Safety First in Engineering: Malaysia’s Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi urged engineers not to cut corners on safety for profit, as Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) handed out awards in Kuala Lumpur. Philippines Business Climate: The US-ASEAN Business Council pressed Manila for faster, consistent rollout of reforms—clear guidelines, less red tape, and more digital government services—to unlock investment. ASEAN Summit Prep: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay vice chair for operations of the ASEAN National Organizing Council ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit in November. ASEAN Centrality: Singapore PM Lawrence Wong said ASEAN must strengthen unity and integration as it takes the chairmanship next year, while building partnerships beyond the region. Central Asia Education & Diplomacy: Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan leaders opened a Nizami Ganjavi-named pedagogical university in Tashkent and backed deeper alliance ties, including a “single geopolitical and geo-economic region” message. Myanmar SEZ Crackdown: Reuters reports junta forces burned villages and cleared land for the Russia-backed Dawei special economic zone, escalating violence near Thailand’s border. Sports & Culture: Vietnam took a 2-0 lead over Thailand in the ASEAN Championship final first leg; East Bengal women made AFC Women’s Champions League group-stage history; and Singapore won eight medals at the Asia-Pacific Youth Tchoukball Championships.