Royal Diplomacy: Singapore Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Brunei from Jul 14–17 as the city-state’s representative for Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s 80th birthday, attending guard-of-honour and investiture events and meeting the sultan and ministers. Regional Security: Myanmar’s foreign minister told ASEAN counterparts that Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and well cared for after the first informal ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting with Myanmar since the 2021 coup. South China Sea: The US, UK and 12 other countries, plus the EU, reaffirmed the 2016 arbitration ruling that rejects China’s expansive South China Sea claims; China again called the award “null and void.” Energy & Industry: Noble Corporation won a ~$136.2m, six-well contract for its Noble Viking drillship to work offshore Brunei starting early 2028. Local Business: Imperial Motors was appointed sole authorised Subaru distributor in Brunei. Travel Rules: Germany published its 2026 visa-free list for 62 countries, including Brunei.