Yesterday was a ...

Good Day for chickens, as Irene Azevedo, of Belo Horizonte in Brazil, offered a $500 reward for information leading to the return of her lost pet, Scratchy the chicken. "But she's not just a chicken," said Ms Azevedo, "she's a loving companion, a jewel." She would recognise her chicken, she said, because it drinks a saucer of milk before going to bed.

Bad Day for the Robles family, of Len in Mexico, who have been burgled so often that they have taken out an advertisement in the newspaper asking thieves not to rob them again: "Mister robbers, you have cleaned us out ... please do not visit us any more, it's not worth your while."

Memorable Day for Irish-Chinese, as O'Malley's opened in Shanghai, the first Irish pub in China.