South
Australia's prime minister voices concerns over South China Sea disputes at Southeast Asian summit
- Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he is concerned by “unsafe and destabilizing behavior” in the South China Sea.
- Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided on Tuesday near a disputed shoal, leaving four crew members injured.
- Albanese’s remarks came as his country wrapped up a three-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Australia’s prime minister expressed concerns Wednesday over “unsafe and destabilizing behavior” in the South China Sea, citing the collision between Chinese and Philippine ships the previous day.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s remarks came as his country wrapped up a three-day summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that failed to explicitly call China out over a series of incidents in the disputed waters.
Instead, ASEAN leaders urged for disputes to be resolved through dialogue rather than threats, a day after Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels collided near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea and four Filipino crew members were injured in the confrontations.
AUSTRALIA AND LAOS ELEVATE BILATERAL RELATIONS AT SOUTHEAST ASIAN SUMMIT
Chinese and Philippines officials traded blame for the incident. The disputed area has been site of several tense skirmishes between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships last year.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Lao, Sonexay Siphandone, at the conclusion of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit on March 6, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
Albanese, who co-chaired the summit with Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, said Tuesday’s clash was concerning for Australia.
“It is dangerous and it creates risks of miscalculation, which can then lead to escalation,” he said.
Australia had backed the Philippines’ push to have the ASEAN declaration adopted at the end of summit cite a 2016 arbitration ruling in The Hague, Netherlands, that invalidated Beijing’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea, which conflict with the claims of several ASEAN states. China did not accept the ruling.
The Melbourne Declaration, released late Wednesday, did not mention the 2016 ruling. The summit was held in the Australian city to mark 50 years since Australia became the first external ASEAN partner.
The declaration called for peaceful resolution of disputes through legal and diplomatic processes “without resorting to the threat or use of force” in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We encourage all countries to avoid any unilateral actions that endanger peace, security and stability in the region,” it said.
Albanese said compromises had to made to find words that ASEAN leaders at the summit could agree on.
“There is a general recognition that we need to make sure that activity in the South China Sea alleviates any tension and doesn’t add to it,” Albanese said.
Deakin University Southeast Asia expert Damien Kingsbury said the declaration’s failure to explicitly mention China was a nod to countries that are close to Beijing — Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar — and also to Malaysia’s more conciliatory approach to the Chinese.
It’s “a veiled criticism of China, which is about as strong as consensus would allow,” Kingsbury said.
Leaders agreed at an ASEAN summit in Indonesia last September to accelerate a negotiation process with China with a goal of finalizing a South China Sea code of conduct within three years. Such a code would aim to prevent risky and provocative behavior.
That summit was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the longest serving ASEAN leader after Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, said on Tuesday that finalizing that code would take some time with difficult issues relating yet to be resolved.
PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT AFFIRMS DEFENSE AGAINST CHINA IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA TERRITORY
The ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Burma, an ASEAN state where a military junta seized control in 2021, have also loomed over the summit, with the declaration saying the leaders “strongly condemn the continued acts of violence.”
Burma was officially excluded from the Melbourne gathering. However, neither the Australian government nor the Burma Embassy in Australia would comment on reports that Burma was still represented at the summit by Australia-based diplomat Thet Tun.
Around 200 protesters had demonstrated outside the summit on Monday against any Burma representative being present.
East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão also attended the summit as an official observer after ASEAN agreed in principle to admit Asia’s newest country.
(WSAV) — The man accused of shooting and killing three people in Dekalb County April 13 was found dead in his jail cell, officials confirmed Monday night.
Olaolukitan Adon-Abel was found unresponsive in his jail cell at 6:48 p.m., a Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said. Life-saving measures were performed, according to officials.
He was pronounced dead at 7:17 p.m.
Adon-Abel was charged with malice murder, aggravated assault and firearms counts in connection to the shooting deaths of Prianna Weathers, Tony Mathews and Lauren Bullis.
In 2025, Adon-Abel plead guilty in Chatham County Recorder’s Court to multiple misdemeanor counts of sexual battery for groping women in Chatham County under the name Adon Olaolukitan.
According to court documents, he was banned from Savannah for four years and ordered to undergo a psychosexual evaluation.
The official cause will be determined by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, and a standard internal review has been launched, according to officials.
At this time, the sheriff’s office said there are no indications of foul play. No additional details were released.
Collin Chandler’s arrival at BYU was a long time coming, and left fans in suspense for over four years. The highest-rated recruit in program history at the time, Chandler first committed to BYU basketball four years ago before departing on his two-year missionary service. The timing of his return couldn’t have been worse, as he arrived soon after the news that head coach Mark Pope would be leaving Provo for the same position at a blue blood and his alma mater, Kentucky.
Deny it and fight it as much as you can, but there was no avoiding the truth: Collin Chandler would be out the door in Provo before ever suiting up for the Cougars.
But now in the present day, two years through his collegiate career, Collin Chandler is back in Provo. Now under a new regime, Chandler hopes to fill the void left by Richie Saunders’ departure, and assume a leadership role with the program he left years ago.
All is forgiven for the prodigal son, but hearing why Chandler jumped ship from Lexington for a spot back in the Beehive State makes his decision to transfer from UK all the more fascinating. In a radio interview with ESPN The Fan, the blonde blur opened up about his choice to return home.
“There are a lot of great things about BYU off the court. But basketball-wise, I’m most excited about development,” the junior guard shared. “Coach [Kevin] Young’s NBA experience is unique. I want to play at the next level, and learning from someone with that background is huge.”
“I’ve talked to players who’ve worked with him, and they all say development is his strength. That’s what really stood out to me.”
Chandler continued, sharing the relationships that helped him confirm his decision to take another shot at BYU.
“I talked to Richie Saunders,” Chandler noted. “I also have a good relationship with [former BYU player] Trevin Knell since we had the same high school coach. They both gave me great insight and helped me think through everything.”
Collin went a bit further on the Saunders comparisons, acknowledging where their skill sets overlap.
“First off, being compared to Richie Saunders is an honor. He’s left an incredible legacy at BYU. With new rosters come new styles, but I think this year’s team will play fast, share the ball, and make plays for each other. We’ve got a lot of guys who can handle the ball, so I see myself as part of that—making plays, playing fast, and being part of a fun system.”
On the topic of players Chandler would be teaming up with at his new program, he noted some teammates he had already shared the floor with as well as others who he looked forward to familiarizing himself with.
“Experience is huge,” Chandler noted. “That’s something I learned at Kentucky; having guys who know the system makes a big difference. Having someone like Rob Wright back is big. […] Jake Wahlin [former Timpview alumni and Clemson transfer] is someone I know really well. We played AAU together and faced off in high school. I’m excited to play with him again.”
Finally, on the topic of his return to BYU, Chandler’s off-court priorities paired with Kevin Young’s unique on-court capabilities made the Cougars the obvious favorites.
“Utah has a great staff and is building something strong, but I love the culture at BYU. I love what Coach Young is building and the foundation that’s already there.”
“It just felt like home.”
Chandler will be a junior at BYU this season, and hopes to build an NBA portfolio strong enough to carry the Farmington, Utah, native to the highest level of professional hoops. If Kevin Young’s NBA bootcamp is as good as Chandler believes it to be, you’ll see him taking great strides this season.
Follow
Louisiana
Federal appeals court upholds Texas’ Ten Commandments law. What does it mean for Louisiana?
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a Texas law requiring public schools to post the Ten Commandments, just weeks after the same court allowed a similar Louisiana law to take effect.
A majority of judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Texas’ law, which is nearly identical to Louisiana’s, is constitutional and does not violate students’ religious freedom. In February, the court lifted an injunction on Louisiana’s law, which cleared schools to put up the posters, but the judges said it was too early to rule on that law’s constitutionality.
Tuesday’s ruling could bode well for Louisiana’s law if it eventually returns to the 5th Circuit, considered the country’s most conservative federal court of appeals.
In their majority opinion, the judges rejected the argument that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms would pressure students to honor the biblical mandates or adopt particular beliefs.
“To plaintiffs, merely exposing children to religious language is enough to make the displays engines of coercive indoctrination. We disagree,” the majority wrote about the Texas law, known as S.B. 10. A minority of the court’s active judges dissented.
Even though Tuesday’s ruling only addressed the Texas case, defenders of Louisiana’s legislation celebrated it as a victory. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the 5th Circuit’s argument in upholding Texas’ law was identical to the one Louisiana made in defense of its law.
“Our law clearly was always constitutional,” she posted on X, “and I am grateful that the Fifth Circuit has now definitively agreed with us.”
Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed the law in 2024, which requires all public K-12 schools and colleges to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. A group of parents quickly challenged the law in court, and a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that stopped the state from enforcing the law.
In February, the 5th Circuit reversed the lower court’s decision, saying it had been premature to block the law before it took effect. The judges said they could not rule on the law’s constitutionality before seeing how it played out in schools.
But in the case of Texas’ law, which that state’s Republican-led Legislature passed in 2025, the court did rule on the merits.
Rejecting arguments made by attorneys for the Texas families who challenged the law, the 5th Circuit majority said that requiring public schools to post the Ten Commandments does not amount to the government endorsing a particular religion, which the U.S. Constitution forbids. The law also does not impose religious beliefs on students, the judges wrote.
“As noted, S.B. 10 authorizes no religious instruction and gives teachers no license to contradict children’s religious beliefs (or their parents’),” the majority opinion says. “No child is made to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin.”
The Texas families were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, with the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP serving as pro bono counsel. The same groups, including Louisiana’s ACLU chapter, represented the Louisiana families.
In a statement Tuesday, the organizations said they are “extremely disappointed” by the 5th Circuit’s ruling, adding that they expect to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction,” the groups said. “This decision tramples those rights.”
-
Georgia3 minutes agoMan accused in fatal Georgia shooting spree dies in jail, officials say
-
Hawaii9 minutes agoPolice Commission narrows Honolulu chief candidates to 6 semifinalists
-
Idaho15 minutes ago11-year-old from Idaho competing for $20K, national spotlight – East Idaho News
-
Illinois21 minutes agoGOP Rep. Ryan Spain opposes Illinois redistricting changes
-
Indiana27 minutes agoSuspects flee robbery at Chase Bank in Plainfield
-
Iowa33 minutes agoIowa State football lands 2027 3-star linebacker commit Keaton Wollan
-
Kansas39 minutes agoPBS Kansas remembers employee killed in Wichita shooting; estranged husband charged
-
Kentucky45 minutes agoKentucky transfer Collin Chandler speaks out on why he returned to BYU basketball