FRANCE: The French Navy, with support from Britain, has intercepted an oil tanker under Western sanctions that was travelling from Russia, the latest effort by nations that support Ukraine to target Russian oil exports.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the interception in a post on Monday on social media, saying the Tagor was boarded on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean. 

It is not immediately clear whether the interception occurred in international waters. Western sanctions on Russian oil have no standing in international law.

PHILIPPINES: Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that he will surrender to authorities after a special anti-graft court ordered his arrest on Monday on a non-bailable charge of plunder after he allegedly pocketed a huge kickback in a flood-control project in the latest crisis to hit the upper chamber.

The special Sandiganbayan court had initially issued a warrant for Senator Estrada’s arrest on Friday. He then surrendered and was released on bail and again denied any wrongdoing.

SOUTH KOREA: An explosion and fire occurred at a defence company in South Korea on Monday, killing five people and injuring two others, officials said.

The deadly incident happened at a worksite run by Hanwha Aerospace in the South Korean city of Daejeon.

No further details about the cause of the incident were immediately available.

CHILD SAFETY: Malaysia began enforcing rules on Monday barring millions of children younger than 16 from having social media accounts, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users.

The rules require social media platforms with at least 8 million users including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts.