Focus on jobs, not benefits, to cut welfare bill, says thinktank 25. May 2026 (10:00) Hitting government’s target of getting 80% of workers into jobs would reduce cost of universal credit by £10bnTackling the root causes of joblessness, instead of cutting benefits, is the best way to get the welfare bill down, and polling shows voters support that approach, according to research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.In a forthcoming report, JRF economists show that hitting the government’s target of getting 80% of the working age population into jobs would cut the cost of universal credit by £10bn – an eighth of the current bill. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A bridge, not an obstacle’: is Armenia a new crossroads between east and west? 25. May 2026 (09:40) As former Soviet Republic goes to the polls, it finds itself in a strategic tug of war between Russia, the US, Turkey, Europe and AzerbaijanTo describe Yerevan, a charming city of liberal values encased in imposing Soviet architecture, as the centre of the world is a stretch, but Armenia’s claim that it can become the strategic crossroads of the landmass of Eurasia is becoming less and less fanciful. As the former Soviet Republic goes to the polls on 7 June for national elections, it finds itself in a five-way tug of war between Russia, the US, Turkey, Europe and Azerbaijan.The interest has in part been sparked by the possibility of an end to Armenia’s conflict with its neighbour Azerbaijan – and the chance this represents for Armenia to end its physical isolation and become part of the middle corridor, a vital trade route linking western China and Europe, bypassing both Russia’s northern corridor and the Suez canal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Middle East crisis live: Rubio says US-Iran agreement ‘pretty solid’ as oil price falls amid optimism for deal 25. May 2026 (08:58) Secretary of state says a deal could materialise ‘today’, while Trump says talks with Iran proceeding constructively as he faces criticism from within his own partyIran’s top negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, has been reelected as the country’s parliamentary speaker, semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.During military conflict Iran’s tactic was “an eye for an eye,” and in diplomatic conflict it is “action for action“, Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson of the Iranian parliament, has said.During the military war, our tactic was an eye for an eye; in the diplomatic war, it is action against action. Do not believe the bluff of the failed president; time is against the Americans.If they want an agreement, they should negotiate; if they want $6 gas, they should stand firm and bluff until the grass grows under their feet. Iran does not bow to force or threats. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rubio says 'solid' Iran deal may come on Monday 25. May 2026 (08:41) The deal under discussion would involve a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, US media reports.(BBC News)
Nacc chief Paul Brereton resigns as head of anti-corruption body 25. May 2026 (08:30) Brereton says ‘ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally’ were ‘drawing attention away from the commission’s core purpose’Paul Brereton, Australia’s first national anti-corruption commissioner, will step down from the top job in July, citing criticism of potential conflicts of interest as “drawing attention away” from the body’s core purpose.In a statement on Monday afternoon, Brereton said the “ongoing focus on matters relating to me personally” were “drawing attention away from the commission’s core purpose of strengthening integrity”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Venezuela inmates occupy prison roof and set fire to mattresses to protest alleged abuses 25. May 2026 (08:20) Inmates at Barinas prison allege they were peacefully protesting when prison staff opened fire, leaving some woundedInmates at Venezuela’s western Barinas prison staged a protest on its roof on Sunday, piling flaming mattresses and calling for the removal of the facility’s director, who they accused of overseeing guards as they shot unarmed prisoners.“We want justice. They are shooting us, the guards and the wardens,” a prisoner said in a video shared by the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, a local NGO, on X, in which a man is seen with a bullet wound in his chest. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ministers urged to act as households in Great Britain face energy bill ‘anxiety’ 25. May 2026 (08:00) Under government’s price cap typical gas and electricity bills are forecast to rise by £209 from this summerMinisters face growing calls to cut utility bills as millions of households in Great Britain face energy cost “anxiety,” with gas and electricity costs forecast to rise to almost £1,900 from this summer.The typical dual-fuel bill is expected to climb by nearly 13% under the government’s energy price cap, adding £209 a year to household costs, in a blow to families already hit by rising prices for essentials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Half of UK adults say they spend less than three hours a week outside in nature 25. May 2026 (07:00) Most people have joyful memories of playing outside as children – and now wildlife charities are urging people to ‘rewild their inner child’Climbing trees, squelching in mud, paddling in ponds or making dens in the woods – people’s memories of playing outside as children are often vivid and, a new poll has found, overwhelmingly positive, even those who remember falling in cowpats.Almost 90% of UK adults had rosy memories of the excitement and the feeling of freedom that outdoor play had brought them, the survey found. However, almost half of adults now spend less than three hours a week in natural settings such as gardens, parks, fields or woods, according to the survey. For one in 10 it is less than one hour. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sweden’s PM puts IVF at centre of re-election bid amid record low birthrate 25. May 2026 (07:00) Ulf Kristersson aims to expand state-funded IVF as Sweden grapples with lowest fertility rate since records beganSweden’s prime minister has promised to put IVF at the heart of his re-election campaign as he tries to win over female voters amid the country’s record low birthrate.Ulf Kristersson’s government recently increased the number of state-funded IVF attempts granted to aspiring first-time parents from three to six. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
