January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — Malaysia has urged Asean to adopt a more unified and integrated approach across its political-security and economic pillars to ensure the bloc remains resilient, relevant, and competitive amid rising global uncertainties.
Foreign Ministry secretary-general and Malaysia’s Asean Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin said closer coordination between Asean’s key sectors is essential to tackle cross-border challenges and strengthen policy coherence ahead of the Joint Ministerial Meeting between Foreign and Economic Ministers this Saturday.
“Malaysia firmly believes that enhancing collaboration between our political-security and economic tracks will bolster Asean’s capacity to address complex issues ranging from regional peace and stability to trade and investment facilitation,” he said.
Amran delivered his remarks during the Asean Joint SOM and Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting (SEOM) held yesterday in conjunction with the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur.
Co-chairing the meeting with the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) deputy secretary-general (Trade) Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Amran said discussions focused on aligning Asean’s strategic priorities to ensure policies across the two pillars remain coherent and mutually reinforcing.
“Our goal today is to set the stage for our ministers to advance policies that safeguard regional stability while driving sustainable growth and shared prosperity for all Asean member states,” he added.
He also highlighted that the global environment is increasingly shaped by complexity and transformation, with geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rapid technological changes redefining international cooperation.
“The established order that has governed international relations and trade is weakening. Geopolitical divisions and technological disruption are reshaping how nations engage and collaborate,” Amran said.
He also commended the Asean Geoeconomic Task Force (AGTF) for developing strategies to help the bloc respond more effectively to evolving global economic dynamics.
The 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits, themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” will be held from October 26 to 28 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre under Malaysia’s Asean 2025 Chairmanship.
This year’s summit — the largest in Asean’s history — will serve as a key platform to deepen regional cooperation, enhance collective resilience, and address shared challenges through cohesive and inclusive action.
Malaysia is chairing Asean for the fifth time since the bloc’s founding in 1967, following previous chairmanships in 2015, 2005, 1997, and 1977. — Bernama
