Brain clue may explain autism 'hug avoidance'

A bent X chromosome like the one above is characteristic of the condition

Delays at crucial points during the development of the brain in the womb may explain why people with a condition linked to autism do not like hugs.

A study in mice with fragile X syndrome found wiring in the part of the brain that responds to touch is formed late.
The findings may help explain why people with the condition are hypersensitive to physical contact, the researchers wrote in Neuron.
It also points to key stages when treatment could be most effective.
Fragile X syndrome is caused by a mutant gene in the X chromosome that interferes in the production of a protein called fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP).
Under normal circumstances, the protein directs the formation of other proteins that build synapses in the brain.

It also has implications for the treatment of autism since the changes in the brains of fragile X and autistic people are thought to significantly overlap Professor Peter Kind, Study author

Boys are usually more severely affected with the condition - which is the leading known cause of autism - because as they have only one X chromosome.
In addition to mental impairment, hyperactivity, emotional and behavioural problems, anxiety and mood swings, people with fragile X also show what doctors call "tactile defensiveness", which means they do not make eye contact and do not like physical contact and are hypersensitive to touch and sound.
Connections
By recording electrical signals in the brains of mice, bred to mimic the condition, the researchers found that connections in the sensory cortex in the brain were late to mature.
This "mistiming" may trigger a domino effect and cause further problems with the correct wiring of the brain, they concluded.
The study also found these changes in the brain's connections occur much earlier than previously thought, midway through a baby's development in the womb.
And it suggests there are key "windows" when treatments for fragile X and autism could be most effective, they said.
Professor Peter Kind, who led the study at the University of Edinburgh, added: "We've learned these changes happen much earlier than previously thought, which gives valuable insight into when we should begin therapeutic intervention for people with these conditions.
"It also has implications for the treatment of autism since the changes in the brains of fragile X and autistic people are thought to significantly overlap."
Dr Gina Gómez de la Cuesta, from the National Autistic Society, said research into fragile X syndrome could help understanding of certain aspects of autism.
"Autism is common in people with fragile X syndrome, however there are many other causes of autism, most of which are not yet fully understood.
"Understanding how the brain works when a person has fragile X syndrome could help put some of the pieces together about what is happening in the brain when a person has autism, but it is not the whole story.
"Animal research can tell us a lot about genetics and the brain, but it is only a small part of the picture and further research would be required before we fully understand any links to autism."

Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since 2002, has been under fire on two fronts: a glaring error in th

Profile: Climate chief Rajendra Pachauri

Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since 2002, has been under fire on two fronts: a glaring error in the body's reporting on glaciers and his business dealings.
He has rejected calls to resign, arguing that he is being targeted by countries and companies reluctant to embrace greener technology for economic reasons, and insisting that money he earns as a consultant goes straight back into a research institute which he heads.
The IPCC chairman is Indian and his office's website portrays the 69-year-old engineer and economist as an "incredible" success story for his country.
"The name of Dr Rajendra K Pachauri... has become synonymous with climate change and the environment," its biography says.
"Dr Pachauri is now on everyone's wish list for their climate change events."
'Work ethic'
Born on 20 August 1940 in the Nainital district of the outer Himalayas, Dr Pachauri is the son of a London University-educated educational psychologist, according to the biography.
He attributes to his mother his "well-known work ethic, entailing strict punctuality and completion of all tasks".
Privately educated in Lucknow, he went on to study mechanical engineering and, after managerial work at an Indian railway company, pursued an academic career which led to US teaching posts, in North Carolina and Virginia.
The year 1982 saw him in the Indian capital, Delhi, where he took over as director of The Energy Research Institute (Teri), a think tank promoting sustainable development.
In the 1990s, Dr Pachauri began working in various capacities for the UN and helped with the research that resulted in the Kyoto Protocol of 1997.
In 2002, he was serving as a vice-chairman of the IPCC when he was elected to the chairman's post itself, ousting Robert Watson.
Dr Pachauri, who was returned to the post in 2008, was the favoured candidate of the US Bush administration which reportedly disliked Dr Watson's willingness to tell governments what he believed to be the unvarnished truth - that human activities were contributing dangerously to climate change.
The Indian chairman has been honoured for his work on climate change with state awards in India and France.
His biography says he relaxes by composing poetry and playing cricket.
A prolific writer of academic reports, he raised eyebrows in January 2010 with the publication of a steamy novel about an Indian climate expert's life and times in India, Peru and the US.
A review of Return to Almora in the Daily Telegraph newspaper notes the novel's initial theme of deforestation, then quips that "talk of 'denuding' is a clue of what is to come", and details the book's sex scenes.
'Not a penny'
In January 2010, the IPCC admitted it had made a mistake in asserting that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035, a date it included in its 2007 assessment of climate impacts.
With the IPCC struggling to forge a binding international agreement on reducing greenhouse gases, the error boosted sceptics who accuse climate campaigners of alarmism, and led to calls for Dr Pachauri to resign.
Speaking to the BBC, the IPCC chairman said the mistake had been publicly corrected and insisted that there was a huge volume of evidence validating the science of global warming.
He denied that controversy surrounding his position was distracting from the work of the IPCC.
"I don't think the world is going to be distracted," he said. "I don't think the scientific community is going to be distracted."
Dr Pachauri also dismissed UK press allegations that he has made a fortune from carbon trading thanks to links between Teri and private companies.
Any money he earned from advising companies went to Teri, he said, adding: "Not a single penny goes into my pocket."

Swine flu drugs ordering service is closed down

Millions of swine flu vaccines were bought in preparation

The National Pandemic Flu Service, set up to dispense drugs to patients in England without the need to see doctors, has closed down.

The closure - at 0100 GMT - came after a sharp decline in the number of cases of the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Health officials said the hotline and website could be restored in seven days should the situation change.

But parents with young children are still being advised to have them immunised against the disease.

At its peak, 40,000 people a week received antivirals through the National Pandemic Flu Service.

But the figure has now fallen to below 5,000 a week.

About five million of the 90 million doses of antiviral drugs that were made available were actually dispensed.

The virus may not be around at the moment but it could come back Sir Liam Donaldson Chief Medical Officer for England

England was the only part of the UK to use the system, which allowed people to get Tamiflu by answering a series of tick-box questions.

Anyone who thinks they have flu can still check their symptoms online.

If they still have concerns they can contact NHS Direct (NHS24 in Scotland) or call their GP.

Chief Medical Officer for England Sir Liam Donaldson has repeated his call for parents of children aged six months to under five to have them immunised - even though cases of swine flu are very low.

He said: "The virus may not be around at the moment but it could come back".

However, Sir Liam denied the government had over-reacted.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP from London, agreed vulnerable groups were still at risk.

She said: "Elderly people who have other medical conditions, young people, children under five, and pregnant women do seem to have been really disproportionately represented in the people who've had really nasty complications.

"So the question is - the risk is probably quite small now, but would you ever forgive yourself if your child didn't have the vaccination and ended up getting the infection and getting a really nasty complication?"

An announcement is expected in around 10 days regarding what the government will do with its remaining stocks of vaccine.

Bonobos need your love

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I’ve been very worried about climate change.

Change climate change!

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Samrat, Hindustan Times

Email Author

January 19, 2010

Ever since the Copenhagen climate summit, I’ve been very worried about climate change. I check my car’s Pollution Under Control certificate every day, walk to the grocer’s, and generally make little sacrifices to make the world a better place.

I was starting to think all my efforts — and those of countless unsung others — are beginning to pay off. I’ve been feeling rather cold for the past month. In fact, very cold. My legs are often frozen all the way up to my unmentionables. I have to drink a stiff vodka before I can work up the courage to enter the bathroom in the morning. In other words, the part of the globe I live in — Delhi — has not exactly been hot.

However I am only a layman, and I believe in experts, so I didn’t buy a heater. In fact, I even postponed buying a new sweater. Surely global warming can’t have turned tail already, I kept telling myself. The Himalayan glaciers are melting. Soon, it will be warm. Next year, Delhi will probably have no winter, and I will have to walk to office to reduce my carbon footprint and bring the fog back. The year after that, we may even celebrate New Year’s by the beach in Gurgaon, since as you know, sea levels are rising alarmingly.

Now I’m a little mortified to read that the glaciers may not be melting after all. What’s more, a bunch of scientists I had not heard of before are saying an ice age could be on its way. This winter has been bitterly cold across the northern hemisphere, and the hitherto unheard of gurus of climate change are saying it’s only the start of a cooling trend.

A Russian astronomer named Khabibullo Abdusamatov from St Petersburg has predicted the next ice age will start between 2035 and 2045 due to a decline in solar activity. He also says the warming trend in recent years was simply because the sun was pumping out more heat. Apparently, the sun has its hot and cold periods. Abdusamatov’s not a fan of carbon trading, I think.

Less Russian sources — like, for example, the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado — have reported a jump in the Arctic summer sea ice by 26 per cent over the past two years. It had hit a low in 2007, but has recovered spectacularly since. And this was before Copenhagen, before I even started walking to the grocer’s.

“Just months — that’s how long it took for Europe to be engulfed by an ice age. The scenario, which comes straight out of Hollywood blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, was revealed by the most precise record of the climate from palaeohistory ever generated,” said New Scientist last November.

The most precise record of the climate showed that 12,800 years ago there was an ice age funky scientists call the Big Freeze. It froze up most of the northern hemisphere in less than a year. The scientists from Canada who carried out the study said the effect would be like “taking Ireland and moving it up to Svalbard in the Arctic”. I guess if we moved Delhi by a few notches less than that, we’d end up in cool, scenic Ladakh.

Thing is, now I’m no longer sure what I should do for the planet. How do I make the world a better place today? Should I try to warm it because an ice age is coming, or cool it because global warming is upon us?

I think for starters I will throw an uttapam at a scientist today.

Himalayan glacier melt ..India has criticised the UN panel on climate change

India criticises UN warning on Himalayan glacier melt

The Himalayas hold the planet's largest body of ice outside the polar caps

India has criticised the UN panel on climate change saying its grim warning about melting Himalayan glaciers was not based on "scientific evidence".

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said the chances of Himalayan glaciers "disappearing by 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high".
But this projection has since been questioned and on Monday the IPCC chief said the panel would review the figure.
Indian environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called for an explanation.
He said that the IPCC must account for how it reached the 2035 figure.
'Vindicated'
"The IPCC claim that glaciers will vanish by 2035 was not based on an iota of scientific evidence," the Hindustan Times newspaper quoted Mr Ramesh as saying.
"The IPCC has to do a lot of answering on how it reached the 2035 figure, which created such a scare."
Mr Ramesh said he felt "vindicated" after repeatedly challenging the IPCC's work on glaciers.
He said there was no "conclusive scientific evidence" linking global warming to the melting of glaciers.
Academics have previously questioned the 2035 figure saying it was "wildly inaccurate".
J Graham Cogley, a professor at Ontario Trent University, said he believed the UN authors got the date from an earlier report wrong by more than 300 years.
He said they "misread 2350 as 2035".
The authors denied his claims.
The Himalayas hold the planet's largest body of ice outside the polar caps - an estimated 12,000 cubic kilometres of water.
They mountain range feeds many of the world's great rivers - the Ganges, the Indus, the Brahmaputra - on which hundreds of millions of people depend.

EU condemned on tuna 'mockery'

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website

The EU called the bluefin an "emblematic species" but voted for higher catches

Countries involved in the Mediterranean bluefin tuna trade have voted to maintain catches nearly 50% above what scientists say are "safe" levels.

Environment groups labelled the move, by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Iccat), as a "mockery of science".

They put most blame on the EU which, they said, used trade issues to bully smaller nations into giving support.

Earlier this year Spain and Japan had called for a suspension of the fishery.

Iccat's scientists had said next year's total allowable catch (Tac) should not exceed 15,000 tonnes; but on the final day of its annual meeting, Iccat members set a figure of 22,000 tonnes.

Iccat has missed its last chance to save the bluefin tuna from stock collapse Sebastian Losada, Greenpeace

They also rejected the scientists' call for a closure of the fishery in the spawning months of May and June.

The scientists had warned the commission that "a collapse in the near future is a possibility" given the high number of boats engaged in the lucrative trade.

No mandate

"The spawning closure was probably more important than the Tac issue because actually the Tac was never respected," said Sergi Tudela, head of the fisheries programme at the environment group WWF.

"It was the one thing that might have stopped overfishing", he told BBC News from the Iccat meeting.

"The decision is a mockery of science and a mockery of the world; Iccat has shown that it doesn't deserve the mandate to manage this iconic fishery."

Earlier this year, an independent expert report branded Iccat's management of the tuna fishery a "disgrace", and put the blame on the shoulders of major fishing nations which, it said, routinely flouted the rules.

In 2006, Iccat scientists estimated that illegal fishing in the Mediterranean added about 30% onto the official catch figures.

The bulk of the catches come from purse seine boats

The bargaining position adopted by the European Commission - which represents all EU members on Iccat - came as something of a surprise.

At the World Conservation Congress in October, Spain - the biggest tuna-fishing country - backed a suspension of the fishery, and Italy was reported to have gone further and called for a moratorium.

The EU's opening statement at Iccat acknowledged that "the situation of the bluefin tuna is critical", and that "urgent action is needed to ensure the sustainability of this emblematic stock".

The reasons why the European Commission decided, against this backdrop, to argue for catches considerably above the scientific advice are not yet clear.

Some conservationists at the meeting said the EU had threatened developing nations with trade penalties on goods such as bananas unless they backed the European position.

Conservation groups which have long lobbied Iccat members to adopt scientists' advice are now likely to take their fight to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

Numbers of the East Atlantic stock of bluefin have fallen so fast that listing it as a threatened species is a possibility. The southern bluefin is already categorised as Critically Endangered.

"The game is over - Iccat has missed its last chance to save the bluefin tuna from stock collapse," said Sebastian Losada, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace in Spain.

"It's time to take the fishery out of their hands and look to conventions like Cites to impose trade restrictions on the species."

Patient killed unlawfully by overseas doctor

By Nick Triggle and Emma Wilkinson

Stuart and Rory Gray give a statement on their father's death

An overseas doctor employed to provide out-of-hours care unlawfully killed a patient, a coroner has ruled.

German GP Daniel Ubani - on his first NHS shift - gave patient David Gray, 70, an overdose of diamorphine.

He was working for Take Care Now, a company that provided care in Cambridgeshire.

Coroner William Morris said the doctor had been "incompetent" and called for a shake-up of the out-of-hours care system to ensure patient safety.

We want to see him tried under UK law for his death but we also want safeguards put in place nationwide to prevent this happening again Stuart Gray Q&A: Out of Hours Care Send us your comments

He said Dr Ubani had made "a gross error" and was "not of an acceptable standard" in carrying out his duties in Cambridgeshire in February 2008.

But he also criticised the "insufficient induction" he was given by Take Care Now as well as the NHS system which meant his skills were not properly assessed. The company's contract has now been terminated.

Mr Morris called for a review of European regulations which allow free movement of doctors, a national database of overseas doctors applying to work in out-of-hours services in the NHS, and more consistent standards in monitoring by local health chiefs working for primary care trusts.

A second patient Dr Ubani had treated - Iris Edwards, 86 - was ruled by the inquest to have died of natural causes.

Dr Ubani had had an application to work in the UK rejected by the NHS in Leeds because of inadequate English.

But he later got approval in Cornwall after they did not test his language skills.

Mr Morris also said there should be better assessment by the NHS of overseas doctors' ability to work in the UK.

'Profound apology'

Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust issued a "profound apology" in court to the families of David Gray and other patients treated that day.

The PCT said Dr Ubani had delivered "substandard and dangerous treatment", and it apologised for "these failures and failures in the system".

Mr Gray's son Stuart, who is a GP, said: "My father's tragic death happened because of Dr Ubani's actions and because of serious failings within the Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust and Take Care Now.

David Gray was given a huge overdose of the painkiller diamorphine

"We want to see him tried under UK law for his death but we also want safeguards put in place nationwide to prevent this happening again."

He added that proficiency in English should be an requirement for those applying to work as doctors in the UK and that there should be mandatory training before overseas doctors start work for the NHS and training on out of hours systems needs to be an essential part of that programme.

Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents, said there are "systemic failings" which could affect anyone using out-of-hours care and called for an urgent wide-ranging review.

NICK TRIGGLE, HEALTH REPORTER BBC NEWS AT THE INQUEST It was an innocuous setting from which from which to lay bare the failings of the out-of-hours GP system. But the verdict given by William Morris at the coroner's court in the Cambridgeshire town of Wisbech could end up being the catalyst the system needs. His 70-minute reading raised serious questions about the standards of care provided not only to David Gray but everyone who needs help at night and at the weekends. The coroner did not leave anyone out. He criticised everyone from the government and General Medical Council down. How was it, he asked, that a doctor who was unfamiliar with the NHS, whose first language was not English and who was tired from travelling from his home in Germany was allowed to see patients with very little support? That, in a nutshell, is the crux of a very complex issue - and one that everyone involved in the system is now trying to answer.

"No-one in their right mind would design out-of-hours services the way they currently exist across England if they started with a blank piece of paper," he said.

Mr Gray was suffering from renal colic when he was given 10 times the normal amount of the painkiller diamorphine by Dr Ubani at his home in Manea, Cambridgeshire on February 16 2008, and was pronounced dead fours hour later, the hearing was told.

In April 2009, the German authorities gave Dr Ubani a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and he was ordered to pay a £4,500 fine for causing Mr Gray's death by negligence.

But he continues to practise as a cosmetic surgeon in the west German town of Witten.

The German conviction meant he could not be extradited to face possibly more serious charges in the UK.

Ms Edwards' case was not part of the criminal inquiry, although medical experts believe she was inappropriately treated and should have been sent to hospital.

Mr Gray's family are now appealing to the European Court of Human Rights as the German authorities have refused an extradition request because of the action taken against him.

'Unacceptable variation'

Mike O'Brien: "We have to ensure we put in a better system than the one now."

The government, which had carried out a review of out-of-hours services in advance of today's verdict acknowledged improvements in the system were needed.

Changes will be made in the coming months but it is not yet clear whether they will meet the demands of the family or the coroner.

Dr David Colin-Thome who led the review said: "The quality of out-of-hours care for most people is better than it was in 2004 but there is unacceptable variation in how services are implemented and monitored around the country."

Responding to the coroner's inquest, Christine Braithwaite, head of investigation and enforcement at the CQC said: "The death of David Gray was a tragedy.

"It should not have happened and such an incident must not happen again.

"The coroner has clearly highlighted what went wrong.

"Take Care Now, and the PCTs that commission its services, must learn the lessons."

The Patient's Association said they had repeatedly called for PCTs to take their responsibilities on out-of-hours care seriously.

"The urgency of the out-of-hours situation is critical. Every PCT or equivalent throughout the UK should reassure their patients that the out of hours service for which they are paying is safe."

key to beating dementia

Indian village may hold key 

Ballabgarh in northern India has unusually low levels of Alzheimer's disease. More than 820,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, a number that is expected to double by 2051. Is there anything that can be learnt from this region to slow the trend?

Enjoying a chat, the elders are still on the ball

As the sun breaks through the morning mist in Ballabgarh, the elders of the village make their way to their regular meeting spot to exchange stories and share a traditional hookah pipe.
These men are in their sixties and seventies, while their faces bear the evidence of years of hard work in the fields, their minds are still sharp.
In other parts of the world, people of their age would be at some risk of developing dementia. But here, Alzheimer's disease is rare. In fact, scientists believe recorded rates of the condition in this small community are lower than anywhere else in the world.
76-year-old Parshadi Lal says: "I feel good, I feel healthy, I have a walk every morning, even though my knees do now give me a bit of trouble." His friends nod in agreement.
Record low rates
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh spent several years studying over-55s in this area.
They tested more than 5,000 people for Alzheimer's disease, using screening processes designed to fit in with local culture, and relevant for people who could not read or write.
They wanted to be sure they did not miss any cases of the condition.
It is an area where people do not tend to live as long as they do in wealthier, more developed areas, so you would expect rates of Alzheimer's disease to be lower.
But even after the scientists factored in the lower life expectancy of people in this area, the rate of Alzheimer's disease was significantly below those in the UK - and less than a third of those in parts of the US.
"We had a hunch that rates here would be lower," says Dr Vijay Chandra, one of the study authors. In fact, they found what appeared to be among the lowest rates of the condition ever recorded by scientists.
So what is it about the people of Ballabgarh that is protecting them from a condition that affects about 36 million people worldwide?
Gene search
Dr Chandra told me they tested people to see whether fewer of them carried the APO4E gene, which predisposes people to Alzheimer's disease. They did not.

A farming community means everyone is physically active

When compared to people living in a community in Pennsylvania, US, they found almost exactly the same proportion carried the gene.
But in contrast with lives in Pennsylvania and other parts of the world, the people of Ballabgarh are unusually healthy. It is a farming community, so most of them are very physically active and most eat a low-fat, vegetarian diet. Obesity is virtually unheard of.
Life in this fertile farming community is also low in stress, and family support is still strong, unlike in other, more urban parts of India.
"It all leads to a happy body, and a happy mind and hopefully a happy brain," says Dr Chandra.
"Cholesterol levels here are much lower. We believe that is what is protecting the community."
Life in Ballabgarh could not be more different from the complicated, stressful existence many of us lead in the rest of the world. But perhaps this community has something to teach us.

Cherie Booth spares religious man jail

Complaint after Cherie Booth spares religious man jail

The National Secular Society said Ms Booth gave an "unjust" sentence

A secularist group has lodged an official complaint against Cherie Booth QC after she spared a man from prison because he was religious.

Shamso Miah, 25, of Redbridge, east London, broke a man's jaw following a row in a bank queue.

Sitting as a judge, Ms Booth - wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair - said she would suspend his sentence on the basis of his religious belief.

The National Secular Society claims her attitude was discriminatory and unjust.

'Acceptable behaviour'

Inner London Crown Court heard that Miah, 25, of Redbridge, east London, went into a bank in East Ham and became embroiled in a dispute with Mohammed Furcan about who was next in the queue.

Miah - who had just been to a mosque - punched Mr Furcan inside the bank, and again outside the building.

Ms Booth told Miah that violence had to be taken seriously, but said she would suspend his prison sentence because he was a religious person and had not been in trouble before.

She added: "You are a religious man and you know this is not acceptable behaviour."

The National Secular Society has complained to the Office for Judicial Complaints, suggesting that Mrs Blair acted in an unjust and discriminatory way, and suggesting that she might have treated a non-religious person less leniently.

The National Secular Society said

Pope criticised for attack on UK Equality Bill

The Pope has confirmed he will visit the UK later this year

The Pope has faced a backlash after urging Catholic bishops in England and Wales to fight the UK's Equality Bill with "missionary zeal".

Pope Benedict XVI said the bill - which could end the right of the Church to ban gay people from senior positions - "violates natural law".

But gay and human rights campaigners condemned his comments, and Labour MEP Stephen Hughes said he was "appalled".

Gordon Brown said he respected the Pope but commenting would be inappropriate.

The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Brown had "enormous admiration and respect" for the pontiff, who will this year make the first papal visit to the UK since 1982.

'Sweeping exemptions'

The Pope told the Catholic bishops of England and Wales gathered in Rome: "Your country is well-known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society.

"Yet, as you have rightly pointed out, the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs.

Religious leaders should be trying to eradicate inequality, not perpetuate it Stephen Hughes Labour MEP

"In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed."

Jonathan Finney, from gay rights group Stonewall, told BBC Radio 5 live: "People should not be denied access to services and employment purely because they are gay.

"We've got to guard against sweeping exemptions seeming to protect one person's freedom, which actually really impact on other people's."

He added: "What you can't start doing is saying that religious people have hard-won freedoms, we'll now restrict those, we won't give them to gay people, we won't give them to women."

'Unjust limitations'

Mr Hughes, speaking in Rome, said: "As a Catholic, I am appalled by the attitude of the Pope. Religious leaders should be trying to eradicate inequality, not perpetuate it."

He said the pontiff should ensure existing EU legislation was applied in the Vatican, rather than attacking equality in the UK.

The British Humanist Association said his "uninformed" and "homophobic" remarks came as no surprise and it would oppose his visit later in the year.

Head of public affairs, Naomi Phillips, said the Pope was seeking to discriminate against others in employment, services and education "unfettered by the laws that everyone else in society must abide by and respect".

FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme

But the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, said the Pope's words would resonate with many people who felt "uneasy" about the consequences of recent legislation.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme religious belief and practice had been driven into "the sphere of the private only", and the Pope wanted to express the "unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities".

The Archbishop said: "He's [the Pope] not getting engaged in party politics... but he wants his reasoned voice - formed by the treasures of the Christian heritage which is deeply embedded in our culture - to be heard."

Religious leaders have voiced concern that the Equality Bill could force churches to employ sexually active gay people and transsexuals when hiring staff other than priests or ministers.

The National Secular Society said it would mount a protest campaign made up of gay groups, victims of clerical abuse, feminists, family planning organisations and groups supporting abortion choice, among others.

What the Pope is doing is trying to encourage the bishops to keep their resolve in very fluctuating morals in cultures and societies today Robert Mickens Rome correspondent, The Tablet

President Terry Sanderson said: "The taxpayer in this country is going to be faced with a bill of some £20m for the visit of the Pope - a visit in which he has already indicated he will attack equal rights and promote discrimination."

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the Pope's comments were a "coded attack on the legal rights granted to women and gay people".

"His ill-informed claim that our equality laws undermine religious freedom suggests that he supports the right of churches to discriminate in accordance with their religious ethos," he said.

"He seems to be defending discrimination by religious institutions and demanding that they should be above the law."

'Prejudiced employers'

But Catholic MP Ann Widdecombe said: "This isn't a debate about homosexuality, this is a debate about religious freedom."

She told BBC Radio 5 live: "If a faith teaches, as major faiths do, that something is wrong, then quite clearly you cannot have somebody who believes that it's right actually occupying a very senior position.

"That we have accepted as natural justice for a very long time."

HAVE YOUR SAY

The Catholic Church has no place in making legislation, and nor does any other self-appointed religious body

Ian, London

Send us your comments

Robert Mickens, Rome correspondent at the Catholic newspaper The Tablet, said the Pope's position was "nothing really new - this is part of the classic Catholic teaching on human sexuality".

"What the Pope is doing is trying to encourage the bishops to keep their resolve in very fluctuating morals in cultures and societies today."

Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris, who sits on the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said all Britons - including Catholics and gay people - were protected by UK equality laws.

"Religious people can be reassured that there is nothing in the Equality Bill which imposes gay priests on religions, but it does protect the general workforce from prejudiced employers," he said.

A spokesman for the Government Equalities Office said: "The Pope acknowledges our country's firm commitment to equality for all members of society.

"We believe everyone should have a fair chance in life and not be discriminated against. The Equality Bill will make Britain a fairer and more equal place."

David Cameron to discuss opening a public inquiry.

Stafford Hospital public inquiry discussed

The hospital was criticised by the Healthcare Commission last March

Relatives angered by failings in care at a hospital are meeting David Cameron to discuss opening a public inquiry.

A damning Healthcare Commission report last year said about 400 more people died at Stafford Hospital between 2005 and 2008 than would be expected.

The Conservatives and Lib Dems have promised to hold an inquiry if they win the general election. Labour said it would do more harm than good.

An independent inquiry is currently being held in private.

Campaigners from Cure the NHS are at Westminster on Tuesday.

If we do form a government, we have made a commitment to (campaigner) Julie Bailey and Cure the NHS campaign Shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien

The group - made up of relatives who died at the hospital and those who feel they were victims of poor care there - want to know how the hospital was allowed to gain Foundation status when the death rates were so high.

The campaigners have been calling for a public inquiry for some time following the publication of the Healthcare Commissions' report last March.

The hospital was criticised for its "appalling" emergency care during 2005 and 2008 that led to patients "dying needlessly".

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was given a "weak" rating last October by new regulator Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The trust apologised to families on the first day of the current inquiry.

It is thought the findings are due to be released later this week.

Shadow health minister Stephen O'Brien, has told the BBC that the Conservatives would hold a statutory-based public inquiry "within weeks and months" of the election if the party forms a government.

The inquiry would mean witnesses would be compelled to give evidence.

'Hole in the head'

Mr O'Brien, MP for Eddisbury, said: "It's absolutely vital we learn all the lessons that must be learned from the appalling events that took place at Mid-Staffordshire Trust and Stafford Hospital.

"We have to see what happens after the general election.

"If we do form a government, we have made a commitment to (campaigner) Julie Bailey and Cure the NHS campaign.

"I put this to them when I met met them and I have confirmed that we would establish a full public inquiry as soon possible after we are elected."

But health minister, Mike O'Brien, said it would not help.

"I think the price of that would be to cause some problems for the hospital," he said.

He added that he thought the hospital needed an 18-month public inquiry "like a hole in the head".

Bodmin Gaol

HANNON says:

August 1, 2009 at 3:58 pm

Hi me and my mum,sister,stepdad went to the jail i was looking in james holderman i think that was his name the one who killed his wife with the iron i said when i was standing there “james your evil” and a mini sec later i herd a deep breth bt my face. and i have two other experiances happen in a girl named sara her jail cell i was feeling depresed when in there and i did what most haunted to when u wistle a tune and they should wistle back and em and my lil sis was in there the first time i did it and there was a fain copy of the wistle i did in the left hand side of the room so i told my mum to come in and before we went in there the second time she would not go in there, so swe went up to the man in fancy dress and my mum had siad to him ” you know that jail cell with the metal door on the second floor” the man smiled and replied yes she said i could not step into that room at all and he said that was a lady called sara that was her cell she is not trying to make u not want to go in there she wants u to go in there to help her she is afraid of men. anyways we where in the cell me my mum and my 6 yr old sister and i wistled for a second time and she relpied but not a short one like i did it sounded like a wimper wistle and i felt really upstet. and the last experance i had was when we was up in the 5th floor and i could hear people wistling again but i was not wistling so i listend carful and they were what sound like to me wistling jingle bells but we went to the man again and said y on the 5th floor can u hear people wistling when u where up on the 5th floor when what u can see is like rubble on the floor there was no roof or rooms and then when i walked down the sairs it followed you. and he smiled gain and said that is one of the spirits that i comunicate with there and he senses that you have a open mind or belive in ghosts and spirits so he is trying to talk with you. so if that helps any one who reads this and has experanced the same thing it is to prove u did hear it or feel it xxx KEEP BELIVING BECAUSE IF THEY SENSE U DONT BELIVE THEY WILL NOT PROVE TO U THEY R REAL SO BELIVE,BELIVE,BELIVE

A doctor who prescribed "potentially hazardous" levels of drugs to elderly patients

Misconduct doctor Jane Barton escapes being struck off

Dr Barton has been banned from giving diamorphine for three years

A doctor who prescribed "potentially hazardous" levels of drugs to elderly patients who later died has escaped being struck off.

Dr Jane Barton will be allowed to continue working under certain conditions despite being found guilty of serious professional misconduct.

She was accused of a series of failings in her care of 12 patients at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in the 1990s.

Relatives and the General Medical Council criticised the panel's ruling.

Family members of those who had died shouted at the fitness to practice panel when the decision was delivered in central London.

Iain Wilson, the son of Robert Wilson, one of the patients who died, shouted: "You should hang your head in shame."

GMC 'surprised'

The panel said Dr Barton was guilty of putting her patients at risk of premature death.

But it said it had taken into account her 10 years of safe practice as a GP in Gosport and 200 letters of support.

Dr Barton said she had to work under "unreasonable pressure" with an "excessive and increasing burden" in caring for patients.

Three patients were given painkillers inappropriate for their condition Fears of 'culture of euthanasia'

But in a statement after the hearing the GMC criticised the independent panel.

Niall Dickson, GMC chief executive, said: "We are surprised by the decision to apply conditions in this case.

"Our view was the doctor's name should have been erased from the medical register following the panel's finding of serious professional misconduct.

"We will be carefully reviewing the decision before deciding what further action, if any, may be necessary."

Eleven conditions have been placed upon Dr Barton, including a ban on injecting opiates for three years.

In a statement after the panel's ruling, Dr Barton said: "I am disappointed by the decision of the GMC panel.

Throughout my career I have tried to do my very best for all my patients and have had only their interests and wellbeing at heart Dr Jane Barton

"Anyone following this case carefully will know that I was faced with an excessive and increasing burden in trying to care for patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

"None of the nurses who gave evidence were critical of my care of the patients in this inquiry.

"The consultants who had overall responsibility for the patients never expressed concern about my treatment and working practices.

"Throughout my career I have tried to do my very best for all my patients and have had only their interests and wellbeing at heart."

The hearing follows an inquest into 10 patients' deaths which found drugs to be a factor in five cases.

Seven of the 10 patients whose inquests were held last year

In April last year, a jury inquest at Portsmouth Coroner's Court decided that in the cases of patients Robert Wilson, 74, Geoffrey Packman, 66, and Elsie Devine, 88, the use of painkillers had been inappropriate for their conditions.

Arthur Cunningham, 79, and Elsie Lavender, 83, were prescribed medication appropriate for their condition, but in doses which contributed to their deaths, jurors found.

Dr Barton left the Hampshire hospital in 2000 but still practises as a GP in Gosport.

But she has been under certain conditions since July 2008