thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--I Organised A Threesome, And It Was More Empowering Than I Ever Imagined

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When my long-term partner first floated the idea of a threesome, my answer had been a hard no. No way. That was not something we’d be doing. He dropped it and the subject didn’t come up again for several years.
Then, about 18 months ago, I started writing about sex for a living and my thinking started to change. I was meeting amazing people, amazing women mostly, who were exploring their sexuality in unapologetic ways, doing things that society told them they shouldn’t be doing and laughing at the haters. It was impossible not to admire them.
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I started thinking about why I’d reacted so strongly against the idea of having a threesome. I realised it was two things. First, jealousy: would seeing my partner with someone else make me feel sad and rejected? The second, more troublesome reason, was this: I thought I wasn’t ‘the sort of woman’ who does that. I was basically slut-shaming myself.
So I started up the conversation again. My partner and I talked very honestly about our worries and boundaries, whether we should meet another man or another woman, and how we’d go about finding someone. We decided I’d take the lead, so I joined Feeld – an app that’s been called ‘Tinder for threesomes’ – and, for the first time in years, started going on dates again.
“We wanted to meet somebody we could call a friend. After a few underwhelming dates, and a few outright disasters, I met Katie.”
I didn’t just invite home the first woman I met – we’d decided we wanted to make a real connection with somebody, and the idea of anonymous sex doesn’t do it for either of us. We wanted to meet somebody we could call a friend. After a few underwhelming dates, and a few outright disasters, I met Katie (not her real name) and knew this time it was different.
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Katie was immediately warm and easygoing. She was experienced in dating couples too, so there was no awkwardness. On our first date we sat in a sunny beer garden and talked about everything from our jobs and our pets to ethical non-monogamy and feminism. Katie asked me if my partner and I had discussed any boundaries or worries. The subtext was obvious: she wanted to check I wasn’t just going along with some porn-fuelled heterosexual male fantasy. Us, as women, being active agents in this experience, was the single most important thing. And that felt great. The more we talked, the more it became obvious we were on the same page. When Katie got up to go to the bar, I sent a text to my partner who was at home: “She’s fucking awesome.”
We went on a few more dates, sometimes just me and her, sometimes with my partner too. Then one evening, we invited Katie over to our place for dinner. That evening, I prepared the same way most women would when they think they’ll be sleeping with someone for the first time (shaved my legs, bought some nice new underwear). My partner took care of dinner, preparing his signature Mediterranean lamb dish.
As the three of us drank some red wine with dinner – there was a tacit understanding between us that getting drunk was a bad idea, so we took it steady – I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I was still worried about jealousy. We’d all kissed by this point, and that had been fine, but would sex be different? I’d tried picturing it, but I realised I wouldn’t know how I felt until it was really happening.
After dinner, we all moved over to the sofa. Katie, perhaps intuiting my nervousness, made the first move, taking hold of my hand and asking if it was okay to kiss me. After that, everything just sort of fell into place. Almost immediately my nervousness fell away. I was aware of having made an active choice to live differently and say, ‘fuck it, I can do whatever I want.’’ It was a new feeling of complete freedom. In a moment I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life, Katie seemed to read my mind. She winked at me covertly, as though to say: ‘I know, right?’
In the bedroom, I experienced no jealousy at all. In fact, the extent to which I wasn’t jealous surprised me. I can only think this is because we’d all discussed things so openly – I trusted my partner and I trusted Katie. We’d all agreed on one rule: that everyone be equally involved and equally enjoying the experience. Communication didn’t shut down during sex, we checked in with one another, at times we laughed – we even took a break to make tea. Like all good sex, it was a million miles away from what mainstream porn shows us. And there was no ulterior motive, we were all there for the same reason: to have a great sexual experience.
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“When I thought that I wasn’t ‘the sort of woman’ who had threesomes I was buying into the misogynistic idea that a woman’s sexual experiences define her.”
Women are encouraged to see one another as threats. As competition, particularly for attention from men. My fears about sexual jealousy, I realised, came from this same place. But Katie doesn’t want to ‘steal’ my boyfriend. She’s a fiercely independent, driven woman with her own shit going on. If she wanted a partner, she’d have one. More than anything, this experience helped me to really admire and lift up other women and refuse to see my fellow women as threats.
In the past, I had ingrained beliefs that I hadn’t even realised were there. When I thought that I wasn’t ‘the sort of woman’ who had threesomes I was buying into the misogynistic idea that a woman’s sexual experiences define her. Katie, and the other fabulous women I’ve met along this journey, have empowered me to challenge that. To be clear, I’m not saying all women should have threesomes – it might not be for you, and that’s completely fine and your decision. What a woman wants to do, or not to do, in her sex life, comes down to one person: herself.
But, for me, this experience has helped me to see myself, my relationship, and other women, in a healthier, happier and stronger way. If I have one regret, it’s that I didn’t do this sooner.
Abby Moss is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Twitter at @mossabigail
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Oscars 2020 Winners List: Parasite Leads Films At This Year's Academy Awards

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After an awards season with very few surprises, this year’s Oscars provided us with a fair few, after Parasite made history with its four wins.
The latest film from Bong Joon-ho was already an Oscars trail-blazer, becoming the first South Korean film to be recognised by the Film Academy, but on Sunday night, it was also awarded Best Picture, the first film not in the English language to receive the distinction.
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What’s more, Bong Joon-ho beat frontrunner Sam Mendes in the Best Director category, with the British filmmaker having previously received the distinction for 1917 at both the Golden Globes and Baftas.
Renée Zellweger, Bong Joon-ho and Brad Pitt were among this year's winning stars Kevin Winter/Getty/Rob Latour/David Fisher/Shutterstock
Check out the full list of winners from this year’s Oscars below...
Best Picture
Parasite
Best Actress
Renée Zellweger (Judy)
Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)
Best Supporting Actress
Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Best Director
Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)
Best Original Song
(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again (Rocketman)
Best Cinematography
1917
Best Foreign Language Film
Parasite
Best Score
Joker
Best Animated Feature Film
Toy Story 4
Best Film Editing
Le Mans ’66
Best Original Screenplay
Parasite
Best Adapted Screenplay
Jojo Rabbit
Best Production Design
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Best Costume Design
Little Women
Best Animated Short Film
Hair Love
Best Live-Action Short Film
The Neighbors’ Window
Best Documentary Feature
American Factory
Best Documentary Short Subject
Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl)
Best Visual Effects
1917
Best Make-Up And Hairstyling
Bombshell
Best Sound Editing
Le Mans ’66
Best Sound Mixing
1917
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Oscars 2020: All The Red Carpet Pics You Need To See See gallery
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Oscars 2020: Cats' James Corden And Rebel Wilson Were The Purr-fect Picks To Present Best Visual Eff

Oscars 2020: Cats' James Corden And Rebel Wilson Were The Purr-fect Picks To Present Best Visual Effects

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The conversation around this year’s Oscars has revolved around as much around the films that weren’t nominated as the ones that were, with many film fans complaining that films like Hustlers, The Farewell and Us weren’t given the recognition they deserved by the Film Academy in 2020.
Still, there’s one film that pretty much no one was surprised to see missing from this year’s nominees, and that’s Cats.
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From the minute the first trailer for Cats debuted last summer, it became immediately apparent that we were in for something far from cinematic greatness, with the finished product being slammed by critics and viewers alike.
During Sunday night’s live Oscars broadcast, two of the film’s stars James Corden and Rebel Wilson poked fun at the backlash, arriving on stage to present an award dressed as their feline alter-egos.
James Corden and Rebel Wilson on stage at the Oscars Kevin Winter via Getty Images
And even more perfectly, the award they were presenting was for special effects.
“As cast members of the motion picture Cats,” James began, before Rebel continued: “Nobody more than us understands the importance of good visual effects.”
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What more is there to say than that, right?
However, although they left it there, they did spend a few seconds batting the microphone in front of them like actual cats, which we’re sure really made the awards show’s sound editors’ night.
Shortly after Cats’ release, James admitted that he was yet to actually watch the film, but noted that he had heard it was “terrible”.
Rebel also poked at the backlash – among many other things – during her much-celebrated speech at the Baftas earlier this month.
Check out all the must-see photos from this year’s Oscars in the gallery below…
Oscars 2020: All The Red Carpet Pics You Need To See See gallery
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Oscars 2020: Josh Gad Couldn't Resist A Dig At John Travolta As He Introduced Idina Menzel

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It’s the Oscars. You’re about to introduce Idina Menzel to the stage for a performance. There’s no way you’re not going to make an “Adele Dazeem” joke, right?
Evidently Idina’s Frozen co-star Josh Gad feels the same way as we do, as revealed during Sunday night’s live broadcast.
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Josh was tasked with introducing Idina’s rendition of Into The Unknown from the Frozen II soundtrack, which was nominated for Best Original Song at this year’s Oscars.
Idina Menzel at the Oscars Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Idina’s performance saw her teaming up not just with Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora – who features on the track – but with a host of musical actresses from around the world, who voice Elsa in foreign language versions of Frozen.
“As a dad to two girls and the voice of the American Olaf,” Josh said during his introduction. “The iconic and brilliant Idina Menzel, pronounced exactly how it is spelled, is our Elsa.”
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Josh Gad Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Josh – of course – was referring to the infamous moment at the Oscars six years ago, when Idina last appeared at the Academy Awards, and was incorrectly referred to as “Adele Dazeem” by John Travolta, immediately before she took to the stage.
John later offered a rather bizarre explanation for the gaffe, claiming he’d been star-struck by Goldie Hawn, who he met backstage shortly before he was due to introduce Idina.
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Check out all the red carpet photos you need to see from this year’s Oscars below...
Oscars 2020: All The Red Carpet Pics You Need To See See gallery
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Oscars 2020: Natalie Portman Throws Subtle Shade At The Academy With Red Carpet Outfit

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Natalie Portman took a less-than-subtle swipe at the Film Academy on the red carpet of this year’s Oscars.
It’s been well-documented that 2020 has not been a great year for diversity at the Academy Awards, with only one actor of colour represented in any of the acting categories, and no women receiving recognition in the Best Director category.
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In response to the latter issue, three-time Oscar nominee – who won Best Actress for her performance in Black Swan – Natalie Portman made quite the fashion statement with her wardrobe choice.
As she posed for photographers on her way into the event, many noticed the actress had the names of women whose films had been snubbed by the Oscars stitched into her dress.
Natalie Portman at the Oscars Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Among them were “Scafaria”, “Gerwig” and “Wang”, referencing the directors of Hustlers, Little Women and The Farewell, respectively.
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Natalie also sported the surnames of Mati Diop, Marielle Heller, Alma Har’el and Melina Matsoukas, who were also among the female filmmakers who released critically-acclaimed work in the last 12 months.
Natalie Portman embroidered her Dior cape with all of the female directors who weren't nominated for #Oscars. Check out her explanation here. pic.twitter.com/kyyo2wVMZf — Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) February 10, 2020
During the Golden Globes in 2018, Natalie also made a point of calling out the lack of female filmmakers that had been nominated when she and Ron Howard presented the Best Director award.
Introducing the five people nominated, the Jackie actress said: “And here are the all-male nominees.”
In 92 years of the Academy Awards, only five women have ever been nominated for Best Director, the most recent of which was in 2017, when Greta Gerwig was recognised for Lady Bird.
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Katheryn Bigelow remains the only woman to have ever triumphed in this category, which she did in 2009 for The Hurt Locker.
Check out all the red carpet photos from this year’s Oscars below..
Oscars 2020: All The Red Carpet Pics You Need To See See gallery
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Labour Chief Jennie Formby Facing Showdown With MPs As Data Row Grows

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Labour’s general secretary Jennie Formby is facing a showdown with MPs who want to know why party members’ data was left open to possible security breaches during the leadership election.
Backbench MPs plan to meet Formby this Wednesday after HuffPost UK revealed that activists had full access to the party’s membership of more than half a million people - despite strict rules put in place for the leadership election.
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Some allies of Starmer have accused party HQ staff of trying to “stitch up” the election to stop him from winning, following a decision to refer his campaign staff to an information watchdog for possible investigation over data breaches.
The leadership frontrunner’s campaign insists his staff have done nothing wrong and that the party should be focusing on the way Long-Bailey’s team shared links to Labour’s ‘Dialogue’ phone-banking system that gave access to the membership.
Activists were were allowed to ring individual party members at home during the general election as part of a bid to mobilise the party’s grassroots to take on the Tories across the country.
However, it appears that the party failed to switch off that access once the election was over. The party has still not explained why that failure occurred or who authorised it.
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Under the online ‘Dialogue’ phone-bank system, activists can ring other party members - without seeing their individual phone numbers - in any part of the country.
The Long-Bailey campaign is also insisting that it is the responsibility of the Labour Party HQ to restrict access to members is in line with its own rules and procedures in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn.
A spokesperson for the shadow business secretary’s campaign said that the probe into Starmer’s campaign over an alleged data breach “should not be allowed to distract from a moment of significant importance in determining the future direction of our party”.
They angrily denied claims that Long-Bailey’s campaign had leaked to the media the news that Starmer’s officials were formally referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The whole issue surfaced at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday night, when chairman John Cryer revealed he had received several representations from backbenchers furious at the way the party HQ had handled recent events.
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Former minister John Spellar also pointed out that Formby had repeatedly failed to turn up to PLP meetings, or to send a senior official in her place, to discuss concerns including the role of community organisers and how MPs could interact with local members in the leadership contest.
Matthew Horwood via Getty Images
The PLP agreed that Formby ought to turn up to a meeting of the backbench parliamentary committee this Wednesday. The group usually meets Jeremy Corbyn after prime minister’s questions to discuss a range of topical issues.
One MP, who is not part of the Starmer camp, said after the Monday night meeting: “It’s obvious that some people at party HQ are doing everything they can to try to stitch up this election so Keir doesn’t win.”
Another added: “It’s just desperation time for these people, and we need to show them they can’t get away with it.”
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Some backbenchers complained that they had been allowed to write only 50 words to their local party members to explain why they were backing an individual leadership candidate.
The party’s procedures committee, a sub-committee of the ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), was due to meet to give updated advice on the leadership election.
The BBC claimed on Sunday that officials in the Starmer campaign were being investigated for possible ‘hacking’ of the members’ database, through ‘data-scraping’.
Jenny Chapman, the former Darlington MP who chairs the Starmer campaign, said Labour members would have “their heads in their hands” over the row, and called on Formby to retract what she said were allegations of criminal acts.
A spokesperson for Long-Bailey said: “As Rebecca’s campaign has said previously, the accessibility of members’ data stemmed from a failure to close Dialogue at the end of the general election campaign.”
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In a statement, Labour said: “The Labour party takes its legal responsibilities for data protection – and the security and integrity of its data and systems – extremely seriously.
“We have written to all leadership candidates to remind them of their obligations under the law and to seek assurances that membership data will not be misused.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--British LGBT Awards Nominations Announced With Sam Smith, Michelle Visage And Billy Porter All Short

British LGBT Awards Nominations Announced With Sam Smith, Michelle Visage And Billy Porter All Shortlisted

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The nominations for this year’s British LGBT Awards have been announced with some of the biggest names in entertainment all up for awards.
The annual awards celebrate the campaigners and allies who have made a positive impact on the LGBTQ community during the past 12 months.
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Among this year’s nominees are singers Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Taylor Swift and Janet Jackson.
Dua Lipa, Billy Porter, Michelle Visage and Sam Smith are all up for a British LGBT Award Rex
Also up for gongs are RuPaul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage, Fleabag actor Andrew Scott, Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer, Pose star Billy Porter and model Cara Delevingne.
Nominated for the Sports Personality Award is former Welsh International Rugby Player Gareth Thomas, who revealed he was HIV positive last year. He is nominated alongside transgender British racing car driver, Charlie Martin.
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Also featured is MTV’s True Love or True Lies, hosted by father-daughter duo, Danny and Danni Dyer, which is nominated in the Media Moment category alongside the BBC’s Gentleman Jack and Strictly Come Dancing, which featured its first same-sex dance routine last November.
Sarah Garrett, MBE, British LGBT Awards founder, said: “A really exciting mix of some of the world’s most deserving LGBT+ people, allies and organisations have been nominated this year.
“These awards shine a light on those who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the LGBT+ community during uncertain and challenging times. The nominees are all role models who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to raising awareness of, or advancing, LGBT+ rights.”
The winners will be announced at a glitzy ceremony held in London on 29 May.
You can help decide this year’s winners by voting online at britishlgbtawards.com.
The 2020 British LGBT+ Award nominees in full: ONLINE IMPACT Asifa Lahore Barbie Ferreira Brigette Lundy-Paine Eugene Lee Yang Gigi Gorgeous Kat Cunning Ncuti Gatwa Rickey Thompson Sufi Malik and Anjali Chakra Travis Alabanza CELEBRITY Amanda Stenberg Andrew Scott Billy Porter Cara Delevingne Ezra Miller Hanna Gadsby Jonathan Van Ness Lilly Singh Olly Alexander Zoë Kravitz CELEBRITY ALLY Dua Lipa Janet Jackson Jodie Comer The Jonas Brothers Michelle Visage Naomi Campbell Patrick Stewart Suranne Jones Taylor Swift Tom Holland MUSIC ARTIST Ariana Grande Christine & The Queens Kim Petras King Princess Lil Nas X Lizzo Pabllo Vittar Sam Smith Tyler, the Creator Years & Years BROADCASTER OR JOURNALIST Adele Roberts Ben Hunte Benjamin Butterworth Edward Enninful Joe Lycett Matthew Todd Nick Grimshaw Steph McGovern Susan Calman Suzi Ruffell SPORTS PERSONALITY Belle Brockhoff Bethany Mead Charlie Martin Chris Mosier Gareth Thomas Gus Kenworthy Kiera Hogan Megan Rapinoe Michael Gunning Simon Haerinck MEDIA MOMENT BBC’s Gentleman Jack tells the real-life story of Anne Lister Drag Race comes to the UK Mexican primetime television makes history with its first ever lesbian kiss on Amar a Muerte Queer couple wins MTV’s True Love or True Lies Netflix’s Sex Education diverse representation of LGBT+ characters and relationships Renée Zellweger stars as gay icon Judy Garland Strictly Come Dancing makes history with same-sex routine to Emeli Sande performance Netflix Tales of the City’s queer representation and casting Showtime premiers The L Word: Generation Q The CW’s Riverdale’s LGBT+ character development CHARITY OR COMMUNITY INITIATIVE Bi-Pride UK Colours Youth Network Elton John AIDS Foundation Goal Diggers FC Hidayah London Gaymers Mind Out Sparkle The Outside Project The Proud Trust OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO LGBT+ LIFE Amy Lamé Berwyn Rowlands Holly Greenberry Ian Green Ian Howley Lord Waheed Alli Marc Thompson Sally Carr MBE Sophie Cook Tanya Compas BRAND OR MARKETING CAMPAIGN Absolut Coca-Cola Costa Coffee Evian Harry’s IKEA Renault Smirnoff Transport for London Under Armour INSPIRATIONAL LEADER Belton Flournoy, Protiviti Clare Coates, Barclays David Levine, Disney David Stone, Allen & Overy Holly Dewsbury, Facebook Jerry Daykin, GSK Joana Monteiro, Google John Elliott, Sainsbury’s Rachel Higham, BT Steven Friel, Woodsford Litigation Fund CORPORATE ALLY Claire England, JLL Ian Ritchey, Rolls-Royce John Bernard, Aviva Lynne McBurney, Arnold Clark Mark McKenzie, Vodafone UK Sharyn Case, ARUP Sonia Sawula, Credit Suisse Stephanie Smith, Allianz Susan Allen, Santander Wincie Knight, ViacomCBS Networks International DIVERSITY HERO Alex Vowinckel, CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP Bobbi Pickard, BP Bruna Gil, LinkedIn Christopher Kenna, Brand Advance Deon Pillay, LGIM Michael Burnham, State Street Global Advisors Nicholas Johnson, Virgin Atlantic Sophie Hunt, Adobe Squadron Leader Catherine Lawson, Royal Air Force Theresa Farrenson, Aon FUTURE LEADER Christina Peach, FleishmanHillard Fishburn Ellis Lanyon, L’Oreal Ian Gustav Ahlberg, Financial Times Jamie Barrelll, Publicis Sapient John Hutchinson, HomeServe Marianne Cowie, Zurich Insurance Michael Geeleher, Sony Playstation Tom Stockton, MSB Solicitors Nathan Jordan, Dyson Robert Downer, Uber NETWORK GROUP dbPride, Deutsche Bank Havas Pride, Havas Heathrow Airport Pride, Heathrow Airport HSBC Pride Network, HSBC UK Nestlé UK&I LGBT+ Network, Nestlé Open&Out, Johnson & Johnson Shine, PwC TalkPride, TalkTalk TSB LGBT+ Network, TSB Unity, Cushman and Wakefield INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER OR COMPANY AIG Amazon FundApps Hyatt Hotels Just Eat KPMG Lloyd’s of London Mace Group Sky UK Tideway


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Can Labour Reclaim Tony Blair’s ‘Tough On Crime And Causes Of Crime’ Strategy?

Boris Johnson making a speech during a visit to West Yorkshire PA Wire/PA Images
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Crime and (political) punishment
Boris Johnson has long had form as a political pilferer. From nicking Ken Livingstone’s London cycle hire plan to flirting with Ed Miilband’s mansion tax, Johnson likes to pick a pocket or two when it comes to populist policies. Heck, he’s even purloined Jeremy Corbyn’s focus on new cash for bus services.
Of course, all successful leaders co-opt their opponents’ best plans and discard the worst, but this PM is particularly shameless about it. Soon after he entered No.10 last summer, he even lifted the phraseology of the Labour politician he most loves to hate: Tony Blair.
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“We need to be tough on all the causes of crime. But that effort is hopeless unless we are simultaneously tough on crime itself,” he said in August. It wasn’t as snappy as Blair’s “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime” but the strategy was clear. And how apt that this act of political theft was all about law and order.
Last month, the PM went further with his Blairite approach, telling his Cabinet that “every department should be a criminal justice department”. Again, that was all about tackling the causes of crime, from poor education to community engagement, from welfare to healthcare.
The twin-track approach is central to Johnson’s pitch to the voters. He clearly believes Labour can’t match him on being ‘tough’ on crime itself, and the Tories wooed the ‘Red Wall’ seats with longer sentences as much as they did with messages on Brexit, immigration and NHS cash. But he also wants to tell ‘liberal’ voters he is investing cash in 20,000 police officers and tackling those ‘causes’ of crime.
Many Labour MPs believe that under Jeremy Corbyn the party effectively vacated the pitch on law and order. Yes, in 2017 he managed to make police cuts a live issue in the counter-terrorism debate. However in 2019 it often seemed to his critics that Labour was focused only on the ‘causes of crime’ bit of Blair’s formulation, rather than the ‘crime’ bit.
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With knife crime at a record high under the Tories, there are obvious merits in pointing out its complex causes including cuts to youth services, but some in Labour think it’s now time to give the police better tools. It got little notice at the time, but readers of the LabourList website last year found that a majority wanted further use of ‘stop and search’ police powers, contrary to the party’s official policy.
As for counter-terrorism, there are signs that Labour isn’t going to oppose this week’s new emergency legislation to end automatic release of convicted terrorists. Diane Abbott said today that bringing in the parole board was a good idea and Opposition backing was likely if ministers “confine themselves to the way they administer the sentence” rather than retrospective changes to the length of sentence.
Some MPs think that the arrival of Keir Starmer as leader would make Labour even stronger on crime and counter-terrorism in the eyes of voters they need to win back, while not junking its record on civil liberties and on the causes of crime. Starmer has come under fire from some on the Left for his crackdown on benefits cheats when he was DPP, but his supporters believe that such measures capture perfectly the need to tackle hardened criminals who rob the state.
Starmer’s direct experience too of handling sensitive intelligence and of dealing with counter-terrorism could give Labour invaluable credibility on an issue where its MPs have spent the last five years hiding behind their hands in the Commons. Rebecca Long-Bailey may also be tempted to carve out a tnew emphasis on crime-fighting.
Whoever wins the leadership is expected to reward shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who has spent years building support among rank and file cops, with the shadow Home Secretary post. Haigh seems never to have forgotten that the primary victims of crime are often the poorest and most vulnerable in working class communities (and that many cops are natural Labour voters). Many on the Labour benches are relishing her taking on Priti Patel across the despatch box.
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Perhaps because he can see Labour gearing up to present more of a fight on law and order, the PM seems determined to appear ‘tougher’ than ever on crime. That may explain why Home Office minister Kevin Foster today sounded utterly tone deaf on the issue of Windrush and connected worries from MPs like David Lammy about the planned deportation flight of 50 criminals to Jamaica tomorrow.
Foster repeatedly refused to give details of whether any of those involved had lived in the UK since arriving as children, or the lesser offences for which they were convicted. Instead, he suggested to a string of Labour MPs from black and minority ethnic backgrounds that they were doing a disservice to the Windrush generation by comparing midwives and nurses to convicted rapists and drug dealers.
The news tonight that the deportation flight could be stopped by the Court of Appeal could give ministers a way of saving face, and accepting that the whole thing could be put on ice until after the ‘lessons learned’ report into Windrush is finally published. But Foster’s words in the Commons point to another possible reaction. Despite all the racial sensitivities, will the government accuse the judges, as well as Labour MPs, of being more interested in the rights of criminals rather than the rights of their victims?
That would be a reminder that Johnson really won’t hesitate to use any means necessary to keep Labour out of office. It would also perhaps reinforce the need for the Opposition to win back sufficient political capital on crime-fighting and security that is vital for getting a hearing on its traditional agenda of civil liberties and the causes of crime.
With at least four years likely until the next election, there are bound to be more blunders by both the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. And an Opposition worth the name will have to capitalise on such errors, not least as it cannot win any votes in parliament or defeat any new legislation, as part of a wider narrative about a tired Conservative administration and the need for change.
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Quote Of The Day
“It’s criminality, not nationality that counts”
Home Office minister Kevin Foster defends plans to fly deported criminals to Jamaica
Monday Cheat Sheet
Campaigners believe the planned deportation to Jamaica of more than 50 people cannot go ahead after a Court of Appeal ruling.
Home secretary Priti Patel apologised in the Commons to Yvette Cooper after Tory activist Joshua Spencer was jailed for sending messages threatening to pay “crackheads” £100 to beat up the Labour MP.
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick activated the emergency Bellwin flood reimbursement scheme for councils in Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Cumbria affected by Storm Ciara.
Government officials have started work to make Boris Johnson’s plan for a bridge from the British mainland to Northern Ireland a reality, No.10 confirmed. Nicola Sturgeon said that of all the bridges promised by Johnson “he hasn’t delivered..a single one of them”.
David Lammy, the vice-chair of Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign, said it was “categorically” untrue to claim that its staff had taken part in “data-scraping” of Labour members’ data.
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Train drivers’ union Aslef announced it was endorsing Rebecca Long-Bailey for Labour leader, and Angela Rayner as deputy. Long-Bailey said she was committed to opposing Tory plans to bank strikes on railways.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Tory MP Accused Of 'Mocking' Children Concerned About Climate Change

Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope PA Wire/PA Images
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A Tory MP has been accused of mocking children for being concerned about climate change after tabling laws to help reduce “anxiety” about the environment in schools.
Sir Christopher Chope’s private member’s bill would “make provision for guidance to schools about reducing anxiety about environmental concerns among pupils and staff”.
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The veteran backbencher, who was knighted by Theresa May, has previously branded moves to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as “virtue signalling”.
He has also gained a reputation for scuppering backbenchers’ legislation and has tabled 41 private member’s bills in what will be seen as his latest protest against the system which sees them debated on a limited number of Fridays.
“Young people are quite right to be really anxious about what’s going on”
Chope’s bill is highly unlikely to ever become law but former shadow environment secretary Kerry McCarthy said it was “pretty unedifying”.
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The Labour MP told HuffPost UK: “In the context of everybody else recognising there’s a climate emergency and we’re in the driving seat because we’re hosting COP26, we haven’t put our foot down on the accelerator yet and we need to.
“And then this just shows that he doesn’t acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, he’s basically making a bit of a mockery of it.
“This isn’t something you would need to do through a bill if he was worried about it.
“It shows the lack of seriousness with which some Tory MPs actually treat this issue.
“It’s building into that whole thing about ‘people are snowflakes’.
“Young people are quite right to be really anxious about what’s going on, especially when the government isn’t showing the leadership that’s needed.
“It’s pretty unedifying for a Tory MP to be mocking them.”
Chope has also tabled legislation calling for an “independent audit of the costs and benefits” of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
He also has a bill to reduce anxiety about the environment “among the general population”, and for audits of the costs and benefits of decarbonising road transport.
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Environmental concerns are at the top of his list and so are more likely to be debated.
But Chope also wants to tighten up human rights laws, privatise the BBC and Channel 4, criminalise illegal immigrants, limit protections for bats, and restrict foreigners’ access to benefits and public services.
None of them are likely to become law.
A year ago, he opposed a bill that would have aided the prevention of female genital mutilation of children.
He also deployed the same blocking tactic to prevent a bill aimed at making upskirting a criminal offence.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Court Ruling Threatens To Halt Deportation Flight To Jamaica

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Campaigners believe the planned deportation to Jamaica of more than 50 people cannot go ahead after a Court of Appeal ruling dealt a blow to the government’s plans.
The Home Office has been told not to remove anyone scheduled to be deported from two detention centres near Heathrow airport unless they had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3.
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Lady Justice Simler granted the order without a court hearing following an urgent application on paper.
The charity Detention Action, which made the appeal, argued that some of the detainees at Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth detention centres were being denied access to justice.
It argued those being held do not have a functioning mobile phone, following issues with an O2 phone mast in the area, and did not have adequate access to legal advice.
The charity said it believed 56 people would be affected by the ruling.
Campaigners chant slogans outside Downing Street as they protest against government plans to deport 50 people to Jamaica ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The Home Office said it would asking the judge to reconsider the ruling, saying the flight is “specifically for deporting foreign national offenders”.
Government ministers had previously insisted the flight, which was understood to be scheduled to leave the UK at 6.30am on Tuesday, would go ahead despite concerns people who came to the country as young children will be on board.
Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said: “We are delighted with this landmark decision which is a victory for access to justice, fairness and the rule of law.
“On the basis of this order from our Court of Appeal we do not believe that anyone currently detained at the Heathrow detention centres can be removed on tomorrow’s flight.
“We understand that this will apply to at least 56 people.”
BREAKING: WE'VE WON! Court of Appeal ordered Government not to remove anyone from Harmondsworth & Colnbrook on #Jamaica50 charter tmrw. Victory for access to justice & Rule of Law. Huge access to justice problems at all detention centres so we say flight must now be grounded. — Bella Sankey (@BellaSankey) February 10, 2020
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Toufique Hossain, director of public law at Duncan Lewis, which is representing some of those scheduled to be deported, said: “For weeks now detainees’ complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
“Their removal looms large, hours away and yet again it takes judicial intervention to make the Home Office take basic, humane and fair steps to allow people to enjoy their constitutional right to access justice.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine said: “What will it take for this government to learn? Even after the appalling Windrush scandal, Conservative ministers were brazenly defending their plans to deport people just hours before the court ruled it unlawful.”
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The planned charter flight to Jamaica is specifically for deporting foreign national offenders. Those detained for removal include people convicted of manslaughter, rape, violent crime and dealing Class-A drugs.
“We are urgently asking the judge to reconsider their ruling and it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Priti Patel Branded 'Shameful' For Leaving Commons Before Questions On Deportation Flight

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Home secretary Priti Patel was branded “shameful” after she left the House of Commons during questions about a deportation flight set to leave for Jamaica on Tuesday.
Several MPs shouted “shame” as the secretary of state instead let one of her junior ministers deal with an urgent question tabled by Labour MP David Lammy.
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The flight, which is understood to be leaving the UK at 6.30am on Tuesday, has come under fire as a leaked report commissioned by ministers in the wake of the Windrush scandal warned the government that deportation should be reconsidered in all but the “most severe cases”.
Critics also fear some of those on board may have arrived in the UK as children, and that British children will be separated from their fathers.
Lammy pointedly referred to the cabinet minister “as she leaves the chamber” as he urged the government to consider the implications of the much-delayed Windrush scandal review on the flight.
In a blistering speech, Lammy asked: “When will black lives matter once again?”
Shameful that the Home Secretary @patel4witham would not even stay in the chamber for my Urgent Question. It says all you need to know about how much this government cares about the Windrush generation. https://t.co/eL0aLJWye6 — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 10, 2020
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He later tweeted: “Shameful that the Home Secretary @patel4witham would not even stay in the chamber for my Urgent Question. It says all you need to know about how much this government cares about the Windrush generation.”
Junior minister Kevin Foster, responding for the government, said no British nationals are on the flight’s roster, and told MPs: “The way the Home Office applies these rules, we are very clear it’s based on the criminality not the nationality of the offender.”
He added: “There are no British nationals on that flight. And let’s be clear, the foreign nationals on that flight have been sentenced to a total of 300 years in prison.
“The offences are, as we said, relate to everything from sex offending, serious drug trafficking offences, violent offences, firearms offences – you know, that is what is happening in this instance.”
Foster was repeatedly asked by MPs for more specific information on the nature of offences committed by those on the flight but refused to provide more detail.
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The Home Office said murderers and rapists were among those on board but would not confirm how many, saying it could not provide such information because the flight was a live operation.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told the Commons: “We need to be absolutely certain when we are deporting people in this way that we are clear about their immigration status.”
Home secretary Priti Patel leaving 10 Downing Street PA
Also during the urgent question, an MP claimed 41 British children would be separated from their fathers because they will have been deported to Jamaica.
SNP immigration spokesman Stuart McDonald asked: “Will the minister confirm that this flight will leave 41 British children separated from their fathers and nine British citizens without partners or husbands?”
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Some of those due to be on the flight had bids to block their deportations refused by the High Court on paper, without a hearing taking place, by the time the court closed for business on Monday.
But a spokeswoman for the judiciary confirmed other cases were still being considered, while lawyers representing those whose cases were rejected said they would press for an urgent reconsideration at an out-of-hours telephone hearing on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, a protest is due to congregate outside Downing Street.
A number of the people due on the flight are thought to have been convicted of one-time drug offences when they were young and have lived in the UK “for most of their lives”.
The legal challenge calls for the flight to be halted over concerns that detainees are struggling to access legal advice and over the claims made over the criminality of those due to be on board.
The action has been launched in light of the recommendations in the leaked Windrush Lessons Learned review that deportations of people who have been here since childhood should be stopped and reconsidered.
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A draft of a report commissioned by the government in the wake of the Windrush scandal recommended that ministers rethink the flights, particularly for those who came to the UK as children.
Written in June 2019, the document seen by PA said: “Government should review its policy and approach to FNOs (foreign national offenders), if necessary through primary legislation.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Here's What Happened In The Irish Election And How The UK Will Be Affected

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Irish voters have gone with the grain of the times and delivered a shock general election result which has smashed traditional two party politics in the country.
Sinn Fein, formerly a fringe party due to past associations with the IRA, have come top of the popular vote and broken the 90-year dominance of Fianna Fail and current premier Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael.
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The stunning result could even have an effect on British politics and Brexit.
So, what happened?
Mary Lou McDonald’s Sinn Fein won the popular vote, with 24.5% of the vote share on first preference, beating Fianna Fail on 22.2% and Fine Gael on 20.9%.
It means Varadkar, a familiar face in the UK due to his key role in the first phase of Brexit negotiations, is highly unlikely to remain as taoiseach or even Fine Gael leader.
Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald is elected as ballot papers are counted at the RDS in Dublin during the Irish general election count PA
But Ireland’s election system means Sinn Fein will not have the most seats because it only ran half as many candidates as its nearest rivals.
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A coalition government will have to be formed, with Sinn Fein likely to first try and cobble together an administration with smaller left-wing parties such as Labour and the Greens.
But a tie-up with Fianna Fail may be more realistic, although that would require Michael Martin’s party to drop its previous refusal to work with Sinn Fein.
There have been indications this could happen but the whole process is likely to take weeks.
What does it mean for Brexit?
Ireland had a key role to play in the first stage of Brexit negotiations when the central issue was coming up with a solution which maintained an invisible border with Northern Ireland.
With that now resolved, the country will still be an important player but will have a reduced role as Britain and the EU sort out their long-term trading relationship, and only 1% of Irish voters made their choice based on Brexit policy.
That said, if Sinn Fein enters government it could end up making life harder for Boris Johnson.
The party has been critical of the deal the prime minister did with Varadkar, who it believes made too many concessions.
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Varadkar and Johnson are said to have had a good relationship which helped pave the way for a Brexit withdrawal deal PA
And it will be keen to ensure Johnson keeps to the promise made in the withdrawal agreement to essentially make Northern Ireland a special economic zone, with checks on trade with the rest of Great Britain and a continued invisible border with the Republic.
This of course could help further its demands for Northern Ireland to break off from the UK and join the Republic in a united Ireland.
Jon Tonge, an expert in Irish politics at Liverpool university, told HuffPost UK: “Sinn Fein would be quite happy for goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to be treated as exports because that’s an economic united Ireland.”
Denis Staunton, London editor of the Irish Times, agreed that Sinn Fein’s presence in government would make little difference to the main negotiations “because Irish issues won’t be centre stage this time and we’ll just be one of 27 member states”.
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He went on: “Where it could make a difference is in negotiations about implementing the Northern Ireland protocol.
“Varadkar might have tried to persuade the EU to make things as easy as possible and to minimise the visibility and intrusiveness of the economic border in the Irish sea.
“A Sinn Fein-led government (or one where they’re equal partners with Fianna Fáil) might not be so cooperative.
“(Sinn Fein) have an interest in aligning north and south as much as possible.”
Could Sinn Fein’s victory from the left bolster Corbynites in Labour?
Labour deputy leadership candidate Richard Burgon has immediately claimed Sinn Fein’s success shows that those arguing for his own party to move to the centre “are completely wrong”.
Ireland's election shows why those media commentators arguing for Labour to move to the centre are completely wrong.
Sinn Fein benefited from being a strong voice against austerity.
Ours was a Brexit election. The next one won't be. We must defend our socialist policies. — Richard Burgon MP (@RichardBurgon) February 10, 2020
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While Varadkar tried to fight the election on his Brexit successes, voters instead made their choice based on crises in public services, including health and housing.
Sinn Fein’s proposals included a massive housebuilding project, investing in public services, and abolishing property tax.
Meanwhile, the main parties were “punished” for not ensuring good economic growth was passed on to ordinary Irish citizens.
So Tonge said there “was something” in what Burgon was saying as Sinn Fein were offering left-wing policies.
“But these were not full blooded left wing policies, the Labour party’s manifesto here was a lot more left wing,” he said.
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“Sinn Fein wasn’t promising full blooded nationalisation of industries and free broadband for everyone.”
Does Sinn Fein’s victory mean the break-up of the UK and formation of a united Ireland?
Sinn Fein is not making a referendum on a united Ireland, known as a border poll, a red line for coalition talks.
But there is no doubting the reunification of Ireland is their “core business” and so the pressure will grow, Tonge said
“Sinn Fein as part of a coalition government will demand that we produce papers on Irish unity, so for the first time there will be a prospectus for a united Ireland.
“Secondly, Sinn Fein will up its demand for a border poll.”
He added: “It ups the ante in terms of pressure for Irish unity.”
Under the terms of the Good Friday peace agreement, the UK Northern Ireland secretary must call a border poll when it appears likely that a majority of the province’s voters would favour a united Ireland.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--SPAC Nation: Police Will Not Open Criminal Inquiry Into Allegations Against Church

HANNAH EACHUS/HUFFPOST UK
Scotland Yard has announced it will not launch a criminal investigation into evangelical church SPAC Nation – despite calls in the House of Commons for a full police inquiry.
The Metropolitan Police was told last year about allegations of fraud and other offences relating to the activities of people associated with the London-based church, which has won publicity for its work to tackle youth violence.
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The church has always denied any wrongdoing.
Last month MPs in parliament called for a full police investigation into the allegations being reviewed by the Met.
Police have now completed this review and told HuffPost UK: “Officers from central specialist crime carried out a review to identify if any criminal offences had been committed.
“The review is now complete and no criminal investigation has been launched into these specific allegations.
“However during this review detectives identified two separate, similar allegations of fraud reported in different parts of London.
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“The allegations relate to the actions of individuals, not the actions of an organisation, and are being investigated by detectives locally.”
The Met said if any further information comes to light this will be reviewed.
SPAC Nation welcomed the decision and, in a statement to HuffPost UK, the board of trustees said: “We believe the police have come to a fair conclusion following their enquiry.”
SPAC Nation senior pastor Tobi Adegboyega at a church service HUFFPOST UK
Senior pastor Tobi Adegboyega, the church’s leader, told HuffPost UK: “The police have spoken and I have confidence in the judiciary system and the law enforcement system of this country that they will do their jobs right and as a church we stand for what is right. If we find anyone doing anything wrong we would report them to the necessary authorities."
A Charity Commission statutory inquiry into SPAC Nation is still underway to probe financial and safeguarding concerns, and police say officers from the central specialist crime unit are in contact with the regulatory body.
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But some ex-members of SPAC Nation have criticised the outcome of the police review, saying the decision appeared to have been taken without talking to some witnesses.
One alleged victim says she has not even been contacted by detectives since she reported an alleged offence via Action Fraud.
Toye-Mary Sofidiya, who lives in east London and attended SPAC Nation when she was 28, said: “Nothing has happened since I reported.
“I would have expected some sort of email, some sort of follow-up, some sort of questioning or getting in contact with those who have been accused, something at least.
“But it doesn’t really seem like anything has been done at all.”
Ex-SPAC Nation member Toye-Mary Sofidiya has criticised the police decision Polly Hancock for HuffPost UK
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Sofidiya has evidence she believes proves a SPAC Nation pastor made her a guarantor on £10,000 worth of loans without her consent.
“It’s poor on the police’s part,” she said. “I feel like they just can’t be bothered because it’s not like there isn’t evidence to show these allegations. So on what basis are they not willing to continue with the investigation is my question really?”
The church has distanced itself from the actions of its pastors and previously told HuffPost UK “a community with hundreds of pastors cannot monitor what each pastor or leader does”.
Another former member of SPAC Nation, who did not want to be named, said of the police decision: “It’s awful. I thought they would [open an investigation]. I think it’s just Black people from poor backgrounds [who are the alleged victims].
“I think it shows that the police don’t really care about the community. It also makes people feel like they shouldn’t trust the system.”
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Steve Reed MP, Labour’s shadow minister for child protection, said he will be raising the issues with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at a meeting to discuss SPAC Nation next week.
“Sadiq as the Mayor of London is also the police and crime commissioner for London, which means he’s in charge of the Metropolitan Police,” said the MP.
“So I will be seeking a full explanation of what is or is not going on in terms of investigating SPAC Nation given the scale and nature of allegations that we’re hearing from right across the capital.”
HANNAH EACHUS/HUFFPOST UK
The Croydon North MP went with ex-members of SPAC Nation to report 12 separate alleged offences at Croydon police station in November.
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He was critical of the police’s approach to handling the SPAC Nation allegations when he raised the issues in a House of Commons debate last month.
“Allegations about this organisation have been circulating widely in the Black community and on social media for up to four years, so why has police intelligence failed to pick anything up?” he said during the debate.
“Why has police intelligence failed to recognise what is happening to potentially thousands of vulnerable young kids across this city?”
Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford, said the police investigation would “probably need a specialised unit” due to the “magnitude” of the allegations outlined.
MPs also called for the church to be stripped of its charitable status while the commission inquiry is underway to prevent more young people being exploited.
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A SPAC Nation service HuffPost UK
SPAC Nation has won praise from senior politicians for its work to tackle knife crime and it was held up as one of the few organisations that seemed to offer a solution to the epidemic of youth violence in the capital.
But while the church has won plaudits, allegations of fraud and safeguarding abuses had been circulating on social media for many years, as revealed by a HuffPost UK investigation in November.
Some young people told us they had allegedly sold their own blood for money to donate to SPAC Nation.
Following this revelation, the Charities Commission launched its statutory inquiry in December.
BBC Panorama also broadcast a programme that month covering allegations against SPAC Nation.
Reed said during the House of Commons debate last month: “SPAC Nation is not an organisation that is getting young people out of crime, as it claims; it is an organisation that is criminalising young people for its own ends.
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“It operates right across London and has already expanded into other cities, including Birmingham and Leicester.”
SPAC Nation’s board of trustees said the church was committed to standards of best practice and would “not condone any act of lawlessness or illegality”.
“Our response remains the same from the beginning,” the trustees said in their statement to HuffPost UK.
“Our devotion and selflessness to every young person in society remains unchanged despite the various attacks [against us].”
What Are The Two Allegations Police Are Investigating?
Although police are not opening a criminal investigation into SPAC Nation church, Scotland Yard said it is investigating two separate fraud allegations.
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“During this review detectives identified two separate, similar allegations of fraud reported in different parts of London,” the force said.
“The allegations relate to the actions of individuals, not the actions of an organisation, and are being investigated by detectives locally.”
The Met says on January 23, 2019, it received an allegation of fraud by false representation through Action Fraud, relating to the actions of an individual and said to have taken place in 2018.
Officers from the Met’s north west basic command unit are investigating.
On January 13 this year a 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation. He was taken to a north London police station and later released under investigation.
On the same day a search was carried out at an address in Ballards Road in north west London where a number of items were seized by police.
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A second allegation was made to police on August 25, 2019, of fraud by false representation, said to have taken place between March 2017 and July 2019.
Officers from the Met’s south area basic command unit are investigating.
No arrests have been made and enquiries continue.
What Is SPAC Nation?
SPAC Nation is an evangelical church that has risen to prominence in the last two years for its work with young people affected by gang violence.
The church had received publicity as one of the few organisations offering a positive solution to the country’s knife crime epidemic.
It has won praise from senior politicians and its leader Tobi Adegboyega has met cabinet ministers at 10 Downing Street, police chiefs at Scotland Yard, and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
SPAC Nation boasted a congregation of more than 2,000 people, including many young Black people from impoverished areas.
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The church has no building and holds its services from luxury hotels across London.
It has attracted attention for its unconventional methods. Its pastors conspicuously wear designer clothes, Louboutin shoes, Rolex watches and drive luxury cars.
SPAC Nation claims this display of wealth is necessary to reach out to young people who see gangs flaunting money.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Coronavirus Latest: Two Healthcare Workers Diagnosed With Virus As Authorities 'Urgently' Track Down

Coronavirus Latest: Two Healthcare Workers Diagnosed With Virus As Authorities 'Urgently' Track Down Patients

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Health authorities are working “urgently” to identify patients who may have come in contact with two healthcare workers diagnosed with coronavirus.
In a statement, Public Health England (PHE) said that two of the four people who tested positive for the virus on Monday were medics.
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However, it did not confirm whether they worked at County Oak medical centre in Brighton, which the BBC reported was temporarily closed because a staff member had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
In a pre-recorded message, the GP surgery said it had been closed “due to an urgent operational health and safety issue”.
PHE medical director Yvonne Doyle said that the new cases announced on Monday “are all closely linked to one another”.
“Our priority has been to speak to those who have close and sustained contact with confirmed cases, so we can advise them on what they can do to limit the spread of the virus,” she said.
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“Two of these new cases are healthcare workers and as soon as they were identified, we advised them to self-isolate in order to keep patient contact to a minimum.
“We are now working urgently to identify all patients and other healthcare workers who may have come into close contact, and at this stage we believe this to be a relatively small number.”
The news comes on the same day that British Airways extended its suspension of flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai until March 31 amid the coronavirus outbreak.
A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice in Brighton which has been temporarily closed "because of an urgent operational health and safety reason". PA
In a statement, the airline said: “We are contacting customers on cancelled flights so we can discuss their travel options, including rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel.
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“Safety is at the heart of everything we do and we will keep the situation under review.”
Eight people in the UK have now been diagnosed with coronavirus, with five of those closely linked to a businessman who was told he had it last week in Brighton.
UK authorities are now trying to trace passengers who were on the same easyJet EZS8481 flight from Geneva to Gatwick as the businessman on January 28.
The department of health has called the virus a “serious and imminent threat” to public health, but the overall risk to the population is “moderate”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--The Jamaica Deportation Flight Shows Minorities Are Now Fair Game – Regardless Of Citizenship

Is this the watershed moment where all minorities slowly but surely start to become fair game, regardless of citizenship? Amna Saleem writes. Getty Editorial
On 11 February, a charter plane is scheduled to deport 50 Black Commonwealth citizens to Jamaica. The much delayed findings from the Windrush report have yet to even be published, but this government has decided to rapidly repeat history after its first failing.
In the last operation of its kind, 83 people were wrongly deported and 11 people died. Families lost their loved ones as a consequence of an incompetent government yet despite this; those in charge arrogantly continue to play fast and loose with the lives of Black people.
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We’re supposed to believe that everyone being deported is a dangerous criminal whom we should be grateful to be free from but that wasn’t the case last time – and it is still not the case now.
If we were to judge every citizen by the same harsh consequences then where is the deportation order for convicted paedophile Rolf Harris to be sent back to Australia? In fact, a few members of our very own government should technically be in trouble themselves.
“If you’re not angry, then you’re not paying attention, which is a luxury in itself.”
Should the prime minister’s own confession that he once dabbled in recreational drugs as a youth mean we should deport him to the USA where he was born? What about if Johnson was to be caught up in a domestic dispute. Would that put him at risk of being torn from his indeterminate number of children?
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It has only been two years since the Windrush scandal that destroyed the lives of many Black citizens who were callously targeted for deportation from a country they called home – the only country most had ever known. The same country that actively encouraged people to migrate to the UK from British colonies after the fall out from World War Two led to severe labour shortages.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Black migrants coming to the UK faced racism and discrimination. Many thrived despite the system setting them up to fail, but some fell through the cracks, which is not unusual or unique to this particular situation. Yet, we insist on systemically punishing Black people more severely than anyone else, the context of which is constantly steamrolled and lacks historical interrogation. These factors simply cannot be discounted or viewed as reason enough to deport someone who perhaps made a mistake at 19, did their time, and is now a middle-aged father getting on with his life like the rest of us.
Surely, if we are going to use someone’s past against them then Michael Gove and the like should be serving retroactive prison sentences for casual drug use or should at least be relieved from any position of power. It is intensely galling and telling that behaviour posh white people can brag about is subsequently the very thing that often puts Black people behind bars.
We tend to think that white men are just cheeky wee scamps up until the age of 50 where any action can be forgiven in the spirit of youthful misadventures. We, however, deem Black children as accountable adults from as young as 14. We are quick to rehabilitate the image of middle class white men, while allowing the continued vilification of Black people for similar infractions. Can you imagine a white family being forced into becoming a single parent household due to an error of judgement made by the father over 20 years ago? Can you imagine a white man being removed from the lives of his children for something he has already been duly punished for? Can you imagine all of this happening only for those in power to occasionally realise they targeted the wrong person? If you’re not angry, then you’re not paying attention, which is a luxury in itself.
The government’s actions raise a lot of difficult questions and concerns that will undoubtedly have long lasting repercussions. The hostile environment which looms over Britain like a plague needs to be dismantled and adequately challenged before it is too late. We may not be a booming empire anymore but we do have to face the consequences of the past with real accountability and respect in order to finally move forward as a nation in a healthier state.
As someone who was born and raised in the UK to Pakistani immigrant parents, I can’t help but selfishly wonder, if this will be the escalation point I look back at in 20 years time. The point which will eventually see all minorities slowly but surely become fair game, regardless of citizenship. Should I be lobbying for a position in government alongside Sajid Javid and Priti Patel in the hopes that they will come for me last? Model minority or not – If we don’t rectify this now, they will eventually come for all of us.
We would all be much better off, if we actually listened to Black people from the beginning instead of dismissing them outright, only to feign outrage when the worst happens and, inevitably, becomes increasingly difficult to detangle.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Bird Flu Virus Confirmed In Farm On Scottish Borders

Poultry farmers in Scotland have been urged to boost security after a case of bird flu was confirmed.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland said the virus, thought to have been contracted from wild birds, was found in Scotland last week.
Tests confirmed the virus was present at a farm in the Scottish Borders.
While tests were taking place, officials put in place a ban on the movement of birds on and off the premises.
The union later confirmed the case has been dealt with and restrictions that had been put in place have been lifted.
No cull is understood to have been required.
In a statement, NFU Scotland said: “Urgent message for poultry keepers.
“Low pathogenic Avian Influenza (AI), thought to have been contracted from wild birds, was confirmed in a Scottish free range laying flock at the end of last week.
“Please ensure highest levels of biosecurity at this time.”
Among recommended measures to promote biosecurity are cleaning and disinfecting vehicles and equipment that have come into contact with poultry and fencing off flocks to separate them from wild birds.
A spokesman for the union later added: “Although the case which is in the news has been dealt with, all restrictions lifted on the farm and should cause no alarm to egg producers or to consumers, it is pertinent time to remind all poultry keepers to adhere to the strict biosecurity requirements set out by the Scottish government to ensure Scottish eggs are of the highest quality, health and safety standards.
“As the laboratory results confirmed a mild strain of non-notifiable avian influenza has been found, the restrictions on the site have now been lifted.
“All the possible steps must be taken to ensure that poultry, and other captive birds, are protected against contact with wild birds.
“It is important to avoid the transfer of contamination into and between premises and to minimise the movement of people, vehicles and equipment to areas where captive birds are kept.”
Bird owners are advised to perform regular health checks and report any signs of disease to a vet.
A Scottish government spokesman said: “We are aware of a case of avian influenza on a premise in Scotland following routine investigations.
“Laboratory results have confirmed a mild strain of non-notifiable avian influenza has been found.
“Given the results, the restrictions on the site have now been lifted.”
In December, all 27,000 birds at a commercial poultry farm in Suffolk were culled after a number were found to have the H5 strain of avian flu, identified as “low pathogenic”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Is The UK Prepared For A Coronavirus Outbreak?

On Monday – less than two months after the first cases of coronavirus emerged in China – it was confirmed that the number of people infected in England had doubled to eight.
It is understood that the four newly-diagnosed patients, who contracted the disease in France, are all contacts of a businessman who was infected with coronavirus in Singapore before being diagnosed in Brighton.
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Meanwhile, French authorities said the five British nationals being treated for coronavirus were diagnosed after coming into contact with the same businessman, who has been dubbed a ‘super-spreader’ by the press.
He has also been linked to a British man who tested positive for the virus in Majorca.
People wearing facemasks disembark from an aircraft repatriating Brits to the UK from Wuhan in China at RAF Brize Norton PA
Now, UK authorities are trying to trace passengers who were on the same easyJet EZS8481 flight from Geneva to Gatwick as the businessman on January 28.
But as the number of coronavirus cases in the UK continue to increase, many people are now asking how prepared the country is for an outbreak. Here’s what we know.
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What is coronavirus?
A medical staff attends a patient with coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan in January Stringer . / Reuters
First things first. Coronaviruses are actually a large family of viruses – the strain that has caused this outbreak is known clinically as 2019-nCoV.
According to World Health Organisation, these viruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. However, experts believe there could also have been human-to-human transmission in the case of 2019-nCoV.
Symptoms of the new coronavirus include a fever, coughing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
To date, there have been more than 40,000 cases of the virus globally, mostly in China, while the death toll in China now stands at 908.
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How has the government reacted to cases in the UK?
Health secretary Matt Hancock PA Wire/PA Images
On Monday, the government declared coronavirus a “serious and imminent threat to public health”, giving it new legal powers to forcibly quarantine people with coronavirus.
It means that that those infected will not be free to leave quarantine and that people can be forcibly sent into isolation if they pose a threat.
According to PA media, the decision was made after one of the Britons who returned from Wuhan – the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – attempted to leave isolation at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside.
A government source said “there was someone who was threatening to abscond from Arrowe Park”, despite all the Britons who returned on the evacuation flight signing a contract agreeing to a 14-day quarantine period.
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However, there have been concerns about whether those contracts are legally enforceable, leading to the new regulations.
Arrowe Park Hospital and Kents Hill Park in Milton Keynes, both of which are housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, are now designated “isolation facilities”, the government said.
Despite the changes, health secretary Matt Hancock said the level of risk to the public posed by coronavirus had not changed, and remained moderate.
Clinical advice has not changed about the risk to the public, which remains moderate. We are taking a belt and braces approach to all necessary precautions to ensure public safety. (2/2)https://t.co/gE7YIofjl7 — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) February 10, 2020
Another plane carrying people evacuated from Wuhan landed at RAF Brize Norton on Sunday morning, with people then taken to Kents Hill Park for 14 days of quarantine.
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How are authorities trying to control the spread of coronavirus?
A sign at Heathrow Airport about coronavirus ASSOCIATED PRESS
Much of the government’s response to trying to control the spread of coronavirus has focused on travellers entering the country.
The foreign office has already advised UK nationals to leave China where possible, warning that – as the coronavirus outbreak worsens in the country – it could become harder for people to travel.
Meanwhile, health authorities have introduced “advanced monitoring” at airports with direct flights from China.
At Heathrow airport, a team of public health experts has been put in place to support anyone travelling in from China who feels unwell. This team – made up of shifts of seven medics – will help patients on arrival.
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China is also screening people when they leave the country and preventing anyone showing symptoms of coronavirus from leaving.
Public Health England (PHE) has also warned anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild.
While mainland China has seen the vast majority of coronavirus cases, with more than 900 fatalities, the other countries have been identified “because of the volume of air travel from affected areas”, PHE said, plus the number of reported cases in those areas.
How well can the UK diagnose coronavirus?
The UK was one of the first countries outside of China to have specific test for coronavirus.
After the 2002/03 SARS outbreak, PHE developed a series of diagnostic tests for coronaviruses. It meant that it was quickly able to develop specific tests for Wuhan coronavirus.
To date, the UK has tested 1,114 people for coronavirus, with only eight people giving a positive result for the virus.
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UPDATE on #coronavirus testing in the UK:
As of 2pm on Monday 10 February 2020, a total of 1,114 tests have concluded
1,106 were confirmed negative
8 positive
Updates will be published at 2pm daily until further notice.
For latest information visit:
▶ https://t.co/CZh5JdyN2Q pic.twitter.com/Gk7du002Op — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) February 10, 2020
On Monday, a programme to roll out the Wuhan coronavirus diagnostic test to 12 laboratories across the UK began in a bid to increase the country’s testing capacity from 100 people a day to 1,000.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Love Island: 17 Things Every Fan Is Feeling At This Point In The Series

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The Love Island villa has gone through its fair share of ups and downs over the past week.
The return of Casa Amor was the dramatic bombshell we’d been waiting for, as some relationships were shattered (RIP Shallum), and new ones forged.
But it’s not just the Islanders’ heads that have been left scrambled by it all. In fact, we’ve all been left with a lot of thoughts over the last few days – many of which we’d never have predicted at the start of the series.
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With Twitter being a constant outlet for fans’ feelings on the ITV2 reality show, these are the most popular sentiments right now...
1. The series is Paige and Finn’s to lose
finn and paige washing the dishes like a married couple god just hand them the 50k #loveisland pic.twitter.com/7vbDsv0YTh — aime (@loveislcnd) February 9, 2020
2. But Sianisse and Luke T could give them some serious competition, and we wouldn’t be mad about it
the toughest decision i’ll ever have to make is whether to vote for sainnise and luke or paige and finn #loveisland pic.twitter.com/hDIhI0vrtU — aime (@loveislcnd) February 9, 2020
3. Or even better, for them to win as a throuple with Luke M
Can’t decide wether Luke T and Siannise or Luke T and Luke M are cuter #loveisland pic.twitter.com/f8Z0veOeCN — noturbusiness (@heyiamverybored) February 9, 2020
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4. But also Queen Shaughna being the first solo person to win would be a MOMENT
Two words have just made Shaughna win This Years Love Island. From us to her “Congrats Hun”🥂 #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/E9HTVgCXzY — MP👑 (@marypashai) February 7, 2020
5. Luke M and Luke T’s bromance is just too pure
6. And quite how Luke M is still single is anyone’s guess
7. Did Natalia use him as a meal ticket to the main villa?
Luke T: ‘so you’re saying he was her ticket in here?’
Siannise: ‘that’s absolutely what I’m saying’
#LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/9PVcveOijx — Jessica Holtz (@JessicaHoltz7) February 9, 2020
8. This made Luke T an instant king
Siannise was literally dancing around in lingerie for Luke T and he still asked if he could touch her before he laid a finger on her. CONSENT IS THAT SIMPLE. WE STAN #LoveIsland — Divya ॐ (@dudeitsdivya) February 9, 2020
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9. Everyone has done a complete 180 on Siannise from the start of the series and are ready to apologise
Siannise has grown on me so much she’s actually just really nice I’m sorry I doubted u xo #loveisland pic.twitter.com/3C9rON9NML — Grace (@gracemacinnes) February 9, 2020
10. While Nas has seriously gone down in our estimations after dumping Demi
So Nas is joining the “nice guys finish last”, “make the nation feel sorry you” and then “LET EVERYONE DOWN” club then #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/PqK8McFOJm — Helen (@HelenMLeach) February 4, 2020
11. Would Demi and Luke M make a good couple?
Sorry but am I the only one seriously shipping Luke M and Demi? Let the two purist & kindest souls take care of each other ! 😭 #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/kfgClTyUBT — Hannah Ellis Ryan (@HannahEllisRyan) February 10, 2020
12. Jess has really come into her own since Eve left
feel like jess is so much more chill and lovely without eve there? #LoveIsland — 💗🧚🏼♀em (@emilythompsonn) January 22, 2020
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13. There is waaaaay too many people in the villa currently
Too many new couples... gonna need some voting soon #LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/kimr7NzMcD — Rebecca (@Beckicornwall) February 6, 2020
14. In fact, we don’t even know the names of some of them
The Casa Amor girls getting excited about Paige and Finn almost like Paige knows any of their names #LoveIsland — caryn welby-solomon (@carynwelbys) February 10, 2020
15. And we’d forgotten Rebecca and Jordan were even still there
Rebecca and Jordan must be snooze fest because they never show them. I forget about them until they show who's sleeping where.#LoveIsland pic.twitter.com/EamKIVlA4d — ǝnbııuııɯoᗡ (@PynkStarrr) February 10, 2020
16. Is Finn getting more attractive the longer he’s in the villa?
I reallyy, trulyy hope Paige realises how lucky she is cause Finn is THE catch this series. A man 😍🥰 #loveisland pic.twitter.com/gINdC4AHFx — Nola Thee Journalist (@NolaMarianna) February 6, 2020
17. Callum is this year’s Michael and we’re still not ready to forgive him over what he did to Shaughna
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--How Does Coronavirus Spread? We Explain The Basics

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The latest type of coronavirus – known as Covid-19 – has infected thousands of people worldwide. Here’s what we know about the new strain.
Covid-19 is one of seven types of coronavirus identified since the mid 1960s. There are four common human coronaviruses, where the symptoms tend to be less problematic. These are 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1.
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There are also types of coronavirus that originated in animals and evolved to impact humans. These include: MERS-CoV (coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS), SARS-CoV (coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS), and most recently, 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
How does coronavirus spread?
With previous outbreaks like MERS and SARS, human-to-human transmission occurred through droplets (i.e. when you cough and sneeze), contact with others, and touching infected objects or materials.
Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at University of East Anglia, reiterates this, telling HuffPost UK coronaviruses are spread largely by droplets in the air. As the old saying goes: “Coughs and sneezes spread diseases.”
If a person with coronavirus coughs or sneezes and another person is within two metres of where they’re standing, they could inhale infected droplets. Likewise, if an infected person coughs or sneezes onto their hand, then touches a door handle, another person who touches that door handle could pick up the virus.
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If an uninfected person touches these surfaces, then washes their hands immediately (and properly), there wouldn’t necessarily be a problem. But if they go on to touch their eyes, nose or mouth, they can become infected with the virus. In fact, touching anywhere near the mouth – for example, smoking – could cause infection, says Prof Hunter.
“That’s how colds spread [and how] SARS spread,” he says. “It is undoubtedly the primary way 2019 Novel Coronavirus spreads.”
Dr Nick Phin, deputy director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England (PHE) echoes this, adding: “While not a lot is known about the novel coronavirus, it is likely to behave in a similar way to other respiratory viruses.”
It’s unclear how long surfaces are contaminated for after an infected person has touched it – although under most circumstances, PHE says the amount of infectious virus is likely to have decreased significantly by 24 hours, and even more so by 48 hours.
Dr Phin says how long any respiratory virus survives will depend on a number of factors: “For example, what the virus is on, whether it is exposed to sunlight, differences in temperature and humidity, and exposure to cleaning products – even simple ones like soapy water and household cleaning sprays.”
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Experts don’t currently know whether people without symptoms of coronavirus – but who are infected with the virus – are infectious or not. “If it’s only symptomatic people who spread the virus, you don’t need to worry too much about quarantining asymptomatic people [a person showing no symptoms],” says Prof Hunter.
But, as we don’t yet know at what stage the virus spreads, it’s important to take whatever precaution you can by continuing to maintain good hygiene.
The best way to stop germs spreading is to: avoid close contact with people (particularly those suffering from respiratory infection symptoms); frequently wash your hands with soap and warm water (or using sanitiser gel); and cough or sneeze into tissues, and then bin those tissues. This advice is useful for all winter viruses that may be circulating – not just for protecting against coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Boris Johnson's Scotland To Northern Ireland Bridge Might Actually Happen

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Government officials have started work to make Boris Johnson’s plan for a bridge from the British mainland to Northern Ireland a reality, Downing Street has confirmed.
The prime minister was ridiculed by senior Tories when he first suggested a bridge between Belfast and Scotland in 2018, including by the now-chancellor Sajid Javid.
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“The PM set out that this was an idea which he believed could have some merit so as a result of that you would expect the government to be looking into it,” Johnson’s official spokesman said on Monday.
Concerns have been raised over the potential cost of the bridge, estimated at around £20bn, and the fact that more than a million tonnes of wartime munitions have been dumped in the sea on the potential route.
But there are thousands of flights between the UK and Northern Ireland every year and the prime minister believes the bridge could boost his agenda to “level up” the country’s regions.
It could also help soften the blow Johnson dealt Northern Irish unionists by creating a special status for the country which will mean customs checks on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as part of his Brexit deal with the EU.
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The PM will hope that a bridge could help boost his prospects of keeping the UK together, with Scottish demands for independence and Irish demands for a border poll.
One potential route could see a 20 mile bridge-tunnel built between Portpatrick in Scotland and Larne in County Antrim, the Mail on Sunday reported.
It could be modelled on the Oresund bridge between Denmark and Sweden ASSOCIATED PRESS
Labour MP Wes Streeting said the news showed Johnson had failed to learn from his past pursuit of “vanity projects”.
While Johnson was London mayor, £50m of taxpayers’ money was wasted on the proposed London Garden Bridge which he supported.
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He also faced criticism over the Emirates Air Line cable car, which cost taxpayers millions despite Johnson insisting the money could come from private companies. It has been dubbed a “white elephant” due to under-use.
Johnson has also been mocked for a failed proposal for a new airport in the Thames Estuary, dubbed ‘Boris island’.
We’ve been here before with vast sums of public money wasted on vanity projects like the Cable Car, Garden Bridge, and ‘Boris Island Airport’. The man never learns. https://t.co/q0nNVWZE4L — Wes Streeting MP (@wesstreeting) February 10, 2020
His spokesman could not say which officials were working on the Northern Ireland scoping exercise or give a date for its completion.
But the project is being led by No.10, drawing on views from across Whitehall departments.
The bridge could be modelled on the Oresund bridge between Sweden and Denmark, a mixture of a tunnel and an over-sea crossing made famous in hit ‘Scandi noir’ drama The Bridge.
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The world’s longest bridge is in China - the 102 mile Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge on the Beijing to Shanghai railway.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage described the plans for a bridge to Northern Ireland as “crazy”.
This is crazy. What about the North of England? https://t.co/VRDpg3vyx1 — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) February 10, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Is Your Teeth Whitening Treatment Doing You More Harm Than Good?

BantiqVision via Getty Images
Whitening your teeth can feel like a quick fix in the quest for a celeb-worthy smile, without the use of invasive vaneers. But illegal teeth whitening is on the rise in the UK, with patients being left with burns and even lost teeth after bodged treatments.
Reports of illegal teeth whitening increased by 26% last year, according to General Dental Council figures analysed by the BBC, with unqualified practitioners carrying out treatments and illegal chemicals being sold for at-home use.
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“Some illegal whiteners have been found to use dangerous chemicals such as chlorine dioxide, which can strip enamel of teeth, and even banned substances, such as sodium perborate, which can cause severe burns to gums,” Len D’Cruz, a spokesperson from the British Dental Association (BDA) tells HuffPost UK.
“If you put yourself in the hands of unqualified individuals armed with unsafe chemicals then you are gambling with your health.”
Dentist Dr Ben Atkins, president of the Oral Health Foundation, adds that undergoing illegal whitening could have “lasting consequences”.
“There could be a greater risk of infection and cross contamination, as well as damage to the gums, mouth and even the jaw,” he says. “These are the kind of consequences that last a lifetime, cause unnecessary pain and suffering, and are highly expensive to correct.”
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So how do you ensure you’re whitening your teeth safely?
Whitening at home
In general, home whitening kits are likely to take longer and be less effective than treatment by a dentist, according to D’Cruz. But if you’re tempted by an at-home treatment, make sure you buy it from a recognised retailer and check the concentration of hydrogen peroxide listed in the ingredients.
“The law in the UK stipulates that teeth whitening products are only safe to be sold directly to the public if they contain a maximum of 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, and anything above this level should only be supplied, or used, under the supervision of a dentist up to 6%,” D’Cruz explains.
“While hydrogen peroxide, as used in dental practices, is the gold standard for whitening teeth, the amount that can be used in over-the-counter or online products is a very weak solution and is unlikely to have much impact on the colour of the teeth.”
Steer clear of any products using chlorine dioxide and sodium perborate and be aware that some sellers fail to list all ingredients used in their products. For this reason, the BDA recommends seeing a professional for the safest whitening.
Seeing a ‘professional’
Professional teeth whitening can only be performed legally in the UK by professionals registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).
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However, the BBC’s investigation suggests hundreds of beauticians in the UK may be offering illegal teeth whitening, some unknowingly, with several companies dishing out “fraudulent qualifications” after providing beauticians with just a few hours of training.
The message from both the British Dental Association and the Oral Health Foundation is clear: visit a dentist for any teeth whitening procedures and treatments.
“Dentistry is not something that can be picked up in hours, days or months. The chemicals used to whiten teeth are toxic and, if not used safely, can cause permanent damage to teeth and gums,” Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, says.
“There is a lot that can go wrong in dentistry and professionals are the only ones who are suitably trained to make these potential risks less likely and deal with any issues in a suitable and timely manner should they occur.
“Beauticians across the UK must be made aware that conducting teeth whitening is illegal and that by doing so they are putting lives at risk.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Car Falls Into Cavernous Essex Sinkhole As Storm Ciara Lashes Britain

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A motorist had a lucky escape after his car fell into a huge sinkhole in Essex following wild weather caused by Storm Ciara.
Homes were evacuated on a residential road in Brentwood after the Toyota became trapped nose-first in the sinkhole, with pictures from the scene showing the driver and passenger doors wide open and both airbags inflated.
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It is believed that the car was being driven on the road when the sinkhole opened up, although the driver is said to have escaped uninjured.
A view of a Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in the aftermath of Storm Ciara, in Brentwood ASSOCIATED PRESS
Firefighters were called to Hatch Road, in the Pilgrims Hatch area, shortly after 1.30am on Monday following reports that a sewer had partially collapsed.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews reported that the hole had extended into the road and a car was trapped.
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Six properties were evacuated in the early hours of the morning due to unstable ground.
Gordon Humphrey, who lives next to the sinkhole, told PA media he and his wife heard a “bang”.
“The wife heard it. She thought a fence panel had popped out, then we looked and saw a car in the hole,” the 60-year-old said.
PA
“You could hear the water bubbling, see the taillights and there was a smell of gas.”
The highways officer said that he saw someone, who he did not believe to be the driver, in the front of the car with water up to the seats.
“He was sitting in there trying to find something,” he told PA. “He said his mate was in shock.”
Humphrey said his wife Lesley, 59, called the emergency services and they were told to leave the house before it was later declared safe to return.
The fire service said they worked to make the scene safe by 3.53am, before handing the scene over to Anglian Water.
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An Anglian Water spokesman said: “We are currently on site on Hatch Road, Pilgrims Hatch, in Brentwood investigating a sink hole which has opened up in the road.
“We are working with other utilities (water and gas) plus the local police to assess if any of our pipes have been damaged.”
The process of removing the vehicle from the hole, thought to be about two metres deep, began shortly before midday on Monday.
After it was removed engineers began working on the large hole, which is partially filled with water.
Storm Ciara brought a month and a half’s rainfall in just 24 hours as gusts of more than 90 miles per hour swept across the country on Sunday.
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