Philippines Education & Tech: The Philippines won 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (APOAI 2026), finishing tied for sixth among 18 countries/territories after a six-hour exam for 129 students. Malaysia Health & Innovation: Malaysia opened the Sultan Nazrin Shah PERKESO Rehabilitation Centre, billed as Southeast Asia’s largest neuro-robotic rehab facility, integrating partners including Robotimize for mobility and functional recovery. AI & Policy: Thailand is pushing a “hybrid” AI governance model, aiming to complete its first AI law this fiscal year while setting up an AI Governance Practice Center to build a trusted regional hub. Regional Connectivity: Lightstorm will launch the India–Malaysia–Singapore subsea cable I-2SEA with Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications to support AI training and inference workloads. Finance & Markets: DBS and Samsung Securities signed a preliminary wealth management deal to connect Korean and global investment access. Energy & Shipping: India and Japan urged protection of international shipping lanes, warning against any measures that could restrict the Strait of Hormuz. Business & Society: Indonesia faces a legal challenge under Germany’s supply-chain law over a Heidelberg Materials mine and cement factory plan in Central Java. Culture & Sports: A new XR “LIVE, RE:ALITY” booth from Hello Freedom and Victor Entertainment will debut at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles.