AI & Cybersecurity: China’s MIIT warned that some Anthropic Claude Code versions may secretly transmit users’ location and identity data via a “built-in monitoring mechanism,” urging upgrades or uninstalling. Elections & Online Integrity: Japan passed a bill tightening social media rules in elections, aiming to curb fake candidate claims while requiring platforms to limit their spread ahead of unified local polls in 2027. Disaster Response: Typhoon Bavi’s heavy rain hit northeast China, with Liaoning evacuating over 170,000 people and suspending classes and work in affected cities. Maritime & Diplomacy: China rejected criticism over port-state ship inspections, saying Panama-flagged vessels account for a disproportionate share of accidents and deaths. South China Sea: A Manila forum marked the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Hague ruling, with speakers saying the Philippines is turning the award into deterrence despite naval imbalance. Japan-ASEAN Tech: Malaysia launched the Korea-ASEAN Digital Academy to train about 200 industry-ready AI and digital professionals by 2027. Cambodia-Asia Infrastructure: Cambodia and Japan signed a $119m loan for Phase 2 of the Sihanoukville port expansion, while Cambodia’s PM heads to China for high-level talks and an AI-focused conference. Japan IP for Agriculture: Japan plans a new body to manage plant variety rights to stop overseas leakage of branded crops and pursue legal action abroad.