Indonesia eyes central role in global halal economy
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anis Matta said promoting the D-8 Halal Economic Initiative is a concrete step towards strengthening Indonesia's economic integration with the Islamic world amid a volatile global economy. He added that the halal economy will become a new driver of Indonesia's economic growth and export expansion.
Thailand busts fake birth certificate ring for foreign children10/07/2026 06:28According to the Royal Thai Police, the network recruited Thai men to pose as the fathers of foreign-born children in order to complete birth registration procedures and fraudulently secure Thai citizenship. Preliminary investigations found that 164 children had been registered through the scheme over the past five years. Malaysia sees rise in international tourist arrivals10/07/2026 05:31The growth was driven by strong demand from key source markets, including ASEAN member states, China, Japan, Australia, China's Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Lecture series on ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific launched09/07/2026 22:02ASEAN and Japan should continue promoting free trade, including by exploring the possibility of upgrading the ASEAN–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement to facilitate trade and investment. 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