Barometer

Meeting people

Congratulations to the new Miss Universe, Miss Botswana, Mpule Kwelagobe. Best of all, Miss Kwelagobe is a feminist. The contest audience applauded enthusiastically when she defended pregnancy, a tricky subject at these gatherings: "When you enter a beauty pageant you do symbolise women, and women do get pregnant and have children. I do not see pregnancy interrupting anything I do in my life. That's what it's all about, celebrating the fact that you're a woman and can bear children." She also wants to be President of Botswana. One to watch, obviously.

Oh Julie!

Wales celebrated its devolved assembly in style last week. Only the best in Welsh entertainment would do: Shirley Bassey, (whose old number "I am what I am" has a special resonance for Ron Davies), Tom Jones (nice to see him on the green, green grass of home) and Bonnie Tyler (still holding out for a hero). Most remarkable was the appearance of the Cardiff rocker Shakin' Stevens, (that's Stevens Ysgwydd in Welsh) best known for his 1981 hit "Behind the Green Door" (Ar ol y drws gwyrdd). Keep a welcome in the hillsides.

Aphiddle dee dee

It's hungry, it's oversexed and it's over here - the black spruce aphid, a quarter of an inch long. But, according to the aphid expert Professor van Emden, of Reading University, there's no need to be alarmed: "They have very long snouts and look like pirates carrying a big sword. They only attack spruce trees and they don't actually do them much harm. But they're suddenly turning up everywhere."

Hot lips

For a bank holiday treat, do try the Jellyfish Phantoms of the Deep show at the Portsmouth Sea Life Centre. Don't follow the example of Greg Wilde, who climbed almost naked into a tank of 18 of them. "I did it in front of a group of schoolchildren, to try to raise awareness of jellyfish with as many people as possible."

Image of the week

This picture was produced by Alison Jackson for her degree at the Royal College of Art. Not as cruel as The Sun's one, but take a more careful look at these lookalikes. Whose could that dark-haired baby be?