The Government is set to unveil new plans to counter what it has described as the “quiet crisis” of youth unemployment.
Alan Milburn, the Government’s jobs adviser, is set to publish a review looking at the reasons why 946,000 young people aged 16 to 24 aren’t in education, employment or training (Neets).
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has warned that the impact of youth unemployment could scar young people for the rest of their lives and is set to announce plans for 300,000 extra work experience placements over the next three years, it is reported.
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Peter Murrell (Photo Andy Buchanan – POOL/Getty Images)
crime
Cars, iPads and Fifa: What Murrell bought
Disgraced ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell is awaiting sentencing after admitting embezzling £400,310 from the party he once headed.
The list of luxury items he bought using the stolen funds runs to about 100 pages and ranges from luxury watches and a Jaguar to a robotic lawnmower and a £3,500 silver wine coaster. He also bought computers and games including Fifa 14.
Everything you need to know
Cars and a motorhome
Murrell, 61, bought a Jaguar iPace luxury SUV partly using party funds, as well as a £125,000 motorhome.
Car giant Jaguar Land Rover is giving a business update on Thursday which is expected to include job losses as well as investment plans (Photo: PA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 05: Atmosphere at the Montblanc x The Webster Collaboration Launch Event at The Webster on November 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Montblanc)
Pens and grinders
He splurged £9,350 on Bremont watches and £1,407 on Montblanc pens. £2,618 went on salt and pepper grinders.
Coffee and wine
Murrell enjoyed coffee, including a £3,233 espresso machine. He also spent £50 on a Le Creuset wine pourer.
A 12-year spending splurge
The former SNP chief executive stole from his party at a jaw-dropping scale between 2010 and 2022. Using funds earmarked for campaigning, Murrell’s spending ranged from box sets of Sherlock Holmes DVDs to a £2,495 jewellery box and £165 musical advent calendar.
Murrell’s estranged wife, former SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has insisted she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” that her husband was using party funds for personal purposes. She said she was unaware of many of the items he bought, including the campervan he parked on his mother’s driveway.
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 MONDAY APRIL 13
File photo dated 03/01/18 of the icons of social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp, is displayed on a mobile phone screen in London. A failing social media ban would create “a false sense of safety that quickly unravels”, an online safety campaigner has warned before a debate in Parliament about children’s digital rights. Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, warned new polling raised “major questions about the effectiveness” of a social media ban in Australia, where children aged under 16 are not allowed to have accounts. Issue date: Monday April 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Photographer: Yui Mok
Provider: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Source: PA Wire
health
Social media as bad as smoking, medics warn
The UK’s most senior doctors have warned that social media use ranks alongside smoking as a threat to the health of young people.
A submission to a Government consultation cites evidence of physical and mental health problems caused by watching extreme violence online as one reason why there should be curbs in social media use for under-16s.
What you need to know
The report by the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges warns of an epidemic of harms to children caused by exposure to “hateful, addictive and grossly distressing content” via social media.
Clinicians warn of a “wave of radicalised children” driven to actions including killing family pets and joining suicide pacts after watching online material.
While the submission will increase the pressure on Keir Starmer to commit to a ban on social media for under-16s, there is not yet a consensus that screen time overall damages young people.
Demands grow for partial social media ban for under-16s
Former health secretary Wes Streeting has called for teenagers to be barred from accessing some social media platforms, arguing tech giants are borrowing from the “big tobacco playbook” to avoid regulation.
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BBC handout photo of former health secretary Wes Streeting being interviewed by Nick Robinson on the BBC1 current affairs programme, on Political Thinking. Picture date: Wednesday May 20, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire
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Caption: FILE PHOTO: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and Reddit applications are displayed on a mobile phone ahead of new law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia, in this picture illustration taken on December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/Illustration/File Photo
Photographer: Hollie Adams
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Source: REUTERS
Streeting told The Guardian a ban of under-16s “must be the start, not the end” of measures to curb social media’s influence on young peole. A Government consultation on an age limit closes shortly, with a decision expected within weeks.
mUSIC
Ozzy Osboure to return as an AI avatar
Ozzy Osbourne died just two weeks after his last-ever gig in Birmingham (Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty)
Ozzy Osbourne is to be resurrected as a life-sized AI avatar capable of communicating with his fans and admirers around the world, the late British-born rocker’s family have announced.
Some fans have, however, expressed dismay and said they are unconvinced that the former Black Sabbath frontman would have wanted his image used in posthumous advertising.
What you need to know
A year after his death at the age of 76, Osbourne is to be relaunched as an interactive digital clone via touchscreens placed at locations in the UK and US.
His son Jack and widow Sharon, who are working with two tech companies, said it was “scary” how accurate the Ozzy avatar is. Sharon said she wanted take the product around the world.
The avatar’s developers said it would “have conversations with fans and move, speak, and respond as Ozzy would”.
‘It’s gonna be so tasteful’
Jack Osbourne rejected claims that the avatar risks being distasteful. He said: “It’s gonna be so tasteful what we’re doing. This isn’t just hooking up an image of my dad to ChatGPT.”
Ozzy Osbourne was flummoxed by his celebrity lifestyle (Photo: MTV Networks)
Caption: FILE – Metal-rock star Ozzy Osbourne holds a replica of his new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as he poses with his family during a ceremony on April 12, 2002, in Los Angeles. Pictured with Osbourne, from left, are Aimee, Sharon, Kelly, Jack and Louis. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
Photographer: NICK UT
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Source: AP
The Birmingham-born singer is not the first music legend to receive the hologram treatment. Roy Orbison, Tupac Shakur and Maria Callas have all been recreated as 3D avatars. Meanwhile, thousands gather each week to watch Sweden’s most famous band perform as holograms at London’s ABBA Voyage.
Courts
Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial begins – what we know
Jeffrey Donaldson stepped down as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) earlier this year (Photo: Lorraine O’Sullivan/Reuters)
Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland, arrived at court in Newry for the start of his trial on historical sexual abuse charges today.
The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences, including rape and indecent assault, over a 23-year period starting in 1985.
What you need to know
Donaldson has been a key figure in Ulster politics, serving as DUP leader at the time of his arrest in 2024. His subsequent resignation came weeks after he led his party back into devolved government.
The charges against him include a single count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency between 1985 and 2008. They involve two alleged victims.
The opening day of the trial at Newry Courthouse in County Down is expected to be focused on jury selection. Donaldson, the former MP for Lagan Valley, arrived just after 9am.
Trial of facts for Donaldson’s wife
The former DUP leader’s wife, Lady Eleanor, 60, denies several charges of aiding and abetting her husband’s alleged offending. Rather than facing a full criminal trial, she will face a trial of facts which cannot result in a criminal conviction.
Caption: FILE PHOTO: Eleanor Donaldson, co-accused and wife of Jeffrey Donaldson, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) charged with historical sex offences, arrives at Newry Magistrates Court for a preliminary enquiry, in Newry, Northern Ireland, July 3, 2024. REUTERS/Damien Eagers/File Photo
Photographer: Damien Eagers
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, outside the Newry Magistrates Court, in Newry, Northern Ireland (Photo: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)
This is because the judge, Paul Ramsey, has ruled that Lady Eleanor is unfit to stand trial on mental health grounds. The jury trying Donaldson will simultaneoulsy hear the trial of facts to test the evidence against her. Lady Eleanor will not attend court.
NEWS
BP removes chairman Albert Manifold after ‘serious concerns’ over conduct
Caption: Albert Manifold, chief executive officer of CRH Plc, left, pauses during a Bloomberg Television interview in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014. CRH, the biggest company on the benchmark Irish stock index, said it may spend as much as 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) on acquisitions over the next 18 months, after the building-materials supplier reported a 27 percent increase in first-half earnings. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photographer: Bloomberg
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Source: Bloomberg
BP has removed chairman Albert Manifold in the face of “serious concerns” related to his conduct, oversight and governance at the oil giant.
The London-listed firm said its board “unanimously decided that [he] should no longer serve as chair and director with immediate effect”.
Albert has helped bring a welcome focus and pace to BP’s transformation. However, the board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action
Amanda Blanc, senior independent director at BP
Caption: SHENZHEN, CHINA – APRIL 26: A BP electric vehicle charging station is seen beside parked cars on April 26, 2026, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. BP is a British multinational energy company expanding its presence in electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the global transition to cleaner energy. (Photo by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
Photographer: Cheng Xin
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Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
What happens now?
The board has appointed Ian Tyler as interim chairman and launched a search process for a permanent replacement.
Shares in BP dropped by as much as 5 per cent after Manifold’s departure was confirmed.
Exclusive
4 min read
Exclusive
5 min read
Children among four dead in crash between train and school minibus in Belgium
Two children, aged 12 and 15, and two adults have been killed after a collision between a train and a minibus carrying pupils with special needs to school in Buggenhout, north of Brussels.
Caption: This photograph shows a damaged bus at the site of an accident after a train crashed into a school bus, at the railway crossing Vierhuizen in Buggenhout, some 20kms north of Brussels on May 26, 2026. Four people, including two children were killed when a train hit a school minibus in northern Belgium, the country’s deputy prime minister said. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: JOHN THYS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
What you need to know
The white minibus was carrying seven children to a special needs school, plus a driver and a chaperone, when it was struck by the train at 8am local time (7am BST) on Tuesday.
The Belgian authorities have confirmed the deaths of two of the children and the two adults. The remaining five children, all believed to be of secondary school age, are in a critical but stable condition.
The public prosecutor said that nobody on the commuter train was hurt, although one person was being treated for shock.
Minibus ‘crossed into path of train while barrier was down’
The public prosecutor for the Buggenhout region said it appeared that the accident had happened when the minibus turned onto a level crossing after the barrier had been lowered. The train had been slowing to enter a station but could not avoid a collision.
Caption: This video grab shows rescue workers on the scene of a crash between a train and vehicle in Buggenhout, Belgium, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (VTM via AP)
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Source: VTM
Caption: This photograph shows the site of an accident after a train crashed into a school bus, at the railway crossing Vierhuizen in Buggenhout on May 26, 2026. (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA / AFP via Getty Images) / Belgium OUT
Photographer: DIRK WAEM
Provider: BELGA/AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Witnesses described the crumpled minibus thrown some distance by the crash. The authorities said CCTV footage showed that the lights on the crossing were red and the barrier lowered. But they added it was too early to apportion blame for the tragedy.
health
How a urine test for lung cancer will work
Photographer: Westend61
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Source: Westend61
Copyright: Westend61 / Andrew Brookes
A simple urine test for lung cancer could be available on the NHS in as little as five years, according to scientists.
The new diagnostic tool detects proteins in cells which act as a possible indicator of the early stages of the disease. Around 35,000 people die in the UK from lung cancer each year, making it the country’s most lethal cancer.
What you need to know
The pioneering test targets so-called “zombie” cell proteins in the body, which act as early-warning signals for the earliest stages of lung cancer.
The cell proteins are alive in the body but are unable to grow or divide. Instead, they cause tissue damage by affecting their immediate environment to help promote cancerous cells.
A team of scientists led by Cambridge University has developed an injectable biological sensor which interacts with the zombie cells. This then produces a easily detectable compound which is released into urine.
Novel tests for cancer detection
The lung cancer test has the potential to detect the disease months or years earlier than current techniques. While more work is needed it is one of a spectrum of emerging diagnostic tools revolutionising treatment.
Caption: Lung cancer, illustration
Photographer: SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOT
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Source: Science Photo Library RF
Copyright: Science Photo Library
Caption: Screen grab taken from PA Video dated 27/04/26 of a nurse preparing a new one-minute injection for more than a dozen cancers, at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire. The immunotherapy injection, being rolled out on the NHS, works by telling the body’s immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells and is powerful against several types of the disease, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical cancer. Issue date: Monday May 4, 2026. PA Photo. Until now, patients have had to spend long periods on a drip to get the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) into their system. Photo credit should read: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Shivansh Gupta
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Rather than invasive surgical biopsies, doctors can use a simple blood sample to detect the tiny fragments of tumour DNA. The interpretation of scans for breast cancer is being radically improved by AI. And portable handheld sensors are being developed with the aim of conducting screenings from a drop of blood.
Caption: Embargoed to 2330 Tuesday July 29
File photo dated 27/04/25 of a half-pounder burger and chips in a takeaway carton. Academics have found a link between consuming high levels of ultra processed foods (UPFs) and lung cancer. An international team of researchers tracked the health and food habits of more than 100,000 US adults, with an average age of 63. After an average of 12 years the team identified 1,706 cases of lung cancer. Issue date: Tuesday July 29, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Philip Toscano/PA Wire
Photographer: Philip Toscano
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Source: PA
health
The real reason UPFs are bad for us
Junk food may be unhealthy as much for its softness as its high content of fats, sugars and artificial ingredients, according to researchers.
Softer textured ultra-processed foods (UPFs) tend to be eaten more quickly, meaning people eat more calories before their bodies signal satiety. By eating slightly chewier UPFs, fewer calories are consumed.
Everything you need to know
CO2 shortages would impact on pig slaughter, potentially affecting bacon and sausages (Photo: Nicholas.T.Ansell/PA Wire
Source: PA)
Take your time
Dutch scientists compared a UPF diet that takes slightly longer to eat with an intake of regular junk food.
Soft food guzzling
The texture and energy density of normal UPFs meant over-consumption was reached before feeling full.
(Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Home-baked wholemeal glutenfree bread and bread knife on brown paper – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Chews to lose weight
Those placed on a “slow” UPF diet featuring brown bread or high-fibre cereal ate 370 fewer calories per day.
How processed foods ‘can be part of a healthier diet’
UPFs are foods which have been altered or processed in any way. This includes things that may be seen as fairly healthy such as sliced bread or flavoured yoghurts. The study used foods available in a supermarket which take a little longer to eat. The results suggest people do not need to cut out all processed foods to eat more healthily.
Analysis
3 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
We take a look at what the proposals will mean – and how another European country is tackling the issue of youth unemployment.
What does Milburn’s report address?
Milburn told The i Paper he believes young people who want to work are being let down by a welfare system which is not built to support them.
The former Labour health secretary’s review will blame a “catastrophic system failure” for young people remaining on health and disability benefits, according to The Times.
Under the current system, £1 is spent on employment support for young people for every £25 spent on benefits.
Milburn’s review found young people who receive personal independence payments (PIP) are less likely to work as they get older, with only a quarter of 24-year-old PIP recipients in work.
And under half of all benefits spending, including PIP and universal credit, required recipients to look for work or support to find employment.
What does Milburn say about the problem?
His interim report will say that a “rising tide of mental ill-health, anxiety, depression, neurodiversity” is the main cause of high economic inactivity, according to The Times.
It is set to warn that young people on benefits who want to return to work may be deterred from doing so as they could lose up to £2,000 a month.
“There is almost no intermediate step – no gradual build-up, no trial period that genuinely removes the fear of losing everything if a job does not work out,” the report states.
“The welfare system presents young people with a perverse choice. For a young person with a health condition, the pathway to inactivity can offer higher income, less hassle and lower risk than trying to find work.”
How does the UK compare to Europe?
Austria has consistently had some of the lowest youth unemployment rates in Europe, and their policies have served as a blueprint for a broader EU scheme on the issue.
Currently, Austria’s youth unemployment rate sits at around 11 per cent, with only the Czech Republic (10 per cent), the Netherlands (9 per cent) and Germany (7 per cent) lower among other EU nations.
Their rates compare to youth unemployment of just over 16 per cent in the UK.
Austria has been focusing on young people in its employment policy for years, building on its Youth Guarantee introduced in 2014.
Under the Austrian Youth Guarantee, every young person up to the age of 18 can access an apprenticeship after registering with the Public Employment Service (AMS).
If young people under 18 can’t find a regular apprenticeship in the private sector, the state will provide training and education so they are not left behind.
The guarantee acts an early-intervention system, preventing youth from languishing on benefits.
Strategies have also been developed to ease the transition from school to work and cut dropouts from school.
Young jobseekers up to the age of 25 are also guaranteed an apprenticeship position, tailored employment or training within three months of registering with the AMS.