Weathermen blamed for washout woe

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It predicted "a barbecue summer," but now the Met Office is facing a grilling after the weather became a washout.

"What a shower!" declares the Daily Mail front page, as it rebrands the organisation <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1202982/Met-Office-left-red-faced-Britains-forecast-barbecue-summer-turns-washout.html">the "Wet Office".</a>

The Daily Express says such "ineptitude would be laughable had it not <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/117211/Blame-the-weather-men-for-our-holiday-washout/">laid waste people's business and holiday plans".</a> The soggy reality is "a bitter blow", it adds.

The Times, though, insists that while "the mood is thunderous", <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article6732391.ece">we should not blame it on the weathermen.</a>

'Flushed away'

The tie-up between Microsoft and Yahoo in a bid to rival Google does not impress many commentators.

The Financial Times sees it as <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.ft.com/home/uk">Yahoo "bowing out" of the search engine race</a> and effectively "surrendering its technology position".

"All the money Yahoo ever spent on refining its search product has just been <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jul/29/microsoft-yahoo-search-analysis">flushed down the toilet,"</a> says Charles Arthur in the Guardian.

"For now at least, <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/david-prosser-why-microsoft-needs-bing-to-start-singing-1764657.html">Google executives won't be having too many sleepless nights,"</a> adds the Independent.

'Hair-splitting meanness'

The government's decision to speed up a review of injury payouts for soldiers in the face of a damaging court case draws faint praise from the tabloids.

"Retreating under heavy fire over cutting compensation is <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/opinion/voiceofthemirror/">a sensible withdrawal by the MoD,"</a> says the Daily Mirror.

After their "hair-splitting meanness" to date, the Sun thinks <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/sun_says/244723/The-Sun-Says.html">officials have finally woken up to the "scandal" </a> of the "miserly" amounts offered.

The paper says ministers "will never be forgiven" if changes are not made quickly.

'Waft of virtuousness'

Organic food is under scrutiny after a study said it had no more nutritional value than conventional produce.

<a class="inlineText" href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/117216/Organic-food-no-healthier/">"A myth debunked,"</a> writes the Daily Express, "But will it stop people feeling a waft of virtuousness as they pay a bit extra? We suspect not."

The Daily Telegraph, however, is more pessimistic about the organics industry which it says is <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/5932100/Organic-food-has-no-added-nutritional-benefit-says-Food-Standards-Agency.html">"already struggling in the downturn".</a>

But writing in the Independent, Soil Association chief Peter Melchett insists: <a class="inlineText" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/peter-melchett-its-good-for-the-countryside-and-wildlife-which-means-its-good-for-us-1764686.html">"It's good for the countryside and wildlife,</a> which means its good for us."