Call to tackle sex abuse by aid workers
An international watchdog must be set up to deal with child sex abuse by aid
workers and peacekeepers, a charity has urged.
Save the Children demanded action after its research found that children as
young as 6 were trading sex for food, money, soap and even mobile phones in
warzones and disaster areas.
It said that all organisations had their share of abusers involved in “some of
the most despicable abuse against some of the world’s most vulnerable
children”. The scale of abuse was “significant” and victims were being let
down by “endemic failures” in responding to the incidences that were
reported, it concluded.
Better reporting mechanisms should be introduced, it said, as well as efforts
made to strengthen child protection systems across the globe.
Jasmine Whitbread, Save the Children UK chief executive, said: “All
humanitarian and peacekeeping agencies working in emergency situations,
including Save the Children UK, must own up to the fact that they are
vulnerable to this problem and tackle it head on.”
Rare copy of young queen’s portrait goes on display to help historians in
hunt for original
A rare portrait of Elizabeth I as a princess has been discovered in the Duke
of Buccleuch’s private collection at Boughton House, Northamptonshire.
The portrait — a copy of an extremely rare original — shows Elizabeth, far
right, as a teenager alongside her siblings Edward and Mary, their father
Henry VIII and his jester, Will Somers.
It will be put on display at the stately home in Northamptonshire in the hope
that the publicity will help historians to trace the original. Portraits of
Elizabeth before her accession to the throne are extremely unusual: only two
other proven portraits exist, although the latest find suggests that other
“unknown” portraits, including one at the National Portrait Gallery, are of
the young Elizabeth. Tracey Borman, an historian asked to examine the
picture by Boughton House, said: “The more we found out, the more obvious it
was that nobody had come across this. It was a lost portrait. We have traced
the original back to the 18th century, and then it disappeared.”
The copy is thought to date from around 1650-80. The original panel painting
is thought to come from the early 1550s.
Charles Lister, the house manager at Boughton House, said that the portrait
would go on display in August.
He said: “The portrait is normally in a private area of the house with a
number of other Tudor portraits. We knew it was important because it’s a
picture of Henry VIII and his family but we did not realise it in the
context of Elizabeth as a princess.”
Four-year-old raises alarm over fire
A four-year-old girl saved the life of a neighbour after raising the alarm
when his flat was on fire.
The girl was asleep at her home in Brentwood, Essex, when she was woken by a
fire alarm at 11.30pm on Sunday. Her parents then dialled 999.
Firefighters broke down the door of the flat and led to safety a 49-year-old
man who was suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.
Firefighter Mark Diggery said: “If it hadn't been for the four-year-old
neighbour this could have been a tragic incident. She is a very brave and
clever little girl and she knew exactly what to do when she heard the smoke
alarm going off.”
The man had left a pan on the stove and was asleep on his sofa, unable to hear
the alarm or knocks at the door or window after crews climbed up on a ladder
to get his attention.
Once they got into the flat they battled through the smoke using breathing
apparatus and quickly put out the fire on the cooker.
Prostate cancer test ‘is only 3 years away’
A more effective screening test for prostate cancer — which kills 10,000 men
every year — could be available within three years (David Rose writes).
Scientists say that they are making progress in finding new tell-tale proteins
or “biomarkers” that clearly indicate the presence of the disease.
The project, run by Philips, the Dutch technology company, the University of
Cambridge and other clinics, has screened thousands of British cancer
patients.
Ralf Hoffman, who is leading the Philips team, said that a new test for
prostate cancer could save men with only minor forms of the disease from
invasive and unnecessary treatments.
‘Chemical’ chickens heading for the EU
Imports of American-farmed “chlorinated chicken” would go on sale in Europe
under new proposals from Brussels (Valerie Elliott writes).
The potential introduction of the birds, which are washed in chemicals to
remove food-poisoning bugs, has provoked outrage among food campaigners,
farmers and consumer groups in Britain.
Lord Rooker, Food and Farming Minister, said: “I would not touch chlorinated
chicken with a barge pole. It needs to be labelled as chlorinated chicken.”
The row flared up after discussions over ending the ten-year ban on American
poultry imports, imposed because of the chlorine wash.
Police assumed that ill woman was drunk
A mother who suffers from a serious brain illness was arrested and put in
cells by police — because they assumed she was drunk (Steve Bird writes).
Lorraine Parkin, a 37-year-old mother of three, from Swinton, near Salford,
Greater Manchester, was stopped by police as she got into her car. Despite
explaining that she suffered from Huntington’s Disease and Charcot Marie
Tooth disease, Ms Parkin had her car keys confiscated and was taken to a
police station for questioning.
Ms Parkin, who does not drink, called for the police to be trained on how to
deal with people with disabilities. She said: “I have never felt so
humiliated.”
Woman dies in fall after taxi fare row
A taxi driver has been arrested in connection with the death of a young mother
of one who died after falling from the cab.
Katie Bennett, 22, suffered head injuries after falling out of the vehicle in
Newchapel, North Staffordshire, in the early hours of Saturday. She was
taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where she died,
Staffordshire Police said.
It is thought that she was part of a group of seven who had been to a
nightclub in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, but had got into an argument with the
driver over the taxi fare when he returned the group to Newchapel.
Police have appealed for witnesses or any information about the incident.
Exeter bomb suspect is out of hospital
A 22-year-old convert to Islam who is suspected of setting off an explosion in
a city centre restaurant has been released from hospital into police custody
for questioning. Nicky Reilly, from Plymouth, Devon, has been receiving
treatment in the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital since he was injured in the
blast in Exeter on Thursday.
He suffered eye and facial injuries when the device part-ignited in the
Giraffe restaurant at lunchtime. Two other devices were found near by. Two
men detained by police at gunpoint in Plymouth on Friday are still being
questioned. One was arrested and another was helping with inquiries, a
police spokesman said.
Racism in the NHS 'is institutional'
The “institutional racism” of the NHS is resulting in patients missing out on
treatment, according to one of its chief executives. Antony Sheehan, the
chief executive of Leicestershire NHS Trust, said Asian patients suffering
from mental health problems were being denied help because the NHS had
“chosen not to connect with the community”.
Mr Sheehan said: “We really should acknowledge that the impact of
institutional racism is there in mental health and other health and social
care services in the same way it has been recognised in the criminal justice
system. Candidly, the real issue is just how we have chosen not to connect
with the community.”
Girl, 13, killed by tree
A 13-year-old girl was killed by a falling tree yesterday, police said. She
died in hospital after suffering head injuries in a park in Huddersfield,
West Yorkshire. A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said that it appeared to
be a tragic accident and that nothing was known about the age or condition
of the tree.
Imprisonment charge
A woman has been charged with imprisoning her daughters-in-law — one of them
for up to 13 years. Naseebah Bibi, 62, from Blackburn, Lancashire, was
bailed to stand trial at Preston Crown Court. Her son, Nadeen Akhtar, 30,
will also stand trial.
Divine intervention
A parachutist who missed his landing site in Peterlee, Co Durham, had only
minor injuries when he was blown into a tree in the graveyard of St
Saviour’s Church, Shotton Colliery. Adam Bell, 21, said: “Someone must have
been looking down on me.”
CD singles dropped
Woolworths is to stop selling CD singles. The high street chain sells one in
three CDs, but it says that singles have been hit by the internet. Jim
Batchelor, a Woolworths director, said: “CDs are alive and well for albums,
but the singles market is in decline.”
Married for 80 years
A couple who are believed to be the longest-married couple in Britain
celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary with a sip of champagne. Frank
Milford, 100, and his wife Anita, 99, from Plymouth, Devon, tied the knot on
May 26, 1928.
'Happy slap' hunt
Police are looking for a “happy slap” teenager who kicked a lamb so hard that
it had to be destroyed. Cricketers reported seeing the boy attack the lamb
as it was grazing close to playing fields at Ormsby Hall, near
Middlesbrough. Mobile phone footage of the attack has been seized and is
being studied.
Lecturers’ load
Lecturers are spending more time on paperwork and less time teaching students
than they did ten years ago, a survey suggests. Class sizes are also on the
rise for many tutors, the University and College Union found. Sally Hunt,
from the union, said: “The electronic revolution has added to lecturers’
workloads.”
Museum in a hut
A tiny hut, formerly used by a ferryman, has been turned into a miniature
museum. The beach hut at Alnmouth, near Alnwick, Northumberland, is no
bigger than a garden shed but has been converted to house an exhibition
about ferrymen from the area. It will be open every weekend. Admission is
free.
Transparent toasting
Burnt toast could be a thing of the past thanks to a new glass toaster that
allows bread to be watched as it browns. The bread is cooked between two
sheets of heated glass. Melinda Hart, from Inventables, which has developed
the product, said: “You’re never surprised by toast that comes out too
dark.”
Death of stowaways
The bodies of two men were found in the hold of a ship after it docked in Ayr
harbour, in south west Scotland. The crew discovered what are believed to
have been two stowaways in a cargo hold. Police said the ship was believed
to be from Tunisia. Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out.
Cheese chaser hurt
A winner of an annual cheese-rolling race in Gloucestershire had to leave the
course on a stretcher. Christopher Anderson, 19, hurt his neck in the first
race in heavy rain at Cooper’s Hill, Brockworth, but recovered in time to
collect his prize: an 8lb wheel of Double Gloucester.
