Last week was ...

a Good Week for voodoo, with an upsurge in interest reported in the United States. Jinx-removing soaps, spell-breaking ointments and horse- hair love potions are all selling at record levels. Sacrificial animals are also available. "If you've lost your job, you would want to sacrifice a chicken," a voodoo shop manager explained. "I have seen people take goats to their apartments. It depends on how badly you need help."

a Bad Week for food, as the owner of a coffee shop in Nashville said that he had received a letter from Mother Teresa asking him to stop selling cinnamon buns shaped in her image. The "nun bun" has been on display in the Bongo Java coffee house since December when a customer perceived her likeness in a bun he was served. When word of the "miracle" reached Mother Teresa in India, she had a lawyer ask them to stop the promotion.

Meanwhile, in New York, Ed "The Animal" Krachie is in training, hoping to recapture his world hotdog eating record from Hirofumi Nakajima of Japan who surprisingly beat him in December. "It's not just about hot dog eating," said a promoter of the rematch. "It's about honour; it's about pride."