Latest News from The Guardian
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- General
- The Guardian
Chinese paraglider survives accidental 8,000-metre-high flight above the clouds
A Chinese paraglider who was accidentally propelled more than 8,000 metres high by an updraft has been banned from the activity for six months after a video of his ordeal went viral. Peng Yujiang began from an elevation of about 3,000m in the Qilian mountain range in northern China, where he intended to test a new second-hand equipment purchase without making a proper flight, according to an investigative report by the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association. However about 20 minutes into his practice he was caught in a strong updraft, which sent him soaring more than 5,000m high, in line with flight paths and nearly the height of Mount Everest. Video from Peng's mounted camera showed him above the clouds and covered in icicles as the temperature dropped to a reported -35C, as he tried to control his equipment. In a video filmed shortly after landing, Peng recounted the experience. 'My hands were frozen outside. I kept trying to talk on the radio,' he said. Authorities praised Peng's survival, conceding it was an accident. A 'normal person cannot be exposed at 8,000m without oxygen [so] this is not something that can be done voluntarily' said a sports bureau official, according to Sixth Tone. But Peng, who has about five years' experience paragliding, never intended to leave ground level and so had not registered any flight plans, meaning his ordeal was 'not subject to relevant approvals', the report said. In response he was banned from flying for six months. The bureau report, based on an interview with Peng, said he was in the air for more than an hour, and had stayed in radio contact with his friend, Gu Zhimin, who was still on the ground. The report said he had attempted to descend but his efforts were 'ineffective', and as he flew higher he became confused and briefly lost consciousness. Peng was eventually able to land about 30km from the launch site, where he was met by Gu and another friend. Gu later posted a video of Peng's flight and comments on the ground to Douyin, China's domestic version of TikTok, where it soon went viral. The video sparked shock and admiration from viewers, some suggesting he had broken records, but it also drew the ire of authorities. 'Gu Zhimin posted a flight video without permission, which had a bad impact,' the report said. 'He was grounded for six months and asked to write a report to deeply reflect on the negative impact of his behaviour.' The bureau said any record broken by Peng's flight would not be officially counted because his flight was not registered. His flight nears the world record of 9,946m set by German paraglider Ewa Wiśnierska in 2007, when she was caught in a similar updraft while paragliding in Australia. Wiśnierska was unconscious for about 40 minutes, only learning how high she had flown after safely landing and checking her flight data. Additional research by Lillian Yang
The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- General
- The Guardian
Paraglider survives accidental 8,000-metre-high flight in China
A Chinese paraglider who was accidentally carried more than 8,000 metres into the air by an updraft has been banned from flying for six months after footage of his ordeal went viral. Peng Yujiang started his reported practice flight from an elevation of about 3,000m in the Qilian mountain range in northern China but was caught in a strong updraft, soaring more than 5,000m higher
The Guardian
40 minutes ago
- Health
- The Guardian
What are the early signs of bowel cancer? And how can young Australians get tested for it?
Australia is in the unenviable position of having the highest rates of bowel cancer in people under 50 in the world. The perception it is an 'older person's disease' is being overturned. Rates in those over 50 have declined in Australia, while early-onset cases in people under 50 are rising by up to 8% a year. It is the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 44, and the risk of being diagnosed in Australia under the age of 40 has more than doubled since 2000. Experts say they still do not know what has prompted Australians born in the 1990s to be diagnosed at three times the rate of those born in the 1950s. Nevertheless, they say it's important to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms among young people which are often easily dismissed. The most common signs and symptoms of early-onset bowel cancer are blood in the stool, abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits and unexplained weight loss. Bowel Cancer Australia says people should not delay talking to their GP if they are experiencing any of these symptoms for two weeks or more – when diagnosed early, almost 99% of cases can be successfully treated. Although many of the symptoms are common to multiple health concerns, Bowel Cancer Australia urges people not to accept 'you're too young to have bowel cancer' as an explanation for symptoms, and to ask for further investigations. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email A colorectal surgeon and Bowel Cancer Australia's medical director, Associate Prof Graham Newstead, says some people experience no symptoms. The most obvious symptoms tend to emerge as the growth in the bowel from polyp to cancer becomes large enough to partially block the bowel. Thisresults in a change in bowel habit 'that's more than the dinner you ate last night upsetting you'. There are key barriers to early detection – a lack of symptom awareness and stigma among them. Bowel Cancer Australia's chief executive, Julien Wiggins, says the organisation has tried to overcome people's 'taboo around checking their poo'by partnering with Kleenex to create a roll that reminds them to do so. Screening is able to detect small amounts of blood in the stool which has leaked from growths in the bowel – even if you can't see it yourself. The government's national screening program sends at-home test kits to in the mail to every Australian every two years starting from age 50. That runs up until age 74. Since July 2024, 45- to 49-year-olds can opt in to request the test for free, and then will start receiving it every two years. People aged 40 to 44 can go to their GP and request a test. For people under 40, tests have to be bought out of pocket but Bowel Cancer Australia is advocating for lowering the screening age in response to the increasing rates of bowel cancer in younger people. If a test comes back positive, or people notice any other symptoms such as a lump or swelling in the abdomen or extreme tiredness for no reason, they should follow up with a GP who can refer them to get a colonoscopy. Age, family history, hereditary conditions and personal health history can all influence bowel cancer risk – they're known as 'non-modifiable' risk factors because they cannot be changed. There are also modifiable risk factors which can be controlled, including diet and lifestyle choices, as well as screening and surveillance. Alcohol, smoking, eating too much red meat or processed meats and having increased body fat are known to increase risk. One study of more than 540,000 women has found that each 20g of alcohol a day – about the amount found in a large glass of wine – was linked to a 15% higher risk of bowel cancer, while each 30g of red and processed meat a day was linked to an 8% increase in risk of the disease. That same study found each daily 300mg of calcium, about the amount found in half a pint of milk, was associated with a 17% lower risk of bowel cancer – the same decrease Bowel Cancer Australia says is associated with eating at least 90g of wholegrains a day, such as brown rice or wholemeal bread. Recreational physical activity can reduce risk of colon (not rectal) cancer by 16%. Bowel Cancer Australia recommends including dairy products such as low-fat milk, yoghurt and cheese in your daily diet, or considering calcium supplements if you are lactose-intolerant, as well as filling two-thirds or more of your plate with wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts to get more dietary fibre.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: Common milkwort looks light enough to take flight
I glimpse a lilac in the green. A hushed colour that suits the early hour. This common milkwort amid the grass is delicate and slight. The flower has an unusual structure, with an outer set of green sepals and an inner set of wing-like purple ones enclosing the tubular fused petals. The effect is intricate and poised, as if the bloom has landed for a moment in the grass but is equally capable of taking flight. Still holding the morning's dew, it is ephemeral, light. The blooms can also be found in blue, pink or white – leading to another of the plant's names, 'four sisters', for the four possible colours – but here it is a pale purple accent in the green. A number of its other common names reveal a past use in Christian processions – 'rogation flower,' 'cross flower', 'Christ's herb'. Then it was picked for garlands, but today it is better left where it is. While locally frequent and widespread in grasslands, particularly those with chalky soils, and in terrains including cliffs and rock outcrops, verges and alkaline-to-neutral fens, this 'common' milkwort has become rarer as agricultural intensification has reduced and degraded its habitats. As the sun strengthens, the complexion of the grass changes and a spill of yellow dominates. The flowers of the silverweed beam gold up through frosted leaves. Scattered buttercups glow in all directions, while the sunlight coaxes the grass itself into a more fiery palette. There is a temptation to look away, drawn by the brighter shades, yet the milkwort maintains its own attraction. The wing-like inner sepals act as flags, advertising the flower to pollinators, while the front petal serves as a landing platform. It takes a degree of strength to open this flower to reach the pollen and nectar within, giving bees an advantage over other pollinators. While such detail may be missed from human height, the flower still draws, and rewards, the human eye. All too easy to walk past, this quiet treasure in the grass is a feat of daedal elegance. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Jobcentres will no longer force people into ‘any job' available, minister says
Jobcentres will no longer force people into 'any job' available, the employment minister has said, promising there will be long-term, personalised career support for those losing out due to welfare cuts. Alison McGovern said she was ending the Conservative policy under which jobseekers were obliged to take any low-paid, insecure work and that the service would now be focused on helping people to build rewarding careers. McGovern, who is tasked with a major overhaul to employment support as a result of significant cuts to disability benefits, said the department would use AI to free up the workloads of job coaches, giving them more time to provide 'human' support to those with complex needs and long-term unemployment. The government is facing open revolt among Labour MPs over the proposed cuts – which some in No 10 fear could mean losing the vote in parliament. McGovern said she wanted to acknowledge there were many disabled people who would feel 'frightened' by the cuts to personal independence payments and incapacity benefits, with many losing support entirely. 'I don't blame anybody for being scared or worried about it because given what's happened with changes to disability benefits before, I understand that,' she said. But she added she was deeply concerned about the numbers of young people out of work – with many needing specialist help to even engage with job support because of extreme social anxiety. McGovern said that people whose benefits were cut under Labour would receive radically different support. Work support will be offered by GPs and physiotherapists, in addition to the extended support in jobcentres. 'One of the things that broke me was reading people say that they thought 'no one would want them,'' she said. 'I cannot live with the idea that there's people in this country who think that no one wants them.' The government will eventually spend £1bn a year in additional support for those with long-term health problems to access work, though the funding will be less for the first few years, starting at about £300m next year as the changes begin to come into effect. But the Resolution Foundation thinktank has previously suggested that the support available would bring at most 105,000 people into work by 2030, and would push many more into poverty. McGovern said she hoped changes to the current system and the way the department relates to employers would make a significant difference to the numbers. She said the Conservatives had left a 'black hole' in the service, where a top-down bureaucratic system was having no measurable impact on getting people into work. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) staff in jobcentres will be asked to rely more on AI software called DWP Ask and to fill in forms in advance of work coach meetings so that time can be spent on longer support for clients. Trials have already been run in which work coaches are given more time with clients than the usual five minutes. 'Nobody is ever going to make a film of I, Daniel Blake, but the reverse,' McGovern said. 'But what I would like is a person comes into the jobcentre who has perhaps not worked for some years and … they are given the time so that they can tell their whole story. Jobcentres will then be able to pick up the phone to tailored specific support for that person's barriers, then support once they are in work as well. We've got to see the whole person.' McGovern said she would like to radically improve the number of employers engaging directly with the DWP – currently just one in six. She said that would help jobcentres match people with the right skills and prepare them better for interviews or placements. 'The Tories used to talk about ABC: 'Any job, Better job, Career'. I think that if you think about the career [first] … If we can get people into an NHS job where they're more likely to move on and move up, then that is far better for them.' McGovern said she was particularly troubled by the plight of younger people, many of whom had been scarred by Covid. She said in some areas work coaches were having to accompany young people even to public places such as job fairs to help them overcome their anxieties. 'Now, that tells me that there's an issue,' she said. 'We have to pay our debt to the Covid generation … I worry particularly about young people, and I think there has not been enough discussion or understanding of what Covid took from young people.' Ministers are anticipating a significant rebellion and potential defeat when the welfare changes come before parliament, with up to 170 MPs suggesting publicly or privately that they could vote against or abstain on the changes. 'I don't blame colleagues for listening to their constituents who are fearful,' McGovern said. She said that people would have those fears alleviated only if they could see the system had truly changed. 'I also look at the reality of our economy,' she said. 'And I know that the social security system is designed as a kind of bulwark against poverty and to help us smooth life events over time. That only works well when you've got an economy that supports people's living standards. '[The] social security system can never overcome the sort of deep inadequacies that there are in our economy. What we need is to change our economy, make sure that people have got chances and choices and opportunity ... So I think these changes are necessary. I know that the job is much bigger than that.'
