News round up: Brown’s holiday – social work for a week

By Mithran Samuel on August 4, 2009 in Child safeguarding, Disability, Self harm/suicide

Brown’s holiday – social work for a week

It’s not everyone’s idea of a relaxing summer break. But it might be just the ticket for a workaholic prime minister needing to get away from it all.

Gordon Brown has been discussing with colleagues plans to spend a week undertaking community work in his Kirkcaldy constituency as part of his month-long holiday.
Read more on this story in The Guardian

Government may allow Commons time to hear assisted dying bill

The government is to consider giving time for a bill to allow assisted dying if the director of public prosecutions fails to come up with clearer advice on when it is legal or illegal to help someone to die.

The issue resurfaced after the law lords ruled last week that Keir Starmer must produce clearer guidance on when prosecutions will be launched against those accompanying people who go abroad to kill themselves
Read more on this story in The Guardian

Middle-aged smokers at higher risk of dementia

Middle-aged people who smoke, are diabetic or have high blood pressure are far more likely to suffer from dementia, research reveals today.

Smokers aged between 46 and 70 have a 70% higher risk of developing chronic memory loss, according to a study reported in Britain’s Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
Read more on this story in The Guardian

‘Why did the judge say no to me?’

When Johann Harrison and Louise Carley emerged from the High Court in London last Wednesday with their daughters India and Ashleigh, they should have been ecstatic.

The two women had been fighting a court case against their local council in Corby, Northamptonshire.
Read more on this story in The Independent

‘Sexting’ trend of explicit photo exchange among teenagers

More than a third of secondary school children have been sent messages containing sexual content, a survey showed.

Researchers found youngsters were regularly being sent sex texts or “sexts” – often by their school friends.

Baby P’s mother in freedom plea – and she’s already planning a party

Baby P’s heartless mother has begun a legally-aided bid to walk free from jail, it has been revealed.
On the anniversary of the abused toddler’s death, it emerged that the 28-year-old has asked to appeal against her prison sentence, despite public anger that her five-year minimum tariff was already too lenient for her horrific crime