Margaret Thatcher’s funeral will cost around £10m, although we won’t know the exact figure - and how much of it is being spent by the state - until afterwards. What else can £10m pay for? Here are some ideas.
Two people killed and 22 injured at the Boston marathon today. 31 people killed and more than 200 injured in 20 car bombings in Iraq today. 29 people killed and 58 injured in Mogadishu bombings yesterday. All tragedy, all full of sorrow.
-Ireland’s Environment Secretary, Mary Creagh
This sentiment extends well beyond the inexcusable discovery of horse meat in products labelled “beef” to all packaged food. Be it an ingredient, its source, or level of quality food production, consumers have a right to be truthfully informed. It’s neigh laughing matter.
News today from Cancer Research UK reveals an important finding about the efficacy of the breast cancer screening programme. Roughly summarised the study explained that where screening, on average, finds 1,300 cases of breast cancer that would otherwise go undetected. However, screening also reveals 4,000 cases of unharmful cancers that would likely diminish even without treatment. As you can imagine when notified of the cancer most women opt to begin treatment (even if it’s unnecessary) thus costing the NHS more money that if the women had no been screened.
Now of course, this is important research and a study of this scale should be utilised for policy and public decision making. BUT it is very concerning that it points to efficacy issues in the screening because the national programme is incredibly important and should be supported by health policy. Risk perceptions surrounding screening behaviour is an entirely different issue…
An article was just published in the Journal of Paediatrics showing that boys are reaching puberty anywhere from six months to two years earlier than previously thought. Though the article cannot point to the reasons, these findings were also found in young girls several years ago, with many answers pointing to diet. Estrogen and steroids in food, especially meat have shown to cause weight gain and have even been linked to childhood obesity. These are very scary, evolutionary changes that are occurring as a result of the treatment we give to food today. The scariest part of these findings though it actually the unanswered questions: what are the implications long term of these changes?
Interesting article in The Guardian today about the foodie revolution: “food rave”, as a movement that has replaced drugs as the new substance of choice.
That’s right Romney, just continue to undercut Obama on foreign policy, an issue that the President leads with considerable advantage. Please do keep discussing your views on involvement in Syria and drawing the “red lines” with Israel and Iran. If you’re prepared to suggest we should start another war in the Middle East, go ahead and speak up. I won’t complain, nor with the over 50% of American voters for whom opinion polls show preference for Obama- and these numbers are overall voting estimates, not the views on foreign policy alone.
And to all American expats abroad, PLEASE do your homework early to ensure you are registered to vote in the Presidential Election on 6th November and receive your absentee ballot in due course for your vote to count. Visit Vote From Abroad.org for step-by-step instructions.
Ghana’s president John Evans Atta Mills died in hospital from throat cancer today. Rumours had been circling for months about his ill health but on several occasions the President addressed his country and denied the seriousness of his condition. As the country mourns today, many are also struck by the lack of integrity in handling matters of the public’s right to information.
US National Press Club faux pas, evidently confusing Britain with Ireland. Sure, they’re close enough islands, right? Wrong.
Economists are now saying the problems faced by Greece and other European nations is not too dissimilar to those that were eradicated for many African countries in the 1990’s as part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. This BBC article describes the historical path to growth rather than austerity- but I still can’t help wondering why the two are not combined- if we enforce cuts can we not also infuse funds to enable growth?
