The "And in other news..." thread

[TheTTTEGeek]

Action Man is or was the UK licensed version equivalent of GI Joe, launched a year or two later in the UK.

Thank you. Are you talking about the 60s toys or 80s toys?

Just curious, as people on Hisstank (GI Joe forum), that's managed by the same people as TFW2005 (transformers forum) consider them to be separate series.

Also:

https://soranews24.com/2025/07/18/t...tech-that-scans-and-keeps-track-of-your-poop/

The new Neorest line of toilets will include a system to monitor fecal matter as it is expelled and record it in a dedicated smartphone app. The scanner is installed next to the washlet water nozzle and works just like a barcode scanner to analyze turds as they move past.

The consistency of movements will be classified into seven categories: Clumps (1), Lumpy (2), Cracked (3), Normal (4), Semi-Solid (5), Muddy (6), and Liquid (7). The shade of brown is also measured and given one of three categories. This data is logged for each time on the toilet and can be viewed on a smartphone app, which also offers lifestyle advice on how to have more consistently normal BMs.

The TLDR version is it syncs to an app & somehow is able to detect potential diseases.

 

[Trackman]

Might as well say it now, he doesn't have a leg to stand on...
All a bit extreme for a few quid, but has not been proven guilty yet.

Truro surgeon accused of fraud over his leg amputations

Neil Hopper, 49, is also accused of encouraging the commission of grievous bodily harm.

www.bbc.co.uk

A vascular surgeon who carried out hundreds of amputation operations before having his own legs removed has appeared in court charged with fraud.
Neil Hopper, 49, of Truro, Cornwall, has also been charged with encouraging someone else to remove the body parts of others.
He appeared before Cornwall Magistrates' Court in Bodmin accused of two counts of fraud by false representation, and a charge of encouraging or assisting in the commission of an indictable-only offence, namely grievous bodily harm.
Magistrates remanded him into custody and ordered him to appear before Truro Crown Court on 26 August.

it is alleged that between 3 and 26 June 2019 Mr Hopper made a false representation to insurers by claiming that injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and not self-inflicted.

He also faces a charge that between 21 August 2018 and 4 December 2020 he bought videos from a website called The Eunuch Maker which showed the removal of limbs and he encouraged Marius Gustavson to remove the body parts of third parties.

Mr Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, had been employed by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust from 2013 until he was arrested in March 2023, police said.

He has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.

A spokesperson for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said: "The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper's professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.

"Former patients with any questions or concerns about their treatment can contact the Royal Cornwall Hospitals' patient experience team," they added.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Might as well say it now, he doesn't have a leg to stand on...

...also known as the Bader Rules...

 

[edwin_m]

All a bit extreme for a few quid, but has not been proven guilty yet.

If he is, then he will look pretty prosthetic.

 

[J663738]

Online Safety Act: Which sites will require UK age verification?

All websites hosting pornography will have to check the age of their users from Friday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Asking this question for a "friend", what type of age verification checks are certain UK sites actually using this morning?
Another "friend" told me they went on a certain ....Hub site and it wanted them to sign in with their e-mail, but I'm sure there has to be more than just an e-mail, this must just be the first step.

 

[najaB]

Online Safety Act: Which sites will require UK age verification?

All websites hosting pornography will have to check the age of their users from Friday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Asking this question for a "friend", what type of age verification checks are certain UK sites actually using this morning?
Another "friend" told me they went on a certain ....Hub site and it wanted them to sign in with their e-mail, but I'm sure there has to be more than just an e-mail, this must just be the first step.

I've heard that some sites will use the Yoti ID app. Others will, apparently, do self-verification by way of facial age detection. And. subscription sites can use credit card validation (on the basis that you have to be 18+ to get a credit card).

 

[Gloster]

Would you really be happy to allow a ‘friend’ to hand over any sort of personal details to an industry which is renowned for having such high ethical standards? Were I a user of such sites, my prudence would tell me ’stop’. (Ah, dear prudence…and she was.) Not that it will stop the savvy teens who can get round it and may end up seeing even more inappropriate content..

 

[J663738]

The 'friend' uses the Opera browser, which has a free built in VPN, so they were just asking out of curiosity.
I can not imagine anyone stupid enough to upload credit card details or other form of ID's including their photo to gain access. If M&S or the Co-op can't hold onto your data, then why would you trust one of these sites to do so?

 

[generalnerd]

This story is quite interesting with a bit of a rail related twist!

Must have been a bit of a shock for the station staff to find a bag containing £20k in cash and then for the mastermind to be travelling to London...presumably in First Class of course...completely unaware of the fact that BTP would be waiting for his arrival at the other end!

(Not quite sure he was the brightest tool in the box at concealing his operations with a £91,000 Jaguar just casually parked up in his driveway mind!)

Thirsk man jailed over £1m illegal streaming operation

Stephen Woodward is jailed for 37 months after running three illegal streaming sites.

www.bbc.co.uk

I hear he was streaming ‘the great train robbery’

 

[brad465]

An udder disgrace:

Tour de France 2025: Stage 19 rerouted to avoid diseased cows

Organisers shorten stage 19 of the Tour de France in order to avoid a herd of diseased cattle on the Col des Saisies.

www.bbc.co.uk

Organisers have changed the route of stage 19 of the Tour de France because of a herd of diseased cattle on the Col des Saisies.

The stage distance has been cut from 130km to 95km, with two of the five planned categorised climbs dropped.

Riders will set out one hour later at 13:30 BST in Albertville and will skip the first two climbs of Cote d'Hery-sur-Ugine and Col des Saisies in the Alps before re-joining the original route near Beaufort.

"The discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies has necessitated the culling of the animals," Tour de France organisers ASO said.

"In light of the distress experienced by the affected farmers and in order to preserve the smooth running of the race, it has been decided to modify the route and avoid the ascent to the Col des Saisies."

Friday's stage is the third last of the 2025 Tour, and the final stage in the high mountains.

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar leads the general classification from Jonas Vingegaard, while Great Britain's Oscar Onley starts the day in fourth place overall, only 22 seconds off a podium place and the white jersey for the best young rider in the Tour.

 

[najaB]

I can not imagine anyone stupid enough to upload credit card details or other form of ID's including their photo to gain access.

It is, naturally, up to each person to decide what PII they're comfortable with sharing, but one thing to keep in mind that where ID verification services are concerned, they don't store the raw data once your age/ID has been verified.

 

[brad465]

The man in the video CEO Andy Byron has now resigned

And now his mistress has resigned from her senior role too:

Kristin Cabot resigns from Astronomer after viral Coldplay clip

The clip showed a man and woman swaying to the music before quickly ducking and hiding from the camera.

www.bbc.co.uk

A US tech company's chief people officer who was apparently caught on a big screen at a Coldplay concert embracing the company's CEO has resigned.
Kristin Cabot is no longer working for Astronomer, the firm told the BBC in a statement.
Her departure follows that of Andy Byron, the company's former CEO, who left last week after the firm announced he would be placed on leave and investigated.
It shows a man and a woman, who were identified by US media as the co-workers, embracing on a jumbo screen at the arena before they abruptly ducked and hid.
After seeing the pair try to hide from the camera, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin said to the crowd: "Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."
The video, which showed the pair swaying to music at the concert before trying to hide, gained millions of views on social media. It was then shared across platforms, turned into memes and made fun of on television programmes.
As internet sleuths attempted to identify the pair and fake statements surfaced about the incident, Astronomer put out a statement announcing an investigation into the matter, without specifying the video, and said its CEO would be placed on leave.
The following day, the company announced Mr Byron had resigned.
The BBC has been unable to independently confirm the identities of either person in the clip.
The company, which deals with data, analytics and artificial intelligence, announced co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy had been appointed interim CEO.
"The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies - let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world - ever encounter," Mr DeJoy said in an update after taking the reins.
He noted the company became a "household" name almost overnight and would continue on its path forward and "commitment to building something great".
That statement is the closest the company has come to acknowledging the incident at the Coldplay concert.

 

[najaB]

And now his mistress has resigned from her senior role too

Can't say that I'm surprised there. It's not a good look for the head of HR to be caught in a secret intra-office relationship.

 

[TheTTTEGeek]

what's even funnier is they recently got the Ex-wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) of the band frontman Chris Martin (who also was the member who helped expose the CEO and HR executive's affair) to explain what the company does

 

[styles]

what's even funnier is they recently got the Ex-wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) of the band frontman Chris Martin (who also was the member who helped expose the CEO and HR executive's affair) to explain what the company does

Honestly think this is a genius PR move.

The two people involved have been sacked or 'resigned', the company clearly accepts it wasn't appropriate, but they are owning it and making it slightly humourous.

Most people hadn't even heard of this company a month ago. I bet they're secretly enjoying the publicity.

 

[dangie]

From the BBC:
The BBC is to reunite with the Met Office for its weather forecasts and climate updates, eight years after the relationship between the two organisations ended.

The new partnership, announced on Wednesday, is aimed at delivering "the most trusted and accurate weather service to everyone in the UK", the corporation said.

Is this the BBC finally admitting that their weather forecasts are cr*p….??

BBC reunites with Met Office for weather forecasts

After eight years apart, the BBC wants the Met Office to help provide "the most trusted" forecasts.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[brad465]

From the BBC:
The BBC is to reunite with the Met Office for its weather forecasts and climate updates, eight years after the relationship between the two organisations ended.

The new partnership, announced on Wednesday, is aimed at delivering "the most trusted and accurate weather service to everyone in the UK", the corporation said.

Is this the BBC finally admitting that their weather forecasts are cr*p….??

BBC reunites with Met Office for weather forecasts

After eight years apart, the BBC wants the Met Office to help provide "the most trusted" forecasts.

www.bbc.co.uk

Will be interesting to see if some of the Met Office presenters appear on the BBC. Alex Deakin used to be a BBC regular, but as he's tied to the Met Office, he disappeared from the BBC when the partnership ended, but he still appears on the Met Office's own website videos.

 

[MotCO]

Will be interesting to see if some of the Met Office presenters appear on the BBC. Alex Deakin used to be a BBC regular, but as he's tied to the Met Office, he disappeared from the BBC when the partnership ended, but he still appears on the Met Office's own website videos.

Alex Deakin, and others, regularly appeal on the GBNews weather bulletins.

 

[AndrewE]

Nice one tonight on R4 at 6.30 pm, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c207nn1lrqyo
Pity about the ad for Snow at the end:

Snow is fronting a documentary about the Northumberland and its wreck, which will air on his streaming service History Hit on Thursday.

 

[D6130]

As long as Carol Kirkwood continues to appear, I'll be a happy bunny!....but don't tell @Leuchars4StA !

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I hope they keep the "straight down" look to the map and don't go back to the silly tilted one the Met Office used on the BBC before.

 

[dangie]

As long as Carol Kirkwood continues to appear, I'll be a happy bunny!....but don't tell @Leuchars4StA !

She cheers my morning up. She has a really nice voice as well

 

[GusB]

I've heard the expression "throwing a sausage up a close"*, but this is ridiculous!

Dizzy with glizzys: hotdog spill on Pennsylvania highway leaves motorists steamed

Crews worked to clean up strewn links which led to morning traffic being snagged in chain reaction

www.theguardian.com

A highway outside of Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania, was dizzy with glizzys on Friday after a truckload of hotdogs spilled across the I-83, as local commuters learned that even the weakest hot dog link can cause a chain reaction.
State police said the tractor trailer had an unspecified mechanical problem on Interstate-83 a few miles north of the Maryland line as morning rush hour was wrapping up, causing it to push into a passenger vehicle. When the truck scraped along a concrete divider, its trailer was ripped open and the contents scattered.

As crews worked to ketchup with the rolling dogs, they came face to face with the unpleasant nature of how the sausage is made when it comes to roadside cleanup.
“Once those leave the truck and hit the road, that’s all garbage, and it’s still pretty warm,” Brad Dauberman, the Shrewsbury fire company chief, said as crews worked to snap up franks grilling in the summer sun.
The dogs are sadly unusable, and will likely go to slaughter. Dauberman said that he did not relish the cleanup task.
“I can tell you personally, hot dogs are very slippery,” the fire chief said. “I did not know that.”
The four people injured might not feel like weiners, but need not fear for the wurst, as police said their injuries were not life threatening.

* I'm not going to explain it here, please ask your favourite search engine

 

[Calthrop]

I've heard the expression "throwing a sausage up a close"*, but this is ridiculous!

Dizzy with glizzys: hotdog spill on Pennsylvania highway leaves motorists steamed

Crews worked to clean up strewn links which led to morning traffic being snagged in chain reaction

www.theguardian.com

* I'm not going to explain it here, please ask your favourite search engine

Sausage-and-dog puns run riot: I have to feel it's a bit too good to be true, that the fire chief happened to be called Dauberman [Pinscher].

 

[dgl]

Got a pet you no longer want, or maybe a horse? Well a zoo in Denmark has the answer...

Aalborg Zoo asks for unwanted pets to feed its predators

Aalborg Zoo says the unique scheme is aimed at mimicking what its predators would eat in the wild.

www.bbc.co.uk

A zoo in Denmark has appealed to the public to donate their healthy unwanted pets as part of a unique effort to provide food for its predators.
Aalborg Zoo has asked for donations of live chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs, which it says are "gently euthanised" by trained staff.
The zoo also accepts donations of live horses - with owners able to benefit from a potential tax break.
Posting on Instagram, external, the zoo explains it has a "responsibility to imitate the natural food chain of the animals" and smaller livestock "make up an important part of the diet of our predators".
The zoo says the food provided in this way is "reminiscent of what it would naturally hunt in the wild" - and that this is especially true for the Eurasian lynx.
Other predators being kept at the zoo include lions and tigers.
The small animals can be donated on weekdays, with no more than four at a time without an appointment.

 

[najaB]

Once you get past the initial shock, it does make sense. As I described it to a friend, it's The Circle of Life: Home Edition.

 

[J663738]

Come on rover old boy, we're going for a walk to the zoo!

 

[dgl]

I suppose it brings a new take on the "they've gone to live on a farm". Now when you tell them that they've gone to live at the zoo and they ask if they could see the pet next time they go to the zoo you can say "sorry they don't have an x-ray machine there"!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Perhaps I could donate half the population in my Borough.
They seem to contribute absolutely nothing to our society; and many look like they'll feed a whole pride of lions.

 

[Calthrop]

Wasn't there a matter a few years ago, which got a good deal of attention in the news: about a zoo in Denmark which had a surplus-to-requirements giraffe; the zoo authorities adamantly decided to put it down and use it for "carnivorous-inmate-feed", although various possibilities were aired re handing the animal on to some zoo elsewhere, which could maybe use another giraffe (as a living exhibit)? Much adverse criticism was directed at the zoo. General picture which seems to be got of the Danes, is that they are overall a nice folk -- but, it might appear, tending on the zoo-keeping front, to this particular policy: of which many, would not approve.