ASEAN Trade & Investment: The Philippines is pitching itself as a regional production and services hub for Singapore firms, highlighting manufacturing, semiconductors, agritech, digital services and green industries as it seeks supply-chain diversification across Southeast Asia. Bilateral Diplomacy: Vietnam and Malaysia signaled deeper ties after Vietnam’s President To Lam met Malaysia’s outgoing ambassador, citing rising trade to $10.8bn in the first half of 2026 (+40% y/y). Energy Markets: LNG prices for October inched up to about $20.4/MMBtu as heat and geopolitics supported spot demand; Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Taiwan are active buyers. Indonesia Growth: Indonesia’s Q2 growth eased to 5.3% but beat forecasts on strong household and government spending, even as analysts warn tighter rates could slow momentum. Bangladesh Trade & Currency: Bangladesh secured preferential access to South Korea for 97% of exports under a CEPA, while the taka stayed among the region’s most stable currencies (+0.59% depreciation vs the dollar over a year). Fintech & Payments: Yellow Card raised $40m to expand stablecoin processing and dollar accounts, targeting bank and corporate treasury needs across Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Corporate Deals: Bain Capital agreed to acquire Gong cha, building on TA’s expansion push since 2019. Healthcare Business: Netflix announced an India Storytelling Initiative to invest in AVGC talent, while Greycoat Research is bringing its “Cat Kidney Store” concept to SUPERZOO after a sharp U.S. sales surge.