Two-thirds of the nation's residents and intern doctors had walked off the job to protest a government plan to increase the number of students admitted to medical school in a bid to address a shortage of doctors.

Indonesia has remained the leading diplomatic force with the most extensive network in Southeast Asia, a recent Global Diplomatic Index study has found, as China and the United States continue their fierce competition for influence.

The three had landed at a remote telecoms site near Mount Sisa in the province of Hela when an armed group took them away, David Manning, the police commissioner of Papua New Guinea.

The pilot and two others -- believed to be telcom workers -- were taken near Mount Sisa, in central Hela Province.

Former Prime Minister Kausea Natano lost his seat in a general election on Jan. 26 closely watched by Taiwan, China, the US and Australia, amid a geopolitical tussle for influence in the South Pacific.

There has been demolition of Muslim properties in the name of removing illegal construction and a ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka when the BJP was in power in that state.

The Dragon Chinese zodiac sign is believed to be particularly auspicious, and data from hospitals over the Lunar New Year which began on Feb. 10 showed that the number of newborns had increased "significantly", Yicai said.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi and her South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul discussed the fighter jet development project on the sideline of the Group of 20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil earlier this week.

The out-of-control blaze, about two hours' drive northwest of state capital Melbourne, has already burned through about 10,000 hectares (24,000 acres) of forest and farmland. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China "believes that the choice of the Indonesian people is in the interest of their country’s future and prosperity."

The international community should focus on advocating for women's rights in Afghanistan, Indonesia has said at a United Nations-sponsored conference on Afghanistan aimed at improving dialogue with the country's Taliban rulers.

Malaysian authorities have nabbed 130 Indonesians for illegal residency, unveiling a troubling narrative of exploitation.

Australia has been looking to build its defence capabilities amid concerns about rising global geopolitical tensions and China's growing influence among some Pacific island nations.

The Chinese Ambassador held the meeting with Prabowo on Sunday at the latter’s private residence on Jl. Kertanegara in an upmarket district of South Jakarta.

The men were killed in an ambush in Enga Province, according to the Australian state broadcaster.

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, who is leading the preliminary presidential election result based on quick counts by pollsters, has begun receiving congratulatory calls from world leaders.

Indonesia received congratulatory messages from officials and politicians from around the world for the high turnout during the 2024 general election. They also expressed their wishes to work with the elected government when they are sworn into office in October.

The nonagenarian has been in and out of hospital in recent years. He has a history of heart problems and has undergone bypass surgeries. 

Independent candidates loyal to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan took most of the seats in Thursday's polls, scuppering the chances of the army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from securing a ruling majority.

The Philippine vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua was deployed in early February to patrol the waters around Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground in the South China Sea, and deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety.

Security engagements between the treaty allies have soared in the past year, at a time of tension in the South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have traded blame over a spate of run-ins over territory. 

Karolina Shiino's nomination in January first sparked debate after some right-wingers questioned the title being awarded to a naturalised Japanese citizen.

The Senate voted 92 to 5 to confirm Campbell, currently coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council. He previously founded and led the Asia Group, a strategy advisory and capital management group.

Accusations of drug abuse, threats to split the country and rumours of a coup plot have destroyed the public facade of unity between the Marcos and Duterte families, which joined forces for the 2022 elections.

Thailand has some of the world's strictest royal defamation laws protecting King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family, with each charge bringing a potential 15-year prison sentence.

An initial contingent of 20 police will be flown into the country during the first quarter of 2024, Police Commissioner David Manning told AFP.

Thailand plans to establish a humanitarian safe zone later this month at its border with Myanmar, near the Mae Sot-Myawaddy crossing, to deliver food and medical supplies to local communities and 20,000 people displaced by fighting, said Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Thailand's vice foreign minister. 

The "Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection" (SEPP) aims to keep convicts who show signs that they might re-offend behind bars, even after their jail terms have ended.

A pardons board chaired by Malaysia's king before he ended his reign last week halved a 12-year jail sentence and cut fines for Najib, who is imprisoned for graft and money laundering related to the scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The board did not give a reason for its decision. 

Duterte on Jan. 30 called for the independence of his hometown island Mindanao in the southern Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated last week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution.