Protest Crackdown & Digital Controls (India): India ordered GitHub to block/remove repositories tied to Jack Dorsey’s Bluetooth offline app Bitchat as student “cockroach” protests over exam leaks continue, after mobile internet was suspended near protest sites. Youth Politics & Education Reform (India): Cockroach Janta Party leaders say the government asked for time until Saturday on demands for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation; talks with senior ministers ended without a breakthrough. Public Outreach via Social Media (India): PM Modi urged Union ministers to be more active on Instagram and share reels on government schemes to reach Gen Z. Ethanol & Fuel Readiness (India): Honda launched India’s first flex-fuel scooter (ADV 160) compatible up to E85, while Mercedes-Benz introduced E25-compliant cars as India prepares for higher ethanol blending. Trade & Investment Signals (India): HCLTech will invest $1.48b in an AI data centre in Odisha with Sarvam AI and open a 5,000-seat tech hub. Disaster Governance (Japan): Japan passed a law to create a secondary capital to keep legislative and administrative functions running after major disasters. Critical Minerals (Japan): Japan identified medium/heavy rare earths in deep-sea mud samples, paving the way for a full-scale mining test. China-Philippines Tensions (South China Sea): China used water cannons again against Philippine vessels near disputed areas, escalating maritime friction. China Policy & Openness (China): China plans to digitize immigration and refine visa-free transit/entry rules to speed processing for foreign visitors. Semiconductor & AI Security (China/US): A US-China AI safety dispute over alleged model distillation and chip access risks derailing a planned AI safety dialogue. Diplomacy Appointments (India): India named Dr K Srikar Reddy as the next Ambassador to Qatar.