What the papers said in the week ending 16 April 2022
In these difficult times, it is good to have the wisdom of Christian leaders: despite everything the Pope encourages hope from the messages of Easter and the Archbishop of Canterbury makes clear the moral and ethical position of Christians:
- Pope’s Easter wish: Do not lose hope, the real hope, that doesn’t disappoint – Vatican News
- Rwanda plan is ‘against the judgment of God’, says archbishop of Canterbury | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian
It is hard to believe that our country is associated with such inhumanity: UK to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian
- UK asylum seekers sent to Rwanda? That takes punishment of fellow humans to a new level | Enver Solomon | The Guardian
- Peers will fight UK government’s ‘awful’ Rwanda plans, says Lord Dubs | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian
Though it is evident on several fronts:
- I told Boris Johnson about my husband’s Covid death and saw not a flicker of compassion | Fran Hall | The Guardian
- Grieving families will never forgive or forget Boris Johnson’s rule-breaking | Letters | The Guardian
- Graduates to be hit with ‘brutal’ student loan interest rates of up to 12% | Students | The Guardian
- UK benefits and pensions: what’s changing? | Cost of living crisis | The Guardian
- Private rents in Britain rose at record rate in past year, figures show | Renting property | The Guardian
Such challenges and decisions are not confined to the UK The Guardian view on the cost of living crisis: a global emergency | Editorial | The Guardian
The NHS is staggering from the damage done to it directly and indirectly by the pandemic and management arrangements: Covid disruption to NHS in England wreaks havoc with surgery backlog | Hospitals | The Guardian
- ‘Appalling’ waits for ambulances in England leaving lives at risk | Emergency services | The Guardian
- England’s ambulance service is failing patients and paramedics. We can’t take it any more | The Secret Paramedic | The Guardian
- GP numbers in England down every year since 2015 pledge to raise them | GPs | The Guardian
- Affection for the way services used to be turns again to the idea of convalescence: Convalescent homes could ease the crisis in acute care | Letters | The Guardian
The Queen let us know that Covid has left her weary and she has not felt able to attend the usual services of Holy Week and Easter Covid left me ‘exhausted’, Queen tells bereaved couple | The Queen | The Guardian
Covid remains a global phenomenon – a sixth vaccine has been acknowledged and will find its place: Valneva approved to be UK’s sixth Covid vaccine | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Other matters:
Hope for more sensible use of resources comes from Cornwall’s buses: Reduced bus fares scheme to encourage more in Cornwall to use public transport | cornish-times.co.uk
We are reminded that you do not have to fly to faraway places to find and enjoy nature: The Guardian view on nature tourism: tread lightly | Editorial | The Guardian
And that there are simple and elegant ways to look after nature: Plant sunflowers and lavender to save garden species, says RSPB | Wildlife | The Guardian
The hazards of intense farming methods are coming home to roost – I perhaps this will lead more to return to traditional cycles The three Fs: why UK farmers fear the soaring cost of fertiliser, feed and fuel | Supply chain crisis The Guardian
Delia Smith has taught us how to cook – and now offers her thoughts on spirituality: Delia Smith says six publishers rejected her book on spirituality | Delia Smith | The Guardian
The Church of England is said to be at fault in a squabble which will not stop: C of E procedures on racial injustice ‘inadequate’, says Cambridge college | Anglicanism | The Guardian
The National Union of Students is cautioned: Ex-presidents of NUS warn student body it must address antisemitism concerns | Antisemitism | The Guardian
A wonder of science tell us more about the origins of life on Earth: Microfossils may be evidence life began ‘very quickly’ after Earth formed | Fossils | The Guardian
And more than 100,000 patients with Parkinsonism (and their families) are benefitting from a science-fiction device come real via the University of Plymouth Parkinson’s patients to be given ‘smart watches’ to monitor their movements | East London and West Essex Guardian Series (guardian-series.co.uk)
We learn from a bear of substantial brain that home is where the heart is – better than what experts have assumed would be his natural territory: Bear famous for Italian bakery break-in reappears after attempt to rewild him | Italy | The Guardian
The poetry of A E Housman is celebrated: Don’t forget the centenary of AE Housman’s Last Poems | Poetry | The Guardian
And we have new icons of achievement amongst those of us who are oldish:
Annunziata Murgia – now in her 90s has sat for the school diploma which was denied her through lack of educational opportunity as a child: ‘My classmates are like my grandchildren’: Italian woman returns to school at 90 | Italy | The Guardian
And Alice Walker is Mastermind Champion – most serene: ‘I might be done with TV quizshows now,’ says oldest female winner of Mastermind | Television | The Guardian
David Jolley, Chair of Christians on Ageing, contributes this summary of the week’s news in a personal capacity.
