The week that was at a glance
Burned out?Viewers tuning into the news this week might have wondered if they had stumbled on a 1970s disaster flick. The fires raging in California might have led to hundreds of thousands of people leaving their homes, but it was the fate of the likes of Courteney Cox, Mel Gibson and Cher that people were most interested in. Luckily, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in charge. Surely he could just shoot the fires dead, accompanied by a witty one-liner.
Burned on?It may seem illogical to suggest that people were shocked to hear Padre Pio's stigmata might not have been real, but allegations of fakery have made headlines. A book claims that a Vatican document includes testimony from a pharmacist who says she provided Padre Pio with carbolic acid. The book says that he used it to mark his hands. The evidence was disregarded during the canonisation process.
To all those who have drawn the inference from my words that Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologise unreservedly. DNA pioneer James Watson, following his controversial remarks on race and intelligence
We now know
Murders, attempted murders and drug-related crimes are up sharply, according to CSO figures
From 2009, Irish citizens will need passports to visit Britain.
Neanderthals probably had red hair, according to a team of Spanish researchers
The Numbers
£500,000The value of the notes that forgers in the UK tried to cash.
€38,000The cost of a Chanel bicycle.
€8,600Bertie Ahern's pay raise, bringing his salary to €310,000 a year
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