South-East Asian leaders have kicked off a regional summit without Myanmar, which refused to send a representative after being angered by the bloc's decision to exclude the country's junta chief.
The online gathering marked the start of three days of meetings hosted by the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), with US President Joe Biden and Chinese and Russian leaders set to attend.
Myanmar topped the agenda of Tuesday's talks between regional leaders, with the country still in chaos following February's military takeover and the subsequent deadly crackdown on dissent.
Facing calls to defuse the crisis, Asean has drawn up a road map aimed at restoring peace but there have been doubts over the junta's commitment to the plan.
Its refusal to let a special envoy meet ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi prompted the bloc to exclude junta chief Gen Min Aung Hlaing from this week's summit.
The coup snuffed out Myanmar's short-lived experiment with democracy, with Nobel laureate Suu Kyi now facing several charges in a junta court that could see her jailed for decades.
Gen Min Aung Hlaing's exclusion was an unprecedented snub from an organisation often criticised for being toothless. It was slammed by the junta as a breach of the bloc's policy of non-interference in member states' affairs.
The 10-member group had invited Chan Aye, director general of the junta's foreign affairs ministry, in the military leader's place.
But a junta spokesman said on Monday that sending a more junior figure could "affect our country's sovereignty and image" and no Myanmar representative was present at the opening of the online summit.
Aaron Connelly, a South-East Asia expert from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the decision to bar the junta chief was "tremendously significant".
"It is the most significant sanction that Asean has ever handed to a member state and it is in direct response to the non-compliance that we have seen from the [junta]," he told a panel discussion Monday.
But observers think it unlikely the bloc will go further, such as by suspending Myanmar, and see little chance of decisions at this week's meetings that could prompt a change of course from the junta.
"Asean is divided over the issue of Myanmar. There will unlikely be any real progress," a South-East Asian diplomat told AFP.
While member states such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have pushed for the bloc to take action, others with more authoritarian governments have been less vocal.
Biden to attend
Other issues that are set to be discussed include the South China Sea, where Beijing and several South-East Asian countries have overlapping claims, and the coronavirus pandemic, as much of the region emerges from an outbreak.
This year's meetings are hosted by Brunei and are taking place online due to coronavirus-related travel difficulties.
After the South-East Asian leaders hold talks Tuesday, US President Joe Biden will take part in a US-Asean summit later in the day and in a summit including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and other world leaders on Wednesday.
It is the first time in four years that a US president has attended the Asean summits, with Mr Biden seeking to rally support in the region against a rising China.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 1 (Carroll 82')
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Man of the match James Maddison (Leicester)
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About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
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More on animal trafficking
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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SHAITTAN
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How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs
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The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
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