What the papers said in the week ending 13 August 2022
Justin Welby ensures more column inches for the Churches, affirming that we must discern what is right and moral – and speak up this: Church must stand up against oppression, Archbishop of Canterbury says (yahoo.com)
An honest appraisal of happenings in the land of Salisbury Cathedral suggests that church life is not always so virtuous: Salisbury cathedral archives reveal 800 years of smuggling, threats and ‘lying about’ | Religion | The Guardian
We fear that government is not always keen or even prepared, to be held subject to independent scrutiny Leaked report suggests Dominic Raab trying to curb judges’ powers | Judiciary | The Guardian
A Roman Catholic Church in Oldham is to receive help to restore a beautiful work produced by a Jewish refugee from the Nazis Vandalised Mayer-Marton mural in Oldham church given Grade II-listed status | Greater Manchester | The Guardian
A further matter of faith has seen an attempt on Salman Rushdie’s life many years after the publications which roused such passion: Salman Rushdie on ventilator after being stabbed on stage at New York state event | US crime | The Guardian
There is urgent focus on the environment as temperatures rise and rain fall falls: drought and famine are feared Europe’s worst ever drought: in pictures | Environment | The Guardian
- Global heating has caused ‘shocking’ changes in forests across the Americas, studies find | Climate crisis | The Guardian
- The impact of drought in England: water restrictions, fire risks and farming hardship | Drought | The Guardian
- Drought declared across eight areas of England | Drought | The Guardian
- Digested week: Drought until October? It all feels so very 2022 | Lucy Mangan | The Guardian
- We have advice in how to cope: Flushing the loo to gardening: how to save water around the home | Water | The Guardian
Finances are equally worrying, increased costs having direct and indirect effects on quality of life – even on survival: Cost of living crisis will add strain to ‘creaking’ NHS, experts warn | NHS | The Guardian
- ‘Difficult discussions’ as NHS faces shortage of childbirth pain relief | NHS | The Guardian
- NHS backlog of two-year waits for routine surgery in England shrinks to below 200 | NHS | The Guardian
- DIY dentistry on the rise as 90% of NHS practices not seeing new patients | Dentists | The Guardian
- Public services need another £44bn by 2025 to cope with inflation, says IFS | Public finance | The Guardian
- Britain is sliding towards an energy precipice. So where are its leaders? | Larry Elliott | The Guardian
- A phenomenon not confined to the UK or Europe: Kenyans go to polls against backdrop of soaring cost of living | Kenya | The Guardian
Gordon Brown has wise words – making it clear that we need to work together with the rest of the world to get a better understanding of this situation and begin to make joit decisions for a prudent way forwards: Gordon Brown says energy firms unable to offer lower bills should be temporarily re-nationalised | Gordon Brown | The Guardian
Science is teaching us more about cells and how they behave in the nervous system and when cancerous: Research on ‘molecular drills’ of skin cancer cells offers hope for treatment | Skin cancer | The Guardian
- A minor modification of culinary salt makes it less dangerous to health: Swapping salt for substitutes reduces risk of stroke and heart conditions – study | Heart disease | The Guardian
- The tiredness we feel after working our brains hard is just a real as tiredness after physical work – and we know the chemicals involved: Brain drain: scientists look at why mental exertion triggers exhaustion | Neuroscience | The Guardian
Miscellany:
People take to rural estates to extend the right to wander: ‘What else can we do?’: trespassers demand right to roam minister’s 12,000-acre estate | Access to green space | The Guardian
The BBC risks a rebellion by ending the classified football results which have confirmed the rhythm of life for many families: BBC stands firm on decision to scrap classified football results on Radio 5 Live | Football | The Guardian
June Spencer is retiring from her role in The Archers at the age of 103. She was in the first episode in January 1951 and remained ever-present: The Archers: why June Spencer was the Queen of Ambridge | The Archers | The Guardian
Paul O’Grady, still in his 60s, feels less wanted by BBC and is moving on: Paul O’Grady leaves Sunday Radio 2 show after 14 years | Paul O’Grady | The Guardian
Recognition of the first MP of colour has been a long time in coming, but is celebrated in Bromley: Bromley home of UK’s first Indian MP fitted with blue plaque | Social history | The Guardian
A caution points to potential hazards of strictly vegetarian diet for the skeleton as we get older: Vegetarian women more likely to fracture hips in later life, study shows | Nutrition | The Guardian
The war in Ukraine continues. We are reminded there are other wars too: Gaza: truce takes effect between Israel and Islamic Jihad after days of fighting | Gaza | The Guardian
There are better places to have a heart attack than in the North East. There is bound to be variance in the success of rescue attempts, but it is right to scrutinise the facts and try to see if we can make improvements: One in 25 heart attack deaths in north-east of England ‘preventable in London’ | Heart attack | The Guardian
Although Covid-19 remains active in our population and other countries around the world, the changes in personal and communal discipline which were required to try to reduce its spread have been relaxed. Patterns of work and social life are returning very close to what they were before the pandemic came: Commuting in, DIY out: UK’s new ‘new normal’ after end of Covid controls | UK news | The Guardian
Wainwright’s 190 mile coast to coast walk is given extra recognition by the National Trust and will be on the wish list of many in the years when their legs are fit to carry them and they can make the time: Alfred Wainwright’s coast-to-coast walk to be made National Trail | Walking | The Guardian
Shelagh Robertson drove her car in such a way that she hit a van which was deflected to hit a mother and her 5 month old son. The baby boy died of his injuries. Mrs Robertson was found to have dementia, though this had not been diagnosed before the accident. The court decided she was not guilty by reason of insanity: Woman cleared over baby boy’s death due to then-undiagnosed dementia | UK news | The Guardian
This is a case which will lead to much heart searching and thought on the hazards of older drivers, and anyone with dementia or another mental disorder
We have lost:
Olivia Newton-John who sang and played the zither for children’s TV but is most remembered for her performance in ‘Grease’ Olivia Newton-John was a trailblazer in the art of pop reinvention | Olivia Newton-John | The Guardian
Judith Durham of the Seekers: Judith Durham: a pioneering woman in Australian music | Australian music | The Guardian
And the wonderful Raymond Briggs who brought us ‘The Snowman’, Ethel and Ernest’ and more Raymond Briggs was famous for his grumpiness – but behind the facade he was shy, thoughtful and kind | Books | The Guardian
David Jolley Chair of Christians on Ageing, in a personal capacity. July 2022
