JAKARTA -- Indonesia aims to eradicate extreme poverty by 2026, accelerating efforts to meet this target, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar said on Friday.

"We have held meetings with ministries and agencies to discuss ways to accelerate poverty and extreme poverty alleviation. The meeting follows up on the president's instruction to reduce extreme poverty to zero percent by 2026 at the latest," Iskandar told reporters in Jakarta. (Indonesia-Poverty Eradication)

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HANOI -- Vietnam aims to achieve nationwide 5G coverage spanning urban centers, industrial zones and key transportation hubs by 2025, state-owned Vietnam News Agency reported Friday.

In the latest directive, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need to accelerate 5G commercialization and expand high-speed broadband infrastructure as a new drive for economic development, according to the report. (Vietnam-5G Coverage)

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SEOUL -- South Korea's finance ministry saw a dimmer economic situation for the fourth straight month on Friday amid growing uncertainties at home and abroad.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its monthly report, called Green Book, that the Asian economy recently had been under an increased downward pressure due to slowing export growth and weakened economic sentiment, affected by expanded uncertainties at home and abroad. (South Korea-Economy)

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TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday came under fire following revelations that his office handed out gift vouchers worth 100,000 yen (about 676 U.S. dollars) each to 15 ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers earlier this month.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ishiba apologized but reiterated that the vouchers were paid out of his own pocket and were intended as tokens of appreciation, not donations, for the families of the lawmakers who were elected for the first time in last October's Lower House election. (Japan-PM-Voucher) Enditem

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