Cabinet reshuffle: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has appointed Prince Abdul Mateen as Brunei’s foreign minister, a high-profile move seen as preparing the next generation of leadership, while also naming another younger son, Prince Abdul Malik, to the Cabinet. Entrepreneurship push: Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) relaunched its Start-Up Center and Entrepreneurship Village to help students, alumni and researchers turn ideas into viable businesses. Conservation science: A new bioacoustics approach is being used to set “soundscape baselines” for intact forests, including pilot work in Brunei, aiming to detect ecological change beyond what satellites can show. Food rescue expansion: The government is inviting more firms and NGOs to join the Ihsan Food Bank (i-FB) initiative, positioning it as a structured way to cut food waste and support vulnerable communities nationwide. Underwater security: Brunei is among 17 countries backing a new defence cooperation framework to protect critical underwater cables and energy links, launched in Singapore. Regional connectivity: Sarawak’s Guangzhou–Kuching direct flight is drawing attention for its growing China demand, with officials pointing to benefits for tourism, trade and investment.