Southeast Asia has been hit by unusually severe floods this year, with late storms killing more than 1,400 people and leaving hundreds missing across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

During an annual fall event where giant elephants smash massive pumpkins, a baby elephant was too small to crush the largest gourds, which weigh around 1,000 pounds.

Export manufacturing and free trade helped transform China and other Asian countries into economic powerhouses.

Japan and the Philippines have signed a defense pact allowing Japanese forces to deploy in the Southeast Asian country for joint military exercises, including live-fire drills.

The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply.

Asian stock markets have tumbled after mixed U.S. economic data revived worries the Federal Reserve might hike interest rates again.

China and Southeast Asian nations have agreed to try to conclude within three years a long-delayed nonaggression pact aimed at preventing frequent territorial spats in the busy South China Sea from turning into a major armed conflict.

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the pro-Russian head of Serbian intelligence.

Asian stock markets are lower after a survey showed Chinese industrial activity weakening.

Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street lower after the top U.S. and Chinese diplomats agreed to cooperate during a meeting held at a low point in relations.

President Joe Biden has vetoed a congressional resolution that would have reinstated tariffs on solar panel imports from Southeast Asia.

Asian stock markets are mixed after Wall Street rose on strong corporate profit reports.

Asian stocks have followed Wall Street higher ahead of data traders hope will show surging U.S. inflation eased in August, reducing pressure for more interest rate hikes.

Asian stock markets are mixed after China promised to speed up the rollout of policy changes to boost anemic economic growth.

President Joe Biden says he’s nominating one of his top national security aides to serve as his ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Asian stocks have followed Wall Street lower as fears increased that U.S. rate hikes to fight inflation might stall economic growth.

Asian stock prices have surged for a second day after the Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate hike since 2008 and China promised support for its real estate and internet industries.

Asian stock markets have slid and oil prices surged more than $5 per barrel as Russian forces stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Asian stock markets have plunged and oil prices surged to nearly $100 per barrel after President Vladimir Putin announced Russian military action in Ukraine.

Stock prices in Tokyo and Sydney have followed Wall Street higher while China, South Korea and Southeast Asian markets were closed for the Lunar New Year.

Asian stocks have followed Wall Street higher at the start of a week when China, South Korea and Southeast Asian markets will close for the Lunar New Year holiday.

Asian stock markets have risen after Wall Street hit a new high and China promised aid to shore up economic growth.

Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street lower as a rally cooled and investors waited for U.S. inflation data that might influence a Federal Reserve decision on when to roll back economic stimulus.

Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing company Grab made its market debut Thursday, following a $40 billion merger in a special purpose acquisition company deal.

Asian stock markets have declined as traders weigh the impact of a surge in coronavirus cases in Europe and anti-disease controls that threaten to disrupt trade and travel.

Asian stock markets are higher after Wall Street rose for a fifth day on strong corporate earnings.

Let’s make plans for lunch and dinner today with a common cuisine people typically order for takeout - Thai food.

Asian stock markets are higher as investors waited for U.S. jobs data that might influence when the Federal Reserve starts to wind down its stimulus.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has delivered a sharp rebuke to China for its incursions in the South China Sea, warning its actions there amount to “coercion” and “intimidation” and affirming that the U.S. will support its allies in the region against Beijing’s advances.

Australia’s most populous state has reported a record 633 new infections as concerns grew about the delta variant’s spread beyond Sydney.

Asian stocks are rising after the Federal Reserve kept its accommodative monetary policies and signaled that the U.S. economic recovery was on track.

Asian stock markets are lower after Wall Street pulled back from a record.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has asked his Southeast Asian counterparts to press for an end to violence in Myanmar, its return to a democratic path and the release of all political prisoners.

Asian stock markets are mixed as investors look ahead to this week's U.S. jobs data for reassurance the biggest global economy is improving following the previous month’s big miss on hiring.

Protesters in Myanmar’s largest city have braved potential violence by security forces to demonstrate against February’s military coup, showing their resolve to continue their resistance two days after Southeast Asian leaders met to address the country’s crisis.

Southeast Asian leaders have demanded an immediate end to killings and the release of political detainees in Myanmar during an emergency summit in Jakarta with its top general and coup leader.

People walk past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index in Hong Kong Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Asian shares were mixed in listless trading Tuesday after U.S. stocks finished mostly lower as cause for optimism, such as the Suez Canal reopening, mixed with caution about the vaccine rollout. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)BEIJING – Asian shares were mixed in listless trading Tuesday after U.S. stocks finished mostly lower as cause for optimism, such as the Suez Canal reopening, mixed with caution about the vaccine rollout. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks fell more than the broader market, shedding 62.80 points, or 2.8%, to 2,158.68. Weighing on stocks at the same time, though, are worries about a coming rise in inflation and possibly too-ebullient prices across the market.

Stocks advanced in Asia on Wednesday after a wobbly day on Wall Street, when the S&P 500 gave back most of its gains from a day earlier. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)BEIJING – Stocks advanced in Asia on Wednesday after a wobbly day on Wall Street, when the S&P 500 gave back most of its gains from a day earlier. Investors have taken heart from an easing in bond prices that has alleviated worries over possible interest rate hikes. But expectations for stronger economic growth in coming months continue to fuel worries that interest rates will head higher. Higher interest rates force investors to rethink how much they’re willing to pay for stocks, making each $1 of profit that companies earn a little less valuable.

In this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange, traders work on the floor, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Stocks were slightly lower in early trading on Tuesday, after the major stock market indexes hit record highs the day before. (Courtney Crow/New York Stock Exchange via AP)BEIJING – Asian stock markets rose Wednesday after Wall Street broke a six-day winning streak. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7% to 3,629.54 while the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo advanced just under 0.1% to 29,531.48. The Nasdaq rose 0.1% to 14,007.70.

In this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange, traders Edward MacCarthy, left, and Robert Charmak work on the trading floor, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (Colin Ziemer/New York Stock Exchange via AP)BEIJING – Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday after Wall Street rebounded, shrugging off uncertainty about a possible new attempt to impeach President Donald Trump over last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index gained less than 0.1%, recovering from the previous day's decline. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose to 3,801.19. In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 61 cents to $53.82 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Asian shares logged strong gains on Wednesday after another round of record highs for major indexes on Wall Street. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)BEIJING – Asian shares logged strong gains on Wednesday after another round of record highs for major indexes on Wall Street. Shanghai edged lower after China reported that its consumer price index slipped 0.5% in November compared with a year earlier. It noted that core consumer price inflation, excluding volatile food and energy prices, was steady at 0.5% from a year earlier. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 1% to 26,743.52, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong added 1.2% to 26,609.17.

Asian stock markets followed Wall Street lower on Tuesday as surging coronavirus infections in the United States and some other countries tempered investor optimism about development of possible vaccines. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)Asian stock markets followed Wall Street lower on Tuesday as surging coronavirus infections in the United States and some other countries tempered investor optimism about development of possible vaccines. Overnight, Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index lost 0.2% as health care, financial and energy stocks declined. On Wall Street on Monday, the S&P 500 dropped to 3,691.96. On Monday, the United States reported 175,663 new virus cases and 1,113 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The latest vaccine developments are also helping to raise hopes that some normalcy will eventually be restored to everyday life and the economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% to 3,577.59 on Monday. Roughly 73% of the stocks in the S&P 500 rose. Even with its weekly decline last week, the S&P 500 is on track for a 9.4% gain this month. The string of upbeat news about vaccine development has been butting up against increased caution as the virus continues to threaten the economy.

BEIJING – Asian stocks followed Wall Street lower on Thursday as anxiety about the economic fallout from rising coronavirus infections in the United States and Europe clashed with optimism about a possible vaccine. On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index lost 1.2% on Wednesday, erasing early gains after Pfizer and BioNTech reported more promising vaccine data. Losses accelerated after New York City said it would close its public schools to in-person learning following a surge in infections there. The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.1% to 3,343.35 and the Nikkei 225 in Tokyo sank 0.4% to 25,620.28. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 was up as much as 0.3% on Wednesday after Pfizer and BioNTech reported data suggesting their potential COVID-19 vaccine may be 95% effective.

Asian stock markets were mixed Monday after Wall Street turned in its biggest weekly decline in more than two months. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)BEIJING Asian stock markets were mixed Monday after Wall Street turned in its biggest weekly decline in more than two months. Southeast Asian markets were mixed. On Wall Street, the benchmark S&P 500 index lost 0.8% on Friday, breaking a streak of gains. Wall Streets slide Friday followed a Labor Department report that showed U.S. hiring slowed to 1.4 million last month.

(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)MANILA Fitness gyms, barber shops and internet cafes were allowed to reopen partly in the Philippine capital Tuesday as the government further eased quarantine restrictions despite the country having the most coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia. More than 220,000 COVID-19 cases, including about 3,500 deaths, have been reported in the Philippines, which has struggled to balance public restrictions and economic concerns. The Health Ministry on Tuesday also reported 819 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 65,288. hinas National Health Commission reported 10 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, all of them brought from outside the country. The Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has reported its highest single-day total of COVID-19 cases since its first cases were confirmed in late March.

Strategically located only 660 miles from Tokyo, the Pacific island became the site of one of the bloodiest, most famous battles of World War II against Japan. (AP Photo/Joe Rosenthal, File)TOKYO Northeast Asia doesnt so much repeat history as drag it along like an anchor. Japan in 2020 is unrecognizable to the fascist military machine that once rolled across Asia. Political leaders, for one, will have to resist the temptation to use the past for their own ends. ___Foster Klug, AP's news director for Japan, the Koreas, Australia and the South Pacific, has covered Asia since 2005.

A man wearing a face mask and a shield walks past a bank's electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index at Hong Kong Stock Exchange Monday, July 27, 2020. Asian stock markets were mixed Monday amid U.S.-China tension and concern a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic might be weakening. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)BEIJING Major Asian stock markets declined and gold surged to a record price Monday amid U.S.-China tensions and concern a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic might be weakening. Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong retreated while Seoul advanced. On Friday, Wall Streets benchmark S&P 500 index lost 0.6% to 3,215.63.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 36th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam Friday, June 26, 2020. Leaders from the Southeast Asian ten-nation bloc hold the bi-annual summit via online video conference to discuss regional issues. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh)HANOI Southeast Asian leaders are holding an annual summit Friday by video to show unity and discuss a regional emergency fund to tame the immense crisis wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. The long-divisive South China Sea conflicts are also in the spotlight. Vietnam, the current ASEAN chair, had planned face-to-face meetings, but most member states assessed it was still too risky for leaders to travel.

From an upscale French eatery to a Southeast Asian restaurant, read on for a rundown of the newest hot spots to make their debut around town. SavantFirst, wander over to 51 W. Forest St. in Midtown and you'll find Savant, a new cocktail bar, lounge and French spot. The new spot offers everything from light bites and soups to traditional French sandwiches and entrees. ImaPhoto: christine h./YelpIma is a spot to score ramen that recently opened at 4870 Cass Ave. in Midtown. Stop by for brunch to score Creole shrimp and cheese grits, chicken and waffles or shrimp cake Benedict.

SINGAPORE - Singapore has knocked the United States out of the top spot in the World Economic Forum's annual competitiveness report. Singapore pushed the world's largest economy down to second place this year, with the Asian city state scoring top marks for its infrastructure, health, labor market and financial system. And while the United States lost out to Singapore overall, "it remains an innovation powerhouse," the report said. Singapore and Vietnam put up strong performances this year partly thanks to the US-China trade war. The report noted that the two Asian economies "appear to be benefiting from global trade tensions through trade diversion."