The rights group recommends countries with democracies should slap sanctions on foreign leaders who favor transnational repression through forced returns of dissidents back to their home countries.

The trawler, carrying men, women and children, is believed to have sunk in severe weather after leaving Teknaf in southern Bangladesh for Malaysia, amid rough seas and strong winds.

The agencies quoted Lavrov as saying that the visit would take place in the first half of the year, while the Vedomosti newspaper cited sources as saying it would be during the week beginning May 18.

"We are elevating our relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership, in recognition of the strength and potential of our bilateral defense ties," Hegseth said in a statement on X.

Beyond immediate security concerns, ASEAN highlighted the broader implications of the conflict on regional stability, especially on energy and food supplies.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will travel to Brunei and Malaysia to discuss energy and food security, his office said on Sunday, continuing regional efforts to shore up fuel supplies for a nation reliant on imports.

China on Sunday unveiled 10 new incentive measures for Taiwan, including easing tourist curbs, allowing in "healthy" television dramas and facilitating food sales, following a visit by the island's opposition leader.

Filipinos like their pares (traditional beef stew) served hot -- but the soaring cost of liquefied petroleum gas has made that prospect increasingly difficult since war erupted in the Middle East.

In a break with precedent, Iranian and US officials were meeting directly, alongside Pakistan, and not speaking through mediators who shuttled between rooms.

Around 20 percent to 25 percent of Indonesia's crude oil imports are sourced from the Middle East and the government has said it is boosting imports from other places such as Angola and Nigeria to ensure enough supply at home.

In his inauguration address to parliament, the former junta chief said peace and democracy was his priority, and his government would spur foreign investment, develop agriculture and form effective, long-term strategic plans.

The Philippine Coast Guard unveiled on Thursday its first dedicated command center in the Spratly island chain, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of repeated confrontations with Chinese vessels.

A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large Thursday, authorities said, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued.

Rohingya activists and legal advocacy groups are pinning their hopes on Indonesia’s new penal code to push forward a genocide case against Myanmar's newly-elected President Min Aung Hlaing, in what they say could be a long-awaited breakthrough for accountability.

Indonesian respondents overwhelmingly indicated a preference for China over the US at 80 percent amid a corresponding regional shift, with the majority of all respondents citing Trump's leadership and Washington's use of sanctions as top concerns.

Secretary General's spokesman called the incidents "unacceptable" and said they could amount to war crimes under international law.

The widely anticipated move marks a break from Vietnam's traditional collective leadership system, consolidating authority in one figure in ways analysts say could tilt the one‑party state toward greater authoritarianism, while also enabling faster decision making, similar to its neighbor China.

The complaint, which also includes "genocide" allegations, will be forwarded to a division of the Attorney-General's Office that specializes in serious crimes, spokesman Anang Supriatna told AFP.

Minister Raja Juli expressed confidence that the collaboration would bring substantial benefits to Indonesia, especially as the country faces heightened wildfire risks this year.

The coup-leading general—who swept aside democracy in 2021, detaining elected figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi and dissolving her party—was anointed by pro-military MPs installed in a recent election overseen by the junta he leads.

The President has wrapped up his four-day East Asia tour with a host of agreements totaling over $10 billion, though his return comes just as the new WFH policy goes into force in a bid to curb fuel consumption and offset energy pressures caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The premier's announcement late Wednesday comes as the country starts to feel the impact of the Middle East war on global fuel supplies.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung highlighted Indonesia’s reliable supply of liquified natural gas (LNG) and coal to South Korea, while Prabowo noted the collaboration between Korea’s science and technology and Indonesia’s natural resources during the meeting in Seoul.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned the economic shocks of the war in the Middle East would be felt for months and encouraged citizens to take public transport in a rare address to the nation on Wednesday.

A China-born accused scam boss was extradited from Cambodia, Chinese state media said Wednesday, linking him to an alleged kingpin indicted by the US for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from the Southeast Asian nation.

A Malaysian court on Tuesday ordered jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported.

Indonesia and Japan reaffirmed their shared commitment to playing a greater role in maintaining global peace and stability, as President Prabowo Subianto and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated the need to de-escalate the war in the Middle East.