Two liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers have crossed the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz en route to Pakistan and China, according to a Reuters report citing maritime tracking data. The Bahamas-flagged LNG tanker 'Fuwairit' is currently passing through the strait and is scheduled to unload its cargo in Pakistan by Tuesday. The vessel had loaded LNG at Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal in March.

Reuters further reported that another LNG tanker, 'Al Rayyan', also successfully crossed the same maritime route. After loading LNG from Ras Laffan, the ship was last seen in the Persian Gulf on May 22 and is now located beyond the Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran. It is expected to reach China by June 27.

The report, based on data from Kepler and LSEG, highlights the continued flow of Qatari LNG shipments through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

Global oil prices declined sharply after signs emerged that the Iran war might be nearing an end. Brent crude, the key international benchmark, dropped about 5 percent on Sunday. By early Monday, July futures for Brent fell to 98.47 dollars per barrel, nearly 9 percent lower than a month earlier, though still more than one-third higher than before the conflict began.

Japan’s main stock index, the Nikkei 225, rose more than 3 percent in early Monday trading, setting a new record after also closing at a record high on Friday. On Sunday, former U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that discussions with Tehran were progressing in a disciplined and constructive manner but instructed officials not to rush into any agreement.

According to June Goh, a senior oil market analyst at Singapore-based Sparta, the fundamental situation has not changed significantly, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to block the supply of 10 to 11 million barrels of crude oil per day.

Analysts suggest that the current Russia-Iran partnership, often described as a strategic alliance, is facing serious strain amid the ongoing Ukraine war and the Iran–United States–Israel crisis. Despite years of cooperation in defense, energy, and nuclear projects, the relationship is being tested as Moscow’s priorities shift and Tehran faces increasing regional pressure.

Historically, relations between the two nations have been marked by mistrust and conflict, dating back to the 19th century when Russia expanded into Persian territories. After the Soviet collapse, Moscow sought to maintain influence in the Middle East by supporting Iran diplomatically and economically, including through major nuclear and energy deals. The two countries also cooperated in Syria and within the BRICS Plus framework, aligning against U.S. influence.

Recent developments, including Russia’s limited response to attacks on Iran and its exclusion from current peace mediation efforts, have raised doubts about the alliance’s durability. Some experts believe Moscow might trade its partnership with Tehran for concessions from Washington over Ukraine, signaling a potential weakening of the Russia-Iran axis.

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving a surge in demand for cybersecurity professionals worldwide, even as other technology sectors face layoffs. Companies are offering lucrative salary packages worth millions of dollars to attract qualified candidates capable of preventing AI misuse and protecting sensitive data. Executive talent firm Heidrick & Struggles reports that requests for cybersecurity executives have increased dramatically, while job listings in the field rose 11 percent in the first quarter compared to last year.

Recruiters such as Hich Partners say demand for security executives has grown five to seven times since last fall, forcing them to turn away clients due to a shortage of qualified candidates. Experts warn that AI-assisted coding can introduce software bugs, and advanced AI models like Anthropic’s “Mythos” and OpenAI’s “GPT-5.4-Cyber” may expose vulnerabilities that heighten cyberattack risks. LinkedIn’s Chief Information Security Officer Lee Kisner described the situation as a “software bug catastrophe.”

While cybersecurity hiring is booming, the overall tech industry continues to shed jobs as major firms including Meta, Amazon, Stripe, Snap, and Block cut thousands of positions to fund AI investments.

Anthropic has released an initial update on Project Glasswing, its joint initiative with around 50 partners to secure critical global software systems before advanced AI models can be misused against them. Using the Claude Mythos Preview model, participants have identified more than 10,000 high- or critical-severity vulnerabilities across essential software platforms. Partners such as Cloudflare, Mozilla, and Oracle reported major increases in bug detection and patching speed, while external testers confirmed Mythos Preview’s superior performance on multiple cybersecurity benchmarks.

Anthropic also used Mythos Preview to scan over 1,000 open-source projects, uncovering more than 6,000 high- or critical-severity vulnerabilities, with independent verification confirming over 90% as valid. The company noted that the main challenge now lies in verifying and patching the large number of vulnerabilities, as human triage and disclosure processes lag behind AI discovery rates. Some maintainers have requested slower disclosure to manage patch workloads.

To support defenders, Anthropic has launched tools such as Claude Security and the Cyber Verification Program, and partnered with the Open Source Security Foundation to help maintainers process reports. The company emphasized that Mythos-class models will not be publicly released until stronger safeguards are developed.

Argentina has emerged as the leading nation in coaching representation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A total of six Argentine coaches will guide different national teams, the highest number from any country. Among them are Lionel Scaloni for Argentina, Mauricio Pochettino for the United States, Marcelo Bielsa for Uruguay, Gustavo Alvaro for Paraguay, Sebastián Beccacece for Ecuador, and Néstor Lorenzo for Colombia.

France follows with five coaches, including Didier Deschamps, Rudy Garcia, Sabri Lamouchi, Sébastien Desabre, and Sébastien Migne. Spain ranks third with four coaches, while Italy and Germany each have three. Notably, Brazil, the five-time world champion, will not have a Brazilian coach this time; instead, Italian Carlo Ancelotti will lead their campaign.

According to the report, 22 teams will compete under domestic coaches, highlighting a mix of national and foreign leadership across the tournament’s dugouts.

OpenAI has announced a new research position aimed at addressing potential risks from rapidly advancing artificial intelligence. The company is offering up to $445,000 annually for the role, which will focus on ensuring that AI systems do not become excessively self-improving beyond human oversight. The position falls under OpenAI’s Preparedness safety team, which studies long-term risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.

According to the job description, candidates must be both technically skilled and strategically thoughtful, as the work involves anticipating risks that may not yet exist but could emerge quickly. A key focus area is “recursive self-improvement,” where an AI could autonomously design and train more advanced versions of itself. The researcher will identify and mitigate such risks, conduct safety tests on advanced models, and develop monitoring systems to detect abnormal behavior.

The role also includes protecting AI models from “data poisoning” attacks and creating tools to better understand how advanced AI systems make decisions. The announcement comes amid growing industry discussion about recursive self-improvement, with leaders from Google DeepMind and other institutions warning of accelerating AI capabilities.

Leonardo AI has introduced a new 3D object generation capability within its platform, enabling creators to transform 2D concept images into production-ready 3D models without leaving the environment. The process allows users to generate an initial image, produce multiple reference views through the 3D Reference View Creator blueprint, and export the resulting models as .glb files suitable for rigging, game engines, and 3D printing.

The new feature supports both quad and triangle mesh types, along with PBR and shaded materials, expanding its flexibility for various creative workflows. Leonardo AI highlights that the integration is designed to streamline asset creation for independent game developers, e-commerce visualization projects, and physical fabrication tasks.

By embedding 3D generation directly into its existing tools, Leonardo AI aims to simplify the transition from concept art to usable 3D assets, potentially reducing production time and tool-switching for digital creators.

Chinese President Xi Jinping invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks shortly after hosting US President Donald Trump, signaling closer coordination between Beijing and Moscow. The meeting follows Trump’s second-term policies, which, despite his pledge to “un-unite” Russia and China, have instead reinforced their partnership. The ongoing Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have made China increasingly dependent on Russian oil and gas, boosting bilateral trade by nearly 20 percent in the first four months of the year.

Energy cooperation is expanding, with new agreements between Chinese firms and Gazprom to increase gas imports and revive the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline project. Beyond economics, both nations share a perception of the US-led West as a destabilizing force, driving them to align more closely. The article traces how past US administrations, from Clinton to Biden, contributed to this alignment through NATO expansion, conflicts in Ukraine, and tensions over Taiwan.

Xi’s invitation to Putin, coming immediately after Trump’s visit, is portrayed as a deliberate signal that the Russo-Chinese alliance remains firm and resistant to US efforts to divide them.

Artificial intelligence is transforming how people use the internet, particularly in search, social media, and online shopping. Users are now asking longer, more conversational questions, prompting major changes in how search engines operate. Google’s search division announced upgrades that will combine data from multiple sources to present results in more visual and interactive formats.

Experts note that conversational and long-form queries are increasing, though short keywords still dominate. Google reported a 60 percent annual rise in image-based searches and growing use of its AI mode. ChatGPT has also altered how users seek and summarize information, with many alternating between ChatGPT and Google. Meanwhile, AI-driven influencers are emerging on social media, and companies like Meta and Google are developing new AI chat and avatar technologies.

In e-commerce, AI tools have significantly boosted website traffic. Amazon and other major firms are building AI shopping assistants, while Google introduced a “universal shopping cart” to unify purchases across stores. Analysts conclude that AI is becoming central to the internet’s structure, signaling a fundamental shift in digital interaction.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed disappointment after the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ended without any consensus. He described the outcome as a missed opportunity to strengthen global security. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said Guterres appreciated the participation of member states but regretted that the conference failed to deliver results at a time of serious threats to international security.

Guterres urged all nations to use diplomacy and dialogue to reduce tensions and nuclear risks. He reiterated that achieving a world free of nuclear weapons remains the United Nations’ highest disarmament priority.

According to analysts cited in the report, growing global tensions, regional conflicts, and a lack of trust among nuclear-armed states have made it increasingly difficult to reach consensus at such conferences.

Cristiano Ronaldo has once again been named the world’s highest-paid athlete, topping Forbes’ latest list for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time overall. The 41-year-old Portuguese footballer, currently playing for Saudi club Al-Nassr, earned a total of $300 million over the past year. Of this, $225 million came from on-field income, while $65 million was generated through endorsements, sponsorships, and other commercial ventures.

The new Forbes ranking also saw Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez rise to second place, surpassing Lionel Messi despite a less successful year in the ring, including losing his super middleweight title to Terence Crawford. Álvarez earned $170 million in 2025. Messi, captain of Inter Miami, ranked third with $140 million, evenly split between on-field and off-field earnings.

Other notable names in the top ten include LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, Jon Rahm, Karim Benzema, Kevin Durant, and Lewis Hamilton, underscoring Ronaldo’s enduring global popularity and brand value.

The United Nations conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ended without consensus, partly due to Washington’s attempt to use the forum to address Iran’s nuclear program, according to a US-based nonprofit observer group. The Arms Control Association (ACA) stated that the failure to reach an agreement means there is now no mutually accepted limit on the size of Russian and American nuclear arsenals for the first time since 1972.

ACA Executive Director Daryl Kimball said that NPT member states missed a crucial opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the treaty’s principles and goals at a time of rising nuclear risks. He noted that the ongoing dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities, complicated by the US withdrawal from the 2018 nuclear deal, could not be resolved within the NPT review framework.

Kimball added that the future of Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for civilian purposes, must be addressed through more sustainable diplomacy outside the United Nations process.

After four weeks of negotiations focused on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, United Nations member states failed to reach an agreement. The conference, held in New York, concluded without consensus, according to the presiding diplomat, Do Hung Viet of Vietnam. He told reporters that despite maximum efforts, the conference was not in a position to finalize its core mandate and that he would not present the draft document for approval.

A draft text seen by AFP stated that countries without nuclear weapons should never develop them. Delegates had been reviewing the decades-old Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), under which 191 nations agreed that only five countries—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—could possess nuclear weapons as of January 1, 1967. Currently, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea also hold nuclear arsenals.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as of January 2025, about 90 percent of the world’s 12,241 nuclear warheads were held by the United States and Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that no country should accept Iran’s attempt to impose a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a press conference in Sweden, where he attended a NATO meeting in Helsingborg, Rubio said Iran was trying to persuade Oman to join the proposed toll arrangement. He emphasized that such a move should be rejected by all nations.

Rubio also mentioned that there had been slight progress in discussions with Iran, though he cautioned against overstating it. He described the progress as a positive sign but reiterated that the core issue remained unchanged: Iran must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. He added that the United States needed to continue addressing the matter of Iran’s enriched uranium.

The remarks came amid ongoing diplomatic efforts concerning Iran’s nuclear activities and regional maritime security, with Rubio underscoring the importance of maintaining international consensus on these issues.