Good week
The European Union
In the midst of the ongoing crisis this week there was actually some good news for the EU as most of its leaders went to Oslo on Monday to accept the Nobel Peace Prize marking six decades of peace on the Continent.
Ikea Monkey
A macaque monkey called Darwin ran amok in a Toronto Ikea, dressed in a dapper coat, and within hours had become an internet sensation.
Paul McCartney
As if being a member of the Beetles wasn’t enough, McCartney also got to take Kurt Cobain’s place as Nirvana’s frontman during a charity gig on Wednesday.
Bad week
Hugo Chávez
Months after winning another term as president of Venezuela, Chávez announced that his cancer has returned, forcing him to go back to Cuba for surgery. He went so far as to name his vice-president as successor, and aides suggest he will miss January’s inauguration.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
The Nigerian finance minister, who had been one of the favourites to take over at the World Bank earlier this year, received the shocking news that her mother has been kidnapped.
Mario Monti
Italy’s technocrat prime minister never enjoyed a great mandate as such, but the news that Silvio Berlusconi was going to run for prime minister yet again was the final straw. Monti announced he will resign as prime minister after the current budget is passed.