MERIDYTH: Did you hear about the gene-edited baby, who's now three years old? Apparently, she's the first to have undergone gene targeting treatment in the womb for a motor neuron disease. It all feels a bit dystopian, like the film Gattaca.

Alister: That’s brilliant news. A child who might have faced a devastating illness now has a chance at a healthy life. The NHS even offers this for some forms of blindness, which has saved four kids from a world of darkness.

MERIDYTH: Where does it end? Today, it's motor neuron disease. Tomorrow, it's designer babies with perfect hair and eyes at the whim of their parents. What about families who can’t afford it? Will their children be discriminated against? The socio-economic gap between the Haves and Have-Nots will only continue to widen.

Alister: Now you're just fear-mongering. We should focus on making this technology accessible to all, not just the privileged few, to avoid kids being ‘imperfect’. Think of the lives we could improve! The research shows that gene editing could be ethically justifiable for preventing serious genetic diseases. It's not about creating superhumans and designing your ideal child.

MERIDYTH: Maybe not now, but that’s where it’ll lead. Gene editing will become commercialised, like everything else. And what about the long-term effects? Researchers have already warned about mutations and abnormalities resulting from gene editing.

Alister: You’re getting ahead of yourself. The current risks of today’s gene editing are low enough to justify its use with human embryos. It's not about 'playing God', it's about using our scientific knowledge to reduce human suffering.

MERIDYTH: You’re being so short-sighted. Go watch Gattaca. That’s where all of this will lead.

🇬🇧 No squabble required

🪖 “Joined the Army for a purpose” - Lance Corporal Lewis Antwis, of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. The UK is ready to deploy the military for possible Ukraine involvement. Currently, 2,500 troops are currently conducting exercises in Romania. With Nato missing its biggest ally, the EU is also ramping up its security.

🕳️ Ever get that sinking feeling? In Surrey, a growing 20m sinkhole is swallowing a street, while another hole has opened up close by. Built over a sand quarry, residents blame the old caves under the town, with experts working to narrow down the cause. In the meantime, locals have been evacuated until there’s a resolution.

🪧 Hello 101? I have a breach of an exclusion zone. A year ago Scotland passed a law banning protests in Safe Access Zones (200m around abortion clinics). No one has violated that law until now when a 74yo woman was arrested for protesting with a sign outside a clinic. This comes after the US Vice President brought the law under scrutiny. Hmmmm…

🐺 Watch out Three Little Pigs! Scientists claim that wolves in Scotland may be the answer to reaching the UK’s Net Zero goals. By bringing back wolves to Scottish forests, they would limit the deer population, which destroy native woodlands. These woodlands would thrive and absorb 5% of greenhouse emissions per year.

🌎️ The rest of the world… according to us

♰ Prayers for the Pope. Pope Francis is still in critical condition. The 88yo leader of the Catholic Church has been suffering from pneumonia — made especially more challenging with part of his lungs having been removed at 21yo — and his kidneys are in early failure. He has asked all to pray for him.

🇩🇪 Far-right gains not enough. Germans hit the polls yesterday to vote in the conservative CDU/CSU party with Friedrich Merz becoming the next Chancellor. But the real news is the surge in votes for the AfD (far-right) party coming in second.

🇧🇷 Charged with attempted coup. Brazil’s former President, Jair Bolsonaro, was indicted for plotting to keep his liberal successor from taking office in 2022, including attempted poison of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His fate rests with the Brazilian Supreme Court.

🇦🇷 Another corrupt president. What else is new? There’s a corruption probe into Argentine President Javier Milei for promoting a meme coin on X, whose value rose to $4 billion, only to collapse a few hours later when early investors — potentially insiders — cashed out. (Learn more about meme coins here.)

🥚 Finally something good. Trump continues to make people's and countries’ heads spin. And last week was no different. Ukraine-Russia peace talks - without Ukraine. Firing federal staff combatting bird flu and attempting to rehire them. But he also signed an executive order to look into expanding IVF access and reducing its costs. It’s not a guarantee, but at least it’s something.

🍎 Part of your ‘5 A Day’

🤣 Laughter is the best medicine. A new trial is underway to introduce stand-up comedy as an alternative to anti-depressants. Aiming to help those feeling lonely and vulnerable, I wonder what kinds of jokes they’ll be telling?

💨 The NHS is wrong. While the NHS has said vaping isn’t as bad as smoking, a newly released study shows it might be worse than smoking. Because smokers go outside for a cigarette or two, there’s a pause. But vapers can continue to puff without end. Continuous vaping, like smoking, may lead to cardiovascular issues and dementia.

🧠 Foggy brain? Might be all the plastic. Scientists have discovered microplastics in human brains and it’s building up over time. While its impact on our health isn’t definitive, there may be links to neurological disorders like dementia.

🧦 The odd sock

🪣 Keep the change, ya filthy animal! A burglar was caught after triggering a Home Alone-style trap at a house in Northumberland. The 56yo tripped an invisible wire that pulled a bucket of water over them. If only home security was so easy.

🇪🇬 Did you say Titmouse? No, Thutmose. A new pharaoh’s tomb has been discovered in Egypt - a first since finding King Tut’s tomb in 1922. The new site belongs to King Thutmose II, whose mummified body had been found two centuries ago, but whose original burial site had been lost until now.

🔫 Licence to Thrill. After much backroom debating, it’s finally happened. Amazon has full creative control over the James Bond franchise and brand. Will 007’s martini be stirred, not shaken? Will Bond deliver Amazon Prime packages in his Aston Martin? But more importantly, who will be the next James Bond?

⭐️ Recommendations

from Meridyth

My Instagram feed is filled with cleaning videos from an online UK shop called, Must Have Ideas. From cleaning mould to toilets without a brush, I’ve been tempted to try their products, which supposedly have been rigorously tested by their experts.

Enter Nanna’s Secret made from locally sourced clay. I bought it for my oven, which is an absolute b*tch to clean. While not as easy as the videos claim (it required a bit of elbow grease), it did leave my oven rack looking 85% acceptable. The corners were a bit tricky. And I still needed my sharp scraping tool to get at those little black dots.

One major drawback: the clean-up is its own chore. There was a film of white clay dust all over my sink the next day, even after I thought I had rinsed everything away.

Would I use it again? Probably. Do I recommend it? Maybe, but only if you’re in dire straits. The clean-up was quite annoying. I’m still seeing streaks of white clay. If you have a better solution, let me know please!

🤣 What do you meme? 

Who doesn’t like donuts?

The white collar recession is real. For every rare job opportunity, there are hundreds of applicants. One friend told me that she received over 900 CVs for a single role!!!

So how can you ensure your CV gets seen? Apparently, you’ve got to resort to some clever tactics.

Please excuse me while I take a trip to Krispy Kremes…

Whew, you made it!

With Meta building the world’s longest undersea cable, you have even less excuses to miss next week’s Squabble.

Alister & Meridyth