Young people bearing brunt of UK jobs downturn, thinktank warns

Young people are bearing the brunt of Britain’s jobs downturn, according to a report, before official figures this week that are expected to show the UK unemployment rate rising to 5.1%.The Resolution Foundation thinktank said a “jobs deficit” was pushing a growing number of graduates and non-graduates into unemployment as employers reduced hiring.City economists expect the unemployment rate to have edged up from 5% in September to 5.1% in October, in Tuesday’s update from the Office for National Statistics

Prem Rugby to seek investors if RFU backs relegation-free franchise league

Prem Rugby is planning to launch a tender process to secure external investment in the competition after it has received formal approval from the Rugby Football Union to become a closed franchise league, which it expects will happen next year.The English top division engaged the investment bank Raine Group and the accountancy firm Deloitte to conduct a review of the sport’s finances and potential funding options this year, and is preparing to go to market in the second quarter of 2026.The Prem sold 27% of its commercial rights to the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for around £200m six years ago, and will seek a further cash injection after a turbulent few years that resulted in three of its former clubs – Wasps, London Irish and Worcester Warriors – filing for bankruptcy.The New York-based Raine is understood to have attracted several inquiries from American investors looking to buy into English sport during its review, with interest in rugby expected to grow further before the 2031 World Cup, which will take place in the United States.The Prem has yet to decide whether to sell another stake or take on borrowing, with several different options expected to feature in the tender

The 12 condiments of Christmas

Salt, sweet, bitter, acid, umami. While we don’t think to use too much “sweet” before dessert, it can counterbalance and enhance other flavours. Maple syrup is my sweetener of choice during the holidays because it just tastes cozy. Add it to roasted root vegetables or a poultry glaze, and it’s especially tasty in drinks, from hot apple cider to eggnog and even mulled wine.I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like butter, or ooh and ah at a homemade one

Europe’s housing costs akin to ‘new pandemic’, warns Barcelona mayor

The soaring cost of housing is akin to a “new pandemic” sweeping across Europe, the mayor of Barcelona has said, as he and 16 other city leaders urged the EU to respond to the crisis by unleashing billions in funding for the hardest-hit areas.The EU is expected to present its first-ever housing plan on Tuesday, after consultations with experts, stakeholders and the public. For months, those on the frontlines of the crisis have warned the problem is too big to ignore.“The new pandemic affecting European cities is called the cost of housing,” said Jaume Collboni, the mayor of Barcelona, who launched the Mayors for Housing alliance last year with the support of his counterparts in Paris and Rome.“And in the face of this new pandemic, European institutions – as they did with Covid – must allocate extraordinary funds to promote the construction of affordable housing for young people, working families and the urban middle classes

Call for system that frees rape suspects as alternative to bail to be scrapped in England and Wales

Hundreds of suspected rapists in England and Wales are spending years released under investigation, under a system that the government has been urged to scrap as it “doesn’t serve anyone’s interests apart from the police”.Introduced under the Policing & Crime Act 2017, released under investigation (RUI) allows police an alternative to bail, without the set timeframes or conditions attached to police bail.However, it has meant that suspects are often spending many years “under investigation”, with no statutory time limits holding the police to account on charging decisions.Campaigners have called for RUI to be scrapped, saying it leads to uncertainty and distress for both the victim and the accused, and, particularly when coupled with delays in the court system, evidence can deteriorate over time and victims can withdraw their support for prosecutions, creating an overall barrier to justice being done.It is a particular problem in cases such as rape and sexual assault, in which there is often little physical evidence, and which often rely heavily on the account of the victim

Reeves’s planning overhaul stalls as senior adviser quits after four months

Rachel Reeves’s attempts to overhaul Britain’s planning laws have been dealt a blow after a senior lawyer whom she appointed as an adviser decided to leave the government after just four months.Catherine Howard will leave the Treasury when her contract ends on 1 January, despite having been asked informally to stay on indefinitely.Howard is understood to have warned the government against pushing ahead immediately with some of its more radical proposals to sweep aside planning regulations in an effort to encourage more infrastructure projects.Her decision to leave the post comes amid disagreements at the top of government about how far to push its deregulation agenda, with some senior officials warning that Keir Starmer’s latest attempt to kickstart major building schemes could damage EU relations.Disquiet is also growing among some Labour MPs, with 30 writing to the prime minister this week urging not to push ahead with some of his more radical planning reforms