West Asia Fallout: India’s PM Modi ordered all-out steps to protect Indian citizens and seafarers, including ensuring uninterrupted fuel and fertiliser supplies and setting up a mechanism for timely info and emergency help as hostilities strain the region. Humanitarian & Migration Pressure: UNESCAP warns the Middle East conflict could push up to 86,000 more people in Philippine cities below the international poverty line, depending on how long recovery takes. Sports Governance Clash: UEFA escalated its fight with FIFA over a private-equity sell-off plan, threatening a boycott of World Cup and other FIFA events unless the proposal is dropped. Digital Payments Friction: Bangladesh’s mandatory Bangla QR minimum merchant fee is slowing adoption, with merchants reportedly passing costs to customers and other hurdles like bank-MFS interoperability and limited smartphone/internet access. Anti-Trafficking Network: Talitha Kum said its sister-led anti-trafficking network reached 1.21 million people in 2025 across 113 countries. Climate & Food Security Watch: El Niño is intensifying across the Pacific, with analysts warning it could worsen drought or flooding in major farming regions and add to already strained global food supplies. Tech & Security: China unveiled a new 2.8-trillion-parameter open-weight AI model, aiming to narrow the “intelligence gap” with locally runnable access for developers. Public Health Campaign: Dermatology experts backed a global push against harmful skin bleaching practices, calling it a growing but under-addressed health risk.