Philippines–Vietnam State Visit: Vietnamese President Tô Lâm arrived in Manila for a two-day state visit, the first by a Communist Party chief to the Philippines, as both countries gear up for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and a decade of strategic partnership, with talks expected to cover trade, food security, defense and maritime cooperation. Indo-Pacific Defence Push: At Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue, Japan’s defence minister rejected China’s “new militarism” claims while warning of China’s rapid, opaque military build-up; meanwhile, India held high-level defence engagements with New Zealand and Singapore, and India–Australia’s second defence ministers’ dialogue is set for June 1 in New Delhi. US–China and Regional Security: Filipino experts said multilateralism can beat confrontation as ASEAN keeps room for engagement; China’s delegation also faced heavy questioning at the forum, with China and Japan trading sharp maritime and security accusations. West Asia Shockwaves: The Iran conflict is driving up energy and food costs, with FAO warning of a deeper global food security crisis if Strait of Hormuz disruptions persist. Domestic Policy in India: India’s Shivraj Chouhan will launch the “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” from June 1 to cut excessive fertiliser use, while India also kept an EPFO wage ceiling at ₹15,000 for now amid labour code changes. Maritime and Security Flash: The US carried out another strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing three and bringing the campaign death toll to 205.