Orang Asli Education Boost (Malaysia): Perak’s Sultan Nazrin officially opened the country’s first SMAR Orang Asli school, Nurul Hidayah, expanding an integrated academic-and-Islamic curriculum aimed at long-term human capital gains for the Orang Asli community. Curriculum and Language Policy (India): Maharashtra expanded a CBSE Shivaji chapter from a few lines to 22 pages, while also making Marathi teaching and Marathi exams mandatory, with penalties for non-compliance. Phone Bans Debate (UK): A UCL study finds most teachers and parents back blanket smartphone bans, but many students disagree, saying phones support safety, communication, and everyday learning tools. Student Safety and Learning (Philippines): PIDS and UNFPA research links parental violence and school exclusion to worse educational outcomes and higher risks of bullying and domestic violence for adolescents. Workforce Skills (US): Iowa SkillsUSA students earned national recognition tied to career readiness, highlighting hands-on pathways into skilled jobs. Digital Education Support (Eswatini): Studycat donated 2,000 sets of learning software to Eswatini, routed through government and schools. STEM/AI in Agriculture (India): IIT Ropar launched HACK CORE 2026 with Syngenta and Google to spur AI solutions for crop health, pest management, and climate-resilient farming. Military Training Shift (Russia): Russia plans to expand drone and field-exercise instruction for students from September, increasing military-focused lessons within a compulsory safety-and-defence course.