Tourists taken off road after ‘near miss’

Police in New Zealand were forced to remove the car keys from a tourist couple after officers allege they nearly caused a major crash. The couple, from Asia, were travelling on State Highway 8 between Twizel and Omarama in the Mackenzie Country of the South Island when they were pulled over, the New Zealand Herald reported. The area is sparsely populated but includes dramatic stretches of sheep-grazed farmlands framed by dramatic mountain peaks. It was unusually busy because of long-weekend traffic. Senior Const. Les Andrew told the Herald the officer who pulled over the couple reported that they had nearly caused a major accident. “It was a near-miss,” he said. “Their car was taken off them as a result. They were forbidden to drive and the rental company was told to come pick up the car.”

EUROPE Airline eyes waste water for passengers

Waste water from hydrogen batteries could be served alongside tea and coffee to passengers travelling on a European budget airline. EasyJet has unveiled plans for a hybrid aircraft that would harness hydrogen fuel cell technology to provide power when planes are taxiing. The firm’s head of engineering, Ian Davies, told the Press Association that the waste water produced as a byproduct could be reused for flushing toilets — and for drinking. “It’s absolutely pure,” he said. “Why would we throw water away when it’s absolutely pure?” The carrier, which hopes to launch the hybrid plane within the next decade, estimates that up to four per cent of its fuel is consumed during taxiing, and that hybrid planes could save its fleet around 50,000 tonnes of fuel a year. “The hybrid plane concept is both a vision of the future and a challenge to our partners and suppliers to continue to push the boundaries towards reducing our carbon emissions,” Davies said.

LONDON Secret mail tunnels to be opened to public

A set of mysterious tunnels used to ferry letters and parcels around London will soon be opened to the public. The 37-kilometre Mail Rail network is a miniature version of the British capital’s famous subway system but has been seen only by a select group of Royal Mail staff since it was opened for service in 1927. Small electric engines would shuttle the mail between eight main sorting depots including Paddington in the west and Liverpool Street in the east. It closed 11 years ago as part of streamlining of the mail service. Now a section of the line is to be opened early next year as the city’s newest tourist attraction, CNN reported.