Washington does not seek "needless confrontation" but rather "a genuinely stable equilibrium that works for Americans as well as our allies", said Pete Hegseth. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China's growing power and prevent its dominance in the region, warning of "rightful alarm" over its rapid military buildup.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia's premier defense summit, which began on Friday with top Chinese officials notably absent despite weighty questions over Taiwan and the war in Iran.

The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the US have agreed to jointly build a port in Fiji and signed pacts covering critical minerals and energy security, as they sought to inject fresh energy into their grouping known as the Quad.

Defense firms from both countries explored ways to collaborate among themselves amid an increasingly complex security landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.  

The death toll rose to four Monday in the collapse of a building under construction near the Philippine capital, with more than a dozen people still believed missing, authorities said.

AKCMM is a regional initiative dedicated to advancing methane reduction across ASEAN member states.

Nineteen people are feared trapped after a building under construction near Manila collapsed early on Sunday, a local government official said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and conducting search and rescue operations, while ordering a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident and strict accountability in accordance with the law.

The fast-warming tropical Pacific is pointing to a major event but a crucial weakening of trade winds -- capable of turbocharging or throttling the phenomenon -- has yet to materialise.

The Philippine government on Thursday ordered police to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court over his role in ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug crackdown.

A programme and menu reported by TASS showed guests would be offered an array of cold "zakuski" hors d'oeuvres, prawn soup, beef in bean sauce, Fuzhou noodles, pumpkin pastries, fruits. 

President Xi Jinping hailed China and Russia's "unyielding" ties in talks with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the pair met to underscore their alliance days after Donald Trump's visit to the Asian superpower economy.

The letter of intent signed in Washington mentioned respecting each country's territorial integrity, the need for a mechanism ifIndonesia agreed to airspace access, and respect for local laws, Sjafrie told a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense.

Amid mounting geopolitical turbulence, officials from Indonesia and the Netherlands said in a forum on Monday that safeguarding key international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has become more critical and that the rights of archipelagic states cannot be ignored.

The hantavirus infection often causes symptoms that are also seen in other illnesses, which potentially make the disease to be misdiagnosed as other ‘milder’ diseases, health experts have said.

A surge in arrests of suspected foreign scammers in Sri Lanka has authorities concerned that the island is fast becoming a hub for online crime, following sweeping crackdowns in hotspots Cambodia and Myanmar.

The Philippines said it has asked the country's Supreme Court to allow it to arrest ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's chief drug war enforcer to stand trial in an international tribunal.

The political drama has engulfed the archipelago for months, pitting the ruling Marcos against the camp of Duterte’s daughter and current Vice President Sara Duterte as the ICC pursues accountability for a drug crackdown that killed thousands.

Tehran had wanted the grouping of emerging economies to condemn the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and accused U.S. ally the UAE of direct involvement in military operations against it.

Tehran had wanted the grouping of emerging economies to condemn the US-Israeli war on Iran and accused US ally the UAE of direct involvement in military operations against it.

The power cuts occurred even though Philippine government agencies are observing a four-day work week, imposed shortly after the start of the Iran-US-Israel war.

Authorities rescued 23 Indonesians after a migrant boat sank near Perak, while officials continue searching for seven others still missing.

While confirming that they had received the offers from Japan, Indonesian authorities said discussions were still ongoing and no agreements were reached on the procurement of Japanese warships and other defense equipment.

China is close to Iran and is the main buyer of its oil. Iran has largely shut the strait to ships apart from its own since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, causing the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies.

Trump had arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a "great leader" and "friend", as he predicted that their countries would have "a fantastic future together".

The Philippines president called an emergency meeting of top officials on Thursday amid widening political tensions, a day after gunfire rang out at the Senate where a lawmaker wanted by the International Criminal Court has been holed up fearing his arrest.