\n
<\/p>\n
Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at Southeast Asia<\/strong>\u2019s response to the Iran war<\/strong>, the uncertain future of Britain<\/strong>\u2019s Labour Party, and allegations of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The leaders\u2019 summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is traditionally filled with a level of pomp and pageantry befitting regional pride. But this year, the bloc took a \u201cbare bones<\/a>\u201d approach to its confab to reflect the dire economic straits that the Iran war has inflicted on much of the world.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Welcome back to World Brief, where we\u2019re looking at Southeast Asia<\/strong>\u2019s response to the Iran war<\/strong>, the uncertain future of Britain<\/strong>\u2019s Labour Party, and allegations of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The leaders\u2019 summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is traditionally filled with a level of pomp and pageantry befitting regional pride. But this year, the bloc took a \u201cbare bones<\/a>\u201d approach to its confab to reflect the dire economic straits that the Iran war has inflicted on much of the world.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if the tensions de-escalate in time, the damage to critical infrastructure, to vital systems and trust in general, will continue to be felt for years to come,\u201d said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the host of this week\u2019s summit, adding that the Iran war has revealed<\/a> how exposed ASEAN members are to external market shocks<\/a>\u2014namely, rising fuel costs.<\/p>\n To combat this, the bloc\u2019s 11 members agreed on Friday to adopt a contingency plan<\/a> that calls on all ASEAN nations to expedite the ratification of an emergency fuel-sharing pact that was signed in 2009 but not enforced; such a pact would pave the way for the creation of a regional power grid and fuel stockpile.<\/p>\n \u201cOur resilience must be built proactively with a clear forward-looking approach,\u201d Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said. The group vowed on Friday to promote efforts to diversify<\/a> the region\u2019s crude sources, and it advocated for the use of electric vehicles and other green technologies while investing further research into civilian nuclear energy.<\/p>\n In addition, ASEAN pledged to bolster cooperation in maritime security<\/a> by creating a center to monitor cases of illegal fishing, smuggling, and human trafficking in the disputed South China Sea. These efforts are to ensure that the vital maritime territory does not become embroiled in a conflict similar to the one in the Strait of Hormuz. \u201cIf such a thing would happen in the South China Sea, the inevitable consequences would be alarming just to even think about,\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n These contingency steps are to be implemented immediately<\/a>, Marcos added on Friday. Although the establishment of a regional power grid and fuel stockpile will likely take a long time, Marcos stressed that the bloc\u2019s members \u201care committed to making this succeed because everyone is suffering and everyone wants to get out of this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the energy supply crisis, ASEAN also expressed concerns<\/a> with the challenge of conducting large-scale evacuations from the Middle East. More than 1 million Southeast Asian citizens work and live in the region, and many ASEAN states fear that these individuals could come under threat if widespread hostilities reignite. To assuage these worries, the bloc issued a joint declaration on Friday agreeing to improve information-sharing and coordination efforts with international organizations to \u201censure the safety and welfare of ASEAN nationals in affected areas.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, several ASEAN members expressed doubt about the bloc\u2019s plans, arguing that true security cannot be achieved until the United States and Iran reach a peace deal. \u201cUntil the fighting ends, until the bombings end, then it is very difficult to put together any kind of solution,\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n Not backing down. <\/strong>British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed<\/a> on Friday to finish his five-year term after his Labour Party suffered a massive defeat in local elections the day before. \u201cI am not going to walk away from those challenges and plunge the country into chaos,\u201d Starmer told reporters, adding that he plans to double down on addressing the country\u2019s cost-of-living crisis<\/a>.<\/p>\n Experts viewed Thursday\u2019s votes as a midterm referendum<\/a> on Starmer\u2019s leadership. The results were not optimistic. The far-right, anti-immigrant Reform UK party emerged as the biggest winners<\/a> of Thursday\u2019s elections, gaining more than 400 council seats in England as well as moving toward becoming the main opposition party in both the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. The left-wing Green Party also secured several key victories in local English elections.<\/p>\n Some Labour lawmakers have since called on Starmer to resign. \u201cI don\u2019t think Keir Starmer should survive these results,\u201d Labour lawmaker Jonathan Brash<\/a> said. \u201cWe have to be bolder, and we have to go further. And quite frankly, we need new leadership in order to achieve that.\u201d The front-runners to replace Starmer are Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.<\/p>\n But the message from Downing Street remains defiant. \u201cYou don\u2019t change the pilot during the flight,\u201d Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said, with Defense Secretary John Healey adding that the last thing voters want is \u201cthe potential chaos of a leadership election.\u201d<\/p>\n Attacks in Hormuz. <\/strong>U.S. forces fired<\/a> on two Iran-flagged oil tankers on Friday that tried to breach the U.S. naval blockade, according to the U.S. military. The United States has maintained a blockade on all Iranian ports since Washington and Tehran failed to reach a peace deal during talks in Islamabad in April. But Friday\u2019s attacks come at a particularly precarious time for the region, as the White House is still waiting for Iran to respond to the latest U.S. proposal<\/a> to end the war.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should know something today,\u201d U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.<\/p>\n It is unclear whether Tehran will accept the deal, which would halt the fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and lay the framework for future nuclear talks. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that the U.S.-Iran cease-fire was still in effect<\/a> even after the two sides exchanged strikes that day. The U.S. military claims that three of its warships came under \u201cunprovoked attack\u201d when trying to cross the strait on Thursday, but Tehran has accused<\/a> U.S. troops of shooting first.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates accused<\/a> Iran on Friday of carrying out another round of missile and drone strikes on Emirati territory, wounding three people. Throughout the war, Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states that host U.S. military bases. However, Iran\u2019s attacks on the UAE have escalated this past week in response to the enactment of Trump\u2019s short-lived effort to have the U.S. military escort merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed \u201cProject Freedom<\/a>.\u201d Trump paused<\/a> that mission on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after it had begun.<\/p>\n Dueling truce demands. <\/strong>Russia and Ukraine accused<\/a> each other on Friday of violating cease-fires that each side declared separately.<\/p>\n Russian President Vladimir Putin had called for a two-day truce, beginning Friday, to coincide with Moscow\u2019s World War II Victory Day parade; the annual event is Russia\u2019s most honored national holiday, and the Kremlin has warned that any Ukrainian attempt to disrupt the parade in Moscow\u2019s Red Square will be met with a massive military assault on Kyiv. Already, Russia\u2019s defense ministry has blamed Ukraine for forcing Moscow to scale back<\/a> its usual display of military prowess.<\/p>\n However, Kyiv denied<\/a> Putin\u2019s two-day request, arguing that a cease-fire just for the holiday was inappropriate. Instead, Ukraine demanded that an indefinite truce beginning May 6 be declared. Moscow ignored this timeline.<\/p>\n Russia has not made \u201ceven a token attempt to cease fire on the front,\u201d Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in a social media post<\/a> on Friday, accusing Russian forces of continuing to strike Ukrainian positions overnight. In a Telegram post early Friday, Russia\u2019s defense ministry claimed that Ukraine had violated its truce 1,365 times, including with 887 drone strikes and 153 artillery attacks. Meanwhile, Kyiv said<\/a> it had targeted a Russian oil \u2060refinery in the city of Perm as well as two major fuel-producing facilities.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization confirmed on Wednesday that three patients with suspected hantavirus infections were being evacuated from a cruise ship that originally departed from Argentina last month. How is hantavirus usually transmitted to humans?<\/p>\n A. Drinking untreated water Is E.T. really trying to phone home? The U.S. Defense Department on Friday released<\/a> more than 160 \u201cnever-before-seen\u201d files detailing reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)\u2014aka UFOs. \u201cThese files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation\u2014and it\u2019s time the American people see it for themselves,\u201d Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Trump directed<\/a> the federal government in February to begin declassifying documents related to aliens, and more files are expected to be rolled out in the future. However, Friday\u2019s initial salvo appears to just be a series of blurry still images<\/a> that lack evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. So maybe don\u2019t finalize your trip to Area 51 just yet.<\/p>\n C. Inhaling contaminated rodent droppings<\/p>\n Officials said on Tuesday that Argentina had recorded 101 infections since last June, roughly twice as many as the year before, FP\u2019s Catherine Osborn reports<\/a> in Latin America Brief.<\/p>\n To take the rest of FP\u2019s weekly international news quiz, click here<\/a>, or sign up<\/a> to be alerted when a new one is published.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nA \u2018Bare Bones\u2019 Summit<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A \u2018Bare Bones\u2019 Summit<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Today\u2019s Most Read<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What We\u2019re Following<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What in the World?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
B. Insect bites
C. Inhaling contaminated rodent droppings
D. Eating contaminated meat<\/p>\nOdds and Ends<\/strong><\/h3>\n
And the Answer Is\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n