The United Nations' weather and climate agency said El Nino conditions could well develop as early as May to July.

Evacuation orders are in place for a third of Otsuchi's population, with the town lost nearly a tenth of its population in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

A clear shift has been observed in the Equatorial Pacific, with sea-surface temperatures rising rapidly, suggesting a high likelihood of El Niño conditions developing between May and July this year.

Activists cite inaction as global efforts mount in Brussels.

With the Middle East crisis sending shockwaves through global markets, ASEAN Chair the Philippines is focusing on safeguarding energy and food supplies, while pressing for stronger unity and coordinated action among member states to manage rising regional vulnerabilities.

The 900-km (550-mile) long Malacca Strait, bounded by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, provides the shortest sea route from East Asia to the Middle East and Europe.

Prosecutors allege the drone operation heightened military tensions with North Korea and risked exposing sensitive military information related to the mission and South Korea's capabilities after a drone crashed.

China has built artificial islands, airstrips, and military facilities during extensive land reclamation efforts over the years in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

Lawmakers have urged the government to improve clarity in its foreign policy communication, warning that unclear messaging risks misinterpretation by international partners and could undermine Indonesia’s long-standing non-aligned position amid growing scrutiny of recent diplomatic moves.

The 11-member ASEAN bloc has yet to formally recognize the new Myanmar government. ASEAN leaders will hold a summit next month in the Philippines.

That year was India's hottest year since thorough records began in 1901, with sizzling temperatures following a global pattern of extreme weather driven by climate change.

It is the first instance of a Taiwan president having to cancel a foreign trip due to denial of access to airspace, as lack of diplomatic ties with the island does not normally pose a problem for its leaders in flying over countries.

Companies must respond to the notices in 30 days, with failure to comply exposing them to up to penalties of up to A$825,000 ($590,783) a day

An Indonesian Navy spokesperson said the USS Miguel Keith that passed through the Strait of Malacca on April 14 did not violate any international laws and had respected Indonesia’s status as a coastal state.

The new rules end Japan's self-imposed curb on sales of lethal arms as Tokyo seeks to enter the international arms market, hoping to bolster national defence as well as boost economic growth.

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees die en route from hunger or accidents at sea, but the numbers keep growing as shrinking food rations caused by dwindling international aid push yet more to make the dangerous crossing.

The Philippines and the US have a 12-year-old Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that allows a rotational presence of American military in Philippine bases without establishing a permanent presence.

Japan will ease decades-old arms export rules, the government's top spokesman Minoru Kihara said on Tuesday, paving the way for the sale of lethal weapons overseas.

"What the Asia-Pacific region most needs is peace and tranquility, and what it least needs is the introduction of external forces to create division and confrontation," Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

The warship passed through the strait, which borders Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, on Saturday, April 18, Indonesian Navy spokesperson First Admiral Tunggul told Reuters.

The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the country facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea, where the Philippines and China have engaged in repeated confrontations.

Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, began annual military exercises Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war.

Victims of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades began government-supervised visits to their ravaged former homes on Monday for the first time since the November blaze, looking to retrieve personal items that might have survived.

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said on Sunday, marking the latest in a flurry of launches by Pyongyang to accelerate efforts to boost its military capabilities.

Japan is deepening cooperation with United States allies in the Asia-Pacific region that, like Tokyo, are involved in territorial disputes with China.

More than one in seven of the estimated 6,500 Rohingya refugees who attempted the sea crossing last year were reported missing or dead.

The sentence has been cut by one-sixth, but it remains unclear whether the Nobel Peace Prize winner will be allowed to serve the rest of her sentence under house arrest, the lawyer said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the deal, which fills 20 percent of the fertiliser needed for the planting season, was a "significant outcome for our farmers".

The new commitment follows pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration for Canberra to boost military expenditure as a share of total annual economic output.

The rights group recommends countries with democracies should slap sanctions on foreign leaders who favor transnational repression through forced returns of dissidents back to their home countries.