Yesterday was a ...

Good Day for gum-chewers, as a Hong Kong businessman successfully appealed against a fine imposed when he had earlier been held to be contempt for chewing gum in court. At the appeal hearing, Leung Ka-ching argued that he had chewed gum only because he wanted to show his respect for the court "by having fresh breath".

Bad Day for lewd belly-dancing, as an artiste named Safwa was arrested in Cairo for a belly-dancing act which included swirling into the laps of her male audience, exposing her breasts and resting them on the table while still dancing. Police said they had allowed her to finish her act before they arrested her, because they did not wish to upset the audience.

Bad Day for l'amour, as a survey revealed that 38 per cent of readers of a French magazine were making love less than they used to, 42 per cent reported no change, and only 9 per cent said they had more sex than before.

Malodourous Day for snails, as farmers in Laos were reported to have discovered that pig manure keeps snails off their rice plants.