Grab’s fintech push: Grab agreed to buy a 60% stake in Atome Financial for $1.49bn, aiming to become more than a ride-hailing superapp, with plans to acquire the remaining 40% about two years later—highlighting how Southeast Asia’s apps are doubling down on financial services. Gig worker pressure: Grab drivers in Vietnam protested policies they say cut their take-home earnings, renewing calls for stronger worker protections and clearer algorithm rules. Brunei tourism AI goes live: Dynamik Technologies Sdn Bhd won Brunei’s AI–Tourism award for “Nakhoda,” an AI trip-planning platform built with the Tourism Development Department to personalise itineraries and keep sensitive data in Brunei ahead of Visit Brunei Year 2027. Cyber resilience in focus: Brunei Cyber Security Conference (CySec 2026) launched with a “Resilient by Design” theme, bringing government and industry together to strengthen protection for critical infrastructure. Methane as revenue: NLNG urged the gas industry to treat methane reduction as a business priority, arguing leak prevention and gas recovery can cut emissions while improving plant efficiency and revenue. ASEAN–China tech trade: The 23rd China–ASEAN Expo opened in Nanning, with a push toward high-value-added and high-tech participation, including AI firms from Brunei. Regional haze impact: Indonesia’s worst wildfires in 11 years are driving hazardous transboundary smoke across parts of Southeast Asia, disrupting daily life and outdoor activity. WorldSkills for Brunei: Brunei will send competitors to the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai in cooking, network systems administration, and mechanical engineering.