Rapid demand for AI datacentres in Australia could stoke inflation, experts warn – and crowd out land for housing

• The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has identified Afghanistan as one of the world's most neglected humanitarian crises of the year. • Funding for aid programs has fallen sharply despite a simultaneous increase in the needs of the Afghan population.

• The Taliban-led government of Afghanistan launched airstrikes against ISIS militant facilities in Pakistan's Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. • These operations targeted sites used for planning assaults and occurred shortly after Pakistan conducted its own cross-border airstrikes.

• The global geopolitical landscape has entered a phase of "zero-sum exhaustion," where major confrontations are characterized by a lack of decisive winners or losers. • Modern conflicts have shifted from traditional wars of victory to "long-distance marathons" focused primarily on avoiding defeat rather than achieving a clear endgame.

• Authoritarian governance and the systemic imprisonment of political opponents are creating significant instability within the region. • These internal political crises are posing a direct threat to the cohesion and strategic stability of NATO.

• The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has announced the creation and activation of a special communication channel aimed at preventing the escalation of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. • MFA spokesperson Al-Ansari confirmed during a press briefing that the mechanism is currently operational to facilitate conflict resolution.

• Afghanistan's Information and Culture Minister, Haqqani, stated that the Afghan people remain steadfast and do not fear ongoing bombings or external pressure. • The Minister highlighted a critical funding gap, noting that humanitarian response plans are currently only 11 percent funded as global assistance declines.

• UN agencies warn that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East could result in economic losses totaling 194 billion USD for Arab States. • The report highlights a significant risk to the labor market, specifically threatening the jobs and economic stability of women in the region.

• Dr. Dale McKinley discussed the rise of global anti-immigrant sentiment during an interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat on the program Sabahul Muslim on June 30, 2026. • McKinley argued that removing illegal migrants from the country would not resolve systemic national issues, such as infrastructural crises and the lack of service delivery.

• A new report highlights India's expanding global influence, driven by a strategic combination of diplomacy, defense capabilities, and development initiatives. • India is positioning itself as a leading voice for the Global South, leveraging its economic growth and strategic partnerships to bridge the gap between developing and developed nations.

Dr Bill Kirkup said section of Valerie Amos’s report criticising ‘normal birth ideology’ was removed before publicationThe author of a major inquiry into maternity care altered its final report to remove criticism of “normal birth ideology”, one of her expert advisers claims.Dr Bill Kirkup said Valerie Amos had “listened to the wrong voices” before a section outlining the potential risks of encouraging women to have a vaginal birth “disappeared” from the final version of her government-commissioned report. Continue reading...

Reports say up to 80,000 people waiting by mid-afternoon for chance to see historic artwork at British MuseumPeople keen to see the Bayeux tapestry faced online queues of up to nine hours when tickets went on sale for the first time on Wednesday morning.The British Museum, which is hosting the wool-on-linen artwork from September, saw huge traffic to its ticketing website as a scramble for access began. Continue reading...

Rowan Williams and Mark Kermode join campaign against proposed cuts for arts and social sciencesLeading writers, broadcasters, academics and theologians have thrown their weight behind a campaign to save 150 jobs at the University of Exeter, amid growing outrage at a sector-wide hollowing out of the humanities.In excess of 21,000 people – and counting – have signed a petition railing against the proposed redundancies at Exeter, which are expected to disproportionately fall on the humanities, arts and social sciences for which the highly ranked Russell Group university is famed. Continue reading...