A dog has got his waggly tail back after having more than a pound of matted fur shaved off.
The 13-year-old Lhasa Apso named Bobby was handed in to the Dogs Trust in Snetterton, Norfolk, weighing in at about one and a half stone (9.4kg). His tail had been matted to his legs, meaning he could not wag it.
MI5 teams up with children’s show
Security service MI5 is taking on an unlikely ally by teaming up with long-running children’s show Blue Peter – on a mission to find viewers with the skills to be spies.
The BBC programme is launching Project Petra which will enable a number of candidates to be put through their paces in a rigorous selection procedure with mental and physical challenges. Three will be chosen and allowed to tour MI5’s HQ in London, Thames House, and their visit will be filmed by the CBBC show – the first time TV cameras have been allowed in to the top secret building.
Birth of endangered hippo hailed
Zookeepers have welcomed the birth of an endangered male pygmy hippo. What is even more remarkable is that the baby’s mother, Flora, gave birth to him while battling cancer.
She is still living with a tumour in her mouth, but vets say the 28-year-old has responded very well to treatment and her pregnancy was unaffected by the disease.
Top tip for Philadelphia cab driver
An anonymous passenger brightened a Philadelphia cab driver’s night with the tip of a lifetime: nearly 1,000 dollars (£656) on a 4.31 dollar (£2.83) fare.
Oumar Maiga’s bosses revealed the hefty festive season gratuity after waiting to make sure the credit card cleared and it was not an error. The West African immigrant received the 989.98 dollar tip on December 13.
Mr Maiga’s bosses told Philly.com. Mr Maiga said his shift had been a little hectic. The passenger said he had helped make it a great night and punched in the tip. When Mr Maiga asked if he had made a mistake, the passenger replied: “I know what I did.” Mr Maiga’s bosses said the card company would not give the mystery tipper’s name.
Chancellor cropped from photo
A small Jewish ultra-Orthodox newspaper in Israel is making waves for removing German chancellor Angela Merkel from a photo of this week’s Paris march out of modesty.
World leaders had linked arms to march in Paris against terrorism after Islamic extremists killed 17 people. At the march, Mrs Merkel stood in the front row between French president Francois Hollande and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
But readers of the Hamevaser newspaper did not know as she had been digitally removed, leaving Mr Abbas standing next to Mr Hollande. Israeli media joked it was meant to bring Mr Abbas closer to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who was standing nearby. Within the insular ultra-Orthodox community, pictures of women are rarely shown due to modesty concerns.
Dog divas honoured in Hollywood
Awards season is under way in Hollywood, but one show will roll out green turf instead of red carpet and celebrate achievements such as best mutt instead of best actor.
At the inaugural World Dog Awards hosted by comedian George Lopez, dogs will walk in on artificial grass and wag out with golden fire hydrant statuettes honouring the best in entertainment and social media.
There are no long speeches or fashion critics at the show on Thursday on the CW Network. At this event, the podium is packed with dog treats while patches of grass allow pets to do their business and signs call for barking instead of applause. Plus, swag bags boast pet food, collars and toys.