South Korea Abortion Pills: President Lee Jae Myung ordered the government to find ways to let women take mifepristone safely even before a full legal framework is in place, citing reports of people buying the pill overseas to bypass domestic limits. China AI Rules: Beijing rolled out new regulations to curb emotional dependency on AI companion bots, requiring platforms to detect distress, intervene in crises, limit excessive use, and give users control of personal data. China Economy Watch: China’s H1 GDP grew 4.7% and Q2 4.3% (its weakest in over three years), while June retail sales rebounded 1% and industrial output accelerated on high-tech manufacturing and exports. Corporate Crackdown: China’s securities regulator ordered listed firms to claw back pay tied to falsified results, while a U.S. lawsuit targets Futu over alleged undisclosed China regulatory risks. Japan Tourism Hit: Foreign visitors to Japan fell 2% in H1, with arrivals from China down 56.4% amid worsening bilateral ties and fewer flights. Philippines-China Tensions: The Armed Forces of the Philippines urged China to publicly reject claims by Chinese scholars that Batanes is part of Taiwan. ASEAN Diplomacy: ASEAN foreign ministers met Myanmar’s counterpart in Bangkok, reiterating support for the five-point consensus. Japan Offshore Wind: Japan moved to boost resilience of future offshore wind projects, including new cost benchmarks for auctions. China Disaster Response: Flood-hit Liaoning saw a Level-IV national emergency response as drones and AI-backed systems support relief and monitoring.