Foreign Minister Sugiono has urged BRICS to deepen cooperation and strengthen its leadership in fostering global peace, amid the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine as well as the trade tensions under United States President Donald Trump, marking Indonesia’s debut at the bloc’s ministerial talks held this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

United States Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, who was appointd by former US president Joe Biden, will leave the country by the end of April and be temporarily replaced by the embassy's deputy chief of mission until the appointment of the next ambassador.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday said its coast guard had landed on Sandy Cay as part of maritime control operations to exercise its sovereignty. It did not say China was occupying the feature. 

The admission comes just days after Moscow confirmed the North's participation, while Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday heralded the "feat" of Pyongyang's troops.

The world's two biggest economies are locked in an escalating tit-for-tat trade battle triggered by Trump's levies on Chinese goods, which have reached 145 percent on many products.

Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said he was disappointed that Russia has continued to attack Ukraine, and said his one-on-one meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican on Saturday had gone well. 

The former president was one of four envoys President Prabowo tasked with paying his and Indonesia's respects to the late pope, which has ruffled some feathers among the public.

University advisors quietly told students from abroad to hire a lawyer and keep attending classes while legal appeals played out, according to over two dozen students, immigration attorneys and university officials.

Francis strove for "a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart".

The crowds, packed with young people, applauded as the pope's coffin was carried out of St Peter's Basilica by white gloved pallbearers, accompanied by more than 200 red-robed cardinals.

Relations between the nuclear-armed rivals have plunged to their lowest level in years.

Since Trump took office on Jan. 20, records for more than 4,700 students have been removed from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement-maintained Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

WFP, one of the main providers of food assistance in the Palestinian territory, said it had "delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens in the Gaza Strip" on Friday.

The entourage, which includes former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, brings a letter for the Vatican written by President Prabowo Subianto, in which he offers condolences from the government and people of Indonesia.

Relations have plunged to their lowest level in years, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting "cross-border terrorism" after gunmen carried out the worst attack on civilians in contested Muslim-majority Kashmir for a quarter of a century.

The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh has reported a significant increase in cases involving Indonesian nationals in Cambodia during the first three months of this year, surpassing 1,300, with most cases linked to online scams.

India has said there were Pakistani elements in Tuesday's attack, when militants shot 26 men in a meadow in the Pahalgam area, and Islamabad has denied any involvement.

The offered package comes after the administration of former President Joe Biden unsuccessfully tried to finalize a defense pact with Riyadh as part of a broad deal that envisioned Saudi Arabia normalizing ties with Israel. 

Indonesia and Fiji promised to strengthen their ties, including in areas such as agriculture and defense, during a bilateral meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Sugiono is scheduled to attend the BRICS foreign ministers meeting next week in Brazil, marking his first participation since Indonesia officially became a member of the group of emerging economies three months ago.

Shoigu's comments come as US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have warned that Washington could walk away from trying to negotiate a peace settlement in Ukraine if there is no progress on a deal soon.

Pilgrims and tourists queued for hours to file past the open coffin of the Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88.

As the global geopolitical landscape continues to veer toward unpredictability and intensifying tensions, Estonia has begun setting its sights on partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, exemplified by a recent high-level engagement with Indonesia to explore cooperation, particularly in the digital world.

President Prabowo Subianto appointed former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, former transportation minister Ignasius Jonan and some of his cabinet members to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome on April 26.

President Prabowo Subianto hosted Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the State Palace on Tuesday, during which they discussed bilateral ties, global trade tensions and the crisis in Gaza.

United States Ambassador to Indonesia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir will conclude her mission in Jakarta later this month, the US embassy stated on Tuesday, officially announcing the end of her nine-month long tenure in the country. 

All cardinals currently in Rome have been invited to gather in the Vatican at 9 a.m., where they were expected to make funeral plans.