Southeast Asian nations marked the 58th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding on Friday with a mix of vibrant cultural celebrations and solemn reflection, as leaders across the region urged unity and resilience in the face of rising geopolitical tensions and internal discord.

US President Donald Trump sent a letter personally to Myanmar's military chief Min Aung Hlaing to threaten new tariffs on Myanmar's US-bound exports

According to documents submitted under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the DCI Group signed the agreement with the ministry on July 31, the day Myanmar's military nominally transferred power to a civilian-led interim government ahead of a planned election.

The Southeast Asian neighbours saw the worst fighting in over a decade last month, including exchanges of artillery fire and jet fighter bombing runs that claimed at least 43 lives and displaced more than 300,000 people on both sides of the border. 

On a sweltering morning, hundreds of black-clad officials, students and survivors laid flowers at the memorial cenotaph, with the ruins of a domed building in the background, a stark reminder of the horrors that unfolded. 

While Japanese numbers fell, foreign resident totals continue to rise, reaching a record 3,677,463 people since their inclusion from the 2013 survey.

Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to deepen their defense cooperation through more joint exercises and military exchange programs, reaffirming on Tuesday their shared commitment to uphold international law and maintain ASEAN unity amid rising global instability.

Yoon, a former top prosecutor, was impeached and removed from office in April over his martial law declaration, prompting the country to hold a snap election in June.

The US is restoring a World War II-era airfield on Tinian as it ramps up deterrence against China.

Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as climate change creates ever more erratic weather patterns, and Japan is no exception.

Billed as Japan's biggest defence export deal since World War II, Australia will pay US$6 billion (Aus$10 billion) over the next 10 years to acquire the fleet of stealth frigates.

Limits on places were announced last year as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. 

The two-day sail includes three Indian vessels and started Sunday, a day before Marcos left on a trip that will include talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The drills, being held from August 1 to 5, are "defensive in nature and are not directed against other countries," the fleet said last week.

Assange, who returned to Australia last year after his release from a high-security British prison, was pictured surrounded by family and marching alongside former Australian foreign minister and New South Wales premier Bob Carr.

The average temperature in July was up a record 2.89 degrees Celcius from the 1991-2020 average for the month, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on Friday.

Swathes of northern China endured deadly rains and floods since last week that forced the evacuation of tens of thousands.

Countries across the Pacific rim lifted tsunami warnings on Wednesday, allowing millions of temporary evacuees to return home.

Trump's attendance comes in the wake of a visit earlier in July by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who then hinted the US leader may be present.

Patel has spent recent days in the capital Wellington meeting with senior government ministers as well as intelligence bosses and law enforcement officials.  

Members of the Indonesian martial arts organization Persaudaraan Setia Hati Terate (PSHT) in Japan have recently sparked attention online for parading in large formations while wearing matching black uniforms and displaying organizational flags in prominent public areas without prior permission.

Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said.

Australia said on Wednesday it will add YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site and potentially setting up a legal challenge.

The nations agreed a ceasefire starting Tuesday after five days of clashes killed at least 43 on both sides, as a long-standing dispute over contested border temples boiled over into open combat on their 800-kilometer frontier.

A tsunami with a height of 3-4 meters was recorded in parts of Kamchatka, said Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergency situations, urging people to move away from the shoreline.

As the leader of Malaysia, which holds ASEAN’s rotating chairmanship this year, Anwar Ibrahim helped broker what he described as an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” between the Southeast Asian neighbors.

In order to strengthen its air force, Jakarta also ordered 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion in 2022. It is also considering ordering China's J-10 fighter jets and continues talks to purchase the US-made F-15EX jets.

Following peace talks in Malaysia on Monday, both sides agreed an unconditional ceasefire would start at midnight to end fighting over a smattering of ancient temples in disputed zones along their 800-kilometer border.

Thailand's army accused Cambodia Tuesday of violating an hours-old truce, saying clashes continued despite a deal meant to end the bloody fighting that engulfed their jungle-clad frontier.

Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to a ceasefire effective midnight on Monday, as the two neighboring countries now look to resolve their deadly border conflict after days of clashes.