Robotaxi Regulation: Tesla’s Cybercab rollout in Austin triggered an NHTSA audit of about 1,000 vehicles, putting federal safety rules for human-driven cars under a new stress test. Space & Satellites: Blue Origin hired at least 47 engineers from Amazon’s Leo satellite unit to build its TeraWave constellation, aiming to compete with Starlink and Leo. AI Cybersecurity: CrowdStrike launched a Cyber Superintelligence Lab to apply frontier AI to cyberdefense and AI safety using its Falcon security data and incident history. Semiconductors & Skills: Malaysia’s UniMAP pushed closer ties with industry to grow talent for E&E, microelectronics and semiconductors. Health Policy: Kenya’s rushed universal health reforms face court scrutiny over the 2.75% income contribution and how access is tied to the new Social Health Authority. Climate & Air Quality: Malaysia declared a state of emergency in Sarawak’s Serian district as Indonesia haze hit “hazardous” levels, closing schools and expanding cloud-seeding. Education & Research: IIT Madras and CMC Vellore unveiled AI tools for early kidney disease detection using clinical data, CT classification, and 3D imaging. Consumer Tech & Compliance: India’s CCPA fined Flipkart ₹5 lakh over non-BIS-compliant toys sold via its marketplace. Higher Ed Governance: Dutch universities agreed to self-regulate international student intake and pause new English bachelor programmes, drawing “backroom deal” criticism. Applied Science Breakthrough: A new quasi-periodic photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser approach targets more tunable, reliable semiconductor lasers.