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The U-Turn on Redundancies and Offshoring The vocational training body City & Guilds has guaranteed that plans for mass compulsory redundancies and the offshoring of hundreds of UK jobs to Greece will no longer go ahead. The Initial Proposal and Backlash The proposal to remove about 400 UK roles was first reported by the Guardian in December as part of a £22m cost-cutting drive after the acquisition of the charity’s training and awards business by the Greek-owned PeopleCert in October. A presentation prepared for PeopleCert investors had said staff leaving UK roles would be replaced with people abroad. After the sale, about 75 compulsory redundancies were announced. The Financial Impact The union Unite said negotiations with PeopleCert had “secured a financial settlement for the limited number of workers currently being made redundant”, meaning compulsory job losses had been largely avoided. The Impact on City & Guilds and PeopleCert The strategy caused widespread dismay within the training sector and left City & Guilds facing potential legal and industrial action. However, on Thursday the union Unite said negotiations with PeopleCert had secured a financial settlement for the limited number of workers currently being made redundant. The Future Outlook Peter Storey, a regional officer at the union, said: “Unite will remain vigilant of the future direction of travel at City & Guilds under PeopleCert.” A spokesperson for City & Guilds added: “Measures have been agreed to minimise the impact on affected colleagues, maximise opportunities for redeployment and voluntary redundancy, and provide enhanced financial and practical support for those whose roles are ultimately confirmed as redundant.

Bridget Phillipson, the UK education secretary, announced that the introduction of a 20% VAT on private school fees has not sparked the feared exodus of pupils into the state sector.VAT Introduction and Initial ExpectationsThe Labour government pledged a 20% VAT on private school fees starting in 2025, arguing it would raise revenue for hiring an additional 6,500 teachers. Critics, including former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, warned that up to 90,000 children could shift to state schools, potentially overwhelming the system.Admission Data Shows No Surge to State Schools20% VAT applied to private school fees from 2025.Admissions data for England (applications made in October 2025 for September 2026) show no increase in state‑school applications.Overall applications declined for both primary and secondary places this year.85% of families secured their first‑choice secondary place, higher than in 2025 and 2024.Independent‑school enrolments fell 3.8% (‑22,000 pupils) year‑on‑year.VAT revenue is projected to reach £1.8 bn annually by 2029‑30.Why the Expected Shift Didn’t MaterialiseThe Department for Education (DfE) data reveal that the anticipated pressure on state schools never materialised. Central London boroughs with high private‑school attendance, such as Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea, recorded fewer applications, while only Islington saw a slight rise. Demographic factors – a falling birthrate and post‑Brexit population shifts – may be masking any subtle effects of the tax. Moreover, the Independent Schools Council’s claim of 30,000 lost pupils includes schools across the UK, whereas the DfE figures cover England only.Future Outlook for the VAT Policy and School FundingWhile the VAT is delivering higher-than‑expected revenue, the National Audit Office has questioned the DfE’s capacity to translate those funds into the promised 6,500 new teachers. If the revenue stream remains stable, the policy could continue to fund recruitment in secondary, special‑needs and further‑education sectors. However, any future adjustments to the tax will need to consider the limited impact on private‑school enrolments and the broader demographic trends shaping demand for school places.

Japan's Historic 4-0 Victory Over Tunisia Secures World Cup Momentum Japan marked a historic milestone in their footballing journey by delivering a commanding 4-0 performance against Tunisia, effectively sealing their place in the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The victory, achieved in the Asian giants' 1,000th World Cup match, showcased a blend of tactical discipline and clinical finishing that has sent shockwaves through Group F. A Milestone Performance: Japan's Dominance in Monterrey The match in Monterrey was defined by Japan's relentless attacking pressure. Ayase Ueda was the standout performer, securing a brace that underscored his growing importance to the national team. His partnership with Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito proved too potent for the North African side, who struggled to contain the fluid movement of the Japanese midfield. Final Score: Japan 4 - 0 Tunisia Match Significance: Japan's 1,000th World Cup appearance Key Scorers: Ueda (2), Kamada, Ito Group F Dynamics: Japan and the Netherlands Lead the Pack With this emphatic win, Japan has joined the Netherlands at the summit of Group F with four points. This statistical shift places the Asian side in a prime position to advance to the last 32, while Tunisia has been mathematically eliminated from contention for the knockout rounds. Group F Standings: Japan (4 pts), Netherlands (4 pts), Spain (1 pt), Tunisia (0 pts) Tunisia's Status: Eliminated from the 2026 World Cup Tunisia's Elimination and Asian Football's Rise The defeat marks a disappointing end to Tunisia's campaign, highlighting the increasing competitiveness of Asian football on the global stage. Japan's ability to dismantle a North African side that had previously shown resilience demonstrates the gap closing between the two footballing regions. Outlook for the Last 32 As the group stage concludes, Japan is poised to face a challenging path in the knockout rounds. Their performance against Tunisia suggests they possess the tactical flexibility and individual quality required to compete against Europe's elite, setting the stage for a potential deep run in the 2026 tournament.

Leave‑voting areas have experienced a faster relative increase in foreign workers since the Brexit referendum, according to a Guardian investigation that links the trend to widening deprivation in those constituencies.The Surge in Foreign Workers in Leave‑Voting ConstituenciesPay As You Earn data shows non‑UK workers grew most quickly in strong Leave areas between 2016 and 2024.Wigan’s foreign‑born payroll share rose from under 5% in June 2016 to just under 10% by December 2024.Nationally, the foreign‑worker share rose about 40% over the same period.Numbers Behind the Shift: 40% National Rise vs. Doubling in Strong Leave AreasMigration peaked at 944,000 arrivals in the year ending March 2023, driven largely by health‑care visas, before net migration began to fall as visas expired.In constituencies that voted heavily for Leave, the proportion of non‑UK workers more than doubled, while Remain‑voting cities, despite larger absolute gains, lagged in relative growth.Deprivation Gap Widens as Leave Strongholds Lag BehindCombined analysis of deprivation indices shows Leave‑voting seats such as Boston, Skegness, Hartlepool and North Warwickshire fell further behind on health, housing and crime metrics between 2015 and 2025, whereas many Remain‑voting seats (Bristol Central, Clapham, Cambridge) improved.Menon warns the trends “should not be mistaken for cause and effect,” noting pre‑existing economic weakness in many Leave areas.What the Trend Signals for Post‑Brexit BritainRelative growth of foreign workers may make migration a more visible political issue in historically low‑migration locales.Widening deprivation could fuel further political polarization around immigration and economic policy.Analysts suggest that without targeted investment, the gap between Leave and Remain areas may continue to widen, influencing future electoral dynamics.

The Guardian’s Interactive Art Quiz LaunchThe Guardian released a new online quiz on 21 June 2026, inviting readers to test their knowledge of famous artworks, starting with Vincent van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers.Quiz Structure and Featured MasterpiecesThe quiz comprises ten multiple‑choice questions covering a range of European paintings from the 15th to the 19th century. Highlights include:Van Gogh’s Sunflowers – how many versions did he paint?Jean‑Étienne Liotard’s The Lavergne Family Breakfast – medium identification.Sandro Botticelli’s Venus and Mars – patron family.Paul Delaroche’s The Execution of Lady Jane Grey – length of reign.J.M.W. Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire – artist’s birthplace.Numbers Behind the Quiz: Questions, Topics, and ParticipationThe quiz features:10 questions total.5 distinct art periods (Renaissance to 19th‑century Romanticism).Images sourced from the National Gallery, British Museum and other UK collections.Early analytics show an average completion time of 2 minutes and a 78 % correct‑answer rate across the first 5 000 participants.Why Interactive Quizzes Boost Public Engagement with ArtBy turning museum highlights into bite‑size challenges, the Guardian taps into the growing appetite for gamified learning. The format encourages sharing on social media, driving traffic to partner institutions and raising awareness of lesser‑known works.Future of Digital Art Education and Museum PartnershipsSuccess of this quiz suggests more collaborations between news outlets and cultural institutions. Expect deeper integrations such as AR‑enhanced questions, real‑time leaderboards and curated virtual tours that blend education with entertainment.

The Immigration Squeeze Johannesburg, South Africa – In the narrow lanes of Fordsburg in central Johannesburg, Junaid Mohammed* stands behind the counter of a family shop that has been in his family for decades. His father started it as a general dealer. Today, it survives on cheap Chinese imports and shrinking margins. Junaid, who asks us to use a pseudonym, does not call it a decline. He calls it survival. But the bigger change is not what he sells. It is who he employs. Junaid only employs foreign nationals as store assistants and packers. “It was not a deliberate choice,” he says. It began with cost. Then habit. Then necessity. “It became expensive to hire locals,” he says. South Africa’s minimum wage is about $1.87 per hour, roughly $324 per month, plus statutory contributions and strong labour protections. Junaid says he cannot carry it. He pays about $12 a day, below the legal minimum, and hires workers only when business allows. Pressure beyond the Shop Outside, pressure is rising. Across South Africa, vigilante groups such as Operation Dudula and the March and March movement have carried out “citizen raids” on businesses accused of hiring foreign nationals. Some have turned violent. At the same time, the state is tightening enforcement. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned vigilante action and promised to hire 10,000 labour inspectors. For employers like Junaid, the squeeze now comes from both directions. A violation of labour law could shut him down. “I don’t know what I am going to do,” he says. Labour, Law, and Blame Anti-immigrant sentiment has hardened. Some groups blame undocumented migrants for unemployment and demand their removal. The government insists enforcement is about legality, not politics. But its language is blunt. “The reason why you see a number of companies employing illegal foreign immigrants is because, for them, it’s cheap labour. It’s about exploitation. It’s about making profit,” South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Labour Jomo Sibiya, told Al Jazeera. The Inner-City Economy But inside Johannesburg’s inner city, the picture is more layered. Loren Landau, a migration scholar at the University of Oxford, says undocumented labour is concentrated in the sectors hardest to regulate. “On the job front … there are huge advantages to hiring foreigners. You can always threaten them with deportation, or non-payment.” A City Being Reshaped But migrants are also embedded in Johannesburg’s informal economy – running shops, moving goods, sustaining trade in struggling inner-city blocks. Urban planner Tanya Zack says that role is often overlooked. “A lot of money generated by migrants selling fast fashion … is important to an inner city that’s failing. If we could invest in infrastructure and policing to make it safer, you could capture more in the South African economy,” she says. Enforcement without Resolution On the ground, enforcement is visible: raids, arrests, removals. Undocumented nationals from several African countries are being repatriated from South Africa, emboldening anti-immigrant groups. Yet nothing feels settled. Landau says the moment is becoming self-reinforcing. “The day after Ramaphosa’s speech … Operation Dudula was back on the street. They have no reason to stop,” he said.

The Anatomy of the GTA 6 Phishing CampaignScammers are leveraging the immense anticipation surrounding Rockstar Games' upcoming title, which is set to launch on 19 November. The fraudulent operations typically involve two vectors:Phishing Emails: Highly polished emails inviting users to test the game early in exchange for bug reports.Fraudulent Websites: Sites mimicking official Rockstar portals, often using the tagline 'We need you to help us build Vice City.'These sites offer 'beta keys' for Xbox and PlayStation 5, though legitimate plans for these platforms have not been officially announced.The Mechanics of Digital DeceptionThe sophistication of these scams has increased, with criminals utilizing AI to replicate the visual polish of official communication. Once a user engages, the fraudsters demand sensitive information:Personal details (name, address, date of birth).Existing gaming login credentials.Verification details for downloading 'malware' disguised as the game client.Security experts warn that clicking these links can lead to the theft of login credentials for the GTA Online platform and the installation of remote access trojans (RATs).The Rise of AI-Driven Gaming FraudGerald Kasulis, NordVPN's vice-president of global affairs, highlights a troubling trend: the exploitation of gamer psychology. 'You're a gamer, you're waiting for the game, and you get an email that looks really official,' Kasulis explains. The use of AI allows scammers to create convincing URLs and visual designs that bypass basic skepticism, turning the excitement of a new release into a vector for identity theft.The Future of Gaming SecurityAs the gaming industry moves toward more immersive and connected experiences, the attack surface for fraudsters expands. This incident serves as a critical warning for the industry: the $8 billion anticipation surrounding a title like GTA 6 creates a 'perfect storm' for social engineering attacks. Users must remain vigilant, verifying all offers through official channels like Rockstar Games or authorized marketplaces, and changing credentials immediately if they suspect compromise.

Brands are increasingly using AI‑generated influencers to promote products on platforms such as Instagram, often without disclosing that the faces are synthetic, a new investigation reveals. The Rise of AI‑Generated Influencers in Brand Campaigns The Guardian identified several campaigns – from the photo‑app Once to the housing‑design tool Maket and Dubai fashion label Ashle – that feature hyper‑realistic digital humans. Creators are frequently bound by non‑disclosure agreements, preventing them from revealing the AI nature of the content. Quantifying the Hidden AI Content Consumer‑trust study by Which? found 70% of participants could not correctly label real vs. AI videos. AI‑influencer specialist Clarissa Mansbridge estimates 40%‑60% of large‑brand social content is AI‑generated. Regulatory Gaps and Consumer Trust Risks Current EU AI Act rules, effective August, will require labelling of deep‑fakes, but the UK has no comparable mandate. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) says existing advertising rules still apply, focusing on misleading content rather than the use of AI itself. What the Future Holds for AI Influencer Disclosure Experts warn that without clear labelling, consumers may be misled and become targets for scams. Industry observers expect pressure for mandatory AI‑content disclosures to grow, especially as brands experiment with AI avatars to test creative concepts before larger roll‑outs.

The Case of Alan Latham's Struck-Off Companies A prolific film producer, whose projects have starred the likes of Kelsey Grammer and Anna Chancellor, has had scores of his production businesses forcibly removed from the UK’s companies register, leaving workers unable to chase unpaid fees. Compulsory Strike Off and Its Implications Alan Latham, whose low-budget films have previously raised questions over his use of tax credits, has seen 50 of his film businesses compulsorily struck off by Companies House, according to data compiled by the film workers’ union, Bectu. A compulsory strike off occurs when Companies House dissolves a company for failing certain legal obligations, such as ignoring warnings to file annual accounts or statements providing information on shareholders. Failure to make these filings on time is a criminal offence and offending companies are frequently struck off. The Financial Impact on Film Workers However, once a company is removed from the register there is no longer an entity for creditors to make claims against. Film workers have told the Guardian that they have been unable to collect debts owed to them by Latham’s former businesses, including ones that have been struck off. One crew member said she was among a number of film workers beginning their careers who were not fully paid. “We were all young, desperate for work and to prove our worth. We were overly excited – that comes with not understanding – and we were exploited,” she said. The Future of Latham's Film Productions Latham – who remains a director of about another 50 active companies, according to Companies House data – is a well-known figure within the UK film industry. He is credited as a producer on 81 releases dating back to 1996 with two further films in production, according to the online film bible IMDb.com.