One of strictest US abortion bans could be overturned in November’s election

• The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is urging for increased humanitarian access to Gaza, warning that aid deliveries are being severely restricted. • These challenges are compounded by ongoing violence, critical funding shortages, and rising costs for fuel, fertilizer, and food.

• The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) released the Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2025, titled “Resilience Pays: Financing and Investing for our Future.” • The report warns that climate change is causing dangerous natural disruptions affecting billions of people and argues that smarter investments are necessary to break the cycle of disaster, debt, and humanitarian need.

• Iran's lead negotiator has issued a firm warning to Washington regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz amidst a new wave of strikes destabilizing the Gulf region. • The escalation follows President Trump's declaration that the previous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has officially ended.

• The author argues that a new war between the U.S. and Iran would likely result in a stalemate, as neither side can achieve its strategic objectives through military force. • Key geopolitical dynamics remain unchanged: Iran maintains the ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States retains the capacity to impose severe punishments on Iran.

• The author contrasts the "Nuclear Age," where peace was managed through state-led diplomacy and treaties like the Non-Proliferation Treaty, with the emerging "Age of Artificial Intelligence." • Unlike nuclear weapons, which were controlled by governments, advanced AI systems are primarily developed by private companies, universities, and research laboratories.

• President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan is considering a full withdrawal from the 46-member Council of Europe. • This potential exit follows the 2024 suspension of Azerbaijan's voting rights within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

• The United States and Iran both asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday following a weekend of widespread attacks across the Middle East. • These escalating military tensions and territorial disputes further threaten ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the regional war.

• Russia's Tu-214PU "Doomsday" airborne command post aircraft recently landed in Tehran, according to flight tracking data. • The arrival occurs amidst a period of escalating tensions and intensifying U.S. military strikes against Iran.

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that escalating tensions between the US and Iran could severely threaten global peace, security, and economic stability. • Security experts caution that an expanded conflict could destabilize the broader Middle East, potentially displacing millions of civilians and triggering new humanitarian crises.

Issue must be addressed with ‘even greater rigour’, says government spokesman, after New York Times report on how it has become a spy hub for Vladimir PutinJapan has said it recognised the need to counter foreign intelligence better after the New York Times reported that Russia had turned the country into a “den of spies” and key source of weapons components.The newspaper, in an investigation published on Sunday, reported that thanks to “weak espionage laws”, Moscow was using Japan as a key hub for intelligence gathering and procurement of dual-use technology needed for its war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Government had been forced to pay back duties to companies that imported goods into the US that were hit by Trump’s tariffsThe US government has already paid back tens of billions of dollars in tariffs it collected before the supreme court ruled them illegal, according to budget figures released on Monday.Tariffs – taxes on imported goods – have been a key part of president Donald Trump’s game economic plan since he took office again last year. Continue reading...

Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah will lose ‘close to a million and a half acres each’ and open land to developers and oil industryDonald Trump has approved a sharp reduction in the size of two national monuments in Utah held sacred by many Native Americans, in the latest move to open US public land to corporate developers and the oil and gas industry.The two monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, will see a reduction of “close to a million and a half acres each”, Trump said during an executive order signing event on Monday, undoing protections established by former presidents. Continue reading...