LAST CALL

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres used his final address to the UN General Assembly to renew calls for global oversight of artificial intelligence and an end to ongoing conflicts. His remarks coincide with the Security Council preparing to host a briefing with AI leaders on the risks and governance of the powerful technology.

Demonstrators have pitched tents in Madrid for a second night to demand action to lower housing costs and protect tenants. The movement gained momentum after police last week evicted an 87-year-old woman from her lifelong apartment in the city. Protesters are calling on authorities to curb rising rents and strengthen tenant protections, and the camp has drawn broad attention across Spain.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision to go to war with Iran, arguing that President Trump's actions stopped Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and becoming what he called a 'North Korea in the Middle East'. His remarks come amid ongoing debate over the strikes and their lasting impact on Iran's nuclear programme and regional stability.

French voters are heading to the polls in the 2026 Senate elections, with grand electors in around sixty departments called to cast ballots. The vote is the last nationwide election before the 2027 presidential election, giving it added political weight. French media are providing live coverage of the results and what they mean for the balance of the upper house.

President Trump has called for trilateral arms control negotiations between the United States, China and Russia, following Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit. The proposal comes amid ongoing tensions over nuclear arsenals and would mark a shift from bilateral US-Russia arms control frameworks. Observers are debating whether such three-way talks are realistic given current diplomatic friction between Washington and Beijing.

New reporting highlights that people who survived cancer in childhood face a significantly elevated risk of serious mental health difficulties in adulthood, including depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. The findings point to long-term psychological effects of early cancer diagnosis and treatment, and renew calls for survivors to receive sustained mental health monitoring and support, not just physical follow-up care, well into their adult lives.

The Texas Observer reports, citing Gaige Davila, that the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas — once called a "crown jewel" of US protected spaces — faces mounting pressure from border wall construction. A final lawsuit is being weighed as a way to slow the wall's progress until Congress can intervene to protect the refuge.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation requiring the identification and tracking of pesticides containing PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals. The bill is intended to give state regulators better data on where PFAS pesticides are used and in what quantities. Environmental and health advocates have pushed for tighter oversight of the substances, which are linked to lasting contamination of soil and water.

Dan Wilson, 57, will not return as manager of the Seattle Mariners, he told reporters on Sunday, calling it a 'difficult' season. Wilson led the Mariners to the American League Championship Series last year, and his departure leaves Seattle searching for a new skipper after a sharp decline from that postseason run.

Researchers are calling on organizers of the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, to use the Games as a catalyst for improving the region's air quality. Utah's valleys regularly suffer from pollution inversions, and scientists want the Olympic spotlight to drive lasting clean-air policy rather than temporary measures that fade once the event ends.

Sri Lanka and Nepal are meeting in the third T20 quarter-final at the Asian Games, with cricket fans searching for highlights and scorecards. Nepal reached the last eight after a surprise five-wicket win over Afghanistan, chasing a 103-run target in the 18th over. Meanwhile, the India versus Afghanistan quarter-final was called off, sending one side straight into the semi-finals.

The finale of Discovery's 'Deadliest Catch' shared the final phone call deckhand Todd Meadows made home before his death, an emotional moment the show chose to include in its season close. Viewers and fans are reacting to the reveal, which highlighted the personal toll of life aboard crabbing vessels in the Bering Sea.

Supporters of the SPX6900 meme coin are sharing photos tying the token to the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York's Zuccotti Park, claiming the coin stands for the same anti-system message as the movement 15 years ago and denounces a financial system they call even more broken today. The slogan 'persist forever' is being used to frame the coin as a lasting protest symbol.

Senate Democrats rejected a proposed ban on stock trading by members of Congress, along with a data center bill, in their final votes before leaving for election recess. Critics called the stock trading ban 'toothless', and the bills' failure means no new ethics or data center legislation will pass before the elections. The move is drawing attention to congressional ethics ahead of the vote.

Rural Nebraska is losing its doctors, with the Flatwater Free Press examining why physicians are disappearing from communities that struggle to replace them. The same roundup highlights new drone technology being used to fight fires, and a longtime umpire calling his final strike as he steps away from the game.

Researchers at WashU Medicine say influenza, like COVID-19, can produce lasting symptoms that persist for months after infection, a condition being called 'long flu'. They are advising people on ways to lower their risk, including vaccination and prompt treatment. The findings add flu to the growing list of viruses linked to prolonged illness.

Christa Pike, the only woman on death row in Tennessee, has six days left before her scheduled execution, and another human rights organisation has added its voice to calls for the sentence to be stopped. Advocates argue her case raises serious concerns, while supporters of the sentence point to the 1995 murder for which she was convicted.

Motorsport strategist Ruth Buscombe says she is flying to Kuala Lumpur for what she calls the first and last ever Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia, describing the country as a special place full of memories from her first race there. Her remark has puzzled and amused fans, as the Bahrain Grand Prix is traditionally held in Bahrain.

A Honolulu Star-Advertiser column argues that Hawaii Governor Josh Green has the opportunity to make education the defining achievement of his administration. The piece urges the governor to prioritize public schools and education reform as a central policy focus. It frames education investment as both a pressing need in Hawaii and a lasting political legacy Green could secure.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the United States and Russia to negotiate a replacement for the New START treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction agreement between the two countries. His appeal highlights growing concern over the expiry of key arms control frameworks and rising nuclear tensions between Washington and Moscow.