.gif)
General News
FSA: The Food Standards Agency is advising pregnant women not to eat clay, sometimes known as ‘sikor’ or ‘shikor mati’, because it may contain high levels of toxic chemicals that could harm their babies. Clay or earth is sometimes consumed in Asia & Africa, particularly by pregnant women who believe that eating it is beneficial during pregnancy.
It is not known how common clay consumption is in the UK, but recent research carried out by De Montfort University found products imported from Bangladesh on sale in shops in Birmingham, Leicester & Luton. Tests carried out on samples of this baked clay found high levels of lead & arsenic.
HL: New Homeless Link research indicates that funding cuts could be making it harder for homeless people to get help and having an impact on local communities. In a survey of over 200 homelessness services in England, 57% of respondents said that they had seen their funding fall in 2011, while 48% said they expect further cuts this year.
Left without access to help, someone who is homeless is more likely to experience health, drug & psychological problems and to be involved with the police & the criminal justice system. The findings of the HL survey suggest that the reduced ability to help some homeless people could be having a wider impact on some local communities.
FSA: While investigations into the source of the recent outbreaks of E. coli O104:H4 in France & Germany are continuing, the Food Standards Agency is reminding people thatsprouted seeds should only be eaten if they have been cooked thoroughly until steaming hot throughout; they should not be eaten raw.
The FSA is continuing to work with the Health Protection Agency to investigate possible links between a UK company and the outbreak in France. Samples of the implicated seeds (fenugreek, rocket, & mustard) from the company are being tested for E. coli O104:H4. Once the full set of test results are returned, the Agency will make these available.
STFC: The world's first high definition streaming video camera has been installed on the International Space Station (ISS). It will offer a video image with a resolution that is comparable to much of Google Earth. This will give users the unique opportunity to see man-made objects & groups of people and to search for videos of particular locations.
It will be possible to zoom in & out, virtually steer the camera from side to side, rewind & fast forward as they investigate areas of interest on Earth. The web platform also gives users the capability to constantly track the location of the ISS anticipating the exact time when it will pass over a particular geographic location.
ScotGov: Two type 1 diabetes patients no longer require insulin injections, thanks to a UK-leading transplant programme based in Scotland. The Scottish National Pancreatic Islet Transplant Programme, launched in November 2009, has now carried out 3 islet cell infusions in two patients who as a result, no longer require insulin or risk the loss of consciousness due to hypoglycaemic attack. This has only occurred in a small number of patients in the UK.
DCMS: A new £55m scheme, chaired by former Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo, will help arts & heritage organisations secure their future financial stability by building endowment funds, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced last week.
Organisations will be able to bid for grants of up to £5m to support endowment fundraising from the Endowment Fund, which will be available to match funds raised from private donors. Bids will be reviewed by an independent advisory panel chaired by Michael Portillo. Around 50 organisations are expected to benefit from the grants which will start at £500,000.
FSA: Asda has withdrawn its own-brand 6-pack croissants with a ‘best before’ date of 19 July 2011, because the packs have been packed with Asda Chocolatines that contain soya. This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone who is allergic to soya. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.
Newswire – TUC: TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has commented on the latest analysis of pay in the public & private sector, published recently by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), saying:
“This survey confirms that the simple comparisons between public and private sector pay favoured by some commentators are completely misleading, as most of them know. Hourly pay has been higher in the public sector for over 30 years. This is because public sector workers tend to be more highly skilled doing jobs like teaching & health care. Outsourcing & the privatisation of less skilled jobs like cleaning has made this difference starker. Women get a better deal in the public sector too, with less of a gender pay gap”.
NA: The National Archives' education service has achieved the ‘Learning Outside the Classroom Quality (LOtCQ) Badge’ for the second time in succession, recognising the consistently high-quality education standards it provides to students and teachers.
Newswire – CAB: Responding to last week’s price rise announcement by British Gas, Citizens Advice Chief Executive, Gillian Guy, said: "Last year CAB advisers helped with almost 104,000 fuel debt problems. For a lot of people this latest round of price hikes from fuel suppliers will be the final straw that drives them over the edge into serious debt and hardship. …….. We would urge anyone already in debt or worried about how they will pay their bill to get advice from their local CAB.
We can help you make sure that you're on the cheapest deal that your supplier provides, look at whether you would be better off switching suppliers, and advise on the help available for making your home more energy efficient." Since 2008, CAB in England & Wales have been working with OFGEM on the Energy Best Deal* scheme to help people save money on their energy bills.
