Reuters reports: A new strain of coronavirus identified in the United Kingdom is up to 70% more infectious but it is not thought to be more deadly and vaccines should still be effective, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and scientists said on Saturday…. “This is early data and it’s subject to review. But it’s the best that we have at the moment…
Tag: united kingdom
Facebook To Move UK Users To California Terms, Avoiding EU Privacy Rules
Facebook will shift all its users in the United Kingdom into user agreements with the corporate headquarters in California, moving them out of their current relationship with Facebook’s Irish unit and out of reach of Europe’s privacy laws. From a report: The change takes effect next year and follows a similar move announced in February by Google here. Those companies and…
FDA Approves Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use in America
Friday night America’s Food and Drug Administration finally authorized Pfizer and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in the United States, reports CNN. The Verge calls it “a landmark moment in the fight to suppress a virus that has killed nearly 300,000 people in the United States and sickened tens of millions around the world.” The vaccine is authorized in the…
New marine protection zone will help endangered penguins and more
Plans are in place to create the world’s 4th-largest fully protected marine reserve at the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/new-marine-protection-zone-tristan-da-cunha-penguin…
The International Space Station is 20 and going strong
20 years ago, three astronauts stepped aboard the ISS. It’s since hosted residents from many countries, creating humanity’s first history of living in space. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/20-years-iss-what-its-future-holds-nov-2-2020…
UK Agency Demands Company Stop Using Name Which Includes an HTML Closing Tag
A British software engineer came up with “a fun playful name” for his consulting business. He’d named it: “”> Unfortunately, this did not amuse the official registrar of companies in the United Kingdom (known as Companies House). The Guardian reports that the U.K. agency “has forced the company to change its name after it belatedly realised it could pose a security…
SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink satellites this week
After 2 weeks of scrubs, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off October 6, 2020, carrying 60 more Starlink satellites to orbit. The rocket successfully landed at sea 9 minutes later. Video of the launch and landing here, plus steps taken to reduce the bright satellites’ effect on astronomy. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/spacex-starlink-falcon-9-launch-oct-6-2020…
E-Scooters Should Be Legalized, Says UK Transport Committee
E-scooters should be legalized on roads but riding on pavements should be prohibited, the United Kingdom’s Transport Committee of MPs said. The BBC reports: Currently, privately-owned e-scooters are banned to use in the UK anywhere except on private land. The committee argues the vehicles, which usually travel 9-15mph, could offer a green alternative to the car. Official trials of rented e-scooters…
Vaccine Maker Novavax Enters Final Large-Scale Testing of Its Covid-19 Vaccine
The New York Times reports:
Vaccine maker Novavax said Thursday that it would begin the final stages of testing its coronavirus vaccine in the United Kingdom and that another large trial was scheduled to begin next month in the United States. It is the fifth late-stage trial from a company supported by Operation Warp Speed, the federal effort to speed a coronavirus…
China Blocks Wikimedia Foundation’s Accreditation To World Intellectual Property Organization
China this week blocked the Wikimedia Foundation’s application for observer status at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations (UN) organization that develops international treaties on copyright, IP, trademarks, patents and related issues. As a result of the block, the Foundation’s application for observer status has been suspended and will be reconsidered at a future WIPO meeting in 2021….