Southeast Asian nations are navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape shaped by United States President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policies and intensifying US-China rivalry, with pragmatic calculations often taking precedence over collective action.

The newly signed security agreement formalizes high-level consultations, which allow discussions on measures to be taken individually or jointly if either faces ‘adverse challenges’ to their common security interests.

President Prabowo Subianto said the new treaty reflects a "firm commitment to the good neighbour principle" and Indonesia's "free and active" foreign policy.

The checks came as Indian authorities were probing the crash last year of a 787 Dreamliner that killed 260 people shortly after takeoff.

The Defence Ministry and Boeing signed a deal in 2023 for 24 F-15EX fighter jets that was subject to US government approval.

A strong showing in Sunday's election would solidify Takaichi's grip on her party and give a mandate for her expansionary fiscal policy, which could heighten concerns about Japan's finances and push bond yields higher.

A lack of unity within the bloc and inconsistent engagement among member states signal fatigue, divided and uncertain approach from ASEAN in handling Myanmar’s conflict, analysts have said.

US-built F-35 fighters will have their Singapore Airshow debut amid geopolitical challenges while over 1,000 companies expected at Asia's largest air show including manufacturers and airlines.

At least 74 political prisoners aged between 18 and 35 have died in detention since the coup, according to previously unreported data from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) dominated all phases of the vote, winning an overwhelming majority in Myanmar's two legislative chambers, securing majority seats in both the lower and upper houses, according to results released on Thursday and Friday.

Myanmar has denied accusations of genocide and said the 2017 offensive that forced at least 730,000 Rohingya from their homes and into neighboring Bangladesh was a legitimate counterterrorist operation.

As Western leaders reel from Trump's unpredictability, Starmer is the latest to head to China.

Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are among the Asian locations that tightened airport screening checks this week to guard against such a spread after India confirmed infections.

"New Zealand will not be joining the Board in its current form but will continue to monitor developments," Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

Philippine Foreign Minister Theresa Lazaro said the bloc did not reach consensus on its stance against the result of Myanmar’s election, in which the military-backed party claimed victory.

Speaking after a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, she said the bloc affirmed its commitment to implementing the "five-point consensus" to address the Myanmar crisis.

Starmer's visit to China is the first by a British prime minister since 2018 and follows a slew of Western leaders seeking a rapprochement with Beijing recently, pivoting from an increasingly unpredictable United States.

ASEAN opened its first foreign ministers’ talks of the year in Cebu, the Philippines, on Wednesday under the lingering shadow of unresolved South China Sea disputes and mounting doubts over the fate of a long-promised regional code of conduct (COC).

Controversy has long surrounded 53-year-old Kim and accusations of graft, influence peddling and even academic fraud dominated her husband Yoon Suk Yeol's time in office.

The heatwave is the worst seen in Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, since the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires that killed 173 people and is not expected to ease until the weekend, authorities said.

Indonesia has reaffirmed its support for Cambodia’s ongoing efforts to eradicate online scam operations that have ensnared thousands of foreign workers, including many Indonesians, as part of a broader crackdown on transnational crime.

The surge in Indonesians seeking repatriation from Cambodia following a crackdown on online scam centers has drawn national scrutiny over its scale, with many pointing to structural weaknesses in employment and economic security that lure vulnerable Indonesians into such work.

China experts said Xi’s move against his long-term ally and Politburo member Gen. Zhang Youxia also concentrates even more power in the president's hands, makes the already secretive command of China’s military more opaque, and suggests that a near-term attack on Taiwan is less likely.

The jets arrived on Friday with an official handover ceremony to be held at a later date, he said. Three more jets are expected to arrive later this year.

While the military has touted the poll as an opportunity for reconciliation, rebel factions regard it as illegitimate, and conflict monitors say it is unlikely to stymy the civil war.

Scammers working from hubs across Southeast Asia, some willingly and others trafficked, lure internet users around the world into fake romances and cryptocurrency investments, netting tens of billions of dollars each year.

Islamabad has held talks with 13 countries, six to eight of which are in an advanced stage, for deals involving JF-17 jets made jointly with China as well as training aircraft, drones, and weapons systems, said three Pakistani sources who have knowledge of defence sales.

"The proposed sale will improve Singapore's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible maritime force capable of deterring adversaries," the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

Myanmar has been ravaged by conflict since the military staged a coup against a civilian government in 2021. 

The country's population dropped by 3.39 million to 1.405 billion, a faster decline than 2024, while the total number of births dropped to 7.92 million in 2025, down 17 percent from 9.54 million in 2024. The number of deaths rose to 11.31 million from 10.93 million in 2024, figures from China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.