Despite widespread speculation and predictions of a mass exodus, newly published admissions data for England shows no significant influx of pupils into state schools following the introduction of 20% VAT on private school fees. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated the data proves critics wrong, emphasizing a rebalancing towards state schools.
Taipei City Councilor Hsu Shu-hua highlighted issues with old building data, where a 60-year-old property in Xinyi District, despite near 90% resident consent for urban renewal, was rejected due to mismatched building permits. The city aims to streamline the process for over 12,000 old buildings.
UK employers shed 100,000 jobs in April, the steepest monthly decline in five years, driven by soaring energy costs and economic uncertainty linked to the Iran conflict. Unemployment rose to 5% as wage growth slowed.
UK unemployment unexpectedly fell to 4.9% in the three months to February from 5.2% in January, contrary to economist expectations. However, payroll data showed 11,000 fewer workers in March, and the EY Item Club forecasts unemployment will rise to 5.8% by mid-2027 due to Middle East conflict impacts, with nearly 250,000 additional job losses.
ONS data reveals 35% of young men aged 20-35 lived with parents in 2025, up from 26% in 2000, compared to 22% of young women. The rising cost of living has become the most important issue facing UK adults, surpassing the NHS and general economy. Young people interviewed say they have no choice but to live at home due to expensive prices, with 3% reporting they ran out of food in the past two weeks.
