President Prabowo Subianto has returned to Jakarta from Malaysia ahead of schedule, following a busy weekend at the ASEAN Summit, which saw Southeast Asian leaders sit down with United States President Donald Trump to hash out new deals, the United Nations chief call for an end to violence in Myanmar and the welcoming of the bloc's 11th member Timor-Leste after a 14-year wait.

Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful of a deal when he sees Xi on Thursday in South Korea, while also indicating he was willing to extend his trip in order to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has billed the December 28 polls as a step towards reconciliation in the civil war unleashed by his 2021 coup.

A US Navy helicopter and a fighter jet went down in the waters of the South China Sea on Sunday in two separate incidents, the US Pacific Fleet said on X. 

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration experienced air traffic control staffing issues at 22 locations on Saturday, and added additional shortages were expected to lead to more flight delays and cancellations in the days ahead.

The first crash involved a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, which "went down in the waters of the South China Sea while conducting routine operations from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz," according to a statement from the US Navy's Pacific Fleet.

Timor-Leste’s long-awaited admission into ASEAN and United States President Donald Trump’s attendance, his first since returning to office, have dominated the first day of the bloc’s 47th summit on Sunday, when its members reiterated the importance of unity and cooperation amid rising global tensions.

Beijing this month announced sweeping restrictions on the rare earths industry, prompting Trump to threaten 100 percent tariffs on imports from China in retaliation.

The year-long funeral ceremony of Thailand's former Queen Sirikit started Sunday, with grieving royalists set to salute the procession bringing her remains to lie in state at Bangkok's Grand Palace.

A second day of US-China trade talks concluded in the Malaysian capital on Sunday, ahead of Trump's meeting with Xi in South Korea later this week, in a bid to seal a deal to end the bruising trade war between the world's two biggest economies.

India and China resume direct flights on Sunday after a five-year suspension, a move important both for trade and a symbolic step as Asia's giants cautiously rebuild relations.

Its Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao joined ASEAN leaders for a summit and signing ceremony in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, before posing for photographs together in interlocking arms.  

Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate but lost to Donald Trump, told the BBC that she had not yet decided whether to make another White House bid.

The deal was signed by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet together with Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, following a bloody border dispute this year.

Timor Leste's accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations follows a 14-year wait and though its membership is not expected to be transformative, it represents a symbolic victory for its President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, the heroes of its struggle for independence.

The new global legal framework aims to strengthen international cooperation to fight digital crimes, from child pornography to transnational cyberscams and money laundering.

The confrontation, which resulted in dozens of deaths, among them civilians, began two weeks ago following explosions in central Kabul, which the Taliban government blamed on its Pakistani neighbor, launching a retaliatory offensive at the border.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he had asked for the ceasefire ceremony to be held on Sunday morning, after which he would return to Thailand.

The palace said she had been hospitalized since 2019 due to several illnesses and developed a bloodstream infection on Oct. 17 before passing away late on Friday.

The zoo announced last month the pair would be leaving at the end of November due to Huan Huan's kidney ailment, making the return trip the last opportunity for them to be able to make the journey.

After signing a trade deal with Indonesia in September, Canada is now targeting agreements with the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

Israeli lawmakers on Wednesday advanced two bills paving the way for West Bank annexation, leading to condemnation Thursday from US Vice President JD Vance, who was in Israel at the time and who echoed Trump's comments.

He expressed optimism for a durable end to the two-year Gaza war as he met Israeli, US and other Western forces monitoring the ceasefire from inside a vast converted warehouse in southern Israel.

As President Prabowo Subianto heads to the ASEAN and APEC summits, expectations are high for Indonesia to build a more significant presence in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Rubio, who was touring a US-led multinational centre in Israel aimed at coordinating a ceasefire in Gaza, said that a sustained end to the war would encourage more countries to join the so-called Abraham Accords, under which a number of Arab countries normalised ties with Israel in 2020.

Mohamad Hasan also said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations bloc could not stop a general election in Myanmar set for December but its foreign ministers want the contest to be fair and inclusive.

Xi will deliver a speech at APEC and hold bilateral meetings with other leaders, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the ministry,said at a press briefing on Friday.