Human Rights & Civic Space: Philippines’ civil society and international law experts say President Marcos Jr.’s fifth SONA lacked a clear human-rights agenda, pointing to ongoing red-tagging concerns and the administration’s stance toward the ICC. Education Accountability: The Philippines’ Edcom 2 launched an Early Childhood Dashboard to map stunting, struggling readers, and barangays missing child development centers—turning education data into a policy tool. Protest & Freedom of Expression: Cuba’s Supreme Court upheld six-year prison sentences for independent journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez and others over a 2024 protest against power outages, rejecting claims of protected expression. Elections & NGO Regulation: Opposition voices in multiple countries are pushing back on proposed NGO and civil-society restrictions, including fears that new FCRA rules could cripple NGOs and civil society’s role in elections. Substance Abuse Prevention: India’s PM Modi launched a 100-week “Nasha Mukt Yuva” campaign with weekly campus and community activities led by youth, schools, NGOs, and spiritual groups. Child Protection Crisis: Nigeria’s Delta State faces renewed outrage after an alleged infant abduction case, reigniting calls for stronger child-rights enforcement. Coral Reef Funding: UNDP-led efforts in Egypt are racing to fund protection for the newly safeguarded Red Sea coral reef while sustaining the tourism economy it supports. Governance & Institutions: Nigeria’s civil society and labour groups continue to press for stronger democratic institutions and accountability, warning that weak systems—not lack of understanding—drive recurring national problems.