Unpaid internships ‘locking out’ young working-class people from careers

UK charity calls for positions of four weeks or longer to be banned to help close social mobility gap

Young people from working-class or disadvantaged backgrounds are being “locked out” of careers by unpaid or low-paid internships that benefit middle-class graduates, according to a social mobility charity.

Research by the Sutton Trust found that middle-class graduates made more use of internships as stepping stones into sectors such as finance or IT, even in cases where the internships paid nothing or below the minimum wage as required by legislation.

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Child mental health admissions to acute wards in England rise 65% in a decade

Hospital wards struggle to cope with rising cases of self-harm and eating disorders, the study warns

The number of children admitted to acute hospital wards in England due to serious concerns over their mental health has increased by 65% in a decade, with a particularly alarming surge in girls who have self-harmed, research reveals.

Doctors are treating almost 40,000 children with acute mental ill health in general wards every year, up from about 24,000 10 years ago. The increase is six times higher than the rise in admissions of children for all conditions (10.1%) over the same period.

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Houthis Release Hijacked Crew and Signal End to Red Sea Attacks – The Wall Street Journal

  1. Houthis Release Hijacked Crew and Signal End to Red Sea Attacks  The Wall Street Journal
  2. Crew of hijacked ship Galaxy Leader freed by Yemen’s Houthis  Al Jazeera English
  3. Houthis Release Galaxy Leader Crew; Trump Designates Group a Foreign Terrorist Organization  USNI News
  4. Houthis release crew of Israel-linked ship over a year after seizure off Yemen coast  The Times of Israel
  5. Houthis Free the Crew of a Cargo Ship They Hijacked 14 Months Ago  The New York Times
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New California fire spurs evacuations as residents endure dangerous winds

Hughes fire ignites north of Los Angeles late Wednesday morning as Eaton and Palisades fires burn for third week

Additional evacuations were ordered for residents near a large fast-moving wildfire north of Los Angeles, as parched southern California endured another round of dangerous winds ahead of possible rain over the weekend.

The Hughes fire broke out late on Wednesday morning and quickly ripped through nearly 5,000 acresof trees and brush, sending up an enormous plume of dark smoke near Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area about 40 miles (64 km) from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week.

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Academy says Oscars will go on as planned and ‘honor’ LA amid fires

Letter from Academy leadership also says show will ‘move away’ from live performances to celebrate songwriters

The Oscars will go on as planned in March, though with special accommodations to acknowledge to devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a new update from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

A letter from the CEO, Bill Kramer, and president Janet Yang, sent to all members on Wednesday, confirmed that the ceremony will “celebrate the work that unites us as a global film community and acknowledge those who fought so bravely against the wildfires”.

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House Republicans form new January 6 panel in attempt to undercut past inquiry

Mike Johnson says party has ‘exposed the false narratives’ of the attack but that ‘there is still more work to be done’

House Republicans will continue investigating the January 6 insurrection, attempting to undermine the prior investigation that found Donald Trump responsible and rewrite the narrative about the deadly Capitol siege.

House speaker Mike Johnson announced on Wednesday that a new select subcommittee will be formed to investigate “all events leading up to and after January 6”. The move comes after the president pardoned or commuted sentences for every defendant convicted for their roles in January 6, including those convicted of violence against Capitol police and the leaders of extremist groups.

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‘Rising star’: Europe made more electricity from solar than coal in 2024

Report reveals solar power generated 11% of Europe’s electricity, surpassing coal at 10%

Europe made more electricity from sunshine than coal last year, a report has found, in what analysts called a “milestone” for the clean energy transition.

Solar panels generated 11% of the EU’s electricity in 2024, while coal-burning power plants generated 10%, according to data from climate thinktank Ember. The role of fossil gas fell for the fifth year in a row to cover 16% of the electricity mix.

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Witkoff says Trump directed him to get Gaza ceasefire to next phase – Middle East Eye

  1. Witkoff says Trump directed him to get Gaza ceasefire to next phase  Middle East Eye
  2. Trump’s Middle East envoy will enter Gaza as part of ‘inspection team’  Al Jazeera English
  3. Steve Witkoff: Trump’s man in the room for Gaza negotiations  NBC News
  4. Trump's envoy says he'll be part of Gaza ceasefire inspections  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Trump envoy says Gaza ceasefire could pave way for Mideast normalization deal: 'Inflection point'  Fox News
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The Gaza ceasefire is stoking violence in the West Bank – The Economist

  1. The Gaza ceasefire is stoking violence in the West Bank  The Economist
  2. LIVE: Israel’s deadly West Bank raids continue as Gaza ceasefire holds  Al Jazeera English
  3. Israeli Forces Kill 2 Men in Jenin Who They Say Were Wanted for Murder  The New York Times
  4. Middle East latest: Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian militants who carried out West Bank bus attack  The Associated Press
  5. Violence erupts in West Bank as settlers attack, Israel raids Jenin  The Washington Post
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Closing UK parliament’s bars could put MPs at risk, says Commons leader

Lucy Powell said MPs and their aides would be ‘less well protected’ if they drank outside the Palace of Westminster

Closing all bars on the parliamentary estate could lead to security risks for MPs, the leader of the House of Commons has said.

The famous Strangers’ Bar in the Palace of Westminster has been temporarily closed while police investigate an alleged spiking incident. It is understood to have taken place on 7 January at about 6.30pm.

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