Asia Intelligence Brief August 17, 2026: Too Late To Cancel

Trump ordered joint drills with South Korea cut hours before they began — and Ulchi Freedom Shield started on schedule anyway.

Spaza Fund Faces Scrutiny The Department of Small Business Development is set to provide an update on the rollout of the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund, reports EWN. This comes after concerns over application verification, administration and possible misuse. The fund was introduced to support qualifying South Afr

A large increase isn’t necessarily good news, however.