Smartphone users more likely to suffer anxiety, depression and insomnia
Problematic smartphone use is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and insomnia among teenagers, according to recent research. Teens exhibiting problematic use were twice as likely to report anxiety, with 44% of 13 to 16-year-olds and 56% of 16 to 18-year-olds affected, compared to their peers. While problematic use resembles addiction, it impacts a minority of teens. The study distinguished between screen time and problematic use, noting screen time itself was not directly linked to anxiety or depression but was associated with insomnia. The research, conducted between 2020 and 2022, involved over 700 teenagers. Many teens expressed a desire to reduce phone use, with nearly 90% of younger teens and two-thirds of older teens attempting strategies like silencing notifications. Effective strategies include turning off notifications, using 'do not disturb' mode, and keeping phones out of the bedroom at night.
Team GB win five more medals on day five at Olympics
On 31 July Team GB celebrated a stellar fifth day at the Paris Olympics, highlighted by two gold medals in just fifteen minutes. Triathlete Alex Yee and the women's quad sculls rowers secured the fifth and sixth golds for Britain. Team GB also won a BMX silver, and bronze medals in triathlon and diving. Alex Yee, trailing New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, made a remarkable comeback to clinch gold in the men’s triathlon, surpassing his Tokyo silver. The women's quad sculls team won gold in a photo-finish against the Netherlands. France's Leon Marchand stole the evening spotlight, achieving an unprecedented 200m breaststroke and butterfly double, bringing his gold tally to three after his individual medley win. Host nation France also celebrated as Cassandre Beaugrand won the women's triathlon, with Britain’s Beth Potter securing bronze. At the end of the day Team GB boasted 17 medals, their highest tally at this stage in any Games. Pray for France as she hosts the games.
Islamist preacher Choudary jailed for life for terrorism offences
British radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, 57, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday for directing a terrorist organisation. He was convicted of leading al-Muhajiroun, a group banned as a terrorist organisation over a decade ago, and encouraging support for it. 'Organisations such as yours normalise violence in support of an ideological cause,' the judge told him, adding, ‘Such groups embolden individuals to commit acts they might otherwise avoid and disrupt peaceful coexistence.’ Choudary received a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years before parole eligibility, minus the year he has already spent in custody. Once Britain's most prominent Islamist preacher, he had praised the 9/11 attackers and expressed a desire to convert Buckingham Palace into a mosque. He was imprisoned in 2016 for supporting IS and released in 2018 after serving half of his sentence. He stood trial with Canadian Khaled Hussein, 29, who was sentenced to five years for membership in a proscribed organisation.
Türkiye: largest prisoner swap since 1985
Journalist Evan Gershkovich and US marine Paul Whelan have been released from Russian jails in the largest prisoner swap with the West since the Cold War. The exchange, the result of months of complex negotiations, also freed British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who had been sentenced to 25 years for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Others released include Radio Free Europe editor Alsu Kurmasheva, anti-war artist Aleksandra Skochilenko, dissident politician Ilya Yashin, two former staffers for Alexei Navalny, and Russian-German dual citizen Kevin Lik. The swap, conducted in Turkey, involved the US, Russia, Germany, and other nations, led by Joe Biden and his national security team. Biden, speaking from the White House with the families of the released, called it ‘a very good afternoon’ and praised the diplomacy involved. He acknowledged Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey for their roles in the negotiation and logistical support.
