SEOUL -- South Korea's court on Friday dismissed former President Yoon Suk-yeol's release request, keeping the ousted leader in custody amid an ongoing investigation into his short-lived martial law imposition.
The Seoul Central District Court rejected Yoon's call for release from detention after reviewing its legality during a hearing earlier in the day, according to multiple media outlets. (South Korea-Yoon)
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JAKARTA -- An Indonesian court on Friday sentenced former Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong to four years and six months in prison for corruption related to sugar imports during his tenure between 2015 and 2016.
"The judge declares that the defendant, Thomas Trikasih Lembong, has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a crime," said Chief Judge Dennie Arsan Fatrika while reading the verdict at the Jakarta Corruption Court. (Indonesia-Former Minister-Sentence)
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TOKYO -- The Japanese government's 2025 Defense White Paper, which was released recently, once again exaggerates the "security threats surrounding Japan." Meanwhile, for the first time, the defense ministry this year distributed a children's version of the annual report to elementary schools nationwide, fueling widespread concern.
According to NBC Nagasaki Broadcasting, a private broadcaster in Nagasaki Prefecture, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has distributed some 6,100 copies of the children's version to 2,400 elementary schools nationwide. (Japan-Defense White Paper-Children's Version, FEATURE)
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PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia on Friday exported its first batch of fresh durians directly to China, marking another fruitful cooperation in the agricultural sector between the two countries, a spokesperson said.
"The first batch of more than 17 tons of fresh Cambodian durians has been officially exported to the Chinese market directly after passing inspection and quality certification from the Ministry of Agriculture in accordance with export protocols," Agriculture Ministry's Undersecretary of State and Spokesperson Khim Finan said in a text message sent to the media by telegram. (Cambodia-China-Durians)
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KUALA LUMPUR -- In recent years, Malaysia has accelerated its clean energy development and industrial restructuring, showing strong momentum in the electric vehicle (EV) sector while deepening its cooperation with China, such as in EV technology and investment, according to an analyst.
Malaysia's transition to electric mobility has been supported by both domestic policy frameworks and external technological partnerships. Among these, China's advanced and cost-effective EV technologies have played a role in enhancing Malaysia's EV ecosystem and supporting its green industrial transformation, Lee Pei May, from the International Islamic University Malaysia, told Xinhua in a recent interview. (Malaysia-China-EVs, INTERVIEW) ■
