WEIRD, WEIRD

Dog's mansion up for sale

A mansion belonging to the world's richest dog has gone on sale for US$32 million.

Gunther VI is a wealthy pooch after inheriting US$500 million from his grandfather Gunther IV, and the German Shepherd's Miami estate -- that was owned by pop star Madonna -- is up for sale.

The strange tale goes back to the German countess Karlotta Liebenstein, who died in 1992 and left her fortune to her canine Gunther III.

The money has since passed from dog to dog and has been managed by a group of handlers, who have helped maintain and grow the property portfolio.

The Tuscan-style villa is currently listed with Ruthie and Ethan Assouline and the former couldn't believe it when she was told that the owner was a dog.

Speaking to Forbes, she said: "We have sold countless multi-million dollar homes, but this is definitely a first.

"When the handlers initially told me a dog owned the property, I didn't believe it. The property has a history that no one else can claim."

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New lie detector machine developed

A new device is said to accurately spot when a person is lying. Scientists who have developed the face scanner claim that it is capable of detecting the lies three-quarters of the time -- making it far more reliable than existing methods.

The prototype reads tiny movements in the facial muscles using electrodes stuck to a person's skin and the developers hope to perfect the technology so the electrodes are no longer needed. This will enable it to be used via cameras and will boost the fight against crime.

Professor Dino Levy, one of the experts at Tel Aviv University behind the device, said: "In the bank, in police interrogations, at the airport or in online job interviews, high-resolution cameras trained to identify movements of facial muscles will be able to tell truthful statements from lies.

"It's far better than the regular polygraph line detector tests, which people can fool. Our test is a lot harder to track, as it's based on changes in muscles that we're not even aware of."

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Loud singing gets man in trouble

A man has been fined PS1,400 for blaring James Blunt songs in the middle of the night.

Mark Carey played loud music from artistes such as the You're Beautiful hitmaker and Coldplay and disrupted the sleep of those living around him in Plymouth.

A court heard that the noise caused residents stress, fatigue and anxiety and was told how neighbours received abuse from Carey when they challenged him about the music.

After several complaints, his neighbours made audio recordings of the music being played at "unacceptable levels" into the night.

Audio recordings featuring Blunt and Coldplay were heard and environmental health officers seized TVs, speakers and other music equipment from Carey's home.

Councillor John Riley, cabinet member for community safety at Plymouth City Council, said: "Everyone has the right to live quietly in their own home, which is why we will not hesitate to bring prosecutions against people who try and take that right away from their neighbours.

"I hope now that the defendant's neighbours will finally have some peace."