Harvey Weinstein is accused of sexual harassment and apologies for his behaviour. He is immediately sacked (Report, 9 October). Donald Trump is accused of sexual harassment and laughs it off as locker room banter. He is elected US president. Who says Americans have no sense of irony?

Mike Pender

Cardiff

• So the dictator Kim Jong-un has promoted his sister to ruling politburo (Report, 9 October). At least in the democratic west we have higher standards. It would be unthinkable for the leader of a western democracy to insert close relatives (for example their daughter or son-in-law) into government.

Robert Plumb

Smethwick, West Midlands

• Autistic people don’t “dare” to think differently; they do think differently (G2, 10 October).

Janet McMorran

Tedstone Delamere, Herefordshire

• I can understand why Anne Enright threw her partly read copy of The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann into the river Liffey (The books that made me, 7 October). I did manage to read it all, but by the end was no wiser about the author’s intention than when I started. Perhaps there are readers who might offer some help?

Beryl Wilkins

Lewes, East Sussex

• As well as bathtimes being a cosy occasion (Letters, passim) in my Derby childhood, crouched in front of a coal fire screened by the clothes horse, further opportunities to socialise came with a visit to the toilet in the back yard. Toilets faced each other over the low wall and our neighbour would exchange greetings through the open door as he sat enthroned with his paper of a morning.

Lynne Scrimshaw

London

• Thatcher’s “mystery starter” (Report, 10 October) is known as Snaffles mousse. I have a recipe for it from the 1971 Good Food Guide Dinner Party Book. I even made it once.

Pen Keyte

Oxford

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