Yesterday was a ...

Good Day for Swiss dry-cleaners as a survey revealed that Switzerland is the most expensive place to have a pair of trousers cleaned. At pounds 6.43, the Swiss beat Russia (pounds 5.48) into second place. The UK, at pounds 3.70, are in seventh place.

Bad Day for cockroaches as a laboratory in Brazil reported an eager response to its offer of $25 per 100g of live cockroaches. They need 5kg of the insects (about 600,000 of them) for research into possible vaccines. "You give them a quick slap and then grab them by their antennae," said housewife Elvira Martinez de Oliviera. "it's not a big deal."

Charmless Day for Manee Saisin, a snake catcher and charmer in Thailand who was strangled to death by a 31/2-ft-long boa constrictor as he was carrying it home around his neck.