Denmark extradites alleged spy, study finds no link between child vaccine types and health conditions, and more heavy rain are among the leading news stories this Thursday.
Denmark hands over alleged Iranian spy to Germany
Denmark has extradited to Germany a man accused of spying on Jewish institutions in Berlin on behalf of Iran, German prosecutors said yesterday.
Germany’s Federal Court of Justice formally ordered the Danish national’s detention, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement reported by news agency AFP.
The suspect, identified only as Ali S., was extradited to Germany on Monday, nearly three weeks after his arrest in Danish city Aarhus, the office said.
Prosecutors allege that Ali S. in June gathered intelligence on three Jewish sites in Berlin, possibly in preparation for future attacks.
Suspected of acting on behalf of Iranian intelligence, Ali S. could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Major Danish study finds no link between aluminium in child vaccines and health conditions
A new Danish study had found no association between aluminium in childhood vaccines and 50 different health conditions, including autism, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.
The findings reaffirm the safety of Denmark’s childhood vaccination programme, the national infectious disease control agency State Serum Institute (SSI) said in a press release.
“Our results are reassuring. By analysing data from more than one million Danish children, we found absolutely no indication that the very small amount of aluminium used in the childhood vaccination program increases the risk of 50 different health outcomes during childhood,” Anders Hviid, Head of Department at SSI and principal investigator on the study, said in the statement.
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Aluminium, which is used to enhance the immune response, has been a component in some vaccines since the 1930s.
In the study, SSI researchers used Denmark’s national health registers to follow children born between 1997 and 2018, investigating the associations between aluminium-containing vaccines and conditions including asthma, allergies, autoimmune conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Weather: Risk of localised downpours continues
Meteorological agency DMI is forecasting likely “cloudburst” type downpours again today after much of Denmark received heavy rain in the first two days of the week.
“We still have an alert in place. It hasn’t been downgraded, but we’re less certain whether cloudbursts will occur today,” DMI meteorologist Lars Henriksen told Ritzau early this morning.
Thunderstorms are also possible during Wednesday, Henriksen said.
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A cloudburst is defined as 15 millimetres of rain falling within 30 minutes, but DMI’s forecasts show possible rainfall of up to 25 millimetres in half an hour on Wednesday.
The areas most at risk of downpours include Zealand, the northern part of Funen, and Jutland north Vejle and Ringkøbing Fjord.
Sports body warns against nicotine pouches
More and more Danish elite athletes are using nicotine pouches according to Team Denmark, a group promoting elite sports. The practice can negatively affect health and performance, the group said.
Athletes reportedly use the pouches both during training and in competitions.
“Sports officials from the federations of athletics, golf, ice hockey, and equestrian sports have reported an increase in athletes using these products,” Majke Jørgensen, a nutritionist at Team Danmark, told AFP.
Some just use it recreationally, “while others believe or have read that it provides them with a performance advantage,” the nutritionist added.