Cybersecurity & State Targets: Group-IB says a China-nexus operation using a new Windows loader (“TriBack Loader”) hit government, healthcare and education orgs across Asia and Latin America, with intrusions tied to exposed web interfaces and spear-phishing. Judicial Cooperation: Turkey and Saudi Arabia’s justice ministers pledged deeper legal collaboration, including expertise exchange in emerging fields. Regional Diplomacy: Japan’s foreign minister pushed ASEAN-plus-three cooperation on energy security and anti-scam efforts, while Iraq’s PM met Iran’s president to coordinate on regional security, trade and energy. Maritime Security: Singapore launched its second Victory-class multi-role combat vessel, designed to be reconfigured for missions from high-end operations to disaster relief. Public Health: DRC Ebola response shows early stabilization signals, but deaths have topped 1,000 and insecurity and community resistance remain major barriers. Humanitarian Crisis: A global hunger monitor warns two-thirds of Gaza could face acute hunger by year-end as aid cuts bite. Disaster Recovery: The World Bank estimates Venezuela’s June earthquakes caused $19.6B in direct damage, with rebuilding costs potentially far higher. Sports Governance & Funding: South Africa’s hockey teams received a R3m emergency boost after players faced having to self-fund World Cup participation. AI Governance: Thailand is building a “trusted AI” hub with a national AI governance sandbox aimed at reducing deepfakes, scams and fraud. Energy Infrastructure: Canada’s Maritimes provinces signed an MoU to explore a regional electricity operator, alongside federal support for new submarine cables.