World Briefs

British music group EMI has put the Beatles' historic Abbey Road studios up for sale, as it struggles to reduce debt, the Financial Times reported yesterday.

A sale of the north London studios, used by a long line of artists since the Fab Four made them famous, could raise tens of millions of pounds, said the business daily.

It is unclear whether EMI would sell the Abbey Road brand as well as the studios, but one media lawyer told the paper: "The brand is worth more than the building... anybody who wants the studios will want the brand."

EMI bought the property in the St John's Wood area for £100,000 in 1929. The Beatles used it for most of their recording in the 1960s, including the 1969 album Abbey Road, which featured them walking over a pedestrian crossing outside the studios before they split up.

Other artists who have used the studios include Pink Floyd, Radiohead, the Manic Street Preachers, Travis and Blur. (AFP)

Feline fine

Staff at an animal rescue centre were amazed when a lost cat found its way there - despite having its head stuck in a food can.

The pet was discovered by workers at the centre in Fife with a Whiskas tin lodged up to its neck.

The Scottish SPCA, which runs the unit, said the female must have been scavenging and got her head stuck. They say she was lucky not to have been hit by a car. (PA)

Powerful pint

A brewery claimed to have snatched the world's strongest beer title from its German rivals - with a 41 per cent volume ale.

Scottish firm BrewDog said its new creation, named Sink The Bismarck!, "takes beer to a whole new level". It costs £40 for a 330ml bottle.

The launch of the record-strength IPA comes weeks after German brewer Schorschbrau appeared to take the strongest beer title with its 40 per cent strength Schorschbock. (PA)

Romantic theft

A teenage romantic has been fined for stealing a bunch of flowers on Valentine's Day.

The boy was captured on CCTV taking the flowers from a petrol station in Slough, Berkshire, hiding them in his jacket before leaving the scene.

Officers from Thames Valley Police, assisted by police dog Merlin, managed to trace the teenager, from Greenford, west London, and arrested him. He was fined £80 for theft and released from custody after admitting taking the bouquet. (PA)

Flying high

A Bolivian airline is giving free flights to a child born on one of its airliners.

Spokesman Jerry Holters said the girl was born two weeks early as the Transportes Aereos Militares plane headed towards La Paz at an altitude of 24,000 feet. A doctor and a nurse who were passengers on the flight helped out.

Mr Holters said the military-run commercial airline, known as TAM, will give the child free domestic flights until she reaches 21 and she will also get a scholarship through high school at a Bolivian Air Force school. The child is named Tami in honour of the airline. (PA)

Facebook pooch

The incredible story of Baltic, the Polish pooch rescued from an ice sheet at sea, has struck a chord worldwide.

The sea-faring dog is being bombarded with e-mails and will soon have a Facebook page and one family drove more than 300 miles from the Czech Republic in the false hope he was their pet.

Dickens's dog collar

A dog collar that belonged to Charles Dickens fetched £7,340 at a New York City auction yesterday.

The leather and brass collar is inscribed with Dickens's name. It had been estimated to sell at £2,500 to £3,800. The buyer's name was not immediately disclosed.

The collar was auctioned at Bonhams New York's sale of dog art. Like many Victorians, the author of David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities was fond of dogs.

Last year, an ivory and gold toothpick that belonged to Dickens sold for £5,793 at auction. (PA)