Philippines Tax Push: The OECD says the Philippines’ tax-to-GDP ratio hit 18.1% in 2024—above most ASEAN peers but still below the APAC average—highlighting limits from a narrow local tax base. Japan–AI Sovereignty: Japan will back a SoftBank-led group with up to ¥1 trillion to build a domestic AI foundation model using Japanese company data. Nepal Airlines Probe: Nepal’s Supreme Court demands the government explain why a long-stalled investigation into Nepal Airlines’ Chinese aircraft deal was never pursued. India Manual Scavenging: India’s sanitation crisis persists, with a survey citing 55 deaths of manual sewer and septic tank workers between February and June 2026. India Semiconductors: India’s ISM 2.0 gets a ₹1.25 lakh crore boost after an EFC clearance, aiming to cut import dependence by scaling the chip ecosystem. RBI Market Rules: New RBI rules from July 1 require bank guarantees for capital-market trading firms to be fully collateral-backed, tightening leverage. Delhi EV Policy: Delhi drops incentives for strong hybrids in its EV policy after internal disagreement, opting to focus on pure EVs. China–SOE Governance: China appoints Cheng Fubo as new Communist Party chief of SASAC. Bangladesh–China Image: A think tank says Chinese-built Dhaka transport projects are improving connectivity and boosting China’s image. Japan–Venezuela Aid: Japan sends emergency humanitarian assistance to Venezuela after the double earthquake via JICA. UNILAG Students Return: UNILAG students stranded in China are returning home after university intervention following public outcry. China Industrial 5G: China plans to expand industrial private 5G networks to 50,000 by 2030, targeting major value-added growth. Malaysia Autonomous Trials: Malaysia approves Neolix for public-road autonomous delivery vehicle sandbox testing in Cyberjaya.