Gun policy & public safety: Australia’s NSW will launch a gun buyback on Nov. 2, offering up to A$1,000 per returned rifle or handgun after the Bondi Beach attack, alongside tighter licence checks and hate-crackdowns. Energy & geopolitics: US President Trump urged Americans to accept higher gasoline prices as the Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz drags on, with fuel costs rising alongside oil markets. Global trade & logistics: China-Europe Arctic Express is resuming regular weekly summer operations, cutting transit time versus Suez and linking Ningbo-Zhoushan to major European ports. Tech & investment: Europe’s new €5.8B Scaleup Europe Fund made its first major deep-tech investment, backing Finland’s Iceye with €300M. Regional development & governance: Philippines lawmakers begin work on a P7.2T national budget for 2027, with Congress set to debate financing and spending levels next week. Humanitarian & society: Zimbabwe’s president urged churches to partner with government on development, tackling drugs, poverty, crime and youth violence. Education & integration: Central Asia is pushing education and science integration through SCO-style cooperation and academic mobility. Sports tech & disability rights: Qatar Social Work expanded international collaboration on rights of persons with disabilities at UN forums in Geneva.