White House urges UK not to ban social media for under-16s

• 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.

Critics say president using well-worn playbook – with loyalists in key positions ready to amplify his messageDonald Trump is “inventing fraud” in California’s primary elections, and likely to ramp up unfounded allegations when more races go against him, pro-democracy experts have warned.While the US president has used this playbook for years – from his loss at the Emmys as a reality TV star to his defeat in the 2020 presidential election – election integrity campaigners fear this time could be different. Continue reading...

Updated Pentagon list includes swathe of China’s top technology firms in move that could inflame tensions between the countriesThe US added Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu and carmaker BYD to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing’s military, in a move that could inflame tensions between the countries.The long-awaited update released on Monday supersedes a list from early 2025, and comes less than a month after Donald Trump met China’s Xi Jinping on a visit to Beijing, where the two leaders maintained a delicate trade war truce. Continue reading...

Darren Sharper, who pleaded guilty or no contest to raping women in four states, is projected to be released in 2028Admitted serial rapist and former National Football League champion Darren Sharper has been transferred from federal prison to a halfway house program with his projected 2028 release date nearing.In a statement to the Guardian on Monday, a US Bureau of Prisons (BoP) spokesperson said Sharper, 50, was transferred on 27 May from a federal correctional institution near Elkton, Ohio, to “community confinement” overseen by the agency’s residential re-entry management office in Baltimore. Continue reading...

Prime minister says he has no tolerance for such attacks after man arrested on suspicion of attempted murderA man has been seriously injured in north Belfast in a stabbing described by Keir Starmer as “sickening”.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers were called at around 10.30pm on Monday and the injured man was taken to hospital. Continue reading...