Key Quotes for 2012

Showing page 23 of 25

1... 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Last update: Wednesday 25th March




A survey by the Children's Society has revealed that nearly one in 10 children over the age of eight are unhappy. The survey, which questioned more than 30,000 young people, found that relationships within a home had the most impact on a child. In his forward to the report, John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, said the findings should be 'a wake-up call to us all'.
Family	The Guardian - 12 January 2012



Research published in Norway suggests that there could be a link between church attendance and low blood pressure. Torgeir Sørenson of the School of Theology and Religious Psychology Centre which carried out a study of 120,000 Norwegians, 4 per cent of whom were churchgoers, said: ‘We found that the more often the participants went to church, the lower their blood pressure.’
Health	Salvationist, 14 January 2012



Tibet will begin construction of the world’s highest altitude airport in 2012, according to a government work report at the regional economic work conference. The airport, at a planned altitude of 4,436 metres in Nagqu prefecture, will be 102 metres higher than Bamda Airport in Tibet’s Qamdo prefecture, currently the world’s highest, according to the report. The airport is designed to cover an area of up to 267 hectares. The China Civil Aviation Administration has said the airport is expected to cost 1.8 billion yuan ($285 million; 220 million euros) with a three-year construction period.
World Issues	China Daily European Weekly, December 30, 2011 – January 5, 2012



Growing numbers of teenagers will consider studying overseas in the future to find wide-ranging courses and good value for money, it has been suggested. The United States and European nations such as the Netherlands are already becoming increasingly popular among students who are “savvier” in their university choices, according to private school leaders. With fees for English universities set to rise to £9,000, value for money is high on the agenda.
Education	The Sentinel, December 30, 2011



Schools are being urged to compete with local takeaways by offering special meal deals in a bid to encourage more pupils to eat healthy lunches. Ministers have announced that schools will be able to offer price promotions in the hope that more youngsters will try school dinners. Schools currently have to charge the same price for the same item for every pupil, but now they could offer cut price meals to a different year group each day, special prices for siblings that regularly eat at school, or £1 meal deals.
Education	The Sentinel, December 29, 2011



At least one in four patients would be better-off being treated at home under community-based services, independent NHS representatives said today. Mike Farrar, head of the NHS Confederation, believes 2012 will be a key year for the service as it attempts to find £20 billion in efficiencies by 2015. He said: “Hospitals play a vital role but we do rely on them for some services which could be provided elsewhere.
Health	The Sentinel, December 29, 2011



Unemployment will increase to 2.85 million in 2012, while the number of people in work will fall by 120,000 as jobs continue to be lost in the public sector, a new report predicted today. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development forecast that the jobless total will reach its highest since 1994, adding that it will peak at 2.9 million in the first half of 2013. Long-term unemployment and the youth jobless total are expected to stay just under a million thanks to measures targeting the groups, said the report.
Work/Employment	The Sentinel, December 28, 2011



Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are still struggling to raise money from banks despite an agreement between lenders and the Government, a report revealed today. Some 12 per cent of SMEs have had difficulties obtaining finance over the past year, according to a survey by RSA and the Warwick Business School. SMEs are increasingly looking to sell stakes in their companies in return for cash, as a “Dragon’s Den mentality” emerges, according to the report.
Work/Employment	The Sentinel, December 28, 2011



Young people in the UK have less access to activities outside of school than those in other similar countries and are stuck in a ‘materialistic trap’ in which parents struggle to spend time with their children and instead buy toys and gadgets according to new research from UNICEF. The research provides an in-depth comparison of over 250 children’s experiences of materialism across three developed countries – UK, Sweden and Spain. Children in all three countries told researchers that their happiness is dependent on having time with a stable family and plenty of things to do, especially outdoors, rather than on owning technology or branded clothes. Despite this, one of the most striking findings is that parents in the UK said they felt tremendous pressure from society to buy material goods for their children. This pressure was felt most acutely in low-income homes.
Young People	Youthwork, November 2011



The summer riots have led to an 8% increase in the juvenile prison population in England and Wales, half of whom were completely unknown to the criminal justice system or youth offending teams before the riots. The Youth Justice Board also believes that only 10-15% of young rioters had any sort of gang affiliation. These figures undermine claims from the government that the riots were caused by a ‘criminal underclass’.
Crime	Youthwork, November 2011



Christian groups are tackling the issue of youth unemployment in a new partnership. Prompted by high figures of youth unemployment, Churches Together England, Frontier Youth Trust and the Church Urban Fund have joined forces to investigate the experiences of young people who are unemployed. At present approximately 20% of young people are unemployed.
Young People	Youthwork, November 2011



Financial secrecy is intensifying in the world despite pledges made by powerful nations to tackle it, according to an index compiled by Christian Aid and the Tax Justice Network. The Financial Secrecy Index ranks 72 leading countries and jurisdictions offering financial services according to the amount of international business they enjoy and the secrecy given to their clients. Switzerland is placed as the ‘most harmful’ country. ‘Tax haven secrecy is hugely damaging and facilitates crimes such as money-laundering, corruption and tax evasion. It also has a grave impact on the economies of developing countries.’
Money	The War Cry, 15 October 2011



After a landmark ruling in October, scientists will no longer be able to patent stem cell work that involves the destruction of human embryos. The decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) means scientists may be encouraged to divert their attention to adult stem cells.
Science	Evangelicals Now, January 2012



A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in November shows a drop in national birth rates in the US for the third year. The declines were seen in most age groups and for all races, and rates for teens and women in their early 20s were the lowest since record-keeping began in the 1940s. There were four million births last year; rates have been dropping since an all-time high in 2007.
Health	Evangelicals Now, January 2012



The Ethiopian government in November announced the discovery of plans by the extremist Wahhabi Muslims to turn Ethiopia into an Islamic country governed by shari’a law, and expressed concern over the growing violence against moderate Muslims and Christians by Wahhabi radicals. Ethiopia ranks 43rd on the World Watch List of the 50 worst countries for Christian persecution.
World Issues	Evangelicals Now, January 2012

Showing page 23 of 25

1... 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25