Uk

London (CNN) A 9-year-old girl who died after an asthma attack is thought to be the first person in the world to have air pollution listed as a cause of death in a landmark coroner's ruling. Ella Kissi-Debrah lived in Lewisham, southeast London, near one of the UK capital's busiest roads , the South Circular. She died in hospital in February 2013 after suffering a cardiac arrest from which she could not be resuscitated, the coroner reported on Wednesday. The girl suffered from severe asthma that caused episodes of cardiac and respiratory arrest, and frequent emergency hospital admissions over three years. Her medical cause of death was listed as acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and air pollution exposure. The coroner's conclusion was that Ella "died of asthma contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution." Ella, who died in February 2013, is thought to be the first person in the world to have air pollution listed as a cause of death. … [Read more...] about Air pollution a cause of UK girl’s death, finds global landmark ruling

London (CNN) The United Kingdom has become the first Western nation to authorize a Covid-19 vaccine , a landmark moment in the coronavirus pandemic that paves the way for the first doses to be rolled out across the country next week. "Help is on the way," Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Wednesday morning, after UK regulators granted emergency authorization for a vaccine made by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. A final analysis of the Phase 3 trial of the vaccine shows it was 95% effective in preventing infections , even in older adults, and caused no serious safety concerns, Pfizer said last month. The announcement means the UK has vaulted past the United States and European Union in the race to approve a vaccine, months into a pandemic that has killed almost 1.5 million people worldwide. "We believe it is really the start of the end of the pandemic," BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. … [Read more...] about UK becomes first country to authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine, first shots roll out next week

The British government is appointing an independent adviser on political violence and disruption to probe the infiltration of groups like Black Lives Matter and Extinction Rebellion by far-left extremists.The investigation has been entrusted to the Lord Walney, John Woodcock, a former Labour MP who now sits in the House of Lords as an unaffiliated peer. “We must be vigilant against a similar blind spot in Britain to the prospect of progressive extremism – that is, unacceptable disruption or even violence carried out in the name of progressive causes to which the political establishment and large majority of the population have great sympathy, like climate change and racial injustice,” said the parliamentarian, who will also be examining far-right activity, in comments to the Telegraph. “There have been a number of, at the moment isolated, examples of climate change activist groups, particularly Extinction Rebellion, overstepping the mark into antisocial … [Read more...] about UK: Govt to Probe Far Left Infiltration of BLM and Climate Change Groups

(CNN)A new study finds that cases of a more contagious coronavirus variant are rapidly increasing in the United States, and significant community transmission may already be occurring. Although the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the UK is currently at a relatively low frequency in the United States, the paper says it's doubling every week and a half, similar to what was observed in other countries. The report estimates this variant is 35-45% more transmissible than strains that appeared earlier in the United States, and it's doubling about every 10 days in the country. Worrying new coronavirus variants aren't just imported -- they can be home grown Last month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention modeling predicted the B.1.1.7 variant could become the predominant strain in the United States by March. It estimates the virus is about 50% more transmissible. "Our study shows that the U.S. is on a similar trajectory as other countries where B.1.1.7 rapidly … [Read more...] about More contagious coronavirus variant identified in UK is spreading rapidly throughout the US, study says

Over a dozen British universities are reportedly under investigation by security services over their relationships with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which may have violated national security and human rights laws.A report from the Mail on Sunday claimed that “some of the most prestigious universities in the country” are under investigation for allegedly sharing British technology with China and therefore may be subject to “enforcement notices” imposed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The report said that the investigation is being carried out by MI6 and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office after Downing Street raised concerns that British academics are trying to cash in on the “new gold rush” of Chinese money in exchange for access to technological breakthroughs. A government source told the newspaper: “Exporters of military goods and those engaged in transfer of military technology specified in the Export Control Order … [Read more...] about UK Universities Under MI6 Investigation for Conspiring with Chinese Communist Party: Report