SONIC the Hedgehog is a prickly subject. Not only does he elicit terrible puns from video game writers, he does so while dividing opinion quicker than a ghostbuster with boobs. 

The Irish arm of consumer goods giant Unilever last year returned to pre-tax profit to record a surplus of €6.3m.

A tightrope walking dog and a vacuum cleaner collector are just some of the wackier entries in the latest edition of Guinness World Records.

Hideki Matsui’s three-run homer in the first inning set the tone and Andy Pettitte tossed eight scoreless innings as the New York Yankees evened the World Series at one game apiece with a 6-1 triumph over the Florida Marlins.