Key Quotes for 2005

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Last update: Wednesday 25th March




Senior scientific advisers to the World Health Organisation have recommended the creation of a genetically modified version of the smallpox virus to counter any threat of a bioterrorist attack. Permitting researchers to engineer the genes of one of the most dangerous infections known to man would make it easier to develop new drugs against smallpox, the scientists said. But the man who led the successful global vaccination campaign to eradicate smallpox from the wild said he opposed the move on the grounds that the scientific benefits were not worth the risks to public health.
Health	The Independent – 22nd January 2005



Persistent drunks will be banned from all the pubs in their home area, the Government warned yesterday as it sought to quell growing alarm that 24-hour pub opening could encourage binge-drinking. Bars in areas blighted by alcohol-fuelled hooliganism will be given eight weeks to tackle the problem or be ordered to pay towards the extra cost of policing and street cleaning. And, in a move that angered brewers, pubs and clubs will have to pay up to £1,905 for new drinks licences, a massive increase on the current £10 annual flat fee.
Drugs/Alcohol/Addictions	The Independent – 22nd January 2005



Demand for fertility treatment from older men and women is rising rapidly as more couples postpone childbearing, specialists said yesterday. Up to 30% of women treated in some IVF clinics are aged over 40 and increasing numbers are seeking treatment over 50, according to the latest figures.
Family	The Independent – 22nd January 2005



The global warming danger threshold for the world is clearly marked for the first time in an international report to be published tomorrow - and the bad news is, the world has nearly reached it already. The countdown to climate change catastrophe is spelt out by a task force of senior politicians, business leaders and academics from around the world and it is remarkably brief. In as little as 10 years, or even less, their report indicates, the point of no return with global warming may have been reached.It breaks new ground by putting a figure - for the first time in such a high level document - on the danger point of global warming, that is, the temperature rise beyond which the world would be irretrievably committed to disastrous changes. These could include widespread agricultural failure, water shortages and major droughts, increased disease, sea-level rise and the death of forests - with the added possibility of abrupt catastrophic events such as "runaway" global warming, the melting of the Greenland ice sheet, or the switching off of the Gulf Stream.
Environment	The Independent – 24th January 2005



An inquiry into the high death rate among people with mental health problems treated on the NHS is to investigate claims that they are subject to institutionalised discrimination. Research by the Disability Rights Commission suggests that they are four times more likely to die from a treatable illness than other patients and 58 times more likely to die before the age of 50. The inquiry will look at why people with learning disabilities and mental health problems such as schizophrenia and manic depression as well as conditions such as Down syndrome and autism receive worse care from the NHS. Preliminary studies show people with schizophrenia die on average nine years before the rest of the population. Fewer than one in five women with a learning disability has cervical screening.
Health	The Independent – 24th January 2005



The number of men who had cosmetic surgery rose by two thirds last year, according to industry research which suggests demand for plastic surgery among men is outstripping growth in women. But nine out of 10 procedures are still performed on women, according to the British Association for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Its members performed 16,397 procedures last year, 1,348 of them for male clients. An estimated 75,000 cosmetic surgery procedures are carried out each year, many by surgeons who lack relevant specialist qualifications.
Odd Facts	The Independent – 24th January 2005



Pope John Paul II, said Dutch authorities and medical personnel need to "weigh the gravity of their choices about euthanasia" in their country in a speech on Saturday. The Netherlands legalised euthanasia, or doctor assisted suicide, in 2001 in cases where the patient is suffering unbearable pain and there is no hope of recovery.
What famous people say	The Independent – 24th January 2005



Almost half of all women serving in the Royal Air Force have been sexually harassed, according to an internal report obtained by The Independent on Sunday. The official research, carried out last year but kept secret, indicates that more than 1,000 women are currently enduring or have suffered sexual harassment in the past 12 months. Victims are typically harassed by two or more male servicemen of a senior rank, the survey found. Most of the victims had been groped or subjected to sexually explicit remarks or gestures, but only half of them complained. Most worrying for service chiefs is that the survey found that sexual harassment had increased since a similar report three years ago.
Work/Employment	The Independent On Sunday – 23rd January 2005



56% of girls achieve top grades at GCSE compared to 45% of boys. They are also the majority in higher education; 1 in 5 women now admit to drinking more than they should, fast approaching the levels of men (one in three); 24% of women smoke, almost as many as men (28%); 61% of women have a driving licence, a figure rising so fast they will soon catch up with men on 81%; 30 years ago women earned 63% of what men were paid for the same jobs. Now they earn 83% of the going rate; 8% of women achieve managerial positions at work, as opposed to 18% of men; 80 is the average life expectancy of a woman, four years longer than a man, although they are now more likely to suffer from depression, strokes and pneumonia.
Social Issues	The Independent On Sunday – 23rd January 2005



Dutch doctors have reported 22 mercy killings of terminally ill babies in the Netherlands since 1997, a study has found. Prosecutors decided not to take any action.Earlier studies have found that around 10-20 children are euthanised per year in the Netherlands.
Crime	The Independent On Sunday – 23rd January 2005



Teenagers will be asked to swear their loyalty to Queen and country on their 18th birthday under plans being drawn up by Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary. Ministers believe the initiative could encourage youngsters to vote, involve them more in their local communities and help them identify with Britain. The scheme follows the recent launch of citizenship ceremonies in which recent immigrants of all ages sing the national anthem and pledge their allegiance to their new home.
Odd Facts	The Independent – 20th January 2005



More than 70,000 people previously listed as missing are dead, Indonesia's health minister declared yesterday, significantly raising - but also adding confusion to - the estimated death toll from last month's tsunami. The ministry's account brought the official number of dead in Indonesia to 166,320 and the overall toll in 11 countries to as many as 221,100.
Disasters/War	The Independent – 20th January 2005



Research published by CARE suggests that many children living in two-parent families are left in poverty, while children in lone parent families are often lifted out of poverty, thanks to the way the credit and benefit system has been designed. CARE claim that in a large number of cases, couples living apart would be better off financially, in some cases by as much as £200 per week.
Social Issues	Christianity – February 2005



Nearly 900 people came back to church in the Manchester diocese on Back to Church Sunday according to initial results, and 91% said they would consider coming back again. Assessments from churches confirm that at least 886 people returned to a church because of the scheme. Meanwhile researchers at the University of Wolverhampton asked those who returned: Would you consider coming to this or another church again? 91.3% answered "yes".
Religion/Spirituality	Christian Herald – 8th January 2005



Following an extensive review of available data from 55 countries by the World Health Organisation, it is now estimated that 37 million people are blind worldwide. Previous projections had suggested the figure was closer to 47 million. The figures show that Christian Blind Mission, the UK's largest sight saving agency working overseas, has had a dramatic impact. Their involvement in the Vision 2020 campaign The Right To Sight is proof that the aim to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020 can be reached.
Health	Christian Herald – 8th January 2005

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