04/04/09 | Breaking Tweets

April 4, 2009

New laws prevent cigarette displays in Australia

Per The Daily Telegraph, a new anti-smoking law would prevent stores from being allowed to display cigarettes. The regulation takes effect in July. After it is introduced, businesses have a six month grace period to display anything that is tobacco-related.

Any business found to be in breach of this policy could be fined up to $660,000 for the first violation, according to the article. Any additional violations would be fined accordingly.

It is hoped that this slows down the sales of cigarettes and helps to decrease the amount of second-hand smoke.

Aussie Twitterers and others around the world shared their thoughts through tweets:

JulianK24 (Brisbane, Australia) If Australia was to eradicate smoking, it would instantly prevent 30% of all cancers. from web

EverBluexo (Bendigo, Australia) @michellebranch That's the good thing about smoking indoors being banned here in Australia! No smelly hair! from TwitterFox in reply to michellebranch

cashmiracle (Melbourne, Australia) RT @abcnews Lung cancer rates rise despite smoking decline: The number of lung cancer deaths in Australia continues to rise,.. http://bi ... from twhirl

jeanettejoy (United States) @mirandarights Yes! I noticed more people smoke in Australia than in California. New Zealand? from web in reply to mirandarights

kmholland (Doha, Qatar) RT @JulianK24: If Australia was to eradicate smoking, it would instantly prevent 30% of all cancers. Imagine the stats for the Middle east from TweetDeck

blackjennay (United States) I'm getting old and sneezy, I would like some anti-smoking regulations in Milwaukee. from web

North Korea launches rocket

Per The Wall Street Journal, "North Korea launched a multi-stage rocket Sunday in defiance of international pressure."

Nearly 15 minutes before this news was confirmed by major news outlets such as BBC, CNN, and Reuters, @jasohill, a photographer of Hachimantai, Japan, broke the news to Twitter.

jasohill This is for real folks. NORTH KOREA has just launched it missile. 05 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

Popular Twitter news service BNO was one minute behind that tweet with its first tweet on the news:

BreakingNews FLASH -- TOKYO -- JAPANESE GOVERNMENT: NORTH KOREA HAS LAUNCHED ROCKET 05 Apr 2009 from BNO Headquarters

@jasohill went on to provide these first-hand accounts from Japan:

jasohill We have alarm bells going off here in Hachimantai. Has launched its rocket 05 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

jasohill Warning alarms going off. We have a rocket heading over Japan 05 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

jasohill This is not a false alarm. The North Korean rocket has been launched 05 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox

Other Twitterers in the region noted the news, many of them breathing a sigh of relief when it became apparent they were out of harm's way.

akikohayashi (Tokyo, Japan) Missile: It's gone. Relieved. But how many more times do we have to experience the similar situation? This is enough. 05 Apr 2009 from web

kyotonils (Kyoto, Japan) NK launches missile and I'm 2 stories undereground in retail bunker (Hankyu). Commerce seemingly unaffected. Chou creme hoarding imminent... 05 Apr 2009 from mobile web

SirSteven (Suzhou, China) North Korea has fired off its rocket-missile-satellite thingy, and no-one bothered to shoot it down... *yawn* 05 Apr 2009 from DestroyTwitter

Mitchell1986 (Cheongju, South Korea) The missile has been launched.....and the world didn't end (at least for us in Asia)...now to move on.... 05 Apr 2009 from web

kkongchi (Seoul, South Korea) I'm living in Seoul, Korea and All Media are saying on N.Korea's Rocket. but It seems that they launched Not Missile but Satellite. 05 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

naotakahashi (Gumma, Japan) Seemingly North Korea's "Flying Object" flew over Japan without any droppings. 05 Apr 2009 from web

Hearing to be held over public flogging in Pakistan

Per the Times of India, Pakistani chief justice Iftikar Mohammad Chaudhry called upon a court hearing for the woman who was beaten publicly by a member of the Taliban in Swat, two months after the organization gained power over the region.

The beating was filmed by what seems to be a mobile phone camera. Pakistani TV news broadcasted the clip on Friday, though the date of the film is undetermined.

Twitterers expressed their outrage over the beating.

higaiimo (St. Louis, Mo.) Watched a video of a woman being beaten buy the Taliban for having an affair.No trial, no investigation. Her screams play in my head. 03 Apr 2009 from web

andreatunes (Lombardy, Italy) Young woman, accused of having a partner outside marriage, has been beaten in Pakistan by a taliban group. Way to go, idiots! 03 Apr 2009 from twitterrific

hammeruk14 (Latun, U.K.) taliban have flogged a woman for an "alleged" incident with a young man, the man was flogged aswell although nothing happened sad times 04 Apr 2009 from web

firigon (Newcastle, Wash.) is outraged at the taliban's public flogging of a young woman in Swat, Pakistan. Why are we giving aid to Pakistan? 04 Apr 2009 from web

Featured TwitPic: Boarding boats in Vietnam

"Now boarding smaller boats to explore more narrow inlets," Mekong River, Vietnam (Posted by @sdweathers of Shanghai, China, April 4, 2009)

Giant sea worm captured in U.K. aquarium

Per Daily Mail Reporter, aquarium staff say they have finally captured a four-foot "giant sea" worm that has been wreaking havoc on a reef display at Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium in Cornwall, U.K.

Staff said the monster invertebrate, named Barry, had damaged fish residing in the display, and cut coral reefs in half, according to the article. Barry had spent several weeks eluding capture and leaving staff baffled by destroying traps and at times swallowing bait whole that was filled with fish hooks. Barry was still able to bite through some 20-pound fishing line before being captured.

Twitterers are in awe and disgust:

anazmekhol (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Just saw a picture of Barry, the giant (4ft long!!!) sea worm, found at Blue Reef Aquarium... S-W-E-E-T!!! 01 Apr 2009 from web

faffypants (Phoenix, Ariz.) NEVER going into the ocean, again. ever. http://news.aol.com/article/giant-sea-worm/412269?icid=main 03 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck

exlibris11235 (Madison, Wisc.) Ugh, Barry the Giant Sea Worm is going to give me the creepy-crawlies all day: http://bit.ly/2ZGfoY 03 Apr 2009 from web

worldwidebrian (Richmond, Va.) just saw a picture of Barry the giant sea worm, how cool!!! 03 Apr 2009 from web

JonGriffin (USA) Barry the giant sea worm is the scariest thing to come out of the ocean since the angler fish. Like, he's really [expletive] scary. 03 Apr 2009 from web

medeyle (Florida) After reading about Barry the giant sea worm I am even more sure that everything in the sea is pokey, bitey or poisonous! 04 Apr 2009 from web