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Swarm of bees descends on man's Mitsubishi

A man in Wales got quite a shock when he returned to his car only to find it covered in bees. According to the South Wales Evening Post, an unnamed driver parked Mitsubishi Outlander in front of the Three Crowns Pub in Haverfordwest, a city in Pembrokesire, Southwest Wales. When he returned, he discovered a large swarm of honeybees had come to roost on the rear of the car. Thankfully, before anyone could disturb the bees, a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park ranger named Tom Moses came across the scene. "It was spectacular, I was driving through when I sported the big brown splodge," Moses told the Evening Post. "A lot of people were really amazed by it, cars were slowing down and people were taking pictures of it." The bees were swarming the car after their queen became lodged in the trunk, according to the Guardian. Moses has an interest in bees and often speaks to people about the ways in which bees are threatened by pesticides and habitat destruction. "At the national park, we like people to be aware of how important bees are and how people should be looking after them," Moses told the paper. The ranger contacted the Pembrokeshire Beekeepers' Association and two members came out to collect the swarm. "I was a little bit concerned, with it being in the middle of town outside a pub, that someone might do something stupid and get hurt or do something stupid and hurt the bees," Moses said. His concern is valid. It's a very bad idea to tangle with stinging insects when you don't know what you're doing. Bees swarm to protect their queen, and are liable to swarm anything they see as a threat. If you ever find yourself in this unlikely scenario, call a professional beekeeper who can safely remove the hive. Avoid hiring an exterminator though. Bee populations have a hard enough time as it is. Honeybee die-offs and disappearances have been on the rise since 2006. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one of the primary culprits is Colony Collapse Disorder, which happens when all adult workers in a hive disappear leaving only immature bees and a queen behind. Related Video:

Nissan shareholders oust Carlos Ghosn from board of directors

TOKYO — Nissan's shareholders approved on Monday the ouster from the Japanese automaker's board of its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, who is facing allegations of financial misconduct. The approval, which was expected, was indicated by applause from the more than 4,000 people gathered at a Tokyo hotel for a three-hour extraordinary shareholders' meeting. Other votes had been submitted in advance. Ahead of the vote, Nissan's top executive apologized to shareholders for the scandal at the Japanese automaker and asked them to approve Ghosn's dismissal. Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa and other Nissan executives bowed deeply in apology to shareholders attending the extraordinary meeting at a Tokyo hotel. Shareholders also approved the appointment of French alliance partner Renault SA's Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard to replace Ghosn. Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan. Senard, introduced to shareholders at the meeting's end, thanked them and promised to do his best to keep the automaker's performance on track. "I will dedicate my energy to enhance the future of Nissan," said Senard. The shareholders also gave a green light to removing from the board a former executive direct, Greg Kelly, who has been charged with collaborating with Ghosn in the alleged misconduct. Angry shareholders demanded an explanation for how wrongdoing on an allegedly massive scale had gone unchecked for years. The meeting was closed except to stockholders but livestreamed. One shareholder said Nissan's entire management should resign immediately. Saikawa said he felt his responsibility lay in fixing the shoddy corporate governance at Nissan first, and continuing to lead its operations. Another shareholder asked if Nissan was prepared for a damage lawsuit from shareholders since its stock price has plunged. "I deeply, deeply apologize for all the worries and troubles we have caused," Saikawa said. "This is an unprecedented and unbelievable misconduct by a top executive." He outlined the findings of an internal investigation, such as payments of a consultation fee to Ghosn's sister for 13 years. The investigation has also found too much power had been focused in one person, he said. Ken Miyamoto, 65, a Nissan shareholder, said he was disappointed. "It is really such a pity as he was a brilliant manager," Miyamoto said of Ghosn before heading into the meeting.

Brand new cars are being sold with defective Takata airbags

If you just bought a 2016 Audi TT, 2017 Audi R8, 2016–17 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, or 2016 Volkswagen CC, we have some unsettling news for you. A report provided to a US Senate committee that oversees the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and reported on by Automotive News claims these vehicles were sold with defective Takata airbags. And it gets worse. Toyota and FCA are called out in the report for continuing to build vehicles that will need to be recalled down the line for the same issue. That's not all. The report also states that of the airbags that have been replaced already in the Takata recall campaign, 2.1 million will need to eventually be replaced again. They don't have the drying agent that prevents the degradation of the ammonium nitrate, which can lead to explosions that can destroy the airbag housing and propel metal fragments at occupants. So these airbags are out there already. We're not done yet. There's also a stockpile of about 580,000 airbags waiting to be installed in cars coming in to have their defective airbags replaced. These 580k airbags also don't have the drying agent. They'll need to be replaced down the road, too. A new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time. If all this has you spinning around in a frustrated, agitated mess, there's a silver lining that is better than it sounds. So take a breath, run your fingers through your hair, and read on. Our best evidence right now demonstrates that defective Takata airbags – those without the drying agent that prevents humidity from degrading the ammonium nitrate propellant – aren't dangerous yet. It takes a long period of time combined with high humidity for them to reach the point where they can rupture their housing and cause serious injury. It's a matter of years, not days. So a new vehicle with a defective Takata airbag should be safe to drive, but that margin of safety decreases with time – and six years seems to be about as early as the degradation happens in the worst possible scenario. All this is small comfort for the millions of people who just realized their brand-new car has a time bomb installed in the wheel or dashboard, or the owners who waited patiently to have their airbags replaced only to discover that the new airbag is probably defective in the same way (although newer and safer!) as the old one.