Norway’s national oil company profits double to $11.5bn amid war on Iran

• Pakistan has requested a $10 billion bilateral exchange stabilisation facility from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to bolster its foreign exchange reserves. • The request follows Pakistan's recent diplomatic efforts in mediating talks regarding the conflict in Iran.

• UN human rights experts condemned the M23 armed group on Tuesday for orchestrating a "reign of terror" in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. • The Rwanda-backed group is accused of systemic sexual torture and violence targeting civilians within the territories it controls.

• Diplomatic consultations were recently held in Cairo to address the strategic stability and security of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. • The meetings focused on the region's growing geopolitical importance, specifically regarding maritime security and international trade routes.

• The U.S. military has concluded its 11th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, marking a significant escalation in regional hostilities. • These military actions have largely overshadowed diplomatic attempts to revive a collapsed interim ceasefire deal.

• A global weekly roundup highlights a period of intense strategic competition characterized by military escalation, economic fragmentation, and a race for technological advantage. • Key trends include the rise of influence for nations developing advanced technologies and the emergence of complex humanitarian crises driven by conflict, climate change, and disease.

• The Middle East conflict is creating significant economic uncertainty for Pakistan, threatening to disrupt the country's fragile macroeconomic stability. • Key risks include fueling sticky inflation, widening external financial pressures, and increasing volatility in global energy prices.

• The United States and Iran have entered their 10th day of renewed fighting, with ongoing attacks across the Middle East threatening to derail diplomatic efforts. • Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, which is serving as a key mediator, in an attempt to salvage a collapsed interim deal between the two nations.

• The Houthis have announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, threatening to disrupt maritime traffic in the region. • This escalation risks expanding the existing shipping crisis in the Middle East, potentially impacting global trade and energy security.

• The UN Security Council is conducting its monthly debate on Syria as Secretary-General António Guterres travels to Damascus. • The session occurs amid reports of an Israeli attack in occupied territory and ongoing tensions regarding the US-Iran war.

New survey reveals one in 10 Americans identify politics as biggest risk they face in life – 10 times the global averageAmericans are 10 times more likely than people elsewhere in the world to regard politics as the greatest threat to their personal safety, according to a global survey that suggests the country’s deep partisan divisions are poisoning everyday life.The latest Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll found that one in 10 Americans identified politics as the biggest risk they face in their daily lives when asked an open-ended question. The figure is up from 6% in both 2021 and 2023 and well above the global average of 1% across 140 countries. Continue reading...

Firm behind ChatGPT reveals autonomous agent powered by its tech chose to attack Hugging Face database by itselfOpenAI has revealed an autonomous AI agent powered by its technology went rogue during a test, accessed the open web and hacked a prominent startup by itself in an “unprecedented incident”.The company behind ChatGPT said Hugging Face had detected and contained the agent – an AI tool designed to carry out tasks without human assistance – which had entered its systems. Continue reading...