UK national lottery review to give public more say in how funds are spent

• 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.

• 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 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.

• 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.

• 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. 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.

• 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.

• The Iranian political establishment is facing unprecedented institutional friction and leadership fractures following the transition of authority from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. • This internal instability is compounded by widespread socioeconomic unrest, signaling a deepening systemic crisis within the post-Khamenei power structure.

Country is first to join since Australia in 2015 as event director says it ‘continues to welcome the world’Canada will ​join the Eurovision song contest next year, becoming the first new ⁠participant since Australia in 2015, organisers have announced.Participation is not limited to countries in geographic Europe and instead is open to all members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which Canada joined last week. Australia is an associate member. Continue reading...

Elizabeth Warren and colleagues demanded tighter rules on political figures’ crypto dealings, citing disclosures of large-scale Trump family profitsUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has again been accused of “brazen crypto corruption” after financial disclosures revealed his family’s cryptocurrency ventures generated more than $1bn in his first year back in the White House.Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate banking committee, said the figures showed why US Congress needed to act. “The crypto legislation heading to the Senate floor must prevent the President, Vice President, senior administration officials, members of Congress, and their families from profiting off the crypto industry,” she said. “If it does not, it will only turbocharge Donald Trump’s brazen crypto corruption.” Continue reading...

Tiny, quivering spheres designed to feed and multiply raise prospect of artificial organisms to make drugs, food and fuelResearchers claim they are closer to creating life from scratch after building tiny, quivering blobs that use lab-made DNA to feed, grow and multiply in a dish.The synthetic cells were made from chemical compounds and are believed to be the first to demonstrate the complete cell cycle of growth, genetic replication and splitting to produce the next generation. Continue reading...