Suspicion between nations and exchanges of jabs were on display at the Vientiane summit, which had sought to encourage dialogue and de-escalation amid numerous geopolitical conflicts.

"The destructive character of US actions in this part of the world is obvious," Lavrov told reporters at an East Asia Summit in Laos.

The usually tranquil, temple-lined streets of the landlocked nation's capital Vientiane have been briefly transformed into a hub of global diplomacy for the annual East Asia Summit, on the heels of meetings of the 10-country ASEAN regional bloc.

"We remain concerned about China's increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions on the South and East China Seas, which have injured people, harmed vessels from ASEAN nations and contradict commitments to peaceful resolution of disputes," Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders gathered in Laos.

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin on Thursday met with China in high-level ASEAN talks in Vientiane, calling for stability and increased communication in regard to the South China Sea as pressure continues to mount on the organization to respond to Beijing’s activities in the disputed waters.

Describing a situation that has "gone from bad, to worse, to horrific", UN special rapporteur Tom Andrews said more than three million people have been displaced by fighting in the Southeast Asian nation in as many years.

Yoon and Ishiba, in their first phone call last week, agreed to forge a united response together with the United States to counter North Korea's threats.

The ASEAN leaders on Wednesday repeated their longstanding calls for restraint and respect for international law, according to a draft summit chairman's statement.

The crisis dominated the first day of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane, where the disputed South China Sea will also be high on the agenda.

As more extreme rainfall hits South Asia leading to floods that do not recognize national borders, regional countries must work together more to combat the mutual threat, experts said.

“This is the last summit to be attended by the administration of President Joko Widodo,” Ma’ruf said in a speech at the 44th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, as quoted in a statement issued by the vice presidential office.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dissolved parliament on Wednesday, saying that an election this month was a chance to "create a new Japan" by revitalizing rural regions.

A Turkish minister said the nature of the Discord platform made it difficult for authorities to monitor and intervene when illegal or criminal content is shared, forcing authorities to block access to the messaging platform.

ASEAN has tried to no avail for three years to find a negotiated solution to the Myanmar crisis, which has left thousands dead and forced millions to flee their homes.

A surge of drugs is engulfing the paradisal South Pacific, as cartels and triads use far-flung island nations to channel narcotics across the globe, top police and UN officials have told AFP.  

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent the United States at summits with Asian leaders in Laos this week and expects to discuss human rights in Myanmar, China's "irresponsible" behavior in the South China Sea and Ukraine, the top United States diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday.

The topics of regional tension in the South China Sea and the civil war in Myanmar are expected to take center stage at the leaders' meeting hosted by Laos in Vientiane.

The Philippines accused China's coast guard on Tuesday of firing water cannon at government ships taking supplies to fishermen at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, but Beijing said its "control measures" followed the boats' intrusions in its waters.

The 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit, slated to run in Vientiane until Friday, will be the first time that President Joko "Jokowi" misses the bloc’s leaders meeting.

Myanmar will send a representative to a regional summit this week for the first time in three years, a diplomatic source told AFP Tuesday, as the junta struggles to quell a civil war.

Ishiba will visit Laos from Thursday through Saturday "to attend ASEAN-related summits", deputy chief cabinet secretary Keiichiro Tachibana said.

Video provided by Transport for New South Wales showed the koala ambling through Casula station on Friday, around 34 kilometers south-west of the city's central business district.

The two countries also signed an extradition treaty, Yoon said, adding it will help them to step up judicial cooperation.

Nations remain in deadlock over a crucial pact on climate aid, with divisions over who pays, and how much, threatening chances of a deal being landed at next month's COP29 summit.

Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte registered his candidacy on Monday to run for mayor of the southern city of Davao in midterm polls due next year.

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday the regional bloc ASEAN must play a key role in ending the protracted civil war in Myanmar, ahead of a summit of the leaders of the 10-member group in Laos this week.

Powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia extensively use the messaging app Telegram which has enabled a fundamental change in the way organized crime can conduct large-scale illicit activity, the United Nations said in a report on Monday.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr agreed on Monday to boost defense cooperation as their countries elevated ties to a strategic partnership amid growing security challenges in the region.

Ishiba made no direct reference to China, but Japan's relations with its neighbor have deteriorated in recent years as Beijing asserts its military presence around disputed territories in the region.

The discussion on the bloody conflict raging in Myanmar, which has been ongoing since a coup in 2021, is set to take place just before ASEAN gathers in Laos for a leaders’ summit on Oct. 6 to 11.