£350,000 for the world's most expensive dog 

A Tibetan mastiff with the catchy name of Yangtze River Number Two has reportedly been sold to a woman in the Chinese province of Shaanxi for around £350,000, making it the most expensive dog ever.
The previous record of £90,000 was paid out by a family in Florida for Lancelot Encore - a cloned version of Lancelot, a much-loved but deceased Labrador.
The Times reports that Yangtze River Number Two's new owner, identified only as Mrs Wang, is rumoured to have spent years searching China for the perfect Tibetan Mastiff. When she located her dream dog in Qinghai province, she was determined to do whatever was necessary to make it hers.
The canine's newfound celebrity status was confirmed when a motorcade of 30 luxury cars turned up at Xi'an airport to collect it. Mrs Wang's wealthy friends sent their Mercedes limousines to the airport, and also organised a welcoming committee of local dog-lovers, complete with banners.
Dog-ownership is becoming increasingly popular in China, and is already causing problems in some of the country's over-crowded cities. A ban on pets in many public areas is being considered in Shanghai, while the city of Guangzhou has introduced a limit of one dog per family.


Men with long ring fingers drive faster

Men with long ring fingers are more likely to drive too fast, overtake dangerously and park illegally, according to new research.
The study suggests bad driving may be programmed from birth because finger length is directly associated with exposure to the hormone testosterone in the womb.
Numerous studies have shown that a long wedding ring finger compared to the index finger in men can have a powerful effect on health and behaviour.
Scientists believe exposure to greater levels of testosterone in the womb affects the way the brain works later in life.
But it also seems to activate growth of the wedding ring finger by stimulating testosterone receptors in bone.
In the latest study, researchers at the University of Mainz, in Germany, recruited 77 male drivers at an average age of 38.
Each volunteer had their left hand scanned to measure the difference in length between the ring and index fingers. They then provided details of all driving offences within the previous five years.
Just over a third of the drivers reported having penalty points on their licences, ranging from one to 20, for offences ranging from speeding to drink driving.
The results, published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, showed men with longer ring fingers were more likely to have offended.
In a report on their findings the researchers said: "A longer ring finger than index finger was related to more traffic violations. Hormone exposure in the womb might increase traffic violations in later life."

Paris Hilton - the new Oscar Wilde?

Paris Hilton is to make a surprise appearance in the latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.
The hotel heiress's line: "Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in", will stand alongside words from the likes of Wilde and Shakespeare.
Paris's saying is one of more than 20,000 new quotations to enter the seventh edition of the prestigious tome.
Another new entry is from former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who said: "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick."
Others come from British authors Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman, Stephen Hawking, Aung San Suu Kyi and late comedy host and jazzman Humphrey Lyttelton.
The dictionary, which is in its 65th year, has also added several 'new' quotes from the distant past, such as one from Confucius, the 5th century BC Chinese philosopher.
This may be because they have been used or referenced by others in recent years or that the researchers have, after decades, managed to source and verify them as genuine.
Some have taken on new relevance, such as former US president Thomas Jefferson's 200-year-old: "Banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies."
The dictionary's editor-Elizabeth Knowles, said: "Events may give an older utterance very topical significance - for example, Thomas Jefferson has for obvious reasons been quoted quite widely in the last year."