A glance at the week that was
Bling low
As if we aren't being made feel miserable enough, along comes yet another survey on quality of life, and this one tells us that we have the worst standard of livingof 10 European countries, despite having the highest wages. We have the highest retirement age (64.1 years) but the lowest amount of sunshine per year. Our shopping bills are high, but holidays short. Cheer up, though, because petrol is less expensive here than in most other countries. If we weren't on an island it would be cheap enough to flee by road.
Swing low
It was the week of Padraig's weak wrist.Would Harrington recover in time for him to defend his British Open title? Would his wrist survive the sodden, deep rough of Royal Birkdale? And will those who couldn't care less about golf be able to survive a week in which the coverage was all-encompassing? As it turned out, he made it to the tee on the first day and played pretty well, all things considered. As for those who believe golf to be the devil's sport, played by men in clothes even the devil would consider evil, they're in more pain than Harrington ever was.
"Is it now the case that no one in prison has the right to ever say anything in their defence? A Hot Pressrepresentative defends the magazine's decision to run an interview with convicted criminal John Gilligan
We now know
•French president Nicolas Sarkozy will visit Dublin on Monday, but for only four hours
•Security staff at Heathrow are refusing to allow children carry toy light sabres on board planes.
•Mars was once covered in lakes and rivers
The numbers
2.2mZimbabwe's annual inflation rate by percentage
7inLength of serrated blade found in a Subway sandwich by a New Yorker. He is planning to sue.
$7mPrice an unnamed magazine is reported to have paid for first photographs of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins. The money (€4.4m) will go to charity