Taiwan Drills: Taiwan kicked off its biggest annual “Han Kuang” exercises, running Aug 5-14, with reservists and civilians practicing responses to a possible Chinese invasion, including air-raid drills and temporary mobile internet slowdowns. North Korea-Japan Tensions: Kim Yo-jong warned North Korea will consider “additional military options” after Japan’s missile tests and deeper US-linked drills in the Philippines, calling Tokyo a “war criminal state.” Philippines-Japan Ties: Manila’s House speaker presented a resolution marking 70 years of Philippines-Japan normal diplomatic relations, highlighting cooperation from infrastructure to disaster resilience. China-US Tech Clash: China announced countermeasures on drones and sanctions, including tighter export controls on drone-related dual-use items to the US. Meta Under Pressure in India: Mark Zuckerberg apologised to India over child sexual abuse material, deepfakes and operational errors, amid safe-harbour concerns. Air India Leadership: Air India named Tewolde Gebremariam CEO, replacing Campbell Wilson as it pushes fleet and safety recovery after the 2025 crash. India-Sri Lanka Trade: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri advanced talks to update the India-Sri Lanka FTA and discussed INR lines of credit worth $350m. Climate Stress: A severe heatwave is hitting China, Japan and South Korea, with thousands treated for heat-related illness.