India Youth Protests: Thousands of students returned to New Delhi’s streets after police tear-gassed and baton-charged demonstrators, vowing to keep pressure on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over exam leak and grading irregularities tied to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). US–China AI Tensions: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is reviewing whether Chinese open-source AI models involved “IP theft,” warning sanctions could follow. Fintech Regulation (India): India’s government and the RBI rolled out new measures for digital lending and payment aggregators, including fraud monitoring for UPI, cyber-incident reporting, and a fintech self-regulatory framework. South China Sea (Philippines): President Marcos condemned a Chinese Coast Guard assault on a Philippine Navy sailor near Ayungin Shoal, calling it unacceptable and urging diplomatic response. EV Charging (India): India reported 52,718 public EV charging stations, including 16,561 fast chargers, alongside funding for further rollout. China–Tibet Rights: A Chinese pro-democracy activist was detained in Lhasa after allegedly showing a Dalai Lama photo, with concerns raised under China’s new ethnic unity law. Zambia Education via Chinese Firms: A Chinese mining company helped build a secondary school in rural Zambia, expanding access for students who previously had limited schooling. Japan Heatwave: Japan reported seven heat-related deaths and thousands of hospitalizations, with authorities issuing heat alerts across many prefectures. ASEAN Energy Shock: Analysis says the Strait of Hormuz conflict is raising fuel costs and pushing some Southeast Asian states to reassess security and energy sourcing.