Lin Taylor

AI is only in its infancy but could rapidly exacerbate the noxious side-effects of social media if left unchecked, with children particularly vulnerable, said the French president's special envoy for AI.

Be it eradicating self-esteem or prompting suicidal thoughts - social media has been widely blamed for worsening many of the stresses of modern life, with young users among its top victims.

After seeing fighters ravage his home, Jean thought he had found safety when he arrived in Britain but was told he was too tall to be 16 and sent to live with hundreds of adult asylum seekers, without further support.

Alone and exhausted, Jean, who used a pseudonym and did not want to reveal his home country in central Africa for privacy, said border officials told him he was 26 - a decade older than he actually was when he arrived in 2012.

When Norway recognised Palestine as a state, Palestinian engineer Adam was thrilled by the show of support, little knowing the move would ultimately derail his family's dream of winning citizenship in their adopted homeland.

The very act of recognition - granted on 28 May, 2024 - means that Oslo no longer considers Palestinians like Adam to be stateless, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) which oversees visa processes.

Palestinians living in Europe said international recognition of a Palestinian state risks being an empty gesture and does not address the crisis in Gaza, where Israel's two-year assault has killed more than 67,000 people and led to famine.

Britain, France, Belgium and Australia were among the Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state last month, with leaders hoping the move would pressure Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza.

Australia, Britain, Canada and France became the latest Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state last month, but the backing has cost Palestinians rights in other countries since they are no longer considered stateless, a legal expert said.

Patrícia Cabral, legal policy coordinator at the European Network on Statelessness, a civil society alliance, cited the examples of Bulgaria, Hungary and Norway, where Palestinians had seen their rights curtailed after statehood recognition.

Britain says all workers will need digital identity cards by 2029 in an attempted crackdown on illegal migration that rights groups fear will endanger the marginalised and invade people's privacy.

Digital IDs would live on people's mobile phones and become a mandatory part of checks that employers make on hiring staff. 

Immigration has become the dominant political issue in Britain, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer under mounting pressure to reduce record numbers of asylum seekers arriving in the country, especially those coming on small boats from France.

Over the summer, hotels housing asylum seekers became a focal point of sometimes violent demonstrations, with many protesters arguing that asylum seekers receive more financial support and benefits than British nationals.

Britain has suspended a visa scheme allowing registered refugees to bring family members into the country, a "cruel" decision that could trap women and children in danger or push them into perilous escape routes, charities say.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under mounting political pressure to reduce the numbers of asylum seekers landing in the country, especially those coming on small boats from France. 

U.S.-funded contraceptives worth nearly $10 million and mostly destined for Africa will be incinerated in France after Washington rejected offers from the United Nations and family planning groups to buy or ship the supplies to poor nations.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), a global sexual and reproductive health provider, estimated the decision would lead to 362,000 unplanned pregnancies, 110,000 unsafe abortions and around 700 preventable maternal deaths.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned women's constitutional right to abortion, a battle was launched over who has access to reproductive data and how it is used.

Debate has intensified over how reproduction-related data is collected, if law enforcement can access it and how big tech and businesses should handle it in the U.S. and abroad.