NSW admits pro-Palestine protester Hannah Thomas was assaulted by police officers and falsely imprisoned

• New Zealand has been ranked as the second-safest country in the world according to the latest Global Peace Index, which evaluates 163 independent states and territories. • This improvement in New Zealand's standing comes despite a broader global trend where world conflict has reached a historic high.

• An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has resulted in 100 deaths out of 550 reported cases. • Ongoing regional conflict is significantly hindering medical response efforts and slowing the containment of the virus.

• Energy markets reacted sharply to escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Brent crude rising to approximately $97 per barrel and U.S. oil trading between $94 and $95. • The price surge, representing a jump of more than 4.5%, indicates that traders are rapidly reintroducing a geopolitical risk premium into oil valuations.

• Fresh Israeli strikes in Tyre have killed eight people, highlighting the fragility of the current ceasefire and the ongoing risk of escalation. • A UN-led assessment released Tuesday estimates that buildings in Beirut and Mount Lebanon have suffered over $365 million in damages.

• Geopolitical instability is increasingly threatening physical cloud infrastructure, prompting enterprises to re-evaluate their reliance on centralized hyperscale platforms. • Companies are rethinking long-held assumptions regarding business continuity and resilience for critical communications services to avoid single points of failure.

• Global conflicts have surged to their highest levels since World War II, according to data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). • Conflict-related fatalities reached a record high in 2025, with approximately 244,600 people killed.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged a current halt in fighting with Iran on June 8, 2026, but vowed to respond "with force" to any future attacks. • In response to the escalating conflict in West Asia, the Indian Embassy in Iran issued a travel advisory on Monday urging Indian nationals to avoid all travel to the country.

Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source face cuts of up to 20% as Science and Technology Facilities Council seeks savingsBritain’s scientific capabilities face “serious damage” with some national facilities at risk of closure under spending cuts that are being considered to meet spiralling costs at the government’s infrastructure funding agency.The concern surrounds sites funded and operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), including the Diamond Light Source and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source in Oxfordshire and other national facilities at the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire. Continue reading...

Amazon and Sony among firms that may have sourced coltan, used in phones, from supply chains controlled by the M23 rebels, says Global WitnessLeading global brands including Amazon, Ericsson and Sony are “likely” to have sourced minerals linked to a militia accused of widespread sexual violence, summary executions and torture, a new investigation claims.The companies allegedlybut unknowingly, acquired coltan smuggled from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that are occupied by the M23 militia, which has committed myriad atrocities in eastern DRC. Continue reading...

Survey in run-up to byelection also finds support for water renationalisation, wealth tax and cap on political donationsA majority of voters in Makerfield say they would be less likely to vote for an election candidate if they have posted offensive content on social media, polling shows.The polling for the campaign group 38 Degrees, undertaken by Survation, asked 518 voters in the Makerfield constituency for their views on a range of issues, with 55% saying they would be less likely to vote for a politician who has posted offensive material online. Continue reading...

MP Melanie Ward calls on Charity Commission to look into 32 organisations she says have given at least £28mThirty-two charities in England and Wales have donated at least £28m to Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law, an MP has said.Labour’s Melanie Ward said that if gift aid were claimed against the donations in the usual way, it would mean taxpayers had subsidised illegal settlements to the tune of £5.6m, a situation she described as deplorable. The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced on Tuesday that the Charity Commission has been tasked with investigating UK charities’ links to settlements. Continue reading...

Australian human rights lawyers and refugee advocacy groups are lauding the decision as a ‘significant outcome’Millions of dollars in compensation could be paid out to more than 350 unlawful non-citizens held in indefinite detention after the high court ruled against the Australian government.The ruling marks another blow for the Albanese government after its requirement that members of the NZYQ cohort released to wear ankle monitoring bracelets and abide by curfews were struck down as unconstitutional earlier this year. Continue reading...