US–Iran diplomacy under strain: Iran reportedly stopped talking to mediators on extending a ceasefire while the US says talks are ongoing, as Israel keeps striking Lebanon and Iran fires missiles in the Gulf. US–Israel political friction: Reports say Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” in a profanity-laced call over plans to bomb Beirut, adding pressure to fragile ceasefire efforts. Lebanon frontlines and tech warfare: Hezbollah says it hit Israeli command sites in al-Bayyada and destroyed Merkava tanks, while reporting highlights fiber-optic drone tactics that are complicating Israel’s ground operations. UN Lebanon mission planning: UN chief Guterres lays out options to replace UNIFIL with a smaller or larger uniformed presence, aiming to keep monitoring and support a stronger political mission. AI governance spotlight in health: Victorian Greens warn patient data could be sent to Palantir-linked AI used in lethal targeting, urging transparency on hospital AI safeguards. Academic integrity scandal: Indonesian researchers face scrutiny after alleged hijab-switching and name-tag changes at a medical conference, raising concerns about grant use and research claims. Markets & crypto: AI-fueled stocks hit records, but Bitcoin slid amid geopolitical uncertainty and reported MSTR Bitcoin sales; oil prices swing with ceasefire rumors. Local Lebanon-related science note: A satirical math preprint uses the Pope’s Lebanon visit to model how road repairs might scale—mixing public policy, logistics, and math.