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Drumcree standoff continues after Orange Order says it will ‘not surrender’ to proposed deal
Source: The Guardian
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BBC Politics
Conservatives pledge 'tough love' benefit rules for under-25s
The party says it would bring in new work requirements for young people claiming Universal Credit.
NPR Politics
Leaning into culture war flashpoints, Hegseth says he has transformed U.S. military
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told hundreds of junior military officers and enlisted leaders on Wednesday that the Trump administration has achieved a cultural shift in the military.
BBC Politics
UK believes Iran involved in RAF Fairford incident, Burnham says
Iran's foreign minister has responded, saying the PM was "barking up the wrong tree".
The Guardian
The Guardian view on falling pupil numbers: a chance to improve opportunities for young people | Editorial
Empty classrooms are a sign of falling fertility and high living costs. But they should also free up more resources to spend on young people School closures are an alarming symptom of Britain’s shrinking birthrate. Several factors have contributed to falling enrolment, but the most significant is that people are having fewer children . Declining pupil numbers could be an excuse to free up spending for an ageing population . Instead, the government should see this as an opportunity to improve the quality of provision for young people. The fall has been most acute in inner London, where 90 schools have shut since 2021 . In Southwark, where the number of children born each year has dropped by more than a third since 2010, eight primary schools have closed in the past six years. As London’s councils have observed, high living costs are pricing families out of the centre and dissuading people
The Guardian
Ben Jennings on Andy Burnham’s pledge to overhaul social care – cartoon
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BBC Politics
Grooming gangs inquiry expanded to Birmingham and Wales
Targeted investigations will be carried out as part of a national inquiry into child sexual abuse.