IT MUST BE TRUE…

I read it in the tabloids

An Irish man who swallowed a $40,000 diamond ring at a jewellery store in Turkey has told prosecutors that he “fell into a trance” when he saw it. Ian Campbell, 54, was arrested after ingesting the 2.5-carat diamond ring while on holiday in Marmaris, and was given laxatives to help him “return” it (this didn’t work; it had to be removed surgically). Campbell explained that his wife had died in a car accident after falling into a lake; her wedding ring had never been found. Now, he said, whenever he sees diamond rings, he feels “a strong urge” to take them, “especially the ones with higher carat diamonds”. Vaev Tissue, a Los Angeles start-up, claims to have sold nearly a thousand tissues that have been sneezed into by someone with a cold virus – for $79.99 each. Founder Oliver Niessen says that his used tissues are “wellness” products: they allow customers to catch a cold whenever they want, in order to decrease the risk of catching the same illness later. This, he says, gives “open-minded” people the luxury of getting sick on their “own terms”.

Dog-walking has been banned in Tehran, as part of a long-standing official campaign to discourage dog-ownership in the Iranian capital. “We will take measures against people walking dogs in public spaces, such as parks,” said police chief Hossein Rahimi. Driving with a dog in your car is also banned. Dogs are regarded as unclean by the nation’s Islamic leaders, and they also, added Rahimi, cause “fear and anxiety”.