1. US puts on 3-carrier show of force Three U.S. Navy aircraft carriers put on show of strength in the western Pacific Ocean over the weekend, the first time three of the 100,000-ton behemoths* have sailed together in a decade. The USS Ronald Reagan, USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Nimitz and their multi-ship strike groups were participating in the four days of exercises, which ended on Tuesday. “Multiple carrier strike force operations are very complex,” said Adm. Scott Swift, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. 2. ASEAN Summit kicks off in Philippines The 31st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and related meetings opened in Manila, the Philippines, on Monday, with leaders of 10 ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners convening to discuss security, cooperation and regional integration. The Philippines, ASEAN’s rotating* chair for 2017, set the theme of “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” putting security and regional integrity high on the agenda. 3. 19 drown as overloaded boat capsizes in India The death toll from the capsizing* of an overcrowded ferry on India’s Krishna River has risen to 19, with others still missing, police said on Monday. Ramesh Bapu, a senior police officer, said 21 people swam to safety or were rescued by villagers after the accident on Sunday in Krishna district. He said about 40 passengers were on the boat, which was supposed to hold a maximum of 30 people. Officials said the ferry capsized while turning toward the river bank. 4. Tens of thousands commemorate Arafat in Gaza Tens of thousands of Palestinians gathered in Gaza on Saturday to commemorate* the death of veteran leader Yasser Arafat in the first such memorial in the Hamas-run territory since 2007. The event was billed as a show of national unity after the Islamists of Hamas struck a reconciliation* agreement last month with the rival Fatah movement founded and led by Arafat until his death in 2004. 5. Lebanon PM to return home ‘soon’ Saad Hariri, whose resignation as Lebanon’s prime minister a week ago sent shockwaves* across the region, said on Sunday he is “free” in Saudi Arabia and will return to Lebanon “very soon.” In an interview from Riyadh with his party’s Future TV, Hariri brushed aside rumors that he was under de facto* house arrest in the kingdom, from which he announced his surprise departure. “I am free here. If I want to travel tomorrow, I will,” Hariri said. (SD-Agencies) ? | 