Experts said it was too early to speculate on what may have caused Thursday's crash.

The crash occurred just after the plane took off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge jet of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses.

The Holy See expressed "satisfaction" on Wednesday at the recognition by China of the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of eastern Fujian province.

The 2021 AUKUS deal joins Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in a multi-decade effort to balance China's growing military might.

South Korea on Wednesday halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the nuclear-armed North, the defense ministry said, adding it was a bid to "restore trust" under Seoul's new administration.

Japan would strengthen surveillance and gather necessary information, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press briefing in Tokyo. Japan has also sent "an appropriate message" to China, Hayashi said without elaborating.

A senior politician who visited Jakarta recently as part of an Indian outreach delegation made reassurances that Delhi "had no interest in nuclear escalation" as it sought Indonesia's support in ending what it considered "terrorist" attacks involving Pakistan.

Japan said Saturday it was making "progress" in talks aimed at easing US President Donald Trump's tariffs but cautioned that the two sides have not found "a point of agreement yet".

Three of President Donald Trump's top aides will face their Chinese counterparts in London on Monday for talks to resolve a trade dispute between the world's two largest economies that has kept global markets on edge.

Despite a wave of recent defense agreements and President Prabowo Subianto’s history of being outspoken at the annual forum, Jakarta opted for a quieter approach this year, prompting speculation over whether Indonesia is attempting to avoid offending major power, or if it simply lacks a coherent security posture.

Singapore and Indonesia conduct various joint military exercises. 

Lee has used this origin story to cultivate a loyal support base and frame himself as understanding the struggles of the underprivileged.

Lee has expressed more conciliatory plans for ties with China and North Korea, in particular singling out the importance of China as a major trading partner while indicating reluctance to take a firm stance on security tensions in the Taiwan strait.

Lee's decisive victory in Tuesday's snap election over Kim Moon-soo, the candidate for the conservative People Power Party, hands the liberal leader a resounding mandate and his Democratic Party in control of parliament.

South Koreans began voting Tuesday for a new president, six months to the day after ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the country into political chaos with his disastrous declaration of martial law.

The announcement came during the visit to Manila of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas for meetings with Manalo as well as a courtesy call with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

China has objected to Hegseth calling it a threat in the Indo-Pacific, the ministry added, describing his comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday as "deplorable".

ASEAN has set its sights on strengthening economic cooperation in an attempt to navigate regional security challenges, though analysts warn that such ambitions may fall short without meaningful institutional reform.

As great powers loom large over the Indo-Pacific, the United States and France competed for clout at the region's security forum in Singapore over the weekend.

China has objected to Hegseth calling it a threat in the Indo-Pacific, the ministry added, describing his comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday as "deplorable" and "intended to sow division".

Even as he warned in a speech on Saturday that China posed an "imminent" threat, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security as they boosted military budgets.

Brunei's ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, has been discharged from a Malaysian hospital and will rest for several days in Malaysia, the Brunei Prime Minister's Office said late on Saturday.

Organizers from both camps have told police they expect tens of thousands of supporters to rally in Seoul's central Gwanghwamun square and the southern Seocho neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon.

The United States was "reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China", Hegseth said, calling on US allies and partners in Asia to swiftly upgrade their defences in the face of mounting threats.

French President Emmanuel Macron is following leaders of China, Japan and other European countries in visiting the region in recent weeks, in a sign of Southeast Asia's strategic importance amid uncertainties on global supply chains and trade.

Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra also rejected the use of the term "normalization of ties" considering that Indonesia and Israel never had any diplomatic relations.

Macron's trip to Indonesia is the second stop of a three-nation, six-day tour of Southeast Asia that began with Vietnam and concludes in Singapore.

"I am delighted that the letter of intent signed today could open up a new perspective with new orders for Rafales, Scorpenes, light frigates," Macron said at a joint press conference alongside President Prabowo Subianto. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will try to convince Asian defense leaders this weekend that the United States is a more trusted partner for the region than China, US officials told Reuters, as questions linger about the Trump administration's commitment to the region.

The annual Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment released on Wednesday by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said outside industrial help remains vital even as regional nations ultimately aim for self-reliance.