Iran is beating Trump at the art of the deal
The war could end with Tehran more confident, more hardline and with new resources to rebuild its nuclear programme
The main event
Worth reading
Not the busiest stories. The pieces most likely to sharpen the mental model.
Prize draw businesses have better luck than the average punter
Lack of regulation has helped draw operators to thrive
Gender war is over, now we need leadership
Selected from The Times as an argument-led read.
The world has seen the light on energy, except Ed Miliband
Selected from The Times as an argument-led read.
Falling Test Scores: Reasons and Fixes
Readers discuss data showing lower reading and math scores. Also: The yuppie factor.
More headlines
Financial Times
Iran’s top negotiators travel to Qatar amid intensified efforts to secure deal
Tehran’s parliamentary speaker and lead negotiator travelled to Doha as mediators seek to thrash out final details
Financial Times
Two LNG tankers pass through Strait of Hormuz
Another vessel carrying crude oil crossed the vital shipping lane on Saturday
Financial Times
Republican hardliners warn Trump is giving up too much in Iran talks
US president is trying to quell an internal backlash from hawks who demand Tehran’s complete surrender
Financial Times
How Europe learnt to love subsidies
EU state aid has increased. Will that fend off China or fragment the single market?
BBC News
The questions raised by the Murrell embezzlement controversy
Thecase has been hanging over the SNP like a toxic cloud since the police investigation began five years ago.
BBC News
Deal with US not imminent, Iran says
The US secretary of state earlier said that an agreement could possibly come on Monday.
BBC News
Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal
Trump said on Saturday that an agreement would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without giving further details.
BBC News
Police fire shots in air to disperse angry crowds at DR Congo Ebola treatment centre
Unrest between crowds trying to reclaim the bodies of suspected Ebola cases and authorities have continued.
BBC News
German YouTuber retains cheese roll champion title
Thousands of people brave high temperatures to watch the annual event on Cooper's Hill.
NYT Europe
UK Heat Wave Could Break May Temperature Record
Forecasters warned that temperatures could climb to the highest level ever recorded in the month of May, reaching 35 degrees...
NYT Europe
Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical
The document marks a powerful foray by the leader of the Roman Catholic Church into the debate about the misuse or overuse of...
The Telegraph
Marlborough racing tips and best bets for today’s races
Welcome to our racing tips and best bets service provided by Telegraph Sport’s champion tipster – updated here every day
The Telegraph
Terrorist turf war over Lake Chad plunges thousands into hunger
Boko Haram and ISIS are fighting over the islands of Lake Chad, plunging the surrounding region into a humanitarian catastrophe
Wales
BBC Wales
Eight-year-old among three injured after car crashes at M4 service station
A young child is among those hurt in the incident, say police.
BBC Wales
Fears for pop-up campsites amid 'ridiculous' new rules
New rules for pop-up campsites in Wales are dubbed "unworkable" and "damaging".
BBC Wales
Author of Rivals told writers to stop making her 'macho men' cry
Novelist Dame Jilly Cooper scolded the team behind Rivals, an executive producer on the show says.
BBC Wales
Guatemalan machete gang robbed us at knifepoint, says plant hunting couple
Plant hunters Sue and Bleddyn Wynn Jones from Gwynedd travel the world collecting species and seeds.
Sport
BBC Sport · Football
Which side were remarkable? Who were a shambles? Phil McNulty's season review
BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty reviews every team's Premier League - and looks back at his pre-season predictions.
BBC Sport · Football
Lamine Yamal in Spain squad but no Real Madrid players
Injured forward Lamine Yamal is named in Spain's World Cup squad, which does not feature any Real Madrid players.
BBC Sport · Football
Who made Opta's team of the season?
Data analyst Opta looks at the numbers to provide its own Premier League team of the season.
BBC Sport · Football
Premier League predictions - how accurate were BBC Sport pundits?
Last summer, 33 BBC pundits - plus AI and Opta's 'supercomputer' were asked to pick which teams would finish in the Premier...
The Race · F1
Everything we learned from F1's 2026 Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix was an eventful one - here's everything we learned from round five of the 2026 F1 season
The Race
Why McLaren's so convinced its failed tyre gamble wasn't 'stupid'
Lando Norris insists the intermediate tyre choice that derailed McLaren's hopes in F1's Canadian GP was not "stupid" despite...
The Race
The biggest problem Russell faces after Canada blow
George Russell has plenty of time to overturn his 43-point deficit to Kimi Antonelli. But is Antonelli too strong now?
The Race · F1
Winners and losers from F1's 2026 Canadian Grand Prix
Bizarre tyre choices, massive misfortune and a big title fight swing all feature in our Montreal winners and losers
Formula 1 Official · F1
Listen to F1 Nation's Canada GP review
Kimi Antonelli made it four wins on the bounce in Canada, as the youngster extended his lead over team mate George Russell in...
Formula 1 Official
5 Winners and 5 Losers from Canada
Lawrence Barretto picks out his winners and losers from an eventful Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
ESPN Cricinfo
Suzie Bates returns to open as New Zealand bat first in decider
Georgia Plimmer dropped after successive ducks; Leah Tahuhu and Lauren Bell rested
ESPN Cricinfo
The Blaze take it deep to stun Lancashire
Meg Lanning's 81 looked to win out before Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Bryce came up trumps
Science
New Scientist
PMOS shows us why many scientific terms need to be renamed
Like covid-19 and mpox before it, the decision to relabel PCOS as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome is a welcome one –...
New Scientist
Mars astronauts may do laundry by blasting clothes with a plasma beam
There is currently no good way for astronauts in space to do laundry, but researchers may have finally come up with one: a...
New Scientist
Why your brain needs plenty of “Aha!” moments
In the age of AI, instant answers to our questions are readily available. But columnist Helen Thomson finds that continuing to...
New Scientist
Can we harness quantum effects to create a new kind of healthcare?
Experiments hint that quantum mechanisms are vital to the machinery of life. Now researchers are exploring if these effects...
Nature
How I eavesdrop on frog conversations
Nature, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01621-6 Billie Goolsby’s experience with hearing loss helped her...
Nature
How to breathe life back into brain theory
Nature, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01619-0 Neuroscience needs to stop treating the brain as if it...
Nature
Vanishing tongues and life on Mars: Books in brief
Nature, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01655-w Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.
Nature
Major Ebola outbreak is escalating: what happens next
Nature, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01660-z Nature staff discuss ongoing efforts to curb the...
Technology
The Verge
The best Memorial Day sales you can shop this weekend
Memorial Day is nearly here, meaning the seasonal sales are in full swing. If your weekend plans involve pool parties or...
The Verge
On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and history
Hiking is one of life's great joys. Turning off the screens and stepping out into nature for an extended period of time,...
The Verge
Apple’s latest MacBook Air is $200 off in both sizes for Memorial Day
If you’re looking for a laptop that’ll still perform well several years from now, Apple’s latest MacBook Air is hard to beat....
The Verge
Hackers are learning to exploit chatbot ‘personalities’
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on AI mischief,...
Techcrunch
5 days left: Save up to $410 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 passes before prices increase
Early Bird savings for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco end May 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now to save up to $410...
Techcrunch
Everyone is navigating AI security in real time — even Google
We're in the transition period -- all of us.
Techcrunch
Xreal, Google’s smartglasses partner, thinks it has finally mastered this notoriously tricky industry
Chi Xu, the founder and CEO of XREAL, thinks the smart glasses business has finally reached a turning point.
Techcrunch
6 kitchen gadgets that make adulting feel easier
From a robot stirring your soup to a bread machine that kneads your dough, here are 6 gadgets that may make you feel like...
Wired
Best Memorial Day Deals: Garmin, Birdfy, Branch (2026)
Memorial Day isn’t until Monday, but sales on our favorite gear are going on all weekend.
Wired
These Privacy-Conscious Gay Dating Apps Want to Dethrone Grindr
As public backlash against Big Dating mounts, a batch of new gay hookup apps offer community-powered alternatives.
Hacker News · 209 pts
Search engines alternatives now that Google isn't Google anymore
Hacker News · 347 pts
Magnifica Humanitas (Encyclical Letter)
Hacker News · 111 pts
Leave Me Behind
Hacker News · 63 pts
Pope Leo XIV says AI must serve humanity, not the powerful few
Hacker News · 49 pts
IBM Spins Off the First Pure-Play Quantum Chip Foundry
Hacker News · 5 pts
2026 HIPAA Security Rule Update
Papers
Computer science
An AI-Driven Framework for Energy-Efficient Environmental Monitoring in Smart Cities Using Edge Intelligence
Computer science
KPI2KVI: A Multi Agent Workflow for Calculating Key Value Indicators from Service Descriptions
Computer science
Evaluating Large Language Models in a Complex Hidden Role Game
Congenital Heart Block