Thousands of young people will be offered work placements at companies including McDonald’s and Boots as the Government battles to control a welfare bill forecast to reach £333.7bn this year.
Working-age benefits including universal credit already account for £145bn of that total, according to data from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) – a figure ministers hope to shrink by moving long-term claimants into paid work.
Without intervention, the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts total welfare spending will exceed £408bn by 2030-31.
Top Gear to return to BBC – everything we know
The BBC has confirmed is returning to the broadcaster. The show has been on hiatus since presenter Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was almost killed during filming in December 2022.
What we know so far
The BBC’s director of entertainment Ed Havard confirmed the news of the return at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday. He said: “There has been a lot of speculation about this and we can confirm that is coming back.”
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What happened to Flintoff?
Following the crash, the BBC announced would not be returning “for the foreseeable future”, explaining it had “decided to rest the UK show”.
Who will host now?
- Havard declined to comment on reports that Jimmy Carr is being lined up as the show’s new host.
- However, reports claim talks are underway with the comedian.
- Joe Marler, a former rugby player who appeared in last year, is also being eyed by the BBC, according to Deadline.
- No deals are thought to be in place.
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The back story
- It enjoyed a second life when Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness and Flintoff took over hosting duties from Matt LeBlanc and Chris Evans, before the crash involving Flintoff occurred.
Liver disease cases linked to obesity up five-fold
Cases of a linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes have risen five-fold in a decade, a study has found.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) happens when in the liver and is left undiagnosed, researchers said.
What are the symptoms?
- Symptoms include feeling very tired or generally unwell, and pain in the abdomen.
- People who are overweight or not active are more likely to develop MASLD.
- Those who have type 2 diabetes, are over 50, or have high blood pressure are also more at risk.
- New diagnoses doubled from 2012 to 2022, and those diagnosed with the condition were three times as likely to have type 2 diabetes, analysis of GP records found.
A closer look at the findings
The study by researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Glasgow found that 2.4 per cent of adults – 283,762 people had the disease in 2022, up from 0.02 per cent (1,300 people) in 2003.
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The expert view
The diagnostic gap remains large compared to expected rates. At-risk groups such as those living with type 2 diabetes and obesity should be identified and -finding actively pursued
researchers at Queen Mary University and University Glasgow
More on health from The i Paper
Thunderstorms expected across England and Wales
Flooding has hit part of the West Midlands as are expected across large areas of England and Wales.
A yellow thunderstorm has been issued from 5am until 10pm on Thursday.
What the warning says
The yellow warning covers swathes of the country, from Norwich and London to Cardiff and Manchester.
Some areas could see 50-75mm of rainfall on Thursday, as well as lightning and hail, which could cause disruption.
Warm temperatures with highs of 27°C or 28°C are expected, and there is a small chance some areas could see more than 75mm of rainfall.
Where the warning is in place
What happened in Birmingham?
There has been significant flooding in Birmingham. A flood warning was issued for the Perry Barr area on Wednesday night due to rising river levels.
The Environment Agency has issued 22 flooding alerts – meaning flooding is possible – in the Midlands and South East.
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The forecast for the rest of the week
- Further heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected on Friday across the UK.
- Further rain will move in on Saturday, followed by a mix of sunshine and showers on Sunday and Monday.
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Dozens of Britons missing in deadly Nepal flood
More than 160 people have died and hundreds are missing, including , after a devastating flash flood on the Nepal–Tibet border.
What happened?
- Floodwater swept along the Bhote Koshi river in Rasuwa region, in the Himalayas, at around 8.30am local time on Wednesday, destroying roads and washing away houses and bridges.
- More than 40 people were injured in the tragedy and are receiving treatment in hospital.
- Nepali officials said a further 826 people are missing, the majority of them tourists, including 33 Britons.
- Around 2,000 military personnel have been deployed by the Nepali army to assist with search and rescue operations.
What is known about the missing Britons?
Among the 33 Britons missing, 12 were with one tour company. Ram Kumar Adhikari, manager of Alpine Eco Trek, said the group included a 13-year-old girl, with the oldest member aged 65.
He said they had passed Chinese border controls to enter Tibet.
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The flood in pictures
Plug-in solar panels go on sale – what you need to know
New rules mean that people can now buy plug-in solar panels online and in shops.
Retailers will begin selling them from Thursday, meaning solar power can run into the home network using an ordinary plug.
What you need to know
A kit can produce up to 800W of power, enough to generate up to 20 per cent of an average home’s electricity, officials say.
This should equate to savings of around £110 annually on bills. As they appear on shelves, ministers say prices could start off higher, but they expect them to average out at around £400-£600.
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Who will sell them?
Argos has confirmed it will sell the kits from Thursday and Amazon is expected to follow suit soon.
Other retailers, including Currys, B&Q, Screwfix and Wickes have committed to stocking the plug-in panels.
Why are they only on sale now?
The sale of the technology was previously restricted because of safety and wiring standards.
The legal change follows rigorous, independent safety checks which show the panels are safe, according to officials.
Can everyone have one?
It depends on your property and its rules. You may still require consent from landlords, building owners, councils, freeholders, planning permission or listed building consent.
- Officials have advised people to check if any permissions are required for their home before buying or installing the techology.
The young Maga women whitewashing Trump’s presidency
The make-up of Donald Trump‘s inner circle has come under scrutiny after US Senator Jon Ossoff remarked on the President’s close relationship with his executive assistant, Natalie Harp.
The episode has highlighted how Trump has surrounded himself with young, perfectly groomed Maga women in the White House.
Leavitt has been perhaps the most prominent of these women as White House press secretary. She recently announced she would step down at the end of August to focus on her family.
- Upon her appointment to the post, she became known for her combative style, quick thinking and pushing false claims. She was often described a Trump’s “attack dog”.
Martin, communications adviser and special assistant to Trump, has been tipped as a possible replacement for Leavitt. She is the President’s leading content creator, often posting photo dumps and reels of events she has attended with Trump.
She was accused of “whitewashing and sanitising” Trump’s Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin by Azza Cohen, Kamala Harris’s official White House videographer.
Kelly is also in the running to replace Leavitt, who she has worked under as White House deputy press secretary.
The 29-year-old is a former beauty queen with a master’s in political management, and has followed Leavitt in attacking journalists and defending Trump.
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The President and Harp have a very close working relationship.
She also reportedly left him notes saying, “you are all that matters to me” and, “I want to bring you joy”.
A closer look at Ossoff’s comments
Ossoff made his comments after it emerged that Harp was one of the few aides who went with the President when he secretly switched planes after a Nato summit in Turkey last month, because of a possible Iranian threat.
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Mpox arrives in new countries – how worried should you be?
Since 2022, there have been nearly 190,000 lab-confirmed cases of mpox, but a fresh outbreak in the small West-African nation of Guinea-Bissau means the virus is back on the global agenda.
What we know about the new outbreak
Cases had not been reported in Guinea-Bissau before the latest outbreak, with 23 of the 46 reported cases being children under the age of 15.
The confirmed cases do not appear to be linked, suggesting the virus is circulating more widely and there are unidentified cases.
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Why is it spreading?
In the last major global outbreak in 2022, mpox appeared to undergo changes which meant it spread more efficiently from person to person, passing via close contact.
- This more infectious version of the disease means that it spreads more easily in places like West Africa as there are areas where many people live closely together, such as refugee camps.
Vaccines and treatments
The WHO recommends two vaccines, but the issue of availability is particularly pressing in poorer nations.
A new global stockpile is set to be launched within weeks, meaning vaccines can be deployed more quickly to stop outbreaks.
But they do not stop outbreaks alone, with experts calling for better contact tracing, early detection, strong public health surveillance and supportive care.
The push comes as the number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) reached 981,000 between April and June this year, according to the Office for National Statistics – around 13 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds, and 3 per cent higher than the same period last year.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said 90,000 fully funded jobs for 18- to 24-year-olds will be created by 2029 through the Government’s Jobs Guarantee scheme. It is part of the Youth Guarantee programme, a £2.5bn drive to tackle youth unemployment, which will also include the creation of 150,000 paid and unpaid work experience placements with major brands.
What exactly is the Jobs Guarantee scheme?
The scheme gives 18- to 24-year-olds guaranteed paid work if they’ve been on universal credit for 18 months or longer without work or training.
The Government pays the company the equivalent of 25 hours a week at the minimum wage for six months, plus pension contributions.
It was piloted in six areas last year – Birmingham and Solihull, the East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire and Essex, Central and East Scotland, and South East and South West Wales – and is due to roll out nationwide from November.
The i Paper understands that there are no specific sanctions for refusing jobs offered to benefit claimants as part of the Jobs Guarantee scheme.
Refusing a placement is treated the same as turning down any other job offer under standard universal credit rules. Claimants who turn down a job without a good reason can have their standard allowance – the main part of universal credit that all claimants get – cut for a set amount of time.
This can be 13 weeks on a first failure, rising to 26 weeks for a second failure within 36 weeks, according to Government guidance.
The Jobs Guarantee falls under the Youth Guarantee scheme, which the government set out in November 2024. This is a national strategy which aims to ensure that every young person aged 16 to 24 has access to employment, training or education, and is backed by £2.5bn in funding over the next three years.
Other parts of the scheme include the Youth Jobs Grant, launched in June 2026, which gives employers a £3,000 bonus to hire young people who have been looking for work for six months.
Employers hiring through the project
More than 400 employers are involved with the scheme, The i Paper understands, with participating companies ranging from small local businesses to multinational corporations.
They include Boots, which has taken on its first cohort of recruits in warehouse, customer service and administrative roles at its Nottingham headquarters.
Mitchells & Butlers, the pub and restaurant group behind All Bar One and Toby Carvery, has committed to 12 placements through the scheme’s first phase.
Merlin Entertainments, which operates Legoland Windsor and Alton Towers, has pledged 300 roles, with the DWP saying most will be delivered through the Jobs Guarantee.
OCS, a facilities management firm, has also committed to taking on staff through the scheme in roles such as cleaning, security and catering.
Work placements, apprenticeships and careers support
Several employers are supporting the wider Youth Guarantee by expanding their own work experience, internship and apprenticeship offerings, rather than through Jobs Guarantee placements.
Sainsbury’s is offering 10,000 unpaid internships for young people, which are set to include workplace visits, career workshops and hands-on placements across England, Scotland and Wales.
McDonald’s has also launched a 2,500-place paid work experience programme spanning restaurant and head office roles, with a guaranteed interview at the end.
Pinewood Studios – one of the UK’s largest film and TV studios – is also supporting the Youth Guarantee. It runs the Behind the Screens programme, which gives six-month paid work placements in the sector for young people out of work.
The Premier League is supporting the expansion of Youth Hubs across Great Britain, offering young people access to CV advice, skills training, careers guidance and mental health support, according to the DWP.
Tui, B&M, JD Group, Home Bargains and Leonardo Hotels are among the 66 employers that had indicated to the DWP they would take part in the scheme, The i Paper reported in January, though none of these commitments have since been confirmed.