Miscellany: Yesterday was a ...

Good Day for mistresses, as a Japanese woman, Mrs Keiko Takada, lost her claim in the Supreme Court in Tokyo for 10 million yen (pounds 60,000) damages against her husband's lover. The court decided that: "It is a legal offence against the wife for a husband to have a physical relationship with another woman only when it violates her right to the maintenance of a peaceful married life."

Bad Day for Unicyclists, as Duncan Castling, from Gateshead, was told he would have to fit an extra wheel to his unicycle if he wanted to take part in the Porelle-Polaris Challenge in Kielder Forest. Lawyers for the sponsors had advised that Section 30 of the Countryside Act only allowed "bicycles" on bridleways. "It's like saying a one-legged man can't use a footpath," Mr Castling said.