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Comment Re: but don't worry (Score 1) 96

Alice Springs is a town, not a 'remote settlement'. Just because you would die of exhaustion walking to your local 7-11 to get your daily gallon of sugar water without the aid of your mums mobility scooter doesn't mean us actual human beings are living in neolithic environments. Sure it's a bit far from Darwin and Adelaide, but like hell are we a 'remote settlement'.
Australia

'Australia Is Stubbing Out Smoking' (bbc.com) 532

Posted by msmash from the taking-a-stand dept.
Australia was the first country in the world to introduce mandatory plain packaging for tobacco products. Now it is taking another strong stand, but will other countries follow suit? From an article on BBC, shared by an anonymous reader: It's not easy being a smoker in Australia. The smoking bans started inside -- in workplaces, bars and restaurants -- and moved out. "Now, smoking is prohibited within 10m (33ft) of a playground, within 4m (13ft) of the entrance to a public building, at rail platforms, taxi ranks and bus stops," said Mark Driver, Sydney's Park and Recreation Planner. Those are the rules in New South Wales, but they are mirrored in many other states. Smoking is banned on many beaches, and most Australian states have now banned cigarettes in jail. All states ban smoking in vehicles if children are present. Fines vary, but in some places you may be fined AUD$2,000 (USD$1,515) if you smoke in the wrong place. And even if you don't, you'll be paying more than that each year by 2020, if you smoke just one AUD$40 pack a week. [...] These days, smoking is often taken up by people who are on the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder, Simone Dennis, an associate professor at Australian National University, points out, "and that adds a burden of shame to people who might already be marginalised." If it's the poor who are now the most likely to smoke, it's hard to see how they will ever afford the AUD$40 (USD$30) pack of cigarettes.

Submission + - Robot handcuffed and arrested at Moscow Rally (abc.net.au)

Submitted by ferret4
ferret4 writes: Arobott has been detained by police at a political rally in Moscow, with authorities attempting to handcuff the machine.

Police have not confirmed why they detained the machine named Promobot, but local media was reporting the company behind the robot said police were called because it was "recording voters' opinions on [a] variety of topics for further processing and analysis by the candidate's team".

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