Most of the incidents in Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield involved private e-scooters, often on public roads, pavements or footpaths, despite that being illegal.

Private e-scooters are meant only for use on private land, with the owner’s permission.

Half of the children injured were aged between 10 and 13. Nearly two-thirds were boys.

Most injuries were sustained by the rider – only 5% were pedestrians that had been hit by an e-scooter – and the most common cause was falling off the e-scooter.

Around 11% were collisions with a vehicle, which was often linked to more serious injuries.

Injuries to the arms and legs were the most common, followed by head or facial injuries.

The doctors say tougher laws are urgently needed. Helmet use is not mandatory in the UK, unlike some other countries.

Some have described the private e-scooter situation in the UK as the “Wild West” with few following any rules.

The researchers told the Emergency Medicine Journal that schools, local councils, youth groups and road safety campaigns all have a role to play.

“Clearly, reporting these accidents is important to influence and change policy, but there must also be an onus on retailers to clearly advise customers of the law, and policymakers to regulate private e-scooters, such as with speed limiters, or mandate helmet use,” they say.

To legally rent an e-scooter in the UK, which can be used on roads and cycle lanes, you must be at least 16 and hold a full or provisional driving licence, and the rental company must provide appropriate insurance. Rental e-scooters typically have a limited top speed of around 15mph.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “These are concerning findings, and our thoughts are with anyone who has been injured on our roads.

“It is illegal for private e-scooters to be used on roads, pavements or in other public spaces, including by under 16s, and we’re bringing forward new laws to make their use safe and legal, including consulting on requirements like helmets.”

Older women face a lower chance of fertility treatment working, even when using young donor eggs – with a marked drop-off from around the age of 49, new research suggests.

Experts studying 1,774 women say the findings challenge the idea that donor eggs can fully “reset” the reproductive clock, but should not put older couples off trying.

Women aged 49 and over had double the risk of miscarriage than those aged 35 to 40, and were also less likely to get pregnant.

Researchers believe age-related changes in the womb lining may be the cause and could be treatable in the future.

It might be possible to find ways to predict, prevent or improve womb age, they say.

Lead researcher Dr Beatrice Crestani, from an assisted reproduction medical institute in Italy, external, says that reproductive ageing has been seen as an ovarian issue, and that if you replace older eggs with younger donor ones, you “reset” the reproductive clock.

“Our findings suggest the picture is more complex,” adds Dr Crestani.

In the study, women in their mid to late 30s had a 54% chance of getting pregnant with donor eggs and IVF treatment; that fell to around 43% for those aged 49 or older.

Live birth rates declined from 46% to 32%, while miscarriage rates increased from 24% to 38%.

The researchers also noticed age-related changes to the womb lining or endometrium – where a fertilised egg or embryo implants to grow – in the older women.

While the thickness was similar, the condition declined with age.

Dr Crestani added: “These findings should not discourage women from pursuing donor-egg treatment, because success rates remain meaningful even at advanced ages.

“However, patients should be counselled that donor eggs cannot completely eliminate the effects of reproductive ageing, particularly beyond 49 years.”

In the study, the live birth rate was around 80% for women aged 35-40 and 62.5% among those aged 49 or older who transferred all available embryos.

In the UK, ahead of England playing Panama in the World Cup on Saturday, people are being advised to drink plenty of fluids but not lots of alcohol in this punishing heat, to avoid dehydration.

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee more, while the hot weather also makes us sweat lots.

“This dehydration double whammy makes it even more important to drink plenty of water and stay as hydrated as possible throughout the day,” says Alcohol Change UK.

During the heatwave, the nights have been hot too, presenting its own challenge. It means the body cannot cool down as much in between the daytime heat spikes.

Heat exhaustion can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people – especially if they have done strenuous exercise in high temperatures or been drinking alcohol in the sun all day. It can come on quickly, over minutes, or gradually, over hours.

It can subsequently turn into heatstroke, external, which is a medical emergency. It means your body can no longer manage the heat and your core temperature is rising too high. There can be fast breathing or shortness of breath and collapse or unconsciousness. Get urgent medical help.

People are being reminded that it’s fine to take a couple of days off from exercising, given the hot weather. If you are going do something physical outdoors, dial it down, pace yourself and stick to times of the day when it is cooler, such as the very early morning or late evening, experts advise.

Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire told French TV people must not believe they are “invulnerable”.

“I am thinking especially about the youth…I saw 100 or so joggers on the street. Frankly, that’s irresponsible.”

The London Ambulance Service says it responded to its highest number of life-threatening emergencies ever on Wednesday when the UK’s capital had temperatures in the mid-30s.

It saw a 50% increase in life-threatening emergency calls compared with a typical Wednesday in June, with the number of cardiac arrests up 30%.

Chief operating officer Craig Harman is advising people to drink plenty of water in between alcoholic beverages, as football fans prepare to cheer on England on Saturday, when temperatures are still expected to exceed 30C.

“I’m saying to people I need you to drink water even when you’re not thirsty, staying out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, and particularly not exercising outside and putting your body under additional heat and strain,” he said.

France’s Health Minister Stéphanie Rist warned “young people are also suffering from cardiac arrests”.

The ambulance service in Paris had seen four times more cardiac arrests than normal over a 24-hour period, although there are no confirmed figures for the number of deaths linked to the heatwave yet.

Lead researcher Robert Fletcher said while the study did not investigate the causes behind the rise, he felt there were three key factors.

He said adults in their 20s and 30s were ones who had grown up during a period when there was a boom in the unhealthy food market.

“They have been surrounded by unhealthy food in their formative years. On our high streets there has been a proliferation of takeaways and fast food outlets and unhealthy food has been heavily advertised as these age groups have been growing up.”

He also said the pandemic followed by the cost of living crisis was likely to have had a bigger impact on younger age groups.

“The stress of looking after children, while working from home and then being able to afford healthy food as inflation increased, has made healthier lifestyles more difficult,” he added.

Sarah Perman, from the Association of Directors of Public Health, agreed. She said unhealthier options now dominated “our supermarkets, corner shops and fast food outlets”.

“From infancy, children and young people are bombarded with advertising that encourages an unhealthy diet.

“It is also far cheaper and easier for individuals to consume foods and drinks high in fat, sugar, and salt than healthier alternatives.”

Research by the Food Foundation has found healthy foods are twice as expensive per calorie than unhealthy foods.

Katharine Jenner, of the Obesity Health Alliance, said the environment people in their 20s and 30s have grown up with has had a huge influence on “habit-forming behaviours”.

She said the digital environment was also likely to be playing a role with younger age groups more likely to be using food apps and spending time on social media, while the pandemic disrupted physical activity and other habits at a “crucial moment”.

CAR has faced recurrent cycles of conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power, prompting the rise of largely Christian anti-Balaka militias. 

In Batangafo, a town in the northwest once celebrated for its diversity, fear, mistrust, and displacement have now become daily realities. 

Amid this upheaval, Nina found her purpose: helping others rebuild their lives and restore a sense of hope.

From displacement to determination

Speaking to UN News she noted that “the 2013 violence in CAR had a profound and lasting impact on my life, both personally and professionally.” 

“Like many others in my home region of Batangafo and across the conflict-ridden country, my family and I became direct victims of the armed clashes.”

“We were forced to abandon our home, possessions, and stable life to seek refuge in neighbouring Cameroon to the west. These traumatic events galvanised my commitment to peacebuilding and to protecting the most vulnerable populations, particularly women and children.”

Since returning to the country, Nina has founded an NGO called Londo E Lekere (ILEL) (Let us rise up and build), which is supported by the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). It leads initiatives focusing on peacebuilding, and empowering women’s leadership.

Building bridges in a divided society

In a society fractured by religious and ethnic mistrust, fostering dialogue across generations and beliefs remains one of the greatest challenges. 

“The ethnic and religious tensions, particularly between Muslims and Christians, have been heightened since 2013, creating deep mistrust and making genuine interreligious dialogue difficult,” said Nina, adding that “compounding this are generational and gender disparities, which frequently lead to the marginalisation of young people and women in community decision-making.” 

To address these divisions, ILEL creates inclusive forums for dialogue including radio programmes, awareness campaigns in schools. It also organises conferences and debates and promoting women as peace leaders. 

Youth and gender: Turning barriers into strengths

As a young woman working in a leadership role in what she described as a “patriarchal” context, Nina has faced her share of resistance.

“Elders and traditional leaders sometimes question the authority of a young woman like me to lead initiatives. This manifests as initial resistance during inter-community awareness campaigns.” 

Rather than viewing her youth as a limitation, Nina considers it an advantage. 

“My youth allows me to connect with vulnerable adolescents and young people, who are often excluded from dialogue, and to embody a dynamic female leadership that inspires post-2013 resilience.”

In addition, she has also faced challenges directly linked to her gender. 

“Gender-based violence (GBV) has seen a dramatic increase since 2013, with a notable rise in rates between 2021 and 2022. This surge makes women like me primary targets and subjects us to stigmatisation.”  

Education: A pathway for peace 

Education, for Nina, is not just a professional focus, it’s a personal mission. 

“Education empowers citizens, enabling dialogue that transcends ethnic, religious, and gender divisions, and ensures they understand their rights,” she emphasised. 

Through ILEL, she has launched projects that distribute learning materials, and train teachers. The focus is on engaging parents, teachers, and local leaders to ensure each programme truly reflects community priorities. 

A vision for resilience 

From establishing health centres to supporting local farmers and documenting victims’ stories through a community blog, Nina’s work continues to inspire across the CAR and beyond.

“Peace, equality, and resilience,” she stated, are the values that continue to inspire and sustain her commitment to this cause, recognizing that peace is not built in conference rooms, but is nurtured in classrooms, markets, and villages, “by those who refuse to give up on hope.”

Available for over a year

PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders affecting women globally; affecting roughly 13% of women who have a menstrual cycle. The World Health Organization has estimated that up 70% of women with PCOS worldwide do not know they have this condition. Symptoms can include irregular periods, fertility issues, weight gain, acne, excess hair growth and insulin resistance. There is no cure.

And now Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is officially being reclassified as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

The new name reflects growing recognition that the condition involves much more than ovarian cysts alone. It’s actually a complex endocrine condition (to do with hormones) which affects the whole body. Experts hope that the name change will lead to a better focus on treating and reversing some of symptoms. Global health reporter Dorcas Wangira in Kenya explains what we know about the condition. And we hear from Professor Helena Teede, from Monash Univerity in Australia, who led the name-changing initiative.

Jenef Ngombo, 25 from the UK and Chelle Robotham, in Florida USA, share their experiences of PMOS/PCOS and tell us what they think about the name change.

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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Shakira Abdi and Julia Ross-Roy
Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

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