ASEAN-Russia Security Push: Philippines President Marcos Jr. set a roadmap for ASEAN-Russia ties at a commemorative summit, stressing maritime security, counterterrorism, cyber resilience, and deeper trade, investment, plus food and energy security. Democracy & Elections: Moldova, Ukraine, Albania and North Macedonia signed a memorandum to strengthen democratic resilience and European cooperation, including election integrity, anti-corruption, and defenses against disinformation and foreign interference. NATO Partnership: Moldova’s Deputy PM met NATO officials to expand cooperation under tailored partnership and defense capacity building, focusing on hybrid and cyber threats. Smart Aviation in Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi’s aviation and mobility bodies signed a cooperation deal to speed design, manufacturing and certification for advanced air mobility, including eVTOL and eCTOL, with Al Ain positioned as a hub. China’s Industrial Trade Defense: China’s NDRC rejected claims that its global market gains are mainly subsidy-driven, warning against politicizing trade and calling for a secure, open supply chain. Global Finance & Impact Capital: EBL and IIX teamed up to attract global impact capital to Bangladesh via instruments like Orange Bonds. Mental Health as Priority: Bulgaria’s President Iotova urged treating mental health as a strategic global priority, citing WHO Europe data on widespread mental illness. Tech & Privacy in DeFi: Zama launched confidential USDC lending with Morpho and Steakhouse Financial, aiming to let institutions earn yield without exposing balances or strategies. Education & Literacy: Baguio renewed its INQskwela reading and media-literacy program with reported drops in struggling readers from 42% to 8%.