Filipinos like their pares (traditional beef stew) served hot -- but the soaring cost of liquefied petroleum gas has made that prospect increasingly difficult since war erupted in the Middle East.

In a break with precedent, Iranian and US officials were meeting directly, alongside Pakistan, and not speaking through mediators who shuttled between rooms.

Around 20 percent to 25 percent of Indonesia's crude oil imports are sourced from the Middle East and the government has said it is boosting imports from other places such as Angola and Nigeria to ensure enough supply at home.

In his inauguration address to parliament, the former junta chief said peace and democracy was his priority, and his government would spur foreign investment, develop agriculture and form effective, long-term strategic plans.

The Philippine Coast Guard unveiled on Thursday its first dedicated command center in the Spratly island chain, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of repeated confrontations with Chinese vessels.

A wolf that escaped from a zoo in South Korea remained at large Thursday, authorities said, prompting a local school to close over safety concerns as the search continued.

Rohingya activists and legal advocacy groups are pinning their hopes on Indonesia’s new penal code to push forward a genocide case against Myanmar's newly-elected President Min Aung Hlaing, in what they say could be a long-awaited breakthrough for accountability.

Indonesian respondents overwhelmingly indicated a preference for China over the US at 80 percent amid a corresponding regional shift, with the majority of all respondents citing Trump's leadership and Washington's use of sanctions as top concerns.

Secretary General's spokesman called the incidents "unacceptable" and said they could amount to war crimes under international law.

The widely anticipated move marks a break from Vietnam's traditional collective leadership system, consolidating authority in one figure in ways analysts say could tilt the one‑party state toward greater authoritarianism, while also enabling faster decision making, similar to its neighbor China.

The complaint, which also includes "genocide" allegations, will be forwarded to a division of the Attorney-General's Office that specializes in serious crimes, spokesman Anang Supriatna told AFP.

Minister Raja Juli expressed confidence that the collaboration would bring substantial benefits to Indonesia, especially as the country faces heightened wildfire risks this year.

The coup-leading general—who swept aside democracy in 2021, detaining elected figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi and dissolving her party—was anointed by pro-military MPs installed in a recent election overseen by the junta he leads.

The President has wrapped up his four-day East Asia tour with a host of agreements totaling over $10 billion, though his return comes just as the new WFH policy goes into force in a bid to curb fuel consumption and offset energy pressures caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The premier's announcement late Wednesday comes as the country starts to feel the impact of the Middle East war on global fuel supplies.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung highlighted Indonesia’s reliable supply of liquified natural gas (LNG) and coal to South Korea, while Prabowo noted the collaboration between Korea’s science and technology and Indonesia’s natural resources during the meeting in Seoul.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned the economic shocks of the war in the Middle East would be felt for months and encouraged citizens to take public transport in a rare address to the nation on Wednesday.

A China-born accused scam boss was extradited from Cambodia, Chinese state media said Wednesday, linking him to an alleged kingpin indicted by the US for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from the Southeast Asian nation.

A Malaysian court on Tuesday ordered jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to pay US$1.3 billion to a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, state media reported.

Indonesia and Japan reaffirmed their shared commitment to playing a greater role in maintaining global peace and stability, as President Prabowo Subianto and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated the need to de-escalate the war in the Middle East.

The vessels included the corvette Gromkiy, the submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the ocean tug Andrey Stepanov, according to the Russian embassy in Jakarta.  

Australia in December banned under-16s from a raft of the world's most popular social media sites, citing the need to protect young minds from "predatory algorithms" filled with sex and violence.

After more than a year in office, President Prabowo Subianto made his maiden official visit to Japan, one of Indonesia’s largest investors and strategic partners, amid the war in the Middle East that has impacted both countries in the energy and economic sectors.

Air China restarted direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang on Monday after a six-year hiatus, another sign isolated North Korea is gradually opening up following the resumption of train services between the capitals.

The Philippines and China have resumed high-level talks this week over the disputed South China Sea, exploring preliminary steps toward oil and gas cooperation while addressing energy and fertilizer supply issues amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Philippine foreign ministry said.

At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising on Sept. 8 and 9, 2025, which began over a brief social media ban, but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship.

During the private meeting, both leaders agreed to intensify diplomatic efforts to ease tension in the Middle East, while underlining the importance of global supply chain continuity, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

A cyclone off Australia triggered outages at two of the world's largest LNG plants, energy giant Chevron said Friday as Middle East turmoil stoked soaring demand for the fuel.

Iran is letting Malaysian tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iranian, Turkish and other regional leaders, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday.

President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit Tokyo and Seoul early next week for bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the invitation of Indonesia’s two strategic partners in East Asia.