Modi 25-year milestone: Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. congratulated Indian PM Narendra Modi on 25 years of continuous public service, pointing to deepening ties and upcoming ASEAN-India and East Asia summits in Manila. Pre-COP climate push: Nepal proposed a “Sagarmatha to the Sea” partnership linking Himalayan glaciers and Pacific sea-level rise, while Pacific leaders at Fiji’s pre-COP warned the 1.5°C target is slipping and demanded faster climate finance. Pacific resilience funding gap: Fiji, Ireland and others pledged about $15m to the Pacific Resilience Facility, but pledges still fall far short of the fund’s $1.5b goal. Regional geopolitics: China’s new Laos military facility near Vientiane expands Beijing’s reach in Southeast Asia; the US Navy’s USS Tulsa returned to Colombo for a second visit in two years. Energy and sanctions: Russia asked Vietnam for wet-lease aircraft as its seized Western fleet deteriorates; South Korea shipped 176,000 tons of fuel to Russia on sanctioned tankers. Asia business and markets: Vietnam banks plan nearly $7b in share sales; South Korea weighs scaling back military exemptions for athletes after Asian Games backlash. Environment and food: El Niño heat left Latin American fishing nets half-empty as tuna and anchovies move offshore.