Are morals absolute or relative? It may be an academic question, but it seems relevant recently. In Iran, a man is sentenced to death for questioning the theocracy’s interpretation of Islam. The university professor in question, Hashem Aghajari, has also been banned from teaching for ten years. Which seems redundant, as it is hard to teach when you are dead.

Looks like Iraq isn’t the only place deserving of a so-called ’regime change’. But it looks like it’s going to get one nevertheless. At the same time, other countries around the world continue to assert that the concept of human rights is just a bourgeois Western indulgence.

Curiously, a certain Mesopotamian president was recently re-elected with the kind of majority that even Mr Blair must envy. However, Mr Hussein didn’t have any opponents in the poll, which does rather call in to question the validity of holding an election (or referendum. Whatever). But at least they can claim to have a democratically mandated head of state: in the UK, the status of the monarchy was once again called into question this week by various bizarre goings-on.

The Chinese Communist Party is going to welcome capitalists. How impeccably Marxist of them. A timely reminder that practicality will win over ideology any day of the week.

Good news this week: coffee protects against diabetes.
Bad news: using a computer is bad for you.

However, we won’t have to worry about any of this, because we are apparently going to be boiled alive when the Earth’s magnetic poles flip!

And I have to get up at half past six for work tomorrow morning...