children

Denmark aims to ban social media for children under 15

The Danish government wants to introduce a ban on several social media platforms for children under the age of 15, as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Tuesday. “Mobile phones and…

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Smartphones lead to ‘suicidal thoughts, low self-worth and aggression’ in children under 13, study

Those who used smartphones before they turned 13 were more likely to have suicidal thoughts, bad emotional regulation, lower self-worth, aggression, and detachment from reality, according to the study published…

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Too Many Snacks, Not Enough Fruits and Vegetables in Children’s Diets

A report by the Aletheia Observatory, presented in Rome, has highlighted a growing concern among younger generations: the habitual consumption of ultra-processed foods — sweet and salty snacks, sugary drinks,…

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Roberto Benigni Advocates Dreaming and Embracing Doubt

The Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni is best known in the English-speaking world for his 1997 film Life is Beautiful, which won three Oscars. But, in his native country, he’s just…

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Stop children using smartphones until they are 13, says French report

Children should not be allowed to use smartphones until they are 13 and should be banned from accessing conventional social media such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat until they are…

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Child poverty levels in the UK worst among world’s richest nations, UNICEF report finds

LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Child income poverty rates in the United Kingdom were the highest among the world's richest countries, a report by U.N. children's agency UNICEF said, ranking…

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China looks to limit children to two hours a day on their phones

By Josh YeHong Kong, Aug 2 (Reuters) - China's cyberspace regulator said on Wednesday children under the age of 18 should be limited to a maximum of two hours a…

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Ukraine brings first charges for deporting Kherson orphans

By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Ukrainian prosecutors charged a Russian politician and two suspected Ukrainian collaborators with war crimes over the alleged deportation of dozens of orphans from…

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Somalia’s drought killed 43,000 last year, half under five

Somalia's ongoing record drought killed as many as 43,000 people last year, half of them children under 5, researchers said on Monday in the first attempt to estimate country-wide deaths.…

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Ukraine to recognize 5 EU school education systems

Ukraine has agreed in principle to recognize the education systems of five EU countries, including Estonia, so thousands of refugee children studying in these countries will not have to repeat…

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EU proposes raising targets for children in nurseries, kindergartens

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday proposed raising non-binding targets for early childhood education and guaranteeing affordable long-term care services in a bid to support the…

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Childrens’ noses defend less well against Omicron

The Omicron variant may be more efficient at infecting children through the nose than previous versions of the coronavirus, a small study suggests. Earlier in the pandemic, children's noses had…

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Research reveals children’s screen time has increased by 90 minutes a day

Children aged between six and 10 increased their screen time by nearly an hour and a half every day during the pandemic, according to new research. Adults increased their time…

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Italy’s firms move to tackle birth crisis

CARTIGLIANO, Italy (Reuters) - Businesses in the sleepy Italian town of Cartigliano are so worried about its declining birth rate and lack of workers that they have begun paying families' nursery school fees…

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Italian court rules children should get both parents’ surnames

Italian children should be given the surname of both parents, the Constitutional Court said this week, overturning the tradition by which all newborns are automatically named after their father. The…

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Explainer – Scientists investigate mysterious outbreak of hepatitis in children in Europe, US

LONDON (Reuters) - Health authorities around the world are investigating a mysterious increase in severe cases of hepatitis - inflammation of the liver – in young children. Below is a…

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Gun deaths were the leading killer of US children in 2020

Guns overtook car crashes to become the leading cause of death for US children and teenagers in 2020, new research shows. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

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176 children have been killed so far in Ukraine; 121,000 children ‘forcibly deported’ to Russia

Some 176 children have been killed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office. A further 324 children have been injured, it said. Russian troops have…

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Omicron infects more small children, but less harmfully

Among children under age 5 who were ineligible for coronavirus vaccines, the Omicron variant caused 6- to 8-times more infections than the Delta variant, but severe COVID-19 was less common…

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Most unvaccinated children lack antibodies after COVID, study shows

Most children and adolescents do not have COVID-19 antibodies in their blood after recovering from a SARS-CoV-2 infection, new data has confirmed. Starting in October 2020, researchers in Texas recruited…

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ICC insists on ‘zero tolerance’ of crimes against children in Ukraine

THE HAGUE/LVIV (Reuters) - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Wednesday he insisted on "zero tolerance" of sexual and gender-based crimes and crimes against children as fighting intensifies…

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Studies show one in four kids with COVID develop lingering problems

One in four children with COVID-19 symptoms develop "long COVID," according to data pooled from 21 earlier studies conducted in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Among the 80,071 children…

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Children going missing amid chaos at Ukrainian border

Children are going missing, and cases of human trafficking are being reported by aid groups and volunteers along Ukraine’s borders amid the chaos of the refugee crisis triggered by the…

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Photo Story – Innocence during war…

A little girl plays with soap bubbles upon arrival from Ukraine at the train station in Przemysl, southeastern Poland, 12 March 2022. Since 24 February, 1.59 million people have crossed…

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Lego offers £100m to find innovations tackling ‘global childhood crisis’

Lego is launching a £100m competition to find solutions that will make a positive impact on the lives of children in response to what the toymaker said was a “global…

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Australian children facing ‘generation-defining disruption’ due to pandemic, experts say

The indirect effects of the pandemic on children and adolescents are as substantial – if not more so – than the impact of being infected with Covid-19, paediatricians in Australia…

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UK study finds more Omicron hospitalisations in youngest children, but cases mild

Young children and babies are proportionally more likely to be hospitalised with Omicron compared to older children than with previous variants but the cases are still mild, British researchers said,…

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot causes mostly mild side effects in young kids – U.S. CDC

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine caused mostly mild side effects in children aged 5 to 11 years, according to data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control…

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CDC releases new guidance to allow children exposed to coronavirus to attend school

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new strategy called "test-to-stay" that allows unvaccinated children to stay in school even if they have been exposed to…

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Europe divided over kids’ vaccines

MILAN/COPENHAGEN, Dec 13 (Reuters) - As Europe starts vaccinating younger children, countries are pursuing very different strategies in what will be a major test of parents' willingness to get their…

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FACTBOX-Countries vaccinating children against COVID-19

Countries around the world are expanding COVID-19 vaccination programmes to include young children as infections surge in Europe amid concerns over the new Omicron variant. But with a huge disparity…

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Fewer than 1 million U.S. kids get COVID-19 shot in first eligible week, White House projects

More than 900,000 U.S. children aged 5 to 11 are expected to have received their first COVID-19 shot by the end of Wednesday, the White House said, as the government…

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FDA says benefits outweigh risks for Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children

Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday that the likely benefits of giving the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to 5 to 11 year olds clearly outweigh…

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Countries vaccinating children against COVID-19

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE have asked U.S. regulators to authorize their COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children aged 5-11, with an expert panel to the Food and Drug…

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Malta: Over 35,000 children at risk of mental disorder, study finds

40% of children aged between 5 and 16 are at risk of mental disorder, a study piloted by psychiatric registrar Rosemarie Sacco found. This is among the results from a study…

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Britain’s top medics recommend 12 to 15-year-olds get COVID vaccine

LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Britain's top medical advisers on Monday recommended that all 12 to 15-year-olds receive a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, citing the benefit on avoiding…

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UK minister: no decision yet on COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children

British vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi on Sunday said a decision had not yet been taken on whether healthy children aged 12- to 15-years-old should be vaccinated against COVID-19, following reports…

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Angelina Jolie wants kids to ‘fight back’ with new child rights book

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie says she hopes to empower children around the world with tools to "fight back" for their rights with a book she has written with Amnesty International.…

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Malta: Seven children in state care while parents in jail

Seven children, five of whom are Maltese, are currently living in the care of the State while one of their parents serves time in jail, according to a spokesperson for…

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Nearsightedness rose in children during pandemic

A study of 6- to 8-year-olds in Hong Kong found the proportion of children with nearsightedness, or myopia, increased from 19.4% at the start of the pandemic to 35.3% eight…

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Child diseases on rise as COVID-19 slows routine vaccinations -U.N.

Nearly 23 million children missed out on routine vaccinations last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest number in more than a decade, fuelling outbreaks of measles, polio and…

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More than 8,500 children used as soldiers in 2020: U.N.

More than 8,500 children were used as soldiers last year in various conflicts across the world and nearly 2,700 others were killed, the United Nations said on Monday. U.N. chief Antonio Guterres' annual report to…

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EP nearing crucial vote on €90bn European Social Fund+

The approval of the new ESF+, the EU’s main financial instrument to support Member States in the field of jobs, education, skills and social inclusion reaches a crucial juncture next…

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EU approves use of BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and up

Children aged 12 and up in the European Union can be administered with the Covid-19 vaccine made by BioNTech/Pfizer after the European Commission granted its approval on Monday."Member states can now…

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Europe weighs risks, benefits of vaccinating kids against COVID-19

European countries are still deciding if and when to inoculate children against COVID-19 amid questions around safety, supply and the desperate call for more vaccines from hard-hit regions around the…

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Malta: ‘Do not legalise cannabis use and cultivation for minors’ – Commissioner for Children

The use and cultivation of cannabis should remain illegal for minors and very young adults, the Office of the Commissioner for Children said. In its position paper on the proposed…

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Malta: FKNK asks Government to remove Pauline Miceli and Alison Bezzina

The Federation of Hunters, Trappers and Conservationists (FKNK) has officially requested the Government to immediately remove the Commissioner for Children Pauline Miceli and Animal Welfare Commissioner, Alison Bezzina. The organisation…

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Babies ‘understand simple sentences before they can speak’

A new study has found babies can understand simple phrases before they can speak. Scientists believe the data will challenge ideas about how children learn language, after discovering 11-12-month-old children…

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Children’s hope and pains at the centre of Pope’s Via Crucis

The solitude and isolation of men and women across the world, cut off from their families and friends, deprived of their work and livelihoods, living in fear of an uncertain…

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Pfizer, BioNTech launch COVID-19 vaccine trial in kids under 12

Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE began testing their COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12, with hopes of expanding vaccination to that age range by early 2022, the U.S. drugmaker said on Thursday. The first volunteers in…

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When can kids get the COVID-19 vaccine? A paediatrician answers 5 questions parents are asking

A big question among parents and teachers right now is whether their kids will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in time for the fall school semester. Some have wondered whether the…

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‘Children’s rights should be safeguarded during the pandemic’

Children’s rights should be safeguarded during the pandemic, Member of the European Parliament Josianne Cutajar said. She said access to education should remain a priority, despite students moving to online…

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Coronavirus pandemic restrictions can help or hinder schoolchildren with anxiety disorders

The Conversation - Parents fear children stuck at home for almost a year during the coronavirus pandemic, will lose critical social skills. And children with selective mutism, a severe form…

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High levels of toxic heavy metals found in some baby foods – U.S. FDA report

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - U.S. congressional investigators found "dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals" in certain baby foods that could cause neurological damage, a House Oversight subcommittee said in…

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Parents pray for hundreds of students kidnapped in Nigeria’s Katsina

KANKARA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Parents converged on a secondary school in Nigeria's northwestern Katsina state on Sunday, begging authorities to save hundreds of boys abducted by gunmen. More than 300…

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EP wants stronger safeguards against online child abuse

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee has appealed for stronger safeguards to ensure that tools used to detect and remove online child sexual abuse respect people’s fundamental rights. Online material…

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Age Assessment Process: Child applicants and their right to information in New EASO & Council of Europe Animation

World Children's Day is an opportunity for advocating, promoting and celebrating children’s rights. Such rights include safeguarding the specific needs of child applicants for international protection. Age assessment process can…

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