Conflict

• New Zealand has been ranked as the second-safest country in the world according to the latest Global Peace Index, which evaluates 163 independent states and territories. • This improvement in New Zealand's standing comes despite a broader global trend where world conflict has reached a historic high. • The ranking highlights New Zealand's stability and safety relative to other nations during a period of significant international volatility.

• Global conflicts have surged to their highest levels since World War II, according to data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). • Conflict-related fatalities reached a record high in 2025, with approximately 244,600 people killed. • UCDP senior analyst Shawn Davies notes a significant rise in interstate wars, signaling a shift in the global security order and increasing international tensions.

• Geopolitical instability is increasingly threatening physical cloud infrastructure, prompting enterprises to re-evaluate their reliance on centralized hyperscale platforms. • Companies are rethinking long-held assumptions regarding business continuity and resilience for critical communications services to avoid single points of failure. • This shift matters as the intersection of global conflict and digital infrastructure creates new vulnerabilities for IT leaders and buyers.

• Voters in four U.S. states are heading to the polls today to participate in primary elections. • A new report indicates that global conflicts have reached their highest levels since the end of World War II. • These simultaneous events highlight a period of significant domestic political activity coupled with extreme international instability.

• A new report from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program reveals that global conflict levels have reached their highest point since World War II. • The data highlights a surge in one-sided violence in Africa, specifically citing massacres in El Fasher as a primary driver. • This escalation marks the most severe level of one-sided violence seen on the continent since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

• 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 critical driver of the instability is the rapid surge in AI-driven warfare, which is currently outpacing the development of international law and diplomacy.

• 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. • A rapid technological revolution in AI-driven warfare is further destabilizing the global landscape, as international law and diplomacy fail to keep pace with new weaponry.