Study by Aviva shows that more than a quarter of dads gave up work or reduced their hours after the birth of their children There are now 10 times as many stay-at-home dads in the UK than a decade ago, with one in seven fathers (14%) now the main childcare provider, according to research from Aviva. It says about 1.4 million men are now the primary carer in their households. The study suggests that a quarter of families with children under 18 share childcare equally, up from 18% in 2010, while more than a quarter of dads (26%) gave up work or reduced their working hours after the birth of their children, and 44% regularly look after the children while their partner works. Close to half of stay-at-home-dads (43%) told Aviva they felt “lucky” to have the opportunity to spend more time with their kids, but 46% of families said their decision allowed the main earner to keep working. The trend for increasing numbers of stay-at-home dads has been driven by growing numbers of women earning more than their partner – a quarter of women said they now earn more than their children’s father, while a further 16% said they earn roughly the same as their partner. But men told Aviva they had had difficulties in assuming primary responsibility for children, with nearly one in five (17%) admitting it makes them feel “less of a man”, 13% claiming they found looking after the children harder than going out to work, and 13% saying they wished they earned more than their partner so they could go back to work. Louise Colley, head of protection marketing for Aviva, said: “It is really interesting to see how the responsibilities of parents are shifting. There is no longer a ‘norm’ for who does what in a family relationship, and it’s great that many mums and dads are enjoying non-traditional roles. “We know from our latest Family Finances report that the cost of childcare means many families feel it’s not worthwhile both parents working – so it’s no surprise to see more men taking up the reins. “However, this also means that many families are relying on one salary, which can leave them financially vulnerable.” Justine Roberts, co-founder of Mumsnet , said the survey failed to highlight the struggles facing many women who choose to return to work. “In our experience, women still pick up the bulk of the domestic duties in the house – even when both parents are working. “It is great that men are getting more involved with the kids, but there’s still a big divide on other activities with women doing more cooking, reading with kids, activity planning, and homework to name a few, which is why we see so many women still struggling to balance a successful career with family life.” Childcare Family finances Children Parents Parents and parenting Family Gender Mark King guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Study by Aviva shows that more than a quarter of dads gave up work or reduced their hours after the birth of their children There are now 10 times as many stay-at-home dads in the UK than a decade ago, with one in seven fathers (14%) now the main childcare provider, according to research from Aviva. It says about 1.4 million men are now the primary carer in their households. The study suggests that a quarter of families with children under 18 share childcare equally, up from 18% in 2010, while more than a quarter of dads (26%) gave up work or reduced their working hours after the birth of their children, and 44% regularly look after the children while their partner works. Close to half of stay-at-home-dads (43%) told Aviva they felt “lucky” to have the opportunity to spend more time with their kids, but 46% of families said their decision allowed the main earner to keep working. The trend for increasing numbers of stay-at-home dads has been driven by growing numbers of women earning more than their partner – a quarter of women said they now earn more than their children’s father, while a further 16% said they earn roughly the same as their partner. But men told Aviva they had had difficulties in assuming primary responsibility for children, with nearly one in five (17%) admitting it makes them feel “less of a man”, 13% claiming they found looking after the children harder than going out to work, and 13% saying they wished they earned more than their partner so they could go back to work. Louise Colley, head of protection marketing for Aviva, said: “It is really interesting to see how the responsibilities of parents are shifting. There is no longer a ‘norm’ for who does what in a family relationship, and it’s great that many mums and dads are enjoying non-traditional roles. “We know from our latest Family Finances report that the cost of childcare means many families feel it’s not worthwhile both parents working – so it’s no surprise to see more men taking up the reins. “However, this also means that many families are relying on one salary, which can leave them financially vulnerable.” Justine Roberts, co-founder of Mumsnet , said the survey failed to highlight the struggles facing many women who choose to return to work. “In our experience, women still pick up the bulk of the domestic duties in the house – even when both parents are working. “It is great that men are getting more involved with the kids, but there’s still a big divide on other activities with women doing more cooking, reading with kids, activity planning, and homework to name a few, which is why we see so many women still struggling to balance a successful career with family life.” Childcare Family finances Children Parents Parents and parenting Family Gender Mark King guardian.co.uk
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Met officer failed to provide a response to calls about domestic abuse, rape, a suicide threat and potential armed break-ins A Metropolitan police officer working in an emergency call centre bungled pleas for help from people reporting rape, domestic abuse and gun crime. The officer has been sacked after an investigation, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said, adding that he had left some callers in “potentially dangerous situations”. The officer, aged 58, was found to have altered the last digit of the phone number provided by callers to the 999 emergency number on seven occasions. The IPCC said the officer, based at the emergency call handling centre in Bow, east London, bungled 141 calls out of 3,000 he handled between 1 May and 26 July 2009. An investigation found that his handling of 19 calls amounted to gross misconduct, and that the officer had failed “to provide a police response to domestic abuse and assaults, rape, a suicide threat, potential armed break-ins and a road traffic collision”. The officer’s misconduct came to light by chance. In a statement the IPCC said: “The investigation began in August 2009 after issues relating to the PC’s performance first came to light when a woman dialled 999 to report a domestic assault on 26 July. “On experiencing difficulties with the police officer through several attempts to get across the correct spelling of her surname, she ended the call in frustration. The officer involved closed the call log and failed to provide a police response. “The woman caller later brought her experience to the attention of a family friend who happened to be a call handler working at Bow command centre. A supervisor was informed, the call identified and reviewed and the police officer removed from answering 999 calls pending a detailed analysis of his previous performance.” The IPCC commissioner for London, Deborah Glass, said: “When the public call 999 for help from the police, they should receive an immediate, professional and sympathetic response. This officer not only did not provide that response, in some cases he deliberately obstructed their attempts to get help, and left some callers in continued danger. It is a matter of luck – and the persistence of those seeking help – that his actions do not appear to have resulted in serious harm to a member of the public. “It beggars belief that a police officer whose job was to help people in distress should have behaved in such an appalling and callous way. He has rightly been dismissed. It is, however, encouraging that other officers responded appropriately to the callers who received such a poor service.” A Met team has attempted to trace the 19 callers to whom the dismissed officer failed to provide a police response. Nine called back or went to a police station, six were provided with help once located, and four did not respond when contacted. Police Emergency services Vikram Dodd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Met officer failed to provide a response to calls about domestic abuse, rape, a suicide threat and potential armed break-ins A Metropolitan police officer working in an emergency call centre bungled pleas for help from people reporting rape, domestic abuse and gun crime. The officer has been sacked after an investigation, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said, adding that he had left some callers in “potentially dangerous situations”. The officer, aged 58, was found to have altered the last digit of the phone number provided by callers to the 999 emergency number on seven occasions. The IPCC said the officer, based at the emergency call handling centre in Bow, east London, bungled 141 calls out of 3,000 he handled between 1 May and 26 July 2009. An investigation found that his handling of 19 calls amounted to gross misconduct, and that the officer had failed “to provide a police response to domestic abuse and assaults, rape, a suicide threat, potential armed break-ins and a road traffic collision”. The officer’s misconduct came to light by chance. In a statement the IPCC said: “The investigation began in August 2009 after issues relating to the PC’s performance first came to light when a woman dialled 999 to report a domestic assault on 26 July. “On experiencing difficulties with the police officer through several attempts to get across the correct spelling of her surname, she ended the call in frustration. The officer involved closed the call log and failed to provide a police response. “The woman caller later brought her experience to the attention of a family friend who happened to be a call handler working at Bow command centre. A supervisor was informed, the call identified and reviewed and the police officer removed from answering 999 calls pending a detailed analysis of his previous performance.” The IPCC commissioner for London, Deborah Glass, said: “When the public call 999 for help from the police, they should receive an immediate, professional and sympathetic response. This officer not only did not provide that response, in some cases he deliberately obstructed their attempts to get help, and left some callers in continued danger. It is a matter of luck – and the persistence of those seeking help – that his actions do not appear to have resulted in serious harm to a member of the public. “It beggars belief that a police officer whose job was to help people in distress should have behaved in such an appalling and callous way. He has rightly been dismissed. It is, however, encouraging that other officers responded appropriately to the callers who received such a poor service.” A Met team has attempted to trace the 19 callers to whom the dismissed officer failed to provide a police response. Nine called back or went to a police station, six were provided with help once located, and four did not respond when contacted. Police Emergency services Vikram Dodd guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …And then there were none. The World Wildlife Fund says poachers have killed Vietnam’s last Javan rhinoceros, reports the AP . There were at least two rhinos in a national park in Vietnam as of 2004, the WWF says and for the last few years they knew of one, but in…
Continue reading …Occupy Wall Street protesters may be a little surprised to learn that the Vatican supports some of their goals. A document released by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace calls for the creation of a world body to police financial markets in order to to crack down on…
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Agent who worked with Linda McCartney and publisher of Katie Price autobiography told they may have been under surveillance The police investigation into phone hacking by the News of the World has now spread to the publishing world, with a high-profile agent and a celebrity book publisher targeted. Peter Cox, who worked with the late Linda McCartney, and John Blake, who has worked with Katie Price and Jade Goody, have each been told by the police that they appear to have been targeted by illegal surveillance. Cox told the Guardian he was “stunned” to learn from the Metropolitan police’s Operation Weeting that someone had been eavesdropping on him: “It’s a little like coming home to find your place has been burgled, the same sort of feeling, invasion of privacy. Unless it’s actually happened to you, it’s difficult to explain.” Angered by what he describes as a “violation”, he added: “I’m quite interested in suing the hell out of them.” Both men regularly worked on high-profile books. One project was particularly sensitive because it involved royalty, a source revealed. Police from Operation Weeting have now shown Cox handwritten notes reproduced from his own calls. For legal reasons, his lawyers have advised him against revealing details. He said: “It’s difficult for me to say anything, but it was about one specific project … which had major serial potential … Those were the days when a big serialisation was worth a good six figures plus national television advertising.” His suspicions had been raised some time previously when journalists from various papers tried in vain to discover the contents of audiotapes of McCartney in his possession. Cox co-authored a book with the former Beatle’s wife. Cox’s stable of authors includes Michelle Paver, whose books have so far sold 3.5m copies worldwide. Yesterday, he warned publishing colleagues that they too could have been targeted over any books of commercial interest to the News of the World, particularly if rival papers had acquired serialisations. He advised: “Agents and publishers should check if they had any projects that [could be] of competitive significance, especially to the News of the World.” Blake, a publisher of celebrity books and a former journalist on the Sun, appeared more sanguine. He was “surprised, not shocked” to be contacted by the police: “I was vaguely flattered in a pathetic way.” Asked why News of the World journalists might have hacked into his phone, he said: “We deal with a lot of people they might be interested in.” His authors have included Katie Price, the glamour model turned writer, and Jade Goody, the late reality television star, and this week he launches a book by mercenary Simon Mann. The two men are the latest in what is thought to run into thousands of phone-hacking victims. The revelation that the phone of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked by the News of the World led to confirmation last week that her family will receive £2m in compensation, with Rupert Murdoch personally donating a further £1m to charity. On being told of the publishing development, Mark Lewis of Taylor Hampton, solicitors for the Dowler family, said: “It comes as no surprise that the police have started to notify people in all walks of life … If a story was good enough to go in a book, it would be good enough to go straight into a newspaper. Agents and publishers were obvious targets.” A spokeswoman for News International, which also publishes the Times, declined to comment, saying only: “We are co-operating fully with the police.” •
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Agent who worked with Linda McCartney and publisher of Katie Price autobiography told they may have been under surveillance The police investigation into phone hacking by the News of the World has now spread to the publishing world, with a high-profile agent and a celebrity book publisher targeted. Peter Cox, who worked with the late Linda McCartney, and John Blake, who has worked with Katie Price and Jade Goody, have each been told by the police that they appear to have been targeted by illegal surveillance. Cox told the Guardian he was “stunned” to learn from the Metropolitan police’s Operation Weeting that someone had been eavesdropping on him: “It’s a little like coming home to find your place has been burgled, the same sort of feeling, invasion of privacy. Unless it’s actually happened to you, it’s difficult to explain.” Angered by what he describes as a “violation”, he added: “I’m quite interested in suing the hell out of them.” Both men regularly worked on high-profile books. One project was particularly sensitive because it involved royalty, a source revealed. Police from Operation Weeting have now shown Cox handwritten notes reproduced from his own calls. For legal reasons, his lawyers have advised him against revealing details. He said: “It’s difficult for me to say anything, but it was about one specific project … which had major serial potential … Those were the days when a big serialisation was worth a good six figures plus national television advertising.” His suspicions had been raised some time previously when journalists from various papers tried in vain to discover the contents of audiotapes of McCartney in his possession. Cox co-authored a book with the former Beatle’s wife. Cox’s stable of authors includes Michelle Paver, whose books have so far sold 3.5m copies worldwide. Yesterday, he warned publishing colleagues that they too could have been targeted over any books of commercial interest to the News of the World, particularly if rival papers had acquired serialisations. He advised: “Agents and publishers should check if they had any projects that [could be] of competitive significance, especially to the News of the World.” Blake, a publisher of celebrity books and a former journalist on the Sun, appeared more sanguine. He was “surprised, not shocked” to be contacted by the police: “I was vaguely flattered in a pathetic way.” Asked why News of the World journalists might have hacked into his phone, he said: “We deal with a lot of people they might be interested in.” His authors have included Katie Price, the glamour model turned writer, and Jade Goody, the late reality television star, and this week he launches a book by mercenary Simon Mann. The two men are the latest in what is thought to run into thousands of phone-hacking victims. The revelation that the phone of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler had been hacked by the News of the World led to confirmation last week that her family will receive £2m in compensation, with Rupert Murdoch personally donating a further £1m to charity. On being told of the publishing development, Mark Lewis of Taylor Hampton, solicitors for the Dowler family, said: “It comes as no surprise that the police have started to notify people in all walks of life … If a story was good enough to go in a book, it would be good enough to go straight into a newspaper. Agents and publishers were obvious targets.” A spokeswoman for News International, which also publishes the Times, declined to comment, saying only: “We are co-operating fully with the police.” •
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Gaddafi’s burial alongside his son Mutassim brings to close controversy over public display of his body for nearly four days Libya’s new government has confirmed that Muammar Gaddafi has finally been buried in secret in the desert after controversy about the grisly display of his decomposing corpse for nearly four days after his death. Two members of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) were reportedly entrusted with the burial in an unknown location – chosen to avoid the risk of the grave becoming a shrine for supporters or, more likely, being desecrated by vengeful opponents. The two officials are understood to have been sworn not to divulge the location. Gaddafi was buried alongside his son Mutassim and army commander Abu Bakr Younis after Muslim prayers were recited over the bodies by Gaddafi’s personal cleric, Khaled Tantoush. The corpses were then removed from the compound in the coastal city of Misrata where they had been on public show in a meat refrigerator since last Thursday. NTC spokesman Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters that the last rites were attended by two of Gaddafi’s cousins, Mansour Dhao Ibrahim, once the commander of the People’s Guard, and Ahmed Ibrahim. Both were captured with Gaddafi after Nato fighter jets attacked their convoy near Sirte, Gaddafi’s home town. Ibrahim Beitalmal, another spokesman, was quoted by AP as saying that the burial took place at 5am (4am BST). “The NTC officials were handed the body after the sheikh completed the early morning ceremony and are taking him somewhere very far away into the desert,” Mlegta said. Many ordinary Libyans do not appear to share western concern about the exact circumstances of Gaddafi’s death or the propriety of leaving his body on public view, contrary to Muslim practices. Pictures of his corpse continue to be published in Libyan newspapers and shown on TV. Freshly-painted graffiti on the streets of Tripoli – in Arabic and English – read: “Dictator Gaddafi sent a message to the Libyan people from hell, saying: ‘I am staying here.’ ” In a further disturbing development, images are circulating on the internet apparently showing Gaddafi being sodomised with a stick or metal rod while still alive. The footage was shot on a mobile phone and includes sounds of gunfire and shouts of “Allahu akbar.” On Monday the NTC leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, promised an investigation into the exact circumstances of Gaddafi’s death. Initial reports suggested he was killed in crossfire as his supporters clashed with rebel forces seizing control of Sirte, but it seems likely that he was captured alive and then killed deliberately. Libya Middle East Africa Arab and Middle East unrest Muammar Gaddafi Ian Black guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Gaddafi’s burial alongside his son Mutassim brings to close controversy over public display of his body for nearly four days Libya’s new government has confirmed that Muammar Gaddafi has finally been buried in secret in the desert after controversy about the grisly display of his decomposing corpse for nearly four days after his death. Two members of the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) were reportedly entrusted with the burial in an unknown location – chosen to avoid the risk of the grave becoming a shrine for supporters or, more likely, being desecrated by vengeful opponents. The two officials are understood to have been sworn not to divulge the location. Gaddafi was buried alongside his son Mutassim and army commander Abu Bakr Younis after Muslim prayers were recited over the bodies by Gaddafi’s personal cleric, Khaled Tantoush. The corpses were then removed from the compound in the coastal city of Misrata where they had been on public show in a meat refrigerator since last Thursday. NTC spokesman Abdel Majid Mlegta told Reuters that the last rites were attended by two of Gaddafi’s cousins, Mansour Dhao Ibrahim, once the commander of the People’s Guard, and Ahmed Ibrahim. Both were captured with Gaddafi after Nato fighter jets attacked their convoy near Sirte, Gaddafi’s home town. Ibrahim Beitalmal, another spokesman, was quoted by AP as saying that the burial took place at 5am (4am BST). “The NTC officials were handed the body after the sheikh completed the early morning ceremony and are taking him somewhere very far away into the desert,” Mlegta said. Many ordinary Libyans do not appear to share western concern about the exact circumstances of Gaddafi’s death or the propriety of leaving his body on public view, contrary to Muslim practices. Pictures of his corpse continue to be published in Libyan newspapers and shown on TV. Freshly-painted graffiti on the streets of Tripoli – in Arabic and English – read: “Dictator Gaddafi sent a message to the Libyan people from hell, saying: ‘I am staying here.’ ” In a further disturbing development, images are circulating on the internet apparently showing Gaddafi being sodomised with a stick or metal rod while still alive. The footage was shot on a mobile phone and includes sounds of gunfire and shouts of “Allahu akbar.” On Monday the NTC leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, promised an investigation into the exact circumstances of Gaddafi’s death. Initial reports suggested he was killed in crossfire as his supporters clashed with rebel forces seizing control of Sirte, but it seems likely that he was captured alive and then killed deliberately. Libya Middle East Africa Arab and Middle East unrest Muammar Gaddafi Ian Black guardian.co.uk
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