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- NewsReuters
ASEAN foreign ministers urge cessation of Myanmar border violence
"We urge all parties for an immediate cessation of violence and to exercise utmost restraint, to uphold international humanitarian law, and to take all the necessary measures to defuse tensions and to ensure the protection and safety of all civilians," they said in a statement from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
- NewsReuters
China foreign minister says Beijing and Jakarta want regional peace and stability
JAKARTA (Reuters) -China and Indonesia have pledged to strengthen economic ties and maintain peace and stability in the region, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday after a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, in Jakarta. Wang also called for all parties in the Gaza conflict to exercise restraint, and said the United States should support a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- NewsReuters
Philippines, US forces to train retaking island in joint drills
MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine and U.S. forces will simulate retaking enemy-occupied islands during joint military drills starting next week in areas facing Taiwan and the South China Sea as Manila shifts its focus to external defence. The annual "Balikatan" or "shoulder-to-shoulder" drills, which will run from April 22 to May 10, will involve 16,700 soldiers who will train in maritime security, air and missile defence, dynamic missile strikes, cyber defence, and information operations.
- NewsAssociated Press
Water guns are in full blast to mark Thai New Year festivities despite worries about heat wave
It's water festival time in Thailand where many are marking the country's traditional New Year, splashing each other with colorful water guns and buckets in an often raucous celebration that draws thousands of people, even as this year the Southeast Asian nation marks record-high temperatures causing concern. The festival, known as Songkran in Thailand, is a three-day shindig that starts Saturday and informally extends for a whole week, allowing people to travel for family celebrations. The ho
- NewsReuters
US, Japan, Philippines trilateral deal to change dynamic in South China Sea, Marcos says
A cooperation agreement by the Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, while seeking to assure China it was not a target. "I think the trilateral agreement is extremely important," Marcos told a press conference in Washington a day after meeting President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the nations' first trilateral summit.
- NewsReuters
Fall of Myanmar town to rebels sends people fleeing into Thailand
Some said they feared airstrikes by the Myanmar military after the rebel capture of Myawaddy, a town of around 200,000 people lying across the Moei River from the Thai city of Mae Sot. Thailand's foreign minister said on Friday his government was preparing for an influx of refugees and he urged the Myanmar junta to scale back the violence.
- NewsAssociated Press
Rohingya who moved to island in Bangladesh are learning job skills, says Japanese charity chief
Japan's Nippon Foundation will spend $2 million to help move tens of thousands more Rohingya refugees to a remote island in Bangladesh and provide them with skills training, the charity's chairman said. Speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday after a visit to Bhashan Char, Yohei Sasakawa praised the support the government has provided to refugees on the island and said it's a step toward returning them to Myanmar.
- NewsAssociated Press
Myanmar's worst violence since the military takeover is intensifying the crisis, the UN says
Myanmar's escalating conflict and worst violence since the military takeover in 2021 are having a devastating impact on human rights, fundamental freedoms and basic needs of millions of people — as well as “alarming spillover effects” in the region, U.N. officials said Thursday. Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told the U.N. Security Council that “the civilian toll keeps rising” amid reports of indiscriminate bombing by Myanmar's armed forces and artillery shellin
- NewsAssociated Press
Southeast Asian countries consider ways to boost 'green financing' as region chokes on smog
Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies met Thursday in the scenic Laotian city of Luang Prabang to discuss ways to help the region build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters brought on by climate change. Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia have committed to seeking more sustainable ways to feed their people and power their economies.
- NewsReuters
Analysis-With wary eye, China courts Indonesia's incoming leader Prabowo
Soon after Indonesia's incoming leader Prabowo Subianto won the February presidential election, the Chinese embassy in Jakarta sent him a cat tree and a stuffed toy for his beloved pet Bobby, according to the cat's official Instagram page. It was part of a concerted charm offensive by China, the second-largest investor in Indonesia behind neighbour Singapore. Days after Prabowo claimed victory in the election, China's ambassador to Indonesia came to his home to congratulate him.
