Arctic Trade Test: South Korea sent its first test container ship via the Arctic route, seeking a faster Asia-Europe link as Middle East tensions disrupt shipping through chokepoints. Middle East Pressure: US-Iran tensions and Gaza violence continue to ripple into energy and trade, while Pakistan’s army chief is set to visit Tehran to revive stalled talks. Philippines Rates Watch: Manila faces inflation and currency pressure, with markets expecting the BSP to lift rates again to defend the peso and reserves. Renewables Investment Push: HSBC highlights renewables and AI data centers as the Philippines’ “sweet spots” for attracting foreign capital, citing BOI figures showing renewables dominating first-half investments. Central Asia Diplomacy: Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan reaffirm their alliance in Tashkent, expanding cooperation across multilateral forums. Sports—U18 Basketball: Australia defended the FIBA U18 Asia Cup title, while the Philippines Youth fell to Chinese Taipei in classification games. Sports—Open Water: A Philippines debutant won bronze at the Southeast Asia Open Water Championships in Boracay. Engineering Safety: Malaysia’s works minister urged firms not to cut safety to control costs as BEM awards recognized engineering leaders. Tech & Hospitality: XCards launched its Global Trust Infrastructure, aiming to replace single-use hotel keycards with reusable NFC membership credentials. One Piece Fandom: The “One Piece World Top 100” poll crowned Luffy, Zoro and Sanji at the top.