Category: news

Alcohol misuse is a problem among UK troops who have been in Afghanistan and Iraq, but serious mental disorders are not as common as feared, a study says.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) rates are low despite many deployments in foreign combat zones, a study in The Lancet based on 10,000 personnel found.

They are significantly lower than those reported among US troops, it adds.

King’s College researchers said the UK needed to shift emphasis from PTSD onto more prevalent drinking problems.

The study, headed by Dr Nicola Fear and Professor Simon Wessely, surveyed nearly 10,000 regular personnel and reservists, asking them about their mental health and drinking habits.

It followed nearly a decade of the British being engaged abroad, including a six-year military mission in Iraq and ongoing operations in Afghanistan.

‘Bonding role’

The prevalence of possible PTSD was just 4% – stable from the last major study carried out between 2003 and 2005.

It was slightly higher among the regulars who were deployed, but the high rates that some had feared as a result of ongoing missions and multiple deployments have not materialised, the study reported.

This is in sharp contrast to the US, where some estimates put rates of PTSD as high as 10-15% among those who have seen action.

While differences in the intensity of combat may account for some of this gap, the fact that US soldiers must show they have been harmed in service to access free medical care may inflate some of the figures, the researchers suggest.

At 20%, less severe mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and insomnia were not insignificant, but probably at rates lower than in the general population.

But there had been an impact of nearly a decade of combat operations, and this was most notable with the misuse of alcohol, the researchers said.

Overall 13% of those surveyed reported regularly drinking alcohol to excess, with those regulars who had been deployed more than 20% more likely to have problems.

Professor Wessely said the issue had to be treated with care as alcohol did play an important role in soldiers’ lives.

"It plays a key role in bonding, as well as relieving anxiety and stress. But there is no such thing as a free lunch."

‘Warrior effect’

But he stressed that while rates for all problems were higher in those deployed than those who had not been, the number of deployments did not seem to affect the chances of reporting a mental disorder.

This may be explained by the "healthy warrior effect" – in other words, those who are the most psychologically resilient go on to further deployments, while those who are unwell do not.

And while rates of mental disorders were not rising, Professor Wessely warned that by the very virtue of the increasing numbers who have served in recent years, more will eventually require the help of the NHS – which will need to anticipate this increase.

An accompanying Lancet editorial noted: "Contrary to reports in the mainstream media, there is not an epidemic of mental health problems in this group of service personnel."

But it added: "This group is at increased risk of the social complications of excessive drinking such as violence and relationship breakdowns. Although having introduced some alcohol-control policies, the armed forces need to reassess whether they are rigorous enough."

The Ministry of Defence, which funded the independent research, said it took issues of problem drinking very seriously.

A spokesman said: "Individuals identified as being at risk from alcohol problems receive counselling and welfare support. This can include attendance on preventative early intervention programmes designed to alert them to the harm that alcohol can cause to themselves and others.

"More serious cases are treated through specialist medical and psychological treatment and rehabilitation, including where appropriate as in-patient. The consumption of alcohol is strictly regulated when personnel are serving on operations and disciplinary measures are taken where necessary."

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Hospital food cooked with fresh local ingredients could put hundreds of millions of pounds back into the NHS, one hospital trust has said.

Catering managers at Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre have switched to such a menu.

The trust says the daily plate saving is £2.50 per patient – that is more than £6m a year.

Trust catering manager John Hughes said up to £400m could be saved annually if it were rolled out across the NHS.

‘Tough decisions’

The food travels less distance than many of the 7,000 patients who choose from the menu each day.

The hospital contract is also supporting dozens of local farmers and has saved a number from going under.

In its first year the farm-to-plate scheme has put a million pounds into the local economy and that is likely to double over the next 12 months.

Mr Hughes says the idea of getting his beef from down the road rather than South America sounded good but he thought it would be too expensive.

He was also concerned there would not be enough fresh local produce to fill his cupboards.

"I was happy to be proved wrong on both counts," he said. "This was one of the tough decisions I think we’d be cheered to the rafters for taking."

"It doesn’t actually cost any more and you are actually going to invest in local communities and the local suppliers you want to develop. On top of that it’s actually going to save the NHS millions of pounds a year."

Quality and price

Ninety per cent of the fresh food the hospitals use comes from the East Midlands and it is the only trust to receive a Soil Association award for its work from Prince Charles.

Since his team took over running the kitchen from private contractors, Mr Hughes says they now have more control over quality and price.

Five miles up the road from the hospital, in the village of Nuthall, you will find Michael Hatton’s pig farm.

The business was on its knees before getting in with the hospital, something that would not have happened if he had approached them on his own.

He is now part of a network of small farmers who send their meat via a regional hub to the hospital and other big buyers. The same things happen with many of the hospital’s fresh vegetable suppliers.

‘Make a living’

As a result Mr Hatton has just turned a profit for the first time in 10 years.

"I was almost ready to call it a day, things were very, very difficult," he said.

"There were basically four jobs on the line here, but with this new contract we’re getting margins being passed down to us, which makes all the difference, and we can actually make a living from it now."

The total journey from farm to plate is no more than 30 miles for Hatton’s pigs.

After slaughter in Chesterfield, they stop off for processing at Owen Taylor’s near Alfreton in Derbyshire.

Managing director Richard Taylor says the 80-year-old business and its network of local farmers are a rare breed today.

"It has to be the way forward, but sadly there aren’t many of us about that could do this sort of operation and have the control from farm to plate."

Supply chain

Mr Taylor added: "It would be good to see more set-ups like this across the country and more controls put in to make sure it happens.

"That would mean big business can go to people like us and say ‘I want X,Y and Z’ and get it."

In the huge hospital kitchen they stir bath-sized soup vats with paddles rather than spoons.

There is plenty of stainless steel clanking about as staff get a fleet of hot trolleys ready to roll onto the wards three times a day.

Running out is not an option. Putting their trust in the local supply chain is making the weekly shop go further in the kitchen, while actually saving 150,000 food miles a year and a lot of money.

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Exchange offices in the UK have stopped selling 500 euro banknotes because of their use by money launderers.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency says 90% of the notes sold in the UK are in the hands of organised crime.

Soca deputy director Ian Cruxton said 500 euros had become the currency of choice for gangs hiding their profits.

The move means nobody will be able to buy the note in the UK – but travellers will be able to sell them if they enter the UK carrying them from abroad.

There has been mounting international concern over the note, which is worth more than £400, and its attractiveness to criminals.

Massive sums

Soca says that an eight-month analysis of movements of the note in the UK revealed that it was almost exclusively used by money launderers shifting cash for major crime gangs.

The British trade in the notes is thought to be worth some 500 million Euros – but less than 10% of them are bought by legitimate tourists and business travellers.

Instead, gangs are reportedly shifting massive sums of sterling, typically from drug dealing, through "front" exchange businesses.

Ian Cruxton, deputy director of Soca, told the BBC that the banknote had been secretly withdrawn from sale on 20 April.

"When criminals want to move a bulk of cash inside the UK and, more importantly, out of the UK, one of the best ways to do that is to reduce the bulk massively both physically and in terms of the risks they pose of discovery," said Mr Cruxton.

"The 500 euro note is really the note of choice among criminals.

"It should now be impossible now to buy a 500 note over the counter from one of the suppliers. And that’s going to have an effect on the criminals – it means they are going to have to find other means of trying to move their money."

There have been widespread concerns among law enforcement agencies over the role of the 500 euro in money laundering, concerns that are identical to those raised about other similar high-value notes around the world.

The European Central Bank created the note at the time of monetary union to replace high value notes which were popular in some of the Eurozone countries.

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There has been a slight rise in the number of adults in the UK taking part in education, a survey suggests.

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Dishonest agents who help bogus students get into the UK are being targeted in an international initiative.

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Babies should be given something sugary before a jab to reduce pain, Canadian researchers say.

Experts at the University of Toronto say newborns are less likely to cry if given a few drops of a sugar solution before immunisation.

Data based on 1,000 injections suggests infants given a glucose solution are 20% less likely to cry following a jab.

The research, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, is based on clinical data from 14 studies.

A team led by Dr Arne Ohlsson, of the University of Toronto, looked at data from clinical trials in babies up to a year old.

As well as the findings related to glucose, the researchers found that between a few drops and half a teaspoon of sucrose and glucose also led to a small reduction in the amount of time a baby spent crying.

The Canadian researchers, who worked in collaboration with colleagues in Australia and Brazil, concluded: "Healthcare professionals should consider using sucrose or glucose before and during immunisation."

Existing research points to the pain-relieving properties of sweet solutions working for babies undergoing painful procedures such as a heel prick.

Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, said: "Anything we can do to minimise the discomfort of immunisation for children is to be welcomed, and I would like to see more research in this area.

"On the one hand parents are more likely to return if the experience is not distressing.

"But more fundamentally, children don’t agree to have vaccines, so we need to be sure we are making it as painless as possible for them."

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Sir Winston Churchill is given a first class commemoration on the new series of WWII stamps. The collection comes 70 years after the day – 13 May 1940 – the new Prime Minister famously said: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

Royal Mail said the Britain Alone collection, which consists of eight special stamps, pays tribute to the wartime generation who resolved to "do their bit"for the war effort and "dare and endure" on the Home Front.

It celebrates groups like the Home Guard – otherwise known as Local Defence Volunteers or Dad’s Army – which acted as a second defence force in Britain, guarding coastal areas and other important places such as airfields.

The 80,000 strong Women’s Land Army – which carried out manual labour jobs such as milking cows, digging ditches and harvesting crops to help alleviate food shortages – also appears on a special first class stamp.

Julietta Edgar, head of special stamps at Royal Mail, said she hoped the collection would act as a "poignant reminder" of the "huge contribution" the country had made to the war effort during some of its darkest days.

She said: "Across the country, daily life was changed forever as new civil defence organisations were formed and nearly three million people were relocated from big cities to the relative safety of the countryside."

A Royal broadcast by the then Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret also gets the stamp of approval in the new collection, which will go on sale for a year.

The less familiar faces of three young siblings being evacuated from London to Northampton – taken in 1941 – is also featured on a 60p stamp. Royal Mail recreated the scene for the new collection’s launch.

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US Congressional investigators believe the device meant to stop oil leaking from a Gulf of Mexico well after last month’s rig explosion was faulty.

The blowout preventer (BOP), a set of huge valves, had a hydraulic leak and a failed battery, they said after studying BP and other documents.

Oil industry chiefs say it is too early to conclude what caused the disaster.

A climate change bill just submitted to the Senate could allow states to veto some offshore drilling plans.

Introducing the American Power Act, Senator John Kerry described it as "a bill for energy independence after a devastating oil spill" and "a bill to hold polluters accountable".

President Barack Obama hailed the legislation, which faces a difficult passage.

"The challenges we face – underscored by the immense tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico – are reason to redouble our efforts to reform our nation’s energy policies," Mr Obama said.

Eleven people died when an explosion – thought to have occurred after a surge of methane gas from deep within the well – destroyed the Deepwater Horizon rig on 20 April.

At least 4m gallons (15m litres) of oil have leaked into the Gulf from the damaged well to date, the Associated Press news agency reports, and desperate efforts are being made to protect the Gulf coast’s ecosystem from the slick.

Attempts to stop the leak have so far failed but engineers hope at least to begin reducing it later this week with a steel dome – dubbed the "top hat" – which has been lowered on to the seabed.

‘Apparently defective’

Representative Bart Stupak, head of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, said its investigators had uncovered significant problems with the BOP, which was meant to stop sudden, dangerous rushes of volatile oil and gas.

"The safety of [Deepwater Horizon’s] entire operations rested on the performance of a leaking and apparently defective blowout preventer," he told a House hearing.

He said a 2001 report by Transocean, which operated the drilling rig on behalf of BP, indicated there could be as many as 260 failure possibilities in the equipment.

"How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered fail-safe?" Representative Stupak asked.

The hearing was also told that the BOP had been modified, which made it difficult to operate after the accident.

Its emergency back-up controls may have failed because the explosion that destroyed the rig also disabled communications preventing workers from sending signals underwater, the hearing heard.

A senior BP executive, Lamar McKay, told the House: "It’s inappropriate to draw any conclusions before all the facts are known."

Jack Moore, president of Cameron International Corp, which built the BOP, told the hearing it was "far too early" to draw conclusions on what had caused the accident. He added that the company had not been able to the examine the BOP.

Ambitious bill

The headline aim of the American Power Act is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% within a decade and by 80% by 2050, which is ambitious by any standards, the BBC’s Madeleine Morris reports from Washington.

To try to achieve this, the bill pushes nuclear power and clean coal technology by giving financial incentives.

It imposes a strict carbon-trading market as well as mandatory cuts on emissions by certain manufacturers and power companies.

Because of the Gulf of Mexico spill, a provision was added at the last minute, allowing states to veto drilling less than 75 miles (120km) off their own coastlines.

But that may not placate several Democratic senators, who are already uncomfortable with offshore drilling and, because of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, are now even more so, our correspondent says.

Republican support for the act is by no means guaranteed at the moment, she adds.

How the oil has spread
Approximate oil locations 22 April – 12 May

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A car bomb outside a cafe in Baghdad has killed seven people and injured more than 20, Iraqi officials say.

The bomb went off outside a cafe in Sadr City, a mainly Shia area in eastern Baghdad.

It comes two days after a spate of attacks across the country killed more than 100 people.

Iraq remains in political stalemate after inconclusive elections in March. Officials have warned the situation could be exploited by al-Qaeda.

Police and hospital officials said the blast took place near a popular cafe where young people were gathered.

Sadr City, a stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, was the scene of one of Iraq’s most deadly bombings earlier this year, when insurgents targeted worshippers gathered for Friday prayers in April.

Earlier on Wednesday, police said a bomb inside a grocery shop in another mainly Shia area of Baghdad killed three people and wounded 23 others.

Insurgents apparently dumped a corpse in front of the shop, located in a market in the Shula district of north-western Baghdad, and then detonated a bomb when people crowded around.

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Fulham’s brave bid to lift the Europa League ended in heartbreak as Diego Forlan’s winner deep into extra time gave Atletico Madrid victory at Hamburg’s Nordbank Arena.

The final looked destined for a penalty shoot-out until former Manchester United striker Forlan took advantage of strike partner Sergio Aguero’s persistence to send a deflected finish beyond Mark Schwarzer with only four minutes left.

Forlan poached another close range finish to put Atletico ahead in the first half, but Simon Davies responded swiftly with a volleyed equaliser for Fulham to spark hopes of a first European trophy heading to Craven Cottage.

But Forlan, tormentor of Liverpool in the semi-final, seems intent on making up for his unfulfilling spell at Old Trafford by inflicting pain on Premier League teams every time they cross his path – and how Fulham felt the agony as their players lay on the turf as Atletico celebrated wildly celebrated the decisive goal.

Atletico created the better opportunities in a final short on serious excitement, with Forlan striking a post and Aguero somehow poking wide from almost on the goalline in the first period of extra time.

Fulham will feel nothing but despair at their failure to close out a season that has captured the imagination of the nation with silverware, but they have delivered pride to themselves, their fans and the Premier League as they took on some of Europe’s elite and only fell at the final hurdle.

Hodgson’s side could not quite touch previous heights in Hamburg, unquestionably hindered by the fitness problems suffered by striker Bobby Zamora, their European talisman who battled gallantly without reward despite the handicap of an Achilles tendon injury that is now expected to require surgery.

The successes enjoyed in the Europa League have enhanced Fulham’s reputation – especially that of their manager Hodgson. They must now hope they can ward off interest from other clubs understandably impressed by his remarkable rejuvenation of a club on course for the Championship when he was appointed.

Fulham, as expected, were able to call on Zamora and Duff – but it was Atletico’s dangerous strike duo of Forlan and Aguero who emerged as central figures in the Spanish side’s domination of the first half.

Danny Murphy carelessly, and almost fatally, presented Aguero with possession in dangerous territory and would have been the most relieved man in the Nordbank Arena to see Forlan’s shot glance away off the post after he was played in by the Argentine.

And Fulham keeper Schwarzer needed to be alert to hold on to Jose Antonio Reyes’ angled free-kick at the second attempt as it headed for the top corner.

Davies finally gave Atletico keeper David de Gea work to do with a snap shot that he clutched above his head, but Atletico made the breakthrough their supremacy merited after 32 minutes.

There was an element of good fortune for Atletico as Aguero’s miscued shot was transformed into the perfect pass for the lurking Forlan to steer past Schwarzer from close range.

Forlan had another shot saved by Schwarzer as Atletico looked to press home their advantage -but as so often this season, just when they looked in serious trouble, Fulham found a way of fighting back eight minutes before half-time.

Zoltan Gera’s cross took a deflection and fell at the far post for Davies, who accepted the invitation to flash the sweetest of half volleys beyond De Gea before he had any hope of reacting.

Zamora, who has been fighting a losing battle with an Achilles tendon injury, was replaced by Clint Dempsey early in the second half as Fulham finally showed signs of gaining a measure of control on the game.

And it was Davies who almost completed the turnaround on the hour when he delivered an instant strike from a poor Atletico clearance, but this time De Gea was able to make the block.

The game then drifted listlessly towards extra time, although Atletico finished the stronger. Several Fulham players needed massages before the action got under way again to combat the effects of their exertions.

Fulham survived an anxious moment 10 minutes into the extra period when Schwarzer could only palm away Forlan’s low driven cross, but it escaped Aguero as he waited to pounce inside the six-yard box.

Hodgson’s men then had an even bigger escape when Forlan left Chris Baird behind as he surged into the box, but in the ensuing scramble Aguero somehow poked wide from a yard out with the goal gaping.

As penalties beckoned, Atletico struck so late that it was impossible for even Fulham to mount a response. Aguero got the better of Chris Baird, and his cross was touched in by Forlan to provide a bitter conclusion to this wonderful European journey.

Fulham01 Schwarzer03 Konchesky05 Hangeland yellow card06 Baird18 Hughes11 Gera13 Murphy (Greening 118)16 Duff (Nevland 84)20 Etuhu29 Davies25 Zamora (Dempsey 55)Substitutes19 Zuberbuhler,04 Pantsil,17 Riise,23 Dempsey,27 Greening,34 Dikgacoi,10 NevlandRef: RizzoliAtt: 49,000FULHAMPossessionAtletico Madrid 51%Fulham 49%Attempts on targetAtletico Madrid 11Fulham 5Attempts off targetAtletico Madrid 10Fulham 4CornersAtletico Madrid 9Fulham 2FoulsAtletico Madrid 14Fulham 12

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Owen Paterson has been appointed as the new secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

The 53-year-old becomes the first Conservative Secretary of State since 1997, when Sir Patrick Mayhew held office in John Major’s administration.

Mr Paterson became MP for North Shropshire in the same year.

The Cambridge graduate was appointed Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary in July 2007.

Mr Paterson has been a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland since then and has built up a network of contacts with political parties, business organisations and community groups.

He was a prime mover in his party’s electoral link up with the Ulster Unionist Party and personally campaigned in a number of constituencies including Strangford and East Belfast.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, UUP leader Sir Reg Empey said: "I offer my warmest congratulations to Owen Paterson on his appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

"Owen’s sterling commitment to Northern Ireland has been amply demonstrated during his time as Shadow Secretary of State."

The Northern Ireland Office once had responsibility for many issues including policing and justice, health, education, culture and the arts but these areas of public life are now in the hands of the NI Executive.

Today the secretary of state still has responsibility for constitutional and national security issues and the licensing and legislation of firearms and explosives.

The role also has an involvement in the ongoing public inquiries, human rights and electoral policy.

However, the job is no longer seen as one of the big offices of state and the arrival of devolution has prompted some commentators to predict that the job could disappear in the near future.

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Andy Murray will focus only on his first match at this week’s Madrid Open as he attempts to recover some form following an indifferent start to 2010.

The Scot gets a first-round bye as the third seed and will play Pablo Cuevas or a qualifier in his opening game.

Murray could face Roger Federer or Andy Roddick in the semi-finals.

"I’ve not made it past the second round in a tournament for the last three or four so it’s totally pointless for me to look any further," said Murray.

The Scot enjoyed a fine start to the year when he reached the Australian Open final before losing to Federer in straight sets.

Since then, though, he has had a disappointing run with five wins and five defeats in his five tournament appearances.

Prior to last month’s Rome Masters the Scot had been knocked out at the first hurdle in successive tournaments in Miami and Monte Carlo.

And although he managed to negotiate his way past Andreas Seppi in his opening match in Italy, he then fell to David Ferrer in the following round.

"I’ve got to win my first match. I know it’s boring but that’s what I’ve got to do," said Murray.

"I need to just try and win my first match and then we’ll see. It depends how a lot of the other guys play, you never know how the draws will work out.

"I just want to play well, if I play well then I’ll be happy.

"I’d love to win the tournament but unfortunately I’m in a position right now where I need to focus very hard from the first matches and fight my way through the early rounds.

"If I can do that then I’ll give myself a chance of doing well, but I’m not going to get ahead of myself."

Murray’s bid to win his first title of 2010 received a boost when world number two, and last year’s semi-finalist, Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament.

Djokovic took the decision after being forced to retire from the Serbia Open during his quarter-final with fellow Serb Filip Krajinovic due to illness and allergies.

If there are no upsets his semi-final opponent is set to be world number one and defending champion Federer, who begins against either Spanish wildcard Carlos Moya or Germany’s Benjamin Becker.

The Swiss arrives in Madrid on the back of a surprise semi-final defeat by Spain’s Albert Montanes on a heavy clay court slowed by a day of rain at the Estoril Open.

Rafael Nadal, last year’s runner-up in Madrid, is seeded second and will meet either Italy’s Andreas Seppi or a qualifier in the second round.

The Spanish world number three, who won the Madrid title in 2005, is looking to break Andre Agassi’s Open Era record of 17 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies.

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An England football fan convicted of rioting during Euro 2004 is extradited to Portugal to serve a two-year jail sentence.

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British number one Andy Murray hopes to revive his fortunes against Juan Ignacio Chela in his opening match at the Madrid Open.

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Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson says he will not run to succeed Gordon Brown and will back David Miliband to be Labour leader.

Mr Johnson told BBC Radio 4 the party had "a body of great talent" but he said the ex-foreign secretary was a "remarkable politician".

The former post union chief also said he wanted "as many hats in the ring as possible" for the job.

Mr Brown stepped down on Tuesday. Harriet Harman is the acting leader.

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