Stigmabase | Isles

Straight Man Banned From Donating Blood for 'Appearing Homosexual' : " All blood in the United States is screened for HIV , hepatitis B and C, and a legion of other diseases. A flat ban on gay men (or men who have had even a single gay experience) is bad business and medically unsound. (In the UK , gay men may donate blood ... Unicorn Booty (blog) "

Pair tackle year-long charity beard challenge Dave is raising money for Myeloma UK , the leading bone marrow cancer charity , and Metro Radio and Magic 1152's Cash for Kids appeal, which helps local ill or underprivileged children. He said: “I chose Myeloma UK because a friend's brother-in-law died ...

Memorandum on the lies and misleading statements of the Sri Lanka ... : " With regard to rehabilitation , former child combatants have been rehabilitated and have been beneficiaries of educational programs including vocational ... Salem-News.Com "

London police feel the heat in UK hacking scandal LONDON — Britain's tabloid phone-hacking scandal enveloped the London police force Monday with the rapid-fire resignations of two top officers and claims of ...

Museum of Liverpool opens its doors after ten years planning and £72m But curators at the Museum of Liverpool hope it will be worth the wait, becoming not just a new iconic building on the city's waterfront, but also 'the world's greatest urban history museum'. Some say it looks like a giant stone Twix bar, while others ...

Bright students celebrate success at design awards : " The pupils' design, Conekt 2 u, is a multi-purpose radio that allows older people to access local services, phone books and bus timetables. The Govan High School team of S2 and S3 pupils worked with pensioners in their community to find out what they ... Glasgow Evening Times "

Kenneth Clarke's privatisation drive will fail to improve prisons : "It is estimated that 8 million people in England and Wales are digitally ... We keep in touch with family and friends by email, text and social media. ... "

Strike ballot raises fears of rail chaos : "The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) said a “yes” vote could lead to disruption at stations including Glasgow Central, Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley, as well as other major rail hubs throughout the UK in London, Birmingham, ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Hunt for Manchester prison van escapees widens : " The men, both 25 and from Liverpool , were being transported to Liverpool Crown Court, where they were on trial. Police said efforts were being made to see if they have left the country. Bradley and Downes stand accused of conspiracy to possess firearms ... BBC News "

First out gay man confirmed as federal court judge : "by Jessica Geen for PinkNews.co. uk The US Senate has confirmed the first out gay man to serve as a federal court judge. J Paul Oetken, 45, was last night voted on to the bench for the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Diversity: interview with Fiona Cannon, director of diversity and inclusion at ... ... of LGBT staff in the company as their presence is not immediately obvious, but LBG has attempted to do this using confidential surveys and estimates about 2.5% of its employees are LGBT , compared to approximately 7% of the population of the UK . ...

Record levels of crime on county's doorsteps : "Deputy chief executive of Age UK Oxfordshire Penny Thewlis said rising cases of doorstep crime was worrying. She said: “Rogue traders pose a persistent threat to older people , and this significant rise in doorstep crime rates is a real cause for ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Diabetes groups slams NICE draft "no" for Lucentis in DMO : "The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)'s final draft guidance rejecting the use of Novartis' Lucentis (ranibizumab) for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) has been condemned by the charity Diabetes UK . ... United Kingdom | Ireland

A step into the unknown - the impact of housing benefit reforms : "But those working with the homeless are in universal agreement that they represent a false economy with potentially disastrous consequences for those on the fringes of society. Paul Golden talks to some of the country's leading homelessness charities ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Scottish woman injured in Ibiza boating accident : " A GLASGOW woman is in intensive care after being rushed to hospital following a boating accident in Ibiza. Suzanne Cassidy suffered severe leg injuries after she was caught in the propellers of a boat just off the party island's west coast on Sunday ... Herald Scotland "

Grandad's 66-year wait for graduation day by Gareth Evans, South Wales Echo Former navy officer Harold Jones attended the first of Cardiff University's graduation ceremonies at the city's St David's Hall. Mr Jones, pictured, who was born in 1925, would have graduated in 1945 but for World War ...

Road crash police car 'was being driven wrong way down street' ... Clifton Street and Broadway in Adamsdown, Cardiff , where the crash happened. He says police drove the wrong way down a one-way street and into the path of an oncoming car. South Wales Police said an investigation into the accident was continuing. ...

MPs urged to save Brompton Hospital child heart unit : "MPs should investigate plans to close a children's heart surgery department in west London , a charity has said. A consultation has left the unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital, in Chelsea, facing closure. Last week, the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Crimestoppers seeks 500th helper in West Mercia : "Across the UK the charity has around 460 volunteers. They are now recruiting from Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Worcestershire for people to help with fundraising. Volunteers must be aged over 18 and should be able to commit to the ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Crohn's and Colitis UK issues plea to employers A Bradford probation officer is backing a campaign by a medical charity calling on employers to improve the working lives of people with Crohn's and Colitis. Crohn's and Colitis UK is campaigning to increase the employment prospects for people with ...

Misconceptions about HIV and Aids 'are still common' There is still a great deal of confusion in the UK about HIV and Aids that could be affecting patients receiving private health care treatment for the disease, according to one expert. Brendan Hanlon, chief executive at the charity Avert, ...

Thousands of Guildford children in poverty : "The Health Profile 2011, which reveals the poverty figures, shows Guildford also has a significantly worse rate of physically-active children than the average in England . In addition, about one-in-seven Year 6 children in the borough are classed as ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Royal Mail pays out £300000 for lost post in Wales : " Most complaints were from the CF postcode area, covering Cardiff and a large area of the south Wales valleys. Royal Mail apologised but said only a "tiny fraction" of customers were ever affected. But the watchdog said loss or theft of any items was ... BBC News "

British Council invites students to UK youth summit : "Participants will spend a week in the UK sharing best practices in the areas of human rights, climate change, poverty reduction, education, HIV/AIDS, and social entrepreneurship. They will also work together with experts and organizations like MTV, ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Shelter Scotland promotes charity shops with Foursquare | UK ... Shelter Scotland is using location-based social networking tool Foursquare to promote its eight charity shops in Edinburgh.

Discovered Simple Way to Grow Stem Cells : "According to scientists from Glasgow and Southhampton universities, a simpler way to grow adult stem cells has been developed, using plastic surfaces. These surfaces provide prove to overcome some of the difficulties surrounding stem cell growth. ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Views Sought On Care For Older People : "The council is committed to supporting the Island's most vulnerable residents and has identified a number of different approaches to care – which are used elsewhere in the UK and abroad – that could provide an alternative means of support for older ... United Kingdom | Ireland

The charges James and Rupert Murdoch must today answer to MPs In their answers, for which they have been carefully drilled by a team of lawyers and media trainers, the pair will attempt to rescue a tarnished reputation and distance themselves from serious criminality . They will do so under intense pressure from ...

Cameron Urges U.K. Business to Seize Opportunity of Africa Trade : "By Thomas Penny - UK Prime Minister David Cameron will today warn British businesses that they will miss out on “one of the greatest economic opportunities on the planet” if they do not engage in trade and investment in ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Did a trip to the dentist accelerate Columbo's Alzheimer's? Dr Susanne Sorenson of the Alzheimer's Society, which funded the research, is also convinced: 'It's now clear that older people with dementia and carers should treat any infection seriously and seek medical help.' A further step could be medication to ...

Muhammad Yunus banks on beating the enemies of microfinance : " It's all a far cry from the day he stood up in Oslo and talked of putting " poverty into a museum" in his Nobel prize acceptance speech. The most likely explanation for the attacks on him is that Yunus's brief foray into politics in 2007 unnerved Sheikh ... The Guardian "

Another Senior UK Policeman Resigns : "By SARA SCHAEFER MUñOZ And ALISTAIR MACDONALD LONDON —One of the Metropolitan Police Service's most senior officials stepped down—the second in two days—after admitting he failed to thoroughly investigate the phone-hacking allegations at the heart of ... United Kingdom | Ireland

London police feel the heat in UK hacking scandal : "By JILL LAWLESS and CASSANDRA VINOGRAD AP Britain's tabloid phone hacking scandal walloped the London police force Monday, as the rapid-fire resignations of two top officers were followed by claims of possible illegal eavesdropping, ... United Kingdom | Ireland

UK parliament to put Murdochs on the spot : " Responding to the crisis, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee last week called in the Murdochs and Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of their News International UK business. Paul Stephenson, head of London's police, was also asked to appear before the ... Reuters "

Direct selling enables over-50s to supplement income : "The Direct Selling Association says that a growing number of older people are opting to take on flexible part-time work. A growing number of over-50s are choosing to supplement their retirement income by taking on flexible part-time work, new research ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Fuel poverty battle to include equity release? : "Many older people are living in fuel poverty, as they are unable to find enough money to heat their homes to an acceptable level. Equity release schemes could prove to be an attractive option for homeowners aged between 55 and 95, as they allow people ... United Kingdom | Ireland

Equality body urged not to backtrack on 'blatant discrimination' : "The equality body has in the past been criticised by some conservative Christians for being too harsh in its response to religiously motivated convictions where these clash with the requirements of a job, for example in providing services to LGBT ... United Kingdom | Ireland