Scotland is never heard on the big issues

Readers discuss health, education, wastage and more

Westminster calls the shots, says one reader. AFP

Your article Scottish Salmond tinned by Kremlin broadcaster was a good read (November 16). If the British media weren't so pro-Westminster and pro-Tory, other perspectives would be taken into account. Unfortunately, Scotland will never be heard under those circumstances because Scotland is egalitarian and voted against Brexit. In fact, Scotland voted 62 per cent to remain in Europe because we love immigrants and don't believe in rhetoric coming from Westminster.

Mary Smith, Dubai

Clearing up economic mess should be Zimbabwe's priority

I refer to your article Zimbabweans rejoice as Mugabe's exit appears imminent (November 20). Though it appears that Robert Mugabe's days are numbered, the situation on the ground is still erratic. The 16 million people of Zimbabwe have been through intense economic difficulties, including lack of food and basic necessities. Let us hope that whoever assumes power now will accord top priority to resolving the economic mess and ensuring essentials like food and water to the common people.

Rajendra Aneja, India

Health and education are inextricably linked

I enjoyed the article Health and education are key to wealth (November 16) and loved the connection made between good health and economic well-being. Good health and education are key to economic growth in a country, as the world today relies heavily on people's skills. In the post-industrial world, there is a lot more value being placed on the skills that humans possess. Gone are the days of the assembly line with hundreds employed, as they slowly get replaced by machines. This is all the more reason that education matters. A robot, for example, can't tell what direction a company should move to become one of the Fortune 500. The World Bank creating a massive fund for when diseases reach epidemic levels actually makes perfect sense. Diseases spread a little further than people may assume due to the fact that humans live close to one another. The threat of an epidemic has never been more real, thanks to globalisation. People take flights halfway across the world so this is not only a sort of humanitarian effort but a vital long-term effort aimed at protecting the world's population. Hopefully that sort of reasoning will motivate the world's leaders to come together and work out a solution for fixing the massive inequalities that exist.

Adnan Mirza, United States

How about hotels ration water at dinner?

I refer to your article Water scarcity is the looming crisis of our age (November 9). You often see several 1.5-litre bottles on tables at hotel events around the world. That's up to 7.5ltrs of water per table. All the bottles are often opened and only half consumed, meaning the rest will be thrown away. If hotels served 350ml bottles, there would be less waste. Such a practice must become a universal norm in the hospitality industry - indeed, it must become a government-regulated norm. In this way, millions of gallons would be saved every day.

KV Shamsudheen, Sharjah

Controlling offshore accounts is difficult in the long run

Your article India clamps down on tax havens amid Paradise Papers exposure was good to read (November 19). The recent revelations made about 700 politicians were shocking. Narendra Modi's government tried to eradicate this menace of investing money outside of India. However, it is challenging for governments to control this over a long period of time.

K Ragavan, India