The "And In Other News" Thread After Hours

[Donna]

If you're anything like me you probably come across stories that you feel like sharing, but half-way through posting a new thread you think "maybe it's not necessary to start a whole new thread about this I might be the only person who finds it interesting". Or, "OMG, if I post this they're going to think I'm weird. Wait, maybe they already think I'm weird".

So I thought it might be worth having a thread where we can post any interesting, but maybe not that interesting stories we come across. I suppose if they do start to generate a lot of discussion then we could start a new thread for that topic.

 

[Donna]

A man has been charged with criminal damage after a hearse was driven on to a football pitch during a match.

The hearse and a Subaru car were driven on to the pitch during half-time at a match in Gateshead in July last year.

Those inside then threw leaflets on to the pitch before abandoning the hearse and driving off in the Subaru.

Northumbria Police said a 29-year-old man has been charged with one count of causing criminal damage.

The incident took place at the ground of Dunston UTS on Wellington Road on 21 July 2023, during a game against Gateshead.

No-one was reported to have been threatened or injured during the incident.

Northumbria Police launched an investigation and 12 people were arrested.

The 29-year-old man is due to appear before magistrates in South Tyneside later this month, charged with one count of causing criminal damage and a public order offence.

Two men, aged 41 and 49, remain under investigation while another two men, aged 42 and 40, remain on police bail.

Seven other men arrested in connection with the incident will face no further action.

Man charged after hearse driven on to Dunston UTS football pitch

The hearse was abandoned on the pitch at half-time before police officers could arrive at the scene.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Birdman]

Two 16-year-olds in Pyongyang were convicted of watching South Korean films and music videos.

"They were seduced by foreign culture … and ended up ruining their lives," the narrator states, as the video cut away to young girls being handcuffed and Pyongyang women wearing South Korean fashion and hairstyles.

 

[Gemma]

A 13-year-old girl named Zara Sutcliffe hatched a quail from a supermarket egg and now considers the bird, named Pebbles, her "best friend."

Zara heard about a similar project online involving a duck egg and convinced her mother to buy a box of Clarence Court quail eggs.

After three weeks of warmth and care, Pebbles hatched, and Zara raised him in her bedroom. The family later bought a "harem" of six female quails for Pebbles to join.

Zara hopes Pebbles might start his own family, and the family now supports the addition of quails to their household, which already includes a dog, three cats, and two red-footed tortoises.

 

[Recycling Bin]

A Chinese company, Betavolt Technology, claims to have created the BV100, a nuclear-powered battery smaller than a coin that can reportedly outlast the devices it powers, providing continuous power for 50 years without requiring recharging.

Utilizing energy from nuclear isotopes, the prototype battery employs semiconductors to convert the released energy into electrical power, potentially allowing devices such as smartphones to operate endlessly without the need for recharging or drones to fly continuously without landing, as stated on the company's website.

 

[Bandit]

A doctor used an Apple Watch to aid an elderly woman who suffered a medical emergency on a flight.

NHS doctor Rashid Riaz, traveling on a Ryanair flight from Birmingham to Verona, assisted a woman in her 70s experiencing shortness of breath on January 9. Dr. Riaz, 43, borrowed the Apple Watch from a flight attendant to assess the patient's oxygen levels.

He learned about the woman's heart issues by conversing with her in Urdu, providing reassurance to her husband. Though aware the wrist-worn device could aid his medical inquiries, he lacked his own and requested one from the staff.

"The Apple Watch helped me find out the patient had low oxygen saturation," the medic explained.

 

[Casey]

A US company is paying people $10k if they can go without their mobile phone for one month

Siggi's Dairy is sponsoring a "digital detox" challenge, offering a $10,000 prize to 10 winners who commit to a month without their smartphones.

Contestants, aged 18 and older, must submit a 100-500 word essay explaining why they need a detox and how it aligns with Siggi's brand philosophy.

Winners receive the cash prize, a smartphone lockbox, a replacement flip phone, a prepaid sim card, and three months of yogurt.

The challenge begins after winners are announced around Feb. 15, based on the honor system.

 

[Casey]

In Sturgis, Michigan, an Amish family's horse and buggy were stolen from outside a Walmart while they were shopping, according to the Sturgis Department of Public Safety.

The family, unnamed in the report, discovered their transportation missing around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday when they exited the store. A truck driver in the Walmart parking lot witnessed a female stealing the buggy. Police had encountered the suspect earlier at Walmart for reasons undisclosed.

Later that evening, authorities located the stolen horse and buggy and arrested a 31-year-old suspect at a nearby motel. The suspect faces charges of larceny and larceny of livestock and awaits arraignment at St. Joseph County Jail. The horse was unharmed, and the family had their buggy returned. The Amish are known for their traditional lifestyle, including plain clothing and a rejection of modern technology such as cars and the Internet.

 

[Best]

A 52-year-old Chinese man, who chain-smoked cigarettes while completing a marathon, has been issued banned for two years.

The man, identified by his surname Chen, completed the C&D Xiamen Marathon 2024, held on 7 January in three hours and 33 minutes, and smoked throughout.

Now, the Xiamen Marathon's organising committee has issued a two-year ban on him from their races and reported him to the Chinese Athletics Association for further penalties.

The organising committee's statement also said it verified Mr Chen's smoking based on "race supervision, referee reports, timing chip data, race videos, pictures and other materials". The committee voided his timing and ranking for the event.

He is popularly known as Uncle Chen and has earned the title of "Smoking Brother" in China, according to Canadian Running magazine, which first reported the incident.

 

[Ghost]

Legislators in the Florida House of Representatives on Wednesday approved what could be the strictest regulation on social media and kids in the country.

Florida House Bill 1 would prohibit children under the age of 16 from using most social media platforms, regardless of parental approval.

The social media platforms the bill would target include any site that tracks user activity, allows children to upload content or uses addictive features designed to cause compulsive use.

The House passed the bill by a vote of 106 to 13, with many Democrats joining the chamber's Republican majority in support of the bill. It now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration.

State Rep. Fiona McFarland, a Republican, described social media as "digital fentanyl" for kids when promoting the bill on the House floor.

"It's like a digital fentanyl, and even the most plugged-in parent or attuned teen has a hard time shutting the door against these addictive features," McFarland said.

Another Republican legislator, state Rep. Tyler Sirois, also argued in support of the bill, saying that social media platforms are "taking advantage of kids growing up."

Most social media platforms currently have a minimum user age of 13.

The bill would allow the termination of social media accounts belonging to kids under 16, including the deletion of information for pre-existing accounts. It would also require that social media sites use "reasonable age verification methods" to verify users' ages.

This is very obviously unenforceable and not going to work.