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Sunday, October 7, 2012 

A Norwegian University of Science and Technology study released Thursday found electric vehicles have a potential for higher eco-toxicity and greenhouse impact than conventional cars. The study includes an examination of the electric car’s life cycle as a whole rather than a study of the electric car’s environmental impact during the use phase.

The researchers conducted a comparison of the environmental impact of electric cars in view of different ratios of green-to-fuel electricity energy sources. In the case of mostly coal- or oil-based electricity supply, electric cars are disadvantageous compared to classic diesel cars with the greenhouse effect impact being up to two times larger.

The researchers found that in Europe, electric cars pose a “10% to 24% decrease in global warming potential (GWP) relative to conventional diesel or gasoline vehicles”.

The researchers suggest to improve eco-friendliness of electric vehicles by “reducing vehicle production supply chain impacts and promoting clean electricity sources in decision making regarding electricity infrastructure” and using the electric cars for a longer time, so that the use phase plays a more important role in the electric vehicle life cycle.

Monday, March 11, 2013 

Six were killed, two injured in Warren, Ohio yesterday after teenagers in an acquired Honda Passport hit a guardrail and overturned into a pond. High speed contributed to the crash, investigators with the state highway patrol reported.

The SUV sank, with five teenagers inside. The sixth fatality was found under the car. Two other passengers escaped, ran to a phone, and called emergency services.

The dead were 19-year-old Alexis Cayson, 14-year-old Andrique Bennett, 17-year-old Brandon Murray, and 15-year-olds Kirklan Behner, Daylan Ray, and Ramone White. The survivors, 18-year-old Brian Henry and 15-year-old Asher Lewis, were taken to the hospital and released.

“We will not be speculating on alcohol and-or drug usage pending toxicology reports,” said Lieutenant Brian Holt of the state highway patrol.

Leuitenant Holt said the vehicle in question was not reported stolen but the teenagers did not have permission to use it. There was extensive damage to the front and rear of the car; the windows were cracked and broken. The car belonged to a Youngstown resident.

The fire department deployed a cold water rescue team and brought two of the teenagers to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The two who survived were treated for minor injuries.

A makeshift memorial has been set up at the scene with teddy bears and notes.

A school attended by several of the victims opened for counseling.

A friend of Behner, 18-year-old Rick Bowling, said, “He was one of a kind [...] Everyone knew him in the neighborhood. In school, he always made everyone laugh. [...] Basically, enjoy every second in life [...] Enjoy life while you’ve got it and while you’re here and enjoy people that you love.”

This crash was the most fatal in three years in the state.

Sunday, May 8, 2011 

State officials in Queensland, Australia, have begun working on a draft protocol to use security cameras to record conversations in taxis. The new draft proposes to change a current policy which allows for cameras in taxis which do not record sound for privacy reasons, in the hope that audio recordings will make some investigations easier.

The paper, which says audio recordings would “provide greater certainty with regard to investigations, particularly in situation of conflicting statements,” is currently at the Transport and Main Roads department. The proposal also suggests extending the time taxi companies can keep recordings downloaded from security cameras from the current 30–35 days.

The chairman of one taxi company said the proposed measure would increase the safety of his drivers. “In 2006 the government introduced the security cameras and most cabs now have GPS units,” he said. “What we’ve got now is an improvement over having nothing at all and as a result there has been a fair improvement in the reduction of assaults on taxi drivers.”

Queensland Taxi Advisers Incorporated, a union of taxi operators, said they supported the introduction of audio recording because it would create “greater transparency and certainty in investigations where there were conflicting statements from drivers and passengers.”

To address privacy concerns, the paper proposes to add stickers to the entry points at the taxis. The text will read, “Security cameras and microphones fitted. You will be photographed. Conversations will be recorded”. However, the legislation draft has met opposition from some. Scott Emerson, a spokesperson for the Liberal National Party of Queensland, objected to the measure on privacy grounds. “We need to know how these recordings are going to be used,” he said. “Who’s going to have access to them?”

Michael Cope, the president of the Queensland Council of Civil Liberties said he opposed the measure because the recordings might be used by taxi companies in civil cases concerning driver complaints. “We’re swapping from saying it’s about safety to saying it’s about setting fare disputes,” he said. “We don’t think that justifies collecting … intensely personal information that audio recordings collect.”

Queensland’s privacy commissioner Linda Matthews reacted said the recordings would be used for genuine law enforcement purposes. Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland’s Transport Minister, said the ideas within the proposal would be heavily considered before being implemented. She said: “If people think it’s a good idea then we go to full consultation. I would be meeting with the privacy commissioner, I’d be meeting with the taxi industry, I’d be consulting with members of the public in a much more formal way.”

Friday, March 3, 2006 

A sticker for the Pensacola, Florida folk-punk band This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb was found on a bike near the Ohio University’s Oasis restaurant by a university police officer.

The university police, who were unaware of the band’s existence, summoned the Columbus police bomb squad, who destroyed the bike to ensure that there was no bomb inside. The university later discovered their error.

The bike’s owner, a graduate student, has been charged with “inducing panic,” a misdemeanor. He has been released and is due to appear in court March 13 on the charge.

The band’s label, Plan-It-X Records, has not yet commented on the incident. The font and style of the sticker are common among such humorous stickers.

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The end of an era. I wonder if he had decided ‘enough was enough’ the way things are going at BBC Radio 2.

For instance, what was wrong with Mo Dutta’s Saturday morning show? It was just right for very early on a Saturday morning, with a little humour and gentle banter, not to mention a littly sarcasm. So he has been replaced by Zoe Ball! I can’t stand her shreiking voice and stupid chatter. Needless to say, I don’t listen anymore.

So Terry, I will certainly miss you, what will I do on Christmas Day, who on earth will they put on instead? Anyway, enjoy your lie-ins and I will check back for your new show in February.

Sincerely, Cathy Joy. (Now of Pennsylvania, U.S.A)

I have listened to Terry for so many years and I proudly move my TOG car sticker from car to car, it’s hard to imagine not being able to know he is going to be in your home in morning to cheer and ispire us. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.26.122.149 (talk) 20:41, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

Your new presenter for Terry’s program really needs elocution lessons. When you are busy in the morning you could clearly hear Terry, but with Chris Evans he talks too fast, swallows half his words and plays horrible music. Wherever you got him from he is well over paid. We are switching off BBC2 until you sort yourselves out…………Since Evans has been away you have had an excellent presenter with Richard Allinson. Keep him is what I say! Linda W.

My first WikiNews article! I’ve been following this story for a while on various discussion boards. Sorry about the cats. Someone with a bit of experience can check this over before publishing. I used the image from the WP article, but I dare say that artist’s renditions of the aircraft in Singapore Airlines or Qantas livery could be found. I believe that the original intention was to apply large Qantas decals in Brisbane (rather than respray the aircraft), but this was unsourced, so I didn’t include it. –Skyring 05:10, 5 November 2005 (UTC)

I’m disapointed to see problems already with the aircraft

Sunday, October 9, 2005  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that bans the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The bill requires violent video games sold in the state of California to be labeled with a decal reading “18″ and makes their sale to a minor punishable by a fine of $1000 per offense.

AB 1179, written by Assemblymember Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), defines a violent video game as one that “enables the player to virtually inflict serious injury upon images of human beings or characters with substantially human characteristics in a manner which is especially heinous, cruel, or depraved in that it involves torture or serious physical abuse to the victim.”

The bill also states, “Exposing minors to depictions of violence in video games, including sexual and heinous violence, makes those minors more likely to experience feelings of aggression, to experience a reduction of activity in the frontal lobes of the brain, and to exhibit violent antisocial or aggressive behavior.”

The bill will take effect January 1, 2006. Groups opposing the bill, including free speech advocates and the video game industry, already plan to challenge its constitutionality in court.