Sean's Daily Digest

China fires ballistic missile from submarine into South Pacific, drawing regional protests

China's navy test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the South Pacific on Monday, carrying a dummy warhead, in what an expert at Asia Society Policy Institute described as the first publicly acknowledged such test from a Chinese navy ballistic missile submarine to travel that far into the Pacific. Australia, Japan and New Zealand each criticised the launch; New Zealand's foreign minister noted the missile was fired into the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone established by the 1986 Treaty of Rarotonga, to which China is a signatory, and said Beijing had informed Wellington only hours before the test. The launch occurred the same day Australia and Fiji signed a new mutual defence treaty aimed at countering Chinese influence.

Trump expected to restore Turkey's F-35 access over Netanyahu's public objections

Trump is expected to signal at the NATO summit that he will allow Turkey to rejoin the F-35 programme, from which it was removed in 2019 after Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 air-defence system. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly urged the U.S. not to proceed, saying Turkey's government "openly threatens Israel" and accuses Ankara of financing Hamas. Congress passed a law prohibiting F-35 sales to Turkey as long as it holds the S-400, meaning Trump would need to work around existing legislation.

Philippines opens Sara Duterte impeachment trial; defence challenges presiding officer

The Philippine Senate began Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial on Tuesday, with the prosecution presenting video evidence from a November 2024 press conference in which Duterte allegedly threatened to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and the House speaker killed if she herself were killed. Lawyers allied with the Duterte family challenged the authority of Senator Chiz Escudero — elected 12-8 as presiding officer — filing an urgent motion at the Supreme Court seeking a halt to proceedings until his authority is resolved. The trial follows a first impeachment in 2025 in which the Supreme Court found the articles unconstitutional but did not grant Duterte interim relief when a second impeachment was filed in 2026.

Wildfires force 10,000 from homes in southern France, disrupt Tour de France

Ongoing · day 11

A wildfire burning out of control in the foothills of the French Pyrenees near the Pyrénées-Orientales region has forced the evacuation of approximately 10,000 people from around two dozen small towns and villages. The wildfire has scorched more than 11,000 acres (approximately 4,600 hectares) so far, according to local prefect Pierre Regnault de la Mothe. Tour de France organisers have banned spectators from stage three of the race as a direct result of the wildfire hitting the Pyrénées-Orientales region.

India signs BrahMos missile deal with Indonesia as Modi visits Jakarta

India and Indonesia signed a deal for Indonesia to purchase BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jakarta, according to Indian government officials; a separate agreement to supply Astra air-to-air missiles was also reported. Modi, who received Indonesia's highest state honour during a formal welcome ceremony, is on a three-nation trip that will also take him to Australia and New Zealand. The BrahMos deal had been in discussion since at least March 2026, when Indonesia announced it had entered into an agreement in principle.

Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26, including seven guards, after gang clash at Negombo

Two days of violence at Negombo Prison, north of Colombo, left 26 people dead — seven of them guards — and more than 100 injured, after fighting broke out between inmates from two drug gangs on Sunday evening; security forces fired on prisoners who tried to rush the main gate on Monday. Sri Lankan prisons held 41,250 inmates as of Sunday, roughly four times their official capacity. The government announced a three-member investigative committee headed by a retired Supreme Court justice.

South Korea tightens fake-news law; critics warn of free-speech risk

South Korea's National Assembly passed an amendment to the country's communications act that would clamp down on purveyors of false information online. Critics, including press freedom advocates, say the law could be used to suppress legitimate reporting and political dissent by giving authorities broad discretion to define what constitutes false information. North Korean state media separately used Tuesday's commentary on Japan's military expansion to accuse Tokyo of abandoning its defensive-only posture.

Cuba suffers third nationwide blackout in six months as fuel reserves collapse

Cuba's national grid went dark across the island of nearly 10 million people for the third time since January on Monday — its eighth total blackout since late 2024 — as the state-run Electric Union said the cause was under investigation. By late Monday afternoon only 1% of Havana's power demand was being met. The crisis has deepened since Trump cut off Venezuelan oil deliveries in January and threatened tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba; since then, only one Russian oil tanker has been allowed to dock.

North Korea criticises Japan's military expansion as Kim orders new destroyer into service

North Korean state media on Tuesday accused Japan of abandoning its exclusively defensive military posture and transforming into "a thoroughly offensive and aggressive force," citing Japanese plans to develop unmanned submarines capable of anti-ship attacks, mass-produce long-range missiles, and acquire U.S. Tomahawk missiles. The commentary came days after state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un had observed the launch of a strategic cruise missile and weapons tests aboard a new 5,000-ton destroyer, the Kang Kon, which Kim ordered into service within two months. North Korea has also recently commissioned a second 5,000-ton warship, the Choe Hyon, and outlined plans for larger 10,000-ton vessels.