West Asia Diplomacy: US Vice President JD Vance said unfreezing Iranian assets would benefit American farmers and bolster West Asia’s security architecture, as Washington and Tehran push a roadmap after talks in Switzerland mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. Energy & Markets: Saudi crude exports fell to a record low in April amid Middle East disruption, while oil prices eased on optimism around US-Iran negotiations and Asia markets were mixed. Philippines Governance & Accountability: Manila’s Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte adds top litigator Benjamin S. Tolosa Jr. as part of the prosecution team and spokesperson. Philippines Security Tech: Japan Tobacco International urged wider use of AI by law enforcement to spot anomalies in shipping documents and crack down on illegal tobacco trade, citing major Philippine seizures. Malaysia–Bangladesh Labour: Bangladesh’s PM Tarique Rahman urged Malaysia to reopen its labour market to Bangladeshi workers and improve transparency on recruitment and regularisation. China–US Tech Sanctions: China announced retaliatory export and purchasing restrictions on US military-linked firms after new US curbs on Chinese defense-related tech. Philippines Digital Infrastructure: PLDT-backed Vitro REIT filed for a data-center REIT IPO to raise about $396m, aiming to expand secure digital capacity. Regional Security Cooperation: US Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur delivered a $4m satellite communications system to the Sri Lanka Navy to strengthen maritime connectivity. Asia Business & Trade: APEC China CEO Forum spotlighted digital trade, AI and connectivity as Asia-Pacific firms push deeper regional integration.