Royal & Local Spotlight: Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen has been appointed Foreign Minister in Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s latest cabinet reshuffle, adding another high-profile royal role to the kingdom’s political lineup. Diplomacy & Parliament: India and Brunei met to deepen bilateral ties and parliamentary engagement, with discussions led by India’s High Commissioner to Brunei and the Legislative Council Speaker. Education & Innovation: Brunei’s education system is urged to evolve for global challenges, while Universiti Brunei Darussalam relaunches its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to grow local entrepreneurship. Sports Diplomacy: Brunei joined a friendly football match in Dhaka aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties through sport. ASEAN & Security: India highlighted the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) as a key dialogue platform for tackling regional geopolitical challenges. World Cup Broadcasts: Laos confirmed 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast rights, while Brunei is still listed among ASEAN nations yet to finalise arrangements. Tech & Cyber: Fortinet launched a Singapore cloud PoP to improve threat detection across ASEAN. Regional Flashpoint: Philippines released images of suspected new structures at Scarborough Shoal, escalating South China Sea tensions. Business & Connectivity: A Guangzhou–Kuching direct flight route is reported to show strong demand for China–Borneo connectivity.