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Archive for the ‘United Kingdom’ Category

SARS-type virus passed from human to human for first time

February 13, 2013 Comments off

standard.co.uk

Passed between humans: A person is being treated in Birmingham in isolation after contracting coronavirus

A SARS-like virus may have been passed between humans for the first time, health experts believe.

One person is thought to have contracted the new coronavirus from a relative and is being treated in an isolation room at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and is said to be in a stable condition.

Previously experts believed the infection may have come from contact with animals. If the virus can spread between people it poses a much more serious threat.

This is the third case of the respiratory illness identified in the UK and the 11th in the world. The first two UK patients had been Read more…

Categories: disease and pestilence, United Kingdom Tags: , ,

Big Brother or peeping tom? UK installs CCTV in school bathrooms, changing rooms

September 13, 2012 1 comment

rt.com

AFP Photo / Jacques Demarthon

AFP Photo / Jacques Demarthon

Over 200 UK state schools have installed cameras in bathrooms and changing rooms to monitor students, a recent surveillance survey reported. British parents will likely be shocked by the study’s findings.

­The survey is based on a freedom of information request conducted by Big Brother Watch, an anti-surveillance activist group. The group said they were shaken by the results, which was much higher and more extensive than expected.

The report “will come as a shock to many parents”, Nick Pickles, Director of Big Brother Watch said. “Schools need to come clean about why they are using these cameras and what is happening to the footage”.

– 47,806 cameras used in 2,107 schools
– 207 schools have 825 cameras in changing rooms and bathrooms
– 90% of schools use CCTV cameras
– 54 UK schools have 1 camera or more per 15 pupils
– 106,710 CCTV cameras estimated in high schools and academies in England, Scotland and Wales

A total of 825 cameras were installed in Read more…

Categories: Privacy, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , , ,

UK nightclub uses biometrics to control entry

September 3, 2012 Comments off

biometricupdate

nightclub-scanner

The Underground, a nightclub in Dundee, Scotland, recently installed biometric fingerprint scanners for first time visitors to prove they are of age to enter. For subsequent visits, customers of the nightclub are identified by scanning their fingerprint.

The club is run by G1 Group PLC, who introduced the Scannet ID Scan system after a successful trial period in its Glasgow club. Scannet ID Scan is used to verify that identification presented is real.

Fingerprints gathered, together with photo-based profiles, are stored in computers in the club. Having this technology makes it easier for the management to identify troublemakers, and scan foreign passports and driving licenses before allow entry to the club.

A spokeswoman from G1 Group said : “The system recognizes most international passports and driving licenses, meaning we can Read more…

Categories: Biometrics, United Kingdom Tags: , ,

Olympic security secrets left on train

January 20, 2012 Comments off

thesun.co.uk

London Olympics ... logo

London Olympics … logo

A cop lost the file but a commuter found it and handed it to The Sun.

The shocking security blunder could have provided terrorists planning an attack with invaluable data.

A shamed senior cop has been carpeted.

The chief inspector in Scotland Yard’s Territorial Policing branch is said to be “hugely embarrassed” by the potentially serious blunder.

The dossier contained details that would have helped al-Qaeda terrorists mount a devastating attack on the Games in London this summer. “Restricted” files spell out security plans in place at the sites of events and provide minutes of top-level meetings where ways to beat terrorists were discussed.

The dossier contains dates and details of pre-Olympics rehearsals, explains emergency “lock-down” procedures and sets out plans to avoid traffic congestion.

Worryingly, names and mobile phone numbers of constables, sergeants and inspectors are included.

The dossier also reports at length on damning complaints from officers about the Read more…

Categories: London, United Kingdom Tags: , ,

London Riots: Government Prepares Troops – Martial Law Imminent. – 9th August 2011

August 9, 2011 1 comment

defend.ht

LONDON, United Kingdon – Martial law seems imminent as 16,000 police officers, nearly twice the police officers in Haiti, will take to the streets in the captial city of London to hopefully prevent a fourth night of manifestations, rioting and looting.

UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to restore order, meeting with Parliament on Thursday in response to what he describes as “sickening scenes”. Metropolitcan Police, which has already drafted in support from 30 other forces, says it will consider using plastic bullets. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said use of the ammunition – never before Read more…

Categories: Riots, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , , , ,

150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years

July 23, 2011 Comments off

dailymail

Undercover: Scientists have been growing human animal hybrids in secret for the last three years (Posed by models)

Scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories.

The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases.

The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.

Last night a campaigner against the excesses of medical research said he was disgusted that scientists were ‘dabbling in the grotesque’.

Figures seen by the Daily Mail show that 155 ‘admixed’ embryos, containing both Read more…

Categories: MAD scientists, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , ,

Earthquake hits English Channel ‘Largest since 1734’

July 14, 2011 Comments off

bbc

Aerial photo of southern England The earthquake was the biggest in the area for nearly 300 years

An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 has struck in the English Channel, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said.

The quake had a depth of 10km and its epicentre was south of Portsmouth, according to the BGS.

Residents in parts of West Sussex reported buildings shaking for a few seconds at about 0800 BST.

Sussex Police, Solent Coastguard and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said they had not been called out to any incidents related to it.

‘Largest since 1734′

David Kerridge, from the BGS, said it was the biggest incident of Read more…

Categories: Earthquake, United Kingdom Tags: , , ,

MI5 admits to wrongful surveillance of innocent people, new report says

July 6, 2011 Comments off

out-law

The UK’s Security Service wrongly gathered information about innocent telephone users during criminal surveillance, a report into the interception of communications has said.

The MI5 acquired data belonging to subscribers of 134 telephone numbers following a failure in software, Sir Paul Kennedy, Interception of Communications Commissioner, said..

“These errors were caused by a formatting fault on an electronic spreadsheet which altered the last three digits of each of the telephone numbers to ‘000’,” Sir Paul said in his annual review of how law enforcement agencies use legal powers to intercept communications in 2010 (63-page / 2.3MB PDF).

“These unfortunate errors were identified by the Security Service and duly reported,” he said

“The subscriber data acquired had Read more…

Categories: United Kingdom Tags: , , ,

‘Spy cameras’ are used to target student protesters

May 31, 2011 Comments off

independent.co.uk

Some fear the police are trying to ‘criminalise’ protesting by using CCTV

Police are using CCTV images taken on university and college campuses, sometimes with the collusion of university authorities, to “spy” on student demonstrators as young as 16, it was claimed yesterday.

University lecturers are demanding an independent investigation into the “over zealous” use of surveillance techniques against students during the policing of demonstrations against fees rises and public spending cuts.

A motion tabled for the University and College Union’s (UCU) conference this weekend condemns what it terms attempts to “criminalise protest” through “state surveillance of higher education and further education institutions for elicting intelligence regarding protest activities”.

Cases include the arrest of Read more…

Categories: Big Brother, Protests, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , ,

India objects to ‘smuggling’ superbug samples out to UK

April 8, 2011 Comments off

timesofindia

NEW DELHI: India on Thursday seriously objected to biological samples in the form of “swabs of seepage water and tap water” being carried out of the country “on the sly” by British scientists to test the presence of the multi-drug resistant superbug.

India said it was a signatory to World Health Organization’s International Materiel Transfer Agreement as per which permission is required to carry out any biological material from the country.

“The way scientists carried out samples from India to be tested in UK does not point to a good scientific motive. It is illegal,” said Dr V M Katoch, director general of Indian Council for Medical Research. “Some people want to keep the heat on India,” he added.

According to him, such multi-drug resistant bacteria — like what is being called a superbug caused by the NDM1 gene — exists in environment across the world. “To keep on pressing India as a hotbed of such superbugs is unfair, and its motive is questionable,” Dr Katoch added.

The scientists had collected 171 swabs of seepage water and 50 public tap water samples Read more…

Categories: disease and pestilence, India, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,