India–Japan diplomacy: Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim heads to Tokyo (June 8-10) for talks with Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi, with green tech, energy resilience, defence and higher education on the agenda. South Asia digital public infrastructure: India and Nepal signed an MoU to co-develop language AI and multilingual digital public infrastructure via BHASHINI and Kathmandu University, including a UPI–NPI cross-border payments linkage. AI for oceans: China released LangYa 2.0, an upgraded AI ocean forecasting system aimed at predicting typhoons, extreme rainfall and storm surges beyond short-term sea variables. Education systems under strain: India’s entrance-test model faces fresh scrutiny as CUET-UG glitches and exam disruptions raise questions about fairness and reliability, while China’s gaokao drew 12.9 million candidates. Energy transition debate: India is pushing coal gasification as a bridge fuel amid LNG shortages, backed by a large incentive scheme—despite higher emissions trade-offs. Geopolitics at sea: Taiwan’s coast guard condemned China’s maritime law enforcement operation east of Taiwan, saying it violates international law. Humanoids and robotics: China’s humanoid robot push highlights fast-growing real-world orders, even as experts question whether demand can keep up with production. China–North Korea: Xi Jinping’s first visit to Pyongyang in nearly seven years signals Beijing’s bid to regain influence as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia.