Maritime Southeast Asia

Thousands of Filipino and American troops kicked off joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, as Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region raises fears of a conflict.

Southeast Asian and Australian leaders on Wednesday warned against actions that "endanger peace" in the South China Sea, following fresh confrontations between Beijing and the Philippines in contested waters.

Simmering tensions in the trade corridor threatened to boil over this week, when Chinese boats in the Spratly Islands were accused of hounding Philippines vessels.

China simulated a "secession" of Taiwan on today's third day of military exercises around the island, and the US, in a show of force, deployed a warship in waters claimed by China, AFP reported.

China launched the drills in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US.

China simulated "sealing off" Taiwan during a third day of wargames around the self-ruled island on Monday, as the United States deployed a naval destroyer into Beijing-claimed waters in a show of force.

The Chinese military said it had tracked a US warship in the South China Sea on Thursday and "warned it to leave" waters claimed by Beijing.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea -- a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually -- despite an international court ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.

More than 75 people have died and dozens are still missing after flash floods and landslides hit Indonesia and neighbouring East Timor, officials said on April 5, turning small communities into wastelands of mud and uprooted trees.

Sparked by torrential rain, the deluge and subsequent landslides sent thousands fleeing into shelters as dams overflowed and their homes were submerged.

The Dutch electronic giant Philips has repeatedly weakened the encryption standard fof devices that were intended to communicate securely and the watered-down equipment was provided to Turkey, a former company official told Vpro

Turkish arms exports in 2019 grew 36.4% compared to 2018 and exceeded $ 2.7 billion, Daily Sabah newspaper reported.

According to data obtained from the Turkish Exporters Union, exports grew 34.6% to reach $ 2.7 billion last year from $ 2.03 billion in 2018.

11 people were injured in a shootout at a cafe in the Turkish city of Edirne. 11 people who were sitting in the front were injured, the Sabah newspaper reported. They were taken to hospital.

Eyewitnesses say that a car with four people stopped in front of the cafe and fired at it. 

Two Indonesian journalists who mediated a land dispute between a palm oil company and residents were found dead with multiple stab wounds near a Sumatra plantation, police said.