South Africa, which has experienced crippling electricity outages in recent months, will "survive" this winter season thanks to a huge improvement in generation, a...

Spotting when your child is struggling with their mental health, and knowing how to support them, can be tricky for parents and carers. It’s an important issue to be aware of, however. According to the Children’s Society, in the three years up to 2022, the likelihood of young people having a mental health problem increased by 50%, while children and young people’s mental health charity Place2Be says one in six children experience mental health difficulties, rising to one in four amongst 17–19-year-olds. Emotional disorders including depression and anxiety are among the most common problems to crop up. James Emmett, regional clinical lead at Place2Be, says although the Government has taken “great strides” to address the issue by introducing support teams and senior mental health leads in schools, “we’re still seeing a sharp increase in diagnosable mental health conditions among children and young people, now affecting one in six children – which is around five in every classroom”. Stevie Goulding, senior manager for parents and carers services at the charity YoungMinds, says: “More young people than ever are struggling with their mental health and are in need of support. This generation is facing a unique set of pressures – living through a pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and ongoing global instability – and they’re worried about their future. “As young people navigate the ups and downs of growing up, recognising when to be concerned about your child’s mental health can be difficult.” Here, Goulding and Emmett outline how parents can spot whether their child may be struggling, and how to help… 1. Look for behaviour changes A change in behaviour is usually the first sign that a child or young person is feeling low, says Emmett: “They may eat too much or not enough, have problems sleeping, or stop doing things they normally enjoy.” Goulding adds: “If you notice changes in your child’s behaviour or if they appear persistently distressed, it could mean they’re struggling with their mental health, and it’s important to take their concerns seriously.” 2. Give them the opportunity to talk Goulding suggests parents try to talk to their child or teen about how they’re feeling in a non-judgemental way. “Remember, they might not want to open up at first, so reassure them you’re there for them when they’re ready to talk. Remind them it’s ok for them to feel scared or unsure, and try to reassure them,” she advises. 3. Don’t force them to talk However, Emmett says sometimes they may not want to talk, adding: “It’s important that adults don’t force them to have a conversation they don’t want to have. Parents and carers must make sure they’re available – but don’t pressure them to talk. “It can be really tempting to ask a lot of questions, but it’s easy to slip into interrogation mode. Try to focus on the here and now and what would help moving forward.” 4. Choose your momentAvoid discussing the underlying causes of your child’s distress with them during intense moments, Goulding advises: “While it’s crucial to provide support, it can be more beneficial to address these topics when they’re feeling calmer.” 5. Ask how they’re feeling Ask if your child notices when they feel more or less sad, for example, at school, or when they’re with their friends and family, suggests Emmett. “Responding sensitively to your child’s signals with concern and interest will help them learn you’re there for them,” he notes. Goulding says parents can acknowledge their child’s feelings by saying something like: ‘It’s completely understandable that you’re feeling…’. She explains: “This helps to reassure them their feelings are valid and it’s ok to feel different emotions.” 6. Remind them of obstacles they’ve overcome in the past When a child or young person gets overwhelmed, they forget just how much they’ve already dealt with in their lives. “Tell them stories about how proud you were when they coped with certain moments in their life, such as an sitting an exam, or moving house,” says Emmett. “This will remind them of their resilience – their ability to adapt to difficult situations.” 7. Encourage them to stay active Physical and mental wellbeing are often linked. “This means doing something active can be a great way to boost your child’s mental health, and heading outside into green space can have even greater benefits,” says Emmett. He suggests parents walk or cycle short distances with their child instead of going in a car: “It’s cheaper and will help the planet to be healthier too.” 8. Model positive relationships Happy relationships between parents and significant adults lead to better mental and physical health for everyone, stresses Emmett. “By modelling positive relationships of your own, you can help your child to see what positive, healthy and meaningful relationships should look like – and to recognise when friendships aren’t positive,” he says. 9. Remind them how they feel will change Your child might not be able to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel they’re in. “Reassure your child that how they’re feeling is temporary,” says Goulding. “Things can change and they can feel better.” 10. Discuss what help is available Talk to your child about the different sources of help that are available, such as helplines, text lines and online chat services. “Reassure them it’s alright to confide in others, as young people often worry about upsetting their parents,” says Goulding. As well as YoungMinds parents’ helpline (0808 802 5544) and Place2Be, other sources include your child’s school, which will have a designated senior mental health lead, your GP who can refer your child to CAMHS, Parenting Smart, which provides free advice for parents and carers of 4–11-year-olds on how to support their child’s wellbeing and behaviour, and the free Shout 24/7 textline for anyone in crisis (text SHOUT to 85258). 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The wife of Ukraine’s intelligence chief has been diagnosed with heavy metals poisoning and is undergoing treatment in hospital, it emerged on Tuesday. Meanwhile, deadly winter weather has hit the front lines of the conflict with Russia. Marianna Budanova is the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency known by its local acronym GUR. Her condition was confirmed to AP by Andriy Yusov, the agency’s spokesman. He did not provide more details about the alleged poisoning, nor did he say if it was believed to have been intended for Mr Budanov or whether Russia was thought to be behind it. Earlier this year, he told Ukrainian media that the military intelligence chief had survived 10 assassination attempts carried out by the Russian state or federal security services. There was no immediate comment from the Russian government, which has long been suspected of poisoning opponents. The exact nature of the heavy metals that caused the poisoning has not been made public. However, local media said the metals were not used domestically or in military equipment, so the GUR representatives presume the poisoning was carried out intentionally, possibly through food or drink. Several GUR personnel were also diagnosed with the same poisoning, according to the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda. More than 100,000 people were still without power on the Crimean peninsula and some still had no water supply, the Russia-installed governor said on Tuesday, after a winter storm that brought blizzards from Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova across Ukraine and into central Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least five people died in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine, and that engineers were working to restore electricity. Crimea, which was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014, is a key military and logistics hub for Russia as it pursues its war in Ukraine. The damage caused by the storm affected “the tempo of military operations along the frontline in Ukraine” but has not stopped military activity entirely, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said. In the Vologda region, about 310 miles northeast of Moscow, more than 10 days worth of snow – about 25cm (10in) – fell in one day. The Moscow region was also blanketed with snow, piling drifts up to 25cm deep. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has cast Moscow’s military action in Ukraine as an existential battle against purported attempts by the West to destroy Russia in a ranting speech. Mr Putin, who has been in power for more than two decades, is expected to declare his intention to seek another six-year term in a presidential election next March. “We are defending the security and wellbeing of our people, the highest, historical right to be Russia - a strong, independent power, a country-civilisation,” Mr Putin said, accusing the US and its allies of trying to “dismember and plunder” Russia. “We are now fighting for the freedom of not only Russia, but the whole world,” Mr Putin said. Associated Press contributed to this report Read More Fake babies, real horror: Deepfakes from the Gaza war increase fears about AI's power to mislead Greece pushes back against claims its leader broke assurances over Elgin Marbles Ukraine spy chief's wife undergoes treatment for suspected poisoning with heavy metals Baltic nations' foreign ministers pull out of OSCE meeting over Russian foreign minister attendance Cameron to urge Nato allies not to waver in support for Ukraine Greek officials angry and puzzled after UK's Sunak scraps leaders' meeting over Parthenon Marbles

As competition builds for the Republican Party 2024 presidential nomination, Donald Trump’s legal woes also continue to mount as a maintenance worker has made a shocking claim about the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The worker recalled helping to move boxes into a storage room just one day before the Department of Justice visited Mar-a-Lago seeking the papers, reported The New York Times. The worker didn’t know what the boxes contained at the time. The timing of the move is suspicious and a sign that obstruction may have taken place, according to The Washington Post, which also reports a “dress rehearsal” of such a move took place even before a subpoena for the boxes was issued. This comes as Mr Trump’s attorneys have called for a meeting with Attorney General Merrick Garland, in what marks the clearest sign yet that an indictment could be on the horizon over the classified documents case. Mr Trump also appeared in court by video for a second hearing in his criminal hush money case on Tuesday, and E Jean Carroll has amended an outstanding defamation case against the former president – while Ron DeSantis entered the 2024 race. Read More Donald Trump Jr says his father has the ‘charisma of a mortician’ in bungled attack video Trump staff moved boxes of documents at Mar-a-Lago day before DoJ visit, report says Who are the Oath Keepers, extremist group whose leader has been sentenced to 18 years for Capitol riot

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Aid deliveries have begun moving into the besieged Gaza Strip, two weeks after the militant group Hamas rampaged through southern Israel and Israel responded with airstrikes. Israel says Hamas has freed two American hostages who had been held in Gaza since the war began Oct. 7. Israeli airstrikes continued to hit southern Gaza, an area swollen by civilians who fled there from the north on Israeli instructions. Israel’s military spokesman said the country is stepping up its attacks, coming amid growing expectations of a ground offensive. The war, in its 16th day Sunday, is the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that the death toll has reached 4,385, while 13,561 people have been wounded. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly in the initial attack on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed into Israel. In addition, 203 people were believed captured by Hamas during the incursion and taken into Gaza, the Israeli military has said. Currently: 1. The father of freed American teenage hostage Natalie Raanan, who spoke with President Joe Biden on Saturday, says she’s doing well after her release by Hamas. 2. Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are marching in London, Barcelona, Los Angeles and other cities. 3. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is ordering further defenses for U.S. troops as tensions in the Middle East continue to grow. 4. A tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza reawakens old traumas. Here’s what’s happening in the latest Israel-Hamas war: U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY ORDERS MORE DEFENSE SYSTEMS IN MIDDLE EAST U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced late Saturday he was sending additional air defense systems to the Middle East as well as putting more troops on prepare-to-deploy orders. Austin said the U.S. would be delivering a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, battery along with additional Patriot missile defense system batteries “to locations throughout the region to increase force protection for U.S. troops.” Bases in Iraq and Syria have been repeatedly targeted by drones in the days since hundreds were killed in a hospital blast in Gaza, and the destroyer USS Carney intercepted land attack cruise missiles in the Red Sea shot from Yemen on Thursday. Austin said he had also placed additional forces on prepare-to-deploy orders, “part of prudent contingency planning” as the U.S. and others brace for the potential of a wider regional conflict and as Israel prepares to launch a ground assault into Gaza. He said he gave the orders after detailed discussions with President Joe Biden on the recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the region. ISRAEL STRIKES UNDERGROUND COMPOUND AT WEST BANK MOSQUE, MILITARY SAYS Israeli Defense Forces said a military aircraft launched a strike early Sunday on the Al-Ansar mosque at the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. The IDF said via X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants had been using an “underground terror route” beneath the mosque. One Palestinian was killed in the shelling, Palestinian Red Crescent said. Tensions have risen in the West Bank, where dozens of Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops, arrest raids and attacks by Jewish settlers. ITALIAN PREMIER GOES TO ISRAEL ROME — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has made a trip to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, her office said. The meeting Saturday came after Meloni participated in a summit in Cairo focused on ways to de-escalate the raging Israel-Hamas war. Meloni's office said that in her meeting she reiterated “the right of Israel to defend itself under international law and to live in peace” while also underlining "the importance of guaranteeing humanitarian access to Gaza and a prospect of peace for the region.’’ Her office said she brought “a message of solidary and Italy's closeness” following Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Oct. 7. PRESIDENT BIDEN SPEAKS WITH 2 FREED HOSTAGES WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has spoken on the phone with two freed Americans who had been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. Judith Raanan and her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, were released Friday. It was the first such hostage release from among the roughly 200 people the militant group abducted from Israel during its Oct. 7 rampage. Video of Biden speaking with them by phone was posted Saturday on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. He told the mother and daughter that he was glad they had been released. “We’re going to get them all out, God willing,” he said. Natalie thanked Biden for his “services” to Israel. Judith said they are in good health. Hamas said it released the mother and daughter for humanitarian reasons in an agreement with the Qatari government. Family members have said Judith and Natalie had been on a trip from their home in the Chicago suburb of Evanston to Israel to celebrate Judith’s mother’s birthday and the Jewish holidays. ___ This item has been corrected to reflect that the video was posted Saturday, not that Biden spoke to them on Saturday. ISRAEL SAYS IT WILL INCREASE ATTACKS ON GAZA Israel plans to step up its attacks on the Gaza Strip starting Saturday as preparation for the next stage of its war on Hamas, Israel's military spokesman says. Asked about a possible ground invasion into Gaza, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters Saturday night that the military was trying to create optimal conditions beforehand. “We will deepen our attacks to minimize the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks, from today,” Hagari said. He repeated his call for residents of Gaza City to head south for their safety. UN AGENCIES SAY MORE AID IS NEEDED CAIRO — United Nations aid agencies said a first 20-truck convoy of assistance that reached Gaza Saturday was “only a small beginning and far from enough.” The agencies, including the World Health Organization, the World Food Program and others, said in a joint statement that more than 1.6 million people are in critical need of humanitarian aid. “Vulnerable people are at greatest risk and children are dying at an alarming rate and being denied their right to protection, food, water and health care,” they said. The agencies, which also include the U.N. population fund and UNICEF, called for a humanitarian cease-fire, along with immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access throughout Gaza. “Gaza was a desperate humanitarian situation before the most recent hostilities. It is now catastrophic. The world must do more,” they said. DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS SAYS GAZA HOSPITALS ARE OVERWHELMED CAIRO — Doctors Without Borders says Gaza’s health care system is “facing collapse.” The global medical group said Saturday that hospitals in Gaza are “overwhelmed and lacking resources” amid continued Israeli airstrikes and siege following Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Oct. 7. The group’s warning come after Medhat Abbas, an official with the Gaza health ministry, said early Saturday that five hospitals has stopped functioning and two others were partly out of service. “We recently made a large donation of medical stock, including medicines, narcotics and medical equipment to Al Shifa hospital, the main surgical facility in the strip,” the group, known by its French acronym MSF, wrote on X platform. An nurse with the aid group in Gaza, Loay Harb, said that when the supplies were delivered to the hospital, she and others “saw hundreds of people taking shelter and it was difficult to walk inside.” PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE SUMMIT CAIRO — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is calling for an international peace summit to bring about the end of the Israel-Hamas war. Speaking at a conference in Cairo on Saturday, Abbas reiterated his “complete rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides.” He also urged the “release of all civilians, prisoners, and detainees,” likely alluding to some 210 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Abbas leads the Palestinian Authority, a government exercising semi-autonomous control in the West Bank. The government is deeply loathed among Palestinians, who view it as corrupt and collaborationist with Israel. Hamas seized control of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip in 2007 and enjoys a strong base of support in the West Bank. ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES HIT SEVERAL RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — A barrage of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis near a U.N. school struck several residential buildings, prompting a frantic rescue effort as medics rushed several dead bodies and dozens of wounded Palestinians to the hospital. At the Hamouda family home seven people were killed and 40 others were wounded, survivors told The Associated Press at the scene of the attack. CAIRO SUMMIT CAIRO — At a summit of world leaders in Cairo focused on ways to de-escalate the raging Israel-Hamas war, representatives from Arab and European nations called for more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and appealed for protection of civilians in the strip. Several Arab leaders, including Egypt and Jordan, took the opportunity to castigate the international community over its inaction and a double standard they said that the world displayed on the devastating Israeli bombing campaign on Gaza. The response of the world, the office of President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi said, displayed a “shortcoming in the values of the international community in addressing crises.” “While we see one place officials rushing and competing to promptly condemn the killing of innocent people, we find incomprehensible hesitation in denouncing the same act in another place,” it said in reference to fierce Western condemnation of Hamas’ attack on Israel and a weaker reaction to Palestinian suffering. The summit did not immediately produce any statements about the prospects of a cease-fire UN MONITOR SAYS MORE AID IS NEEDED JERUSALEM —- A United Nations monitor says the 20 trucks of aid delivered to Gaza are just a “tiny fraction” of what is needed by some 1.4 Palestinians who have been displaced since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Normally, 500 trucks pass through crossings into Gaza every day. The 20 trucks that arrived Saturday were the first to arrive there in two weeks. Andrea De Domenico is the head of the U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the occupied Palestinian Territories. He says UNWRA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, is working the World Food Program, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization to direct the aid to those most in need. But he said it will be challenging to get aid into the hands of people who are not staying at U.N. facilities. The aid consists of canned food such as tuna, basic medical supplies, medicines, and water. He said the U.N. is pushing for an “unimpeded” flow of aid into the strip through the Rafah crossing, but that discussions of further aid are mired in deliberations “between parties.” “If we don’t stabilize the supply pipeline,” Domenico said, “we head toward catastrophe. DUAL CITIZENS CAN'T GET OUT OF GAZA RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian Americans and other dual citizens rushed to southern Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt on Saturday as 20 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid entered the besieged strip that has staggered under shortages of medicine and food. Even as embassies asked their citizens in Gaza to stand ready at the border, crowds of disappointed Palestinians holding American, Canadian, German and British passports waited hours in vain for at least fifth time this week. “There is no opening of the crossing, and the suffering is the same,” said U.S. citizen Dina al- Khatib. “They communicate with us, but there is no change.” With a humanitarian disaster brewing in Gaza, al-Khatib said she and her family were desperate to get out. “It’s is not like previous wars,” she said. “There is no electricity, no water, no internet, nothing.” IDF OFFICIAL: PRIVATE HOMES CAN BE LEGITIMATE TARGETS IF HAMAS MILITANTS ARE IN THEM JERUSALEM — A senior Israel Defense Forces official says the military will try not to strike zones in Gaza where humanitarian aid is being distributed, unless rockets are fired from the area. “It’s a safe zone. We have a system which every time we decide that an area … is a safe zone, we declare no attack in this area. We won’t attack them,” he told a group of foreign journalists. He added that the definition of what constitutes a “legitimate target” has changed, because the use of civilian infrastructure by Hamas “turns a private home into a legitimate target. And anyone who supports that home is a legitimate target.” He acknowledged that the IDF has attacked houses where there are civilians living among militants. — Julia Frankel in Jerusalem. Read More Rishi Sunak: Leaders need to stop ‘contagion of conflict’ in Middle East Little light, no beds, not enough anesthesia: A view from the 'nightmare' of Gaza's hospitals Hezbollah official says his group already 'is in the heart' of Israel-Hamas war Tens of thousands take part in pro-Palestinian protests in UK cities Thousands march in Dublin in support of Palestinians What the papers say – October 21

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