Yes, We can Change

To mark International Youth Day on Tuesday, we asked young people on Twitter which issues they would like to see given more attention. The most common response was jobs, which reflects an increasing global youth unemployment rate of 13.1%, up from 12.9% in 2012. The largest increase occurred in the Middle East, which has the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, according to an International Labour Organisation report. But the particular issues facing young people are beginning to be recognised. The final recommendations for the UN’s sustainable development goals include a target to develop a global strategy for youth employment, as well as tackle youth literacy and numeracy rates, and increase access to vocational training. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is launching a campaign to ensure young people’s voices are heard in the debate around the future goals. The head of the UNFPA, Babatunde Osotimehin, has called for a greater focus on youth issues in the ...

Pound shop price war:  Budget stores battle for customers  with items going for 93p Pound shop price war; Budget stores battle for customers with items going for 93p Poundland and 99p Stores at the Kingsgate shopping centre in Dunfermline are dropping their prices in competition with each other. Two discount shops have engaged in a price war, dropping their prices to as low as 93p. The 99p Store in the Kingsgate Shopping Centre, Dunfermline, has steadily dropped its prices from 97p to 95p - in what bosses call ‘tactical marketing’. But the Poundland shop  – less than give doors up, whose slogan is ‘Yes, Everything’s £1’ – has undercut its competitor and is selling products for 93p. It is understood that both shops are set to continue lowering their prices in the next few weeks as the pound war continues, according to the  Daily Record . Delighted customer Eileen Watson, said there could only be one winner in ‘the battle of the bargains’ – consumers. ...

A three-year-old girl has died after being pulled out of a hotel swimming pool in Lancashire, prompting a murder investigation. The girl, from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, was reported to be "drowning" at Dalmeny Hotel on South Promenade in St Annes on Thursday. She was taken to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in a critical condition, where she died. A woman, aged 40, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and child neglect. The woman, also from Galashiels, remains in police custody for questioning. Paramedics initially took the child to Blackpool Victoria Hospital shortly after 11:00 BST before she was transferred to the specialist children's hospital. Det Insp Nick Connaughton, from Blackpool CID, said: "This is a tragic situation where a young girl has lost her fight for life following an incident at a swimming pool in a hotel in St Annes. "We are now treating this sad death as suspicious and are investigating just how the chi...

Housing benefit cuts: Who loses out? Politicians making savings know for every cut they make they will have to argue not just that it is prudent, but that it is fair. So it is hardly surprising policy changes that will affect more than 750,000 households are being scrutinised for fairness. The prime minister says it is unfair housing benefit claimants can live in properties other workers could only dream of. His opponents argue - in the strongest terms - the policies are profoundly unfair. Labour frontbencher Chris Bryant said they would lead to the "cleansing" of the poor from expensive areas. A government impact assessment provides plenty of numbers over which both sides of the debate can argue. It shows the restriction of Local Housing Allowances - which are currently based on the median rent in an area - to the 30th percentile of private rents will affect 774,970 households across the UK, who will lose an average of £9 a week. Substantial saving New limits...

The UK will "consider positively" any request for military equipment from Kurdish fighters in Iraq, according to a Government source. David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg agreed during an emergency Cobra meeting that it was "vital" to help the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants, formerly known as the Islamic State In Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Government is now expected to provide weapons and equipment, should Kurdish leaders make a request.  Iraqi and Kurdish forces are battling IS, which has recently made significant gains in the north of the country, causing thousands to flee after they were issued with an ultimatum to convert to Islam or face death. A Downing Street source said any supplies would be "dependent on what the Kurds would need". France is already sending weapons to Iraq, with President Francois Hollande confirming the "imminent delivery of military equipment". Germany, the Czech Republic and the ...

The mother of a three-year-old girl who drowned in a hotel swimming pool near Blackpool has been arrested on suspicion of murder, Sky News understands. The youngster is believed to have been staying with her parents at the Dalmeny Hotel, St Annes, when she got into difficulty in the water on Thursday morning. She was pulled from the swimming pool and taken to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in a critical condition but died later. The hotel's owner Chris Webb told Sky News that several other guests witnessed what happened in the pool and gave statements to the police. Two guests tried to revive the girl before paramedics arrived. It is understood that the girl's mother was in the pool at the time. Police confirmed a 40-year-old woman, from Galashiels, Scotland, was arrested on suspicion of murder and child neglect. She remains in police custody. Detective Inspector Nick Connaughton, of Blackpool CID, said: "This is a tragic situation where a young gi...