yesterday was...

A good day for:

Bruce the Labrador, who was reported to have found his 500th cricket ball. Bruce's skill in finding lost balls has helped several Durham cricket clubs. His owner, Mr Moralee, 88, from Chester-le-Street keeps a record of his finds. The 500th was in a cemetery at Sacriston.

A bad day for:

Mahmud Ahmed Abdel Salam, an Egyptian taxi driver who went to hospital complaining of severe stomach pains. An X-ray examination revealed an eight-inch long pair of forceps left in his stomach after an operation for kidney stones in 1985. He is now waiting for an operation to remove the forceps.