India-Bangladesh Diplomacy: Bangladesh says no decision yet on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s India visit, as Dhaka weighs New Delhi’s response amid the Hasina extradition row and shifting “conducive environment” demands. South China Sea: Indonesia and China urged finalizing a binding South China Sea Code of Conduct under ASEAN centrality, while expanding 2+2 security and defense cooperation in Jakarta. Philippines Credit Outlook: Japan-based R&I kept the Philippines’ investment-grade “A-” rating with a stable outlook, citing improving governance and expected growth recovery as budget execution normalizes. Japan Security Shift: Japan’s cyber defense law allowing counterattacks at the source of large-scale cyberattacks takes effect from October, as the country accelerates rearmament and hardens network defenses. Japan Justice: Japan hanged a man convicted in the 2009 Osaka pachinko parlor fire, underscoring renewed debate over capital punishment transparency. India Tech & Industry: Modi met 20 Indian space startups to push India as a global space hub, while MeitY notified a ₹62,500 crore Mobile Phone Manufacturing Scheme to boost domestic value addition. India-US/China Friction: India dismissed a US religious freedom panel’s call for sanctions against RSS as “biased,” and a Chinese national was charged in Massachusetts voter fraud using a landlord’s identity. China EV Safety: China ordered a record recall of 4.3 million vehicles over hard-to-find emergency door releases after crashes, with Tesla among the biggest targets.