thursday night.

K-pop megastars BTS released a new album Friday billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's Korean roots and identity, as buzz built ahead of their open-air comeback concert in the heart of Seoul.

The government is holding subsidized fuel prices steady through year-end as global oil price tops US$100 a barrel, with Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa saying the state will absorb the shock rather than pass it on to consumers.

Israel launched a fresh wave of attacks on Iran on Friday, a day after President Donald Trump told it not to repeat its strikes on Iranian natural gas infrastructure, which sharply escalated the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony ​Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia's largest mosque for Idul Fitri prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel's offensive in Gaza.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sailed smoothly past a potential clash with Donald Trump over Iran on Thursday, though the US president whipped up a bit of a storm about Pearl Harbor.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Washington might lift sanctions on Iranian oil that is already being shipped, as energy prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.

Last year, China sent Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand roughly a fifth of their fertilizer imports and that figure stood at a third for Malaysia and New Zealand, according to International Trade Centre data. For India, it was around 16 percent, according to its trade data.

Six major international powers said Thursday they were ready "to contribute to" ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, though three stressed that any initiative would take place post-ceasefire.

Quasi-opposition chairwoman underlined Jakarta’s free and active, non-aligned foreign policy amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Michael, an Indonesian of Chinese descent born in Kudus, Central Java, in 1939, jointly owned the Djarum Group with his brother Robert Budi Hartono, both sons of Djarum founder Oei Wie Gwan. Their father established the company in 1951 with just 10 employees, and it grew into one of the world’s largest clove cigarette firms with tens of thousands of workers.

China's show of willingness to work with the region of more than 700 million people would be welcome relief to Southeast Asian oil importers after an order by Beijing earlier this month to ban Chinese exports of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.

The National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) has projected that the peak of this year’s homecoming mudik (exodus) traffic flow has taken place two days ahead of Idul Fitri.

Speaking to reporters following a meeting in Riyadh of foreign ministers from the region, Prince Faisal said that Iran "tries to pressure its neighbours" with attacks.

Official warnings ahead of Nowruz in Iran have been explicit: Dissent will be treated not as protest but as insurrection. 

An internal military justice investigation of the alleged perpetrators clouds transparency and risks perpetuating impunity, civil society groups have said.

The cost of the subsidised RON95 transport fuel, available for all Malaysian citizens, will be kept at 1.99 ringgit per litre, with the government expected to spend over 3 billion ringgit ($763.36 million) per month to fund its fuel subsidy bill, the ministry said in a statement late Wednesday. 

As India navigates the volatile West Asian landscape, New Delhi’s masterclass in strategic autonomy proves that dialogue, not division, is the ultimate currency of power.

As a result of the war between Iran and the US and Israel, global crude oil prices have increased to above US$100 per barrel, far exceeding the $70 per barrel assumption in the 2026 state budget, which may result in higher energy subsidies.

The attack was reportedly a retaliation after Tehran accused Israel of striking its facilities in the massive South Pars gas field on Wednesday.

Interest rates were kept steady at a range of 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent, with officials flagging one expected cut by the end of the year.

Iran's huge Pars gas field was hit on Wednesday in the first reported strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure in the Gulf during the US-Israeli war, a major escalation that prompted Tehran to warn its neighbors to evacuate their energy installations.

Exactly seven days since two unknown motorcyclists attacked Andrie Yusri with acid, leaving the rights activist with severe burns on his face and chest, law enforcement authorities have detained four suspects and identified another two in parallel investigations by the military police and the Jakarta Police.

In addition to the eight "high-risk" platforms subject to restrictions under the new online child protection rule, the digital ministry has indicated that other social media apps like WhatsApp could be required to adjust their minimum user age, pending the results of their self-assessments.