Coronavirus: Third UK patient caught coronavirus 'outside China' - BBC News

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The third person in the UK to be diagnosed with coronavirus did not catch it in mainland China, the chief medical officer has said.

The individual, who caught the infection elsewhere in Asia, was diagnosed in Brighton, it is understood.

The patient is being taken to a specialist NHS facility, Prof Chris Whitty said.

The virus has infected 28,256 worldwide and killed 565 people, mostly in China.

"We are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus," Prof Chris Whitty said.

The NHS was "well prepared" to manage cases, Prof Whitty added, saying: "We are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had."

Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador to the UK warned against "panic" and "over-reaction" in response to the virus.

Two other patients - both Chinese nationals - are still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The patients - a university of York student and one of their relatives - tested positive for the virus after falling ill at a hotel in York.

This is not a surprise, not a reason to panic and not a reason to press the alarm bell.

For as long as the epidemic rages in China, there is a risk of people travelling to other countries, including the UK, before they become sick.

But there are crucial differences between the UK and China.

First is the scale of the problem. The UK has three confirmed cases, China has 28,000.

This case in the UK is an event that was planned for - the patient is already being isolated and anybody who came into close contact is being traced.

It is also notable this patient caught the infection abroad, it is not due to the York patients spreading the virus.

China, however, is still playing catch-up and fighting to get on top of the outbreak.

The big question is not whether the UK can handle these three cases, it's whether China can contain the outbreak.

Earlier, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, called on the UK government to support China in its handling of the outbreak and said Chinese measures to control the spread of the virus had been effective.

Meanwhile, China is introducing more restrictive measures. In some areas group dining is banned, there are limits on how often people can go outside, and lifts have been turned off in some buildings.

Nearly 100 Britons have been flown out of Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, on flights arranged by the UK government.

All are now in quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for 14 days - the incubation period of the virus - to ensure they are not carrying the infection.

The UK government is chartering a final flight to bring British nationals back from Wuhan, which is due to leave on Sunday.

The Foreign Office has also advised Britons in other parts of China to leave the country if they can to minimise the risk of exposure to the virus, which has now spread to more than two dozen nations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over the outbreak but said it did not yet constitute a "pandemic".

The coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms usually start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. Most people infected are likely to fully recover - just as they would from a flu.

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2020-02-06 15:22:30Z
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Coronavirus: Third case confirmed in the UK - BBC News

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A third patient in the UK has tested positive for coronavirus, England's chief medical officer has said.

The individual, who caught the infection abroad, is being taken to a specialist NHS treatment centre.

"We are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus," Prof Chris Whitty said.

The virus has infected 28,018 worldwide and killed 565 people, mostly in China.

The NHS was "well prepared" to manage cases, Prof Whitty added, saying "we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had".

Two other patients - both Chinese nationals - are still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The patients - a university of York student and one of their relatives - tested positive for the virus after falling ill at a hotel in York.

It is not known where in the UK the new patient was when they were tested for the virus, or where they will be treated.

This is not a surprise, not a reason to panic and not a reason to press the alarm bell.

For as long as the epidemic rages in China, there is a risk of people travelling to other countries, including the UK, before they become sick.

But there are crucial differences between the UK and China.

First is the scale of the problem. The UK has three confirmed cases, China has 28,000.

This case in the UK is an event that was planned for - the patient is already in isolation and anybody who came into close contact is being traced.

It is also notable this patient caught the infection abroad, it is not due to the York patients spreading the virus.

China, however, is still playing catch-up and fighting to get on top of the outbreak.

The big question is not whether the UK can handle these three cases, it's whether China can contain the outbreak.

Earlier the the Chinese ambassador to the UK warned against "panic" and "over-reaction" in response to the coronavirus and said the measures taken by China had been effective.

Nearly 100 Britons have been flown out of Wuhan, the city at the centre of the outbreak, on flights arranged by the UK government.

All are now in quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for 14 days - the incubation period of the virus - to ensure they are not carrying the infection.

The UK government is chartering a final flight to bring British nationals back from Wuhan, which is due to leave on Sunday.

The Foreign Office has also advised Britons in other parts of China to leave the country if they can to minimise the risk of exposure to the virus, which has now spread to more than two dozen nations.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over the outbreak but said it did not yet constitute a "pandemic".

The coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms usually start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. Most people infected are likely to fully recover - just as they would from a flu.

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2020-02-06 13:35:37Z
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UK tech giant founder arrested over US extradition - BBC News

The founder of UK software firm Autonomy has submitted himself for arrest as part of an extradition process brought by the US over charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Mike Lynch sold Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP) for $8.4bn in 2011.

But he faces allegations that he fraudulently inflated the value of Autonomy before the sale.

Dr Lynch's lawyers said he "vigorously rejects all the allegations".

Chris Movillo and Reid Weingarten said Dr Lynch was "determined to continue to fight these charges".

They said Wednesday's move to submit himself for arrest was a "formality" and he had been released on bail of £10m by Westminster Magistrates' Court. The full hearing of the case will begin later this year.

• Autonomy ex-finance boss sentenced to jail
• Autonomy boss in 'deliberate fraud'

Dr Lynch has been facing civil charges at the High Court in London, where HP is suing him for damages over the deal. But separately the US Department of Justice (DoJ) is pursuing criminal charges against him.

"The US Department of Justice should not have commenced extradition proceedings prior to the judgment of the English High Court," Dr Lynch's lawyers said in a statement.

They added: "Since HP first raised these allegations more than seven years ago, Dr Lynch has steadfastly denied them and has worked hard to properly respond and set the record straight.

"Dr Lynch has now answered HP's claims in the appropriate forum, the High Court in London, where he attended court every day of the 10-month trial.

"He has not hidden, nor has he shied away from defending his conduct. Having patiently and diligently defended the case in England for several years, he awaits the civil trial judgment."

'Artificially inflated'

The UK's Serious Fraud Office investigated the deal in 2013, before dropping the case two years later because of "insufficient evidence".

Autonomy was founded by Mr Lynch in 1996. It developed software that could extract useful information from "unstructured" sources of data such as phone-calls, emails or video, and then do things such as suggest answers to a call-centre operator or monitor TV channels for words or subjects.

Before it was bought by HP, it had headquarters in San Francisco and Cambridge in the UK.

In 2010, about 68% of Autonomy's reported revenues came from the US and elsewhere in the Americas.

HP and US prosecutors allege that Mr Lynch and other former Autonomy executives artificially inflated the software company's revenues and earnings between 2009 and 2011, causing HP to overpay for the firm.

But Mr Lynch has argued that HP used the allegations to cover up its own mismanagement of Autonomy after the 2011 deal.

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2020-02-06 03:34:18Z
52780592369226

UK tech giant founder arrested over US extradition - BBC News

The founder of UK software firm Autonomy has submitted himself for arrest as part of an extradition process brought by the US over charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Mike Lynch sold Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP) for $8.4bn in 2011.

But he faces allegations that he fraudulently inflated the value of Autonomy before the sale.

Dr Lynch's lawyers said he "vigorously rejects all the allegations".

Chris Movillo and Reid Weingarten said Dr Lynch was "determined to continue to fight these charges".

They said Wednesday's move to submit himself for arrest was a "formality" and he had been released on bail of £10m by Westminster Magistrates' Court. The full hearing of the case will begin later this year.

• Autonomy ex-finance boss sentenced to jail
• Autonomy boss in 'deliberate fraud'

Dr Lynch has been facing civil charges at the High Court in London, where HP is suing him for damages over the deal. But separately the US Department of Justice (DoJ) is pursuing criminal charges against him.

"The US Department of Justice should not have commenced extradition proceedings prior to the judgment of the English High Court," Dr Lynch's lawyers said in a statement.

They added: "Since HP first raised these allegations more than seven years ago, Dr Lynch has steadfastly denied them and has worked hard to properly respond and set the record straight.

"Dr Lynch has now answered HP's claims in the appropriate forum, the High Court in London, where he attended court every day of the 10-month trial.

"He has not hidden, nor has he shied away from defending his conduct. Having patiently and diligently defended the case in England for several years, he awaits the civil trial judgment."

'Artificially inflated'

The UK's Serious Fraud Office investigated the deal in 2013, before dropping the case two years later because of "insufficient evidence".

Autonomy was founded by Mr Lynch in 1996. It developed software that could extract useful information from "unstructured" sources of data such as phone-calls, emails or video, and then do things such as suggest answers to a call-centre operator or monitor TV channels for words or subjects.

Before it was bought by HP, it had headquarters in San Francisco and Cambridge in the UK.

In 2010, about 68% of Autonomy's reported revenues came from the US and elsewhere in the Americas.

HP and US prosecutors allege that Mr Lynch and other former Autonomy executives artificially inflated the software company's revenues and earnings between 2009 and 2011, causing HP to overpay for the firm.

But Mr Lynch has argued that HP used the allegations to cover up its own mismanagement of Autonomy after the 2011 deal.

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2020-02-06 02:18:15Z
52780592369226

UK tech giant founder arrested over US extradition - BBC News

The founder of UK software firm Autonomy has submitted himself for arrest as part of an extradition process brought by the US over charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Mike Lynch sold Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP) for $8.4bn in 2011.

But he faces allegations that he fraudulently inflated the value of Autonomy before the sale.

Dr Lynch's lawyers said he "vigorously rejects all the allegations".

Chris Movillo and Reid Weingarten said Dr Lynch was "determined to continue to fight these charges".

They said Wednesday's move to submit himself for arrest was a "formality" and he had been released on bail of £10m by Westminster Magistrates' Court. The full hearing of the case will begin later this year.

• Autonomy ex-finance boss sentenced to jail
• Autonomy boss in 'deliberate fraud'

Dr Lynch has been facing civil charges at the High Court in London, where HP is suing him for damages over the deal. But separately the US Department of Justice (DoJ) is pursuing criminal charges against him.

"The US Department of Justice should not have commenced extradition proceedings prior to the judgment of the English High Court," Dr Lynch's lawyers said in a statement.

They added: "Since HP first raised these allegations more than seven years ago, Dr Lynch has steadfastly denied them and has worked hard to properly respond and set the record straight.

"Dr Lynch has now answered HP's claims in the appropriate forum, the High Court in London, where he attended court every day of the 10-month trial.

"He has not hidden, nor has he shied away from defending his conduct. Having patiently and diligently defended the case in England for several years, he awaits the civil trial judgment."

'Artificially inflated'

The UK's Serious Fraud Office investigated the deal in 2013, before dropping the case two years later because of "insufficient evidence".

Autonomy was founded by Mr Lynch in 1996. It developed software that could extract useful information from "unstructured" sources of data such as phone-calls, emails or video, and then do things such as suggest answers to a call-centre operator or monitor TV channels for words or subjects.

Before it was bought by HP, it had headquarters in San Francisco and Cambridge in the UK.

In 2010, about 68% of Autonomy's reported revenues came from the US and elsewhere in the Americas.

HP and US prosecutors allege that Mr Lynch and other former Autonomy executives artificially inflated the software company's revenues and earnings between 2009 and 2011, causing HP to overpay for the firm.

But Mr Lynch has argued that HP used the allegations to cover up its own mismanagement of Autonomy after the 2011 deal.

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2020-02-05 21:57:19Z
52780592369226

United Kingdom to ban sale of gas and diesel cars by 2035 - Fox News

Britain announced Tuesday that it plans to ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars by 2035 — five years earlier than its previous target — in a bid to speed up efforts to tackle climate change.

The announcement was timed to coincide with the launch of Britain's plans for the United Nations' climate summit, known as COP26, which is scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November.

(Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images via Getty Images)

But the U.K. government's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions was questioned by the woman who was appointed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to head the Glasgow climate summit — and then was fired last week.

Sacked conference president Claire O'Neill said Britain’s efforts to fight climate change were “miles off track.”

Britain has pledged to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. But the government’s advisory Committee on Climate Change has warned that the country's action to slash carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming is lagging far behind what is needed.

The U.K.'s new 2035 target for ending gas and diesel car sales is one of the world's more ambitious. Several countries, including France, plan to stop by 2040. Norway — one of the most aggressive early adopters of electric cars — has a goal, but not a requirement, to eliminate petrol and diesel cars, excluding hybrids, by 2025.

The U.K. says it will bring in a ban on fossil-fuel cars and vans even earlier than 2035 “if a faster transition is feasible.” The ban will also include hybrid vehicles.

But environmental groups said Britain's goal was not ambitious enough.

Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace U.K., said “phasing out the internal combustion engine faster is an important piece of the puzzle.”

“However, pushing the date later than 2030 would vastly reduce the chances of meeting our climate targets, and the potential to deliver thousands of electric vehicle manufacturing jobs,” she said.

The auto industry reacted coolly to the announcement. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the automakers were already moving toward “a zero emissions future,” and said the government had “moved the goalposts for consumers and industry.”

Johnson kicked off a year of buildup to the climate conference Tuesday alongside naturalist David Attenborough and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at London's Science Museum. Italy is hosting a preparatory meeting for the conference.

The British prime minister said the world had seen "a catastrophic period of global addiction to hydrocarbons that got totally out of control."

“We have to deal with our CO2 emissions. And that is why the U.K. is calling for us to get to net zero as soon as possible, for every country to announce credible targets to get there — that's what we want from Glasgow,” Johnson said. "And that's why we have pledged here in the U.K. to deliver net zero by 2050."

Britain’s tenure at the helm of COP26 is getting off to a rocky start. On Friday, Johnson sacked O’Neill, a former British government minister appointed last year to head up the event.

The Conservative government said it had decided that a current government minister should fill the role, but gave no reason for the change of heart. A replacement has not been announced.

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O’Neill strongly criticized the prime minister in a letter published Tuesday in the Financial Times.

“When you asked me to be your COP President … you promised to ‘lead from the front’ and asked me what was needed: ‘money, people, just tell us!’” she wrote. “Sadly, these promises and offers are not close to being met."

O'Neill said the Cabinet sub-committee on climate that Johnson promised to chair has not met even once.

“You had a vision for Brexit and you got Brexit done. As I write, we have less than 7,000 hours before the start of COP26, where we have a chance to set a new global vision for climate recovery and build a new consensus for global climate action. Please get this done too,” O'Neill wrote.

The prime minister's spokesman, James Slack, declined to respond to O'Neill's criticisms.

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2020-02-05 13:18:34Z
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Coronavirus: Final UK flight to bring home Britons from Wuhan - BBC News

The UK government is chartering a final flight to bring British nationals back from the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak.

The plane will leave in the early hours of Sunday morning and land at RAF Brize Norton, the Foreign Office said.

It comes as Britons in mainland China have been urged to leave the country after the outbreak claimed more lives.

More than 100 UK nationals and family members have already been evacuated to Britain from Wuhan.

About 165 Britons are reported to remain in Hubei province, where the outbreak began, and 108 are believed to have asked the Foreign Office for help to leave.

At least 427 people have died after contracting the virus and there have been more than 20,000 confirmed cases, most of them in China.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "We have been working round the clock to help British nationals leave Hubei province, on UK, French and New Zealand flights.

"The Foreign Office is chartering a second and final UK flight with space to help all British nationals and their dependants remaining in Hubei to leave.

"I encourage all British nationals in Hubei to register with our teams if they want to leave on this flight."

On Friday, 83 UK citizens were repatriated on a flight out of Wuhan arranged by the UK government. Another 11 Britons joined them on Sunday on a French flight.

A further eight UK nationals and six of their family members left on a flight to New Zealand on Tuesday.

It has since emerged that a Belgian woman who was on Sunday's flight tested positive for the virus.

All of the Britons are now in quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for 14 days - the incubation period of the virus - to ensure they are not infected.

One British passenger, Anthony May-Smith, who arrived in the UK on Sunday, was taken to hospital in Oxford to be tested for potential coronavirus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast the test came back negative but that Mr May-Smith has returned to quarantine at Arrowe Park "because the test… doesn't work until the coronavirus symptoms come through".

Mr Hancock advised anyone who thought they might have symptoms to not leave home and to call 111.

Mr Hancock said it was "low" risk that an infected person who was not yet showing symptoms could pass on the virus.

There have been two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK - a student at the University of York and one of their relatives. They are being treated at the specialist infectious diseases unit at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Meanwhile, one British man in China, who fears he contracted the virus in November, has been told he can return to the UK after the Chinese authorities gave him his passport back.

Jamie Morris, 23, from New Tredegar in South Wales had said he did not know when he might be able to return from Wuhan because he had submitted his passport in order to extend his residency permit.

He will now be able to join other British nationals on the final flight home.

On Tuesday, the Foreign Office advised Britons to leave China to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.

The UK is also moving non-essential staff out from its embassy and consulates in the country.

The only two UK airlines serving China - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic - have suspended their flights between the countries because of fears about the spread of the virus.

But other commercial flights to the UK remain available in some parts of China.

The virus has now spread to more than two dozen nations.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it does not yet qualify as a "pandemic".

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Are you a British citizen in China? Will you leave the country? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:

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2020-02-05 09:22:30Z
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