A memorandum admitting the Lao People’s Democratic Republic as a Shanghai Cooperation Organization dialogue partner was signed in Beijing this morning (10th). SCO leaders agreed to accept Laos at last year’s Tianjin summit. With Laos, the SCO now comprises 10 full members, 2 observers and 15 dialogue partners.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it fired 10 ballistic missiles, destroying an adversary command-and-control center in West Asia and Jordan’s Al Azraq air base. The IRGC warned that if the US launches another attack, other US bases in the region will likewise be exposed to heavy fire.

China A-share commercial space sector rallied in the afternoon after state media reported a Long March-10B booster was successfully recovered on an offshore platform — the first controlled sea recovery of a carrier-rocket first stage in China. Hailanxin hit a 20% daily limit, Chaojie jumped over 14% in a straight-line move, and Tianli Composite, Feiwo Technology, Xingtú Measurement & Control and Chuangyuan Xinke also advanced.