Could Iran’s escalating economic crisis weaken negotiating position with US? 04. May 2026 (07:00) War has combined with battered economy to leave Tehran wondering how hardline it can afford to beIran may not be choking like a stuffed pig as Donald Trump predicted, but its economy is in serious difficulty as a combination of a massive war-damages bill, inflation, currency devaluation, unemployment and a contraction in oil revenues combine to leave the political elite worrying how hardline they can afford to be with their US negotiators. One estimate circulating in Iran’s media suggests the damage to the economy from the US-Israeli attacks is nine times the value of the Iranian budget last year.The UN Development Programme has estimated that 4.1 million more Iranians could fall into poverty. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jim Chalmers rules out fuel excise extension and downplays hopes for tax relief in ‘most responsible’ budget yet 04. May 2026 (06:34) The treasurer also says May federal budget will play ‘helpful, not harmful, role in fight against inflation’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJim Chalmers has warned there will be little room for more cost-of-living support in his fifth and “most responsible” budget yet, as he ruled out an immediate extension of the 26-cent cut to the fuel excise and downplayed hopes for additional tax relief for workers.The treasurer also said Australian voters would forgive Labor for breaking a pre-election vow not to touch negative gearing rules for landlords, which is set to form part of a package that would also scale back the capital gains tax discount in the name of intergenerational fairness. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Security or justice? Syria faces post-Assad reckoning after string of arrests 04. May 2026 (06:30) New government accused of ‘performative justice’ and making deals with suspects in 2013 Tadamon massacresAhmad al-Homsi is a deep sleeper, but when he was woken last month and told that Amjad Youssef, a Syrian intelligence officer who killed civilians in the 2013 Tadamon massacres, had been arrested, he bolted out of bed. He ran into the street to find other people already celebrating the news.“We stayed out for almost three or four days celebrating. People from neighbouring areas sent camels, sheep, livestock for us to slaughter and distribute them to people. The tears of joy didn’t stop,” said al-Homsi, a 33-year-old activist with the Tadamon Coordination Committee, which documented the atrocities in the Damascus neighbourhood. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
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