ASEAN Diplomacy: India’s Jaishankar marked ASEAN’s 59th anniversary by reaffirming the Act East push—connectivity, trade, digital links, resilient supply chains, defence, education and culture—while ASEAN’s chief Kao Kim Hourn urged unity and tangible benefits for young people as Timor-Leste joins the bloc. Pakistan-ASEAN Ties: Deputy PM Ishaq Dar also reiterated Pakistan’s support for ASEAN peace, stability and prosperity, pledging deeper cooperation in trade, investment and people-to-people links. UAE-India Trade/BRICS: UAE Foreign Trade Minister Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi joined BRICS trade talks in Jaipur, focusing on the multilateral trading system, MSMEs and digital value chains, and raised concerns over attacks affecting commercial shipping and Hormuz access. Vietnam Halal Push: Khanh Hoa province in south-central Vietnam is building a halal ecosystem linking tourism, agriculture and food production, targeting Muslim travellers and investors with halal-compliant hotels, training and certified goat/sheep projects. India Payments Policy: India’s finance ministry signalled a possible nominal MDR only on select high-value UPI merchant transactions, while keeping consumer and person-to-person payments free. RBI Banking Rules: RBI proposed replacing its 2011 CVA framework with new capital rules for banks when counterparties’ financial health deteriorates, effective from April 2027. Corporate/Markets: Under Armour forecast a bigger revenue decline as North American consumers stay cautious; SML Mahindra reported a 10.2% July rise in CV sales and a sharp export jump. Shipping Security: India will launch a seafarer tracking dashboard on Aug 15 and expand maritime services via E-Samudra amid West Asia and Black Sea vessel attacks.