The risk in saying not enough is being done to tackle HIV in Scotland is that it may be seen as pointing the finger – with the other four pointing towards oneself! One thing is sure, neither complacency nor self-congratulation have any place.
Levels of HIV are at their highest ever. Gay men make up 87 per cent of infections. More young people than ever aged 15 to 24 are being diagnosed. for more click here
THE Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday attacked the SNP government over the country’s “catastrophic” sexual health record.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of Scotland’s Catholics, said he was deeply disappointed that the Scottish Government continued to support a “flawed” sexual health strategy. for more click here
A Ghanaian woman who came to study in Wales five years ago has been told she must return to the African country, despite being terminally ill.
Ama Sumani, 39, has been receiving dialysis at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for over a year after cancer damaged her kidneys. for more click here
Cameras and video equipment are to be banned from a medieval chapel in the Lothians which had a starring role in the Da Vinci Code blockbuster film.
Rosslyn Chapel will be camera free from 2 January in a bid to stop falls while visitors gaze at the ornate ceiling through their lenses. for more click here
A CHARITY which helps grieving parents through the death of a baby or miscarriage faces closure amid a new cash crisis.
Sands Lothian has just £10,000 left and expects to shut down in March or April if new supporters are not found. for more click here
Soaring fuel bills this winter could lead to a sharp rise in the number of people struggling to pay for heating, an independent energy broker says.
Catalyst Commercial Services says the cost of gas and electricity is expected to rise by as much as 10% by January. for more click here
A “probable” new leak of the foot-and-mouth virus has been reported from an animal health facility in Surrey, the government has said. for more click here
English cancer patients should rent a second home in Scotland to gain access to drugs not available in England, an expert on NHS law suggested yesterday.
Anybody who “resides ordinarily” in Scotland is entitled to the drugs free, said Nigel Giffin, QC. Establishing residence could be as simple as renting a flat north of the Border while retaining a home in England. The NHS in Scotland would be obliged to treat such a person after even a short period of “residence” at a possible cost of more than £10,000 a year. for more click here
Scientists at Edinburgh University have discovered a cancer cell which could lead to new treatments for children suffering from bone cancer. for more click here
This years we will gave a focus on Zambia with two speakers - Albert Chituka, the assistant head-teacher of a secondary school near Lusaka, who has many links with Scotland and also Leith - and Eunice Sinyemu who works for Waverley Care, but has recently been back in Zambia filming for a BBC programme. So we’ll get both the local and the international perspective.
Our music for the cafe will be from a skilled local musician and during the cafe break we have some super musical DVD’s to show, including one from the Zambia School - where they youngsters really show us how to celebrate in song. There will be other short video clips that you will find very interesting.
AND, of course, time to relax, time to reflect, time to chat, over Fairtrade tea and coffee.
The event runs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, and you are welcome to drop in any time. Speakers start around 8.00.
The event is ’solidarity’, ’sharing our common humanity’, a time for reflection, remembering and refreshment. AND YOU ARE VERY WELCOME!