Timor-Leste gained independence in 2002, becoming the first sovereign nation of the 21st century. Since then, joining ASEAN has remained one of its top foreign policy priorities.
Leaders are expected to deliberate on measures to deepen regional integration, stimulate economic growth, and enhance connectivity across Southeast Asia.
As one of the world’s largest regional blocs, ASEAN needs to take a firm stance in maintaining the rules-based multilateral trading system, thereby contributing to establishing the foundation for stability and shared prosperity.
The Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) Working Group on Money Laundering aims to strengthen regional coordination in combating cross-border financial crimes and cyber-driven criminal networks.
ASEAN has sought to preserve its unity and shared purpose while charting a forward-looking path that stays true to its core values of trust, dialogue and consensus.
The 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia will spotlight the bloc’s unity and resilience as it advances the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, focusing on regional cohesion, economic autonomy, and strategic balance amid global shifts.
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother passed away on October 24 in Bangkok, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and lifelong devotion to the Thai people. She was revered for championing rural development, women’s empowerment and traditional arts.
The meeting comes four months after the first JBC session in Phnom Penh — the first in more than a decade — which took place amid rising tensions that later escalated into armed confrontation between border troops.
The Combined Maritime Force (CMF), a naval partnership that includes the United States, said the Pakistani naval vessel intercepted two different dhow sailing boats within 48 hours last week.
Paetongtarn, who remains the influential head of the Pheu Thai Family, framed the decision as the first step in implementing a strategic reform.
Besides securing the main conference venue and official hotels where the delegations will stay, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is conducting security checks at the country’s main entry points, including airports, seaports, and land borders.
Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female leader, plans to meet Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also ASEAN chair, in bilateral talks.
Authorities say most of the suspects were involved in a variety of fraudulent acts operated from criminal compounds in Cambodia, including romance scams, investment fraud and voice phishing.
The average quarterly investment was around 200 trillion IDR (US$12 billion) in 2020. In 2025, this figure has exceeded 450 trillion IDR per quarter.
Typhoon Fengshen made landfall in the southeastern part of Luzon late on October 18 and early on October 19 before moving across Manila Bay, with wind gusts reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour. The Philippine meteorological agency said the storm is now heading towards provinces north of the capital.
Poor nutrition among the elderly in Singapore is worrying, said doctors, given that the city-state's population is rapidly ageing – some 24 per cent of citizens are projected to be aged 65 or older by 2030.
Upon arrival, the detainees were handcuffed and transferred to the police stations with jurisdiction over their cases.
The arrested suspects include nationals from 20 countries.
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