Local authorities in the United Kingdom have issued a warning about the growing popularity of "urban exploring" among young people, citing serious safety hazards and potential legal consequences associated with the social media trend.

The warning comes amid reports of an increase in teenagers and young adults entering abandoned and derelict buildings, often filming their experiences and sharing videos on platforms such as TikTok. Concerned by the rise in such activities, West Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service have jointly urged residents to avoid accessing vacant properties without permission.

Officials said many of the buildings attracting urban explorers are structurally unsafe and pose significant risks, including falling debris, unstable floors, exposed electrical systems and hazardous materials. They warned that entering these sites could result in serious injury or even death.

Charlie Hastie, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at West Northamptonshire Council, said that while urban exploring may appear adventurous on social media, the reality is far more dangerous. He noted that many abandoned buildings have deteriorated over time and are not designed to accommodate visitors.

Authorities also expressed concern that social media content is encouraging others to replicate the behaviour. Online videos often attract comments seeking directions, entry points and tips for accessing restricted locations, potentially increasing the number of people exposed to danger.

Beyond safety concerns, officials stressed that entering private or restricted properties without permission is a criminal offence and could lead to prosecution. In some cases, individuals may also be violating Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), which prohibit unauthorised access to certain locations as part of efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour.

The warning echoes previous incidents linked to urban exploration. In 2019, four teenagers became trapped in underground sewer tunnels in Northampton after losing their way, prompting a major rescue operation and renewed calls for public awareness about the risks associated with exploring unsafe sites.

Authorities are encouraging parents, schools and community groups to discuss the dangers of the trend and promote safer recreational activities for young people.

Journalists and media professionals from South and Southeast Asia have an opportunity to strengthen their reporting skills on climate, environmental and public health issues through a fully funded regional training programme scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July 2026.

The two-day Capacity Development and Training Workshop Series for Media Professionals: Air Pollution and Health will be held on July 13–14, 2026, at Sunway University. The programme is being organized by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, the Global Strategic Communications Council and the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health.

The workshop aims to equip journalists with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively report on the growing links between air pollution, climate change and human health. Through expert-led discussions, collaborative learning sessions and practical exercises, participants will gain a deeper understanding of planetary health challenges and learn how to communicate complex scientific issues in a clear, accurate and engaging manner.

Organizers say the training will focus on developing solutions-oriented journalism, ethical reporting practices and stronger engagement with scientists, policymakers and affected communities. Participants will also take part in a simulation exercise designed to replicate real-world reporting scenarios related to environmental and health issues.

In addition to skill-building sessions, the workshop will offer networking opportunities for journalists from across South and Southeast Asia. Participants will be encouraged to exchange experiences, build professional connections and explore opportunities for regional collaboration.

Following the programme, attendees will become part of a Community of Practice, where they can share resources, discuss reporting challenges, access the latest research and support one another in covering climate and health-related stories.

The workshop is open to working journalists, both staff and freelance, with recent bylines and a demonstrated interest in environmental or health journalism. Applicants must submit two to three relevant work samples and commit to publishing at least one article or equivalent media output within six weeks of the workshop.

Selected participants will receive full funding covering international airfare, local travel within Malaysia, accommodation from July 12 to 14, and meals during the programme. Priority will be given to applicants from ASEAN member countries, although journalists from South Asia and a limited number from East Asia are also eligible to apply.

An Indian software engineer currently working at Google and earning more than ₹80 lakh annually has triggered widespread debate online after revealing that a startup rejected his application because his college CGPA was below 7.

The tech professional, who chose to remain anonymous, said he has around eight years of industry experience and had applied to the startup while exploring new job opportunities. However, instead of evaluating his professional track record, the company reportedly rejected him over academic scores from his college years.

According to the engineer, the rejection message was sent through WhatsApp and specifically mentioned that his college CGPA did not meet the company’s criteria.

What intensified the controversy was the fact that the candidate had not even mentioned his CGPA on his resume. Despite his experience at one of the world’s leading technology companies and a high-paying role, the startup allegedly focused on academic performance from nearly a decade earlier.

Speaking about the incident, the techie said the company gave no other explanation for rejecting his application. The experience prompted him to share the incident online, where it quickly gained traction across social media platforms.

Many users criticised the startup’s hiring process, calling it outdated and disconnected from real-world industry expectations. Several argued that judging experienced professionals on college grades rather than skills, achievements and work history reflected an “archaic” mindset in recruitment.

One user speculated that the company may have used the CGPA requirement as a convenient excuse because it did not have the budget to hire a highly paid engineer from a major multinational firm. Others suggested the candidate had “dodged a bullet” by avoiding a workplace with rigid and potentially toxic hiring standards.

The incident has once again reignited discussions around recruitment culture in India’s startup ecosystem, where some firms continue to prioritise academic scores, elite college backgrounds and rigid eligibility criteria even for mid-career professionals.

Industry experts have often argued that while academic performance may help assess fresh graduates, years of hands-on experience, project execution, leadership and problem-solving abilities become far more relevant for senior roles.

The engineer also confirmed that the startup did not contact him again after the social media backlash surrounding the incident.

UNESCO Peru has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Media and Information Literacy (MIL) among young people during Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2025, highlighting the urgent need for critical thinking, ethical technology use, and safer digital participation in an AI-driven world.

Observed globally from October 24 to 31, the UNESCO-led campaign this year centres on the theme, “Think Before AI: MIL in the Digital World,” encouraging reflection on how artificial intelligence is reshaping access to information, communication, and learning.

UNESCO Peru said the initiative comes at a time when young people are spending increasing portions of their lives online, often navigating complex digital environments shaped by algorithms, misinformation, and cyber risks.

Growing digital dependence, rising concerns

According to UNESCO’s report Journey through the MILtiverse, nearly 80 per cent of young people use AI tools several times daily. At the same time, media consumption habits in Peru are rapidly shifting toward social platforms.

Data cited by UNESCO showed that:

• 54 per cent of Peruvians access news through Facebook
• 34 per cent rely on YouTube
• 33 per cent consume news via TikTok

Despite high digital engagement, only 14 per cent of users reportedly verify the information they consume, according to DATUM 2023 findings.

UNESCO also pointed to growing concerns around online safety, particularly for young women and girls. Its report Whatever Happens, Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter found that 58 per cent of young women and girls have experienced cyberbullying on digital platforms.

Media literacy beyond technology use

UNESCO Peru stressed that Media and Information Literacy is not limited to technical knowledge but involves learning how to critically evaluate information, recognise misinformation, respond ethically online, and participate responsibly in digital society.

Officials said these competencies are increasingly important in combating disinformation, hate speech, online harassment, and misuse of AI-generated content while strengthening democratic participation and informed citizenship.

Youth-centred digital citizenship initiatives

Throughout October, UNESCO Peru supported multiple youth-focused activities aimed at building safer and more inclusive digital spaces.

Among the key initiatives:

• A virtual conference on transparency in universities organised with Peru’s National Authority for Transparency and Access to Public Information and the Ministry of Justice, attended by over 700 participants.
• Workshops on technology-facilitated gender violence and safe digital participation during a youth citizenship pre-congress event.
• The “Connected Citizen” workshop in Villa María del Triunfo focused on fake news awareness and strengthening democratic engagement among community youth leaders.
• Participatory workshops at Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) under the AMBER Network initiative addressing digital citizenship, cybersecurity, and online harassment prevention from a gender perspective.

Building safer digital environments

UNESCO Peru said its “Connected Youth” initiative seeks to equip young people with practical tools to engage with technology responsibly and ethically.

The organisation emphasised that digital literacy is becoming an essential life skill in modern society, especially as artificial intelligence increasingly influences how information is created, distributed, and consumed.

Through its MIL Week activities, UNESCO Peru reiterated its commitment to empowering young people to think critically, verify information, combat harmful online behaviour, and contribute to creating safer and more inclusive digital communities.

Driven by the belief that education remains the foundation of social progress, Shaurya Welfare Society has expanded its grassroots educational initiative, Project Arohon, across remote regions of Darjeeling and Bankura to strengthen digital learning access in underserved schools.

The initiative, conducted between July 2025 and January 2026, focused on schools struggling with declining enrolment, poor infrastructure, teacher shortages and limited digital access. The word “Arohon,” meaning ascent or rising upward in Bengali, reflects the project’s larger aim of empowering children and communities through education.

Before launching the intervention, a four-member survey team from the organisation visited seven institutions in the Rongmukh-Sonada belt of Darjeeling and parts of Bankura. The survey documented infrastructural limitations, digital exclusion, low student-teacher engagement and the socio-economic hardships faced by tea estate workers and Lohar tribal communities.

Among the schools surveyed were Jai Bharat Primary School, Vidyaratna Primary School, Proletarians Academy, Chandraman Dura Nursery School and Ramkrishna English School.

The findings revealed a severe shortage of resources. Some schools operated without electricity, while others functioned from fragile hillside structures divided by cardboard partitions and furnished with broken benches and worn-out blackboards. Several institutions relied almost entirely on community-appointed teachers and nominal student fees to survive.

In Bankura, Dhansimla Junior Girls High School, once home to more than 400 students, now has only 34 girls enrolled despite having government-appointed teachers and infrastructure. Teachers cited social pressures, economic hardship and gender-based responsibilities as major reasons for declining attendance among girls.

The outreach also extended to Ma Brahmamoyee Seva Ashram, a community-run educational shelter supporting children from the Lohar tribal community through academic tutoring and co-curricular learning activities.

As part of the Rongmukh intervention conducted in October 2025, Project Arohon installed electrical infrastructure, introduced computers and digital learning tools, organised teacher and guardian workshops and enabled remote desktop support systems for continued technical assistance. The initiative also distributed books donated by Julien Day School.

In Bankura, volunteers conducted extempore sessions, quiz competitions and puzzle-based learning activities while distributing winter clothing, books and educational kits to students.

The project highlighted how digital learning infrastructure could help bridge educational inequality in geographically isolated and economically distressed communities. Organisers believe computer-aided teaching can improve student engagement, reduce dropout rates and encourage fresh enrolment by connecting learners to broader educational resources beyond their immediate surroundings.

At the same time, the survey underscored deeper structural challenges facing rural education, including poor sanitation, lack of trained teachers, unsafe school environments and limited parental awareness regarding long-term educational outcomes.

Project Arohon’s interventions reflect a growing effort among grassroots organisations to combine digital inclusion with community-based educational support in regions where conventional schooling systems continue to struggle.

A journalism professor at Ball State University has earned one of the highest recognitions in journalism education, highlighting the growing importance of hands-on, community-driven learning in media schools across the United States.

Adam Kuban was named Teacher of the Year by the Scripps Howard Fund as part of the 73rd Scripps Howard Journalism Awards. He received the prestigious Charles E. Scripps Award for Journalism Teacher of the Year, a national honour that recognises excellence in journalism education and student mentorship.

The recognition places Kuban among a select group of educators shaping the next generation of journalists through immersive and community-engaged storytelling projects. He is only the second faculty member from Ball State University to receive the award, following Jennifer Palilonis, who won the distinction in 2012.

Kuban, who has been part of Ball State’s faculty since 2011, is widely known for integrating real-world journalism experiences into classroom learning. Over the years, he has guided students in producing documentaries, books, magazines, digital platforms and multimedia storytelling projects focused on issues ranging from science communication to sports journalism.

Speaking after the announcement, Kuban described the recognition as both humbling and motivating. He said journalism education plays a critical role in helping students understand truth, accountability and their responsibility as future media professionals.

His work has particularly stood out for connecting journalism with public-interest storytelling. One of his most recognised initiatives is Water Quality Indiana, an interdisciplinary project combining journalism and science education to examine local and global water issues. Student documentaries produced under the programme received two regional Emmy nominations and four Aurora GOLD Awards.

Beyond classrooms, Kuban has collaborated with organisations such as USA Volleyball and The Facing Project, giving students opportunities to work on professional-level storytelling assignments with real audiences and community impact.

Former student Casey Smith said Kuban’s teaching extended far beyond academics, describing him as a mentor who helped shape careers through practical reporting opportunities and an emphasis on public service journalism.

The award also reflects a broader shift within journalism education, where universities are increasingly prioritising experiential learning, multimedia storytelling and industry-linked reporting experiences over traditional lecture-based instruction alone.

Kuban holds a doctorate in communication from the University of Utah and both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State University. During his academic career, he has taught more than 2,200 students and received multiple honours for teaching excellence, immersive learning and community engagement.