A fragile diplomatic opening may be emerging in the Middle East, with Washington and Tehran reportedly close to a short memorandum designed to halt the current war and reopen nuclear negotiations, though key details remain unresolved and officials stress no deal is done yet. At the same time, the region’s volatility was underscored by Israel’s strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, its first there since last month’s ceasefire with Hezbollah, threatening to widen tensions again in Lebanon. In Europe, hopes for even a brief pause in the Ukraine war were dashed as Russia launched waves of drones after Kyiv announced a unilateral ceasefire, reinforcing the sense that the conflict is entering another grim phase with civilians still paying the price. And in Australia, police intervened outside a royal commission on antisemitism after a man appeared near the hearings in a swastika-like shirt, a jarring moment amid testimony about Jewish Australians’ experiences.