A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been accused of child pornography after posting nearly 30 explicit nude pictures of herself on MySpace.com — charges that could force her to register as a sex offender if convicted.
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The case comes as prosecutors nationwide pursue child pornography cases resulting from kids sending nude photos to one another over cell phones and e-mail.

To further its research into new powertrain technology, Mazda began leasing a series hybrid vehicle with a hydrogen-fueled range extending engine to energy companies and local governments. This type of test leasing helps automakers gain useful data on how cars operate in a controlled setting, and ensures that the vehicles’ drivers have hydrogen filling stations available.

Although the powertrain configuration is similar to that of the Chevrolet Volt, a series hybrid using an electric motor to power the wheels and a range-extending engine to generate electricity, Mazda puts its own twist on the system, with a hydrogen-burning rotary engine as a range extender. Mazda previously developed an RX-8 using a rotary engine that burned hydrogen, calling it the RX-8 Hydrogen RE. BMW has also explored burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine with the Hydrogen 7.

Google Inc. is jettisoning nearly 200 workers in its largest round of layoffs yet, demonstrating that even highly profitable companies are feeling the recession’s pinch.

The job cuts announced Thursday affected less than 1 percent of the 20,200 workers employed by the Internet’s search leader.

That’s modest compared with the massive shake-ups in the newspaper, retailing, automobile and financial services industries during the past year.

Google’s housecleaning nevertheless is a sobering sign of the hard times around the globe.

Coming off a year in which earned $4.2 billion on revenue of $22 billion, Google still is trimming its expenses in attempt to protect its profit margins and prevent its slumping stock price from falling even further.

Nearly 60 people have been arrested in what Canadian police said on Thursday was the country’s largest investigation into child pornography on the Internet.

Arrests or searches were made in all 10 Canadian provinces and three territories. The charges including sexual assault, and possession and production of child pornography, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.