What the papers said in the week ending 9 April 2022
Faith and religious stories have achieved unusual prominence in this week of continued war a stress:
The Russian Orthodox Church is criticised for its support of the regime seeking to take over Ukraine: Patriarch Kirill has betrayed the Christian faith | Letters | The Guardian
A quarrel about the use or non-use of leavened bread has political consequences: Israel’s Naftali Bennett loses majority after MP quits coalition | Israel | The Guardian
A megachurch faces the courts: Brand or church? How Hillsong is facing a day of reckoning | Hillsong Church | The Guardian
And a gaudy makeover transforms 600 years of austerity: ‘Discordant’: unauthorised chapel revamp lands Spanish artist in trouble | Spain | The Guardian
Easter is being reframed as another party time: Bounce in Easter retail as trend for seasonal decorations grows | Easter | The Guardian
The shared messages of Ramadan are commended From curbing consumerism to caring for others, Ramadan has lessons for us all | Nadeine Asbali | The Guardian
Other reports detail actions and consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict
- Massacre of innocents’: how the papers covered Russia’s atrocities in Bucha | Ukraine | The Guardian
- Evacuees lie dead at Kramatorsk train station after Russian missile strike – video | World news | The Guardian
- The UK’s failings in helping refugees to come to safety continue to attract dismay: ‘Homes for Ukraine’ is just a slogan – as I found out by trying to welcome a refugee | Rafael Behr | The Guardian
- A cruel system that keeps refugees trapped in limbo | Letters | The Guardian
- Priti Patel apologises for low number of Ukraine refugees arriving in UK | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian
Decisions on how to harness energy whilst avoiding contamination of the environment are raising passions and suspicion:
- Boris Johnson blows cold on onshore wind faced with 100-plus rebel MPs | Wind power | The Guardian
- PM to put nuclear power at heart of UK’s energy strategy | Energy | The Guardian
- Johnson’s political cowardice applies brake to cheap energy as he bets on nuclear | Nils Pratley | The Guardian
Covid remains with us in the UK and world-wide with worst consequences for poorer people and older people:
- UK Covid symptoms list expanded with nine more signs of illness | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- Covid had devastating toll on poor and low-income communities in US | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- Covid deaths in England may rise as cases in over-55s increase | Coronavirus | The Guardian
- As Britain learns to live with Covid, it faces a new pandemic of disruption | Coronavirus | The Guardian
The failings in some parts of the NHS surely call for a review and revision of what is being done, but are not an argument for privatisation but better funding and organisation:
- Repeated maternity failings uncovered in Sheffield NHS trust | NHS | The Guardian
- More than a third of British cancer patients are diagnosed in A&E | Cancer | The Guardian
- Fatal gaps in NHS mental health services and cancer care | Letters | The Guardian
The proposal to sell Channel 4 is being challenged: Channel 4: the 40-year countdown to privatisation | Channel 4 | The Guardian
- We, the public, own Channel 4. And this sell-off isn’t a done deal | Armando Iannucci | The Guardian
The position and privilege of the super-rich is identified and there are arguments for more equal treatment: Rishi Sunak’s wife claims non-domicile status | Rishi Sunak | The Guardian
- Who are the daughters of Vladimir Putin facing US sanctions? | Vladimir Putin | The Guardian
- UK’s top 0.1% earners have annual income of over half a million, says IFS | Business | The Guardian
- Tax the rich: these one percenters want people like them to pay higher taxes | US income inequality | The Guardian
Michael Marmot views the consequences of growing inequality with fear: Studying health inequalities has been my life’s work. What’s about to happen in the UK is unprecedented | Michael Marmot | The Guardian
Some advances:
More is learned about the genetic basis of Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s study finds 42 more genes linked to higher risk of disease | Alzheimer’s | The Guardian
A blood test helps identify those at risk of stroke or heart attack: New blood test predicts risk of heart attack and stroke with twice previous accuracy | Heart attack | The Guardian
Advice on girth can lead to better health and longer life: Keeping waist measurement less than half your height ‘is good for your health’ | East London and West Essex Guardian Series (guardian-series.co.uk)
And there are other good things:
- Annual bird count in UK gardens raises hopes for greenfinch | RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch | The Guardian
- Le Monde launches digital English language edition, partly translated by AI | Le Monde | The Guardian
- English Heritage brings Roman town’s lost Edwardian navvies to life | Roman Britain | The Guardian
- Lost portrait of black actor and rights campaigner Paul Robeson to go on show | Paul Robeson | The Guardian
We remember the life of Mimi Reinhardt Woman who drew up Schindler’s lists during Holocaust dies at 107 | Second world war | The Guardian
David Jolley, Chair of Christians on Ageing, prepared this summary in a personal capacity
