Latest news with #GrahamRussell
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Recalled gadget linked to explosions and fires found for sale on Facebook after mass blacklisting
A government notice previously warned of "potentially fatal consequences" if the battery fails DON'T BUY Recalled gadget linked to explosions and fires found for sale on Facebook after mass blacklisting A DANGEROUS e-bike battery previously blacklisted by the government has reportedly been found for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Households are being urged not to buy models of a UPP (Unit Pack Power) branded e-bike battery as they pose a serious risk of fire and even explosion. 2 The e-bike batteries suffer from thermal runaway, which can start fires that are almost impossible to extinguish Credit: West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service 2 The Independent reported that several listings for the U004 and U004-1 e-bike battery models were still online Credit: Electrical Safety First The government issued a withdrawal notice to online sellers such as Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba in February 2024. The notice warned of "potentially fatal consequences" if the battery fails. This meant the dangerous triangular-shaped UPP e-bike battery was no longer available for purchase on these platforms. However, the risky model has since been found for sale by private sellers on Facebook Marketplace, according to The Independent. Facebook was not directly issued with the original withdrawal notice. But a follow-up warning from government in February of this year was reportedly circulated online to reach the wider business community. While Meta, which owns Facebook, confirmed it had removed the listings, The Independent reported that several listings for the U004 and U004-1 models were still online. These listings were reportedly found to be advertised for sale in Greater Manchester, Greater London, Hull, Derbyshire, Southampton and Reading. One battery for sale, seen by charity Electrical Safety First, was described by the seller as being "a little bit burnt" from being "left near a radiator", according to the report. Ford Recalls 148,000 Vehicles: Fire & Crash Risks Explained The batteries suffer from thermal runaway - which causes them to reach up to 600C, during which they can release toxic gases and start fires that are almost impossible to extinguish, Electrical Safety First warned. In a statement earlier this year, Graham Russell, chief executive of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), said: "Unsafe e-bikes batteries are still in use around the country. "When they are being charged, they can catch fire with horrific force, threatening the lives of those who use them, their families and their neighbours." He added: "While OPSS takes action to remove these wherever we can, it is vital that consumers are aware of the risks and that they check that their own e-bike, or any e-bike they see for sale online, does not contain these UPP batteries. "If anyone finds one, don't use it and contact the seller." A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk. It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published government warning. Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said online sellers must ensure they are not unknowingly passing on dangerous e-bike batteries. "A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk," said Capanna. 'It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published government warning." Capanna also warned that the current rules policing online marketplaces and protecting shoppers from dangerous goods are not good enough. It comes as the government's Product Regulation & Metrology Bill progresses through the House of Commons. A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson told the Independent: "We take the risk of e-scooter and e-bike fires very seriously, and it is an offence to sell a product that a distributor knows or should know is unsafe. "Users should check that their own e-bike, or any e-bike they see for sale online, does not contain these UPP batteries, and anyone with information about the continued sale of these dangerous products should contact the Office for Product Safety and Standards."
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Recalled gadget linked to explosions and fires found for sale on Facebook after mass blacklisting
A DANGEROUS e-bike battery previously blacklisted by the government has reportedly been found for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Households are being urged not to buy models of a UPP (Unit Pack Power) branded e-bike battery as they pose a serious risk of fire and even explosion. 2 The e-bike batteries suffer from thermal runaway, which can start fires that are almost impossible to extinguish Credit: West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service 2 The Independent reported that several listings for the U004 and U004-1 e-bike battery models were still online Credit: Electrical Safety First The government issued a withdrawal notice to online sellers such as Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba in February 2024. The notice warned of "potentially fatal consequences" if the battery fails. This meant the dangerous triangular-shaped UPP e-bike battery was no longer available for purchase on these platforms. However, the risky model has since been found for sale by private sellers on READ MORE ON PRODUCT RECALLS Facebook was not directly issued with the original withdrawal notice. But a follow-up warning from government in February of this year was reportedly circulated online to reach the wider business community. While Meta, which owns Facebook, confirmed it had removed the listings, The Independent reported that several listings for the U004 and U004-1 models were still online. These listings were reportedly found to be advertised for sale in Greater Manchester, Greater London, Hull, Most read in Tech One battery for sale, seen by charity Electrical Safety First, was described by the seller as being "a little bit burnt" from being "left near a radiator", according to the report. Ford Recalls 148,000 Vehicles: Fire & Crash Risks Explained The batteries suffer from thermal runaway - which causes them to reach up to 600C, during which they can release toxic gases and start fires that are almost impossible to extinguish, Electrical Safety First warned. In a statement earlier this year, Graham Russell, chief executive of the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), said: "Unsafe e-bikes batteries are still in use around the country. "When they are being charged, they can catch fire with horrific force, threatening the lives of those who use them, their families and their neighbours." He added: "While OPSS takes action to remove these wherever we can, it is vital that consumers are aware of the risks and that they check that their own e-bike, or any e-bike they see for sale online, does not contain these UPP batteries. "If anyone finds one, don't use it and contact the seller." A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk. It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published government warning. Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said online sellers must ensure they are not unknowingly passing on dangerous e-bike batteries. "A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk," said Capanna. 'It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published government warning." Capanna also warned that the current rules policing online marketplaces and protecting shoppers from dangerous goods are not good enough. It comes as the government's Product Regulation & Metrology Bill progresses through the House of Commons. A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson told the Independent: "We take the risk of e-scooter and e-bike fires very seriously, and it is an offence to sell a product that a distributor knows or should know is unsafe. "Users should check that their own e-bike, or any e-bike they see for sale online, does not contain these UPP batteries, and anyone with information about the continued sale of these dangerous products should contact the Office for Product Safety and Standards."
Press and Journal
30-04-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Curl Aberdeen under threat of closure as urgent fundraising appeal launched
Aberdeen's only dedicated curling rink has warned it faces the biggest threat in its 20-year history due to rising energy costs and a sharp drop in membership. Curl Aberdeen, off the Lang Stracht, is trying to raise £160,000 in a one-month appeal to avoid potential closure and ensure the facility can continue into the next season. The club, which hosted the European Curling Championships in 2023, has seen its annual energy bill almost double to over £120,000 – a cost it says is unsustainable. Chairman Graham Russell described the situation as 'a perfect storm' of financial pressures, with the club also having lost one-third of its membership – around 200 curlers – since Covid. He said: 'It's ironic that in our 20th anniversary year, we're facing an existential threat to our future. 'The impact of Covid changed how people interact socially and we haven't seen those numbers return.' Despite efforts to remain accessible and affordable for the community, that very approach has combined to leave the club financially exposed. In a letter to members, Mr Russell said Curl Aberdeen's savings had 'completely eroded'. With traditional borrowing off the table – due to a restriction placed by Aberdeen City Council preventing the club from using its facility as loan security – the club's only option is direct member support. 'If you want the finest curling rink in Scotland to survive, all members and staff need to assist,' he wrote. 'Without your help, we will have to stop trading.' If Curl Aberdeen reaches its £160,000 targets, the funds will do more than simply keep the rink open through to the start of the next curling season in October. £75,000 of the total is earmarked to upgrade the club's ageing 20-year-old ice plant with a more energy-efficient system—an essential move to tackle the spiralling energy costs that are strangling the club's finances. 'We don't need to raise the money all at once,' insists Mr Russell, 'but we need the commitment that our members are willing to support us. 'We've never locked anyone out of Curl Aberdeen due to money, and we won't start now. But we need those who can afford to help to support us.' The crisis has been a wake up call. 'We've learned some hard lessons,' said the chairman. 'We haven't done enough to bring in young players, and now our average age is too high. That has to change.' The club is now developing a pathway programme to turn casual interest, like the 200 people who tried curling last year, into regular participation. It's also drawing inspiration from its own success stories. 'Two of our members are Olympians currently competing in Canada at the World Seniors,' said Russell. 'And we have a world junior Olympian, Ethan Brewster, who's a brilliant role model for young curlers in Aberdeen. That's the future we want to build on.' The club is determined to use this challenge to reimagine how it operates. 'Mistakes have been made and now we are driven to correct them,' Russell admitted. 'Should we have saved more money when times were better? Yes. But I'm not sure we could have foreseen Covid, quickly followed by increased energy costs.' That includes improving energy efficiency and promoting the club's facilities, including conference spaces that could bring in new revenue streams. Curl Aberdeen's appeal runs through May, with the club's board set to review the outcome in early June. 'Then we will decide if we are going to get enough support to go with the whole plan, or whether we're going to have to restrict our plans, or whether, we're going to have to close the door,' said Mr Russell. 'That is the sum and substance of it.'
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Funding crisis "biggest ever threat" to Aberdeen rink's future
The operators of the north east of Scotland's only dedicated curling rink say the site is facing its biggest ever threat to its future due to rising Aberdeen said it needed to raise £160,000 from its members to cover increasing cooling and heating costs, as well as replacing its ageing ice not-for-profit organisation is not allowed to borrow against the value of the building due to a security held on the site by its previous owner, Aberdeen City Council. The rink's bosses said this limited fundraising opportunities. They hope to generate support from their members. The rink, which opened in 2005, has hosted major tournaments including the European Championships and the World Mixed Curling has lost about a third of its 600 members since the Covid operators said the subsequent rise in the cost of living, particularly for energy costs, had also hit it hard and it was currently running at a deficit. Curl Aberdeen chairman Graham Russell told BBC Scotland News: "The city of Aberdeen quite correctly put a security on the site to ensure that we couldn't sell it for any other use than an amateur sports club. "Because of that we can't borrow against it."There has never been a greater threat in 20 years of Curl Aberdeen. "We're really at a crossroads because of the restrictions on borrowing."The situation follows similar crises at other rinks across Scotland. Earlier this month, Inverness Ice Centre said its energy bill had increased from £12,000 to £30,000 a 2023, a leading industry figure said many of Scotland's ice rinks faced closure due to "crippling" energy Ice Rink Association president Mike Ferguson at the time that said several Scottish ice rinks were now at "the critical stage".
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Soft-rock favorite from the '80s hitting Huber Heights this summer
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Soft-rock faves Air Supply are returning to Huber Heights in August as part of their golden anniversary. The 50th Anniversary Celebration will be at the Rose Music Center at The Heights on Sunday, Aug. 3. Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 21, at 10 a.m. The English/Australian duo of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock scored eight Top 10 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart from 1980-83, including 'All Out of Love,' 'Goodbye' and 'Making Love Out of Nothing at All.' Russell and Hitchcock formed Air Supply in 1975 after meeting earlier that year while auditioning for a production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' New Dayton-to-Chicago flight option coming this April Their first three albums have sold more than 20 million copies. Air Supply was the first Western group to tour China in the late 1990s, and in 2005, they performed for a record crowd of 175,000 people in Cuba. This fall, they will play their 5,500th live show. The 2025 stage ensemble will include lead guitarist Aaron McLain, Mirko Tessandori on piano, Pavel Valdman on drums and Doug Gild on bass. A bio-pic, 'All Out of Love: The Air Supply Story,' is reportedly due out this summer. The duo is also set to release its 18th studio album, 'A Matter of Time.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
