Tuesday briefing: To drill or not to drill – Burnham’s first big climate test

• Middle powers are focusing their influence on the United Nations and the prevention of mass atrocities to stabilize a multi-directional world. • Various UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions are currently targeting the revitalization of the UN system to make it more coherent.

• World leaders are returning to the United Nations for an assembly featuring potential high-level Security Council meetings on Ukraine, the Middle East, and artificial intelligence. • AI industry leaders recently called for a coordinated slowdown of technology development to prevent systems from improving on their own and escaping human control.

• President Donald Trump is considering new demands from Iran to end a conflict that has lasted seven months. • Trump returned from Camp David on Saturday before his scheduled address to the General Assembly on Tuesday.

• Iran issued a warning of severe retaliation against the United States and its allies after claiming to have intelligence about an impending attack. • Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that the country must continue fighting and negotiating to push back enemies and consolidate gains.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on world leaders this Sunday to prioritize peace, dignity, justice, and humanity. • The appeal comes as leaders prepare to gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, which will be Guterres' final assembly as Secretary-General.

• The UAE is advancing international peace and stability efforts through a combination of diplomacy, dialogue, and humanitarian action. • The government is prioritizing conflict prevention and the protection of civilians to resolve existing global crises.

• A UN commission of inquiry recently accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza while the organization struggled to maintain its global influence. • Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has effectively pushed the UN into a bystander role during current international conflicts.

• Israeli security forces are preparing extensive operations in the West Bank following a deadly shooting attack at a local spring. • National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has demanded that the terrorist responsible for the attack be executed.

• World leaders are returning to the United Nations assembly to address ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. • The 80-year-old organization is currently facing a combined crisis of morale and finance alongside questions regarding its next leader.

• World leaders are gathering for the United Nations General Assembly to address ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. • Oxfam is using the event to urge global action on an "inequality emergency" involving climate change, artificial intelligence, and the crisis in Gaza.

Texts reveal Sharangan Maheswaran had ‘an explanation ready’ but was worried about picture taken with premier prompted by ‘dumb’ Christian EllisFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA Labor councillor feared his presence at a Liberal fundraiser attended by Dominic Perrottet would result in him being forced to give evidence to the New South Wales anti-corruption commission, the watchdog has heard.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) heard on Monday that following an incendiary speech by a NSW MP, which led to allegations being referred to the watchdog, Sharangan Maheswaran wrote “Oh shit, did he touch on me?” and asked for “that invoice for the Dom lunch fixed up”. Continue reading...

Temperatures in Sydney’s outer west peaked at 35C and 32C in the city on Monday before a cool change from the south-eastSydney and parts of New South Wales have sweltered through an “unseasonably warm” weekend, with temperatures climbing more than 10C above the September average, before a cool change swept much of the coast on Monday.The early burst of heat, part of a classic “spring rollercoaster”, brought summery hot weather conditions to the state. Continue reading...