thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Still Not Watched Schitt's Creek? Here’s Why It’s About To Become Your New Favourite Show

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You’ve no doubt seen Schitt’s Creek listed on Netflix, but might be in the (ever-decreasing) group of people who still haven’t dived in to experience the utter joy of the Canadian comedy series.
After sweeping the board at this year’s Emmys (bagging nine awards and breaking a few records in the process) and with a l-o-n-g winter ahead for us all, now is the perfect time to get stuck into the feel-good, fishes-out-of-water comedy everyone is talking about...
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Schitt's Creek Netflix
It’s very 2020
A family of five forced to live in close proximity to each other under stressful circumstances sounds pretty familiar, right? No wonder the show’s popularity has soared over the last six months.
Everyone is welcome
Schitt’s Creek is a hate-free zone. The fact David is queer is never mentioned, or worse, used as a punchline. Same for Ronnie. Instead their sexuality is casual and as unremarkable as any of the straight characters. That might not sound a lot, but for a mainstream, hugely successful show to normalise LGBTQ people in this way and not feel like a box-ticking exercise is still pretty radical - even in 2020.
Speaking at the GLAAD Gala last year, Daniel Levy, who plays David and also co-created the show, said he “seized the opportunity to make a television show that might, in its own way, offer some support, encouragement and love to those who might not have it in their homes or in their schools or in their day to day lives.”
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He added: “It’s a place where acceptance incubates joy and creates a clarity that allows people to see themselves and each other more deeply. It’s fiction, yes. But I’ve always been told to lead by example and this felt like a good place to start.”
a group of moms with LGBTQ kids wrote a truly beautiful thank you letter to the cast of #SchittsCreek & I couldn't stop crying as it was read aloud to the actors pic.twitter.com/2oULXjliT9 — Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) April 8, 2020
Moira Moira Moira
What’s not to love about Catherine O’Hara’s matriarch and former daytime drama star Moira Rose?
First there’s *that* accent. Not quite placeable. Is it Canadian? Is it English? It’s neither, nor a mix of both. But it is most definitely 100% bonkers. Like Moira’s pronunciation of ‘baby’ (“bébé”).
Throw into the mix Moira’s extensive vocabulary. This woman can turn a phrase like no other. Like when she tells son David to “stop acting like a disgruntled pelican” or warns her husband Johnny to be “careful, lest you suffer vertigo from the dizzying heights of your moral ground”.
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When it comes to retorts, Moira could give Karen Walker a run for her millions. Just imagine if those two worlds collided? *gets on phone to Daniel Levy*
And don’t even get us started on the bottomless pit that is her wig collection, aka ‘The Girls’.
The adventures of Alexis Rose
Moira and Johnny’s daughter had quite the life before she was forced into living with them at the Rosebud Motel, which is where they usually hear about her wild adventures for the first time.
Like when she got a DUI for driving into a Prada store: “In fairness, it did look like the entrance to a parking garage. And I was high at the time.” Or when she was “taken hostage on David Geffen’s yacht by Somali pirates for a week and nobody answered my texts?” And what about that time she dated a Sultan’s nephew who “was forbidden to talk to me or even look at me, and we made it work for like, half a regime change.” Wild.
Oh, and it would be amiss of us not to give a special mention to her short-lived reality show A Little Bit Alexis...
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The clothes
Is there a monochrome sweatshirt that David hasn’t ever worn? We doubt it. And we’re still trying to figure out how Moira fits all of her iconic outfits into that tiny motel wardrobe, considering she has never ever worn the same thing twice.
Stevie
The motel receptionist has deadpan down to a T and is unimpressed by pretty much everything. But she’s the unsung hero of the show (even Moira told her she was “cool”), who you’ll end up rooting for all the way - especially when she really takes herself out of her comfort zone.
Like when the town revived Cabaret and put Stevie centre stage… *heart explodes*
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The eye candy
Yep, we really are that shallow. Schitt’s Creek itself might not be the most visually appealing place on earth, but plenty of its inhabitants make up for that…
Jake (Steve Lund) Netflix
Mutt Schitt (Tim Rozon) Netflix
Ted Mullens (Dustin Milligan) Netflix


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Tory MP 'Simply Forgot' To Wear Face Mask During Hour-Long Train Ride

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Danny Kruger MP Danny Kruger MP
Tory MP Danny Kruger claims he “quite simply forgot” to wear a face mask for the entire duration of an hour-long train journey.
The Devizes MP was caught out by a member of the public travelling unmasked between Hungerford and London Paddington on Monday morning.
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After a tweet of him flouting Covid-19 rules went viral, Kruger told the Salisbury Journal he “boarded an almost empty carriage” and only “realised his mistake” when he got to the capital.
Government guidelines are clear that face coverings must be worn on public transport at all times.
The on-the-spot fine for failing to wear one is £100 and can double with each offence up to a maximum of £3,200.
Danny kruger, the tory MP for Devises not wearing a mask for the entire Hungerford to Paddington train journey yesterday. Don’t blame it on the young people Boris when your own party aren’t even following your rules 🤷🏻♀🤷🏻♀ #Lockdown2 #SecondWave pic.twitter.com/4NV8Cv5CuK — Edie (@Ediebound) September 19, 2020
Kruger used his statement to hit out at the person who photographed him, saying they should have “reminded” him.
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He said: “I boarded an almost empty carriage at Hungerford and quite simply forgot to put on my mask.
“When I got to Paddington I realised my mistake and covered up for the rest of my journey.
“If the person had reminded me rather than taking a photo and posting it on social media I would of course have put on my mask then and there. I do apologise for my mistake.”
The “mistake” is likely to anger people, as it follows a spike in Covid cases and the R rate jumping to between 1.1 and 1.4 last week, with Boris Johnson last week warning a “second wave is coming”.
Health secretary Matt Hancock also said on Sunday that “the nation faces a tipping point”, adding: “We have a choice. Either everybody follows the rules – the rule of six and the need to self-isolate if you have a positive test or if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace – or we will have to take more measures.”
On Monday morning, top scientific advisers warned that unless the trajectory of the virus in the UK changes, there may be as many as 50,000 new cases a day by mid-October.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Me: I remember when you were in my tummy you would roll and kick me so much!
4: I was in your belly??
Me: Yep, and then you came out!
4: Then why is your belly still big?
Husband: Oh no


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--These Are The Coronavirus Rule Breaches You Can Be Fined For

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Boris Johnson has announced tougher penalties for those who “brazenly defy” restrictions as part of his new measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
Delivering a speech in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the prime minister said the fine for anyone failing to wear masks where required or breaching the “rule of six” will double from £100 to £200 for a first offence, and that businesses flouting the rules could be fined £10,000 or even shut down.
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“We will provide the police and local authorities with the extra funding they need, a greater police presence on our streets, and the option to draw on military support where required to free up the police,” he said.
With that in mind, here’s a list of the acts can you be fined for.
New laws already ban groups of six or more in England, whether gathering inside or out (file picture) PA
Ignoring instructions to self-isolate
People in England who ignore orders to self-isolate could face fines of up to £10,00 from next week.
Fines will initially start at £1,000 and increase for repeat offenders and for “the most egregious breaches” including stopping others from self-isolating, like an employer who asks a staff member to come into work in violation of an order.
The penalties are in line with those for people who fail to quarantine for 14 days after returning to the UK from a country not on the list of low-risk nations.
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The new regulations will come into force in England on September 28, although ministers are discussing with the devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland about extending them across the UK.
The “rule of six”
From Monday September 14, new laws came into force banning groups of more than six in England, whether gathering inside or outside.
Find yourself in a group of more than a half-dozen without a work or education exemption, and you could be on the wrong end of a penalty which doubles on each repeat offence up to a maximum number, which depends on the country you are in (see below).
In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced that from Wednesday people will be banned from visiting other households.
Gatherings outdoors of up to 30 people are still allowed in Wales and Northern Ireland, though new measures are expected to be announced.
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In Northern Ireland, the rule of six currently applies only in Ballymena, Co Antrim, and the Belfast city council area.
Face coverings
Fines for not wearing face coverings where it is mandated such as public transport, shops and supermarkets were announced by the Home Office in August, with the bare-faced liable to be fined.
Scotland already had rules on face masks in shops introduced in July, Northern Ireland in August, and they were made mandatory in Wales in September.
On Tuesday Johnson also announced that in England, face coverings will now be required for retail staff, taxi passengers and hospitality customers, except where seated.
Large gatherings
Last month, it was announced organisers of large gatherings of more than 30 people – like unlicensed music events and raves – can be subject to fines of up to £10,000 in England and Wales.
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There is no similar provision in Scotland or Northern Ireland yet.
Businesses flouting rules
Covid-secure guidelines will now become legal obligations for retail, leisure and tourism firms, Johnson announced on Tuesday. Any businesses not following them can be hit with a £10,000 fine or even shut down.
What are the differences in fines across each UK country?
As announced by the prime minister on Tuesday, those aged 18 and over in England can now be fined £200 for the first offence – halved if paid within 14 days – doubling on each repeat offence up to a maximum of £3,200.
In Scotland, people aged 16 and over can be fined £60 for the first breach – lowered to £30 if paid within 28 days – doubling for each further offence up to a maximum of £960.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--This Is How Covid-19 Is Spreading In The UK Right Now

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The spread of Covid-19 is picking up pace across much of the UK, with around 17,000 cases a day. But what is responsible for driving this rise?
Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told HuffPost UK it’s hard to know exactly how and when the virus is spreading.
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“While the NHS Test and Trace service will have some idea about where infected people have been, which can give some hints as to the source of local outbreaks, very often it is impossible to say for certain where someone has picked the virus up,” he said.
“What we do know is that you are most likely to pick it up from places where you come into close contact with other people. We also know from recent surveys of the general population that around two-thirds of people have Covid-19 without having any symptoms.
“That’s why it is so important for people to act responsibly and respect the rules. Even if you feel well, you could be carrying a potentially lethal virus to others.”
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elenabs via Getty Images
A common theme among countries in the UK is that those in their twenties are currently most likely to test positive.
The latest Covid-19 surveillance survey for England suggests that the highest number of cases are now being seen in 10-19 year olds, followed by 20 to 29-year-olds.
In Scotland, most cases are now being reported in those aged 20 to 24 years old, in Wales it’s among those aged 20- to 29-year-olds but also 50- to 59-year-olds, and in Northern Ireland, those aged 20 to 39 years old are most likely to test positive.
Data from the contact tracing app between August 21 to September 27 found possible exposure to Covid-19 was most likely to happen within a person’s household, or through having a household visitor.
Other settings linked to some level of risk included leisure and community settings (which includes eating out and attending events and places of worship), visiting friends and relatives, attending workplaces, and education.
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England’s chief medical adviser, Professor Chris Whitty, previously called out household transmission as a key way the virus is being spread.
“We have to break unnecessary links between households because that is the way this virus is transmitted,” he said. Studies have also found households to be a key place where transmission happens.
One of the ways Covid-19 spreads is through close contact interactions between people – so that’s hugging, kissing, standing or sitting close (within six feet) to each other.
The virus can spread in droplets and smaller aerosols which are expelled from the nose and mouth when a person is chatting, laughing, singing and even breathing. These particles can then be inhaled into the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs of others, and cause infection.
“We have to break unnecessary links between households because that is the way this virus is transmitted.” - Prof Chris Whitty
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When different households – and even members of the same household – get together, it’s all too easy to relax the rules a bit because you’re with people you trust. But it could be lulling people into a false sense of security.
And the longer you spend with another person who is infected with Covid-19, the higher the risk of catching the virus is.
People who tested positive for the virus also shared the activities they’d done prior to them developing symptoms, which may help shine a light on where people are picking up infections.
The most common activities by far were shopping and eating out, followed by attending a childcare education setting and visiting friends or relatives.
Some studies have found the virus that causes Covid-19 can remain infectious in the air for more than three hours. This is why there have been concerns about the virus spreading more as we head into the cooler months – people are more likely to socialise closely indoors, in poorly ventilated areas (especially as you don’t tend to open windows in the winter), and the virus has lots of potential to infect people.
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The virus can also spread through touching contaminated surfaces, although this is thought to be a less common route than close contact.
That said, it drives home the importance of regularly washing hands, as you could catch Covid-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touching your own nose, mouth or eyes.
How can we combat the spread?
As ever, people are urged to remember: ‘Hands, Face, Space’ to prevent the spread of the virus. This means washing hands regularly, wearing a face covering in indoor public places and keeping 2m away from others at all times.
Individuals with symptoms of Covid-19 must self-isolate, and their contacts should also isolate.
If you live in an area where indoor socialising is allowed, there are ways you can do so a bit more safely – even if it might feel slightly unusual at first.
Such measures could include: wearing a face mask, considering different seating arrangements, opening the windows, not sharing food, and maintaining good hand and surface hygiene. The same tips can be applied if you visit a restaurant with members of another household.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Piers Morgan Urges People To Be 'Realistic' About Spending Christmas Under Coronavirus Restrictions

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Piers Morgan has issued the public with a warning about the prospect of spending Christmas under coronavirus restrictions.
The Good Morning Britain presenter urged viewers on Monday to be “realistic” that the government may not be able to have the virus under control in time for the festive season.
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“This virus has not got any less virulent,” he said on the ITV breakfast show.
Piers Morgan on Monday's Good Morning Britain Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
“It doesn’t understand rule of six, or Boris’ idea of having Christmas Day off, as if somehow we can all amass on Christmas Day and then go back to the rules.”
Piers continued: “If we miss Christmas Day as a country, if that’s what we have to do, we have to do it.
“This is our war. I think people have to be realistic about that.”
However, health secretary Matt Hancock has stood by his hopes to have a Christmas that is “as normal as possible” – but only if action to curb the virus’ spread is taken now.
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'The really sad thing about this virus is that it thrives on the things that make life worth living', Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells @Schofe and @hollywills.
Stream #ThisMorning live on the ITV Hub 🕙👉 https://t.co/Q7IV485mUn pic.twitter.com/DhiInv0tC3 — This Morning (@thismorning) September 21, 2020
Speaking on This Morning, he told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield: “I want Christmas to be as normal as possible, and the more that we can control the virus now and stop the spread now, the easier it will be to have a Christmas as normal as possible – it’s what I hope for for my family and I hope that we can get there. But, it means making these decisions now.
“It depends how much we can control it now, if this runs out of control now then we will have to take heavier measures in the future.
“The more we can control it now with everyone doing their bit including us, then the easier it will be to have a normal Christmas,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Claudia Winkleman Admits She's 'Waiting To Be Fired' From Strictly As She Talks Imposter Syndrome

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Claudia Winkleman may be one of the best things about Strictly Come Dancing, but the presenter has admitted she is “just waiting to be fired” from the show.
Claudia, who co-hosts the BBC ballroom competition with Tess Daly, opened up about how she suffers with imposter syndrome, and often thinks she will be replaced.
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However, in the interview with You magazine, she described it as an “incredibly useful” feeling, as it keeps her “on her toes”.
Claudia Winkleman Empics Entertainment
“I’m just waiting to be fired,” Claudia said. “I’m waiting for somebody to tap me on the shoulder and go, ‘Oh, sorry, we’ve got this all wrong, you are not allowed to go in again, we’ve got Rylan instead’, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
She continued: “Imposter syndrome is incredibly useful.
“Feeling – don’t throw up – grateful and slightly surprised I think is a good thing. It keeps you on your toes.”
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Claudia first began her relationship with Strictly by fronting companion series It Takes Two in 2004.
She began hosting the Sunday night’s results show when Bruce Forsyth reduced his workload in 2010, before taking over from him full time in 2014.
Claudia hosts Strictly Come Dancing with Tess Daly BBC / Guy Levy
Claudia is set to return to the ballroom alongside Tess for the 18th series of Strictly next month.
The start of the series has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and will run for four weeks shorter than usual this year.
Among the stars taking part include Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, former home secretary Jacqui Smith and comedian Bill Bailey.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--UK Facing 50,000 Covid Cases A Day Within Weeks If Rise Is Not Halted, Says Top Scientist

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Chief scientific officer Patrick Vallance has warned there could be 50,000 daily cases of Covid-19 by mid-October and 200 deaths a day by mid-November if the current rate of infection is not halted.
Speaking at a snap public briefing in Downing Street on Monday alongside chief medical officer Chris Whitty, Vallance laid out what the country is facing if cases continue to rise at the same rate.
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It comes after Boris Johnson warned on Friday that a second wave “is coming” to the UK.
Vallance cautioned coronavirus cases were rising across Europe – and that was leading to a mounting daily death toll.
There was a “simple message” that “as the disease spreads, as it spreads across age groups, we expect to see increasing hospitalisations and unfortunately, those increasing hospitalisations will lead to increasing deaths”, he said.
Last week, the all important R rate of the virus, which shows whether the pandemic is growing, jumped to between 1.1 and 1.4 and the daily positive case number went over 4,000 for the first time since May.
“At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days,” Vallance said.
“If, and that’s quite a big if, but if that continues unabated and this grows doubling every seven days… if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.
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Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (left) and chief medical officer Chris Whitty (right) speaking at a Downing Street briefing. PA
“Fifty thousand cases per day would be expected to lead a month later, so the middle of November say, to 200-plus deaths per day.
“The challenge therefore is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days.”
Whitty, meanwhile, said there was a “rate of increase across the great majority of the country” and that Brits could expect curbs on socialising for six months.
He said: “It is going at different rates but it is now increasing.”
The chief medical officer also warned with winter approaching “the seasons are against us”, adding that “we’re now going into the seasons – late autumn and winter – which benefit respiratory viruses, and it is very likely they will benefit Covid, as they do, for example, flu”.
He said: “So we should see this as a six-month problem that we have to deal with collectively, it’s not indefinite.”
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He said there was “no evidence” that the virus was a milder strain than in April, instead suggesting that the rates had increased among younger adults who were less likely to develop a severe case of Covid-19.
Whitty added that mortality rates from Covid-19 were “significantly greater” than seasonal flu, which killed around 7,000 annually or 20,000 in a bad year.
“This virus is more virulent than flu so the numbers people talk about are not unreasonable numbers for us to be thinking about,” he said, and while treatment was better it could not take mortality down to “trivial” levels.
Graph showing worst case scenario Graph showing worst case scenario
Bearing down on the disease “requires speed [and] it requires action”, Vallance said, to curb the spread amongst vulnerable people.
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He said “in every age group we’ve seen an increase”, adding this is not due to more testing, because of an increase in test positivity and results of the ONS study, which says around 70,000 people in the UK have Covid-19.
Underlining that in Spain and France “it started with younger people in their 20s and spread gradually to older ages as well”, he went on: “That increasing case number has translated into an increase in hospitalisations.
“As the hospitalisations have increased… very sadly, but not unexpectedly, deaths are also increasing.”
Whitty also hinted at more home-working for people, saying government must “break unnecessary links between households”.
He said: “Reducing social contacts, whether they are at work... and also in social environments.
“We have to try and do this in the least damaging way.”
The government has introduced a new “rule of six” on social gatherings and hefty £10,000 fines for those who fail to self-isolate.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds Accuses Tories Of Wasting 'Enormous Amounts Of Public Money' Durin

Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds Accuses Tories Of Wasting 'Enormous Amounts Of Public Money' During Covid

Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds during a visit to Summerhall, Edinburgh Jane Barlow - PA Images via Getty Images
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has attacked the Tories for wasting “enormous amounts of public money” during the Covid-19 crisis as she set out a Labour plan for economic recovery.
Representing a clear break with the Jeremy Corbyn era, Dodds used a speech to Labour’s virtual conference to underline how the party will “confront financial mismanagement” and press government to offer “value for money every time”.
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Keir Starmer’s choice to head his shadow Treasury team hit out at what she called a “file of failure” and “financial mismanagement” of public cash by chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Calling for “targeted support” once the furlough scheme ends, Dodds also called for “proper oversight of government contracts” amid growing concern over the string of firms given work via NHS Test and Trace.
Dodds also offered a new partnership between business and Labour, and insisted the party can be trusted with the nation’s finances.
Her address comes after Starmer made clear his priority was to regain the political centre ground, targeting voters who had deserted the party or who had never voted Labour in the first place.
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Unite general secretary Len McCluskey – a close ally of Corbyn’s – has hit out at Starmer’s new direction, however, warning that he could “steer the ship on to the rocks” if he tried to ignore the Labour left.
Emphasising the “critical role” business played in creating jobs and supporting livelihoods, Dodds said: “Government working hand in hand with business and trade unions, in the best interests of our country.
“This is an ambitious Labour vision – where security and fairness aren’t just aspirations, but where they are a reality for families and communities across our country.
“As chancellor, I would restore that trust with business because I understand what a critical role business plays in creating jobs and supporting livelihoods across the country.”
Dodds will say that her three-step economic plan would be built around the principles of “recover jobs, retrain workers and rebuild business”.
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A Labour government would continue to help subsidise the wages of workers in key sectors in a way which would enable firms to bring back more staff on reduced hours, Dodds said.
Dodds will also attack Chancellor Rishi Sunak for his “cavalier” approach to public money, handing over large sums to support businesses with “no strings attached”.
Seek to contrast his record as a former hedge fund manager with her own “responsible approach to the national finances”, she accused of throwing away public money, adding: “It is a file of failure that no carefully crafted Instagram story from the chancellor can hide.
“Just some examples; £130 million to a Conservative donor for testing kits that were unsafe, £150 million for facemasks that couldn’t be used by NHS staff, over £2.6 billion to be handed over in so-called job retention bonuses, to businesses who were going to bring staff back to work anyway, outsourced contract after outsourced contract which has simply failed to deliver.”
Starmer will deliver his keynote speech to the Labour Connected event – which replaces the party’s annual conference which was cancelled due to the pandemic – on Tuesday.
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Meanwhile Corbyn is set to address an online rally of the Socialist Campaign Group on Monday evening in his first major public appearance since the party’s general election defeat in December.
Earlier McCluskey warned Starmer he would face “trouble” if he tried to abandon the “progressive, ambitious alternatives” the party had developed under Corbyn.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Schitt’s Creek The Big Winner In A Very Different Looking Emmys Awards Show

Schitt’s Creek The Big Winner In A Very Different Looking Emmys Awards Show
The Emmys wrestled with providing joy and hope as the pandemic and social injustice rages on all around it. With many of the acceptance speeches pointing towards the November presidential election as a chance for change, Schitt’s Creek unrelenting joy and positivity shone through, with a history-making sweep of the comedy awards, while Succession took home the prize for best drama series.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Pubs Might Be Closed By The Weekend, Matt Hancock Suggests

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Matt Hancock has refused to guarantee that pubs will be open this weekend as the government mulls over new coronavirus restrictions.
The health secretary said there would be no return to the full lockdown seen in March, stressing restrictions would be “different to last time”.
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But he could not say whether pubs will be ordered to shut by the weekend and indicated that Boris Johnson would be setting out new restrictions on Tuesday.
It comes amid a surge in Covid-19, which the prime minister has dubbed the beginning of a “second wave” and ahead of a televised briefing on infection rates from chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.
Asked by Philip Schofield on ITV’s This Morning whether Britons would be drinking in the pub this weekend, Hancock said: “We will be absolutely clear about the changes we need to make in the very, very near future.”
He added: “It’s not a no, and it’s not a yes, we’ve been working on this all weekend, we haven’t taken the final decisions about what we want to do in response to the surge that we’ve seen in the last two weeks.
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'The really sad thing about this virus is that it thrives on the things that make life worth living', Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells @Schofe and @hollywills.
Stream #ThisMorning live on the ITV Hub 🕙👉 https://t.co/Q7IV485mUn pic.twitter.com/DhiInv0tC3 — This Morning (@thismorning) September 21, 2020
Whitty is expected to say the UK stands at a “critical point” in the coronavirus pandemic and warned that the data on infections is “heading in the wrong direction”.
On Friday, the “R” rate jumped again to between 1.1 and 1.4 and daily infection numbers peaked over 4,000 last week for the first time since May.
Millions of people are already living under some form of restrictions under the government’s “whack-a-mole” local lockdown strategy.
But amid failures in the test and trace system, the prime minister is expected to announce new national restrictions that go beyond the so-called “rule of six” that came into force last week.
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Hancock stressed that any new restrictions would focus on social activity rather than schools or workplaces.
He also suggested that any new restrictions would focus on social settings rather than schools or the workplace.
He said: “The evidence is … schools aren’t where a lot of the transmission happens, it’s more about people socialising.”
He pointed out that there were already parts of the country where “there are measures in place to say that you shouldn’t socialise with people outside your household”.
Hancock said the government was expecting the mass rollout of a vaccine in the early part of next year and suggested things could return to some kind of normality by next summer.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Senior Tory Accuses Boris Johnson Of Treating Public Like 'Like Children' With Lockdown Rules

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Boris Johnson has been accused by a senior Tory of treating the British people like children through the use of coronavirus emergency powers.
The criticism from Graham Brady, chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, came as a retired senior judge accused parliament of surrendering control to the government over the “draconian” measures.
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Baroness Hale, former president of the Supreme Court, called for the return of a “properly functioning constitution as soon as we possibly can”.
Brady’s intervention could signal trouble for the prime minister ahead of a vote on the renewal of the Coronavirus Act on September 30.
He said ministers had “got into the habit of ruling by decree”, adding: “The British people are not used to being treated like children.”
Brady is tabling an amendment which would require the government to put any new measures to a vote of MPs.
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He said more scrutiny of the so-called rule of six would have enabled MPs to question why the limit was put at six and not eight or 10 and why children were included in England and not in Wales or Scotland.
He questioned whether the lockdown strategy had worked, pointing to the situation in Sweden, where such restrictions were not used.
And he denied that greater scrutiny would prevent ministers from acting swiftly to deal with the pandemic.
“Governments find it entirely possible to put things to parliament very quickly when they choose to do so,” Brady told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Lady Hale, in an essay seen by The Guardian, suggested parliament had allowed the government to act without proper scrutiny.
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The Coronavirus Act 2020, passed in March, gave the government “sweeping” powers alongside other “draconian” regulations, and “it is not surprising the police were as confused as the public as to what was law and what was not”, she wrote.
She said that parliament has now resumed much of its work “but it did surrender control to the government at a crucial time”.
“Maybe the lockdown and its severe consequences … were inevitable or at least the best solution that could be devised in the circumstances,” she said.
“My plea is that we get back to a properly functioning constitution as soon as we possibly can.”
Baroness Hale also referred to the row over Johnson’s aide Dominic Cummings’ decision to drive from London to County Durham to self-isolate with his family.
“Others might have also felt that they had a reasonable excuse for doing something like he did,” she continued. “But they did not do it, either because they did not know the law and just abided by what they were told or because they felt they were not safe.
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“Hence the outcry that there was one law for those in power and another law for the rest of us. There isn’t. But that’s how it felt to many.”
Meanwhile, senior Tory Bernard Jenkin, chair of the liaison committee, called for the prime minister to “take back control of his government from publicity-obsessed and unaccountable advisers, who seem able to instruct everyone else in the government as to what they can and cannot say and do”.
In a column in The Daily Telegraph, he suggested that the armed forces should play a greater role in helping the coronavirus response, highlighting the failures in the NHS Test and Trace system run by Tory peer Baroness Harding.
He wrote: “The question for the prime minister is this: will he allow things to carry on as they are, with under-qualified appointees scrambling in their posts?
“There are still large wells of public goodwill to draw upon, but without serious, targeted action and competent delivery, we will enter the winter looking as if we have learned little from the crisis so far.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--You Rental Rights And How To Get Help As Eviction Ban Ends

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The eviction ban in England and Wales preventing landlords from evicting tenants during the coronavirus pandemic has ended, meaning thousands of people could now face losing their homes.
The ban officially lifted on Sunday September 20, meaning Monday 21 is the day county courts will start processing possession claims.
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Because of how the court works, plus the rules around giving renters advance notice of their hearing, the charity Shelter says it doesn’t expect renters to actually be evicted by bailiffs until October – but it’s best to get prepared now.
“The shocking scale of our housing emergency and lack of social homes has been brutally exposed by the pandemic,” Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter tells HuffPost UK. “Millions of renters rely on expensive, insecure private rentals because they have no alternative.
“And now, more than 300,000 private renters have been plunged into rent arrears since the pandemic hit, leaving many at risk of losing their homes.”
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martin-dm via Getty Images
Some MPs, including Labour’s Bell Ribeiro-Addy, have questioned why the government has extended the eviction ban on commercial business until the end of 2020, but has not done the same for people’s homes.
“If the government is intent on lifting the evictions ban, it must give struggling renters emergency funds to clear Covid arrears and stay in their homes,” adds Neate. “It must also use its autumn Spending Review to seriously ramp up efforts to build more social homes, and fast. Because that is the ultimate answer to the housing crisis.”
We asked Shelter to explain the renting rights you need to know if you’re worried about being evicted.
How much notice do landlords have to give?
This depends on your tenancy type. For most renters, if you’re served notice after August 29 2020, you will receive six months’ notice. If you don’t leave at the end of the six months, your landlord can apply to court.
How much notice you’re entitled to depends on when you were served.
Section 21 Eviction Notice:
Pre-March 26 = two months’ notice
March 26- August 28 = three months’ notice
August 29 - March 30 2021 = six months’ notice.
Ground 8 Eviction Notice - Rent arrears over eight weeks
Pre-March 26 = two weeks’ notice
March 26 - August 28 = three months’ notice
August 29 - March 30 2021 = Six months’ notice (if under six months arrears). Four weeks’ notice (if over six months arrears).
What are your rights if you want to stay in your rented home?
You don’t legally have to leave your home until your landlord obtains a bailiff warrant. If you don’t leave at the end of your notice period, your landlord must apply to court for a possession order, and then a bailiff warrant. If your landlord tries to evict you before obtaining a warrant, this could be an illegal eviction and you should seek urgent advice.
There are some exceptions to this rule, like if you are a lodger living in your landlord’s home. Anyone who is worried about losing their home can get in touch with one of Shelter’s expert advisers through the free webchat service or emergency helpline, which is open 365 days a year.
If you’ve been struggling to make your rental payments, what should you do next?
The first thing you should do is speak to your landlord or letting agent as soon as possible, as they may be willing to agree a repayment plan, reduced rent or accept a late payment. If you can, it may help to let them know what measures you are taking to deal with the situation, too. Just be sure to get the details of any rent agreement in writing.
There’s a template letter tool on Shelter’s website to help people negotiate a rent reduction. Some people may also be able to claim benefits like Universal Credit to help with housing costs, so if you’re struggling don’t be afraid to find out what your options are.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--It Wasn't A Good Night For British And Irish Talent At This Year's Emmys

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British and Irish talent walked away largely empty handed at Sunday night’s Emmys, despite a raft of nominations.
The only win came in the Writing For A Drama Series category, which saw Jesse Armstrong pick up the gong for his work on satirical drama Succession.
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Olivia Colman, Jodie Comer, Paul Mescal and Thandie Newton were among the British and Irish nominees at this year's Emmys Shutterstock
Olivia had been nominated for Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her portrayal of the Queen in Netflix’s The Crown, alongside last year’s winner Jodie for her role as Villanelle in Killing Eve.
Irish Normal People star Paul missed out on the Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie for his portrayal as Connell Waldron, while Watchmen’s Jeremy Irons, had also been shortlisted in the category.
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Thandie Newton had been nominated for Supporting Actress In A Drama Series gong for her role as Maeve Millay in Westworld, while Succession’s Brian Cox also lost out on Lead Actor In A Drama Series for his performance as Logan Roy.
Other British nominees included Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen for Supporting Actor In A Drama Series and The Crown’s Helena Bonham Carter for Supporting Actress In A Drama Series.
During his acceptance speech, the UK’s only winner Jesse Armstrong listed a number of “un-thank yous”, targeting Donald Trump and Boris Johnson for their respective responses to the coronavirus pandemic.
Schitt’s Creek was the night’s biggest winner, taking home nine prizes the comedy categories, including gongs for all four of its main stars Eugene and Daniel Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy.
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Watchmen and Succession also picked up multiple gongs, with Watchmen’s Regina King accepting her award for Lead Actress In A Limited Series wearing a T-shirt honouring Breonna Taylor.
The 24-year-old took home the gong for her performance as Rue Bennett in Euphoria.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Canadian Woman Arrested On Suspicion Of Sending Poison Letter To Donald Trump

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A Canadian woman has arrested on suspicion of sending a letter containing a deadly toxin to the White House.
She was taken into custody by US Customs and Border Protection officers at the Peace Bridge border crossing near Buffalo and was expected to face federal charges, the officials said.
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Her name has not yet been released, PA Media report.
The letter containing the poison ricin, was intercepted earlier last week before it reached the White House. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it was originated in Canada.
While naturally occurring, the toxin requires a deliberate act to convert it into a biological weapon, with exposure to an amount as small as a pinhead capable of causing death within 36 to 72 hours.
No known antidote exists.
It was intercepted at a government facility that screens mail addressed to the White House and President Donald Trump and a preliminary investigation indicated it tested positive for ricin, according to the officials.
There have been several prior instances in which US officials have been targeted with ricin sent through the mail.
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A Navy veteran was arrested in 2018 and confessed to sending envelopes to Mr Trump and members of his administration that contained the substance from which ricin is derived. The letters were intercepted, and no one was hurt.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Trump Calls It A 'Beautiful Thing' That Cops Struck Journalist Ali Velshi With Rubber Bullet

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US President Donald Trump called it “the most beautiful thing” that MSNBC journalist Ali Velshi was struck in the knee with a rubber bullet while he was covering a peaceful protest in Minneapolis in May.
Trump inexplicably deemed it “law and order” as a campaign rally crowd in Minnesota cheered him on Friday. Velshi was breaking no law — nor were protesters — when he was injured by police.
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Trump mistakenly recounted in his tale that Velshi was painfully struck by a tear gas canister and complained afterward. “Oh my knee, oh my knee,” the president mocked.
"It was the most beautiful thing ... it's called law and order" -- Trump gloats about @AliVelshi getting hit by a rubber bullet in Minneapolis. Sick stuff. pic.twitter.com/bgKSmmL8O7 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2020
Velshi was taken aback that Trump considered his injury “law and order.” He asked: “What law did I break while covering an entirely peaceful (yes, entirely peaceful) march?”
So, @realDonaldTrump, you call my getting hit by authorities in Minneapolis on 5/30/20 (by a rubber bullet, btw, not a tear gas cannister) a “beautiful thing” called “law and order”. What law did I break while covering an entirely peaceful (yes, entirely peaceful) march? — Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) September 19, 2020
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MSNBC also lashed out after Trump’s comment. “Freedom of the press is a pillar of our democracy,” the network said in a statement. “When the president mocks a journalist for the injury he sustained while putting himself in harm’s way to inform the public, he endangers thousands of other journalists and undermines our freedoms.”
The Velshi slam wasn’t the only jaw-dropping comment Trump made at the rally.
He also boasted that his overwhelmingly white supporters at the rally in Bemidji (Minnesota is 84% white) have “good genes,” raising an ominous Aryan spectre from the 1940s. “You have good genes, you know that, right? A lot of it is about the genes, isn’t it, don’t you believe? The racehorse theory,” Trump said.
"You have good genes, you know that, right? You have good genes. A lot of it is about the genes, isn't it, don't you believe? The racehorse theory. You think we're so different? You have good genes in Minnesota." -- Trump pic.twitter.com/OiF63qZaKx — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 19, 2020
He also asked sarcastically if Bemidji was “having a good time with your refugees” — then pivoted to Democratic Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim American. “How the hell did she win?” he asked.
"Are you having a good time with your refugees?" -- Trump immediately pivots to full blown racism pic.twitter.com/ds9UEpLf9v — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2020
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He suggested Omar and two other female lawmakers of colour, representatives. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, be prosecuted for “buying dresses” — but offered no details. “We’ll prosecute them, yeah, why not?” he mused.
"We'll prosecute 'em. Yeah. Why not?" -- Trump suggests congress members AOC, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib should be prosecuted pic.twitter.com/3Sz4c5B8al — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 18, 2020
He also claimed with absolutely no evidence that the FBI is hiding Hillary Clinton’s emails from the time she was secretary of state, and he threatened to “pull licenses” from broadcasters, which he doesn’t have the power to do.
Trump also indicated Minneapolis would have been totally destroyed had he not called out the National Guard during protests. “You wouldn’t have Minneapolis,” the president said. He didn’t call for the National Guard.
He also praised “great” general Robert E. Lee, who battled to separate the Confederacy from the US government to maintain slavery.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Exclusive: Public Want Test And Trace Taken Off Private Firms

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The vast majority of people think large private firms should be stripped of their test and trace contract and the job handed to town halls, says a new poll.
The Survation survey, shared exclusively with HuffPost UK, shows 74% want local public health teams, rather than Serco and Sitel, to run NHS Test and Trace.
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Just 14% want the vital service to be run by a private company, the poll commissioned by We Own It and shared exclusively with HuffPost revealed.
It comes as the government’s testing regime was in chaos, with figures last week showing three quarters of a million Covid test requests are going unanswered every day.
Several reports also showed that in many cases, where someone could book a test, they were forced to travel long distances and wait in queues to get checks.
The national track and trace system in England is largely managed by outsourcing giant Serco and call centre company Sitel.
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The companies were initially contracted to run the system up to August 23. However, their contracts were extended, potentially up to the value of £528m.
Head of NHS Test and Trace Dido Harding walks through Parliament Square in central London JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images
Dido Harding, chair of NHS Test and Trace, last week defended testing failures by saying there was an “unexpected” surge in demand, with many people who do not have symptoms said to be seeking checks.
The Department of Health and Social Care, meanwhile, said local public health teams “already” play an “integral role” in NHS Test and Trace.
Critics, however, say the system is too centralised and point to a steady decline in the rate of close contacts traced since the system was introduced.
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We Own It’s director Cat Hobbs said “the government’s much promised ‘world-beating’ system is anything but”.
She added: “And the public understands this. This poll is a damning indictment on the government’s track and trace system. The overwhelming majority of the public want to see it run by the people who know what they’re doing - local public health protection teams and the NHS.
“It’s absolutely staggering that the government is clinging doggedly to its failed, privatised system. It’s time for them to face reality. It’s time for them to kick the private companies out of the system and give local public health protection teams the resources to run it instead.”
“The problem is not simply Serco - although their record is poor - but the instinct of this government to invest in large, centralised private corporates instead of local public services.” - Rachel Reeves, Labour shadow Cabinet Office minister
Government statistics published last week said 25% of people getting Covid tests between September 8 and 14 had to travel thirteen miles or more, with 5% having to travel 47 miles or more to get tested.
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Boris Johnson has pledged that the country will have capacity for 500,000 tests a day by the end of October.
Health secretary Matt Hancock’s “Operation Moonshot”, which promises national on-demand testing, with results in minutes, by spring, was talked down by top scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, who said the technology “had to be tested properly”.
Labour’s shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said handing the work to local health teams has clear public support.
She told HuffPost UK: “The public know this Tory government’s approach to track and trace is failing and needs urgent change, especially when the stakes are so high. The problem is not simply Serco - although their record is poor - but the instinct of this government to invest in large, centralised private corporates instead of local public services.
“Tory ministers should swiftly learn from their mistakes in order to give us all the best chance of regaining some control over this virus, instead of throwing more money at corporations in blind hope.”
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A spokesperson for DHSC added it was expanding work with local health teams, saying: “This unprecedented national effort – drawing on the expertise and resources across the public and private sectors – has allowed us to build the largest diagnostic testing facility in British history, with a network of 400 testing sites across the country, allowing us to process over one million tests a week.”
NHS Test and Trace figures issued on Thursday revealed a dramatic fall in the number of tests completed within Boris Johnson’s 24-hour deadline, with just a third of in-person tests meeting that target – down by half in just a week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Woman Falls Out Of Moving Car Onto M25 While Filming Snapchat Video

Traffic on the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour near Heathrow Airport west of London on May 11, 2020. A woman fell onto the M25 while trying to film a Snapchat video, police said. ADRIAN DENNIS via Getty Images
A woman fell onto the M25 while she was hanging out of the car window filming a Snapchat video, according to police.
Police in Surrey said the woman was in the front passenger seat filming out the window when she fell from the vehicle south of London on Saturday.
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Police tweeted that it was pure luck she wasn’t seriously injured or killed.
The front seat passenger was hanging out the car whilst filming a SnapChat video along the #M25. She then fell out the car and into a live lane.
It is only by luck she wasn’t seriously injured or killed.#nowords
2846 pic.twitter.com/b7f1tPJTEb — Roads Policing Unit (RPU) - Surrey Police - UK (@SurreyRoadCops) September 19, 2020
A police spokesperson told the BBC: “Officers were called to the M25 between junction six and Clacket Lane Services shortly after 01:30 BST this morning following reports of a female falling out of a moving vehicle.”
She was treated by paramedics at the scene and her injuries were “not life-threatening or life-changing,” the spokesperson said. Police did not make any arrests.
After people on social media asked why the woman wasn’t arrested, police responded that “those involved certainly learnt a thing or two that night.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Claims Boris Johnson Secretly Flew To Perugia Are 'Untrue', Says No. 10

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A report in an Italian paper that Boris Johnson secretly jetted off to Italy earlier this month to baptise his son is “completely untrue”, Downing Street has said.
La Repubblica cited an official statement from the city’s airport which claims the prime minister was seen at Perugia airport on September 11 and left on the following Monday.
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The report also said Johnson may have visited a home owned by Evgeny Lebedev, a Russian-British billionaire businessman nominated by the PM for a peerage last month.
But a spokesperson for No.10 said: “This story is completely untrue. The prime minister has not travelled to Italy in recent months. Anyone who publishes these claims is repeating a falsehood.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also denied the claims, telling Sky News on Monday the reports were “mistaken”.
When asked if Johnson had travelled to Perugia on that weekend Shapps said: “Not that I’m aware of, no. I saw that story in the weekend paper, I think it’s mistaken as far as I’m aware.”
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🚨 EXCLUSIVE @repubblica 🚨
According to a statement and local sources, Boris Johnson recently travelled to Perugia, in Italy, apparently on the Sept 12-13th weekend.
No 10 dismisses it: “That’s wrong”.
My story with @irvine76 https://t.co/gtdLWIY0YY — Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) September 20, 2020
A confusing day of conflicting reports later ensued with a check-in desk worker at the airport reportedly saying Johnson was there...
I’m at Perugia airport.
Lady on the check in desk said Boris Johnson was definitely here last week- ‘it’s a small airport so you know when someone famous is here’ #Perugia pic.twitter.com/wgB6ldO8XW — Anna T-B (@annamason9) September 21, 2020
Only to be flatly contradicted by the airport’s president just hours later who insisted it was in fact the former prime minister Tony Blair who had been through the airport and staff had mixed the two up.
President of #Perugia airport tells me #BorisJohnson ‘definitely’ did not come through here this month. Says original press release confused him with Tony Blair, who did #perugiagate — Nick Squires (@NickSquires1) September 21, 2020
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In 2018, the Guardian reported that Johnson had attended a party at Lebedev’s castle in Perugia which ended with the then foreign secretary at an airport “looking like he had slept in his clothes”.
Travel to Italy from the UK is currently permitted and those returning do not have to self-isolate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Leaked Papers Show Banks ‘Allowed Criminals And Fraudsters To Move Dirty Money’

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Some of the world’s biggest banks reportedly let criminals and fraudsters move dirty money around the world, according to leaked banking documents seen by BBC Panorama.
More than 2,000 sensitive banking papers detailing more than two trillion US dollars’ worth of transactions were analysed after being leaked to BuzzFeed News and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (CIJ), which distributed them to 108 news organisations.
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They allegedly show banking officials allowed fraudsters to shuttle money between different accounts after being made aware the profits were from multimillion-pound scams or crimes, PA Media reports.
The files are also reported to show how Russian oligarchs use banks to avoid sanctions and get their money into the West.
Five global banks appeared most often in the documents — HSBC Holdings Plc, JPMorgan Chase & Co, Deutsche Bank AG, Standard Chartered Plc and Bank of New York Mellon Corp, the ICIJ reported.
According to the BBC, the files also show that the husband of one of the Tory party’s biggest donors was secretly funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to the Kremlin.
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Lubov Chernukhin has given £1.7m to the Conservative Party, but documents show her husband was given millions of pounds from a politician facing US sanctions due to his closeness to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The cache of files, known as FinCEN (from the US Financial Crimes Investigation Network), are mostly files banks sent to the US authorities between 2000 and 2017, raising concerns about suspicious activity in their clients’ accounts, Panorama said.
The programme called the documents “some of the international banking system’s most closely guarded secrets”.
Anti-corruption group Transparency International UK said the suspicious activity reports (SARs) “repeatedly cite weak money laundering defences in the UK financial sector as a major problem”.
It added: “The leak shows how UK banks continually fail to address suspicious activity and instead offered their services to those with money to hide.
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“Transparency International UK’s research has previously identified 86 UK banks and financial institutions which have, unwittingly or otherwise, helped corrupt individuals acquire assets and move suspicious wealth.”
Chief executive Daniel Bruce said: “These revelations are a damning indictment of the system that is supposed to prevent the UK and other financial centres becoming havens for dirty money.
“The government should respond rapidly to this significant investigation in order to demonstrate that the UK is serious about tackling dirty money.
“We know the solutions exist; for example by bringing forward reform of corporate liability laws to hold banks accountable for money laundering failings and expediting the legislation to overhaul the UK company law.
“As it stands, it remains far too easy for kleptocrats and criminals to launder their illicit loot using the veneer of UK companies and institutions.”
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Alex Cobham, chief executive at Tax Justice Network, said: “As will be revealed over the coming days, many of the world’s major financial institutions have comprehensively failed to meet their own responsibilities, in the name of turning a profit – however dirty.
“Swift and robust action is needed, including potential criminal charges, or banks will simply continue to treat the prospects of being caught and fined as a simple cost of business.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Zendaya Makes Emmys History As Youngest Best Drama Actress Winner Ever

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Euphoria doesn’t even begin to cut it: Zendaya is officially an Emmy winner.
The 24-year-old made history at the 72nd annual ceremony on Sunday night by becoming the youngest winner ever in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for her performance in HBO’s Euphoria.
Killing Eve star Jodie Comer broke the record last year when she won the award at age 26, but now it’s Zendaya’s turn.
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Stunning in her second outfit of the night, the Disney Channel alum nearly collapsed when it was announced she’d beaten out heavyweights Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Colman, Laura Linney, Sandra Oh and Comer.
More #Emmys history tonight! At 24, @Zendaya is the youngest person to win for Lead Actress in a Drama Series! pic.twitter.com/AVUzIqyckH — Television Academy (@TelevisionAcad) September 21, 2020
"There's hope in the young people": Watch @Zendaya's acceptance speech for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for #Euphoria #Emmys pic.twitter.com/gnKV49P6Qj — The A.V. Club (@TheAVClub) September 21, 2020
Surrounded by her friends and family, a radiant Zendaya spoke directly to her contemporaries in her acceptance speech, as she was overcome with emotion.
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“I know this feels like a really weird time to be celebrating,” she said. “But I just want to say that there is hope in the young people out there. I know that our TV show doesn’t always feel like a great example of that, but there is hope in the young people. And I just want to say to all my peers out there doing the work in the streets, I see you, I admire you, I thank you.”
Her surprise win caused quite a stir on social media with fans celebrating on Twitter.
IN THIS HOUSE WE STAN ZENDAYA!!!!!! #Emmys — Ira Madison III (@ira) September 21, 2020
“Hope in the young people” YESSSSSSS @Zendaya — Sarah Paulson (@MsSarahPaulson) September 21, 2020
YESS!!!! @Zendaya omg we’re in tears over here. SO WELL DESERVED pic.twitter.com/IiL2u0Bc6r — chloe x halle (@chloexhalle) September 21, 2020
zendaya coleman is an emmy winner pic.twitter.com/yFgyHvT7Gh — darbie 💌 (@caladanchalamet) September 21, 2020
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ZENDAYA IS THE YOUNGEST WINNER IN THE HISTORY OF THE #Emmys #Emmys2020 pic.twitter.com/RHp9unED4l — bella (@valksroth) September 21, 2020
zendaya went from winning a kids choice award to winning an EMMY pic.twitter.com/bTC10wqwbE — 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 ☾ (@RUEDEESHA) September 21, 2020
Earlier in the evening, Zendaya slayed the non-existent red carpet from home draped in jewels and a plunging Christopher John Rogers gown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Regina King Wins Emmy For Watchmen While Wearing Shirt Honouring Breonna Taylor

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Nobody is doing it like Regina King.
The actor won her fourth Emmy award in six years on Sunday, picking up the trophy in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category for her performance in HBO’s one-season-wonder Watchmen.
King took home the same award in 2018 for her work in the short-lived Netflix series Seven Seconds before going on to win her first Oscar the following year for If Beale Street Could Talk.
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King previously picked up back-to-back Emmys in 2015 and 2016 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her standout turns in American Crime.
Her competition this year, however, was perhaps as fierce as it’s ever been: Cate Blanchett, Kerry Washington, Octavia Spencer and Shira Haas.
Regina King reminds everyone to vote after her win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for @watchmen. See the complete list of winners so far on @NBCLA! #WatchmenHBO #emmys https://t.co/IXfmmdL9lo pic.twitter.com/afaSGyP2YA — Heather Brooker (@HeatherBrooker) September 21, 2020
But King came out on top once again, delivering her acceptance while wearing a “Say Her Name” T-shirt with a portrait of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old emergency room technician who was fatally shot by police in March.
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“This is so freaking weird,” King said, before thanking her fellow nominees. “I really love being a thespian.”
She went on to thank show creator Damon Lindelof for allowing the cast and crew to “bring art to truth to power.”
“You gotta vote. I would be remiss not to mention that, being part of a show as prescient as Watchmen,” she continued. “Make a plan. Be a good human. Rest in power, RBG.”
Watchmen led all shows heading into the awards ceremony with 26 nominations.
King’s co-stars Jeremy Irons, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jovan Adepo, Louis Gossett Jr. and Jean Smart were also nominated for their work on the show, which is in the running for Outstanding Limited Series.
The Lindelof-created drama was inspired by the iconic graphic novel of the same name. King starred as Angela Abar, a detective for the Tulsa police force in Oklahoma by day who assumes the role of the vigilante Sister Night when the sun goes down. The series was hailed as the most timely television event of the year as it confronted issues such as white supremacy, police brutality and America’s racist past and present.
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King said she drew on “all my experiences ... of being a Black woman” for the part.
“When I’m doing a role, I usually have a person as the blueprint to give myself a backstory,” she told The Wrap.
“With Angela, I didn’t have that person or experience that I was specifically drawing from. But just recently I made the discovery that what I was pulling from was probably all the experiences, including my own, of being a Black woman. And as we got deeper into the process, I started to personalise her more.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Jennifer Aniston Hosted A Friends Reunion To Watch The Emmys At Home With

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If you can’t attend the Emmys in person, then what’s the next best thing?
Well if you’re Jennifer Aniston, it’s the perfect opportunity to get some Friends round to watch the show together.
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Kimmel asked why Courteney was with Jennifer.
“Of course I’m here, we live together,” she replied.
“We’ve been roommates since 1994, Jimmy,” Jennifer added, a nod to the Friends’ premiere date.
Lisa then appeared, making a joke about living with her friends. Even Jason Batemen was there after Kimmel had kicked him out of the Staples Centre earlier in the evening, blaming social distancing guidelines.
The Ozark star said: “Oh, look who it is, the host with the most rudeness. You call to kick me out of my own house, too, freak?”
Jennifer was nominated for the outstanding lead drama actress prize for her portrayal of a TV anchor in Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, but lost out to Zendaya for Euphoria.
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Before the show, the 51-year-old shared a glimpse of her preparation with fans.
She shared a picture with her 35 million Instagram followers, showing her relaxing in her pyjamas with a glass of champagne and a skin care face mask on.
“Emmys prep… in my other mask,” she captioned the post.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--How Does Our 'World-Beating' Test And Trace System Compare To Other Countries?

“We have growing confidence that we will have a test, track and trace operation that will be world-beating and yes, it will be in place by June 1.”
These were the words of Boris Johnson, during PMQ’s on May 20 this year.
More than four months have passed since the PM’s bold statement. Since then, the UK’s total Covid-19 death toll has crept above 42,000.
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Over the weekend, the latest blunder in the test and trace system was revealed – a technical glitch that meant that almost 16,000 cases of coronavirus went unreported.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the mistake meant that the close contacts of people with the virus were not immediately followed up and told to self-isolate.
But that’s not all – in the last few weeks, reports have abounded of an acute shortage of local testing availability – leading to NHS staff shortages and the public facing lengthy delays.
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The NHS Test and Trace service was launched in May, but evidence suggests contact tracing in the UK is not working – it’s getting worse and worse.
Just last week figures showed only 71.6% of “close contacts” are actually being reached, while testing turnaround times are also well short of the 100% within 24 hours target. In September, Johnson admitted to MPs at the commons liaison committee that the situation was not “ideal”.
Others have also been swift to point out the glaring differences when arriving in other countries:
I've been lucky enough to travel a fair bit for work in recent months. The UK testing regime among the worst I've seen - only Iraq was worse, although Iraq also had longer lockdown and more masks. https://t.co/R5dEepUM1U — Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) September 17, 2020
So how does the system in the UK – which has the fifth-highest number of coronavirus deaths – compare? Perhaps surprisingly – aside from some notable exceptions, the test and trace picture in many other countries isn’t much better – especially in European countries where they have been forced to ration tests and urgently re-think failing contact tracing systems.
We spoke to HuffPost editors around the world to find out.
How easy is it to obtain a test for Covid-19?
In the UK, anyone showing symptoms of coronavirus – a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to a person’s sense of smell or taste – is eligible to take a test. Although many testing sites have been virtually empty, people around the country have reported being turned away due to problems with capacity at laboratories.
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The eligibility policy for tests is similar in European countries such as Spain, and Greece. In Italy, people must receive a GP’s prescription in order to get a test, unless they are a key worker.
In Canada, anyone can get a test – even asymptomatic people. The catch right now, especially in the last few weeks, is that case counts are on the rise which means a higher demand for testing. In places like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, people are reporting four to six hour waits to get tested.
People queue at a walk-in Covid-19 testing centre in Bolton where many people with appointments were turned away. Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
In the US, it depends on where you live. New York, which has the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities, is asking all of its residents to get tested now, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. In Alabama, only those who are showing symptoms have been told to get tested.
There have been no reported testing shortages in Australia – in fact, our editor in Sydney said there were cases where people have been able to order multiple tests in a single week.
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How quickly do people receive results?
The NHS says you should receive results within 72 hours, but there are reports across the country of people – including those in care homes – having to wait at least four days and in some cases, more than a week.
Similar reports of people having to wait for days to more than a week for results have been seen in Spain, whose health ministry says residents should receive results within 48 hours. In Italy, there have been cases of people forced to wait for almost two weeks for results.
A new survey in the US showed the vast majority (63%) of people who are tested are not receiving their results within one to two days recommended by public health experts to contain the spread of Covid-19. A tenth of those surveyed said it took more than 10 days to get their test results back.
In Australia, results are received via text within 48 hours although the turnaround is often much quicker.
What about airport testing?
Visitors to the UK are not required to take any tests upon arrival. Heathrow has been trialling its own testing facility, which would see travellers given a result 24 hours of arriving in the country, but the government has not yet given it the go-ahead.
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Some countries, such as Spain, are also yet to introduce airport testing. But in many others, it has already become the norm. In Italy, passengers arriving from 17 countries considered most at risk (including Spain, Croatia and Greece) are given mandatory testing at the airport. Visitors travelling from high risk countries into France are encouraged to take a test prior to departure; those who do not are subject to a two-week quarantine period.
Medical staff wait to test passengers who arrive into Athens, where authorities perform random tests. Milos Bicanski via Getty Images
On September 10, the US government ended its programme of screening international travellers after it said the system was ineffective because so many people who transmit Covid-19 do not show symptoms.
Arrivals in Canada are required to undergo a strict 14-day quarantine. Government officials are taking this pretty seriously, doing random spot-checks on people during their quarantine period, both in-person and by phone.
What are the problems currently being faced with testing?
Since Boris Johnson’s pledge to have a “world-beating” system to test, track and trace for coronavirus from June 1, the government has overseen a string of embarrassing hurdles – from dismal “contact tracing” numbers, to people up and down the country being blocked from even securing a test. Although there are about 400 test centres across the UK, many people have reported not being able to get an appointment due to problems with capacity at testing laboratories. Leading doctors have pointed the finger at the government outsourcing much of this to private companies.
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At the end of September, government figures showed only 69.4% of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate. Hospital bosses have said they have staff who have been unable to come into work due to problems with securing a test.
Although Spain has increased the percentage of tests done week by week, the figures vary considerably depending on each region. Contact tracing has also been widely criticised, with many people have reported having problems receiving their results.
In Italy, the government has stepped up its testing efforts after one of the most severe lockdowns in Europe. With the opening of schools, there have been demands to increase the number of tests from 100,000 to 300,000-400,000 a day. While French authorities have largely met their testing targets, the country has faced difficulties with contract tracing, although the reasons for this are not yet clear.
The Australian government has largely lived up to its promise on testing and there have been no significant delays since the beginning of the pandemic. The country has reported about 27,150 coronavirus cases and 894 deaths, which is well below the infection and death rates of other developed countries.
Last month, the US set a one-day record with more than 1 million tests, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project. But Donald Trump’s promise that “anyone who wants a test, gets a test” is far from being realised – nationwide testing shortages have led to reports of people sleeping in their cars overnight to wait for tests.
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How many tests have been carried out?
At the start of September, Boris Johnson claimed the UK has carried out “more tests than any other country”. Data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show this to be true. According to Our World in Data, India and the US are leading in the number of daily tests but as its research project manager Joe Hasell explains, the number of Covid-19 tests a country carries out is a poor indicator of how well it is dealing with the virus.
“It’s a really unhelpful figure because it doesn’t really tell you anything. It’s not about how much testing you’re doing, but whether you’re testing enough – and enough is relative to the scale of the outbreak,” he told HuffPost UK.
3. But we see from other countries, like Spain, France and Hungary, how quickly testing capacity can become stretched as cases rise.
The real question for the UK govt is what it is doing now to avoid following the same path.https://t.co/jWTmqFPxyk pic.twitter.com/uo5ZAfxfZl — Joe Hasell (@JoeHasell) September 10, 2020
What we should be looking at instead is the share of positive cases in each country – the proportion of all tests conducted that come back positive. The positivity rate indicates the level of testing relative to the size of the outbreak; according to the WHO, a positivity rate of less than 5% is an indicator that the epidemic is under control in a country. In September, the UK’s positive rate was at 1.4%.
“Currently we are still looking alright, pretty good compared to our European peers,” Hasell said at the . “The real question is what the UK is doing right now to make sure we don’t follow the path that we’ve seen in Spain, for instance.
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“Things may look ok right now, but the truth is that it’s very fragile. What is so hard to get into one’s head is how quickly things change. Basing our opinion on what’s happened today or yesterday or last week is not enough, we have to think about what to do if cases double and double, and double again.”
The national success stories: South Korea
South Korea, Hong Kong and Germany were all both praised for their initial responses to control the spread of coronavirus within their borders.
Although South Korea was one of the first countries to experience a Covid-19 outbreak, it was able to keep the number of cases and deaths down without imposing the stricter lockdown measures adopted by the UK. As soon as the first confirmed case of coronavirus was recorded, the country focused on preparing for large-scale testing and within the first days of February had shifted its policy to open public testing available to asymptomatic people. Hundreds of testing centres were set up to screen people outside of the health system, with testing capacity reaching 15,000 to 20,000 tests per day.
To date, 422 people have died from Covid-19 in South Korea – out of the country’s population of more than 51 million. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Screening clinics were set up outside entrances of hospitals, so infected people were prevented from entering hospitals and instead told to return home and self-quarantine. Drive-through and phone-booth style testing centres allowed health care workers to test people safely. By late March, the country had performed 300,000 tests.
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Contact tracing was employed using the classic patient interview and well as accessing data including GPS data from mobile phones, credit card transactions and CCTV footage. Each person arriving from overseas is put under a mandatory 14-day quarantine and was required to download an app on which they reported their symptoms and temperature on a daily basis, and all foreigners are quarantined at a government facility with meals delivered to their doors to avoid any contact.
To date, 422 people have died from Covid-19 in South Korea – out of the country’s population of more than 51 million.
Hong Kong
Until July, Hong Kong was considered a poster child in its handling of the pandemic, managing to keep infection rates down and avoiding any extreme lockdown measures. Since March, all overseas arrivals to Hong Kong have been required to undergo a test and must wait in a restricted area in the airport until they are given their results. If they cannot receive their results on the same day as their arrival (e.g. if they arrive at night), then they are taken to a hotel by government coaches and allowed to leave once their test results have come back negative.
All passengers are given an electronic tracker wristband at the airport and must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The wristband contains a unique QR code which is connected to a phone app called StayHomeSafe. Using geofencing technology, the tracker will alert authorities if a user breaches quarantine by leaving their home. Anyone violating their quarantine could face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to HK$25,000 (£2,500).
All passengers arriving into Hong Kong must wear a quarantine tracking wristband, connected to an app to mark your location, and two weeks self-quarantine. ANTHONY WALLACE via Getty Images
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Between September 1 and 14, Hong Kong rolled out a mass Covid-19 testing programme in which everyone with an identity card was eligible for a free voluntary test, with the exception of children under the age of six and people suffering from nasal and throat illnesses (as the test involves taking samples from those regions). The government had hoped 5 million people would take part in the mass testing scheme but in the end only 1.78 million were tested – about a quarter of the territory’s 7.5 million population. Previously the city had been conducting free mass testing in high-risk groups such as care workers, taxi drivers, property management employees and restaurant workers.
Critics have said the government’s decision to exempt several groups of people from testing and quarantining – including aircrew and company executives – may have contributed to the more serious third wave. Medical experts also cast doubt on the effectiveness of the government’s mass testing scheme, saying more focus should be directed on testing high-risk groups such as the elderly and residents of care homes where outbreaks have occurred. The scheme cost HK$530 million (£53 million) for taxpayers and only 42 carriers were identified, making up 0.0018% of the total number of people tested.
There have also been fears the tests could be used to collect DNA samples and personal data and shared with the mainland. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong urged people to boycott the voluntary testing, claiming the plan paved the way for a “China-style surveillance regime”. The Hong Kong government has insisted all personal details and specimens would be kept in the city.
Hong Kong entered the third wave of the pandemic in early July, but for now it appears to have brought the virus under control. The number of new daily cases has fallen substantially from triple digits a few weeks ago to single or low double-digits figures. Despite its close ties with mainland China, the city has managed to keep its cases and deaths under relative control – so far there have been just over 5,100 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 105 deaths.
Germany
First promised at the height of lockdown, the long-awaited NHS coronavirus contact-tracing app is expected to be launched in England and Wales on September 24, and will allow people to scan QR codes when visiting hospitality venues as a way to check-in.
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But in June, Germany launched its coronavirus app – named Corona-Warn-App – which uses Bluetooth short-range radio to measure close contacts between people and issues a warning if one of them later tests positive for Covid-19. To date more than 18 million people – over 20% of its population – have downloaded the app, which has been deemed such a success that it has advised other countries on how to build their own. The number of downloads is crucial to the success of a contact tracing app; the more people who have it installed, the more likely you are to detect an infection.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--25 Of The Funniest Tweets About Married Life

I used to delete all my texts but then I got married and keep everything in case sooomebody wants to say I never told him to do that thing that I definitely told him on *picks up phone* June 24th, 2012 at 5:37PM.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Jimmy Kimmel Opens 2020 Emmys With Fake Crowd: 'This Isn't A MAGA Rally'

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Donald Trump might want to take some notes.
Ahead of the 72nd Primetime Emmys from Los Angeles’ Staples Center, host Jimmy Kimmel told Entertainment Weekly that the show would be “as creative as possible,” given the constraints of a virtual ceremony. During the opening on Sunday, we found out exactly what that meant.
Kimmel kicked off the strange virtual ceremony, aka the Pandemmys, with an even stranger opening, doing jokes for what seemed like a full Emmys audience:
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"Welcome to the 'Pand-Emmys!'"
"Television is there for you. The world may be terrible but TV has never been better." - @jimmykimmel opens up the 2020 #Emmys. https://t.co/pntfV2hzyR pic.twitter.com/tzNftnoINS — Good Morning America (@GMA) September 21, 2020
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, it was weird. But was it real?
Nah.
It wasn’t long before Kimmel revealed that his crowd was actually just old audience footage and that the Staples Center was mostly empty.
“Of course we don’t have an audience. This isn’t a MAGA rally, it’s the Emmys,” Kimmel said.
The reveal was a surreal moment, as Kimmel showed that the seats were actually full of cardboard cutouts of the nominees. Well, they were mostly cardboard ...
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Wow Jason Bateman’s cardboard cutout is so realistic #Emmys pic.twitter.com/TXgvnLcJno — Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) September 21, 2020
Kimmel then broke down how things would work: The ceremony would be using live feeds from more than 100 locations around the world to show the nominees.
“You know how hard it is to get your parents to FaceTime? Multiply that by a lot,” Kimmel joked, before getting some hand sanitizer from an Emmy and showing a wall full of live feeds.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--The 2020 Emmy Awards Were A Virtual Delight

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Almost everything about an award show is expected. The half-funny hosts, the sticky envelopes, the touching acceptance speeches, the constant montages. Audiences have come to recognize — and perhaps dread — these longstanding traits, which might explain why ratings have plummeted in recent years.
However, on Sunday night, we were given the 2020 Emmy Awards, an evening that not only celebrated the TV series that got us through this wretched year, but also championed diversity, inclusivity and originality. Yes, we were secretly wishing for technical chaos — there were 130-plus remote cameras feeding live into the Staples Center — but this year’s show cleverly provided viewers with unforeseen sights as nominees joined in from their living rooms, rooftops, yards and intimate cast parties amid the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines.
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Jimmy Kimmel hosted this year's Emmy Awards amid the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines. ABC via Getty Images
Deemed “The Pand-Emmys” by lackluster host Jimmy Kimmel, this year’s Emmys were like no other. Ditching the red carpet, it kicked off with the ever-present opening monologue, except instead of performing in front of a live audience, old footage of A-list crowds was interspersed with Kimmel’s dad jokes about COVID-19. Although the recycled laugh shots were oddly unacknowledged for the first few minutes, Kimmel eventually alerted clueless viewers at home: “Of course we don’t have an audience. This isn’t a MAGA rally, it’s the Emmys.”
Jason Bateman showed up in person, followed by Jennifer Aniston, who almost set the stage on fire during a sanitizing bit gone wrong.
It was 2020 in a nutshell.
Jennifer Aniston and Jimmy Kimmel at the 72nd Emmy Awards. Image Group LA via Getty Images
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From there, the show was just fun. It started out with “Schitt’s Creek” completing a historic sweep in the Comedy series section ― winning all four acting categories, as well as writing and directing for creator and star Daniel Levy. It then led into “Watchmen” wins for actors Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, director Damon Lindelof and writer Cord Jefferson. In the final hour, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Succession” were awarded trophies, as was Zendaya, who, after being crowned the youngest ever Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, took the time to stand behind the youth of our country who are putting in the work.
The speeches were heartfelt, sometimes political and enlightening. King, in a Breonna Taylor shirt, urged viewers to vote, Mark Ruffalo asked people to fight for a loving and compassionate America, Jefferson acknowledged the importance of therapy, and Abdul-Mateen II gave a poignant tribute to all the Black women in his life.
Celebrities were vulnerable, steadfast and authentic. They kissed their spouses, hugged their dads and yelled for their moms. They sipped champagne in pajamas and clapped for their fellow nominees.
In case you missed it, the losers even got the opportunity to watch highly protected trophy runners wave goodbye with an Emmy when their names weren’t called.
when you lose the emmy pic.twitter.com/ECkbGcoHBA — ramy youssef (@ramy) September 21, 2020
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The Emmys also provided us with a record number of nominations for Black creatives this year and awarded six of them during the primetime broadcast. King, Abdul-Mateen II, Jefferson, Zendaya, Uzo Aduba, RuPaul Charles and Tyler Perry joined the 15 fellow Black winners from the Creative Arts Emmys as the Television Academy zoned in on representation and inclusive storytelling. Throughout the night, vignettes from talents and storytellers like Issa Rae, Lena Waithe and America Ferrera shined a light on personal journeys and the struggle to make it in the industry. Their viewpoints are exactly what TV viewers need to hear in order to understand why certain stories are never shown on screen.
With the continuing pandemic, producers of the Emmys made sure to highlight and celebrate essential workers, giving them the chance to present awards in varying categories. Throughout the broadcast, $3 million was raised for the organization No Kid Hungry, which aims to end childhood hunger. The event mixed our quaran-times with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, and it worked.
Maybe because we’ve been in lockdown, craving any sliver of joy and connection, it makes this year’s Emmys feel like a breath of fresh air. Some moments were uncomfortable, like Kimmel’s ICE joke or his awkward Black Lives Matter chant with Anthony Anderson. Others were tear-jerkers, like father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy’s loving hug or Lindelof’s powerful comment on renewal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Emmy Awards 2020: See What The Best Dressed Celebrities Wore At Home

“We’re essentially making things up as we go along,” executive producer Reginald Hudlin said. “I know that’s not the most reassuring answer, but it’s kind of the truth! We’ve never done this before.”
It was a red carpet of sorts to remember, that’s for sure.
Check out all of your favourite looks below:
Zendaya


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Schitt's Creek Is Taking A Victory Lap At The Emmys, And We're So Proud

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We love this journey for Schitt’s Creek!
The beloved sitcom, which racked up a whopping 15 nominations, took home the first seven awards at the 72nd annual Emmy Awards Sunday night ― making history as the first comedy series to win all four acting Emmys in its category in a single year and the first series to win all seven major awards in a single year.
Schitt’s Creek was previously nominated for four awards at the 2019 Emmys but was snubbed in all categories.
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This year, the Canadian show ― which wrapped its sixth and final season in April ― was the second most-nominated comedy of the year, after The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
ABC ABC News
The four Schitt’s Creek actors who play the Rose family were all nominated: Eugene Levy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Catherine O’Hara for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Dan Levy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and Annie Murphy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
All four actors won in their respective categories.
O’Hara led the pack with the first win of the night, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, causing Dan Levy to later tweet that Moira ― O’Hara’s character on the show ― got her Emmy. It marked O’Hara’s first-ever Emmy win for acting.
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Eugene Levy collected a statue shortly thereafter, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, with Dan Levy — who is Eugene Levy’s son — beaming and looking teary-eyed behind him as his father accepted the award.
Dan Levy then collected the third and fourth awards for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
After the fourth award went to Schitt’s Creek, host Jimmy Kimmel quipped that the night was quickly becoming a “Schitt’s-krieg.”
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When Dan Levy won for Outstanding Supporting Actor ― the fifth award of the night ― he joked that the internet was about to turn on him for the volume of wins.
Annie Murphy rounded out the acting wins, accepting the sixth award of the night for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Dan and Eugene Levy accepted the show’s seventh award for the night ― Outstanding Comedy Series ― on behalf of the whole cast.
The #Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series goes to @danjlevy! 👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/sRR3xu3bHW — Schitt's Creek (Pop) (@SchittsCreekPop) September 21, 2020
Dan Levy’s myriad awards made him the first person to win an award in all four major disciplines in a single year.
Of the show being virtual this year, Dan Levy told Entertainment Weekly in July that “it obviously feels very ‘Schitt’s Creek’ to get a bunch of award recognitions and not be able to actually go to the awards.”
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He added that his ideal Emmys night would be “a dinner party” at his parents’ house in Canada to “celebrate with the people who got the show to this incredible place.”
“It’ll be an intimate affair, one that I think will have a lot of heart, and the proper amount of Canadian humility,” he said at the time.
Luckily, the actor’s dream came to fruition. He and his father joined O’Hara, Murphy, Noah Reid (Patrick Brewer), and Karen Robinson (Ronnie Lee) for an “intimate” Emmys event in Ontario. The group got to celebrate in real time as they kept collecting statues.
and our Roses have arrived! pic.twitter.com/JuFHlsVUZd — Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) September 20, 2020
The official Schitt’s Creek Twitter account summed up many fans’ feelings toward the wins with this astute message after Murphy collected her award:
giqerjhoiqrjpqoernvpqinrboqj4por5jqpo45hpoqrmbpqlermvqpemvpiqenrgiqnerpiobnqpet — Schitt's Creek (@SchittsCreek) September 21, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Jennifer Aniston Puts Out Fire On Emmys Stage And Now We're On A Break From 2020

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Befitting this dumpster fire of a year, Jennifer Aniston literally put out a fire onstage at the 2020 Emmy Awards.
The actor, who is nominated for her performance in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, was one of the few stars on Sunday night to appear at the Staples Centre in person, and we’re honestly worried what would’ve happened without her.
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This is 2020. ABC News
Aniston helped the ceremony’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, announce the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, which ultimately went to Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara, but not before some on-stage pyrotechnics.
Before announcing the winner, Kimmel sprayed down the envelope with a hefty amount of Lysol and threw it in a trash can, which was set on fire.
That’s when Aniston stepped in with a handy extinguisher, but it took her a couple of tries to get the job done, as the small flame kept on returning.
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Jennifer Aniston putting out a fire that won’t knock down on live TV is the best thing I’ve seen this year. #Emmys pic.twitter.com/JhuYZ9dFMj — Dan Linden (@DanLinden) September 21, 2020
Naturally, everybody watching at home weighed in with thoughts about Aniston’s pivot from actor to firefighter.
jennifer aniston and a fire extinguisher on live tv to bless your evening pic.twitter.com/MGe3XW5WnK — sofi (@gaypresaniston) September 21, 2020
When Jennifer Aniston also plays firefighter 😂🙌🏻 It’s Live TV folks!! #emmys pic.twitter.com/OKrEwFhPcC — Heather Brooker (@HeatherBrooker) September 21, 2020
My favorite #Emmy moment so far is Jennifer Aniston having to try three times to put out a fire onstage. — Eric Deggans at NPR (@Deggans) September 21, 2020
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Genuinely impressed by Jennifer Aniston’s ability to keep doing bits while using a fire extinguisher to put out what seemed to be an unplanned second fire. #Emmys — Caroline Siede (@CarolineSiede) September 21, 2020
Jimmy Kimmel and Jen Aniston almost catching on fire on live television: very 2020 https://t.co/AsWOnMZLUt — Jen Chaney (@chaneyj) September 21, 2020
After the gaffe, Aniston realised she might just miss winning her own Emmy if she didn’t make it home in time for one of the trophy presenters to come knocking at her house.
Earlier in the evening, the Friends star offered a peek at her pre-Emmys routine, which involved champagne and face masks.