A Good Week for ... , November 17, 2013

Petite, but with a truly huge appetite, Tomoko gorged her way to a HK$50,000 grand prize at the Ramen Champion contest. The 40-kilogramme diner devoured two giant bowls of Japanese noodles in just 20 minutes to out-consume rivals Ramsey Yau Siu-lung, 24, and "Santa" Johnny Wu Hung-shing, 43, who tied for second place. Now officially confirmed as Hong Kong's first ramen-eating champion, the 29-year-old also holds the record for eating ramen: 15 bowls in 10 minutes.

Each of the 570,000 permanent residents of gambling mecca Macau were awarded a record cash handout of 9,000 patacas. The package of direct financial handouts also included a 7,000-pataca injection into the provident funds of eligible residents and a 5,400 pataca handout for non-permanent residents. But critics accused chief executive Dr Fernando Chui Sai-on of using the money spree to hide his failure to devise solutions to labour and housing problems, amid growing anger over soaring home prices.