As Colombia approaches presidential elections next year, the US decision to decertify the country in the war on drugs plays into the hands of its allies on the political right, writes NICK MacWILLIAM

THERE has been a recent focus on the cost of agriculture in terms of greenhouse gas generation.
The agricultural sector accounts for 11 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in Britain, with methane from livestock and nitrous oxide due to the use of nitrogen fertiliser and manure management being the main causes.
The problem is bigger in a country like Ireland, where agriculture accounts for 38.4 per cent of emissions. In Ireland, radical moves like mass cattle culls are under consideration by the government.

PAUL DONOVAN recommends three new books that explore the human relationship with nature

PAUL DONOVAN recommends an excellent stage adaptation of Stephen King’s classic portrayal of the the injustice of the US prison system

Labour councillor PAUL DONOVAN wonders why the right-wing party gets so much more media attention than it seems to merit