The Lotus Europa S, the Grand Tourer inspired two-seater, goes on sale from the 16 September. The car will be fully equipped, including driver and passenger airbag, air conditioning, satellite navigation and full leather interior. Metallic Paint and Lifestyle Paint colours are the only cost options. The recommended retail prices for the UK are £32,995, while metallic paint adds £595 and 'Lifestyle' paint is an extra £1,009. The Europa S is said to follow the core Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight – it weighs only 995 kg. Full Article

Guide dog walkers and their trainee puppies are being given free rail travel. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's volunteers are getting free train travel from First ScotRail to help the skills of puppies. It allows young dogs to experience getting on trains, travelling between stations and getting through ticket barriers to assist their future owners. The Scottish scheme was launched at Aberdeen Railway Station on Monday. First ScotRail has joined the puppy walker's programme in cooperation with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Full Article

While all of the relevant regatta sailing personnel are hailing the document as something quite wonderful, there is one particular call that if heeded will really be an indication that the sailors collectively are prepared to bid the old "row" days goodbye. James Wallace, an executive of the Nassau Sailing Association says he would like to see one more condition placed in the National Regatta Rules. His view is that the architects of the NRR should include a clause mandating that regatta committees show proof of sufficient funds to cover all of the expenses of the event, especially stipends and payments to the sailing teams. Full Article

A portrait by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani of his lover Jeanne Hebuterne has sold for £16.3m. The oil painting, Jeanne Hebuterne (au chapeau), dates from 1919 - a year before Modigliani died of tuberculosis. Ms Hebuterne, who was eight months pregnant, committed suicide a day after the artist's death. The painting was part of a sale of modern and impressionist art, which raised almost £89m at London auction house Sotheby's on Monday. An 1895 pastel of a woman bathing by French artist Edgar Degas sold for £6.7m in the same auction. Full Article

The first reviews for Superman Returns have given the new movie, which stars newcomer Brandon Routh as the legendary superhero, a resounding thumbs up. Variety magazine's critic said it was "grandly conceived, sensitively drawn [and] never self-consciously hip". "It is sincere, with an artistic elegance and a genuine emotional investment in the material," he wrote. The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, saluted "a heartfelt Superman movie that plays to a broad audience". Routh, it continued, plays the comic book character "with honesty [and] winning fortitude". Full Article

Almost half of North Carolina dog owners let the chips fall where they may and don't clean up after their animals, according to a statewide survey of how people handle their dogs' waste. "It's a big water-quality problem," said Chrystal Bartlett, the state's stormwater awareness and outreach coordinator. "It's also an aesthetic problem." The state's 1.8 million dogs deposit an estimated 681 tons of waste per day in the state, said Bartlett, who works for the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Chris Gonzalez, owner of Poop Away, said he has hauled away as much as 27 gallons of waste from a single yard. Full Article

High-octane car chases, outrageous stunts, explosive events and humourous commentary from the team continues to make the MPH show unique among motor shows and allows performance car enthusiasts to get closer to the action than ever before. Between the three live shows a day, show goers can get intimate with automotive exotica from marques that have previously included Aston Martin, Bentley, Caterham, Invicta, Jaguar, Noble, Pagani, Radical, Saleen and Ultima. There's also the chance to learn about events like the exclusive Gumball 3000 and handle cutting edge gadgetry. Full Article

Forget the old joke which starts 'my dog has got no nose...' - Duo the Staffordshire bull terrier has two. Staff at Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter are having problems finding a home for the three-year-old because of his unique appearance caused by a harelip. The dog, named Duo by shelter staff, was handed in to them by police after apparently being lost or abandoned. Staff at the shelter said vets had not seen a harelip to such an extent in a dog before. Head of fundraising Michelle Pyle said: "We've had a few people come and see him and say he's a freak. "Duo is not a freak, he's just unusual. Not many people can say they've got a dog like that." Full Article

The Pixar animation Cars has remained the number one film at North American cinemas for the second weekend. The movie features the voices of Owen Wilson and Paul Newman and tells the tale of a talking vehicle by the name of Lightning McQueen. It generated $31.2m (£16.9m), while another motoring-themed movie, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift entered at three, earning $24.1m (£13m). It was beaten by Nacho Libre, with Jack Black playing a cook who also wrestles. This made number two on the chart with takings of $27.5m (£14.8m). Directed by John Lasseter, Cars will open in the UK on 28 July. Full Article

The Perodua Kelisa has again proved itself to be value for money in terms of purchase price, specification, running costs and depreciation. Perodua has three Kelisa models in the top five of motor research specialist CAP''s May running costs table. The company says that, with the continuation of the free SE Pack promotion, Kelisa is the number one choice for those seeking an economical yet stylish motoring solution. The industry supplier of running costs data, CAP, has announced that the 5-door Kelisa EX loses the least money over three years which, combined with a purchase price of only £4,699 delivered, makes it the most affordable car in the UK, according to Perodua. Full Article

The most secure and theft-resistant model range in the UK is built by Audi, according to experts at the Thatcham Research Centre, on voting the brand, 'Best Manufacturer' in the 2006 British Insurance Car Security Awards. The company says that not only will owners of the new TT Coupé be driving a car developed with the benefit of award-winning security expertise, but also award-winning engineering know-how, as the new Audi sports car's 2.0-litre Turbo FSI engine has just received an International Engine of the Year honour. The Best Manufacturer Award in the Thatcham Security Awards is given to the car maker delivering the highest level of security throughout its complete model range.Full Article

SHETLAND yachtsman Leslie Irvine and crewmate Dick Koopmans are setting off on the second leg of the Shetland Round Britain & Ireland Race this afternoon (Thursday). Their Shetland Catch sponsored yacht Jager arrived in the Irish port of Kinsale on Tuesday afternoon after completing the first leg of the 2,000 mile race. The first yacht into Kinsale was Pete Goss and Paul Larsen sailing Cornwall Playing for Success which crossed the finish line at 11am on Monday with an elapsed time of 23 hours. Most of the 42 participating yachts experienced light winds after leaving Plymouth on Sunday and only made slow progress towards Kinsale. Full Article

A bird lover from County Antrim has been left heartbroken after vandals cut open her aviary and allowed more than 60 birds to escape. Caring for her birds was a labour of love for Lynne Scott from Derriaghy and her aviary was a poignant memorial to her grandmother. But on Saturday night vandals ripped out the aviary's wiring allowing 68 budgies, canaries, parakeets and cockatiels to fly away. Lynne first knew something was wrong on Sunday morning when she was awoken by a neighbour who had found one of her canaries. She went out to her aviary at the back of her house on the Milltown Road to find it had been vandalised and all but eight of the birds had flown away. Full Article

Honda is to unveil a new 3-door Civic at the London Motor Show in July - completing the 'Built in Britain' line-up of Honda hatchbacks. The 3-door makes its world debut at the London event and is joined by the award-winning 5-door Civic and the Civic Type R Concept. Honda's luxury saloon, the Legend, is also on display at the show. The Legend features safety equipment in the shape of CMBS – brake technology that can predict collisions – and SH-AWD, an intelligent all-wheel drive system that delivers extra cornering performance. For motorsport fans, a specially-commissioned Formula 1 exhibit makes an appearance. Full Article