Margaret Hassan appears to have been murdered

BBC NEWS | UK | Leaders condemn 'Hassan murder'.

What a terrible, terrible loss - someone who had given their life to helping the people of Iraq is now murdered. Even al-Zaqarwi had called for her release - what did the kidnappers feel they had to gain from this? This is such a stupid own goal on their part.

Worse, this is an appalling tragedy; that someone who cared so much should be shot. Iraq will be an even poorer place for her loss - let's hope this doesn't a large-scale pull-out of humanitarian workers to that country which so badly needs it.

Boris has been sacked!!!!

Difficult to know what to make of this. On the one hand, I don't to be seen to be condoning people (especially high-profile) people lying about their conduct, or having affairs.

However, Boris was sacked, not because he'd had an affair, but because Mr Howard believed he had been "less than franK" in his discussions about the allegations. This presumably means that Howard had some information (other than tabloid allegations) that Boris (I find it impossible to address him as "Johnston") had had an affair. Or how else could he have known that Boris was being "less than frank"? The only other option is that he took at face value the allegations made in Sunday tabloids (scarcely the most reliable source of actual news) and presumed Boris was guilty until proven innocent. Which, of course, would be totally out of character from Mr Howard...

The fact remains that Howard has now sacked one of the few Conservative MPs that people a) liked or b) actually had heard of from a very high position and one of the few who could stand a chance of challenging Blair. Short-sighted? Probably. But then, that's the Conservative party these days for you.

Are you annoying?

Look! You too can find out why no-one really likes you... or something like that.

This was my result:

Points: 45

You have been classified as "moderately annoying". Although this is nothing to be concerned about, our experts believe that there's still room for improvement.

Some might disagree with that...

'Several' die in train derailment

Another train accident - it looks serious again (of course, all such accidents are serious, but this sounds like it's being treated very seriously indeed).

Obviously, it's too early to say what's happened, the casualties, injuries etc. And deepest sympathies must go to the families of those who have died - hopefully, there won't be any more, although police are saying six people are still trapped in the carriages.

Remember, remember...

'Tis fireworks night, so once again the length and breadth of the country sounds like a warzone. Although, there don't appear to have been many of those ones that sound like tactical nuclear missiles - at least not yet.

Our party was at church (as ever), and I was largely in the kitchen, helping out with coffees, teas, orange juice etc (refreshments, in other words). And the parents are really going to hate us - we got through a whole 3 litre bottle of orange squash in one evening. Those kids are going to be nice and pumped up with E-numbers, sugar etc. Good job we didn't have coke (as in the drink), or they'd be full of caffeine as well and would be really bad.

Ho-hum.

"Caffeine" is one of those words that doesn't like right however you spell it. Really, it should be caffiene ("'i' before 'e' except after 'c'"), but I just checked and it is spelt like that. Took me three goes, though.

Have been on strike, as mentioned yesterday. So went into town, where there's a huge continental fair on Fargate. It actually felt quite continental (strangely); there were crepes, all manner of sausages, cheeses, pies, olives, bratwursts (yes, I know they're sausages, but they basically were being sold as jumped-up hot dogs), paella and, er, pick and mix (but that was OK, 'cos they were being sold by a French bloke). It was really great.

It was only when you left it, or heard someone shouting in a broad Sheffield accent that you remembered where you were.

There appears to be fierce (note position of 'i' and 'e') fighting outside - well, that's what it sounds like, anyway.

Militant tendencies...

Am on strike again tomorrow, the second time in my rather short working life. Tomorrow's strike is about the massive job cuts the government has decided to impose on us as "savings".

The thing is, right, they claim (or claimed) that these massive job cuts (over 100,000) were to provide extra resources for front-line staff. However, the first round of cuts is to be in Job Centres and Social security offices. Now, you'll have to pardon my ignorance here, but surely these are front line offices, no? Or am I missing something?

Who knows, who knows? The government's involved in a competition with both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems to see who can cut the most, with no thought as to whether we do a good job, what the effects will be etc. Because, as I may have said before, civil servants are an easy target. Or are seen as such.

Bush won...

... and, for some reason the world feels a slightly worse place.

Not happy at all (they could at least have had the decency to make it unfair, or controversial, or something - can't they do anything right?)