Security Council LIVE: Briefing on Ukraine as deadly Russian strikes hit cities and ports

• The United States has experienced a pause in direct fire exchanges with Iran, though experts suggest this is driven by more than just diplomatic efforts. • A critical shortfall in the inventory of ballistic missile and drone defense systems has emerged as a primary challenge for the U.S. military during the conflict.

• Iraq continues to struggle with severe political instability and recovery challenges six years after the war against the Islamic State. • Humanitarian needs remain critical, with three million people requiring assistance and over one million individuals still internally displaced.

• Africa is home to 9 of the 10 poorest countries in the world as of 2026, facing a combination of compounding systemic issues. • These nations are struggling with severe climate conditions, widespread corruption, and ongoing civil wars fueled by ethnic and sectarian strife.

• The U.S. and Iran have paused military attacks on coastal areas and infrastructure to create "space" for diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. • U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz confirmed the pause on "Face the Nation," though the Trump administration maintains that a military buildup is still ongoing.

• The United States has halted military strikes on Iran for a second consecutive night as diplomatic discussions show positive momentum. • Oman and Iran are currently engaged in talks focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resolving disputes over territorial waterways.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington to navigate critical diplomatic challenges, including the ongoing conflict with Iran and tensions with Donald Trump. • The visit focuses on Gaza ceasefire negotiations, the release of hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid, as the military campaign shifts toward a political challenge.

• Political scientist Robert Pape has issued a warning regarding a potential "August energy shock" that could cause global oil prices to skyrocket. • The prediction was intensified on Monday following recent escalations involving the Houthis, a Yemeni military organization.

• The U.S. and Iran have entered a temporary pause in fighting as of Monday, following a weekend of difficult negotiations regarding a lasting peace agreement. • Despite the ceasefire, oil prices dropped sharply, which initially triggered a surge in stock markets before gains leveled off later in the day.

Funding crisis could lead to an exodus that would be a blow for British science and national growthOn a chilly day in December 1945, Bernard Lovell, a physicist at the University of Manchester, struck out for the Cheshire countryside to study cosmic rays, the streams of high-energy particles that crisscross the universe. Peering at the signals from his army surplus radar, he made an unexpected discovery: radio reflections from the ionised trails of shooting stars.The work marked the birth of radio astronomy at Jodrell Bank. A year later, engineers at the site mounted a radar on the base of a searchlight, providing sweeping access to speeding meteors. When Sputnik launched in 1957, they had just completed the Lovell telescope, the largest radio telescope in the world, the only one capable of tracking the Soviet satellite. Continue reading...

Average 25% increase for letters such as marketing, bills and medical appointment notices from 5 OctoberRoyal Mail will increase the price of its wholesale postal service by as much as a third, in a multimillion-pound blow to the NHS and other large organisations.The postal company has warned customers who use its wholesale postal service for mail including marketing letters, household bills and medical appointment notices that it is raising prices by an average of 25% from 5 October. Continue reading...

Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittalA US airman accused of a “spree” of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military.Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, a local market town. Continue reading...