Sweden prides itself on equality – so why is its political gender gap growing?

• The Horn of Africa has emerged as a critical geopolitical intersection where African, Middle Eastern, and global interests converge. • Key drivers of this strategic competition include maritime security, international trade, energy infrastructure, and food security.

• The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is urging for increased humanitarian access to Gaza, warning that aid deliveries are being severely restricted. • These challenges are compounded by ongoing violence, critical funding shortages, and rising costs for fuel, fertilizer, and food.

• The author argues that a new war between the U.S. and Iran would likely result in a stalemate, as neither side can achieve its strategic objectives through military force. • Key geopolitical dynamics remain unchanged: Iran maintains the ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States retains the capacity to impose severe punishments on Iran.

• President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan is considering a full withdrawal from the 46-member Council of Europe. • This potential exit follows the 2024 suspension of Azerbaijan's voting rights within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

• Iran's lead negotiator has issued a firm warning to Washington regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz amidst a new wave of strikes destabilizing the Gulf region. • The escalation follows President Trump's declaration that the previous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has officially ended.

• The author contrasts the "Nuclear Age," where peace was managed through state-led diplomacy and treaties like the Non-Proliferation Treaty, with the emerging "Age of Artificial Intelligence." • Unlike nuclear weapons, which were controlled by governments, advanced AI systems are primarily developed by private companies, universities, and research laboratories.

• The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) released the Global Assessment Report (GAR) 2025, titled “Resilience Pays: Financing and Investing for our Future.” • The report warns that climate change is causing dangerous natural disruptions affecting billions of people and argues that smarter investments are necessary to break the cycle of disaster, debt, and humanitarian need.

Labor MP also says watering down copyright rules is ‘going against the ethos’ of his partyThe Labor MP Ed Husic says any moves to water down copyright law to benefit AI companies would be “going against the ethos” of the party, urging his colleagues to place stricter rules on the big tech firms or be “doomed to failure”.Ahead of Anthony Albanese’s major speech on artificial intelligence on Wednesday, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance – the union for journalists, artists and creatives – called on the government to enact tougher new copyright rules to prevent creative works being taken to train AI models. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: A new law criminalising public bodies and officials that lie to the British public is expected to complete it final stages in the Commons. Why did it take so long?Good morning. We think we know this story, the one about the 97 who went to watch a football match on a sunny afternoon. Perhaps you remember, as I do, watching footage of the lethal crush at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium, on the evening news in your childhood living room. Or maybe you read later how South Yorkshire police presented a series of false narratives that blamed Liverpool football club supporters, rather than take responsibility for their own catastrophic mismanagement of the FA Cup semi-final.Today, after a decade of campaigning, a new law criminalising public bodies and officials that lie to the British public, and supporting people fighting these authorities for the truth, is expected to complete it final stages in the Commons, pushed through by Keir Starmer as one of his final acts as prime minister.UK news | British counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in a shock development that has renewed the debate over the security of politicians. A 28-year-old man from Rotherham is being held in custody on suspicion of her murder.Middle East | The US has launched its third consecutive night of strikes on Iran hours after Donald Trump said Washington would reinstate a maritime blockade on the country and, in an apparently policy reversal, charge ships for safe passage.UK politics | Andy Burnham is to become Britain’s next prime minister after winning the backing of 349 Labour MPs, including all eligible members of Keir Starmer’s current cabinet, making it impossible for any rival to secure enough nominations to challenge him.Environment | Most of the UK media stories about the record-breaking heatwave that struck in June failed to mention the climate crisis, analysis has found. Even fewer pieces drew a link between the heatwave and government policies designed to tackle the climate crisis.US news | The US government has already paid back tens of billions of dollars in tariffs it collected before the supreme court ruled them illegal, according to budget figures released on Monday. Continue reading...

Queensland police arrest a 16-year-old boy after an alleged altercation with a 17-year-old boy at Islamic College of BrisbaneFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA teenager has been left with life-threatening injuries after being allegedly stabbed by another student at a Brisbane high school.The alleged altercation took place at the Islamic College of Brisbane in Karawatha, south of Brisbane at about 11.45am on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Bar owner in Thailand offers ‘deepest apologies for this tragic incident’ as police investigate whether exits were either blocked or hard to accessThe Bangkok pub that has become the scene of the city’s deadliest blaze in 17 years has said it will cooperate with an investigation into alleged negligence, as the death toll rose to 30.The local district office said on Tuesday that three more people died after the devastating fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday. An initial assessment by disaster officials found that an electrical short ‌circuit in an air conditioner located in the ‌ceiling caused the fire. Continue reading...

Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion hears from professor whose office was occupied by protesters Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Jewish professor has told the royal commission into antisemitism the University of Melbourne needs to show it doesn’t “tolerate misbehaviour” after the expulsion of two pro-Palestine student activists who occupied his office was overturned.Steven Prawer, a professor of physics, said on Tuesday that he had not known at the time if it was a “terrorist attack”. Continue reading...