Connected Ball Tech in Football: FIFA says an Adidas “Trionda” match ball with sensors helped VAR rule out a late Croatia equalizer vs Portugal by detecting a barely perceptible touch. Defense & Drones: A US analyst argues drone warfare is reshaping how small and large militaries compete, from sea and fiber-optic drones to Iranian attacks in the Gulf. India–Israel Investment Boost: The India-Israel Bilateral Investment Agreement entered into force, aiming to protect investors and unlock more cross-border investment in tech, infrastructure, pharma and innovation. Oman Water Upgrade: Nama Water Services won a 15-year, ~RO 900m performance-based contract to run water and wastewater services and cut unaccounted-for losses across Muscat and Sharqiyah. UAE Life Sciences Push: Abu Dhabi’s DoH signed 22 partnerships to expand genomics, AI, advanced therapeutics and precision medicine. Egypt Connectivity Numbers: Egypt reported 125.65m mobile subscriptions in Q1 2026, with 94.43m active mobile internet users. AI Newsroom in Türkiye: AegeanWire launched a live AI newsroom where viewers can watch multiple agents produce travel-trade coverage in real time. Turkey Economy & Defense Signals: EU’s Dombrovskis praised Türkiye’s reform and disinflation for resilience, while Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports topped $11b on a 12-month basis.