Rohingya Crisis: ASEAN to send joint delegation to Myanmar in bid for peace

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has revealed that a high-level joint ASEAN delegation will visit to Myanmar in the coming weeks in an effort to promote peace and address ongoing human rights abuses against ethnic minorities, including the Rohingya.

The Arakan Army (AA), one of Myanmar’s most influential and battle-hardened ethnic armed groups, has announced it will prevent the country’s military junta from holding elections in territories under its control. 

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will hold their first in-person talks since Trump’s return to the White House on August 15 in Alaska.

Armed Chinese private militias have been observed operating in Myanmar’s conflict-torn Rakhine state, specifically in the strategically important town of Kyaukphyu. 

China and Russia have commenced large-scale joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan, highlighting their growing military cooperation and shared opposition to what they describe as a United States-led global security framework.

Myanmar’s military junta has officially ended the state of emergency that had been in place since its February 2021 coup, setting the stage for a controversial national election planned for December. 

The Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group in Myanmar`s western Rakhine State, has imposed severe restrictions and committed grave abuses against the ethnic Rohingya population, Human Rights Watch said.

Senior US and Chinese economic officials are set to meet in Stockholm on Monday in an effort to ease trade tensions that have strained relations between the world’s two largest economies. The primary goal of the talks is to secure a three-month extension of the existing tariff truce.

China has broken ground on what it says will be the world`s largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain.

Japan`s ruling coalition has lost its majority in the country`s upper house, but Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he has no plans to quit.

Russia and China`s foreign ministers on Sunday discussed their relations with the United States and the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, China and Russia`s foreign ministries said in a statement.

Top diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in Kuala Lumpur for a series of crucial meetings, prominently featuring a summit with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday. 

Thailand`s Constitutional Court on Tuesday ordered the suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her duties. This decision comes as the court reviews a case that could lead to her dismissal, significantly intensifying the pressure on a government already struggling on several fronts.

Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh has arrived in China, marking his first publicly known international visit since the recent conflict between Iran and Israel erupted.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has raised concerns about growing disruptions in global supply chains and a notable drop in cross-border investment, citing ongoing challenges posed by international tariffs, particularly those from the United States.

China has issued a sharp warning to the United States, urging it to refrain from escalating tensions over Taiwan. The statement came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth labeled China a regional threat during a security forum in Singapore.