AI in Enterprise: Standard Chartered’s former global head of AI enablement, David Hardoon, has joined Accenture as Southeast Asia head of advanced AI, signalling demand for AI governance and deployment skills. Regional Infrastructure & Governance: Malaysia’s Johor mega-projects need tighter state–federal alignment, with coordination required for rail, roads, borders and immigration. Shipping & Energy Security: Shell warns Strait of Hormuz disruptions could keep global LNG trade flat in 2026 if normal flows don’t resume soon, while LNG demand is still forecast to surge by 65% by 2050. Maritime Risk Watch: A Singapore-flagged MV Ever Lovely was hit near Hormuz; all 40 Filipino seafarers on two attacked ships were reported safe, with minor bridge damage. Port & Trade Flows: Adani Ports says MSC will buy a 49% stake in Vizhinjam for $1.4b, aiming to shift more cargo handling to India and reduce reliance on hubs like Singapore. Singapore Finance & Legal: Singapore’s court awarded over $3m to Terraform UST collapse victims in a second tranche of a representative fraud action. Singtel Leadership: Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon’s FY2026 pay fell 17% to $6.8m after major network outages. Marine Fuel Testing: VPS opened a marine fuel testing lab in Shanghai to speed bunker fuel quality checks across Asia-Pacific, including methanol. Payments Expansion: Malaysian fintech Paydibs plans to roll out across Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines by year-end, then expand further across South Asia. Corporate Dining Pivot: WhyQ says it hit baseline profitability in Singapore in Q2 2025 and now runs a B2B corporate dining model with a ~S$5m annualised revenue run rate.