Bid to find Britons after tsunami

Bid to find Britons after tsunami

British consular officials are trying to trace "a number" of UK nationals thought to have been in the South Pacific region when a tsunami struck.

Rescue workers on Samoa, America Samoa and Tonga are searching for survivors.

The deadly waves, which killed at least 149 people, were triggered by an 8.3-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

The Foreign Office said it had received reports of "British nationals on Samoa or in the surrounding region that we have not yet been in contact with".

A spokesman said: "Our consular team on the ground are in contact with the local authorities and are assisting any British nationals that have been affected by this terrible tragedy.

"Communications on the island remain severely disrupted. Phone lines are down and many roads impassable.

"Because the situation is developing rapidly and we are receiving updates all the time, we cannot be drawn into speculating on numbers."

A British couple’s two-year-old son who was swept out to sea off Samoa is feared to be among those killed by the tsunami.

His father was treated in hospital after being injured on the beach where the wave struck.

A spokesman for the British High Commission in New Zealand said he was taken to hospital in the Samoan capital of Apia.

It is thought that the husband and wife, originally from Britain, now live in the Auckland area of New Zealand.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the boy was "missing, presumed dead".</p

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Expert dementia support ‘crucial’

Expert dementia support ‘crucial’

Expert social support which could take much pain out of dealing with dementia should be more accessible to patients and their carers, a report says.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics said such help often was unavailable until a crisis point was reached.

But access to holistic expert services in the earliest stages of the disease could make a real difference, it said.

Patients should not be written off, but involved in decisions about their care as much as possible, the report said.

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

• Services should be made available from an early stage
• Families should be treated as ‘partners in care’ by professionals, helping to build trust
• Introduction of ‘risk-benefit assessments’ to determine how best to protect patients without unnecessarily damaging their quality of life
• Highlight legal duties of service providers – such as shops and restaurants – to ensure people with dementia can use their services
• Abolition of the fee for people to register as welfare attorneys, who can make decisions on someone else’s behalf about medical treatment
• More guidance on how dementia patients can be actively involved in their care
• More funding for dementia research

Easing the pain of dementia

The report authors said the flaws in providing dementia care were similar to those in providing cancer care 20 years ago when the patient was seen simply as a disease to be treated.

But since then cancer specialists had adopted a much more holistic approach, accepting that the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs were also important.

Professor Tony Hope, a psychiatrist who led the working party which produced the new report, said people caring for somebody with Alzheimer’s faced tricky ethical dilemmas on a daily basis.

He said often it was the little things that most distressed families.

"A common problem is being worried that a person will hurt themselves, for example by slipping in the bathroom.

"But going into the bathroom with them and intruding on their privacy can be, understandably, very upsetting."

"There will rarely be a straightforward answer to these problems, but we want carers to have better access to support and advice to help them work out what is best in their particular situation.

"Things are starting to change but dementia still carries a stigma.

"Dementia needs to become an accepted, visible part of our society, and people with dementia should be able to take part in the activities they enjoy."

The report also praised the establishment of Alzheimer Cafe schemes, where people with dementia, their carers and health professionals can meet to talk through problems.

More respect

Dr Rhona Knight, a GP and another author of the report, said: "People with dementia also need more respect.

"We heard one person describe having dementia as being ‘like a non-person’. We have to challenge these kinds of attitudes.

"People with dementia are often capable of doing much more than we think, and even if they can’t make big decisions, they may be able to make smaller ones, such as what to wear or eat."

The report said health professionals needed more information and training to help them deal with dementia, and the difficult situations it could create.

Rather than starving carers of information for fear of breaching confidentiality, they should be encouraged to share details which could be of great practical help.

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: "This report provides compelling evidence of the need for better public understanding of dementia, more support and greater investment in research."

A Department of Health spokesperson said careful account would be taken of the report’s findings when implementing its new dementia care strategy.

"We are committed to improving early diagnosis and directing people to the right support, information and advice as soon as possible.

"We also want to see the stigma attached to dementia tackled at every level, from GPs to friends and family."

About 700,000 people in the UK currently have dementia and this is likely to increase to 1.7 million by 2051.</p

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Israel to free 20 for Shalit film

Israel to free 20 for Shalit film

<img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45343000/gif/_45343195_breaking_226×170.gif" align="left" width="226" height="170" alt="breaking news” border=”0″ vspace=”4″ hspace=”4″>

Israel has said it will release 20 Palestinian women from detention in return for proof that captured soldier Gilad Shalit is still alive.

A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it was waiting to receive video taken recently by his militant captors in Gaza.

Israel currently holds about 10,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Gilad Shalit has not been seen since his capture by Hamas militants in a raid on an Israeli border base in 2006. </p

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Men in tights

Men in tights
By Mario Cacciottolo
BBC News

Skinny trousers for men are everywhere. But how many will take the trend for figure-hugging legwear one step beyond, and wear tights We road-test the look.

The ongoing battle for equality has returned to a familiar arena – fashion – with a new clothing range on sale at Selfridges in London.

But the short skirts, skimpy tops and leggings by fashion brand Unconditional are not designed for the feminine frame, but for men. Unsurprisingly, the leggings are jokingly referred to as "mantyhose", despite bearing little similarity to pantyhose.

This foray into androgyny is nothing new, however. Men habitually wore tights several centuries ago, and kilts have always been regarded as masculine.

Footballer Keith Weller famously sported white tights during an FA Cup game for Leicester City in 1979, motivated less by the freezing weather than the hope that these would ease a groin strain.

Unconditional’s designer Philip Stephens says his leggings for men can be worn any which way, to make a statement or to provide warmth as the days shorten.

"You can wear them under shorts or full length or three-quarters. People will buy them as an alternative to long johns, which only come in white and go up under your armpits. We do a range that go from pink to black."

"A lot of people have their own style, I can see it working on somebody"

Passerby on Mario’s look

Nor does he think men should be embarrassed to adopt a garment so very popular with women. "They’re a bit mosh pit, a bit rock and roll, reminiscent of Seattle grunge. Kurt Cobain used to wear leggings under a nightie. If it suits you, wear it. Women are wearing power suits now."

But what to wear mantyhose with

"You could wear a tuxedo jacket, T-shirt and then the skirt and mantyhose too," says Selfridges buyer Adam Kelly.

For me, he picks out a daywear ensemble of a sleeveless top, pleated skirt and, of course, the mantyhose.

I look rather like an extra lost between the sets of Mad Max and Fame.

So what do the public think Out on busy Oxford Street, heads turn.

A dapper young man with oversized sunglasses, waistcoat and trilby comes up to ask if I’m wearing mantyhose – he’s Anthony Hagan, a 22-year-old student from Tufnell Park, London.

"I think the top’s really rad [radical] but I think the skirt’s a bit much," he says. "A lot of people have their own style, I can see it working on somebody."

By which he clearly means somebody else – not me.

Jennifer Blake, 21, and Helena Ceadel, 20, of Chiswick, are somewhat less positive.

"It’s not even like a kilt. It’s like a netball skirt," says Jennifer. She gasps at the suggestion her boyfriend might wear similar garb.

"He would just never, ever wear that," she insists.

Helena is equally unimpressed. "If I had a date with someone and he arrived wearing this, I would keep on walking and pretend I didn’t know him."

Steve Newman, of ActivSkin Legwear for Men which sells in 77 countries, says there are physical benefits to wearing mantyhose – although he means nylon tights, rather than my new leggings.

"Men complaining of tired, achy legs are often referred to the women’s hosiery department for support pantyhose if knee-high support socks don’t help," he says.

"People no longer assume a man wearing nylons under his shorts is a cross-dresser."</p

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Moves to cut special needs

Moves to cut special needs

Steps are being proposed to try to reduce the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) who are excluded from England’s schools.

Children with special needs are eight times more likely than others to be excluded, government statistics show.

Now Children’s Secretary Ed Balls is to issue new guidance for schools. He has also announced wider trials of better ways of assessing children’s needs.

There is also to be a review of the supply of expert teachers.

And the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust will run a £550,000 project to develop best practice in certain schools for children with the most complex difficulties.

‘Less stressful’

The moves are in response to an inquiry conducted for the government by the chair of the Special Educational Consortium, Brian Lamb.

Ministers have already accepted his finding that too many parents of children with SEN feel they have to battle the system to get what their children need.

Mr Balls said: "Parents have told me that they want the assessment process to be clearer and more transparent and that is why I have decided to ask local authorities to test out their assessment processes further.

"I am keen that we look at greater communication between local authorities and parents on how we can make the process less stressful and whether an assessment process which is more independent can improve parental confidence."

Mr Lamb welcomed this, saying: "We know that there is excellent practice in schools and local authorities across the country on how existing partnerships have reduced exclusions through early intervention, schools working in partnership, effective staff training and multi-agency support and I want all partnerships to use these approaches to drive down the level of exclusions for children with SEN."

His inquiry’s call for evidence closed on 30 June having received just over 3,400 replies: 1,941 from parents, 544 from school staff, 516 from other professionals working with children, schools and families and 400 students. </p

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Paramedic tells of river rescue

Paramedic tells of river rescue

Ambulance paramedics have rescued a father and son from a river after the child fell into the water.

The child fell into the River Dee at Llangollen, Denbighshire, while out walking and was washed away, and his father jumped in to rescue him.

An ambulance crew nearby found the boy – said to be aged seven or eight – face down in the river and his father clinging to a rock lower down.

Paramedics pulled them to safety, and father and son have mild hypothermia.

They have been taken to hospital in Wrexham after the alarm was raised near the Chainbridge Hotel at Berwyn at about 1230 BST.

The paramedic on a rope waded out into the water to bring the father to safety.

Another paramedic and a member of the public were able to pull them to the bank. </p

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Israel raid kills Gaza militants

Israel raid kills Gaza militants

Three Palestinian militants have been killed in an Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip, officials say.

A military spokesman said the men were members of the militant group Islamic Jihad and were behind recent rocket attacks in the border town of Sderot.

The spokesman said they were killed as they prepared to launch further rockets into Israel from their vehicle.

Islamic Jihad say the men belonged to their group but were not on a rocket launching mission.

Israel carried out an offensive in December and January in the Gaza Strip which aimed to stop daily rocket attacks by militants on southern towns.

Palestinians and human rights groups say more than 1,400 Gazans were killed, but Israel puts the figure at 1,166.

Three Israeli civilians and 10 Israeli soldiers were also killed.

Since the end of the campaign, Gaza militants have fired about 300 mortars into Israel, the Israeli military said. </p

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Bercow wants shorter MPs’ summer

Bercow wants shorter MPs’ summer

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has said MPs should give up their 12-week summer holidays and return to parliament in September.

He told the Hansard Society voters cannot understand why MPs do not currently sit from mid-July to October.

Mr Bercow said it "must be mystifying in the eyes of our constituents".

The Tory, elected in June after Michael Martin resigned over his handling of the MPs’ expenses affair, said he was not "simply making populist gestures".

Addressing a meeting of the research and education charity in Westminster, Mr Bercow said: "I am very sympathetic to those who say ‘why do MPs need to have a 12 week recess’

"I don’t think it is necessary."

He added: "People cannot understand, even if MPs are working hard in their constituencies in September, why, when the vast majority of people are back at their place of work, we are not."

Lords questioned

After becoming Speaker, former backbencher Mr Bercow said he wanted to demystify Parliament’s rituals and make it more accessible to ordinary voters.

He told the Hansard Society the public controversy over expenses claimed by MPs had provided an opportunity for the Commons to look at every aspect of its workings.

"There is a sense of crisis about the standing and purpose of the House of Commons"

John Bercow

The John Bercow story

Mr Bercow said backbenchers had been "marginalised" – most had become "de facto ombudsman" on behalf of their constituents, involved in areas once considered the property of local councillors.

He pledged to preside over more Friday sittings where backbenchers’ Bills were discussed.

"There is a sense of crisis about the standing and purpose of the House of Commons," he said.

He also floated the possibility of Cabinet ministers such as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Transport Secretary Lord Adonis being able to answer MPs’ questions on their responsibilities, possibly at sittings in Westminster Hall.

He did not rule out allowing ministers from the Lords answering questions in the Commons, but suggested such an idea would provoke opposition from traditionalists.

Mr Bercow also indicated he would be prepared to preside over a debate on the establishment of an English Parliament, but added it was not the Speaker’s role to call for such a discussion. </p

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Salty ‘Free From’ foods exposed

Salty ‘Free From’ foods exposed

People choosing wheat or dairy-free products could be risking their heart health because many are loaded with salt, a study reveals.

Consensus Action on Salt and Health surveyed 71 own-label "Free From" products from five leading supermarkets in the UK.

Over half contained more salt than the retailer’s standard version of the product. Some had six times as much.

Experts urged consumers to always check the labels.

Less than a third of the "Free From" products studied had lower levels of salt than equivalent standard products.

"Check the labels. Be savvy about what you buy"

A spokeswoman from the British Nutrition Foundation

Sainsbury’s Free From Jaffa Cakes have 0.67g of salt per 100g, compared with 0.1g of salt per 100g in standard Sainsbury’s Jaffa Cakes.

This is more than six times the salt level of the standard version.

Morrison’s standard Chocolate Chip Cookies contain 0.5g of salt per 100g, while their Free From version contains 1.5g per 100g – three times as much.

ASDA Free From Double Chocolate Muffins have over three times as much salt as ASDA Double Chocolate Muffins, 1g per 100g as opposed to 0.3g per 100g.

Tesco’s Free From Victoria Sponge has more than double the amount of salt as its standard cousin, 1.4g per 100g compared with 0.6g of salt per 100g.

All of the five supermarkets, which included Waitrose, did have some "Free From" foods that fared better than standard products on salt levels.

Health risks

This, says CASH, shows that there is no technical reason why "Free From" products have to have higher salt levels.

Graham MacGregor, chairman of CASH and professor of cardiovascular medicine said: "In general, it has been the supermarket own-label products that have led the way in salt reduction, but it seems that own-label products for people with existing health problems have not been a top priority for the retailers.

"They must now reformulate the higher-salt products immediately, so that people suffering from Coeliac disease or other related conditions do not have to put their health in further jeopardy."

He said people should aim to keep their salt consumption below the recommended maximum limit of 6g a day.

Too much salt in the diet raises the risk of heart disease.

A spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Foundation said: "The advice for people selecting ‘Free From’ foods is the same as for other consumers buying any foods – check the labels. Be savvy about what you buy.

"There are different varieties available, with different ingredients."

Victoria Taylor, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "The high levels of salt found in these products is concerning as the products looked at include basic foods – like bread – that are eaten on a daily basis.

"Eating too much salt on a regular basis is linked to raised blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease."

Mike Rich, of the Blood Pressure Association, said eating less salt was one of the easiest ways to reduce high blood pressure.

He said: "Many people buy ‘Free From’ products to avoid having health problems, so it’s very disappointing that so many have been found to be loaded with unnecessary salt."

In a statement, Sainsbury’s said: "We take salt reduction very seriously, and are actively working on reducing the salt levels in our free from range.

"As of January 2010 all Sainsbury’s free from products will meet the FSA’s 2010 or 2012 salt targets and will be nutritionally comparable to the equivalent products in our main ranges."</p

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By Debbie’s side

By Debbie’s side

By Andy McFarlane
BBC News

The publication of guidance on when prosecutions should be brought in assisted suicide cases represents a victory for multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy.

But amid the celebrations, her husband Omar Puente still faces the prospect of helping her die.

Like many husbands, Omar Puente thinks his wife talks too much. They bicker a lot, he admits, but enjoy Indian takeaways – like any normal couple.

However, unlike anyone else, Mr Puente has seen his terminally-ill wife become the face of Britain’s right-to-die campaign.

Debbie Purdy’s fight for clarification of the circumstances in which her husband could be prosecuted for helping her commit suicide is being rewarded by the release of guidance on the issue.

Through every step of her battle, Mr Puente – a Cuban-born jazz violinist – has been at her side.

"It’s a big day. I’m really happy for her," says the 47-year-old.

"I don’t think Debbie’s going to die tomorrow – I could be run over by a bus – you just don’t think about that"

Omar Puente

After sharing her life for nearly 15 years, how does Mr Puente cope with media coverage focusing on the prospect of his wife’s death

"I love my wife and I’m going to lose a lot when she’s gone. But I don’t think she’s going to die tomorrow.

"At the same time I could be run over by a bus. You just don’t think about that – you think positive and enjoy life. We have a good life together, good times."

This philosophy has served the couple well since Ms Purdy’s illness was diagnosed.

It happened barely a month after the couple met – in 1995 in a Singapore bar where, as a music journalist, she muddled through an interview with him despite neither speaking the other’s language.

Mr Puente was working in Malaysia when she telephoned him with her news.

"I didn’t really know what she meant because this isn’t common in Cuba, so I said ‘just take a plane and come back to me and we’ll do something about it’," he says.

Despite the devastating diagnosis, their love grew.

Struggle

"We were both foreigners in a third country and it was a necessity to help each other – that was one of the ingredients from the beginning of our strong relationship," he says.

"Since then we’ve stuck together – good times and bad."

They made the most of life in the far east. Even as Ms Purdy’s mobility became too restricted to allow her indulge in her love of dancing, Mr Puente would balance her feet on his and sweep her round the floor.

When Ms Purdy felt her deteriorating health left her with no choice but to go back to the UK, Mr Puente followed. They married in 1998.

"I arrived in England in the middle of winter and it was freezing cold and I thought ‘what is this’," Mr Puente recalls.

"I struggled a lot at the beginning and people didn’t want to hear the violin, so I played double bass in an orchestra to put food on the table."

As years went by, Mr Puente built a network of friends and saw his reputation as a musician grow – working with artists such as Jools Holland, Kirsty MacColl and Courtney Pine.

But since the death in 2002 of motor neurone disease sufferer Diane Pretty, who lost a legal battle to allow her husband to help her take her own life, Mr Puente and his wife have seen a cloud on the horizon.

‘Confidence’

Without assurances that her husband would be immune from prosecution, Ms Purdy insisted her only option was to die in Switzerland while still physically able to travel alone.

He husband says: "If [the law] wasn’t clear, Debbie would have to go to Switzerland before she was really ready to end her life."

Now, he hopes the guidance will give him – and other couples – the confidence to travel with their loved ones when the time comes.

"It will be clear for most people to decide whatever they want to do. If something’s not clear at least they will feel able to ask."

Until such time, Mr Puente is keen to focus on playing music – and passing on his skills on to students at both Leeds College of Music and London’s Trinity College of Music, where he teaches.

On 5 October, he releases his debut solo album – the Courtney Pine-produced From There to Here – followed by a launch event during London Jazz Festival in November.

Keen to take the positives from his experiences, he believes the rough and smooth of his life in England have helped him improve his work.

"Maybe I could have recorded it a long time ago but I’ve gathered experience in England and had the opportunity to play with great musicians here," he says.

"I’m really happy. It’s time to get on with life and we’re going to have a lot of fun."</p

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