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What a week: Prince Harry’s evidence at hacking trial, inflation to remain sticky and costly AR headsets

Prince Harry was the first member of the royal family to give evidence in court in more than 100 years.

Prince Harry leaves court after finishing giving evidence in a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers. Image: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock.
Prince Harry leaves court after finishing giving evidence in a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers. Image: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock.

The last time I heard the words “sticky” and “inflation” in the same sentence was after I hired a bouncy castle and a candy-floss station for a four-year-old’s birthday party.

It was a mess then and it is now as the UK is forecast to have one of the highest rates of inflation in the G20 this year.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development expects UK inflation to remain ‘sticky’ by averaging 6.9% in 2023, higher than the rest of the G20 except for Argentina and Turkey.

It predicted the economy will grow by 0.3% but the chancellor said he would back another interest rate rise to control inflation even if it pushed the UK into recession.

It was also reported that the number of UK mortgage repossessions have jumped by 27% in a year while house prices saw their first annual fall for 11 years.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has backed interest rate hikes being used to calm soaring inflation. Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire.

If all of that has you reaching for a swear word, you may be interested to know that Apple is to stop its autocorrect feature changing one of the most-used expletives to “ducking”.

Software chief Craig Federighi said: “In those moments where you just want to type a ducking word, well, the keyboard will learn it, too.”

Grip on reality

Apple may have timed this right, but not the launch of its new augmented reality headset.

The Apple Vision Pro costs £2,849 and “seamlessly blends the real world and the virtual world” according to CEO Tim Cook.

What world Tim is living in if he thinks consumers will be queuing up for one in this economic climate is not clear.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, joins Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, on stage during an announcement of new products on the Apple campus in California. Image: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry is involved in six legal cases in the UK which has seen him bring claims over over security, and alleged unlawful gathering of information.

After two days of cross-examination he appeared emotional when he told the court: “It’s a lot,” which I assume was a reference to his legal bill. That would make anyone’s eyes water.

The prince is also the subject of a US court case over how he answered questions about drug-taking on his visa application.

Imagine if he had to come home and move back in with the royals. Talk about awkward.

The Apple Vision Pro headset displayed in a showroom on the Apple campus in Cupertino, California. Image: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu.

Harry didn’t use his High Court appearance to criticise his rellies, but he did take a pop at Piers Morgan and the government, which saves me a job.

He’s on a mission to change the media and perhaps he could start by buying The Telegraph, which is up for sale after the Barclay family lost control of it due to debt.

Anyone for an aubergine?

He could give himself a job as a reporter and might have more luck doorstepping the likes of This Morning editor Martin Frizell.

Asked if there is a “toxic” work environment at the ITV show, Frizell said: “I’ll tell you what’s toxic… aubergine. Do you like aubergine? I don’t like aubergine.”

This Morning editor, Martin Frizell dodged questions about a toxic work environment by talking about aubergines. Image: James Manning/PA Wire.

That was weird, but then so was This Morning after Richard and Judy left, so as far as the Schofield saga goes, I’ve been trying to block out the noise.

A resident in Cromarty had been trying a similar thing with cruise ship horns and succeeded in having them silenced as they left the firth.

Now hundreds of people have signed a petition to overturn the ban saying the sound brings joy to the community.

One local resident posted: “I tell my little grandson to listen for the horn and when we hear it we go out to wave it goodbye. Why would anyone complain? It’s lovely to hear.”

A cruise ship at Port of Cromarty. Image: Malcolm McCurrach / New Wave Images UK.

Not so lovely to hear is that the breach of the Nova Kakhovka dam could leave hundreds of thousands of people without drinking water and turn 500,000 hectares into deserts in what has been labelled the worst ecological disaster since Chernobyl.

The sight of floodwater engulfing settlements around the Dnipro river in Ukraine makes the draining of a reservoir in India seem all the more petty.

Not so smart

A government official was suspended for draining two million litres out of a reservoir at the Kherkatta Dam after he dropped his smartphone into it.

The phone has been found but cannot receive calls, which as its owner may soon realise, is probably just as well.

Water flows over the collapsed Kakhovka Dam in Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine. Image: AP Photo.

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