yesterday was a ...

Good Day for German policemen, following a court ruling that they may wear their hair in plaits if they wish to, even on the beat. The administrative court in Kassel, near Frankfurt, ruled that ordering a policeman to cut his plait would be a violation of his rights as an individual.

Bad Day for American grannies, as Mary Blanco, a 71-year-old grandmother, appeared in court in Los Angeles, accused of trying to rob a petrol station at gunpoint. Her attorney entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming she had been driven crazy by the Internal Revenue Service.