Tuesday briefing: Is a social media ban in the UK enough to help protect young people?

• Geopolitical risk is emerging as a critical factor influencing global financial stability, as detailed in the June 2026 Bulletin. • These risks extend to organizational capacity, specifically threatening the stability of offshore teams and third-party service providers.

• The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), reporting that global peace has reached a historic low. • This decline is attributed to the "Great Fragmentation," a geopolitical shift where middle powers are gaining influence while traditional European powers lose strength.

• A study by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) reports that the world recorded 65 state-based conflicts in 2025, marking the highest number since 1946. • The report highlights a steep increase in civilian deaths globally, with the conflict in Sudan accounting for a significant portion of the rise.

• The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released the 2026 Global Peace Index (GPI), reporting that global peace has reached a historic low. • This decline is driven by a "Great Fragmentation," characterized by the rising influence of middle powers and the diminishing strength of traditional European powers.

• One hundred days after the U.S. and Israel initiated military actions against Iran, civilians across the Middle East are facing severe hardships, including bombings, blackouts, and water shortages. • The conflict has triggered global economic instability, resulting in increased costs for food, transport, and fuel for populations worldwide.

• A Norwegian study released on Tuesday reports that the number of state conflicts reached its highest level since the Second World War in 2025. • The report highlights a concerning surge in attacks specifically targeting civilian populations.

• Global conflicts have surged to their highest levels since World War II, according to data from Sweden's Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). • Senior analyst Shawn Davies notes a significant increase in interstate wars, which had previously been relatively rare for a long period.

• The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) released the 2026 Global Peace Index on June 9, 2026, reporting that global peace has reached a historic low. • This decline is attributed to a record number of interconnected conflicts and a "Great Fragmentation" caused by the rising influence of middle powers and the waning strength of traditional European powers.

British drugmaker’s new chief executive Luke Miels announces one of its biggest dealsBusiness live – latest updatesGSK’s new boss Luke Miels has struck one of the British drugmaker’s biggest deals, announcing the $10.6bn (£7.9bn) acquisition of a US cancer specialist with two-late stage medications.The FTSE 100 company is boosting its oncology portfolio by agreeing to buy Nuvalent, a Boston-based company that develops cancer drugs, including three for lung cancer. Continue reading...

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya now in cell barely big enough to sit in, says son, after UN experts demanded his release in MarchThe son of a prominent Palestinian doctor detained by Israeli forces in Gaza in late 2024 and held for more than 500 days without formal charges has spoken of his deep concern for his father’s wellbeing after he was transferred without explanation to solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison.Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, was detained at work on 27 December 2024. Physicians for Human Rights Israel said last week it had received information indicating that the 53-year-old had been transferred from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison, part of the Ganot prison complex, where he had been put in solitary confinement. PHRI said it had not been told the reasons for the transfer. Continue reading...

Fines might be needed to deter travellers from grabbing hand luggage, says official from airlines body IataBusiness live – latest updatesAir passengers are increasingly putting lives at risk by filming emergencies and retrieving bags instead of evacuating planes, industry experts have said, with some suggesting fines could be needed.Passenger aircraft are designed to be fully evacuated in 90 seconds in an emergency – but people reaching for hand luggage can significantly increase that time, blocking exits and aisles as well as damaging slides or causing injury. Continue reading...

Sources say much delayed Dip is close to sign-off but only after some of the Labour government’s worst infightingCabinet relations have been left badly damaged by the protracted row over the defence investment plan (Dip), according to Whitehall sources who say the standoff has led to some of the worst infighting since Labour took power.Ministers are putting the final touches on the plan, which is expected to be published in the coming weeks after departments agreed to cut their capital budgets by about 1% to pay for additional military spending. Continue reading...