Babies in the UK cry more than almost anywhere else in the industrialised world, according to a new study.
Scientists found the UK came top of an international "crying chart" for infants aged under three months.
Italy, the Netherlands and Canada also topped the survey.
Researchers analysed data on almost 8,700 babies in different countries taking part in previous studies to find out how much babies cry in their first 12 weeks.
Infants in Denmark, Germany and Japan were found to cry the least.
Researchers found that on average, babies cried for around two hours per day in the first two weeks after birth.
Crying peaked at about two hours, 15 minutes per day at six weeks before gradually reducing to an average of one hour, 10 minutes.
Lead researcher Professor Dieter Wolke, from the University of Warwick, said: "We may learn more from looking at cultures where there is less crying and whether this may be due to parenting or other factors relating to pregnancy experiences or genetics."
He said the chart would help health professionals determine whether a baby is crying within the normal expected range in the first three months, or excessively.
The highest levels of colic - defined as a baby crying more than three hours a day for at least three days a week - were found in the UK, then Canada and Italy. Denmark and Germany had the lowest rates.
The findings are to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Monday, April 3, 2017
New credit card rules could help customers shake off persistent debt
New rules governing the credit card market could see customers having their cards suspended while they work to pay off persistent debt.
The changes suggested by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) call on firms to take a more proactive approach with struggling customers.
It could mean agreeing repayment plans to clear the debt quicker; or firms reducing, waiving or cancelling interest or charges where a repayment plan is still unaffordable.
Customers who fail to cooperate or who cannot afford the repayment plans would lose the use of their cards.
An FCA study found many firms did not intervene because persistent debtors - defined as those who have paid more in interest and charges than in actual debt repayments over an 18-month period - are often very profitable.
It estimates around 3.3 million people in the UK are in persistent debt, with more than half (1.8 million) remaining so for at least two consecutive periods of 18 months.
The proposals also suggest giving customers greater control over increases to their credit limits by offering choices around how and when increases can be offered and making the process of declining them more straightforward.
Andrew Bailey, FCA chief executive, said the proposed changes would give customers greater control.
"Persistent debt can be very expensive - costing customers on average around £2.50 for every £1 repaid - and can obscure underlying financial problems," he said.
"Because these customers remain profitable, firms have few incentives to intervene.
"We want to change this situation so that firms and customers will deal with outstanding debt more quickly, and avoid persistent debt in the first place."
A consultation has now been launched on the proposals and will run until July.
The changes suggested by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) call on firms to take a more proactive approach with struggling customers.
It could mean agreeing repayment plans to clear the debt quicker; or firms reducing, waiving or cancelling interest or charges where a repayment plan is still unaffordable.
Customers who fail to cooperate or who cannot afford the repayment plans would lose the use of their cards.
An FCA study found many firms did not intervene because persistent debtors - defined as those who have paid more in interest and charges than in actual debt repayments over an 18-month period - are often very profitable.
It estimates around 3.3 million people in the UK are in persistent debt, with more than half (1.8 million) remaining so for at least two consecutive periods of 18 months.
The proposals also suggest giving customers greater control over increases to their credit limits by offering choices around how and when increases can be offered and making the process of declining them more straightforward.
Andrew Bailey, FCA chief executive, said the proposed changes would give customers greater control.
"Persistent debt can be very expensive - costing customers on average around £2.50 for every £1 repaid - and can obscure underlying financial problems," he said.
"Because these customers remain profitable, firms have few incentives to intervene.
"We want to change this situation so that firms and customers will deal with outstanding debt more quickly, and avoid persistent debt in the first place."
A consultation has now been launched on the proposals and will run until July.
Peter Rabbit part of Beatrix Potter coloured 50p coin release by Royal Mint
A new set of coloured 50p coins is being issued by the Royal Mint, featuring characters from Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit series of books in their original outfits.
Designs on the coins commemorate the hand-painted style of Potter's original illustrations, with colour added to Peter's blue jacket, Jeremy Fisher's bright red one, Tom Kitten's blue pyjamas and Benjamin Bunny's green hat.
Thirty thousand coins featuring each of the characters are being released today as collectables and later this year the set will be released for general circulation.
The coins were created by designer Emma Noble, who has previously worked on pieces celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and Remembrance Sunday.
They will add to a collection issued by the Royal Mint last year to mark the 150th anniversary of the author's birth.
The 2016 batch showed illustrations of four of Potter's characters, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Squirrel Nutkin.
Anne Jessopp, of The Royal Mint, said demand was astonishing: "The enormous popularity of the 2016 set exceeded everyone's expectations... The coins sold out almost instantly as people raced to collect a complete set of the four friends."
More than 45 million copies of Potter's original book, The Tale Of Peter Rabbit, have been sold since it was first published in 1902.
The story's enduring popularity is also being celebrated on the big screen, with filming starting this month on a Hollywood remake.
James Corden and Margot Robbie are among the stars voicing characters in the movie, which combines the scenery of the Lake District with CGI animation and is due for release in March 2018.
Potter, who lived in the Cumbrian beauty spot for the last 40 years of her life, died in 1943 aged 77.
Designs on the coins commemorate the hand-painted style of Potter's original illustrations, with colour added to Peter's blue jacket, Jeremy Fisher's bright red one, Tom Kitten's blue pyjamas and Benjamin Bunny's green hat.
Thirty thousand coins featuring each of the characters are being released today as collectables and later this year the set will be released for general circulation.
The coins were created by designer Emma Noble, who has previously worked on pieces celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and Remembrance Sunday.
They will add to a collection issued by the Royal Mint last year to mark the 150th anniversary of the author's birth.
The 2016 batch showed illustrations of four of Potter's characters, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Squirrel Nutkin.
Anne Jessopp, of The Royal Mint, said demand was astonishing: "The enormous popularity of the 2016 set exceeded everyone's expectations... The coins sold out almost instantly as people raced to collect a complete set of the four friends."
More than 45 million copies of Potter's original book, The Tale Of Peter Rabbit, have been sold since it was first published in 1902.
The story's enduring popularity is also being celebrated on the big screen, with filming starting this month on a Hollywood remake.
James Corden and Margot Robbie are among the stars voicing characters in the movie, which combines the scenery of the Lake District with CGI animation and is due for release in March 2018.
Potter, who lived in the Cumbrian beauty spot for the last 40 years of her life, died in 1943 aged 77.
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Suicidal callers to NHS 111 helpline 'put on hold until they hang up'
The NHS has launched an "urgent investigation" following newspaper claims that suicidal people calling the NHS 111 helpline are being left on hold until they hang up while staff are asleep at their desks.
The Sun placed an undercover reporter at the NHS 111 call centre at St Charles Hospital in Ladbroke Grove, west London, which provides 24-hour support for callers from 11 boroughs in north, west and central London.
The newspaper said it found call handlers asleep at their desks or describing themselves as "busy" on the internal computer system to avoid new calls and patients.
Technical glitches reportedly ended with one handler hanging up on at least three patients, including one with heart palpitations.
Workers were told to tell callers they were experiencing technical failures when they may have been struggling to work the system, according to The Sun.
The newspaper reported an alleged conversation with one of the handlers about how she dealt with a suicidal patient.
The newspaper said the handler told the undercover reporter "she was crying and I was asking her stuff like, 'do you not really want to talk', she was like, 'no'... I put her on mute".
A Department of Health spokesman described the claims as "clearly completely unacceptable" if found to be true.
He said: "The NHS is now urgently investigating and if any wrongdoing whatsoever is found, including criminal actions, we will want to see the police and relevant NHS regulators alerted as necessary."
The report also claimed that managers changed the undercover reporter's timesheets to show he had done more training hours than he had.
Simon Douglass, medical director of the London Central and West Unscheduled Care Collaborative, which runs the centre, said patient safety "is, and always will be, our highest priority".
He said: "We take any allegations extremely seriously and have launched an urgent investigation. The matters leading to the allegations appear to have arisen earlier this year when the undercover reporter participated in training.
"All issues relating to staff conduct are extremely important to us, particularly in relation to patient safety. We strictly enforce our policies for managing staff conduct at all times including whenever we receive reports of inappropriate conduct or behaviour."
The Sun placed an undercover reporter at the NHS 111 call centre at St Charles Hospital in Ladbroke Grove, west London, which provides 24-hour support for callers from 11 boroughs in north, west and central London.
The newspaper said it found call handlers asleep at their desks or describing themselves as "busy" on the internal computer system to avoid new calls and patients.
Technical glitches reportedly ended with one handler hanging up on at least three patients, including one with heart palpitations.
Workers were told to tell callers they were experiencing technical failures when they may have been struggling to work the system, according to The Sun.
The newspaper reported an alleged conversation with one of the handlers about how she dealt with a suicidal patient.
The newspaper said the handler told the undercover reporter "she was crying and I was asking her stuff like, 'do you not really want to talk', she was like, 'no'... I put her on mute".
A Department of Health spokesman described the claims as "clearly completely unacceptable" if found to be true.
He said: "The NHS is now urgently investigating and if any wrongdoing whatsoever is found, including criminal actions, we will want to see the police and relevant NHS regulators alerted as necessary."
The report also claimed that managers changed the undercover reporter's timesheets to show he had done more training hours than he had.
Simon Douglass, medical director of the London Central and West Unscheduled Care Collaborative, which runs the centre, said patient safety "is, and always will be, our highest priority".
He said: "We take any allegations extremely seriously and have launched an urgent investigation. The matters leading to the allegations appear to have arisen earlier this year when the undercover reporter participated in training.
"All issues relating to staff conduct are extremely important to us, particularly in relation to patient safety. We strictly enforce our policies for managing staff conduct at all times including whenever we receive reports of inappropriate conduct or behaviour."
PM heads to Jordan and Saudi Arabia for talks on refugees and Islamic State
The Prime Minister is travelling to the frontline of the war on terror for talks on stepping up the fight against Islamic State, known as Daesh, and tackling the Syrian refugee crisis.
Theresa May is visiting Jordan and Saudi Arabia and will pledge more UK support for airstrikes, new counter-terrorism measures and humanitarian efforts.
First, in Jordan, she will announce a joint anti-terror initiative, with new moves "to strike at the heart of Daesh", and promise to improve cooperation on countering violent extremism in the region.
Then, in Saudi Arabia, the UK's largest trading partner in the Middle East, as well as talks on boosting trade between the two countries she will attempt to step up co-operation on counter-terrorism.
During her visit, the Prime Minister is expected to say that the tragic attack in Westminster on 22 March "showed only too starkly that terrorism is an evil facing us all and we must come together to fight it".
She will also say that working with countries on the frontline in the fight against terror, like Jordan, keeps British people safe and sharing intelligence with Saudi Arabia has saved hundreds of lives in the UK.
According to 10 Downing Street, during her visit she will also discuss how the UK Government can build on co-operation with Jordan to manage the fall-out from the Syrian conflict.
She is expected to reiterate the UK's commitment to providing humanitarian support to Jordan to bolster its capacity to handle the huge number of refugees it hosts, enabling the refugees to stay close to their homes and create meaningful long-term futures for themselves.
The PM will begin her visit in Jordan's capital, Amman, where she is expected to agree new support for the Royal Jordanian Air Force to improve its capability to strike Daesh targets and defeat the terrorist threat.
She will then visit Saudi Arabia, where - according to No 10 - she will make clear that they are a close and important ally and that the UK will continue to work closely in a range of areas, particularly on counter-terrorism where UK-Saudi cooperation is vital.
On trade, the Prime Minister is expected to explore ways of boosting already strong ties. Exports of British goods were worth £4.67bn in 2015 and services £1.9bn.
Speaking ahead of her visit, the Prime Minister said: "As the United Kingdom leaves the EU, we are determined to forge a bold, confident future for ourselves in the world.
"We must look at the challenges that we, and future generations, will face and build stronger partnerships with countries that will be vital to both our security and our prosperity.
"It is clearly in the UK's security and prosperity interests to support Jordan and Saudi Arabia in tackling regional challenges to create a more stable region, and in delivering their ambitious reform programmes to ensure their own stability.
"An even deeper partnership with these countries, and greater knowledge and understanding of one another, will increase our ability to address the issues that concern us, including the promotion of international standards and norms.
"To tackle the threats we face from terrorism and from geopolitical instability, we must meet them at their source.
"Jordan is on the frontline of multiple regional crises and I'm clear that by working with them, we are helping keep British people safe.
"Likewise in Saudi Arabia: we must never forget that intelligence we have received in the past from that country has saved potentially hundreds of lives in the UK.
"And there is so much we can do together on trade, with immense potential for Saudi investment to provide a boost to the British economy.
"So I hope my visit will herald a further intensification in relations between our countries and deepen true strategic partnerships, enabling us to seize the opportunities ahead and ensure the security and prosperity of our people for decades to come."
It is not the Prime Minister's first visit to these two key Gulf states. She visited Jordan in 2012 when she was Home Secretary and also visited Saudi Arabia in March 2014.
The UK Government's new support for the Royal Jordanian Air Force will include:
:: Deploying training teams to help the Jordanians better integrate their Air and Land assets on operations;
:: Providing training in the UK and in Jordan for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, who are the service personnel who direct combat action of aircraft in offensive operations;
:: Increasing the number of places available to RJAF personnel on UK courses in niche areas such as Air Battle Management and Electronic Warfare; and
:: Supporting aviation safety, including through training in both the UK and Jordan.
According to No 10, the UK will also commit to partnering with Jordan in the development and implementation of strategies to counter violent extremism, including active consultation with civil society and affected communities, particularly focusing on youth groups.
Theresa May is visiting Jordan and Saudi Arabia and will pledge more UK support for airstrikes, new counter-terrorism measures and humanitarian efforts.
First, in Jordan, she will announce a joint anti-terror initiative, with new moves "to strike at the heart of Daesh", and promise to improve cooperation on countering violent extremism in the region.
Then, in Saudi Arabia, the UK's largest trading partner in the Middle East, as well as talks on boosting trade between the two countries she will attempt to step up co-operation on counter-terrorism.
During her visit, the Prime Minister is expected to say that the tragic attack in Westminster on 22 March "showed only too starkly that terrorism is an evil facing us all and we must come together to fight it".
She will also say that working with countries on the frontline in the fight against terror, like Jordan, keeps British people safe and sharing intelligence with Saudi Arabia has saved hundreds of lives in the UK.
According to 10 Downing Street, during her visit she will also discuss how the UK Government can build on co-operation with Jordan to manage the fall-out from the Syrian conflict.
She is expected to reiterate the UK's commitment to providing humanitarian support to Jordan to bolster its capacity to handle the huge number of refugees it hosts, enabling the refugees to stay close to their homes and create meaningful long-term futures for themselves.
The PM will begin her visit in Jordan's capital, Amman, where she is expected to agree new support for the Royal Jordanian Air Force to improve its capability to strike Daesh targets and defeat the terrorist threat.
She will then visit Saudi Arabia, where - according to No 10 - she will make clear that they are a close and important ally and that the UK will continue to work closely in a range of areas, particularly on counter-terrorism where UK-Saudi cooperation is vital.
On trade, the Prime Minister is expected to explore ways of boosting already strong ties. Exports of British goods were worth £4.67bn in 2015 and services £1.9bn.
Speaking ahead of her visit, the Prime Minister said: "As the United Kingdom leaves the EU, we are determined to forge a bold, confident future for ourselves in the world.
"We must look at the challenges that we, and future generations, will face and build stronger partnerships with countries that will be vital to both our security and our prosperity.
"It is clearly in the UK's security and prosperity interests to support Jordan and Saudi Arabia in tackling regional challenges to create a more stable region, and in delivering their ambitious reform programmes to ensure their own stability.
"An even deeper partnership with these countries, and greater knowledge and understanding of one another, will increase our ability to address the issues that concern us, including the promotion of international standards and norms.
"To tackle the threats we face from terrorism and from geopolitical instability, we must meet them at their source.
"Jordan is on the frontline of multiple regional crises and I'm clear that by working with them, we are helping keep British people safe.
"Likewise in Saudi Arabia: we must never forget that intelligence we have received in the past from that country has saved potentially hundreds of lives in the UK.
"And there is so much we can do together on trade, with immense potential for Saudi investment to provide a boost to the British economy.
"So I hope my visit will herald a further intensification in relations between our countries and deepen true strategic partnerships, enabling us to seize the opportunities ahead and ensure the security and prosperity of our people for decades to come."
It is not the Prime Minister's first visit to these two key Gulf states. She visited Jordan in 2012 when she was Home Secretary and also visited Saudi Arabia in March 2014.
The UK Government's new support for the Royal Jordanian Air Force will include:
:: Deploying training teams to help the Jordanians better integrate their Air and Land assets on operations;
:: Providing training in the UK and in Jordan for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, who are the service personnel who direct combat action of aircraft in offensive operations;
:: Increasing the number of places available to RJAF personnel on UK courses in niche areas such as Air Battle Management and Electronic Warfare; and
:: Supporting aviation safety, including through training in both the UK and Jordan.
According to No 10, the UK will also commit to partnering with Jordan in the development and implementation of strategies to counter violent extremism, including active consultation with civil society and affected communities, particularly focusing on youth groups.
'Whitewashing' claims over Scarlett Johansson's role in anime film
Scarlett Johansson has returned to cinemas with her new movie Ghost In The Shell.
As A-list stars go, studio bosses know she's a name that will draw audiences in.
However, the decision to cast an American actress as the lead in the remake of a Japanese anime classic continues to anger many fans of the original.
Ever since the casting was publicly announced, the term "whitewashing" has followed the film.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Johansson said: "I would never attempt to play a person of a different race, obviously."
She explained: "This character is living a very unique experience in that she has a human brain in an entirely machinate body. She's essentially identity-less."
There's no question it will do well at the box office, but over 100,000 people have signed a petition saying the part should have gone to a Japanese actor.
Theatre director Andrew Keates is perhaps an unlikely voice to be campaigning for the rights of East Asian actors. But it is an issue he has come to feel passionately about.
He said: "What we're doing is painting a picture of reality where there's often no minority groups - that's dangerous when people having unrealistic understandings of what reality is.
"I think that's absolutely terrifying, we need to reflect the beauty of reality rather than this faux picture."
In casting his latest play Chinglish at London's Park Theatre - a comedy about the cultural differences between East and West - Keates insists it would never have crossed his mind not to cast East Asian actors.
So in January, when he learned that another London production was staging an all-white casting of In The Depths Of Dead Love - a play set in China featuring Chinese characters - he felt so angry he organised a protest.
About 50 people joined him, outraged over what they saw as the "racist" casting of the show at London's Print Room.
"I would hope that any theatre company or producers would realise that putting on works from minority groups is not a risk, it's a wonderful opportunity to showcase talent," he added.
"What I would love our industry to be doing is representing in the mainstream, what is actually happening in reality which is different shapes, races, sizes and sexualities."
Chinglish is on at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park until 22 April.
As A-list stars go, studio bosses know she's a name that will draw audiences in.
However, the decision to cast an American actress as the lead in the remake of a Japanese anime classic continues to anger many fans of the original.
Ever since the casting was publicly announced, the term "whitewashing" has followed the film.
In an interview with Good Morning America, Johansson said: "I would never attempt to play a person of a different race, obviously."
She explained: "This character is living a very unique experience in that she has a human brain in an entirely machinate body. She's essentially identity-less."
There's no question it will do well at the box office, but over 100,000 people have signed a petition saying the part should have gone to a Japanese actor.
Theatre director Andrew Keates is perhaps an unlikely voice to be campaigning for the rights of East Asian actors. But it is an issue he has come to feel passionately about.
He said: "What we're doing is painting a picture of reality where there's often no minority groups - that's dangerous when people having unrealistic understandings of what reality is.
"I think that's absolutely terrifying, we need to reflect the beauty of reality rather than this faux picture."
In casting his latest play Chinglish at London's Park Theatre - a comedy about the cultural differences between East and West - Keates insists it would never have crossed his mind not to cast East Asian actors.
So in January, when he learned that another London production was staging an all-white casting of In The Depths Of Dead Love - a play set in China featuring Chinese characters - he felt so angry he organised a protest.
About 50 people joined him, outraged over what they saw as the "racist" casting of the show at London's Print Room.
"I would hope that any theatre company or producers would realise that putting on works from minority groups is not a risk, it's a wonderful opportunity to showcase talent," he added.
"What I would love our industry to be doing is representing in the mainstream, what is actually happening in reality which is different shapes, races, sizes and sexualities."
Chinglish is on at the Park Theatre in Finsbury Park until 22 April.
New taskforce to tackle 'poisonous' extremism in prisons
A new taskforce of counter-terrorism experts is being launched on Monday to tackle the threat of radicalisation in prisons.
The 100-strong team will examine intelligence from across England and Wales as part of government plans to tackle "poisonous" extremism behind bars.
Jails will be advised on how to deal with specific threats, and the unit will help train prison workers on effective ways to deter offenders from being lured into extremism.
It is hoped the specialist team will also help prisons manage dangerous and high-profile extremist prisoners.
Figures suggest that more than 1,000 prisoners are identified as extremist or vulnerable to extremism at any one time - and the taskforce is going to target all forms of extremism, including far-right ideologies.
Prisons minister Sam Gyimah said: "This new team will lead this strand of important work to help combat and defeat terrorist threats posed by offenders in the prison estate and in the community.
"By countering the poisonous and repugnant activities of extremists, we will help ensure the safe running of our prisons and keep the public safe."
The new unit follows a Government-ordered review last year which concluded that Islamist extremism is a growing problem within jails.
That assessment uncovered evidence of offenders expressing support for Islamic State, and "charismatic" prisoners acting as "self-styled emirs" to radicalise fellow inmates.
Following the inquiry, the Government announced plans to separate dangerous extremists from the rest of the prison population.
The Ministry of Justice says the new taskforce follows other measures designed to address extremism - including orders for prison governors to ban extremist literature and remove anyone from communal worship who promotes anti-British beliefs or other dangerous views.
Hanif Qadir, a former Taliban fighter who runs a foundation which works to prevent radicalisation, told Sky News he welcomes the proposals as radicalisation has reached "unprecedented levels" in the nation's jails.
He said: "It's since the inception of Islamic State and the calling to jihad by IS. Over the last three to four years, the growth of violent extremism within prisons has been on an unimaginable scale.
"At the moment, the problem in our prisons is very, very concerning and we need to deal with it rapidly."
The 100-strong team will examine intelligence from across England and Wales as part of government plans to tackle "poisonous" extremism behind bars.
Jails will be advised on how to deal with specific threats, and the unit will help train prison workers on effective ways to deter offenders from being lured into extremism.
It is hoped the specialist team will also help prisons manage dangerous and high-profile extremist prisoners.
Figures suggest that more than 1,000 prisoners are identified as extremist or vulnerable to extremism at any one time - and the taskforce is going to target all forms of extremism, including far-right ideologies.
Prisons minister Sam Gyimah said: "This new team will lead this strand of important work to help combat and defeat terrorist threats posed by offenders in the prison estate and in the community.
"By countering the poisonous and repugnant activities of extremists, we will help ensure the safe running of our prisons and keep the public safe."
The new unit follows a Government-ordered review last year which concluded that Islamist extremism is a growing problem within jails.
That assessment uncovered evidence of offenders expressing support for Islamic State, and "charismatic" prisoners acting as "self-styled emirs" to radicalise fellow inmates.
Following the inquiry, the Government announced plans to separate dangerous extremists from the rest of the prison population.
The Ministry of Justice says the new taskforce follows other measures designed to address extremism - including orders for prison governors to ban extremist literature and remove anyone from communal worship who promotes anti-British beliefs or other dangerous views.
Hanif Qadir, a former Taliban fighter who runs a foundation which works to prevent radicalisation, told Sky News he welcomes the proposals as radicalisation has reached "unprecedented levels" in the nation's jails.
He said: "It's since the inception of Islamic State and the calling to jihad by IS. Over the last three to four years, the growth of violent extremism within prisons has been on an unimaginable scale.
"At the moment, the problem in our prisons is very, very concerning and we need to deal with it rapidly."
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