What the papers said in the week ending 18 March 2023
We can celebrate and give thanks for the ten years of leadership from Pope Francis The Guardian view on Pope Francis 10 years on: a vital progressive voice | Editorial | The Guardian
- Now in his late eighties, and carrying a number of pathologies, his caring and majestic wisdom shines on
The benefits of living with others in harmony are confirmed again: The joy of a lifelong friendship | Friendship | The Guardian
And what is good for the very young, spreads its joy to those who are older and accompanying them Screen time is a good thing for grandparents too | Children’s TV | The Guardian
But there is much which is grim reading for old and young alike:
War is with us and not abating: Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 390 of the invasion | Russia | The Guardian
Chaos means that healthcare is not responsive to those in need: The Guardian view on deadly ambulance waiting times: an avoidable human toll | Editorial | The Guardian
Behind this and much more is personal and corporate greed. We even have a new word: ‘greedflation’: The Guardian view on corporate greed: it’s causing inflation | Editorial | The Guardian
- ‘Global greedflation’: big firms ‘driving shopping bills to record highs’ | Inflation | The Guardian
- Silicon Valley Bank: global banking shares slide as fallout spreads | Silicon Valley Bank | The Guardian
Does the fact that this is recognised mean that corrective action will be take? Does diagnosis lead to the adoption of effective treatment?
We know that a crisis in water supply is near: UK river levels already at record lows forecast to be ‘devastated’ by dry spring | Rivers | The Guardian
We can reduce the risk of developing dementia by modifying diet: Mediterranean diet may lower dementia risk by a quarter, study suggests | Dementia | The Guardian
- And by modifying our commitment to contact sport: Footballers 50% more likely to develop dementia, study finds | Football | The Guardian
- Neurodegenerative disease among male elite football (soccer) players in Sweden: a cohort study – The Lancet Public Health
Seven or eight hours sleep per night is again confirmed as health-giving: Less than six hours’ sleep cuts immune response to vaccines, data shows | Medical research | The Guardian
Caffeine has some potential for health: Caffeine may reduce body fat and risk of type 2 diabetes, study suggests | Medical research | The Guardian
As does swimming – but we are, sadly, throwing away the public health benefits of pools: The Guardian view on swimming pools: a public good for everyone | Editorial | The Guardian (personal and corporate greed again)
Another of Scotland’s good ideas may founder: UK government poised to block Scottish bottle recycling scheme | Scottish politics | The Guardian
People in power will sometimes stop at nothing to get their way against the wisdom and views of local people: Axeman’s Night cuts down trees in the city at the Plymouth Massacre – London News (ukdaily.news)
- New laws will be too late for some: Give mature trees same protection as heritage buildings, say campaigners | Trees and forests | The Guardian
And for older people:
We may not grieve the passing of some recent inventions, but most of us still value CDs Alcopops and non-chart CDs ejected from UK ‘inflation basket’ | Inflation | The Guardian
We will see what the recent budget brings in practice: Jeremy Hunt’s budget is a tough sell – except to the top 1% | Budget 2023 | The Guardian
We are saddened but not surprised that longevity in the UK is falling behind: UK life expectancy growing at slower rate than rest of G7, research shows | Life expectancy | The Guardian
We are disturbed to read that 1 in 5 school children are ‘persistently absent’. But we may think tha missing 10% of lessons hardly equates with persistent absence: One in five pupils in England were persistently absent in past school year | Schools | The Guardian
In France there is more passion about pensions: Macron uses special powers to force through plan to raise pension age | France | The Guardian
In England, finance promised to help recruit and train care workers is being quietly cut: Government ‘to cut £250m from social care workforce funding’ in England | Care workers | The Guardian
David Jolley Chair of Christians on Ageing, in a personal capacity.
