The world’s oldest dog has died at 26 years and eight months.

Pusuke, a fluffy tan Shiba mix, died on Monday after suddenly falling ill and refusing to eat, owner Yumiko Shinohara said at her home in Sakura, a city outside Tokyo, Japan.

Pusuke’s lifespan would have been the equivalent of about 125 years for a human.

According to Guinness World Records, the dog was born on April 1, 1985 and recognised as the world’s oldest living dog last December.

The Guinness record for canine longevity is 29 years, set by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939.

Elephant gores woman

A pygmy elephant has gored to death an Australian woman in a remote area of Borneo island in Malaysia.

Sabah state wildlife department director Laurentius Ambu said tourist Jenna O’Grady Donley died of her injuries after the attack at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve yesterday. He said Ms Donley was gored as she, a friend and their Malaysian guide were trekking.

Mr Ambu said Ms Donley, 25, a vet from Sydney, might have gone too close to the elephant. Rangers are searching for the elephant and plan to drive it back into the forest. Borneo pygmy elephants are considered endangered, with about 2,000 left in Sabah state.

Nine-year-old driver

A man has been charged after letting his nine-year-old daughter drive him around after he had been drinking.

Shawn Weimer, 39, from Detroit, America, said it was a bad idea that grew out of good memories from his youth.

He let his daughter drive him in the early hours of October 8. He faces trial on a felony child abuse charge.

Walking – less chocolate

People prone to frequent, waistline-expanding snacking on chocolate while at work can halve the amount they scoff by getting out of the office and walking for just 15 minutes, according to new research.

The University of Exeter study showed that, even in stressful situations, workers eat only half as much chocolate as they normally would after this short burst of physical activity.

The team behind it said it highlighted the health benefits of workers being able to get away from their desks for a short time during the working day.

Rare shark has 19 pups

An endangered shark has given birth to 19 pups.

Anne the angel shark delivered one pup in her first week of labour, four the following week, 11 on Monday and another three yesterday.

Zoologists at Deep Sea World in North Queensferry, Fife, Scotland said they are thrilled with the births.

Five years ago the angel shark was listed as critically endangered and in 2006 the species was declared extinct in the North Sea. They grow slowly and mature only when they reach a large size.

The result is that few angel sharks reach maturity to breed, leaving the species at risk of extinction.