A glance at the week that was
We now know
The Hobbitwill be filmed in New Zealand. After weeks of negotiations, the New Zealand government finally secured an agreement with Warner Bros to continue to bring Middle Earth back to the Kiwi nation.
A specific genetic variation known as DQB1*0602 is responsible for allowing some people to exist on as little as four hours' sleepa night. Famous figures in history suspected of having the variation include Margaret Thatcher, Leonardo da Vinci and Florence Nightingale.
After 281 weeks as world number one, Tiger Woodswill lose his ranking as the best golfer on the planet this weekend. Either Martin Kaymer of Germany or Lee Westwood of England will become the new number one.
Speed bumb
A driver walked away after crashing a car at over 320km/h in an attempt to break the standing mile world record.
Richard Holt had to be cut free from the wrecked Lamborghini Gallardo after his failed attempt at the United States’ Texas Mile event.
After releasing the braking parachute, his orange Lamborghini flipped, spiralling multiple times before coming to a stop.
It is thought strong crosswinds caused the car to leave the track.
The numbers
€841m
The amount sent to Poland by Poles working in Ireland last year
105,000
The hours spent each month by Facebookusers on Farmville and other Facebook games
7
The number of Spanish players shortlisted for the prestigious Fifa Ballon d'Or. The World Cup winners' fortunes were in stark contrast to England, which had no players nominated
Wire disconnected
LimeWire, the internet's biggest file-sharing network, has been effectively shut down by an injunction issued by a US district court.
Visitors to the LimeWire website (below) are now met with a notice that reads: “This is an official notice that LimeWire is under a court-ordered injunction to stop distributing and supporting its file-sharing software.”
It ends four years of wrangling between the privately owned Lime Group and the Recording Industry Association of America.
If I had known this before 2008, Ireland wouldn't have suffered. I can blame only myself.
Bertie Ahern
speaking in an interview with Polish newspaper
Rzeczpospolita
, in which he warned Poland to keep tight control over its finances
