Civic leadership & identity in India: A new report spotlights how young women and queer people build “civic muscle” through civil society fellowships and community organizing, arguing leadership training still skips higher education and young adulthood. Indigenous knowledge protection in the Pacific: Fiji’s parliament hears accusations that foreign researchers “poach” indigenous and local knowledge without proper recognition, with new clearance steps for village research. Child mental health policy in China: China says it will boost early detection and intervention for children in difficult circumstances over the next five years, alongside wider welfare support. Ethnic arts spotlight in China: Beijing’s closing gala for a major ethnic minority art festival showcased opera, dance and theatre, drawing about 180,000 viewers. Religious travel shapes India’s mobility: India’s domestic tourism data finds nearly half of overnight trips are for pilgrimage and religious purposes (47.7%). Māori & Pacific admissions debate in NZ: University students push back against calls to scrap the Māori and Pacific medical admissions scheme, MAPAS, citing equity and workforce impact. Cultural diplomacy & community in music: A New York feature shows how Chinese pop songs and karaoke helped bridge cultures through tea ceremonies and wedding traditions. Pacific feminist momentum: Fiji hosts the 4th Pacific Feminist Forum, calling for action on inequality, human rights and social justice across Oceania. China-US AI security talks: The US and China move toward an AI incident notification hotline as summit tensions rise.