The world is entering a more unstable and fragmented phase as global cooperation declines and rivalry between major powers intensifies, the World Economic Forum has warned.
In its Global Risks Report 2026, the forum said uncertainty had become the defining feature of the global outlook, based on insights from more than 1,300 experts worldwide.
Half of those surveyed said they expected the next two years to be turbulent or stormy, rising to 57% over the next decade. Just 1% anticipated a calm global environment.
The report identified geoeconomic confrontation as the most immediate global threat in 2026, followed closely by state-based armed conflict.
Trade disputes, protectionism and the use of economic pressure by major powers were cited as key drivers of instability, increasing the risk of wider confrontation.
Economic risks were also intensifying, with experts warning of higher chances of downturns, inflation and asset bubbles amid elevated debt levels and fragile financial markets.
Technological risks are accelerating, the report said, as misinformation, cyber insecurity and the long-term impact of artificial intelligence outstrip existing governance frameworks.
The report also highlighted a retreat from multilateralism, with trust between nations eroding as governments turn inward and cooperation gives way to competition.
Social pressures are mounting, with inequality described as the most interconnected global risk and political polarisation threatening social cohesion.
While environmental risks were seen as less urgent in the short term, they remain the most severe over the longer horizon, with extreme weather and climate change dominating the 10-year outlook.
Looking ahead, nearly 70% of experts said they expected a multipolar and fragmented global order driven more by rivalry than cooperation, warning that choices made now would shape global stability for years to come.
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had agreed on a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a pre...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told U.S. President Donald Trump that Israel does not consider itself bound by a Lebanon-related provisi...
Curaçao celebrate first World Cup goal despite heavy defeat against Germany, Sweden move to top of Group F with five-goal display and Japan fight...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would ban social media sites for under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming p...
Monday 15th June, marks the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Shusha Declaration, a landmark agreement that formally elevated relations between ...
Competing narratives continue to shape perceptions of the war in Ukraine, with Russian leadership suggesting a possible end phase while Ukrainian officials warn of renewed large-scale attacks and ongoing escalation risks.
Denmark’s Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen said on Monday (1 June) she has agreed to form a new centre-left coalition government, securing a third consecutive term as prime minister amid heightened diplomatic tensions with the United States over Greenland.
The world is entering a new era of geopolitical confrontation, driven less by ideology and more by control over energy, strategic resources, industrial technologies and global supply chains.
Details of a reported draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran offer the clearest picture yet of how both sides plan to end months of conflict and move towards a longer-term settlement.
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching consequences”, after India's water minister said New Delhi was working to ensure that “not a single drop” of water reaches Pakistan in the coming years.
Armenia has every right to choose Europe. But Europe’s support for Armenia’s direction should not become automatic approval of its political process.
The U.S. and Iran say they have reached a deal to end their conflict, with an immediate ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade. Talks will continue over the next 60 days to finalise the agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he would ban social media sites for under-16s and impose restrictions on gaming and livestreaming platforms, in some of the world's most far-reaching online restrictions to date.
The stepson of Norway's Crown Prince Haakon has been found guilty of two counts of rape as well as domestic violence and other crimes and is sentenced to four years in prison, an Oslo court ruled on Monday.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 15 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations will meet at a French lakeside resort on Monday against a backdrop of preliminary deal to end U.S. and Iran war reached by both sides.
Four people were killed while the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history, caught fire, in the heaviest Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital in two weeks, authorities said on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment