Daily roundup 13 September: FGM, fake news, and child homelessness

Police are targeting Eurostar terminals to protect children from female genital mutilation (FGM), with officers saying they are "absolutely determined" to obtain the first successful prosecution for the crime since it was outlawed more than 30 years ago. The Daily Mail reports that Inspector Allen Davis, from Scotland Yard's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command, said it was "really important" to show the practice, made illegal in 1985, is not tolerated. A police operation to protect children from practices including FGM, forced marriage, breast ironing and child abuse linked to beliefs focused on Eurostar terminal in London and Kent yesterday.


Fake news is a serious problem for children and young people in England and pupils do not have the critical literacy skills they need to identify it, a report has said. A report by the National Literacy Trust found that more children than ever are using digital media as their main source of news, and one in five children believe that everything they read online is true.


Child homelessness has soared in recent years as the government has used a "light touch" approach to tackling the issue, a report has said. The Mirror reports that a National Audit Office report reveals there are 120,540 young people living in temporary accommodation - up 73 per cent over the past six years. While homelessness increased, the Department for Communities and Local Government failed to monitor councils' work to tackle the issue, and ministers lack a published cross-government strategy to fight the problem, the watchdog said.


All pregnant women who go into labour too soon should be given antibiotics to protect their baby from a potentially deadly infection called Group B Strep, new guidelines state. The BBC reports that hundreds of newborn babies a year in the UK catch it. With prompt treatment, most can make a full recovery, but currently two in every 20 infected babies develop a disability and one in every 20 dies.


More than two thirds of young people in the UK have an "international outlook" and many fear for their prospects once the UK leaves the EU, a study has found. The BBC reports that Ipsos Mori questioned a representative group of almost 2,000 18- to 30-year-olds for a study by cross-party think-tank Demos, for the British Council. Overall, young people said they feel "overburdened" by responsibility and "multiple barriers".


Public Health England has launched a new personal, social, health and economic education resource to support secondary school teachers when promoting positive health, wellbeing and resilience among young people aged 11 to 16. The resource - called Rise Above for Schools - covers topics include bullying and cyberbullying, alcohol, positive relationships, smoking, exam stress, online stress and body image in a digital world.


Two charities have joined forces to launch a new sport programme to help girls in the most deprived areas of the UK to fulfil their potential by opening up access to sport. Sported and Women in Sport have come together to run Sport for Change, which is funded by Comic Relief as part of its "Levelling the Field" initiative.