Morning news brief: South China Sea dispute, Trudeau admits 'mistake' and more

Washington has been in an uproar over reports that Russian intelligence paid bounties for Taliban-linked fighters to kill US forces in Afghanistan.

Beijing hit back Tuesday at the US branding of Chinese pursuits in the South China Sea as illegal, saying the accusation was "unjustified' and a bid to sabotage regional peace.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized Monday for not recusing himself from discussions about a government contract to a charity that had paid his family large sums of money for speaking appearances.