Blinken regrets missing meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers

13 Sept 14:26 Key points summarised by AI

US State Secretary Antony Blinken expressed "sincere regrets" for technical glitches that caused the cancellation of his virtual meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers on May 25.
Blinken, who was on a mission to the Middle East, reportedly kept the ASEAN ministers waiting for 45 minutes before the connection failed.
This introductory session, requested by Blinken in January to discuss US-ASEAN relations, took over two months to schedule.
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the coordinating country, is now working to arrange a new schedule for the ministerial talks.
The incident continues a pattern of senior American officials, including past Secretaries of State and Presidents, missing ASEAN-related meetings.

Detained Suu Kyi receives UK royal package: Myanmar govt

Today 03:08 Key points summarised by AI

Myanmar's detained Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, received a package from Britain's King Charles III, which included two gardening books, a sealed envelope, and diplomatic communication.
The event marked the first release of images of Suu Kyi in two months and saw Myanmar authorities describe her as a "special female prisoner" for the first time.
Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a 2021 military coup that triggered an ongoing civil war, remains under house arrest on charges that rights groups contend are politically motivated.