ASEAN Public Diplomacy: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam backed the ASEAN Summer Festival 2026 in Astana, drawing 1,000+ visitors and pushing people-to-people ties alongside trade, education and tourism. Sports—Asian Games Build-Up: Volleyball rookie Bella Belen says Alas Pilipinas women are ready for the 2026 Asian Games after SEA V Cup momentum. Handball—Youth Championship: Qatar’s U19s set up a key clash with Iran after strong early results in Amman, while Bahrain stays perfect as it prepares to face Uzbekistan. Middle East Tensions: Malaysia and Brunei urged restraint over renewed West Asia hostilities, warning of civilian harm and disruption to Hormuz shipping and calling for freedom of navigation. Trade & Investment: UAE-Russia TISIA enters into force, adding a services-and-investment framework to deepen fintech, healthcare and logistics cooperation. Business & Markets: Vietnam’s firms are urged to shift from old cost advantages toward “trust infrastructure” as growth faces a strategic inflection point. Education: ADB and Karnataka signed a Rs 1,750-crore deal to upgrade 500 government schools into Karnataka Public Schools by 2029-30. Cricket Governance: Qatar Cricket Association chief Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Saud Al Thani elected to the ACC Executive Board. Regional Security—South Asia Alliances: Bangladesh signalled it may consider joining economic or defence frameworks linked to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, but said it will assess national interests first.