7 h. ago Junk food leads to more children being obese than underweight for first time

Cheap ultra-processed food behind rise in overweight children, with one in 10 now obese globally, says UnicefMore children around the world are obese than underweight for the first time, according to a UN report that warns ultra-processed junk food is overwhelming childhood diets.There are 188 million teenagers and school-age children with obesity – one in 10 – Unicef said, affecting health and development and bringing a risk of life-threatening diseases. Continue reading...

Society

5 d. ago I don’t want childen. Is it hypocritical to not be forthright about this soon after meeting someone? | Leading questions

Not wanting kids isn’t especially unusual, advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes. It might help to frame the conversation as what you’re saying yes to rather than what you’re refusingRead more Leading questionsI know that I don’t want to have any children, and that to not offer this up early in any relationship would make me a hypocrite. But I have become convinced that the reason I never meet anyone is because I am forthright about my opinion about children. How can I meet someone without having to be a liar or a hypocrite?Eleanor says: If it’s your job to figure out when to share this, it’s also a partner’s job to figure out when to ask. Wanting kids isn’t like monogamy or working for a living, where until instructed otherwise people can basically assume that’s your plan. More people than ever are deciding they don’t want kids. The fact that you’re one of them is not shocking, confronting or even especially unusual. If that’s a dealbreaker for a partner, they need to share ...

Politics

5 d. ago I don’t want children. Is it hypocritical to not be forthright about this soon after meeting someone? | Leading questions

Not wanting kids isn’t especially unusual, advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith writes. It might help to frame the conversation as what you’re saying yes to rather than what you’re refusingRead more Leading questionsI know that I don’t want to have any children, and that to not offer this up early in any relationship would make me a hypocrite. But I have become convinced that the reason I never meet anyone is because I am forthright about my opinion about children. How can I meet someone without having to be a liar or a hypocrite?Eleanor says: If it’s your job to figure out when to share this, it’s also a partner’s job to figure out when to ask. Wanting kids isn’t like monogamy or working for a living, where until instructed otherwise people can basically assume that’s your plan. More people than ever are deciding they don’t want kids. The fact that you’re one of them is not shocking, confronting or even especially unusual. If that’s a dealbreaker for a partner, they need to share ...

Politics

5 d. ago Horror as multiple children hurt as car crashes into crowd in Berlin

Local reports from Germany suggest that the incident occurred earlier today in Berlin, leading to several children being taken to hospital, while a caregiver is seriously injured

Events

6 d. ago Religious leader charged with allowing two children to get married

A marriage ceremony is alleged to have been held at a UK venue in 2023

Politics

7 d. ago Voices: Will Reform UK really end ‘free taxis’ for special needs pupils?

Deputy leader Richard Tice says the parents of children who are ferried to and from their specialist schools, at a cost of £2bn a year, are 'abusing' the system – but that’s not even the real problem, says James Moore

Politics

8 d. ago Reform UK's deputy leader claims parents are 'using and abusing' free taxis for SEND children and warns 'unsustainable' spending will bankrupt local councils

Richard Tice warned 'unsustainable' spending on SEND provision is set to 'bankrupt' local councils as he called for changes.

Events

8 d. ago Dumfries school achieves 'very good' rating from Education Scotland inspectors

Georgetown Primary was recognised for its 'strong focus on improving the health and wellbeing of all children' and 'effective leadership.

Politics

9 d. ago Labour's vow on free childcare is at risk of collapse after raid on National Insurance, Education Secretary warned

In a letter to the Education Secretary, 27 leading organisations representing children, parents and childcare providers said families face being let down without urgent action.

Events

1 week ago CDC officials resign en masse over RFK Jr’s policies they warn will lead to deaths of children and vulnerable adults

‘America is going to be far less healthy, far less safe, and when the next global health emergency hits, we’ll knock on CDC’s door and no one will be there,’ warns one leading public health expert

Events

2 w. ago Botswana was once ‘at risk of extinction’ from HIV. Now it is a world leader in eliminating the virus in children

The pioneering African country is lauded for slashing rates of mother-to-child transmission to just 1.2% and is holding trials that may now hold the key to curing young peopleAt the turn of the century, HIV was so rampant in Botswana that politicians and doctors viewed it as an existential threat. One in eight infants were reported to be infected at birth, while rates of mother to child transmission either through pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding ranged from between 20 and 40%, according to UNAIDS. Between 1990 and 2000, mortality among children under five almost doubled due to HIV.With a population of just 1.7 million people, no cure available and the second-highest HIV prevalence in the world, the country’s then-president, Festus Mogae, declared in 2001: “We are threatened with extinction.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago 9 in 10 shoppers call for healthy food to be more affordable despite sales of junk food falling

Two million fewer products high in fat, sugar or salt were sold per day after the new law took effect

Society

2 w. ago Supermarket junk food restrictions led to significant cut in purchases – study

Research estimates that two million fewer products high in fat, sugar or salt were sold per day in England after the new law took effect.

Politics

2 w. ago Corporal punishment carries ‘multiple risks’ to children’s health, says WHO

An estimated 1.2bn children are subject to this ‘harmful practice’ each year, affecting physical and mental wellbeing, report findsThe World Health Organization has declared corporal punishment a global public health concern that causes serious harm to children’s physical and mental wellbeing, and can lead to criminal behaviour.A new report found that across 49 low- and middle-income countries, children exposed to corporal punishment – defined as “any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light” – were 24% less likely to be developmentally on track than children who were not. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Careful, William... I've always supported you but now your behaviour's left me cold and I'm not alone: LIZ JONES

We've all got the message: the three children of William and Kate lead lives of wholesome, old-fashioned, Enid Blyton ordinariness.

Politics

2 w. ago The Donald holds court: Photo of European leaders gathered around Trump's desk 'like obedient school children' that sums up Ukraine summit

In the picture, which has gone viral on social media, critics have said EU leaders were made to look like school children while sitting and listening attentively to the US president.

Politics

2 w. ago European leaders hang on Trump's every word 'like schoolchildren' in remarkable White House picture showing Zelensky, Macron, Meloni and Merz sitting around his Resolute Desk

In the picture, which has gone viral on social media, critics have said EU leaders were made to look like school children while sitting and listening attentively to the US president.

Politics

3 w. ago Cancer charity finds children 'more likely to engage with junk food posts from influencers'

We are guilty of exposing our kids to social media but it could be having a huge impact on their diet

Society

3 w. ago ‘Take that risk’: the New Zealand teen author named one of Time magazine’s girls of the year

Rutendo Shadaya, who wrote a series of children’s fantasy books featuring strong female leads, has been recognised along with nine other girlsWhen New Zealand teenager Rutendo Shadaya was nine years old, she wanted to create the perfect birthday present for her best friend – an act of kindness that has helped land her on the front of Time magazine.“I was very good with gift giving, and I knew she liked reading so I was like ‘Why don’t I write a book for her?’” Shadaya tells the Guardian. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Children being ‘bombarded’ with ‘harmful’ fast food ads, charity warns

Youngsters say they are more likely to engage with content about junk food if it is shared by influencers

Events