thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-22--8 Brilliant Online Events You'll Want To Join This Bank Holiday Weekend

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There’s an extra day at play this weekend for many of us, so make the most of the bank holiday add-on and put your day off to good use.
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Why not try your hand at a virtual food and drink masterclass? Or listen to a style talk on how to elevate your wardrobe? There’s even an online festival in aid of struggling music venues you can get involved in.
Here are eight things to do over the long weekend.
1. Make cocktails and draw
Bombay Sapphire Bombay Sapphire Virtual Cocktail and Create Masterclass
Calling all gin enthusiasts and art lovers! Settle down for a one-hour virtual cocktail and art evening masterclass. On Friday 22 May at 6.30pm you can make gin cocktails with mixologist Franck Dedieu and get creative in a drawing session hosted by illustrator Joey Yu. Hosted by Bombay Sapphire, you’ll learn how to make show-stopping drinks and create your own ‘windowscape’ illustrations inspired by your views from home.
Book your free spot (and find out what ingredients and materials you need).
2. Join a food court’s 3-day extravaganza
Market Halls Market Halls Virtual Festival
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London’s indoor food court, Market Halls, is hosting the mother of all virtual festivals in aid of three vital charities: The Felix Project, Hospitality Action and Hospro. From Saturday 23 May to Monday 25 May, the line-up includes 22 activities, with something for everyone – from wellness mornings, food and drink masterclasses, arts and crafts for kids to acoustic sofa sessions. You can join the sessions by donating to the chosen charities; each session encourages a minimum of a £5 donation.
3. Listen to mood-lifting music experiences
Google Nest Sessions Host Laura Whitmore Google Nest Sessions
Crank it up to eleven and keep an ear out for Google’s Nest Sessions. At 10am every day, from 23-25 May, host Laura Whitmore will introduce a mood-lifting music experience inspired by psychology, interactive home activities, and conversations from exciting UK music artists including Jessie Ware, Olly Alexander of Years & Years and Celeste. That’s your morning sorted.
Tune in on your Google Nest or on the YouTube Spotlight UK Channel.
4. Cook up a storm at the Big Curry Night In
The Big Curry Night In The Big Curry Night In
Looking for curry in a hurry? Or want to learn how to add some spice in your life? Eat curry and save lives between Friday 22 May to Sunday 31 May. Celebrate the nation’s favourite dish in a bid to raise money to help feed families in South Asia who have lost work because of Covid-19. Deliveroo, Uber Eats, BT, Cobra Beer, and the British Asian Trust are encouraging Brits to make their own curry, learn celebrity chef recipes or order from their local takeaway.
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5. Learn a new skill at a virtual experience
John Lewis and Waitrose John Lewis and Waitrose extend Virtual Experiences
Join John Lewis and Waitrose for a series of fun, 30-minute virtual experiences via Zoom on Friday 22 May. From wine and gin tastings to live interactive style talks, the experts and specialists will bring their knowledge and enthusiasm to living rooms across the UK.
6. Do a cupboard cook-along with The Hairy Bikers
Knorr / The Hairy Bikers Cupboard Cook-Along with The Hairy Bikers
Start the week as you mean to go on with some nourishing recipe inspiration. Join stock cube brand Knorr and cooking heavyweights, The Hairy Bikers, as they host a live cupboard cook-along on their Instagram pages on Monday 25 May at 6pm. Using store cupboard essentials, they’ll walk you through a step-by-step tutorial to make a delicious home-cooked meal – and answer any cooking questions along the way.
7. Experience an online music festival
Khali Ackford Colston Hall Bristol Takeover - The Allergies
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Colston Hall’s online musical weekender is taking place on Saturday 23 May, at 3pm-midnight. Relive the magic of going to a gig with this Music Venue Trust’s Save Our Venues partnership – a campaign to save grassroots music venues, hosted by BBC Introducing in the West. This year’s line-up features Ishmael Ensemble, Melt Yourself Down, No Go Stop, Pictish Trail, Rachael Dadd, and more. The festival will be live-streamed for free on YouTube, but organisers ask that viewers donate what they’d normally spend on a gig ticket via the event’s CrowdFunder page.
8. Watch a real-life theatre show
Robbie Jack ‘The Encounter’


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-22--UK Arrivals Breaking Quarantine Could Face £1,000 Fine, As Vaccine Reaches Phase 2 – Here's The Late

UK Arrivals Breaking Quarantine Could Face £1,000 Fine, As Vaccine Reaches Phase 2 – Here's The Latest On Covid-19

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Overseas arrivals to the UK could be subject to spot checks and may face £1,000 fines if they fail to self-isolate for 14 days, the government is expected to announce.
Meanwhile, researchers hope to recruit up some 10,000 people for the next stages of trials for a Covid-19 vaccine.
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As of 2pm Thursday, the UK death toll was 36,042.
Here’s the latest:
Overseas arrivals could face £1,000 fines if they fail to quarantine
International travellers could face spot checks and £1,000 fines if they fail to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in the UK under measures to guard against a second wave of coronavirus.
Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to outline the plans – which will be introduced early next month – at the daily Downing Street briefing on Friday, a senior government official confirmed.
Travellers will be asked to fill in a form with their contact information, and health officials will perform spot checks to ensure compliance with the measures.
The move will anger some sectors, with Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary earlier this week branding the plan “idiotic” and “unimplementable”, while trade body Airlines UK has previously said a quarantine “would effectively kill” international travel to and from Britain.
The plans are expected to come into force next month.
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Next phases begin in Covid-19 vaccine trial
Cristobal Marambio via Getty Images
Scientists are recruiting volunteers for the next two phases in clinical trials they hope could bring a Covid-19 vaccine this year.
Researchers at University Hospital Southampton and the University of Southampton are aiming to recruit up to 10,260 people from the area to trial the vaccine, the university said in a statement.
Work began in January on the vaccine, which uses a virus taken from chimpanzees and has been developed by the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group.
The first phase of trialling involved 160 health volunteers between 18 and 55.
However, phases II and III involve will see an increase in the number of volunteers while expanding the age range to include older adults and children.
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Production of the vaccine has already been scaled up ahead of the trial to prepare as early as possible for potential future deployment.
Putting UK into lockdown one week earlier would have saved lives, scientists say
WPA Pool via Getty Images
Putting the UK into lockdown just one week earlier would have had a “dramatic” impact on the number of deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a leading mathematical modeller has declared.
Writing for HuffPost UK, Kit Yates, co-director of Bath University’s centre for mathematical biology, said that speedier intervention could have saved thousands of lives, while making it easier to reopen the economy and protect the NHS at the same time.
“In the early stages of the UK’s epidemic, when the case numbers were growing exponentially, it would not have been difficult to predict that earlier suppression would have had dramatic and beneficial consequences for the number of cases and deaths a short time down the line,” he said.
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Bank Holiday weekend travellers urged to stay away from beauty spots
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People are being urged to stay away from Britain’s beauty spots this Bank Holiday weekend despite the slight easing of lockdown measures.
Tourist bodies and residents of coastal towns are fearing an influx of frustrated families seizing the chance to make the most of the more lenient measures after weeks of being stuck indoors.
The Norfolk Coast Partnership has sent out a plea to the public to stay away from its coastline for the moment so the area is not “overwhelmed”.
Dorset Council and the Visit Peak District & Derbyshire tourist board are telling people to “think” before travelling, to act responsibly and protect the local community.
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Representatives of the New Forest National Park in Hampshire tweeted that the beauty spot is “on high fire alert!”.
It added that no BBQs or campfires are being allowed and that “rangers will be out again this weekend with other organisations to keep people & wildlife safe”.
After a spell of sunny weather across much of the UK, the weather is expected to be unsettled and windy in the North with showers or longer spells of rain this weekend, according to the Met Office.
It says there will be scattered showers on Saturday in the South but it will become dry, settled and increasingly warm.
Key workers tell of fighting ‘draconian’ Home Office immigration rule keeping their families apart
Erika Cardoso, her husband Augusto and their daughter Liz Supplied
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Under the rule – which was introduced in 2012 – British citizens and other settled residents must earn at least £18,600-a-year before their partner from outside the EU can live with them in the UK.
The threshold has been slammed as “devastating” by charities such as the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), which estimates that more than 40% of the population in the UK would not meet this criteria.
Research suggests that among this group are many of the key workers who have risked their lives to support the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.
HuffPost UK spoke to some key workers who are struggling to earn what the government demands to reunite their families in the UK.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--The Final Season Of Game Of Thrones Made The Entire Series Unwatchable

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Bassem “Bear” Dahdouh was hopeful when Game Of Thrones premiered in April 2011. Although he hadn’t read a single word of George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire book series, he was a fan of actor Sean Bean and decided to give the medieval fantasy series a shot.
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He was immediately hooked.
“The series premiere had everything – action, drama, horror and a twist,” Dahdouh, an esports professional from Las Vegas, told HuffPost, noting that the show’s performances and thoughtful pacing kept him coming back for more.
And he wasn’t alone. A legion of devoted fans became enraptured with Game Of Thrones, a compelling story about powerful families – the Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons and Targaryens – fighting for control over the fictional world of Westeros. By the final season, which aired last year, an average of 44.2 million viewers were tuning in per episode.
Although the final instalment saw record-breaking ratings, many critics and fans agree that the conclusion torched everything to the ground. Arya Stark (played by Maisie Williams) killed the Night King, beloved heroine Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) turned bad, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) – the rightful heir to the Iron Throne – was shipped back off to the Night’s Watch, and Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) – the all-seeing Three-Eyed Raven – became king. (Because “who has a better story than Bran the Broken?”)
The abbreviated season, which consisted of six extended episodes, threw character arcs out the window and rendered all the moments that came before it meaningless as showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss made a mad, lazy dash toward the finish line.
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Despite prior seasons receiving widespread acclaim, season eight got the lacklustre reviews it deserved. Many viewers agreed that it felt rushed, and that big battles and impressive visuals took precedence over believable storytelling. Though it took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, the final season was ignored by the Golden Globes and has now been mostly disregarded.
Two months after the series’ end in May 2019, HuffPost caught up with fans at San Diego Comic-Con, many of whom said things like they “lost friendships over what happened” and that the final season was a “slap in the face.”
A year later, reactions to the finale don’t seem any better.
“I used to rewatch the show outright every year at least twice before each season’s start, but I haven’t rewatched a single episode since the finale a year ago,” Dahdouh said. “I can’t stomach the show knowing how bad it ends.”
In a HuffPost-YouGov poll of 1,000 respondents, 66% of people said they have not watched or rewatched the show since the start of quarantine two months ago – and they don’t plan to. Meanwhile, only 9% of respondents have watched or rewatched the show over the same time period.
It does feel strange that Game Of Thrones isn’t enjoying a resurgence when streaming data shows that general TV viewership has been increasing during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Binge-watching on Hulu has gone up more than 40% since the beginning of March, with shows such as Lost and Scrubs doubling in engagement since last year, a Hulu spokesperson told HuffPost. And according to the piracy tracker Muso, visits to film piracy websites rose 41% in the United States during the last seven days of March compared to the same time period the previous month.
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It appears that the culmination of Game Of Thrones might have been so disappointing that it was able to erase the rewatchability of some glorious episodes.
For the record I used to rewatch Game of Thrones like 2 times a year before every season. I haven't watched one episode since the series finale. — Bear (@BearUNLV) March 21, 2020
A year later and the anger is still as strong as it was the day the final episode aired. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/uqFh9v0uuk — Quwn 💫 (@Q_Corleone) May 19, 2020
A year ago today, the suckiest season of one of the best shows aired. And the only good thing that came out of it was this shot. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/47Ko4PU5eQ — Youmna El Halabi (@HalabiYoumna) May 19, 2020
Like Tyrion walking among the smouldering ruins of King’s Landing, it’s surreal looking back at what became of season eight.
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The first two episodes of the season had their faults, but the real problems popped up in episode three, which featured the Battle of Winterfell. This particular fight between the living and the undead White Walkers had been teased since the beginning of the show. The episode, which was ominously titled The Long Night, lasted just 82 minutes. And although viewers were excited to watch the epic war unfold, the number one criticism of the episode was how dark it was. It was so hard to see the action in “he Long Night that cinematographer Fabian Wagner had to defend his work.
Sheer devastation was teased, but the White Walker threat turned out to be more of a bluff. Many characters comically avoided their demise – ahem, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) – and in a shocking twist, Arya destroyed the Night King with one thrust of her dagger. Rather than a triumph, this move was seen as manipulation since Jon Snow’s seasons-long journey to destroy the leader of the undead became irrelevant.
Using Arya for shock value underscores the main problem with the final season: showrunners Benioff and Weiss went for style over substance.
Daenerys burns King’s Landing because the show spent years hinting at it because she sees her dad’s old house? And after being completely wiped out by the White Walkers, the Dothraki are all gone the Dothraki show up again in the final episodes.
Time traveling water bottles aside, the final season just didn’t make sense. The battle strategy against the White Walkers didn’t make sense. Character dialogue and decisions didn’t make sense. And will someone please explain why Daenerys was drinking coffee so late at night?
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The show’s lack of logic was exposed by the showrunners in HBO’s Inside The Episode videos. To justify Daenerys losing a dragon to Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbæk), Benioff gave the explanation that launched 1,000 memes, saying the Mother of Dragons ”kind of forgot” about the Iron Fleet. This was after a previous scene in the show that showed Daenerys specifically being reminded of Euron. (Did the showrunners kind of forget about that, too?)
The results are, pun regrettably intended, Stark. The final season of Game Of Thrones has a 31% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. (To put that into perspective, even “Sharknado,” a movie about shark-filled tornadoes, managed to squeeze out a measly 33%). Also, that viral petition calling for the final season to be remade is still gaining traction to this day, currently sitting at 1.8 million signatures. The negative online chatter was so relentless that it made its way into the cast’s WhatsApp chat, and the showrunners dropped out of a scheduled appearance at last year’s Comic-Con apparently to avoid in-person criticism. Benioff and Weiss also reportedly ditched the opportunity to work on Star Wars, partly to escape future backlash.
“I didn’t like the ending because it felt sudden and confusing,” Dahdouh said. “[There were] a lot of holes and skipping around. And I think the shift to more action was the problem. I didn’t tune in to the show to see epic battles every other episode. I was completely fine with one battle every season.”
Say what you will about season 8, it had some amazing shots. #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/6ncjXwgc4Q — Mr_Tofie (@Mr_Tofie) May 19, 2020
Yes, season eight featured some incredible visuals. The production team put together a spectacle of nonsensical set pieces, apparently assuming that’s what fans wanted. (Episodes such as Battle of the Bastards are often praised as some of the show’s best.) But Game Of Thrones didn’t become a global phenomenon just because it looked cool. Viewers were gripped by the compelling characters and fantasy elements. They came for the storytelling.
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Long before the HBO show was even a twinkle in Weiss and Benioff’s eyes, fans were poring over the pages of Martin’s book series and stalking online message boards speculating about Jon Snow’s true parentage. But that was based on detailed reasoning, not just what would be shocking. The most popular theories, even about a story involving zombies and dragons, made sense.
So that’s what we hold onto: hope that Martin’s tried-and-true storytelling can fix what the final season burned to the ground. Given that Martin created the series, his input in the first four seasons of Game Of Thrones was pivotal to the show’s success. By season seven, the writing was clearly weaker as the show moved ahead with shortened seasons. (Gendry ran faster than Usain Bolt, and time seemed to not matter.) Yes, Martin told them how the story should end, but without his guidance, the showrunners’ scripts fell into bad fan fiction territory.
“It definitely felt off when the show got past the books,” Dahdouh said. “From my perspective, if they had seasons seven and eight with 10 episodes each, going in on character development and the journey rather than the epic fights, I think the show could have done much better.”
Martin is still set to release the final two books in his seven-part series, The Winds Of Winter and A Dream Of Spring, as fans have already been waiting a very long time for new material – since 2011, to be exact. He had planned to release both novels before Game Of Thrones came to an end, but instead it’s been a nine-year wait filled with Targaryen history books and prequel series discussions. (House Of the Dragon is moving forward at HBO, but with film productions shut down due to the pandemic, who knows if it’ll hit its 2022 release date?)
When HuffPost reached out to Martin’s manager, Vince Gerardis, for an update, he said the author was “locked away and healthy, writing his book. Big DO NOT DISTURB sign on his door.”
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Martin himself wrote a blog post at the start of quarantine, saying he was holed up in New Mexico.
“Truth be told, I am spending more time in Westeros than in the real world, writing every day,” he wrote. “Things are pretty grim in the Seven Kingdoms … but maybe not as grim as they may become here.” Last month, he updated fans once again, saying he was still social distancing in the mountains and writing.
“I have good days and bad days,” he said. “But I am making progress.”
How nice would it be to have The Winds O Winter to devour while stuck at home? Too nice. When considering the pace at which Martin works, a new book might not arrive for many more months, or even years. But he did say that if the novel isn’t complete by summer, fans have permission to imprison him in a cabin on New Zealand’s White Island “overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I’m done,” he wrote on his website.
In one of the first panels at the 2019 Game Of Thrones fan convention Con of Thrones, The Ringer’s Jason Concepcion was frank about the state of things.
“This story sprung from the mind of a person who ostensibly could finish it, and I hope that that happens,” he said. “I really deeply hope that that happens.”
Ahead of the final season, Benioff told Entertainment Weekly, “A good story isn’t a good story if you have a bad ending.”
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While rewatching Breaking Bad or The Sopranos only adds to a fan’s understanding of the series, the eighth season of Game Of Thrones soured the greatness that came before it. Why would anyone want to watch the entire show over again – picking through useless Easter eggs and theories – knowing how it all comes to an end? They probably wouldn’t.
“From my perspective, if the Night King killed everyone, that would have been a more satisfying ending,” Dahdouh said.
No conclusion was going to be universally loved, but the season finale backlash isn’t necessarily about what happened – it’s about how it happened. The storytelling suffered, and the result is unforgettable in all the wrong ways.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Even Though We Are Apart, This Eid We Will Be Together In Our Struggle

Family celebrating Eid al-Fitr and asking for forgiveness Afriandi via Getty Images
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I have always viewed Ramadan as a way to earn the day of Eid. A day of celebration; where families come together, too much is consumed, Eid prayer is done in congregation and maybe a short trip to the funfair to entertain the kids also takes place, with the staple evening activity for my family being a trip to the bowling alley. I would like to gloat that last year my team won.
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For me, over the last few years, Eid prayers in our local park, where over 106,000 Muslim men and women turned up last year to pray together in congregation is the best part. As a huge community with so many shades and different opinions it can be difficult to constantly be one, but Eid prayer each year makes me realise the strength of unity in our community. Standing within a sea of these people, who are dressed in their finest clothes, with chaotic children still running around as a drone flies up ahead and we all follow the imam in prayer, my mind and heart feels at peace.
In the time of Covid-19, this congregation would be beyond irresponsible. In a statement, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Harun Khan said: “As ever, everyone’s number one priority must be to help save lives and celebrating Eid at home is the best way to do this. We use this holy day to pray for the safety of our communities and our key workers and a swift end to this pandemic.”
“This Eid will be one where we are all together in our struggle and that’s what will make is manageable even if we still feel alone.”
Although I understand the importance of staying at home and keeping our communities safe and know that in the grand scheme of things this isn’t much to sacrifice. To me, the loss of Eid prayer is like a child waking up to no presents under the Christmas tree on Christmas day. As much as Eid day is a celebration and I want to celebrate it, I know I will be saddened to lose this part of it.
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Muslim Council of Wales have released a dos and do not guide for Eid. They have advised not to: go to the mosque, visit family or friends, or not to go to the park or public places to congregate.
Islamically, the sunnah of Eid encourages us to call out takbiraat, to be clean, to dress up, to pray, to exchange well wishes with one another and to eat and drink. It isn’t a day that we should spend upset or unhappy. But I can’t help but feel the loneliness of Eid this year where many will celebrate alone, maybe won’t dress up, probably won’t see family and can’t be with the community.
I am reminded of the days that have just passed, of the way in which our faith has encouraged us to be grateful for even the smallest things. Although this Eid will be different and difficult we must protect our communities.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that Black and Asian minority communities were disproportionately affected by Covid-19, with the risk of dying being twice as likely than it is for white communities. This data also showed that Black men were 4.2 times more likely to die from a Covid-19 related death and Black women were 4.2 more likely than those within the white community.
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In a hadith, widely shared on social media since the beginning of the Covid-19 the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When you hear that a plague is in a land, do not enter it and if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place” further adding: “Do not place a sick patient with a healthy person,” according to the narration. This advice is timeless and essentially what we all know by now. Islam asks that we put our faith in Allah, that when a disease is sent, so is a cure. But we must also protect ourselves. We must, as we have been, do our part to not make things worse. Staying home this year isn’t a big price to pay if it means those most vulnerable within our communities can be safe.
I believe in our communities’ ability to adapt and overcome. During Ramadan there have been online iftars, halaqa classes (sisters only Quran classes), Friday night quizzes, workout sessions via Instagram live, online yoga classes, fundraisers for those in need in our communities, and so much more. All these new spaces have been created in response to keeping our community united in Covid-19.
So, although I am saddened, I am encouraged that many of us will find creative and safe ways to celebrate Eid. Whether it’s an at home barbecue, a make-shift bowling alley set up, arts and crafts with the kids, hide and seek around the house, a video call with all the family around the world, a quiz night among friends or even if it means cracking out a new pair of pyjamas and sitting down to have a Netflix binge. This Eid will be one where we are all together in our struggle and that’s what will make is manageable even if we still feel alone.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Care Work Is Still Being Undervalued – It's Time To Protest

Hospital staff outside King's College Hospital in Camberwell, south London ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday’s Clap For Our Carers felt different. Just hours earlier, the government was forced to make a U-turn on its savage surcharge for migrant NHS and care workers, so each strike of the hands was like beating a drum of victory. The hope was that the government was finally beginning to understand the value of care and the hypocrisy of its treatment of so-called essential workers.
The surcharge requires overseas workers (social care workers, cleaners, porters and health workers) to pay £400 per year to access the very care that they are providing, even though – as many commentators failed to notice – these workers are already paying for their healthcare through taxation. For those of us who had been campaigning for this policy change in peacetime on the basis that it discriminated against some of the lowest paid workers, most of whom are women, the victory felt bitter sweet.
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“The abolition of the surcharge for migrant workers is right, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that most care workers would not qualify for a visa under the government’s new immmigration scheme because they simply don’t earn enough.”
Listening to Jeremy Hunt’s epiphany on BBC Radio 4 this week that “Given the sacrifices that we’ve seen during the coronavirus pandemic, low-paid frontline health and care workers need to be thought about differently,” I was reminded of the Spiderman of Paris. You will no doubt recall the viral footage of an undocumented migrant who risked his life to scale a building in order to rescue a four-year-old who was dangling from the balcony. Mamoudou Gassama’s heroic act earned him a sit-down with the President, a medal, fast-tracked citizenship and a job offer with the city’s fire department. In response, the Deputy President of the far-right Front National, said: “If you tell me, we’ll make that one official because of his act of bravery and we’ll expel all the others, I’ll sign up to that.”
Here’s the thing, care work is heroic with or without coronavirus. It requires extraordinary patience, skill and thoughtfulness to provide personal, emotional and medical support to people with often complex needs. But although the work itself is rewarding, workers are consistently taken for granted, under valued, or exploited by a grossly unfair system. Most care workers are on zero-hours contracts so don’t qualify for sick pay, and the average remuneration is just £7.89 per hour – less than most supermarkets pay. The combination of cuts to national spending and increased privatisation, means many care workers struggle to make ends meet. The abolition of the surcharge for migrant workers is right, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that most care workers would not qualify for a visa under the government’s new immmigration scheme because they simply don’t earn enough.
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Today, the Women’s Equality Party is organising the first social distance march. Hundreds of people from across the UK will be marching (or rolling) a mile for carers and for the people who receive care, as part of their daily exercise or at home – and posting footage of their protests and placards online using the hashtag #PayProtectProtest. This is activism in an age of isolation and we are calling for urgent action from government to end the crisis in care homes and save lives. That includes guaranteeing a real living wage and employment protections for all care workers, along with testing and protective gear, because until it is possible for carers to self-isolate we cannot hope to reduce the spread of infection in care settings, which now make up a third of all Covid-related deaths.
When asked by the gaggle of press that waited outside the Elysée Palace what he wanted to ask of the President, Gassama’s brother answered without hesitation: good working and housing conditions. Surely, our government should provide that for our heroes too? We will keep clapping and marching and campaigning until they do.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Charlie Brooker Reveals Why Have I Got News For You Rehearsal Was 'Most Black Mirror Thing He's Ever

Charlie Brooker Reveals Why Have I Got News For You Rehearsal Was 'Most Black Mirror Thing He's Ever Seen'

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The satirist, who created and writes the dystopian Netflix drama series, hosted the topical BBC panel show on Friday night, with all its panellists appearing from home via video link.
And while the new format has been in place for a number of weeks now, Charlie hadn’t quite expected what happened during preparations, likening it to “having a breakdown”.
Charlie Brooker guest hosted Have I Got News For You BBC
Speaking on the show, Charlie said: “There was a test earlier on, where there were people sitting in all four of your houses and I was talking to four people in face masks… it was like I was having a breakdown.
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“It was the most Black Mirror thing I’ve ever seen… and I’ve sat in the edit for that show.”
HIGNFY team captain Ian Hislop jokingly blamed Charlie for the coronavirus pandemic, pointing out similarities between his anthology series and the current situation.
At the top of the show, Ian said: “I’m very thrilled to have you on as host, obviously… the purveyor of apocalyptic vision.
“Presumably we’ll get Nostradamus next week, and after that The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse are going to sit there and fire some jolly questions at us… I blame you.”
Ian Hislop jokingly blamed Charlie and his series Black Mirror for the pandemic BBC
Charlie recently returned with a special “Antiviral” edition of his hit show Screenwipe last week, which took a sideways look at events during the pandemic.
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The episode saw him poke fun at politicians including prime minister Boris Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock, as well as offering an acerbic take at some recent news stories, much to the delight of viewers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--PM Defends Dominic Cummings' Lockdown-Breaking Trip As 'Essential'

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The prime minister has defended Dominic Cumming’s lockdown-breaking trip to see his parents 260 miles away in Durham as “essential” amid mounting calls for him to be sacked.
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Police have confirmed they attended a property in County Durham, prompting political leaders to pile pressure on the PM to sack the 48-year-old strategist for flouting the rules announced by his own boss.
A Downing Street spokesperson has denied that police had spoken to Cummings or his family.
Council leaders for County Durham, as well as senior MPs, have since called on Boris Johnson to sack his top advisor.
In a statement, the spokesperson said: “Owing to his wife being infected with suspected coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for.
“His sister and nieces had volunteered to help so he went to a house near to but separate from his extended family in case their help was needed.
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“His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside.
“At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported.
“His actions were in line with coronavirus guidelines. Mr Cummings believes he behaved reasonably and legally.”
Meanwhile, local leaders in Durham have reacted furiously to the confirmation that Cummings had travelled to the area after testing positive for Covid-19.
Councillor Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said: “Residents of County Durham who have been observing national government rules for many weeks are shocked to hear reports that a senior government figure travelled to Durham from London with coronavirus symptoms.
“This breach of the rule on self-isolation came at a time when the rate of infection was far higher in central London than in Durham.
“The public health guidance has been very clear and must apply to everyone if our communities are to be protected from this terrible virus.”
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Councillor Lucy Hovvels, portfolio holder for adult and health services in County Durham, called for Cummings to be dismissed for “arrogantly and flagrantly flouting the rule” if reports were found to be true.
She added: “The hypocrisy of Dominic Cummings to think he is above his own government’s guidance is staggering. While the vast majority of our residents in County Durham have made such extraordinary and heart-breaking sacrifices during this pandemic, a senior government advisor has driven the length of the country, displaying coronavirus symptoms, to swan back to his parents’ house.
“Our communities will be appalled and will rightly expect us to condemn these irresponsible actions, which are an insult to the people who have lost their lives across our county.
“If the government does not take immediate action against Cummings, it sends a message that there is one set of rules for those who make them and another for the people of the UK.”
Meanwhile, the county’s acting police and crime commissioner described Cummings’ journey from London to County Durham as “most unwise”.
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In a statement, Steve White said: “Given the whole ethos of the guidance and regulations issued from the government was to reduce the spread, regardless of reason, by travelling to County Durham when known to be infected was most unwise.
“To beat this crisis we need to be selfless as millions have been. The response by the people of County Durham and Darlington have been exemplary, which makes this most frustrating and concerning.”
White, a former head of the Police Federation in England and Wales, added: “Incidents such as this do not help, and I can appreciate that the longer this goes on the harder it gets, but I encourage the people of County Durham and Darlington to keep up the outstanding effort seen so far by using common sense when following the guidance to stay alert and continue to social distance.”
As Boris Johnson faces intense pressure to sack his top aide, ministers have closed ranks – tweeting near-identical messages in defence of Cummings.
On Saturday morning Michael Gove, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, shared the statement, adding: “Caring for your wife and child is not a crime.”
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Caring for your wife and child is not a crime https://t.co/YCXWhKTq28 — Michael Gove (@michaelgove) May 23, 2020
Chancellor Rishi Sunak wrote:“Taking care of your wife and young child is justifiable and reasonable, trying to score political points over it isn’t,” while foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “It’s reasonable and fair to ask for an explanation on this. And it has been provided: two parents with coronavirus, were anxiously taking care of their young child.
“Those now seeking to politicise it should take a long hard look in the mirror.”
At the time of Cummings’ trip to his parents’ home in Durham, the PM’s message to the nation was “a very simple instruction – you must stay at home”.
The rules, announced in a speech that Johnson made to the nation on March 23, stated that people would only be allowed to leave the house for limited purposes.
These were shopping for basics, one form of exercise a day, travelling to and from work, but only where absolutely necessary, and medical needs.
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Reinforcing the message, Mr Johnson said people should not meet family members who do not live with them.
The rule on meeting family was unequivocal.
It stated: “You should not be visiting family members who do not live in your home.
“You should keep in touch with them using phone or video calls.”
Later on Saturday morning Cummings told reporters who asked about the optics of his trip: “Who cares about good looks. It’s a question of doing the right thing. It’s not about what you guys think.”
Questions have also been raised about a Spectator article, written by Cummings’ wife Mary Wakefield, in which she described their quarantine and subsequent emergence into lockdown in London.
Despite the detailed account of their experience with the virus, no mention was made of the family’s 260-mile trip.
In the wake of the news, and Downing Street’s subsequent statement, the government has been accused by leaders of co-ordinating a “cover up”.
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Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Ian Blackford said: “What I find interesting is that (according to reports) members of Downing Street knew about this so, first and foremost, Boris Johnson has serious questions to answer over what now appears to be a cover-up.
“The Prime Minister must explain exactly when he knew about the breaking of the rules, whether he sanctioned it, why Cummings wasn’t sacked immediately and why it appears that he tried to cover it up, not telling the public until the newspaper(s) broke the story, eight weeks later, last night.”
He branded the alleged actions the “height of irresponsibility”, and added: “Demonstrably, this is an individual who has broken the advice he has been, in many cases, the architect of delivering.”
Meanwhile, the Labour Party said the “country deserves answers” at the daily Downing Street press conference on Saturday.
Shortly before the press conference, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner tweeted: “From what I can see so far from the Cummings #DurhamGate is government ministers are intent on undermining their own public health message instead of reinforcing it at a crucial time for the UK.
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“Another failure to protect us and slow to act decisively.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Lady Gaga Says She Was 'Too Ashamed' To Hang Out With Ariana Grande At First

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Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande marked the unofficial start of summer this week by releasing their shimmery, much-anticipated duet, Rain on Me.
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But fans may be surprised to learn their union wasn’t exactly an organic one – at least not at first.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe released on Friday, Gaga said she was initially “too ashamed to hang out” with Ariana, despite the fact that the two women “connected right away” once they did get together.
Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande in the Rain On Me video YouTube
“She was so persistent,” Gaga said. “She would try over and over again to be friends with me. ... And eventually, she called me on my shit. She was [like], ‘You’re hiding.’ And I was, ‘I am hiding. I’m totally hiding.’”
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The Born This Way singer didn’t clarify why she was so reluctant to forge a friendship with Ariana at first. Later in the interview, however, she opened up about her “masochistic tendencies,” implying that she was concerned about being a bad influence on the younger star.
Fortunately for the world, the two soon forged a kinship ― and it wound up being a “beautiful, very healing process” for Gaga.
“It was just so awesome to watch her,” she said. “That woman has been through some really tough, really hard life-testing stuff, undoubtedly.”
Rain on Me will appear on Gaga’s sixth studio album, Chromatica, due out next week. The album’s promotional cycle got off to a solid start with its anthemic first single, Stupid Love, in February.
Like many artists, however, Gaga opted to postpone the album’s release as concerns over the spread of the coronavirus grew. In spite of the delay, she stayed busy by co-organising Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home concert, featuring appearances by Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez, among others.
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Gaga and Ariana pictured in 2015 Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
“It’s been a very difficult time for a lot of people,” Gaga said in the interview. “I wanted to do something to help the world that was very focused.” She called Chromatica a “beautiful abstraction of my perception of the world.”
“I just wanted to wait for a second and do something specific. And then when it felt appropriate, I was like, ‘OK, we can get abstract,’” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Coronavirus: PM Under Pressure To Sack Top Aide Dominic Cummings, And Four Other Stories You Need To

Coronavirus: PM Under Pressure To Sack Top Aide Dominic Cummings, And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

The region’s two largest nations — Mexico and Brazil — have reported their highest ever numbers of infections and deaths almost daily for the past week, fuelling criticism of their presidents, who have slow-walked shutdowns in an attempt to limit economic damage.
Brazil reported more than 330,000 confirmed cases as of Friday – trailing only the US in terms of number of infections, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Brazil has also recorded more than 21,000 deaths, though experts believe the true numbers are higher.
Mexico reported its highest one-day death toll so far on Friday, with 479 new fatalities- up from Wednesday’s previous high of 424. It also reported 2,960 new cases, capping a week in which daily confirmed infections have hit close to that number.
However, the Health Department acknowledges that the real number is probably several times higher because of Mexico’s abysmally low testing rate. Despite this, the government has already taken steps to reopen the country’s economy.
Colombia’s Ministry of Health reported its biggest daily increases on Friday, with 801 new confirmed infections and 30 deaths.
In Chile, more than 90% of intensive care beds were full last week in the capital, Santiago.
Ecuador’s government instituted a curfew and other measures in March, but cases have swamped medical and mortuary services in the city of Guayaquil and now in the capital, Quito.
News outlets showed images of patients slumped in wheelchairs receiving oxygen in Peru, where there are only 2.5 intensive-care beds per 100,000 people, a quarter of the global standard.
The country had almost 109,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,100 dead as of Thursday night.
Police ‘wary’ as spit attacks soar
A soaring number of spitting attacks on police officers could be behind a national rise in assaults on emergency service workers.
Figures from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) for England and Wales, reported by the BBC, showed a 14% rise in attacks in one month compared with last year.
One officer said the assaults had made colleagues on patrol “really wary”.
The figures, which cover 43 forces across England and Wales, cover the four weeks preceding May 10 and are compared against the same period in 2019.
More than 300 people were charged with coronavirus-related assaults against emergency workers in April – “the vast majority” resulting with a conviction, according to the CPS.
There have been two cases of non-emergency workers – one taxi driver and one ticket officer – in London dying after being spat on by people who claimed to have the disease.
Earlier in May it emerged that 47-year-old Belly Mujinga had died of the virus two weeks after being coughed and spat on by a member of the public while at work at Victoria Station.
Meanwhile on Friday it emerged that 61-year-old taxi driver Trevor Belle from Stratford had died with Covid-19 after being spat out by a fare dodger who claimed to have the disease.
Public urged to avoid beaches over bank holiday weekend


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Lana Del Rey Doubles Down On Defence Of Controversial Instagram Post Insisting Critics 'Want Drama'

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Lana Del Rey has accused critics of “wanting drama” as she doubled down on her defence of a controversial post on Instagram.
The Video Games singer faced a backlash earlier this week when she lamented how many female artists are having success with songs about “being sexy, wearing no clothes, fucking, cheating etc.”, when she had been “crucified” and accused of “glamourising abuse” when she’d explored these themes.
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Lana name-checked high-profile female stars including Doja Cat, Camila Cabello, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, with many noting that the majority of artists she’d contrasted herself to were women of colour.
Lana Del Rey Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
After Lana hit back at “bullshit” accusations of racism in the comments of her post, claiming she had “picked my favourite fucking people”, she has now shared a “couple of final notes” on the matter.
“Despite the feedback I’ve heard from several people that I mentioned in a complimentary way, whether it be Ariana or Doja Cat – I want to say that I remain firm in my clarity and stance in that what I was writing about was the importance of self-advocacy for more delicate and often dismissed, softer female personality, and that there does have to be room for that type in what will inevitably become a new wave/3rd wave of feminism that is rapidly approaching,” she wrote on Instagram.
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She said anyone making the issue about race might be “super trump/pence supporters or hyper liberals or flip flopping headline grabbing critics (who) can’t read and want to make it a race war”.
Lana reiterated that her issue was with “female critics and female alternative artists who are dissociated from their own fragility and sexuality and berate more sexually liberated artists”.
She added: “You want the drama, you don’t want to believe that a woman could be beautiful, strong and fragile at the same time… Nothing new here in your reaction.
“Same as ten years ago when a million think pieces came out about me feigning emotional fragility or lying about coming from no money when that was the truth.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Gogglebox Fans Absolutely Grossed Out After Seeing The Unusual Way Lee Riley Eats His Toast

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It is usually the stars of Gogglebox passing comment on the shows they are watching, but viewers found a lot to say about one particular element of Friday’s episode.
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They were left absolutely grossed out after seeing the unusual way Lee Riley eats a piece of toast.
During a chat with his best pal Jenny Newby, Lee was seen dunking his toast into a cup of tea.
Lee was seen dunking his toast into a cup of tea on Gogglebox Channel 4
“Do you have to do that?” a horrified Jenny said. “You’re disgusting, you!”
And much like how Love Island viewers were upset with the way Lucie Donlan once simultaneously ate an apple and a banana, fans agreed with Jenny...
Lee just dunked his toast in his tea #Gogglebox pic.twitter.com/47JIiCj5qX — Georgia (@GeorgiaEH17) May 22, 2020
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🤢 did Lee just dip his toast in a cup of tea?
Just wrong
#Gogglebox — Becky Tallentire (@Bluestocking63) May 22, 2020
Lee just dipped toast in his tea.... this is not ok 😭😭😭😩🙈 #Gogglebox #GoggleboxFriday @C4Gogglebox — Lynsay Robertson (@RobertsonLynsay) May 22, 2020
Ugh, Lee dunks his toast. I think that might be the worst thing I’ve seen on #gogglebox. Prayers for poor Jenny. — Roz Laws (@rozlaws) May 22, 2020
Me and mum are legitimately devastated at seeing that Lee off gogglebox is one of those heathens who dips toast in tea — James 🐳 (@jamfitzy) May 22, 2020
@leegogglebox cant believe I have just witnessed Lee dipping toast into his cup of tea!! 😱😱🤮🤮😂😂😂 @C4Gogglebox #Gogglebox — Fiona Hughes (@jambosgirl) May 22, 2020
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Tom now feels like his disgusting life choices have been validated after watching Lee dunk his toast in his tea 🤮 @leegogglebox #gogglebox pic.twitter.com/Sces43ubtd — kaylee whitehurst (@k_dawgggg) May 22, 2020
why has lee just dipped an entire slice of toast into a cup of tea :/// #gogglebox — rachel (@raqueIturner) May 22, 2020
Lee was one of my faves until he dunked toast in tea! #Gogglebox — Gemma (@SweetGem14) May 22, 2020
Friday’s Gogglebox was actually the last in the series, meaning Lee is now free to move back into his own home.
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Lee has been living with Jenny in her caravan in Hull during lockdown so that they could continue to film the show together within government guidelines.
However, during the series, Gogglebox has come under fire from some fans, as Ellie and Izzi Warner filmed together despite not living in the same household.
After TV watchdog Ofcom received 163 complaints, Channel 4 maintained that they were still sticking to social distancing rules, with a representative saying in a statement: “Most of the families live together but where they don’t, they are complying with PHE [Public Health England] social distancing guidelines.
“Gogglebox will only film with families where it’s safe to do so. The health and safety of our cast and crew is paramount.”
Gogglebox makers previously announced that they had taken measures to allow “the families to take part without any contact from crew” with their homes fitted with remote cameras.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Muslims Around The World Prepare To Celebrate Eid In Lockdown

Muslims Around The World Prepare To Celebrate Eid In Lockdown
Preparations are underway around the world to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, the Muslim festival which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. But lockdown measures caused by the coronavirus mean festivities for many Muslims will be different this year. From Algeria to Bangladesh, this is what Eid looks like in lockdown across the globe.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--'Covid-19 Is A Watershed Moment': How Musicians Are Waging A War On Streaming Platforms From Lockdow

'Covid-19 Is A Watershed Moment': How Musicians Are Waging A War On Streaming Platforms From Lockdown

“You’ve probably heard how bad streaming is before,” sighs Tom Gray of Mercury Prize-winning band Gomez. “That’s why I called this campaign #BrokenRecord.”
Lockdown has been financially challenging for most of us, but musicians have had it disproportionately bad. After losing the ability to perform live in front of audiences, (although there is a movement for paid gigs from lockdown emerging), it’s fair to say most of their income has been decimated.
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Without gig revenue, and the add-on profits made at the merchandise stand, artists have to rely on music sales - and in 2020, the majority of music is either consumed for free online or paid for via streaming platforms.
The trouble is, and this won’t come as a surprise to most music lovers, streaming platforms are notoriously tight with the purse strings.
Tom has set up the #brokenrecord campaign to raise awareness of an issue he says is critical for the survival of artists. Pic: Claire Gray
According to artists like Tom, the fight for fairer wages from streaming platforms like Spotify has felt tiresome and ongoing, and despite a lot of noise from musicians, very little progress has been made over the past decade. Yet, this crisis might be the catalyst to instigate change.
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Tom is one of the leading musicians behind the #BrokenRecord campaign being pushed on social media, with the aim of organising a ‘streaming summit’ where musicians’ fears can be heard - and finally, he hopes, change may come.
Since the campaign was launched online it has raised over £2,500 in donations, which go to the PRS Emergency Relief Fund and the Musicians’ Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund to help struggling musicians right now.
And another campaign, Keep Music Alive, which uses the hashtag #fixstreaming, has amassed over 10,000 signatures so far and is calling on the Government to take action via a Change.org petition.
It is backed by the Musicians Union and The Ivors Academy, which represent tens of thousands of musicians between them.
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Both campaigns echo concerns shared by major voices like Boy George and KT Tunstall, suggesting the issue about fair pay over streams effects even commercially successful musicians, and a listening party has been organised for this weekend to rally support.
“Covid-19 is truly a watershed moment,” says Tom. “Those trying to fudge past this opportunity for change by maintaining the status quo have history against them. We can do better. We can make the music industry sustainable.”
The listening party takes place this weekend HuffPost UK
Tom and his allies argue that successful artists, writers and musicians cannot live from streaming income alone and yet streaming platforms produce billions of dollars for a select few corporations.
“#BrokenRecord is simply asking for a streaming summit,” he urges. “For all parties to sit down together, accepting that what we have isn’t great and could be improved.”
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KT Tunstall, the British singer-songwriter behind Naughties hit Suddenly I See, was less reserved with her words when she lent her support of Tom’s campaign on social media.
“The splits are completely, chronically, criminally wrong and it means that a lot of artists in this lockdown, because they can’t play live, are decimated,” KT told the STV TV station.
“Many artists aren’t going to be able to do this anymore after this has happened because they’re just going to have to get a job.”
A number of artists have come forward to illustrate how artist earnings from streaming platforms appear to be disproportionate to the money generated by the platforms overall.
KT Tunstall has called streaming platforms royalties 'criminally wrong' and backs the campaign. Carla Speight via Getty Images
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Incredible. Violinist @tasminlittle received £12.34p from Spotify for her 755,000 monthly listeners last month. Spotify's 2019 revenue was £6.8 billion. @BBCr4today — Lucinda Rogers (@LucindaDraws) May 18, 2020
In the last 6-month period I earned £40.22 for all my streams on Spotify. ('Groove It Out' is my most streamed track at 1.2 million streams.) Making music is not sustainable at these rates, YouTube is even worse. Sign the petition if you want to #FixStreaming + keep music alive. https://t.co/ZgAj4F0qop — LoneLady (@LoneLadyHQ) May 12, 2020
Do you listen to us on @Spotify? We get 75,000+ plays a month. For that we earn less than a fiver. Yes, that’s <£5. For the whole band. It’s taking the piss on a monumental scale. If you want to #KeepMusicAlive we need to #FixStreaming now. Pls sign and RT the petition👇👇🙏🙏 https://t.co/yB32xhdHB1 — electrelane (@electrelaneyeah) May 12, 2020
Tom has developed a table and called it Songwriter Supermarket to easier explain how he believes royalties are paid to artists per platform.
Have a go. Use this table.
Divide the price of a mundane shopping/grocery item by one of the numbers in the first column.
Make sure to tell us which service you’re using as currency.
That’s how you play
‘Songwriter Supermarket’#BrokenRecord pic.twitter.com/1dUEOSsUSs — Tom Gray #BrokenRecord (@MrTomGray) May 20, 2020
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“Artists and composers have been directly affected by the problems in current streaming business models since these platforms first emerged,” says jazz musician Emily Saunders.
Echoing Tom Gray’s thinking, Emily supports the concept of streaming platforms, but speaking to HuffPost UK, says she thinks the financial situation needs a dramatic overhaul.
“Music streaming is with us to stay, as a great contemporary means of accessing and distributing content, but the problem exists in that the income from these subscriptions or advertising revenue, are barely passed onto those who are actually creating the music.
“We can’t go on using old world models in a new world market.”
Emily has urged music lovers to sign the petition HuffPost UK
Tom has a number of suggestions for ways forward for streaming, which he would highlight at a summit for the #brokenrecord campaign involving labels, musicians and the streaming platforms.
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He’s calling for streaming platforms to restructure their deals with labels and distributors, and for a more bespoke plan that only charges listeners for the music they listen to. “At the moment your subscription does not go to what you listen to. For an average listener, as much as 80% can go to music you don’t listen to and the platform,” he says.
“Even if this does not make anyone enormously better off, what it will certainly do is get more money to niche music and regional music. That is an ethical and cultural win, irrespective of the financial landscape.”
He also calls for increasing the value of the songs, paying songwriters a higher percentage of royalties than they currently get (13% shared with publishers, one sixth of what musicians earn), as well as “fully integrated” merchandise sites on streaming platforms so fans can “navigate into investing in their favourite music.”
He also calls on tech companies to readdress their business ethics and objectives when they create and monetise platforms they build.
Why the music industry HAS to change and why it has to change now. A thread. Stick with it! — Tom Gray #BrokenRecord (@MrTomGray) April 12, 2020
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“Tech companies will forever try to give stuff away because they are only interested in engagement and uptake,” he says. “This is completely at odds with the Intellectual Property rights that protect creators and allow us to make a living.
“So it is a broadband issue with Silicon Valley culture. How do you get people to subscribe when they can get it for free? It’s painful.”
Meanwhile, streaming platforms broadly defend their royalties payments without commenting further on these specific campaigns.
HuffPost UK approached some major UK record labels to ask for their input on the debate, but most of those we approached declined to comment.
YouTube spoke to HuffPost UK in response to the increasing anger from artists and, addressing financial challenges, they said: “If an artist’s channel is set up for monetisation, we are making sure they understand the options to generate revenue. This is obviously a challenging time, and our aim is to make sure that artists who are eligible can earn revenue by enabling ads on their live stream and the resulting VOD, or through our Super Chat and Super Stickers features.
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“"We pay the music industry the majority of the revenue generated on their music content on YouTube” - YouTube spokesperson
They added: “We pay the music industry the majority of the revenue generated on their music content on YouTube, paying rates that are on par with the rest of the industry across both the advertising and subscription businesses.”
Spotify couldn’t offer a comment around the specific campaigns but did offer a statement which read: “The vast majority of revenue generated on Spotify is paid out to rights holders, including labels, publishing companies, and distributors.
“To date, we’ve paid out €15billion+. By connecting more creators and listeners, and leveraging the strength of our global reach, Spotify is helping fuel the growth of the music industry overall, which just experienced its fifth straight year of growth.”
The spokesperson also directed HuffPost UK readers to this Spotify for Artists article.
The #brokenrecord listening party takes place online and begins at 6pm on Sunday May 24th.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--‘Eid Isn’t Cancelled – We’re Still Going To Dress Up And Make It Joyous’

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“It is like having a month of real hardship and toil without the celebration at the end. It does feel like a real sacrifice not to have the momentous occasion of Eid as we know it.”
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Ali Amla sum up how thousands of Muslims across the UK will be feeling as they mark a very different Eid this weekend following a month of fasting during Ramadan.
Eid-al-Fitr is the date when Muslims worldwide celebrate the end of fasting and it is usually a joyous occasion filled with brightly-coloured new outfits, food and communal festivities. But the Covid-19 pandemic means people won’t be able to meet and interact with those outside their households this year.
Eid is traditionally marked with congregational prayers in mosques and parks followed by parties with family and friends. But mosques, like other places of worship, remain closed, while large gatherings are not yet permitted. So, Muslims are urged to observe the religious festival by praying within their household and celebrating virtually with family and friends instead.
“Eid has not been cancelled – we just have to celebrate it in a different way this year.” - Ali Amla
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“I am really going to miss going to the mosque for Eid prayers and that powerful feeling of solidarity after completing the month of Ramadan,” admits father-of-two Ali Amla, 40, who lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. “But it is about changing your mindset. Eid has not been cancelled – we just have to celebrate it in a different way this year. It is about remembering the essence of Eid and finding what works for you.”
Ali Amla Ali Amla at a previous Eid outside the mosque with friends Lutfi Lee Gajjar and Zakariya Hill
Although Amla knows his nine-year-old daughter and eight-year-old son will miss seeing their grandparents, cousins and aunties and uncles on Eid and that family feeling of togetherness, he is planning to virtually connect with his sisters and their families so everyone can still see each other.
“We are going to have an online get-together so we can still have a level of excitement at seeing others,” he says. “Food is a very important part of Eid and my children associate Eid with lamb biryani and mango lassi. So I will still be making a big pot of biryani and we will be baking and decorating the home and making it a fun and joyous day.”
Many Muslims are coming up with creative ways to mark Eid in lockdown. Raisah Ahmed, 34, who lives in Glasgow, spent two days baking Eid shortbread which she stunningly decorated with royal icing. She then packed her biscuits in boxes and dropped them off at the homes of family and friends – while wearing a mask and observing social distancing.
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“Eid will be strange this year and a bit anticlimactic in some ways. But everyone understands why it needs to be this way and the most important thing is to keep everyone safe,” she tells HuffPost UK.
“We are still going to dress up in our Eid outfits and do henna painting on our hands. We just won’t have as much family around as we normally do.” - Raisah Ahmed
“It will just be a more low-key Eid and a day at being at home with the family you live with,” Ahmed says. ”We are still going to dress up in our Eid outfits and do henna painting on our hands. Any excuse for henna! We are going to put decorations up to mark Eid and make it joyous.
“We just won’t have as much family around as we normally do.”
HuffPost UK Raisah Ahmed says she will be getting dressed up for Eid despite being in lockdown
Raisah Ahmed Raisah Ahmed shows her henna-painted hands at a previous Eid
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Ahmed, a screenwriter and director, says that she feels lucky to live in a busy household with her parents, three sisters and five-year-old niece and two-year-old nephew so she will still be surrounded by family on Eid.
However, she has another sister who lives nearby with her husband and two daughters and says the family will miss being all together on Eid.
“I miss not being able to hug my other nieces and having physical contact with people. Eid is a reason for families to come together and nothing replaces being in the same room as someone,” says Ahmed.
They are planning on video calling each other and playing online games, she says – and there will still be lots of food involved. “My parents are still going to do all the Eid cooking and we will leave some food on my sister’s porch so we can at least eat the same food even if it isn’t together.”
Which is where the biscuits comes in. “I enjoy baking and have made cupcakes and traybakes on previous Eids,” says Ahmed. “Last year, I decided to make biscuits as they are not too heavy and you can enjoy them without spoiling your appetite for other Eid food. So I decided to make them again this year despite lockdown and drop them off for family and close friends.”
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Raisah Ahmed Eid shortbread biscuits decorated with royal icing made by Raisah Ahmed
In the same way that Ramadan has been observed at home, the Muslim Council of Britain is urging Muslims to celebrate Eid in lockdown.
Harun Khan, the Muslim Council of Britain’s general secretary, says Muslims had shown great resolve throughout Ramadan, adapting to a different way of life by holding virtual iftars with friends and family and they now need to show the same attitude to Eid.
“Whilst Eid away from the mosques and from our loved ones is unprecedented and will be a source of great sadness in communities across the country, Muslim communities will adapt and find the best way to still celebrate this holy day while aligning to the latest guidance,” says Khan.
“Some will pray Eid prayers in families within their households and virtual gatherings can be arranged to still connect with loved ones.”
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With lockdown restrictions now varying between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, specific guidance for each nation has been developed between the Muslim Council of Britain and its affiliates the Muslim Council of Scotland, the Muslim Council of Wales and Belfast Islamic Centre.
The variations in public health advice have been addressed: Muslims in England who are not self isolating are encouraged to go outdoors with other members of their household in accordance with the updated lockdown restrictions, while the main message in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland is to stay at home.
The guidance includes dos and don’ts such as encouraging people to wear their best clothes and perfume and enjoy a home cooked meal or takeaway at home, but not to visit family and friends in their homes, go to the mosque or gather in groups of two or more with people who are not from your household.
“As ever, everyone’s number one priority must be to help save lives and celebrating Eid at home is the best way to do this,” says Khan.
“We use this holy day to pray for the safety of our communities and our key workers and a swift end to this pandemic.”
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Muslim Council of Britain Eid in lockdown guidance for England from the Muslim Council of Britain
In some places, such as in Preston, Lancashire, mosques will broadcast the symbolic Eid call to prayer by loudspeaker so people can hear it from their homes even though mosques will remain closed.
Matthew Brown, leader of Preston City Council says: “We are keenly aware of how difficult it has been for our Muslim communities who have not been able to come together, pray and break their fast, as is their tradition during Ramadan.
“While this is not a real replacement for time spent celebrating with family and friends, I am proud we are able to support the community and offer a small way to mark the occasion.
“We believe this unique event will be of interest to the whole community and illustrates the benefit of genuine dialogue with faith leaders through the pandemic.”
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The NHS has also reinforced the safety advice with hospital trusts around the country sharing the message for Muslims to celebrate Eid at home.
Although Eid will be a different experience this year, households can still enjoy celebrations safely at home. We hope everybody gets the chance to connect virtually with extended family and friends. #StayAlert pic.twitter.com/AHwIUHP57H — East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (@ELHT_NHS) May 21, 2020
Ali Amla says that with growing evidence that people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) backgrounds are more adversely affected by coronavirus, the overwhelming majority of Muslims are abiding by the lockdown rules.
“The reality is, there will always be those that listen and those that don’t. But I am seeing and hearing that more people are sticking to the lockdown than not,” he tells HuffPost UK.
Amla says there has been an anti-negative rhetoric from the far-right and feels there is a disparity between how Eid is being spun in a negative light compared to the VE Day celebrations when many neighbours held street parties.
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“It is important that everyone – including Muslim communities – stick to the lockdown restrictions as even though there has been a decline in deaths, coronavirus is still a very serious issue,” he says.
“There is already a far-right narrative out there blaming Muslims for the spread of coronavirus and there have been fictitious stories about Muslims going to mosques to pray which have been debunked.
“Let’s not give the far-right any ammunition and make sure we all stick to the lockdown restrictions on Eid as we have a duty to be safe.”
Afriandi via Getty Images
While Raisah Ahmed says she understands that messages need to be communicated to everyone, she finds some of the terminology and advice insulting – as if there is an assumption that Muslims will break lockdown.
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“There are always going to be people who break the rules but that applies to every community, not just the Muslim community,” she says. “We are not going to sit outside on Eid having street parties. If this was happening at Christmas, would they put out the same messages they are putting out to Muslims?
“I feel people are abiding by the rules as they know how important and serious this is and they have elderly people in their communities who they desperately want to protect.
“I would encourage people to have a bit of compassion. This is probably our biggest festival of the year and not being able to see your family and friends and do the things you traditionally do is a big thing and will be traumatic for some people.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--Europe Braces For Second Wave of Coronavirus Infections

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After months under strict lockdowns, Europeans have finally begun to enjoy a sense of newfound freedom in recent days — drinking at cafes, visiting museums and spending time outdoors with friends and family.
The slow resumption of daily life represents a milestone in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. But it also raises concerns about a second wave of infections, scientists warn.
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“The fear of a second wave is there, the risk of it coming is high,” epidemiologist Pier Luigi Lopalco told HuffPost Italy.
If infection rates start to tick upward again, recent images of people gathering together at bars and in parks could seem less like a sign of life returning to normal, and more like a harbinger of another deadly catastrophe.
The question of a second wave is “when and how big,” Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, told The Guardian.
“I don’t want to draw a doomsday picture, but I think we have to be realistic. That it’s not the time now to completely relax.”
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Young women share an aperitif drink by the Colosseum in Rome on May 21, 2020, after the country eases its two-month lockdown. FILIPPO MONTEFORTE via Getty Images
The push to relax lockdown restrictions has been driven by a need to balance economic considerations with the risk to public health.
With businesses shuttered and millions of people unable to work, the European Union is facing the “deepest economic recession in its history,” a top official announced this month, meaning any decision to reimpose lockdowns could be contested by employers and difficult to enforce.
Already, however, the easing of restrictions in various parts of the world has led to some worrying developments.
In South Korea, a spike in coronavirus cases connected with a handful of nightclubs in Seoul has prompted health officials to test tens of thousands of people, in order to identify and isolate infected individuals.
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China reported a cluster of new cases in Wuhan this month as well, the first since the city’s lockdown was lifted on April 8.
Fears of a second wave have increased in Germany, too, where the coronavirus infection rate has risen slightly.
A South Korean man in Seoul disinfects an alley to prevent the spread of coronavirus, March 18, 2020. Chung Sung-Jun via Getty Images
Brief increases in the number of coronavirus cases, however, aren’t necessarily cause for concern.
“Individual days are not a problem,” Lars Schaade, vice president of Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, said this month, noting that a real danger signal would be a sustained increase in the infection rate over a number of days.
German chancellor Angela Merkel this month announced a new “emergency mechanism” that would allow the government to reimpose local lockdown restrictions if the number of infections exceeded a certain threshold.
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“We have to be careful that this thing doesn’t slip from our grasp,” Merkel said.
But the new outbreaks in Europe and Asia highlight how quickly the virus can reemerge after being beaten back. And they reinforce the need for people to remain vigilant and closely follow safety measures, such as hand-washing and social distancing.
“At this stage, more than ever before, even when we are outside, social distancing and the use of masks remains fundamental,” Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte said this week, as the country began reopening bars, cafes, restaurants and shops. “Now is not the time for parties, nightlife and getting together in crowds.”
People drink in a square in Rome on May 21, 2020, despite government warnings that people should continue to respect social distancing rules. FILIPPO MONTEFORTE via Getty Images
As HuffPost Italy reports, however, photos and videos shared on social media this week have showed crowds of people ― particularly those in their 20s and 30s ― partying in streets and town squares across the country, often without masks, cocktails in hand.
“This is absolutely not good. It is clear that if this continues, we will be forced to stop those activities,” Attilio Fontana, the governor of Italy’s Lombardy region, said this week.
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Local Italian officials are stepping up enforcement efforts. People who flout the current guidelines could be fined up to 3,000 euros (£2,688), HuffPost Italy reports.
“Those who make mistakes will pay,” Sergio Giordani, the mayor of Padua, in northern Italy, said this week.
Padua is promoting a campaign to emphasise that “we only save ourselves together,” Giordani said.
“What is needed is above all a sense of responsibility,” Antonio Decaro, the mayor of the southern Italian city of Bari, told HuffPost Italy.
In France, police have dispersed crowds of Parisians who gathered in the city’s parks, and on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin and the river Seine to celebrate last week’s easing of the country’s lockdown.
In the United States, Donald Trump and other government officials have been eager for states to reopen, which could help revive the economy and save millions of jobs.
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But researchers also worry that lifting lockdown restrictions could cause between 15,000 and 73,000 additional US deaths by the end of July, according to a forecast from the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model. If people fail to adhere to social distancing measures, the death toll could be even higher — rising by as many as 135,000 people by the end of July, the researchers found.
“Everyone wants us to talk about policy, but in fact personal behaviour still matters a lot here,” Kent Smetters, the faculty director at the Penn Wharton Budget Model, told The New York Times.
The possibility of a second wave is “our greatest fear,” virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, a researcher at the State University of Milan, told HuffPost Italy. “Everything will depend on our behaviour. In this phase, individual responsibility remains fundamental.”
It was fun while it lasted. Paris police politely disperse the crowd; crowd politely complies. But there’s no way a return to lockdown mode is going to work pic.twitter.com/7ngI9J8BsY — Lionel Laurent (@LionelRALaurent) May 20, 2020
This has been the message in the UK as well, where Boris Johnson has called on the public to use “good, solid, British common sense” in obeying social distancing rules as lockdown restrictions are gradually relaxed.
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Yet staving off a second wave of infections will require government action, in addition to a commitment from the public to avoid crowds and continue washing hands.
A robust system of tracking and tracing infected individuals, similar to the one currently in place in South Korea, is seen as crucial to preventing a deadly second wave of the outbreak — and thus getting the economy working again after the lockdown.
Britain’s testing capacity has been slow to ramp up, however, and a new smartphone contact tracing app developed by the NHS won’t be ready for some time.
The NHS Confederation, a group that represents the health service’s organisations, said the country is at risk of a second jump in cases without clarity on government strategy.
“The relaxation of restrictions based on scientific advice is the right approach, but it must be accompanied by an effective test, track and trace strategy which enables us to monitor local spread of the disease,” the confederation said this week.
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“To achieve this we must have national, local and cross-agency involvement. Without this, we do face the risk of a second wave of infections.”
In the United States, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, similarly warned in Senate testimony last week that reopening too quickly could lead to a second wave.
If states “prematurely open up without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” Fauci said. “The consequences could be really serious.”
People sit on a bank of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, on May 16, 2020, on the first weekend after France eased lockdown measures. FRANCOIS GUILLOT via Getty Images
Last week, the World Health Organisation stressed that the coronavirus “may never go away.”
The coming months and years, therefore, will likely see outbreaks cropping up from time to time across the world, as has happened this month in South Korea, China and Germany.
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Going forward, the hope is that countries will have established policies and built up the infrastructure that will allow them to identify and contain these outbreaks quickly, without resorting to nationwide lockdowns.
After all, even with strong compliance from the public with regard to social distancing and other safety measures, periodic outbreaks are inevitable.
“Living with the virus,” Pier Luigi Lopalco told HuffPost Italy, “means accepting that some people will get infected.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-23--The UK's CO2 Emissions Dropped To A Hundred-Year Low During Lockdown

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The UK’s CO2 emissions fell to their lowest level in almost a century during lockdown, scientists have revealed.
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As the nation ground to a halt in late March so did 31% of our total emissions, with transport – notably cars and planes – brought to a near-standstill. The UK had not seen such a low rate of emissions for almost a hundred years, in the mid-1920s.
Research, carried out as coronavirus outbreaks took hold around the world, found that on April 7, the level of emissions had fallen by 17% globally – the lowest the world had seen since 2006.
During peak confinement in individual countries daily CO2 emissions fell by 26% on average. The UK’s average fell even further than this number due to an overrepresentation in surface transportation – mostly made up of private cars and other road vehicles – a huge proportion of which was taken off the road as businesses shut up shop on March 23.
A graph created by University of East Anglia senior researcher Matt Jones, based on the Le Quéré et al Nature Climate Change study. Matt Jones / Le Quéré et al
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The study’s lead author, Corinne Le Quéré, professor of climate change science at the University of East Anglia, explained: “A lot of emissions in the UK come from surface transport – around 30% on average of the country’s total emissions. It makes up a bigger contribution to total emissions than the average worldwide.
“It was also the sector that was most affected by lockdown as a result of people being forced to stay at home and, in particular, not able to drive to work.
“The UK also reached full lockdown, whereas lots of the countries we studied did not, so that made a difference in terms of its average.”
In order to estimate daily global CO2 emissions – which are usually measured months or years after the fact – researchers had to take a radically different approach.
The peer-reviewed paper, published in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change, examined six sectors which usually contribute to climate change; electricity and heat, the largest factor; industry; surface transport; homes; public buildings and commerce; and aviation.
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Usage during lockdown was calculated using a variety of methods from different countries, with changes in the residential sector, for example, inferred from UK smart meter data.
In order to meet the ambitions of the 2015 Paris Agreement the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said, of keeping global warming below 2C, the world needs to collectively slash emissions 45% from their 2010 levels by 2030.
Failure to do so, scientists say, will risk a build up of greenhouse gases so significant that unpredictable, disastrous climate events will accelerate rapidly both in frequency and scale.
What the pandemic has shown, Le Quére explained, is how ill-prepared we are globally for deadly events like a disease outbreak or a natural disaster.
“This crisis has really shown how vulnerable we are and how we don’t take the risks seriously enough. We were unprepared, worldwide, to deal with this crisis in spite of the fact that there have been coronaviruses before.
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“With climate change it is the same. Scientists have been saying for decades ‘there is a huge problem, we need to tackle climate change, we need to adapt and prepare’, but that just isn’t happening.
“I am hoping and expecting that governments, when they rebuild the economy and society, they will rebuild in a way that is a lot more resilient to the risk of extreme events like pandemics and climate change.”
Carbon emissions dropped to their lowest level in almost 100 years during lockdown. JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images
According to Le Quéré drop in emissions in 2020 is likely to be the biggest since World War Two, but, temporary in nature, the pause of lockdown isn’t enough to stave off global warming.
“It’s the biggest decrease in emissions, but the impact of that decrease on global warming will really nothing because global warming is caused by an accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere – which has taken place over decades.
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“To stop global warming we need to bring emissions down to zero, and just now we’ve seen a drop of 17% globally. It’s been a terrible event, but this [coronavirus] is really just a small thing and to attack climate change we need structural, long-term efforts.”
Le Quéré is clear – the huge changes, born out of a need to contain a deadly pandemic, are not sustainable.
In order to avoid climate disasters on a catastrophic scale, policy makers need to transform every element of infrastructure – the way we travel, the way we work, the way we consume.
In the wake of the 31% drop, environmental campaigners have urged leaders to use the harsh lessons learnt during the coronavirus outbreak in order to protect society from future disasters.
“Let’s learn from this tragedy, build back better and not make the mistake of ignoring the next crisis heading our way.”
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Friends of the Earth’s head of policy, Mike Childs, told HuffPost UK: “A 31% emissions drop in April is dramatic, but in the long run it won’t mean anything unless some reductions are made permanent. This lockdown moment is a chance to reset our carbon-guzzling economy and rebuild in a way that leaves pollution in the past, to stop climate-wrecking emissions spiking right back up to where they were before, or even higher.
“In practice that means government and councils have to permanently change how road space is used - to prioritise people over cars, and support walking and cycling. The government should scrap its massive road-building programme in favour of creating the sustainable and modern transport system we urgently need.
“Flying is one of the dirtiest industries, so the government should end their support for airport expansions and introduce a levy on the most frequent fliers. We can eradicate fuel poverty by investing in better home insulation, saving lives while at the same time cutting carbon emissions and creating jobs.
“It’s clear that the old normal wasn’t working for people or for the planet, but by prioritising our health and wellbeing with sustainable transport and renewable energy we can make the next normal a clean new world.”
His comments were echoed by Paul Morozzo, senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace UK, who also called for the government to take drastic steps as the lockdown is lifted in order to avoid returning to pre-coronavirus emissions.
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He said: “The only way this reduction will mean anything is if governments lock it in as we recover and rebuild. We know how to do it.
“We have to rebuild our cities around walking, cycling and public transport. We’ve got to create hundreds of thousands of jobs upscaling renewable energy and insulating people’s homes.
“At its core, it means putting the climate emergency, jobs and health at the very centre of the recovery. Let’s learn from this tragedy, build back better and not make the mistake of ignoring the next crisis heading our way.”
There are clear calls for the nationwide government to take action, but the pressure is also on for local authorities – some of whom are already using a new demand for socially-distance travel to reimagine how our cities function.
In Bristol, for example, the council has announced the pedestrianisation of the historic Old City in a bid to change how people move around the area.
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In a statement, Bristol’s directly-elected mayor Marvin Rees said: “Work on the Old City and Bristol Bridge proposals are already underway, but the coronavirus means we now need to accelerate the changes that will transform the way we travel in the city centre.
“The current situation is challenging our usual travel habits and behaviour in a way that we’ve never seen before. Many of us have already embraced more walking and cycling journeys and, whilst it is understandable bus usage has dropped, we want to protect the long-term viability of our public transport services because of their intrinsic value to communities across the city.”
Elsewhere councils are also waking up to the new ways in which their residents will interact with their local area post-coronavirus, and some politicians with responsibility for remits such as waste and energy are pushing forward radical proposals for a new era.
Hackney councillor Jon Burke, who oversees the borough’s approach to energy, waste, transport and public spaces, explained that now was the time for leaders to make bold decisions at a local and national level to decelerate climate change – even if they prove unpopular in the short term.
Burke said: “It’s difficult to summarise the true and likely impacts of climate change without sounding as though you’re engaging in hyperbole, but the fact is that all of the reliable science and reliable sources of data are very clear that what’s at stake here is the future of human civilisation.
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“I think politicians now have to have the confidence to say that for the right reasons we actually can change rapidly, and there needs to be implications for policymaking.