Ukrainian drones hit St Petersburg oil terminal and nearby port

• Pakistan urged the UN Security Council to prioritize diplomacy and de-escalation to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East following Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait. • Islamabad officially condemned the strikes and expressed its firm support for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

• Ukraine's conflict with Russia has served as a critical demonstration of the future of warfare, exposing Russian military vulnerabilities and evolving combat strategies. • Myroslava Gongadze argues that the lessons learned over the past five years highlight a shift in the global security environment that NATO must now address.

• Bilahari Kausikan, Chairman of the Middle East Institute, described Pakistan as a state "teetering on the brink of failure" during a National Press Foundation event. • Kausikan highlighted that the country is plagued by persistent domestic mismanagement, rising extremism, and a severe economic collapse.

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez is struggling to manage the aftermath of two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela. • The government faces intense public criticism as the crisis evolves into a humanitarian disaster.

• UN special political missions have served as a critical, often invisible instrument for maintaining global peace throughout the organization's 80-year history. • These missions focus on preventing the escalation of conflicts through diplomatic efforts that range from modest interventions to historic agreements.

• Afghanistan has become one of the world's least-funded humanitarian crises as global financing has dropped to its lowest level since 2019. • The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) highlighted Sweden's commitment to continuing aid allocations based on humanitarian need despite the global decline.

• Former Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan warned that Pakistan is "teetering on the brink of failure" during a discussion titled "On Keeping Perspective in Volatile Geopolitical Times." • Kausikan highlighted profound internal instability, systemic economic vulnerabilities, and increasing radicalization as primary drivers of the nation's domestic decay.

• Senator Marco Rubio is reportedly advocating for a diplomatic strategy in Lebanon that would allow for a prolonged or indefinite Israeli military occupation. • Critics argue that this approach ignores Lebanese sovereignty and risks destabilizing the region, potentially triggering a full-scale civil war.

• An analyst warns that Donald Trump's potential strategic outreach to Pakistan could lead to costly errors by repeating historical geopolitical mistakes. • The report suggests that Pakistan's renewed strategic importance may allow the country to avoid international scrutiny regarding its human rights record and domestic governance.

Exclusive: Most of the island’s corals are likely to be species that have not been formally described by science, researcher saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastScientists fear unique corals that fringe Australia’s remote Norfolk Island could disappear because of a triple threat of disease, El Niño and a federal government plan to dredge a neighbouring shipping channel.A failure to manage sediment and pollution washing into bays from cattle farming, cleared land along with wastewater has been blamed for widespread disease and outbreaks of algae over the corals. Continue reading...

Exclusive: With the technology fast becoming popular in GP surgeries, regulators are monitoring its implementation and potential pitfallsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal health department has raised concerns about the use of AI scribes by doctors as the health regulator considers the need for safeguards around the technology.AI scribe tools record, transcribe and summarise conversations between doctors and patients for medical notes, and have boomed in popularity in the past 18 months. Continue reading...

Hundreds of masked members of the white supremacist organization marched and chanted in the US capitalHundreds of masked men carrying banners, including the Confederate flag, marched through Washington DC on the Fourth of July, the 250th anniversary of the US’s inception.The group appeared to be led by Thomas Rousseau, founder of the neo-fascist, white supremacist organization Patriot Front. Members of the group wore white masks and gathered in front of DC’s Union Station. They later marched towards Capitol Hill, WTOP reported. Continue reading...