World news | The Guardian

International survey of 250,000 15-year-olds found nearly a third of them did not use a condom or the pillAn alarming decline in condom use is putting young people's health at risk, the World Health Organization has warned.The WHO's survey of nearly 250,000 15-year-olds in 42 countries and regions across Europe and Canada found that between 2014 and 2022, condom use among sexually active adolescents declined significantly, putting them at significant risk of sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Continue reading...

Nine children among those admitted after incident at Everyone Active sports centre in WembleyEleven people including nine children have been taken to hospital after reports of a chlorine leak at a swimming pool in London, emergency services said.Two adults were also admitted to hospital after the incident at the Everyone Active sports centre in Wembley. Continue reading...

Giving young people chance to work, learn and train across Europe is glue' between countries, says German ambassador

IAEA has urged both sides to refrain from fighting around nuclear plantsRussia said Thursday that it took two more east Ukrainian villages - in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions - as its forces continue their advance deeper into the country.The defence ministry said Russian forces captured the village of Mykolaivka, around 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, as well as the settlement of Stelmakhivka in the neighbouring Lugansk region. Continue reading...

Thousands of schoolchildren in Rio de Janeiro's favelas miss classes and risk violence as Brazil's police battle drug gangsTextbooks and marker pens are not all that science teacher Roberto Brandao, 54, takes with him each morning when he sets off for work in a school in one of Rio de Janeiro's largest favelas. He also carries a first-aid kit in case he or any of his students is hit by a bullet.I always have it in my backpack because I could be shot at any time," he said, displaying the red waterproof bag after attending a seminar on how police operations are affecting children's learning in Mare. Continue reading...

Thursday's attack follows major raids across the region which saw at least 10 Palestinians killed as part of an operation the military said could last days

Vietnamese man was one of seven people rescued from space the width of a human chest' in adapted vehicleA Vietnamese man suffered a life-limiting stroke" after being rescued from a tiny hidden compartment in a lorry with six other people being smuggled into the UK.The group was packed so tightly inside a space the width of a human chest" that none could move their arms, a Home Office investigator has said. Continue reading...

Following online outrage, airline says child was taken to lavatory by strangers to be educated' with grandmother's consentTwo women in China have been accused of child abuse after they separated a crying toddler from her grandmother and locked her in the toilet of a plane, on a domestic flight.In a video uploaded by one of the women to social media, the girl can been seen wailing and trying to get out of the locked lavatory door. One of the women can be heard saying, if you stop crying, you can go out" and if you stop crying, auntie will take you back to grandma". Neither of the women are thought to be related to the child. Continue reading...

Absence of legally binding targets for greenhouse gas reductions from 2031-49 deemed unconstitutionalSouth Korea's constitutional court has ruled that part of the country's climate law does not conform with protecting the constitutional rights of future generations, an outcome local activists are calling a landmark decision".The unanimous verdict concludes four years of legal battles and sets a significant precedent for future climate-related legal actions in the region. Continue reading...

The 41-year-old says it is right time for someone new to take the role as he backs MP Claire HannaThe leader of the Social Democratic and Labour party (SDLP), the once dominant party of Irish nationalism in Northern Ireland, has announced he is stepping down after nine years in the job.Colum Eastwood, 41, the MP for Foyle, told a news conference in his native Derry that the time was right for someone else to take on the role and named his fellow party MP Claire Hanna as his preferred successor. Continue reading...

Deaths in Tulkarm bring toll to 16 during Israel's deadliest operation in occupied territory since 7 October

More shows added at Heaton Park, Wembley and Murrayfield with tickets selling for as much as 506.25Oasis have released three more dates in Manchester, London and Edinburgh for their reunion tour next year.Noel Gallagher posted on X that due to unprecedented demand" shows had been added in Heaton Park, Manchester, on 16 July, Wembley in London on 30 July and Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on 12 August. Continue reading...

Chris Patten condemns dark day for press freedom' as Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam convicted over 11 articlesTwo journalists from the closed Hong Kong media outlet Stand News have been found guilty of conspiring to publish seditious materials - the first such convictions since Hong Kong's return to Chinese control - after a trial that was closely observed as a bellwether for the city's diminishing press freedom.The former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting editor-in-chief Patrick Lam were arrested on 29 December 2021 after police raided the outlet's newsroom. Continue reading...

Political landscape faces upheaval as far-right AfD and left-conservative BSW expected to perform stronglyThe far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party has plastered the city centre of Erfurt with eye-catching posters of a jet soaring through a clear blue sky, conjuring up many Germans' dream of a tropical holiday. Only the tagline reveals a darker message: Summer, Sun, Remigration".As it campaigns for votes in its east German heartland, the AfD has long since embraced the slogan that last winter sent hundreds of thousands of Germans on to the streets in protest against revelations of a rightwing master plan" to deport unwanted foreigners and citizens alike. Continue reading...

An estimated 38% of graduate student employees are now in unions as unionization becomes a tactic for change'Unionization has been surging in higher education, according to a new comprehensive report that reveals a133% increase among graduate student employees in the US since 2012.An estimated 38% of graduate student employees are now unionized, with more than 150,000 workers in 81 bargaining units as of January 2024. Continue reading...

Chinese leader speaks with Jake Sullivan who was making his first visit to Beijing as US national security adviserXi Jinping has spoken with the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, in a surprise meeting during the senior Biden aide's three-day visit to Beijing.The meeting, reported by Chinese state media on Thursday afternoon, came after several days of talks between Sullivan and senior Communist party officials including the foreign minister, Wang Yi, and a vice-chair of the central military commission believed to have the ear of Xi. Continue reading...

Person held on suspicion of aiding and abetting murder of Londoners Farooq Abdulrazak and Juan CifuentesSwedish authorities have arrested and held a person on suspicion of aiding and abetting the murder of two British citizens who were found dead in a burnt-out car in Malmo.The two victims, whose identities have been confirmed by the prosecutor as Farooq Abdulrazak, 37, and Juan Cifuentes, 33, were found dead on 14 July. Continue reading...

Matt Comyn tells parliamentary inquiry that criticism of business profits erodes trust in institutions'

Sodium nitrite has been used in dozens of deaths in the state and federal government should take action, coroner says

Whale Watching Sydney photographer says his phone has not stopped going' since the sighting

Leaked Whitehall documents reveal plans to extend indoor smoking ban to a number of open-air spacesSmoking could be banned in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, outside hospitals and at sports grounds in the UK under tighter restrictions being considered by ministers, according to leaked documents.The measures are being proposed as part of a tougher version of the previous government's tobacco and vapes bill, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco to those born on or after January 2009, the Sun reports. Continue reading...

Move by Hollywood-backed Marlow Film Studios seen as test of Labour's push to prioritise economic growthThe developers of a planned 750m film studio near London backed by Hollywood directors including Titanic's James Cameron have said they hope to revive the stalled project in a case seen as a test of a broader push by the new government to prioritise economic growth.Marlow Film Studios said it would appeal to a national planning body after the proposed new complex was rejected earlier this year by Buckinghamshire county council. Continue reading...

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Defence counsel for man, who can not be named, says woman fabricated that she had rejected his sexual advances more than once to make sex sound more nonconsensual'

Burns becomes first Labor MP to speak against Albanese government decision, saying we need as few blind spots as possible'

Doctors' union has been in turmoil since it voted to in effect reject findings of transgender healthcare reportThe British Medical Association (BMA) has been accused of undertaking a witch-hunt" to try to identify which senior figure leaked that it was set to oppose the landmark Cass review on transgender healthcare.It has warned its ruling council's 69 members that whoever tipped off the media about its stance should own up or face their non-cooperation being seen as an act of dishonesty". Critics said its action is disgraceful", Orwellian" and witch-hunt-like". Continue reading...

The birds are the first creatures to be granted the honour since conurbation gained city status in 2022Hamish, a handsome Indian blue peacock, is pecking at a cauliflower head with determination in the late afternoon sunshine in Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline. Angel, a delicate white peahen, sits at the top of the outdoor aviary, calling to her chicks.The birds appear only mildly perturbed at the bagpipers and local dignitaries assembling for a short ceremony on Wednesday afternoon to award them the freedom of the city. They are the first creatures of any species to be granted this honour since Dunfermline, in Fife, was conferred city status in May 2022. Continue reading...

Violence has increased and reports have emerged of misconduct by staff and hardening of conditions', monitoring board findsSafety has deteriorated and violence has increased at one of the UK's largest immigration detention centres, with failings that were identified in a public inquiry almost a year ago still not addressed, according to a report.The findings are published in the annual report by the independent monitoring board for the Gatwick immigration removal centre.Assaults nearly tripled last year, with 146 assaults on staff compared with 55 in 2022, and 82 assaults between detainees compared with 33 in 2022.Use of force more than doubled.Handcuffing of detainees for hospital and other external visits jumped from 30% to 100%.There were some indications" that some staff were involved in the supply of drugs to detainees.Home Office staff from the detention engagement team felt reticent" about moving around the centre. According to the report, the concerns appear to be related to their personal safety".Twelve complaints of serious misconduct by staff escalated to the Home Office's professional standards unit for investigation.There was bedding so old that it had yellowed with age". Continue reading...

Anna Cody worries the Albanese government's backflip could strengthen the voices of discrimination'

Organisations who try to save lives in Mediterranean say Sicily response showed what can be doneThe tremendous resources and global attention dedicated to the tragedy of the Bayesian superyacht hint at a double standard for shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, several NGOs dedicated to assisting asylum seekers have said, citing the barriers they regularly face as they attempt to save lives in the same waters.The groups that spoke to the Guardian were swift to express their regret and extend their sympathies for the deaths of seven people after the luxury vessel was hit by violent storms off the coast of Italy. Continue reading...

Quarter of British teenagers in age group report low life satisfaction, compared with 7% of their Dutch peersMore 15-year-olds are reporting low life satisfaction in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, amid what experts are describing as a happiness recession" for British teenagers.The group is at the bottom of European rankings in terms of life satisfaction across 27 nations, analysis by the Children's Society reveals. In the UK 25% of 15-year-olds reported low life satisfaction, compared with 7% of Dutch children of the same age - the lowest level among any of the countries surveyed. Continue reading...

Ryan Park pledges to fast-track a number of initiatives, including to improve access to continuity of care and ensure informed consent

International business revenues fell significantly on last year's result, while budget carrier's earnings rose 23%

Northern Beaches Liberals unanimously support motion as some observers say conservative faction keen' to oust moderates after council elections nominations error

Police increase patrols near Hanlon Park in Brisbane after nine-month-old boy taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

World Food Programme says it is the first time that one of its vehicles has been directly shot at near a checkpoint despite having security clearance

The Yemen-based militants have denied an Iranian claim that they agreed to a temporary truce but will allow a tugboat to access the Sounion tankerYemen's Houthi group has agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to access a damaged crude oil tanker in the Red Sea, Iran's mission to the United Nations said, after the Iranian-aligned militants attacked the Greek-flagged vessel last week.The Sounion tanker is carrying 150,000 tonnes, or 1m barrels, of crude oil and poses an environmental hazard, shipping officials said. Any spill has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history. Continue reading...

Man in 30s pronounced dead at scene of a reported fight in Clapton, according to Met policeTwo men have been arrested after a man was stabbed to death in east London, the Metropolitan police have said.The force said officers were called at 3.38pm on Wednesday to reports of a fight in Rushmore Road, Clapton, and found a man in his 30s with a stab injury. Continue reading...

Liberty accuses government of disregard for rule of law' after judges found Braverman's measures were unlawfulThe Home Office has decided to continue its appeal against a high court ruling over a law that has seen hundreds of people criminalised for peaceful protests, a human rights group has claimed.Liberty accused the government on Wednesday of showing a disregard for the rule of law" with its decision. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese told journalists to chill out' over the comments filmed in the wings of the Pacific Islands Forum

Report by US Agency for International Development into $230m pier paints scathing picture of a failed projectJoe Biden declared the US intention to build a pier off the coast of Gaza as a means of delivering food despite advice to the contrary from aid experts in his administration, according to an official investigation into the ill-fated project.A new report by the inspector general of the US Agency for International Development (USAid), which was responsible for delivering food to Gaza by the pier, paints a scathing picture of a failed project, in which political and security imperatives outweighed humanitarian considerations. Continue reading...

Parents' wellbeing declared a critical health priority' as stressors such as finances and child safety plague parentsIf you're a stressed parent, you're not alone. According to a new surgeon general advisory released on Wednesday, parents have been more likely to report high levels of stress over the last decade than adults without children.The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society," writes the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, himself a 47-year-old father of two. We know that the wellbeing of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the wellbeing of their children." Continue reading...

Tim Davie says corporation in spotlight' and wants to acknowledge this has been a demanding period'The BBC director-general said the broadcaster has been let down" by several controversies involving high-profile presenters and TV shows that have rocked the corporation in recent months.Tim Davie said the BBC had been put in the spotlight" following scandals including allegations around the treatment of contestants on Strictly Come Dancing and the sacking of presenter Jermaine Jenas after he admitted sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues. Continue reading...

Kyiv calling for more air defence support as repairs resume after latest strikes, with fears more could be catastrophicUkrainian authorities are scrambling to assess the damage caused by one of the biggest Russian airstrikes of the war earlier this week, which targeted energy infrastructure across the country, further crippling a sector targeted by Moscow multiple times in the spring.While much of Ukraine is still experiencing the tail end of a very hot summer, this week's strikes have brought into focus concerns about the hard colder months that lie ahead. This winter is going to be tough, that's for sure," said Nataliia Shapoval, head of the Kyiv School of Economics Institute. Continue reading...

Man, 20, jailed for trying to instigate riot in Huddersfield; boy, 15, admits throwing glass bottle in unrest in BoltonAn 11-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with this summer's riots, as police vowed to continue catching people suspected of being involved despite dwindling prison places.The boy was one of 14 people, including a mother and son, held in dawn raids across Teesside over disorder in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool. Continue reading...

Cher Maximen's condition life threatening', as Shakiel Thibou, 20, and his two brothers are remanded in custodyA woman stabbed at the Notting Hill carnival as she tried to stop a fight is in a coma in a life-threatening condition, a court has been told.Shakiel Thibou, 20, appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday charged with the attempted murder of Cher Maximen, 32. Continue reading...

Israel says operations were to thwart Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures' and claims all dead were militantsIsraeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians in the West Bank in overnight raids and airstrikes they said were intended to contain attacks on Israelis using Iranian-supplied arms.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the West Bank operations, some of the most extensive in recent years, were likely to go on for some days, in what it described as a preventive campaign to forestall attacks on Israelis. Continue reading...

Injured hiker became stranded after co-workers descended without him before storm in Rocky mountainsA Colorado man survived a night on a mountain by himself - while injured - after being left behind by his co-workers during an office retreat, which rescue officials pointed out may lead to some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks".Colorado's Chaffee County Search and Rescue South (CCSAR-S) shared the hiker's harrowing ordeal in a Facebook post earlier this week, saying that at about 9pm last Friday, it was activated for a report of an overdue hiker". The hiker was wearing all black on the standard route of Mount Shavano, a high mountain summit in the southern Sawatch range of the Rocky mountains. Continue reading...

Targeting of government-funded group active in Hebron hills brings punitive measures closer to Israeli cabinet