NES

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the 80th UN General Assembly, outlining Iran's positions on nuclear weapons, Israel and regional security. He is reported to have drawn clear red lines for Tehran, insisting Iran will not pursue nuclear arms while defending its right to respond to Israeli actions and regional pressure. The speech is drawing wide attention as tensions over Iran's nuclear program and the conflict with Israel remain high.

Russia has started rationing fuel following a large-scale Ukrainian drone strike that hit oil and energy infrastructure. Reports say Ukrainian long-range drone technology has outmatched Russia's jet-powered drones, forcing Moscow to restrict petrol supplies in affected regions. The strikes mark an escalation in the two countries' ongoing drone war targeting each other's energy supplies.

Forest fires in Indonesia are pushing smoke and haze toward Singapore just as the city prepares to host its Formula One Grand Prix. Organisers are drawing up contingency plans as the regional haze threatens the major sporting event, with air quality a growing concern in the lead-up to the race.

An oil shock is adding pressure to the global economy, according to energy sector reporting. Rising crude prices are straining inflation, supply chains and growth outlooks worldwide, with analysts warning of broader knock-on effects if the price spike persists. Readers are weighing the implications for energy costs, central bank policy and the fragile economic recovery.

An updated UN list now names 214 companies from 11 countries as involved in business activities linked to illegal Israeli settlements. The latest assessment focuses on the impact on Palestinian people's right to self-determination and says companies must take appropriate action over their involvement. Human rights groups and commentators are circulating the report, calling on firms to review and end their ties to settlement-related activities.

Ireland's Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403 million for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. The penalty, reported by the Irish Times, is one of the largest issued against a major technology company by the watchdog, which oversees many US tech firms' European operations from Dublin. The decision renews debate over enforcement of EU privacy rules against big tech.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi has issued a high-level warning to a visiting Japanese business delegation, underscoring continued friction between Beijing and Tokyo. The meeting signals that political tensions are being communicated directly to Japanese corporate leaders, who maintain significant commercial interests in the Chinese market.

The third Battle of Lyman is effectively over, with Ukrainian forces prevailing again despite frontlines in the area still shifting. Ukrainian units have eliminated most of the Russian northern salient around the city, with reports that around 250 Russian soldiers were killed or captured in the fighting. Lyman, recaptured by Ukraine in autumn 2022, remains a focal point of Russia's push in the Donetsk region.

Nvidia has announced an additional $150 billion for its stock buyback program, which the company describes as the largest ever undertaken. The move signals continued confidence in the chipmaker's position at the center of the AI boom, and comes as investors closely watch how tech giants deploy their enormous cash reserves amid ongoing demand for AI hardware.

A new update on next-generation Covid vaccines highlights that the first combined flu and Covid vaccine has been approved for people aged 50 and over, with a large effectiveness trial beginning in Denmark and Spain. The update also covers phase 2 results for a so-called variant-proof vaccine that aims to protect against multiple Covid strains. Health watchers are sharing the news as vaccination strategy shifts toward combination shots ahead of the respiratory illness season.

An ASML executive has said the Dutch chip equipment maker currently sells none of its lithography machines in Europe, despite being the continent's most valuable tech company. The remark underscores how Europe hosts little advanced chip manufacturing, with ASML's customers concentrated in Asia and the United States, and fuels debate about Europe's push to build domestic semiconductor capacity.

A senior Indonesian official said Bank Indonesia has been consistent in intervening in the foreign exchange market to support the rupiah. The statement comes as emerging market currencies face pressure from a strong dollar and global uncertainty. The pledge is meant to reassure investors that the central bank will act to curb excessive volatility and defend the currency when needed.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi told former Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya that relations between Beijing and Tokyo must be "normalized," during their talks. The meeting is the first high-level exchange since relations plummeted over Taiwan last year, and is being read as an early signal that both sides may be looking to stabilise a badly strained diplomatic relationship.

A quote from Chinese President Xi Jinping is circulating widely on X: he said the 'great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation' and Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan 'can be mutually inclusive.' Posts describe it as a big moment at the White House, apparently during a high-profile meeting between Xi and Donald Trump. Users are reacting to the striking framing of US-China relations, with many weighing what this apparent warmth between the two leaders could mean for trade and geopolitics.

Gold-rich Nicaragua has handed Chinese mining companies concessions covering roughly a tenth of the country's land, a story gaining attention on Hacker News. The move highlights Nicaragua's deepening economic ties with China and is drawing scrutiny over sovereignty, environmental impact, and the government's willingness to open vast resource-rich areas to foreign extraction.

China's top diplomat told a former Japanese foreign minister that bilateral relations must be 'normalized', according to a report by The Japan Times. The comment, made during talks with a senior figure from Japanese political circles, signals Beijing's desire to stabilize a relationship strained by historical, security and trade disputes. The exchange is drawing attention as both governments weigh how far they can ease tensions.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed that OpenAI breached Medicare, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. No further details are available in the headline, including how the breach occurred, what data was affected, or whether an investigation has been launched. The claim, if confirmed, would raise serious questions about the security of government health records and the oversight of artificial intelligence companies operating with sensitive data.

Dutch chip-equipment maker ASML has said it is not selling its chipmaking machines in Europe, warning that the region risks falling behind the United States, China and India in the semiconductor industry. The remarks have drawn attention in India and China, where ASML's role in global chip supply chains is a sensitive topic amid ongoing export-control tensions and competition to build domestic chip manufacturing capacity.

The Wall Street Journal reports that middle-school students are increasingly seeking out AI companions in place of friendships with real peers. The article examines how chatbots and AI friend apps are filling a social role for children, raising concerns among parents and educators about emotional development, screen dependence, and what this shift means for how a generation learns to form relationships.

Japan is converting defunct golf courses into large-scale solar farms, as the country lacks open land for renewable energy projects. With mountainous terrain, limited flat space and strict farmland rules, closed golf courses offer ready-made cleared, sunny sites. The approach is being discussed as a practical model for expanding solar capacity in densely populated countries facing similar land shortages.

A survey of 4,688 small-business websites found that 49.7% met none of seven common security header criteria, raising concerns about basic web hygiene among small firms. The findings suggest many businesses remain exposed to common attacks like clickjacking and content injection because simple HTTP headers are missing or misconfigured, prompting calls for better default configurations from hosting providers.