Cross-Strait Diplomacy: Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council warned that a heavily subsidized “Cross-Strait Young Teachers’ Northern Xinjiang Tour” could be a Beijing “united front” operation, aiming to place influence “nodes” on campuses. Regional Security & Claims: The Philippines’ AFP urged China to publicly reject Chinese scholars’ claim that Batanes is part of Taiwan, warning silence could let the idea harden into policy. AI Chips & Trade Controls: Nvidia reportedly cut by more than half the number of approved Asian customers for its AI chips after stricter compliance checks to prevent diversion to China. Semiconductor Supply Chain: UMC began mass production of silicon photonics wafers in Singapore, targeting faster, lower-power optical links for AI data centers. Energy & Markets: Oil prices jumped to four-week highs amid US-Iran tensions, weighing on regional stocks including the Philippines’ PSEi. Politics at Home: Opposition lawmakers fast-tracked referendums on abolishing Taiwan’s nuclear-free policy and legalizing medical euthanasia for the same day as November local elections. Health & Food Safety: Taiwan recalled hundreds of products after excessive carcinogen levels were found in cooking oil from Central Union Oil. Sports: Taiwan named 482 athletes for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with esports among the contingents.