Briefing

Analysts and officials say ASEAN and China are unlikely to conclude a long-awaited South China Sea code of conduct at this week’s leaders’ gathering in Manila. About 80 percent of the text is complete, but disputes including the agreement’s geographic scope remain. China-Philippines tensions have also intensified.

ASEANChinaSouth China Seacode of conduct

Bahrain said its air defences destroyed several Iranian drones attacking a US base. It issued two alerts about potential threats on Sunday, its first such warnings since September. The attack was the second Iranian drone strike in three days, as sporadic attacks continue and efforts to end the nearly nine-month Middle East war have made no breakthrough.

BahrainIrandrone attackUS base

Iran launched a drone attack targeting a US military base in Bahrain. It was the second attack on Bahrain in three days, as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a stand-off over the Strait of Hormuz.

IranBahraindrone attackUS military baseStrait of Hormuz

Iran’s IRGC says it launched six drones at a US radar installation at an air base in Bahrain in response to a US strike on a telecom tower in Sirik. Arab states condemned the attack, and Bahrain’s residents were warned to seek shelter.

IranBahraindrone strikesUS military

Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said on Sunday that drones struck three commercial ships in the Black Sea near the Sulina canal. He added that his armed forces scrambled fighter jets twice.

Black Seadrone attackcommercial shipsRomania

Three commercial vessels were reportedly struck by drones near Romania’s Black Sea coast.

RomaniaBlack Seacommercial shippingdrone strikes

Kallas says the EU forced its way aboard a tanker in the Mediterranean suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet. The fleet helps Russia evade Western oil-industry sanctions by disguising cargo origins through complex ownership, flags of convenience and other tactics.

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Southeast Asian leaders agreed to engage Myanmar in stages and said its full political representation could be gradually restored if it makes sustained, concrete progress on ASEAN’s five-point peace plan. Myanmar’s political leaders have been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings since October 2021.

ASEANMyanmarpeace plandiplomacy

French-speaking leaders met in Phnom Penh as Emmanuel Macron sought consensus to avert the Democratic Republic of Congo’s threatened withdrawal over a dispute about the Francophonie’s next leader. The organization is due to choose its secretary-general on Monday. Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo is seeking another term, while Congo withdrew its candidate and said it would support Dacian Cioloș.

FrancophonieCambodiaEmmanuel MacronDemocratic Republic of the Congo

The Verge recounts reports that Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang may have been targeted in a Chinese spy plot because of his relationship with Megaspeed executive Alice Huang. US intelligence officials reportedly disagree over the evidence linking her to Beijing. Huang later admitted to an extramarital affair, and the article refers to his resignation and Nvidia’s leadership crisis.

NvidiaJensen HuangChina spy allegationsAI chips

The upper section of SpaceX’s Starship returned to its Texas launch tower on Saturday, a step in the company’s effort to prepare the vehicle for human spaceflight. Its 15th test flight aimed to bring back every rocket section intact in a double catch, but the lower booster malfunctioned, triggering an automated abort before exploding over the ocean.

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After a 22-hour journey, SpaceX’s Starship was successfully caught by giant mechanical arms at its Texas launch tower. It was the first successful midair capture of a Starship returning from space.

SpaceXStarshiprocket recovery

After failing to catch a booster the day before, SpaceX recaptured its massive reusable Starship for the first time. Earlier, smaller models had landed successfully, but they need heavy legs and are not fully reusable.

SpaceXStarshipreusable rockets

The candidate admitted through his lawyer that he used a miniature camera to photograph exam questions and sent them to AI for answers.

South Koreaexam cheatingartificial intelligence

The top scorer in South Korea’s tax accountant exam admitted using a microcamera to photograph questions and an AI tool to get answers. His near-perfect results in two rounds have heightened pressure on organisers of the annual college entrance exam, scheduled for Thursday.

South KoreaAIexam cheatingcollege entrance exam

Phil Collins delivered a tearful acceptance speech, while Cynthia Erivo performed an electrifying tribute. Oprah Winfrey inducted the late Luther Vandross, the crowd sang along with Billy Idol, and Wu-Tang Clan packed the stage for a lively celebration.

Rock & Roll Hall of FamePhil Collinsmusic ceremony