In a statement after an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) retreat, the ministers gave support for efforts by the new special envoy on the crisis, from Laos, in "reaching out to parties concerned" and expressed confidence in his resolve to help the Myanmar people.

After detecting a mock enemy submarine and confirming its coordinates from a helicopter crew, the warship fired torpedoes and depth charges - anti-submarine warfare weapons, the agency reported, the Interfax news agency reported.

Amid jostling between Washington and Beijing for influence in the Pacific, the biggest Pacific Islands nation, Papua New Guinea (PNG), has previously said Australia and the United States are its security partners, while China is an important economic partner.

The comment about the high-speed railway between both countries, seen by some as a "fiscal trap" for Thailand, came after Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in Bangkok.

Myanmar's ruling generals remain barred from key meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over their failure to implement a peace plan agreed with the bloc two months after a 2021 coup that unleashed chaos in the country. 

On his first visit to Indonesia since his return the the premiership in July of last year, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao also thanked Jakarta for its support of the country's membership in ASEAN.

The two Southeast Asian countries have competing claims over swathes of the South China Sea, an important waterway for fishing and global trade that China claims almost in its entirety.

The 26-year-old model, who was born in Ukraine and looks Caucasian, has lived in Japan for more than 20 years and is a naturalised citizen. Over the years, Japan has further opened its doors to foreigners as a way to reverse its declining birthrate, one of the lowest in the world.

Lai, from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the current vice president, will take office on May 20. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, believes he is a dangerous separatist and has rejected his offers of talks.

The US Navy said the destroyer USS John Finn transited through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that was "beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state".

The 43-year-old led the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) to win the most votes in last year's general election, but was blocked from becoming prime minister after he was suspended as an MP in July.

The veteran politician announced he was stepping down as representative for a Sydney suburb next month, after 16 years in parliament.

Na'imah Abdul Khalid, the 66-year-old wife of businessman Daim Zainuddin who served as finance minister twice between 1984 and 2001, pleaded not guilty at a court in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Reiterating the international body has no jurisdiction, Marcos told reporters the government is monitoring the ICC investigators' presence in the country and has ordered agencies not to assist their probe.

Johari Abdul Ghani did not identify the foreign banks but said they did not conduct proper due diligence before facilitating fund transfers related to the sovereign fund. 

In a resignation letter dated Tuesday but published by the prime minister's office on Thursday, Iswaran said he rejected the charges and "will now focus on clearing my name".

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in a statement also accused spokesperson Mao Ning of "spouting state-sanctioned propaganda and disinformation". 

The director and producer of local film, "Mentega Terbang", were charged under the penal code and face a one-year jail sentence and fines if convicted. The duo, Khairi Anwar and Tan Meng Kheng, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Ambassador Xiao Qian also told reporters that Nauru's decision this week to form diplomatic relations with China at the expense of Taiwan was "their own choice" and would not impact Australia's ties with Nauru, a tiny nation of 12,500 that uses the Australian currency.

Since last year, thousands of migrants, mostly from Bangladesh and Nepal, have been left in limbo after arriving in Malaysia, where they were told that jobs promised to them in exchange for steep recruitment fees were no longer available. 

"This morning, Assistant Minister Nong Rong summoned the ambassador of the Philippines to China to make solemn representations and urge the Philippine side to give the Chinese side a responsible explanation," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference.

Marcos on Monday congratulated Lai for winning Taiwan's election, referring to him as its next president. 

Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the waterway, but relations sharply deteriorated recently over a series of incidents involving vessels from both countries.

The UN's World Meteorological Organization said new monthly temperature records were set every month between June and December, and the pattern is likely to continue due to the warming El Nino weather phenomenon.

In his victory speech, Lai Ching-te said he would maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, but pledged to defend the island from Chinese belligerence.

Located on a key maritime gateway linking the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan is home to a powerhouse semiconductor industry producing precious microchips -- the lifeblood of the global economy powering everything from smartphones to cars and missiles.

President Jokowi and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong signed fresh deals on fisheries, agriculture and electric vehicles during the former's visit on Friday, as well as discussed regional security with a specific focus on the South China Sea.

Ahead of Jokowi's trip, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the country was ready to work with other Southeast Asian nations to finalise a long-delayed code of conduct for the South China Sea, amid tensions with Beijing in the contested waterway.

More than 1,000 troops were on standby "to step in wherever necessary" under the emergency decree, Prime Minister James Marape announced, a day after the violence broke out.

An Islamic marriage ceremony for the 32-year-old prince and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, 29, was held inside a gold-domed mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.