Blood donation rules relaxed for gay men and sex workers

Blood donation rules for sex workers and gay men are being relaxed in England and Scotland after improvements in the accuracy of testing procedures.

Men who have sex with men can now give blood three months after their last sexual activity instead of 12.

And sex workers, who were previously barred from donating, now can, subject to the same three-month rule.

Experts said the move would give more people the opportunity to donate blood without affecting blood supply safety.

The Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs - which advises UK health departments - recommended the changes after concluding that new testing systems were accurate and donors were good at complying with the rules.

Three-month window

All blood that is donated in the UK undergoes a mandatory test for Hepatitis B and C, and HIV, plus a couple of other viruses.

Scientists agree that three months is a comfortably long window for a virus or infection to appear and be picked up in the blood.

Prof James Neuberger, from the committee, said: "Technologies to pick up the presence of the virus have greatly improved, so we can now pick up viruses at a much earlier stage in the infection, and therefore it's much easier to tell if a blood donor has the virus."

The rule changes will come into force at blood donation centres in Scotland in November, and in early 2018 in England.

The changes affect groups including men who have sex with other men, people who have sex with high-risk partners - for example, those who have been in areas where HIV is common - and commercial sex workers.

They will now all be able to donate blood after abstaining from sex for three months.

The UK government is also considering relaxing the rules for people who have undergone acupuncture, piercing, tattooing and endoscopy, and for those with a history of non-prescribed injecting drug use.

But these also need changes to current EU legislation.

'Huge advance'

Deborah Gold, chief executive of National Aids Trust, welcomed the changes to the blood donation rules.

"It's a huge advance for gay and bisexual men to now be able to donate three months from their last sexual activity," she said.

"We are also delighted that NHS Blood and Transplant have said they will now investigate how possible it is for some gay men, depending on degree of risk, to donate without even the three-month deferral."

Alex Phillips, blood donations policy lead at Terrence Higgins Trust, said representatives of the organisation were delighted the ban on sex workers had been lifted.

She said: "The lifetime blood donation ban on anyone who works or used to work in the sex industry in the UK is based on preconceptions rather than evidence, and the rules needed reviewing to fit the facts."

NHS Blood and Transplant said there was not currently a shortage of blood in the UK but 200,000 new donors were needed every year to replenish supplies.

It said there was a particular need for more people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to give blood.

Princes tell documentary of 'fun' childhood with Diana

Prince William and Prince Harry have recalled the "fun" way their mother brought them up saying Princess Diana was a "total kid through and through".

In an ITV documentary to mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, the princes said she understood the "real life outside of palace walls" and encouraged them to be "naughty".

They regret their last conversation was a brief phone call on the day she died.

Unpublished photos of the princes with their mother feature in the programme.

Prince Harry and Prince William are seen looking through Diana's personal album as they talk about how their childhood memories of their mother sat alongside her global image and influence as a campaigner for the homeless, Aids victims, and banning landmines.

Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997 when Prince William was 15 and Prince Harry was 12.

Prince William said taking part in the programme initially seemed "quite daunting" but had been "a healing process as well".

He said they wanted "her legacy to live on in our work and we feel this is an appropriate way of doing that".

Recalling Princess Diana's sense of humour, Prince Harry said: "Our mother was a total kid through and through.

"When everybody says to me 'so she was fun, give us an example' all I can hear is her laugh in my head."

He added: "One of her mottos to me was, you know, 'you can be as naughty as you want, just don't get caught'.

"She was one of the naughtiest parents. She would come and watch us play football and, you know, smuggle sweets into our socks."

Prince William said his mother was "very informal and really enjoyed the laughter and the fun".

She could be "sort of the joker", he added, and "loved the rudest cards you could imagine".

He said: "I would be at school and I'd get a card from my mother. Usually she found something, you know, very embarrassing, you know, a very funny card, and then sort of wrote very nice stuff inside.

"But I dared not open it in case the teachers or anyone else in the class had seen it."

He also talked about the "very funny memory" of coming home from school to find his mother had invited supermodels Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell to their home in Kensington Palace.

"I was probably a 12 or 13-year-old boy who had posters of them on his wall," he told Monday's documentary, Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy.

"I went bright red, and didn't know quite what to say and sort of fumbled and I think pretty much fell down the stairs on the way up. I was completely and utterly awestruck."

'Granny Diana'

The Duke of Cambridge said the last conversation with their mother weighs "quite heavily" on his mind and took place while the brothers were having a "very good time" with their cousins at Balmoral, the Queen's home in Scotland.

"Harry and I were in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know 'see you later'... if I'd known now obviously what was going to happen I wouldn't have been so blasé about it and everything else," he said.

Prince William says in the interview he remembers what his mother said - but does not reveal details of the conversation.

Prince Harry said: "It was her speaking from Paris, I can't really necessarily remember what I said but all I do remember is probably regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was."

Earlier this month, the princes attended a service to re-dedicate their mother's grave at Althorp House in Northamptonshire, on what would have been her 56th birthday.

Prince Harry said he had only cried twice for his mother - one of the times was at the funeral service at Althorp in 1997.

"So there's a lot of grief that still needs to be let out," he said.

Prince William, who was accompanied at the re-dedication service by the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, said he keeps the memory of his mother alive for his children by "constantly talking about granny Diana".

"She'd be a lovely grandmother, she'd absolutely love it, she'd love the children to bits," he said.

And he joked: "She'd be a nightmare grandmother, absolute nightmare... She'd come, probably at bath time, cause an amazing... scene, bubbles everywhere bath water all over the place and then leave."

Reflecting on the anniversary of Princess Diana's death, Prince Harry told ITV: "To myself and William she was just the best mother ever".

He said: "It has been hard and it will continue to be hard, there's not a day William and I don't wish that she was still around and we wonder what kind of mother she would be now, and what kind of a public role she would have and what a difference she would be making."

The princes have also both agreed to take part in a forthcoming BBC documentary about their mother.

They were were speaking to ITV from their home at Kensington Palace where they will unveil a statue of their mother in its public gardens on the 20th anniversary of her death.

Prince William said: "We won't be doing this again - we won't speak as openly or publicly about her again, because we feel hopefully this film will provide the other side from close family friends you might not have heard before, from those who knew her best and from those who want to protect her memory, and want to remind people of the person that she was."

Afghanistan: Taliban 'kidnapped dozens' of villagers

At least seven villagers have been killed after being kidnapped by suspected Taliban militants, a senior Afghan police official says.

He said about dozens of villagers were abducted in Kandahar province earlier in the week.

About 30 have been released while at least 30 remain missing, he added.

The United Nations said the number of civilians killed in the country's conflict reached a new high of more than 1,600 in the first half of 2017.

Reports said the latest abduction happened when Islamist rebels launched co-ordinated attacks on a military camp on the Kandahar-Uruzgan Highway.

Local media said the militants accused the villagers of co-operating with the government.

Elsewhere, in the north of the country, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reopened a small medical clinic in the northern city of Kunduz.

It is the charity's first facility there since US air strikes destroyed a hospital it ran, killing 42 people including patients and staff, in 2015.

A US military inquiry found the strike was the result of "human error" but MSF called it a war crime.

Gen Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command, said at the time that it could not be a war crime as it was unintentional.

• Afghan clinic bombing 'not a war crime'
• What we know about Kunduz hospital bombing

The 2015 bombardment took place as US-backed Afghan forces were battling to reverse the Taliban's seizure of Kunduz.

"We are really happy to restart medical activities in Kunduz, though we know that the needs are much bigger than the ones we will provide," MSF's Silvia Dallatomasina told the BBC.

An MSF official said the clinic would only provide treatment for minor or chronic injuries.

"But this is just the first step to be able to - and we are willing to do it - restart proper trauma care in Kunduz city," she said.

The new facility, which has one doctor and five nurses, is not located at the site of the hospital bombed in 2015.

A US military inquiry found that doctors on the ground rang US officials 10 minutes into the attack, pleading for them to stop, but it was another 20 minutes before they did.

Donald Trump insists he has 'complete power' to pardon

US President Donald Trump has insisted he has the "complete power" to pardon people, amid reports he is considering presidential pardons for family members, aides and even himself.

A Democratic Party spokesman has called the reports "extremely disturbing".

The US authorities are probing possible collusion between the Trump team and Russia. Intelligence agencies think Russia tried to help Mr Trump to power.

Russia denies this, and the president says there was no collusion.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Mr Trump and his team were looking at ways to pardon people close to him.

Presidents can pardon people before guilt is established or even before the person is charged with a crime.

Describing the reports as disturbing, Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, said "pardoning any individuals who may have been involved would be crossing a fundamental line".

On Saturday, Mr Trump tweeted: "While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS."

• Could Trump pardon himself?
• Russia: The 'cloud' over the Trump White House
• How Trump's Russia trouble unfolded

Mr Trump also attacked "illegal leaks" following reports his attorney general discussed campaign-related matters with a Russian envoy.

The Washington Post gave an account of meetings Attorney General Jeff Sessions held with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak. The newspaper quoted current and former US officials who cited intelligence intercepts of Mr Kislyak's version of the encounter to his superiors.

One of those quoted said Mr Kislyak spoke to Mr Sessions about key campaign issues, including Mr Trump's positions on policies significant to Russia.

During his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Mr Sessions said he had no contact with Russians during the election campaign. When it later emerged he had, he said the campaign was not discussed at the meetings.

An official confirmed to Reuters the detail of the intercepts, but there has been no independent corroboration.

• How much has Trump achieved so far?
• What has Trump said about your country?
• Trump's promises before and after election

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The officials spoken to by the Post said that Mr Kislyak could have exaggerated the account, and cited a Justice Department spokesperson who repeated that Mr Sessions did not discuss interference in the election.
But the Post's story was the focus of one of many tweets the US president fired off on Saturday morning.
"A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post, this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions. These illegal leaks, like Comey's, must stop!" Mr Trump said.
The Washington Post is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has been an occasional sparring partner for Mr Trump. "Comey" refers to James Comey, the former FBI boss Mr Trump fired.
Earlier this week, Mr Trump told the New York Times he regretted hiring Mr Sessions because he had stepped away from overseeing an inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election.
Mr Sessions recused himself in March amid pressure over his meetings with Mr Kislyak. He says he plans to continue in his role as attorney general.

Several other regular targets for Mr Trump featured in his series of tweets.

He accused the "failing" New York Times of foiling an attempt to assassinate the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

It is not clear what Mr Trump was referring to, but on Saturday a US general complained on Fox News that a "good lead" on Baghdadi was leaked to a national newspaper in 2015.

A New York Times report at the time revealed that valuable information had been extracted from a raid, but the paper stressed on Saturday that no-one had taken issue with their reporting until now.

And Mr Trump again urged Republicans to "step up to the plate" and repeal and replace President Obama's healthcare reforms, a key campaign pledge of his that has collapsed in Congress.

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BBC NEWS

Jerusalem: Metal detectors at holy site 'could be removed'

Israel is willing to consider alternatives to controversial metal detectors it installed at a holy site in Jerusalem, a senior official says.

Major General Yoav Mordechai called on the Muslim world to put forward other suggestions.

Israel installed the detectors after two Israeli policemen were killed near there earlier this month.

The measures angered the Palestinians, who accuse Israel of trying to take control over a sacred place.

Tensions over the site, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, have surged in the past couple of days.

• What makes Jerusalem so holy?

"We hope that Jordan and other Arab nations can suggest another security solution for this (problem)," Maj-Gen Mordechai told BBC Arabic, referring to the metal detectors.

"Any solution be it electronic, cyber or modern technology: Israel is ready for a solution. We need a security solution; not political or religious."

The BBC World Service's Middle East editor Alan Johnston says it is the first sign of a softening of Israel's position over the measures.

Saturday saw fresh clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces. At least four Palestinians have been killed in the last two day's protests.

On Friday, Three Israeli civilians were stabbed to death at a settlement near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

The United Nations Security Council is to meet on Monday to discuss ways of defusing the violence.

BBC NEWS

UK air traffic controllers warn of over-crowded skies

Air traffic controllers are warning that UK skies are running out of room for record numbers of planes.

And they have called for a drastic modernisation in the way aircraft are guided across UK airspace.

It comes as the government launches a discussion to shape the UK's aviation industry for the next thirty years.

It wants the public to submit ideas on a wide range of subjects, from airport bag check-ins in town centres to noise reduction targets.

Aviation's rapid growth is causing headaches across the industry.

Today is likely to be the busiest day of the year, with air traffic controllers expecting to handle over 8,800 flights.

They will guide some 770,000 flights across UK airspace through the summer.

That's a record, and 40,000 more than last year.

Stretched to the limit

But the ability of the the UK's National Air Traffic Control Service (Nats) to deal with this surge is being stretched to its limit.

Jamie Hutchison, Nats Director said: "In the last few weeks we have already safely managed record-breaking daily traffic levels, but the ageing design of UK airspace means we will soon reach the limits of what can be managed without delays rising significantly."

Delays are not just inconveniences. The Department for Transport estimates that if airspace management remains unchanged, by 2030 there will be 3,100 days' worth of flight delays - 50 times the amount seen in 2015, along with 8,000 flight cancellations a year.

In February the government launched a consultation paper on reforming airspace, and it is expected to report back in the autumn.

"Beyond the horizon"

Today's government paper has a broader scope. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "Our new aviation strategy will look beyond the new runway at Heathrow and sets out a comprehensive long-term plan for UK aviation. It will support jobs and economic growth across the whole of the UK.

"Our vision puts the passenger at the heart of what we do, but also recognises the need to address the impacts of aviation on communities and the environment."

Nats itself is rolling out a new £600m ($747m) computer system known as iTec that could result in more flights and fewer delays.

But Juliet Kennedy, Nats operations director, said: "What is needed is a clear and stable UK policy that recognises how important our airspace is as a critical part of our national infrastructure.

"It is essential that we are able to balance the needs of airspace users with the environment and, of course, with the communities who experience aircraft noise."