ASEAN Diplomacy in Manila: South Korea’s FM Cho Hyun is heading to the Philippines for ASEAN-related ministerial meetings, including a Korea-ASEAN foreign ministers’ session with Thailand, plus trilateral talks with the US and Japan—aimed at energy, economic security, AI cooperation and tackling online scams. Myanmar Peace Push: ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to develop benchmarks to track progress in Myanmar and discussed moving toward a longer-term special envoy, with Brunei proposing a support unit inside the ASEAN Secretariat. Brunei in the ASEAN mix: Brunei’s role shows up in the Myanmar envoy support idea as the bloc tries to revive the stalled Five-Point Consensus. South China Sea Flashpoint: The Philippines accused China’s coast guard of injuring a Filipino sailor with a wooden baton near Second Thomas Shoal, while China denied wrongdoing and blamed Philippine actions—raising fresh concerns for regional stability. Local Governance: Brunei’s Legislative Council will hold its second meeting of the year from Aug 3, covering queries, ministerial statements and motions. Sustainable Tourism: Brunei launched a one-year GSTC certification project for Ulu Temburong National Park and Luagan Lalak Recreational Park to strengthen eco-tourism management. Business & Tech: Nanta Tech signed an MoU with GM Biovalley to bring robotics and automation solutions to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.