With Bio-Waste Spreader: "As the world continues to warm, academics are warning that producing enough food to feed the global human population is becoming so difficult that food prices are rising due to shortages created by droughts and heatwaves, and therefore contributing to 'climateflation' (where the cost of living is increased by climate change). But, as readers of this column will be aware, the British government is showing no sign of listening…"
With MD: "The biggest mystery of the trial of Lucy Letby is why her defence chose not to call its expert witnesses to the stand – and MD may have the answer. In trials reliant on complex expert evidence, both sides may agree to a joint pre-trial meeting of experts, to identify points of agreement and disagreement, record reasons for disagreement and produce a joint signed report to be served on the court…"
With Dr B Ching: "Richard Branson has donned rose-tinted specs as Virgin presses for consent to compete against Eurostar. 'Virgin is driven by the urge to fix businesses that aren't working', ran the headline on Branson's recent Times comment piece, which explained how Virgin had 'transformed rail' by introducing tilting trains, trebling services, boosting passenger numbers and topping satisfaction surveys. He didn't mention…"
With Remote Controller: "For the umpteenth time since a Leeds University student was murdered in Perugia 17 years ago, her family is again enduring clickbait pieces, reeking of ChatGPT research, asking: 'Who killed Meredith Kercher?' The cue is The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, an eight-part drama based on the memoir of Kercher's roommate, an American student, who was convicted (along with two others) of the murder of Kercher, jailed, was cleared on appeal, saw the acquittal repealed then reinstated before eventual final exoneration…"
With Lunchtime O'Boulez: "Even if there's a slowing in the decline of students taking arts subjects at school, it's still a decline. Candidates for A-level music this year declined by a further 1.4 percent, falling to almost half the figure for 2010 when the Ebacc was introduced. As Eye readers will know, Ebacc devalues music to the point where many state schools no longer teach it…"
With Slicker: "Rising stock market lifts all boats but raises highest those on yachts. The super-rich have more of their wealth linked to shares, so the post-Covid stock market boom has fuelled even greater inequality. Growth may be missing from the UK economy, but stock markets hit record closing highs last month. The FTSE 100 index is up 11 percent this year and 26 percent over the past three years..."
Letter from Laayoune
From Our Own Correspondent: "Irony is strangling our century-long quest for a Western Sahara free of occupation. First irony: as London and Paris scuttle after Madrid in recognition of Palestine, they underwrite Morocco's 1976 takeover of our country following the death of General Franco and colonial Spain's sudden withdrawal. Second irony: the UN process to enable our self-determination is steered by a so-called Group of Friends…"