And Finally

Pop star Taylor Swift has appealed against a judge's ruling permitting a trial over claims she plagiarised lyrics for her hit song Shake It Off. Swift's lawyers argued the judgment was “unprecedented” and said that the case was based on phrases that are commonly used.

A dummy of Frankenstein's monster held at the V&A in London has led to a trans-Atlantic ownership row after a museum in the US called for it to be repatriated. The seven-foot wooden mannequin is based on the actor Boris Karloff, who played the monster in his films in the 1930s and '40s.

A police force has been criticised after warning an internet celebrity over his famous out-of-tune renditions of popular songs. Hero Alom, from Bangaldesh, has almost two million followers on Facebook and nearly 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube.

A prison in Japan deprived an inmate of his half-rimmed glasses because they created a “menacing aura”. As a result, the prisoner suffered from headaches and bumped into others for months. Appalled at the treatment of the man, the Sapporo Bar Association complained to Tsukigata Prison ab

A cat has been fined nearly £100 for trespassing in a neighbour's garden. Ñirka, a young tortoiseshell cat, was spotted in the garden twice while owner Ramon Correa was on holiday.

A town mayor — who happens to be a miniature Shetland pony — has been effectively barred from his local pub over a planning row. Councillors in Cockington, a village in south-east England, made Patrick the pony their honorary mayor in a widely-publicised ceremony last month.

A passenger on a flight from Indonesia to Australia has been fined $1,874 after a police dog sniffed out two McMuffins and a ham croissant in his possession. The passenger failed to declare the McDonald’s breakfast order before arriving at Darwin Airport in Australia's Northern Territory.

A man is challenging a parking ticket that he was given after the kerb was repainted red while he was away from his car. Desiree and Jeff Jolly said they have been parking in a space at the corner of Larkin and Union streets in San Francisco for the last 25 years. However, last week they discovered

Fake violinists using pre-recorded music to solicit donations on the street have become a "nationwide problem", US police have said. Police forces in Maryland, Connecticut and Michigan are among those which have warned the public to be aware of "scam violin players".

A man accused of torching brand-new vehicles at a car dealership has allegedly told police it was revenge for a dodgy vehicle he bought almost 40 years ago. Dewey R. Fredrick, 79, allegedly used road flares to torch three Jeeps and a Pontiac convertible across two lots owned by O'Daniel in Fort Wayn

A lawmaker wants the act of 'ghosting' to be made a criminal offence. Ghosting is the practice of ending communication with someone without any explanation.

A man has launched a multimillion dollar lawsuit against a retailer over its alleged failure to honour its promised lifetime guarantee on socks. Missouri man Kent Slaughter bought a dozen pairs of the "Redhead Lifetime Guarantee All-Purpose Wool Socks" between 2014 and 2021 and spent years bringing

A police commissioner who vowed to crack down on speeding has been given a a six-month driving ban for speeding. Nottinghamshire's Conservative PCC Caroline Henry was caught breaking the speed limit five times in just 12 weeks.

A woman who failed to declare a half-eaten Subway sandwich at customs has been fined more than £1,500. Jessica Lee, 19, forgot about the chicken and lettuce sandwich she bought in Singapore as she travelled back to Australia.

Discerning thieves who allegedly stole 45 bottles of wine worth €1.6 million from a high-class restaurant have been arrested after a nine-month hunt. The couple, who have not been named, were apprehended in Croatia in connection with the lucrative heist from Spanish hotel and restaurant Atrio,