ASEAN trade talks: Over 80 civil society groups across ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand are urging governments to remove Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) rules from the updated AANZFTA, ahead of a review starting 24 June in Melbourne. Regional defence and public access: Australia’s Exercise Pitch Black returns to the Top End from 20 July to 7 August with 19 nations and 100+ aircraft, including Brunei; free community events are set for Mindil Beach (23 July) and the RAAF Darwin Open Day (1 August). Brunei leadership update: The Sultan of Brunei, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, turns 80, with cabinet changes earlier this month including Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah taking the chief of diplomacy role. Sports in the region: Samoc drew 768 Masters athletes to Sabah’s Kota Kinabalu, highlighting growing demand for senior sports events. Culture and film: Chinese family drama “Dear You” is set for release in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei on 18 June, after strong regional buzz. Local business/energy tech: Rectitude says it has secured additional SuperSun AIMS system orders for major Singapore infrastructure and residential projects.