Japanese automakers are facing risks from the impact of the Iran-Iran war and the strengthening yen, after Toyota, Honda, and Nissan previously benefited from a weaker currency in the last quarter.

Home sales in Singapore picked up in July after plummeting to their lowest level in over two years the previous month, as new projects attracted buyers and the school holiday period ended.

Copper continued its upward trend for the seventh consecutive week, heading towards an all-time high, after price spreads on the LME reached abnormal levels, reflecting short-term competition for supply.

The governor of Sri Lanka's central bank expects inflation to slow back to its 5% target in the second half of this year and into next, while forecasting economic growth to slow to 4%-5% amid the risks of war.

Israel attacked Lebanon, killing 11 people, the most intense attack since the ceasefire in early June. Meanwhile, the United States is preparing new sanctions on Iran amid the expiring ceasefire agreement.

Japan's economy grew by 1.1% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, lower than the expected 2%, due to weak domestic demand, even though exports remained the main driver, amidst the impact of the Iran-Iran conflict.

Trump orders a reduction in the scale of joint US-South Korean military exercises, citing them as wasteful, and reveals that Seoul has refused to cooperate in operations against Iran.

The U.S. military acknowledges facing mental health issues among sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln following prolonged deployments in the Middle East after a crew member crashed, impacting military morale.

This week's ASEAN Week (August 9-15, 2569) provides an update on the latest developments in Southeast Asia over the past week.

Iran says it has not yet decided to resume negotiations with the United States, despite still sending messages through intermediaries, while urgently discussing with Oman a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.