Last week was ...

A Good Week for marriages, as 39 elderly couples in El Salvador, who had never legitimised their unions, finally got married at a mass ceremony. "I feel good because now I will not leave behind so much red tape when I die," said Armando Zepeda, 70, as he held his bride, Nicolasa Rodriguez, 80.

A Bad Week for burgling, as a man in Saratoga Springs, who had allegedly stolen some office equipment, was easily tracked by police who followed his footprints in the snow. They led to the door of a restaurant where hundreds of police officers were attending a retirement party.

A Notable Week for `The Archers' which broadcast its 12,000th episode. To make the sound of a lamb being born, incidentally, a sound effects person squelches his hand in yogurt then throws a wet towel on to some straw.

An Expensive Week for dog-owners in Southern China, as the province of Guangdong introduced a fee of 10,000 yuan (pounds 750) for a dog licence. The sum is equivalent to about twice the yearly wage of many workers. Pet dogs were illegal in China until recently.