Daily roundup 30 October: Terrorism arrest, child maintenance, and Grenfell Tower

Two 14-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. The BBC reports that the teenagers were arrested in the North Yorkshire market town of Northallerton on Saturday. The North East Counter Terrorism Unit said a number of properties were being searched in the area.


Parents will no longer be able to use a legal loophole to dodge paying child maintenance under new rules to be rolled out within months. The Guardian reports that ministers are to overhaul laws that mean parents can avoid supporting their child by holding their money in a joint account with a new partner. Current rules mean only money held in a sole account can be seized for payment. 


Nearly 90 children need urgent care for post-traumatic stress disorder following the Grenfell Tower fire, more than a third of whom have declined treatment, NHS figures show. The Independent reports that out of the 88 children who were screened and recommended treatment, 50 are receiving specialist care and three have completed their treatment. However, 35 children or their families have not taken up treatment for reasons including that they do not feel ready, they wish to move in to a stable home setting first or they feel their symptoms are improving.


Scrapping interest on student loans and extending the time limit on paying it back could help to avoid a future debt crisis, a centre-right think tank says. The BBC reports that the UK 2020 report said the measures would "bring down costs" for students and graduates. Changing payback time limits from 30 to 50 years could also save billions of pounds of taxpayers' money it said.


Pushy parents who micromanage their children's lives and the pervasive "safeguarding" culture are scuppering young people's creativity, the children's laureate has said. The Telegraph reports that nervous mothers and fathers are passing their "infectious" and unfounded anxieties about safety onto their children, according to Lauren Child, the bestselling author and illustrator. Children's ability to take risks is also being eroded by social media, which makes them feel under constant scrutiny, she said.