Reeves may have to U-turn over no more tax rises, warn economists

A dramatic slowdown in economic growth and rising borrowing costs since the budget could undermine the government’s finances and force the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to U-turn on pledges not to further increase taxes, analysts have said.With inflation on the rise again, the London stock market at its lowest point for more than a month and the Bank of England forecasting economic stagnation in the final three months of 2024, the government heads into the Christmas break weighed down by a gloomy outlook for the new year.The prospect of a trade war with the US after Donald Trump is inaugurated in January has also weighed on markets. In statements on social media on Friday, the president-elect threatened the EU with tariffs on exports to the US, which could be extended to include the UK.City economists said the rise in inflation over the past three months would force the Bank to maintain high interest rates, which would weigh on household spending and dent Reeves’s plans to grow the economy

EU should spare carmakers from ‘punitive’ emissions fines, says Scholz

The EU should refrain from “punitive” fines on carmakers that fail to meet emissions standards, the German chancellor has said, adding to the heated debate on the future of the key European industry.Olaf Scholz, who is running for re-election in February at a time when Germany’s biggest carmaker, Volkswagen, is planning unprecedented plant closures in its home market, made the comments after meeting fellow EU leaders in Brussels.His intervention comes days before the sector faces stricter standards on cutting carbon emissions from their new cars. From 2025 until 2029 the average new car in Europe should emit no more than 93.6 grams of CO2 for each kilometre, to get the industry on track for the phase-out of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035

Workers in Saudi Arabia say Amazon failed to compensate them for labor abuses: ‘They played a game against me’

Thirty-three of 44 current and former contract workers who paid large recruiting fees say they didn’t receive refunds after working within the company’s Saudi operations In February, one of the world’s richest employers, Amazon, announced it had refunded nearly $2m to more than 700 overseas workers who had been forced to pay big recruiting fees to get work at the company’s warehouses in Saudi Arabia.It was a rare win for migrant laborers, a class of vulnerable workers who are often targeted for deceptive recruiting tactics and other abuses. One Nepali laborer said he was so shocked when a refund from Amazon appeared in his bank account that he stayed up much of the night, rechecking his account balance on his phone.But not all of the migrants who had worked for Amazon in Saudi Arabia are happy with the online retailer’s efforts to make things right. Many say they never got any reimbursement from the company

Smartphones are an unwelcome distraction | Letters

Channel 4’s Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones deserves a medal (TV review, 11 December). Its emphasis on the pathological effects of smartphone use was convincing. And yet something was missing: that adults are themselves infected by the disease. No one should be using smartphones. They distract those who should be talking naturally with children, helping youngsters’ intellectual development

Tyson Fury weighs in with war cry at 50lb more than Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury will weigh at least 50lb more than Oleksandr Usyk when the two men fight for the world heavyweight championship in Riyadh. At the official weigh-in on Friday night, Fury scaled 281lb while wearing all his clothes, including a heavy black leather jacket to keep him warm in the biting December cold. Usyk, the defending champion, weighed 226lb after removing only his tracksuit top.The 55lb weight discrepancy will be slightly reduced in the ring – but it is striking that Fury weighed 19lb more than he did on the scales before their first fight in May. Usyk was just 3lb heavier than last time and, once he has stripped down to his boxing trunks and boots, he will be very close to the exact weight he was when he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion after he defeated Fury in an extraordinary and very close fight

Bill Beaumont appointed interim RFU chairman as civil war breaks out

Sir Bill Beaumont has been appointed as the interim chairman of the Rugby ­Football Union after Tom Ilube stepped down, sparking a civil war within the organisation amid accusations of “bullying, ­entitlement and elitism” between RFU council factions.On another dramatic day at the RFU, Ilube’s departure comes after an extraordinary emergency ­council meeting on Wednesday with some members accusing others of ­behaving like “a mob”.The announcement of Ilube’s departure came with a statement that he would “stay on to ensure a smooth transition to a new chair as soon as one is in place” but that was met with anger by the council rebels who questioned why he was not ­leaving immediately. It is understood there will be a brief handover period to Beaumont.On Friday a group of council members sent a furious letter to their ­colleagues