Publishing & Books in Asia-Pacific: Jacinda Ardern’s new book A Different Kind of Power spotlights empathy and kindness as a counter to authoritarian politics, drawing attention to how leadership ideas travel through print. Cookbooks as cultural archives: The Mauke Recipe Book from the Cook Islands turns elders’ food knowledge, language, and proverbs into a written legacy for future generations. Bangladesh housing policy: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman pledged universal, affordable housing alongside planned urbanisation—an example of how “livable cities” debates are shaping public priorities. Miniature publishing: Azerbaijan’s Museum of Miniature Books in Baku has grown into a public collection of about 8,000 tiny publications from 76 countries. Taiwan-China cultural pressure: A Munich institute says China’s consulate tried to pressure it to cancel a Taiwanese author event, underscoring how literature can become geopolitics. Korea arts & theatre: The Korean original musical Maybe Happy Ending—sweeping Tony Awards—gets a behind-the-scenes look at how creators protect the story while collaborating globally. India book culture & access: Sri Lanka’s Colombo International Book Fair highlights ongoing VAT and pricing pressure on books, with calls for budget changes to keep reading affordable. Sports-to-books angle: The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games closing spotlighted young stars like China’s Yu Zidi, reinforcing how major events keep feeding future Olympic-era storytelling and publishing.