If you decide to sell your baby for a new mobile phone, make sure it's a REALLY good phone. Otherwise you might have a case of buyer's remorse, much like Zhang Yao and her boyfriend Xin, who live in Chongqing.

After having met on the internet, where they spend a good majority of their free time, the couple had a child and six days later sold the newborn to a man identified as Li Yong for 2,500 yuan, which amounts to roughly $366 US dollars.

They used the money to purchase a new cellular phone, though later experienced a change of heart when Zhang Yao realized 24-hour mobile internet access was not worth the joy she could experience raising a child. Zhang is reported as having told a police officer that she wanted to raise the child and had been crying ever since she sold the child.

Despite the wild ride, the newborn is doing fine, and the fate of the young parents (the mother is 19 and the father is 21) is currently under investigation.

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A 22-year-old man from India with a taste for the high life has unsuccessfully staged his own kidnapping, demanding $40,000 US dollars from his father to fund a trip to Macau, according to reports.

His bungled attempt landed him in jail rather than in the Chinese gambling resort when he was caught red-handed picking up the ransom at a New Delhi shopping mall.

"His girlfriend wanted to celebrate the New Year's Eve in Macau," a senior police officer in New Delhi told the Hindustan Times (HT).

Pawan Verma had run up debts of 850,000 rupees ($20,000 US dollars), the HT and Times of India newspapers reported, owing to a lifestyle that made him a regular at plush bars in the capital.

Police said Verma's father, a local businessman who owns two shops, would decide if he wanted to press charges.

"If the father, who is a complainant in the case, decides to withdraw the complaint, the son can walk free,'' the police officer said.

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A US woman says her 4-year-old son got drunk and stole presents from under a neighbor's Christmas tree.

Hayden Wright was found wandering his Tennessee neighbourhood in the middle of the night with a beer in his hand, reported the Daily Telegraph.

His mother April Wright, 21, said she woke at 1:45 am and realized he was missing. She found him outside in the street, drinking a can of beer.

Hayden was taken to hospital and treated for alcohol consumption.

She said Hayden often runs away, trying to find his father, who is in prison. Wright is currently divorcing him.

"He wants to get in trouble so he can go to jail because that's where his Daddy is," she said.

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An escaped prisoner has celebrated his first Christmas on the run by taunting police with photos of himself on Facebook.

On Christmas Day, Craig Lynch, 28, even posted a photo of himself adorned in tinsel, making a rude gesture and holding a turkey, reports the Daily Mail.

Lynch has been on the run from a Suffolk Prison since September but rather than hide from police he has regularly updated them on his movements via the social networking site.

Craig Lynch has developed a strong following on his Facebook page as he continues to taunt police.

Last week Suffolk Police said his details had been logged on the Police National Computer and that routine checks were regularly performed at his known addresses.

A police spokeswoman said officers were also working with officials from Facebook to try and catch Lynch.