U2 album goes number one across the world

The sound of popping champagne corks round the Hanover Quay area is deafening as U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb album goes straight to number one in – deep breath – Ireland, Britain, the US, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Holland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

It would've been a clean sweep but for a number two placing in Japan which has doubtless struck itself off the band's 2005 tour itinerary. Well, possibly not.

U2's 11th studio album sold a whopping 840,000 copies last week in the States compared to the 428,000 registered by All That You Can't Leave Behind when it first came out of the traps.

HTDAAB's nearest rival was Eminem's Encore, which made its way into 471,000 new homes last week.

Meanwhile, Hot Press pinned Snow Patrol's Mark McClelland into a corner last week and asked him whether they're going out on the road next year with U2.

"We've heard this but no one's asked us yet," says the bassist. "It depends on when and where they offer. We couldn't do three months straight in the States, but if it was Europe or something shorter like that, brilliant."