Yesterday was a . . .

Good Day for Philippe Cailleau, who took this year's Melon Seed Spitters World Championship at Le Frechou in south-west France with a winning spit of 6.93 metres (22ft 9in). This was far short of the world record of 10.29m, but contestants this year had to spit into a light wind.

Bad Day for Nelson the macaw, a bird from Sydney, Australia, whose sexual habits are forming part of a court case. His owner claims that the macaw's love life has been ruined by a vet's negligence. He now has a leg deformity that prevents him from adopting the position needed for mating.