Anti-dynasty push in the Philippines: Sen. Risa Hontiveros says momentum is building for an anti-political dynasty bill after more senators filed versions than before, including lawmakers from political families who argue the system should open to all Filipinos. Kazakhstan-EU political reforms: In Brussels, the “Shanyraq Dialogue” was used to spotlight Kazakhstan’s new constitutional framework and EU-backed reform agenda. Fed independence vs politics: New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh reiterated the central bank will stay independent and focus on bringing inflation down, signaling limits on political pressure for rate cuts. US lab scrutiny turns political: Montana’s Rocky Mountain Labs and its director faced renewed Republican attacks, with calls for an inspector general probe into lab practices. AI as political theatre in Serbia: A report argues Serbia’s AI push is more performance than governance, pointing to weak legal guardrails over how public AI is built and used. UK defence spending row: A UK defence investment plan drew criticism over a late-added £1.5bn figure and resignations that dented Prime Minister Starmer’s position. Data centers spark local trust fights in the US: In Wheeling, Silicon Foundation officials held a Q&A to address concerns over a proposed data center; in Ames, residents overwhelmingly opposed a LightEdge project and demanded enforceable promises. Pakistan-China cooperation: Pakistan’s deputy PM said CPEC 2.0 will deepen cooperation on industry, agriculture, IT, mining and skills. Surrogacy moratorium bid at UN: Italy and Chile-backed states launched a non-binding UN Human Rights Council declaration calling for an international moratorium on surrogacy.