Morning reading

Some semi-good news on malaria in Africa - mosquito nets impregnated with long-lasting insecticide. As usual, of course, the problem is in distribution, and particularly fair distribution to the poor.

Then a couple of funnies to cheer you up. Now I'm a fairly militant atheist, although I think Jesus as a historical character probably did exist, but in Italy, the foundation of the Catholic Church, a judge isn't satisfied about that.

AN ITALIAN judge has ordered a priest to appear in court this month to prove that Jesus Christ existed.

There's been a lot of ill-explained claims about the decline of secularism lately (I've yet to see anyone give any figures or facts to support this claim), so let's give the judge a cheer.

And instead of Tupperware parties (the social highlight of my Mum's circle when I was a child), in America women are now apparently having DIY parties, at which they learn new skills. Sounds like a much more useful idea - a repaired wall will last a lot longer than a salad.

A cold night in an affluent suburb in Denver, Colorado. Inside a well-appointed, detached home a dozen women are gathered.
Aged mainly in their mid-forties, the excited talk among this group of female graduate professionals is of only one thing: tools. They have come here to debate the relative virtues of the V-notch trowel against that of its square-notched rival. Then there is the question of whether to stock up on a few more rolls of waterproof tarp, splash out on a new eight-inch adjustable wrench or invest in that state-of-the art, easy-action caulking gun they have set their hearts on.