Death Rate: Britain Lagging On Life Expectancy

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

Britons are more likely to die early than people in most wealthy nations, research suggests - and experts are warning the gap is widening.

A study has found the UK is now 14th out of 19 Western countries for life expectancy.

In 1990, Britain ranked tenth in a league table - with Alzheimer's disease, cirrhosis of the liver and drug use disorders being blamed for our falling position.

The research was published as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt prepares to address a "shocking underperformance" that is costing 30,000 lives every year.

Co-authored by Public Health England, the Global Burden of Disease Study, published in the Lancet journal, looks at the state of health in the 15 original members of the EU along with Canada, Australia, Norway and the US.

The report compares death rates, disease and health risks in 1990 and in 2010.

In these 20 years, life expectancy has increased in the UK - by an average of 4.2 years to 79.9 years - but it has failed to keep pace with other nations.

While we are living longer, we are experiencing longer periods of ill health and disability.

Obesity another major concern for health professionals

The UK is now below average compared with 18 other countries on many important indicators.

The biggest risk to health in the UK is tobacco, which accounts for 12% of the disease burden, followed very closely by high blood pressure and high body mass and then physical inactivity, alcohol and poor diet.

As a result, early death rates have not reduced among 20 to 54-year-olds for 20 years.

There have been improvements in many cancer treatments and in road safety, but there has been an increase in alcohol-related and drug-use deaths.

Among all age groups, drug disorders have risen nearly six-fold.

Co-author Professor Kevin Fenton said the report was a "wake-up call and an opportunity".

He said: "While it's encouraging that overall the health of the UK has improved substantially since the last report the pace of improvement is not enough."

Across all ages, the top eight diseases causing the most years of life lost in the UK remain largely the same as those reported in 1990.

In order, these are heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections, colorectal cancer, breast cancer and self-harm.

Prof Fenton said there needed to be more focus on prevention as well as "high quality and accountable" clinical care.

The Health Secretary has previously pledged to cut the number of avoidable deaths from cancer, heart disease, strokes, respiratory and liver disease.

He now wants more people to be trained to use defibrillators and conduct CPR, while relatives of people who have died from cardiac conditions will get tests to see whether they too are at risk.

Mr Hunt said: "Despite real progress in cutting deaths we remain a poor relative to our global cousins on many measures of health, something I want to change.

"For too long we have been lagging behind and I want the reformed health system to take up this challenge and turn this shocking under-performance around."

Co-author Professor John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England, said: "We should be proud that life expectancy in the UK has increased as much as it has since 1990, but we need to make sure that these extra years are healthy ones."

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Woman Dies After Nurse Refuses To Perform CPR

A retirement home in California has defended a nurse who refused pleas by an emergency call operator to perform CPR on an elderly woman who later died.

At the beginning of the call, the nurse - who did not give her full name - asked for paramedics to come and help the woman, who had collapsed in the home's dining room and was barely breathing.

In a tape of the conversation, dispatcher Tracey Halvorson is heard pleading for the nurse to perform CPR, and after several refusals asks her to find a resident, a gardener or anyone not employed by the home to get on the phone, take her instructions and help the woman.

"Is there anybody that's willing to help this lady and not let her die," Ms Halvorson says on the 911 recording released by the Bakersfield Fire Department.

"Not at this time," said the nurse, who added that the home's rules prevented her from giving medical help to the woman, who has been named in reports as Lorraine Bayless, 87.

Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield, California

"Can we flag someone down in the street and get them to help this lady?" Ms Halvorson went on.

"Can we flag a stranger down? I bet a stranger would help her."

Ms Bayless was later declared dead at Mercy Southwest Hospital, officials said.

The executive director of Glenwood Gardens, Jeffrey Toomer, defended the nurse's actions, saying she had followed policy.

He said in a statement: "In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives.

"That is the protocol we followed."

Mr Toomer offered condolences to the woman's family and said a "thorough internal review" of the incident would be conducted.

He told KGET-TV that residents are informed of the policy and agree to it when they move in.

He said the policy does not apply at the adjacent assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

Police in Bakersfield are investigating whether there was any criminal wrongdoing.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a first-aid technique involving chest compressions and sometimes rescue breaths that can be used if a person is not breathing properly or if their heart has stopped.

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Cardinal: Sexual Conduct 'Fell Below Standards'

Cardinal Keith O'Brien has admitted that there have been times when his sexual conduct "fell beneath expected standards".

The 74-year-old resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh last week over allegations of improper behaviour up to 30 years ago.

In a statement issued by the Catholic Church in Scotland, he said: "In recent days certain allegations which have been made against me have become public. Initially, their anonymous and non-specific nature led me to contest them.

"However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.

"To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness.

The cleric initially contested the allegations against him

"To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologise.

"I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland."

The Cardinal had offered to stand down from his post in November but his resignation was only accepted on Monday.

It came a day after The Observer reported three priests and a former priest had complained about him to the Vatican over alleged "inappropriate behaviour" stretching back three decades.

In fresh claims published on Sunday, the former priest attacked the Catholic Church's response to the complaints.

He told the newspaper of "sensing the cold disapproval of the Church hierarchy for daring to break ranks".

He added: "I feel like if they could crush me, they would.

"The vacuum the Church has created has allowed whimsy and speculation to distort the truth, and the only support I have been offered is a cursory email with a couple of telephone numbers of counsellors hundreds of miles away from me."

Another priest, Father John Robinson, told the Scottish Daily Record: "If the Catholic Church in Scotland is to heal itself, we need transparency and understanding.

"We need to learn lessons from the mistakes we have made in the past and move on to become a more loving and understanding Church which does not condemn victims or even abusers."

Cardinal O'Brien, who was born in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, had been the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh since 1985.

Ordained as a priest in 1965, he was proclaimed a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in October 2003.

It is understood he is currently out of the country and will not be attending the conclave to elect the successor to Pope Benedict.

His absence means Britain will have no representative to vote in the forthcoming election of the next pope.

The cleric, who initially said he would contest the claims and was taking legal advice, had been expected to quit on March 17 - the date of his 75th birthday.

Cardinals older than 75 are not allowed to vote in the conclave, which is expected to take place in the next few weeks.

An outspoken cleric through the years, Cardinal O'Brien has been no stranger to making the news with his views.

Last week, in a BBC interview, he called for the Catholic Church to end its celibacy rule for the priesthood.

He also recently advocated priests marrying - and has been an outspoken opponent of plans to legalise same-sex marriage. His stance landed him the Bigot of the Year award from the gay rights group Stonewall.

In 2007, he caused controversy when on the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act, he said the termination rate north of the border was equivalent to "two Dunblane massacres a day".

The Archbishop of Glasgow has been appointed to govern the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh until a permanent replacement for Cardinal O'Brien is chosen.

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Mortars Found In Van In Londonderry

At least three mortars have been found in the back of a van which had its roof removed in preparation for an attack, Sky sources say.

Army bomb disposal experts were called to the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry after the devices were discovered last night and around 100 homes were evacuated.

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It would appear that police have managed to thwart yet another attempted attack by dissident republicans.

"A huge security operation has been under way for several hours after Sky sources confirmed that police intercepted at least three mortars."

A bomb disposal robot pictured at the scene

Three men have been arrested, including two 37-year-olds and a 35-year-old.

Blevins said: "We are being told by local people in the Letterkenny Road area that police stopped the van and there is some suggestion they stopped a motorbike at the same time before they made the arrests.

"The police realised very quickly that they had intercepted the mortars primed for an attack in the vehicle which has a Southern Irish registration number plate."

A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police are currently dealing with a security alert in the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry, following the discovery of a suspicious object in a vehicle.

The discovery was made on the outskirts of Londonderry

"Approximately 100 homes have been evacuated and army technical officers are at the scene.

"Detectives from PSNI serious crime branch are dealing with the incident and are linking it with dissident republican activity."

Blevins said: "The timing of any attack would be significant given that we are just four days away from a Westminster by-election in Northern Ireland in the mid-Ulster constituency - the seat which was formerly held by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"That indeed may have been why a possible attack was being planned by those opposed to the peace settlement."

The four contenders for Thursday's by-election are Sinn Fein Assembly Member Francie Molloy, independent Nigel Lutton, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Patsy McGlone and Eric Bullick of the cross-community Alliance Party.

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Mokhtar Belmokhtar: Gas Terror Chief 'Killed'

Belmokhtar: Profile Of Mr Marlboro

Updated: 12:54am UK, Sunday 03 March 2013

By Sam Kiley, Middle East Correspondent

He was known as Mr Marlboro because of his cigarette smuggling. The French intelligence service called him "The Uncatchable".

Born in central Algeria in 1972, Mokhtar Belmokhtar grew obsessed with Jihadi ideology in his teens. At 19 he volunteered to fight alongside the mujahedeen in Afghanistan.

He missed most of the fighting there as the Soviets withdrew as he arrived but he did encounter senior members of what was to become al Qaeda - receiving training in a Jalalabad base.

In the early 1990s he returned to Algeria to join Islamic militant groups. He served them as a quartermaster - rapidly rose to dominate operations in the south of the country during the Algerian civil war.

Described by the then head of France's Territorial Surveillance Directorate (Direction de la surveillance du territoire – DST) as Algeria's link to al Qaeda, Belmokhtar maintained strong links to the movement's core in Pakistan.

But he was a vital element in the expansion of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). A franchise of the Jihadi movement AQIM was seen as the poorly performing franchise during the last decade. 

But Belmokhtar forged links with Tuareg rebels in the south Sahara from Mali to Niger and into Mauritania.

He rapidly expanded a criminal empire to fund his political and military operations from smuggling cigarettes, diamonds, drugs and people into Europe.

He further stuffed his war chest with funds from hostage taking operations. In 2003 he was implicated in the kidnapping of 32 Europeans in the Sahara.

In 2008, he took control of negotiations for the release of two Austrian hostages. And in 2009 took control of two Canadians kidnapped in Mali and released by him for allegedly £3m and freedom for several of his associates from Malian jails.

Robert Fowler was a UN special envoy in Mali when he was kidnapped and then handed on to Belmokhtar.

He described the man who has now projected himself on to the world stage from the relative obscurity of the Saharan wastes.

"He is very cold. Very business-like. I was afraid for my life all the time. I was afraid for my life when I woke up in the morning and when I went to sleep at night. He is a very serious player," Mr Fowler told ABC News in the US.

Belmokhtar's movement got a huge boost from the collapse of the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

The Tuareg fighters he had employed from Niger, Mali and Chad, fled his service carrying with them vast stockpiles of heavy weapons and bringing many years of combat experience.

This influx of new weapons and fighters allowed for al Qaeda-related groups to capture much of northern Mali and establish closer links between groups from Mauritania to Somalia and into the Arabian Peninsula.

Some intelligence agencies believe that Belmokhtar fell out with the AQIM leader in the north of Africa, Abdulmalek Droukel.

But al Qaeda is a franchise. Its strength lies in fragmentation. A devolved series of groups are harder to infiltrate or destroy than one large organisation.

Al Qaeda expert Aaron Zelin describes this as "controlled fragmentation".

French intelligence services had been trying to kill or capture Belmokhtar for more than a decade. They believed that he had the capacity to mobilise French citizens with their roots in North Africa for terror operations inside Europe.

After France launched its war against Islamists in Mali, many of whom are connected to Belmokhtar, his organisation which calls itself "The Masked Ones", vowed to continue attacks against western targets in Africa and beyond.

Belmokhtar's attack in Algeria meant his name was heard more widely as his movement posed a strategic threat to Europe's energy supplies.

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Assad Hits Out At UK Government In Interview

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has heavily criticised the British government, calling it "shallow and immature".

In an interview with The Sunday Times, he dismissed any suggestion that Britain could help to resolve the conflict saying: "We do not expect an arsonist to be a firefighter."

He said Britain was not trusted by many in the Middle East, saying its has been viewed as "unconstructive" in the region for centuries.

"There's no contact between Syria and Britain for a long time.

"You cannot separate the role from the credibility, and you cannot separate the credibility from the history of that country.

"To be frank, Britain has played famously in our region (an) unconstructive role in different issues, for decades, some say for centuries."

He added: "How can we expect to ask Britain to play a role while it's determined to militarise the problem?

"How can you ask them to play a role in making the situation better, more stable, how can we expect them to make the violence less when they want to send the military supply to the terrorist?

"I think they are working against us, and they are working against the interests of the UK itself.

"This Government is acting in a naïve, confused, and unrealistic manner. If they want to play a role they have to change this, they have to act in a more reasonable and responsible way."

Earlier this week the Syrian Government said it is ready for talks with its armed opponents.

However, Syrian rebel leader Selim Idris said there could be no negotiations unless Mr Assad stepped down and leaders of the army and security forces were put on the trial.

The UN estimates that around 70,000 people have been killed since fighting began in Syria almost two years ago.

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Queen 'Suffering From Gastroenteritis'

The Queen has cancelled an engagement in Swansea as she is suffering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen is unwell and will "be assessed in the coming days".

The 86-year-old monarch was due to visit Wales today to present St David's Day leeks to 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh.

She is currently at Windsor Castle, where she is spending the weekend "as usual", the palace said in a statement.

The Queen is due to travel to Rome on March 6 to visit Italy's President Napolitano.

She last had to cancel an event - an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle - due to chronic back pain in October 2012.

She also missed a church service at Sandringham two days before Christmas last year because she was "getting over the tail end of a cold".

The Queen presented Olympic stars, including Jessica Ennis, Nicola Adams and Greg Rutherford, with honours at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

Jessica Ennis beamed as the Queen presented her with a CBE on Thursday

A palace spokesman said the Queen's visit to Rome was still due to take place but a decision would be made after further assessment of her condition.

Meanwhile, Swansea Council said the ceremony would go ahead today as planned with the Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, Byron Lewis.

A council spokesman said: "Due to minor illness, Her Majesty The Queen is unable to attend Saturday's event.

"The ceremony will continue as planned and will be carried out by the Lord Lieutenant of West Glamorgan, Mr Byron Lewis.

"The Lord Lieutenant will be met upon arrival at the Guildhall by Brigadier Philip Napier, Colonel of the Regiment.

"The parade will present arms for a royal salute and play the national anthem before the Lord Lieutenant is invited to present leeks to a representative body of the regiment.

"Following the parade, the Lord Lieutenant will attend a reception with members of the battalion and their families, before proceeding to the George Hall for lunch.

"The event will take place in and around the Brangwyn Hall and public viewing areas will be available."

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and bowel, with common symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.

In England, the two most common causes of gastroenteritis in adults are the norovirus and food poisoning, according to NHS Choices.

The Queen has rarely missed events during her 61-year reign, even though she carries out more than 300 engagements a year.

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