Taiwan Drills: Taiwan kicked off its biggest annual “Han Kuang” drills (Aug 5-14) with reservists and civilians, including air-raid drills and temporary mobile internet slowdowns, as Beijing ramps up pressure and threatens force. North Korea-Japan Tensions: Kim Yo-jong warned North Korea will consider “additional military options” over Japan’s Tomahawk cruise missile test and deeper US-linked drills in the Philippines. India Flood Response: Kerala’s rain disaster death toll rose to 26, with thousands displaced and relief camps running across the state as IMD issues heavy-rain alerts. Meta Under Pressure in India: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to India over child sexual abuse material, deepfakes and operational errors; India also pressed Meta over a brief Modi post restriction. WhatsApp Age Checks: WhatsApp is testing optional age confirmation in India ahead of DPDP rules. Netflix for India’s Creators: Ted Sarandos met PM Modi to launch the “Netflix India Storytelling Initiative,” funding AVGC talent pipelines via IICT and NFDC. China Online Crackdown: China launched a yearlong anti-gang campaign targeting online “public opinion extortion,” drawing criticism that it could curb dissent. ASEAN Sports Inclusion: Malaysia was proposed as the ASEAN hub for Virtus intellectual impairment sport ahead of the 2027 ASEAN Para Games.