The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented Nari Shakti Puruskars for the year 2016 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (March 8, 2017) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
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Today’s figures highlight the worrying impact the benefit cap is having on families – Greenwood
Margaret Greenwood
MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister, commenting on the DWP’s Benefit
Cap statistics, said;
“Today’s figures highlight the worrying impact the benefit
cap is having on families across the country, with 68,000 affected by the new
lower cap level, a sharp increase
“Child poverty is also increasing. Last month the High Court ruled
that the cap was “unlawful” for lone parents with young children, with the
judge commenting that the cap was causing “real misery to no good purpose.
“Clearly, this Government’s decision to cut families’ incomes does not amount
to supporting them into work, especially given their total failure to provide
adequate affordable childcare. It is time that we urgently reviewed the Benefit
Cap’s impact and effectiveness.
“Rather than penalising children for its failed austerity plans, the Government
should instead undertake the task of supporting people into work, tackling the
high cost of housing, improving pay and investing in childcare.”
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23-year-old giant panda gives birth to twins
A 23-year-old giant panda has delivered twins in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, becoming the oldest panda to ever give birth, a breeding center said Thursday.
The age of 23 for giant pandas is equal to 80 years for a human.
The mother, Haizi, gave birth to a 175-gram female and a 123.1-gram male on July 30 at Shenshuping protection base in Wolong National Nature Reserve, according to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center.
Haizi became pregnant after mating with a panda called Yibao in April.
To take care of the senior pregnant panda, the center allocated a special vet and breeder and tailored a breeding program for her, said Li Desheng, a panda zoologist with the center.
Haizi also delivered a pair of twins when she was 19 years old.
As of Thursday, 21 panda cubs had been born in the center this year, including seven pairs of twins.
Summer is the peak season for giant panda reproduction.
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Health benefits of breastfeeding babies
Breastfeeding has many important health benefits for both mother and baby. Any period of breastfeeding, however short, will benefit your baby. People are being asked to show support for mums who breastfeed in public.
Benefits of breastfeeding
From the moment a mother starts to breastfeed, both baby and mum will begin to feel the benefits to their health and well-being.
Antibodies in breast milk help protect babies from infection and other illnesses including:
- stomach infections, vomiting and diarrhoea
- ear and chest infections
- kidney infections
- asthma
- eczema
- sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- childhood diabetes
- childhood obesity
Mums who breastfeed are at a statistically lower risk of developing:
- breast cancer
- ovarian cancer
- osteoporosis (bone thinning)
- type 2 diabetes
You can find out more on the breastfeeding page.
Breastfeeding in public
For many mums, getting started isn’t easy and that’s why support is crucial.
This includes making mums feel more comfortable about feeding in public, as this is something that many mums are apprehensive about.
A mum breastfeeding is normal, no matter where it happens, and is not something a mum needs to say sorry for.
The ‘Breastfeeding Welcome Here’ scheme aims to help mums feel more comfortable about feeding their baby in public.
There are now more than 700 businesses, council facilities, and popular local attractions signed up to the scheme. They display a sticker and certificate in their premises to let mums know that they are welcome to feed in all areas and will not be asked to stop breastfeeding.
Staff are also made aware that they are to be supportive of mothers on the premises.
You can find a list and map of ‘Breastfeeding Welcome Here’ places, along with other advice about breastfeeding, on the Breastfed Babies website.
More useful links
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Former Shanghai work safety chief under investigation
Qi Jun, former director of the Shanghai work safety bureau, is under investigation on suspicion of accepting bribes and unauthorized partition of state-owned assets, a local procuratorate announced Thursday.
Qi has been put under “coercive measures,” which may include summons by force, bail, residential surveillance, detention or arrest.
On April 28, the city’s discipline inspection commission announced on its website that Qi was under investigation for serious violations.