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The Drive to Get Young Neets into the Military Young people looking for employment should “really seriously take a look at the armed forces”, according to the veterans minister, Louise Sandher-Jones. With more than 1 million 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment, or training (Neets), everyone that age is aware of how bleak the job market is at present. But not all agree about whether the military is the answer. Personal Experience with the Military Alexandra Williams is from rural Lincolnshire and studied law at a university in Manchester. She went in with the intention of becoming a lawyer, but early on was led to believe that would be impossible. “One of my lecturers was like: you’ve got no contacts, you’re not going to get anywhere,” she says. Looking for opportunities, she joined the local University Officer Training Corps, an army reserve unit that exclusively recruits university students. Criticisms of the Military Recruitment Drive However, various peace organizations have expressed concern that the military is preying upon young people with fewer and fewer options available to them. Emma Sangster is a coordinator at Forces Watch, an organisation that campaigns against militarism in civil society. It is one of 13 peace groups that recently petitioned ministers to rule out conscription, a threat that for the first time in generations seems “very real”. The Data Behind the Recruitment Drive The Ministry of Defence pledged £70m to expand the Cadet Force by 30%; this February it announced it would place military personnel in jobcentres to recruit for the army, aiming for tens of thousands of new recruits. However, Jim Wyke from the Child Rights International Network said the idea that army recruitment – approximately 10,000 under-25s every year – could make a dent to youth Neet figures was “ludicrous”. The Impact on Youth Unemployment In fact, he says, in the under-18 category, recruitment to the army is a net generator of Neets, because the drop-out rate is so high – about 30% in 2022-23 – at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, where junior soldiers train, compared with 6-15% for under-18s in different types of civilian further education. The Future of Youth Employment Will O’Donnell, a final year SOAS student studying politics and international relations, agrees. In light of how “cooked” his generation is, with fewer than 10,000 graduate jobs available for close to a million university leavers, he says army recruitment “doesn’t plug the gap at all”. “Seeing our friends in the years above struggle in the job market, there is a real sense of doom and gloom about where our career prospects lie. This is a much bigger problem than simply telling people to join the military”.

Burnham's Vision for Social Care Andy Burnham has signalled he would begin transforming England's broken social care system this year if he became prime minister, accusing Westminster of 'flinching away' from tackling difficult policy problems. Plans for Social Care Reform The Greater Manchester mayor said politicians must be willing to take on 'the weight of the system' that stood in the way of radical change, as he began to set out his prospectus for government if he won the Makerfield byelection. Burnham first tried to change the social care system when he was Labour's health secretary in 2009, planning a levy on estates to pay for universal social care. He has talked about replacing inheritance tax with a progressive 'care levy' to fund a national care service. Leadership Ambitions and Labour Party Dynamics Burnham confirmed for the first time that he intends to run in a Labour leadership contest, suggesting there would be no snap election if he replaced Keir Starmer. He defended himself from criticism over a shadow leadership campaign. He argued Labour should be a broad church with more government ministers from the left of the party, but Jeremy Corbyn should not be allowed back in. Economic and Fiscal Policies Burnham denied he had left himself little room for manoeuvre by saying he would stick to the fiscal rules, arguing they had freed up significant resource for public investment. He suggested replacing 'iniquitous' council tax with a land value tax. He proposed reallocating £39bn earmarked for social and affordable housing solely to social homes. Brexit, Immigration, and Future Outlook Burnham argued it would be a mistake to rerun the Brexit referendum but that he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. He praised Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, for 'facing up' to the big issues on immigration. He suggested bringing forward the Casey review, tasked with drawing up proposals on funding, to 2026.

In the winter of 2026, Younus Qambrani used WhatsApp to document how his Pak‑Shaheen Boxing Club is turning Lyari—a locale long portrayed as a criminal backdrop in Bollywood films—into a vibrant hub for girls’ boxing and community empowerment. The Rise of a Boxing Hub in Karachi’s Lyari Qambrani, a 60‑year‑old coach, founded Pak Shaheen in 1992 and opened its doors to girls in 2013. The club now trains 10 girls daily, preparing them for city‑wide tournaments and aiming to expand access with a portable ring. 1992: Pak Shaheen Boxing Club established. 2013: First female member, Qambrani’s daughter Anum, joins. 2015: Students compete at the South Asian Games. 2016: Anum wins the Jinnah First Ever Karachi Women Boxing Championship. 2022: Aliya Soomro, Pakistan’s first world‑title female boxer, trains at the club. Numbers Behind the Movement: Participation and Milestones Lyari’s population of roughly 950,000 residents now includes a growing cohort of young athletes. Since 2013, the club has produced: Over 200 registered youth boxers. More than 30 female competitors in regional tournaments. Two national‑level medals (South Asian Games 2015, district championship 2016). Reframing Lyari: Social and Cultural Impact Beyond sport, the boxing initiative challenges the one‑dimensional media narrative that links Lyari solely to gang violence and Bollywood’s fictionalised portrayals in the Dhurandhar franchise, which grossed over $100 million per film. Anthropologist Adeem Suhail likens Lyari’s cultural resurgence to historic hubs like Naples, emphasizing its diverse heritage—from Baloch and Afro‑Baloch roots to a thriving hip‑hop scene. Future Outlook: Expanding Girls’ Boxing and Community Empowerment Qambrani’s next goal is to acquire a folding, portable boxing ring to bring training to schools across Lyari. Funding challenges remain, but the club’s success suggests a scalable model that could inspire similar programmes in other under‑represented Pakistani neighbourhoods, fostering gender‑inclusive sports participation and reshaping external perceptions of Lyari.

The Congressional Vote A congressional panel in the United States has rejected an effort to revoke a provision from the defence budget that would further integrate the US and Israeli militaries. An amendment to sink the pro-Israel measure, introduced by Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, failed in a voice call on Thursday in the House Armed Services Committee. The Provision Details Section 224 would require the Pentagon chief “to designate an executive agent responsible for synchronising cooperative efforts between the United States and Israel”. That official would be in charge of overseeing several joint initiatives, “including bilateral defence technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation”, the NDAA reads. The Impact Analysis Critics have raised concern that Section 224 may make US military aid to Israel more opaque, concealing the assistance as cooperation rather than a separate expense. The measure also risks tethering the US military to its Israeli counterpart technologically at a time when the American public is rapidly turning against Israel, according to recent public opinion polls. The Future Outlook Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has promised to introduce an amendment to revoke Section 224 when the NDAA goes to a full House vote. The vote on the amendment was taken by calling on committee members to say aloud either “yes” and “no”, and the “nays” clearly were more numerous.

Manchester City's Historic Double Manchester City's women's team has achieved a historic domestic double after a commanding 4-0 win over Brighton in the Women's FA Cup final at Wembley. The Final Performance The panel discusses City's ruthless performance, with Bunny Shaw playing a starring role after signing a new long-term contract. They also analyze whether Andrée Jeglertz's side can now build a period of dominance with Champions League football returning next season. Brighton's Progress Meanwhile, Brighton falls short in their first major final but continues to earn plaudits for their progress under Dario Vidosic. The panel discusses what they need in the summer to turn cup runs into consistent top-end WSL contention. International Break and World Cup Qualifier Attention then turns to the international break as England prepares for another huge meeting with Spain in Mallorca. The panel previews the decisive World Cup qualifier, discusses Leah Williamson's injury absence, and asks whether Sarina Wiegman's side can finish top of the group. Jill Scott's Sport Relief Challenge Plus, Tom reports back from the latest World Sevens tournament, and Jill Scott joins the pod to talk about her extraordinary 400-mile Sport Relief challenge from Wembley to Sunderland.

The Premiership Women's Rugby Expansion Plans Several clubs, including Bath, have registered their interest in joining England's Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR). The expansion of the top flight has no concrete timeline, but the possibility of the league growing has thrown up different discussion points. How will non-professional players deal with travel if a club from another home nation is introduced? Will the expansion aid international competition? And how do players feel about it? The Expression of Interest Phase The expression of interest phase was just an 'exploratory' process and not a formal application to join the league. The move is part of the PWR's 10-year plan to grow a sustainable and competitive league. The top flight is widely renowned as the best women's club rugby competition in the world with international talent such as Ireland's Aoife Wafer, New Zealand's Alana Borland and Canada's Sophie de Goede involved. However, the league has just nine teams after Worcester Warriors' demise in 2023. The Financial and Logistical Requirements In order to raise their hand and show interest, sides had to meet certain criteria. The list included £1.2m of annual rugby programme investment, facilities that meet PWR competition, broadcast and training standards and being able to field a squad of 45 to 55 players. Welsh, Scottish and Irish unions are interested and English clubs have also said they are. The men's Prem champions, Bath, have gone on the record to confirm their interest, outlining that they would need investment in the player pool and a robust business plan in order to progress sustainably. The Impact on Non-Professional Players Clubs had a deadline of 30 April to notify the PWR of their interest with the next steps of expansion uncertain. What we do know is that the league has ruled out the possibility of expansion for the 2026-27 season but are open to making the league bigger in future. This initial step has caused a debate in women's rugby circles. One of the main issues is potential travel implications for those who are not professional players. A large majority of PWR players have jobs outside rugby, which would mean they could not frequently take off a Friday or Monday as travel days for their league commitments. The Future of Women's Rugby The possibility of having a Welsh team in the PWR is something the country's players would embrace, according to the Wales scrum-half Keira Bevan. 'All of us want to come and play in Wales,' she said. 'I am with Bristol at the minute and I have another year with them and then after that I don't really know what my rugby career will look like. If that was an option I think a lot of the girls would definitely look into it.' The International Implications Increased competition on an international stage is an element of a potential expansion that excites the Exeter Chiefs head coach, Steve Salvin. He said: 'If there is an opportunity to make the league stronger, why not? We are in a position where England are far and away the strongest team in world rugby and that is credit to them, they have put the work in to get themselves into that position. But people get addicted to sport through jeopardy and whenever England are winning games by 50, 60 points, we are not going to get that jeopardy.'

The Revival of a Maligned Masterpiece When Steve Hanley joined Manchester post-punk group the Fall, he expected to be playing bass guitar, not the pope on the London stage. But as a cast member of Mark E Smith's 1986 play 'Hey! Luciani: The Life and Codex of John Paul I', Hanley donned a full pope suit with seven layers of cassocks and took center stage. The Turbulent History of 'Hey! Luciani' In December 1986, 'Hey! Luciani' ran for two weeks at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios. Smith, the Fall's iconoclastic vocalist and lyricist who died in 2018, described it as 'a cross between Shakespeare and The Prisoner'. However, critics were less than impressed, with the Guardian deriding it as a 'thoroughness of Smith's failure'. The Data Behind the Reboot The original play was written on beer mats and delivered to Riverside in a shoe box. The play's thesis was allegedly based on David Yallop's 1984 bestseller 'In God's Name', which alleged Pope John Paul I's assassination. The 1986 production featured non-professional actors, including performance artist Leigh Bowery. The Impact of 'Hey! Luciani' on the Art World 'Hey! Luciani' is a classic example of postmodern storytelling, with convoluted narratives and the erasure of differences between high and low art. Graham Duff, the director of the reboot, believes that the play's cryptic nature is intentional, highlighting the Vatican's bureaucracy and the power struggles within. The Future of 'Hey! Luciani' If the June performance is successful, Duff hopes that his version might get picked up by one of Manchester's bigger arts institutions. For Hanley, the bassist who played the pope in the original production, the evening's success will be measured by his ability to avoid getting arrested.

The LeadAmazon's ambitious $200 million adaptation of the 80s toy franchise Masters of the Universe has been met with scathing reviews, with critics calling it a 'weak big-budget misfire' that fails to justify its massive budget or the revival of a property that modern audiences have little connection to.The Film's Production ChallengesThe film, directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee), has been in development for years with various directors and studios attached. It follows Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), who transforms into He-Man to save the magical land of Eternia from the villain Skeletor (Jared Leto). Despite its hefty budget, the review criticizes the film for its confused tone, which attempts to be both a parody and an earnest adventure without succeeding at either.The Financial ImpactWith a reported $200 million budget, Masters of the Universe represents a significant financial risk for Amazon. Early tracking suggests the film may become one of the summer's biggest flops, joining other expensive franchise misfires like Universal's Dark Universe. The review notes that the film often looks surprisingly cheap for its price tag, with issues in lighting and action sequences that fail to justify the expenditure.Industry ImplicationsThe film's failure highlights Hollywood's ongoing struggle with reviving aging IP properties. While recent hits have relied on either beloved properties (Scream, Mario) or original ideas (Obsession, Backrooms), Masters of the Universe exemplifies the risks of investing in nostalgia for properties that modern audiences don't have strong connections to. The review contrasts this with Mattel's successful Barbie film, which was both auteur-driven and based on a still-popular brand.Future OutlookGiven the negative reception and early box office predictions, it's unlikely that Masters of the Universe will spawn a franchise. The review suggests the film will be filed alongside other big-budget misfires like the Chris Pine-led Dungeons & Dragons, serving as a cautionary tale about reviving properties without a clear vision or audience demand. The film's release on June 5, 2026, will test whether audiences share the critics' negative assessment.

FIFA has successfully concluded a months-long standoff with India’s Zee Entertainment, securing a broadcast deal for the World Cup in one of the world's most populous nations. The agreement, finalized on Monday, resolves the availability of the tournament in a key market where rights had previously remained unsold.The $60 Million Settlement for India's World Cup RightsThe financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in full, but reports indicate FIFA initially sought around $100 million for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments before slashing its asking price to approximately $60 million. This price adjustment was crucial in unlocking the deal.Package Scope: Zee has acquired rights to 39 FIFA events over an eight-year period extending through 2034.Inclusion of Women's Football: The agreement covers the Women's World Cup in 2027.Stock Reaction: Following the announcement, shares of Zee Entertainment rose by about 7 percent.Time Zones and Viewer Fatigue: The Broadcaster's DilemmaThe primary hurdle in finalizing this deal was the logistical challenge of scheduling matches for Indian viewers. With a 10-12 hour time difference between host cities and South Asia, the viewing experience has historically been difficult.Only 14 out of the total 104 World Cup games are scheduled to begin before midnight for Indian audiences. The final, set to be played in New Jersey on July 19 at 19:00 GMT (12:30am local time in India), exemplifies this challenge. This contrasts sharply with previous tournaments, where 98.4 percent of matches in 2018 and 82.5 percent in Qatar started before midnight.Market Dominance: Zee vs. JioStarSecuring this deal provides Zee with a toehold in India's highly competitive sports broadcast landscape. The market is currently dominated by the Reliance-Disney joint venture, JioStar, which holds rights to major properties including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the English Premier League.While Zee has now entered the fray, the financial commitment of $60 million highlights the diminishing appetite among traditional broadcasters for marquee sporting events that do not align with prime viewing hours.The Shift Toward Digital MonetizationMarket analysts suggest that the traditional television medium is struggling in India. Karan Taurani, executive vice president at Elara Capital, noted that when it comes to high-value sports, digital platforms are the primary drivers of monetization.“Only a small fraction of people who watch the Indian Premier League will watch the FIFA World Cup,” Taurani explained, adding that an even smaller fraction tune in past midnight. This trend indicates that future sports rights deals in India will likely favor platforms with strong digital capabilities over traditional linear TV networks.