You have medical insurance so you don''t get stuck paying a hefty bill if you should get sick. But what if your dog or cat gets sick? A trip to the veterinarian can cost as much, if not more, than a visit to the doctor. More and more pet owners are starting to see that logic and are investing in pet insurance. Because they''re not just pets, they''re members of the family. Like medical bills, veterinary bills can mount quickly. But, most Americans don''t have pet insurance. "The actual percentage of pets that are insured in the United States is still very small, as compared to for instance the UK, that has about 20 percent of their dogs insured," said Kent Kruse, DVM and Director of Provider Development for VPI Pet Insurance. Full Article

The USPCA has said there has been an increase in the number of dogs abandoned over the summer holidays. The animal charity has been dealing with as many cases of unwanted pets in July as it does over Christmas. Recently police and USPCA officers rescued a dog left home alone for up to a week while its owner went on holiday. In the last two days the charity has taken in 14 dogs from just four council areas and its shelter in Carryduff just outside south Belfast is now full. The charity's Philip Burns said they could not identify why there was an upsurge. "Normally where we would have been attending to five or six calls a week, generally over the summer holiday period, I'm finding now that the phones are excessively busy and I'm getting five or six calls a day," he said. Full Article

Driving rain and strong winds of 20 knots hammered the 31 boats competing on the final day of the third Evason Phuket Raceweek regatta today, but it was not enough to dampen the spirits of the skippers and their crews, who battled on to finish the final race in trying conditions with little visibility. David Lindahl kept an almost perfect record on his boat La Samudra over the four days of racing to win the top honours in the top-flight IRC1 class after some close tussles with the other boats in his class. Lindahl and crew finished first in five of the six races contested at this year’s Raceweek regatta, and in the only race they did not win, they finished second. Full Article

Thousands of spectators gathered in Liverpool for the climax of a 35,000-mile yacht race. The Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race featured 10 identical craft circumnavigating the globe. The Western Australia team won the race on Saturday, while the Liverpool team missed a podium finish when they were beaten into fourth place by New York. Spectators lined the River Mersey to welcome the crews back into the city where the race started last September. Each of the racing yachts are named after - and officially endorsed by - a different city or country including New York, Western Australia, Victoria, Qingdao, Jersey, Liverpool, Singapore, Durban, Glasgow and Cardiff. Full Article

The Goodwood Revival will this year celebrate a bizarre phenomenon with a display of small, inventive cars. With oil prices at record levels, the British motorist increasingly needs to consider driving a more economical motor car. This is pertinent in 2006, but it was equally relevant fifty years ago when the Suez crisis began in late July 1956, leading to drastic fuel shortages and spiralling oil prices. The Suez crisis prompted thousands of UK motorists to buy and drive a variety of clever, quirky and distinctive economical microcars, usually imported from Continental Europe. These economy cars typically had just about enough room for two with a roof over their heads and often equipped with front or roof-hinged doors, tiny engines and tandem seating positions. Full Article

Tottenham have revealed that they could receive £18.6 million from Manchester United for Michael Carrick. The midfielder is due to arrive in Manchester on Monday to undergo a medical and agree personal terms with The Red Devils. A fee was agreed on Friday which allowed Carrick to head to Manchester and Spurs have now confirmed the size of the bid which persuaded them to give the green light to the transfer. "Tottenham Hotspur plc announces that agreement has been reached for the transfer of the player registration of Michael Carrick, subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical, to Manchester United Football Club for a total consideration of up to £18.6 million," read a statement on Spurs'' official website. Full Article

Audi has introduced a limited edition A6 3.0 TDI quattro model in celebration of its first ever Le Mans victory with the diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI. The A6 Le Mans Edition is a commemorative version of the potent A6 3.0 TDI quattro. Restricted to just 1,000 right-hand-drive examples, the new A6 3.0 TDI quattro Le Mans Edition is now available in Saloon and Avant forms priced at £34,575 OTR and £35,845 OTR respectively. This new special edition model is based on the sporting S line version of the A6 3.0 TDI quattro. Full Article

Britain''s national museum of design, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, has opened a new showcase for its huge collection of Islamic art. The Jameel Gallery has been paid for in part by a wealthy Saudi business family. When the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) opened in 1852 it was meant to improve standards of commercial design in Britain. From the outset it turned its eye to Islam - the Victorians realised they had a lot to learn from Middle Eastern traditions of ornament, especially in carpets and ceramics. Full Article

Conviction rates for animal cruelty in the UK have revealed a worrying increase in abuse, the RSPCA has said. The animal welfare organisation said cases in 2005 included a cat dying in a washing machine and a dog whose leg was sawn off by its owners. Convictions for animal cruelty last year increased by a fifth to 2,071, compared with 1,700 in 2004. A RSPCA spokeswoman said inspectors had reported an "increase in the level of violence" against animals. According to the charity, neglect remains the most common crime. Full Article

US entertainment giant Disney is to cut 650 jobs worldwide as part of plans to produce fewer adult-oriented films and concentrate on family blockbusters. The firm is to reduce its film output from about 18 to 12 movies a year, with only two or three from adult-oriented subsidiary Touchstone Pictures. Touchstone releases do not match Disney films'''' profits or provide the same marketing tie-ins, the company said. The Pirates of the Caribbean sequel has been a huge success for Disney. A hit like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man''''s Chest can spawn other products including video games and action figures. Full Article

The tragedy about claims that thousands of retired racing greyhounds are being shot dead every year - if true - is that they make excellent pets. I can't remember why we decided to adopt a retired racing greyhound - I think it was because we wanted a dog and had a vague idea that retired greyhounds were in most need of a home. It might also have been that a friend told me that I would look more elegant walking a greyhound than any other type of dog. Whatever the reason, about two years ago we found ourselves driving to our nearest retired greyhounds' home in Hersham, Surrey. Full Article

Superman Returns has flown to the top of the US and Canada box office chart after taking an estimated $52m (£28m) in three days over its opening weekend. Warner Bros said the film had also achieved the most successful five-day opening in the studio's history. It has taken $84m (£45m) since last Wednesday, studio estimates suggest. Early reviews of the film, which cost more than $200m (£108m), have been positive. Directed by Bryan Singer, it stars Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey. Fashion magazine satire The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep, took second place in the chart with an estimated opening weekend take of $27m (£15m). Full Article