Indonesia’s economy likely expanded by more than five percent in the second quarter, supported by strong investment and government incentives, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said, signaling continued resilience after stronger-than-expected first-quarter growth.

2.INDONESIA RECORDS US$2.3 BILLION COAL-TO-METHANOL INVESTMENT -- ANTARA

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Indonesia has recorded a US$2.3 billion investment in a coal-to-methanol downstream project, advancing its strategy to reduce methanol imports and increase value-added processing of domestic coal resources.

PHILIPPINES

1.PHILIPPINE-JAPAN AT 70: APPAREL BRAND UNVEILS FILIPINO INDIGENOUS PATCHES - PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

Popular Japanese apparel Uniqlo unveiled limited edition patches featuring Filipino indigenous patterns to mark the 70th anniversary of the normalisation of Philippine-Japan relations.

2.MAGNITUDES 5.3, 5 QUAKES JOLT CATANDUANES, QUEZON, PHILIPPINES -- PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

Two earthquakes with magnitudes 5.3 and 5 were recorded in Catanduanes and Quezon late Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

SINGAPORE

1.LAW MINISTRY TO UNDERTAKE BROADER REVIEW OF LEGAL EDUCATION: EDWIN TONG - CNA

The Ministry of Law (Minlaw) will undertake a broader review of legal education and consider a launching a guide that sets out professional norms and workplace behaviours, said Minister for Law Edwin Tong on Wednesday.

2.RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN YOUTH RADICALISATION LANDSCAPE A WORRYING TREND: SHANMUGAM -- THE STRAITS TIMES

Youth radicalisation is now a feature of the terror threat in Singapore, with recent detentions by the Internal Security Department (ISD) showing the timeline to self-radicalisation, with plans for violence, is now shorter.

THAILAND

1.TRANSPORT MINISTRY TO PROPOSE BANGKOK-PHITSANULOK HIGH-SPEED RAIL -- THE NATION

Thailand is awaiting the launch of high-speed rail services, a new addition to the country’s infrastructure.

2.SECOND-HAND HOMES FLOOD THE MARKET -- BANGKOK POST

Unsold residential inventory is expected to exceed 610,000 units by year-end as a growing number of second-hand homes enter the market, while demand remains constrained by weak purchasing power, according to Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research).

-- BERNAMA