For Australian swimmers and surfers, checking Twitter before taking a dip could be a lifesaver. Surf Life Saving Western Australia (@SLSWA), a volunteer-based association providing beach safety education and emergency rescue services, recently implemented a system that posts live tweets from more than 320 resident sharks. The updates – which include the shark’s species and approximate location – allow beachgoers to steer clear of areas with a high frequency of activity.

The dangers faced daily by London cyclists hit the headlines last month when six were killed in 13 days, prompting protests and even calls for lorries to be banned from the streets during rush hour. But away from the furore a number of British technology firms have been racing to perfect safety systems that it is hoped can save lives. Cycling deaths hit a five-year high in 2012, with 118 cyclists killed on British roads, and safety standards in the capital are coming under particular scrutiny.

An inexperienced driver who reaches for a cellphone increases the risk for a crash by more than 700 percent, a new study found. Using accelerometers, cameras, global positioning devices and other sensors, researchers studied the driving habits of 42 newly licensed 16- and 17-year-old drivers and 167 adults with more experience. The machines recorded incidents of cellphone use, reaching for objects, sending text messages, adjusting radios and controls, and eating and drinking.

Taken collectively, this body of evidence shows that nuclear radiation from Fukushima is affecting sea life in the Pacific Ocean and animal life along the west coast of North America in some extraordinary ways. But the mainstream media continues to insist that we don’t have a thing to worry about. The mainstream media continues to insist that radiation levels in the Pacific and along the west coast are perfectly safe. Are they lying to us?

Brilliant Anti-Speeding Ad from New Zealand

Firearms officers are to wear video cameras in an attempt to be "more open" following the death of Mark Duggan, the Met Police Commissioner has said. Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe admitted the force must "do more to build trust" after an inquest jury found the 29-year-old was lawfully killed. Mr Duggan was shot dead by police in August 2011 in Tottenham, north London. Sir Bernard will meet community leaders in Haringey to discuss how "confidence" in the Met can be improved.

A team of nuclear scientists in Japan said Thursday they plan to create a controlled reactor meltdown in a bid to learn how to deal with future disasters. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency said it was working on a project using a scaled-down version of a reactor which they would deliberately cause to malfunction at a research facility in Ibaraki, north of Tokyo.

Nuclear radiation at the boundaries of the stricken Fukushima power plant has now reached 8 times government safety guidelines, TEPCO has said. The firm has been struggling to contain radioactive leaks at Fukushima since the onset over the crisis in 2011. The levels of nuclear radiation around Fukushima’s No. 1 plant have risen to 8 millisieverts per year, surpassing the government standard of 1 milliseviert per year, reports news site Asahi Shimbun citing Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

Before you pop some Tylenol for that headache, you might want to consider a new warning. The Food and Drug Administration says high doses of acetaminophen, found in many over-the-counter cold medicines and pain killers, can lead to liver damage. In a safety statement released Tuesday, FDA regulators recommend that health professionals stop prescribing combination drug products with more than 325 milligrams of acetaminophen.

A U.S. man who paid $350,000 for the right to hunt an endangered African black rhino says he fears for his safety. Corey Knowlton said that after being revealed as the winner of a controversial Dallas Safari Club auction, he's received death threats — so many that he says local law enforcement and the FBI are now working to keep them safe.

There's been a steady stream of stories over the past year about the rapes of women in India. Now, Indian officials have unveiled a gun they say women can use to protect themselves. The .32-caliber revolver is called Nirbheek, for the victim of a December 2012 gang rape and murder aboard a bus in New Delhi. Indian law forbids the identification of rape victims, and the Indian media called her "Nirbhaya," which means fearless.

The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a warning to doctors about prescribing medications with more than 325 milligrams of acetaminophen. Although acetaminophen is harmless in small doses, it can cause liver damage if taken incorrectly. Here are five things you should know about this popular painkiller

An accident caused by zero visibility on the road.

Pennsylvania officials warned residents on Monday about a dangerous batch of heroin that has caused 22 deaths. The state’s attorney general, Kathleen G. Kane, said that the overdose deaths were most likely caused by a mix of heroin and fentanyl, a strong pain medicine.

Our team of NFL Nation reporters asked players across the league if they would play in the Super Bowl despite having a concussion. Cary Chow and Eric Allen break down the results.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allowed dozens of antibiotics used in animal feed to stay on the market despite findings by its own researchers that the drugs will likely expose people to antibiotic-resistant infections, according to a report released Monday by an environmental advocacy group.

Named after gang rape victim Nirbhaya, the Nirbheek is a small, lightweight revolver being marketed to Indian women

Yahoo yesterday announced that Yahoo mail has been the focus of a co-ordinated hack and that at this time it has confirmed a number of users e-mail accounts have been compromised – you may be one of them (and if you are see below for my top tips on how to secure your passwords going forward). It is not clear how many users have been compromised, or exactly how. Yahoo don’t have a history of providing much information but it would be prudent for any Yahoo mail users to take precautions.

A San Francisco pornography company that specializes in films featuring scenes of dominance and submission was fined more than $78,000 this week by state safety officials for maintaining dangerous workplace conditions, among them allowing performers to have sex on camera without using condoms.

As Ukraine's protest movement enters its third month, the opposition say that 36 activists have gone missing. David Blair talks to the families of the disappeared