200 Russian schoolchildren have just been taken hostage by terrorists, some wearing bomb belts. Israel has destroyed the house of a “militant” who was involved in a suicide bombing on Tuesday that killed 16. Yesterday, twelve Nepalese hostages were murdered by terrorists in Iraq.

Meanwhile, the last three items on the The Today Programme have been Tim Robbins plugging his new play, the levelling off of house prices in the UK and (as I type) the director of There’s Something About Mary is talking about the influence of Alice in Wonderland on Jefferson Airplane. UPDATE: Now it’s something about sharks in Australia.

It’s the original final sequence of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. I am stumbling between cars on the interstate, waving at them as they approach. “They’re here! They’re here!” No one stops. They all think I’m crazy. As I roll off the front of one of the vehicles, the sound of its radio Dopplers out through the window. I can just hear the voice of Sarah Montague. She’s telling me about the weather.