thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Coronavirus Means The Time For Automatic Electoral Registration Has Come

Directions to a polling station for a UK general election TylaArabas via Getty Images
The right to vote is an essential and fundamental democratic right. Under the current system of Individual Electoral Registration, individuals are solely responsible for registering and ensuring their details are up to date.
Yet, research by the Electoral Commission in 2019 showed that more than 9.4 million people eligible to vote in the UK were either incorrectly registered or not registered at all.
Advertisement
They also found that these missing voters were far more likely to be people from lower income backgrounds, or from BAME communities, or be young people or renters. In many cases, these are groups that feel increasingly disenfranchised from the political process.
Not only are people missing from the register unable to vote, they are also not counted for the critically important purpose of determining constituency boundaries.
My Automatic Electoral Registration Bill, which I am introducing in the House of Commons today, has a very simple aim: to ensure that everyone who is entitled to vote in this country is able to do so.
Advertisement
It does that by moving away from the current system of electoral registration – one that is complicated, fragmented, and crucially, incomplete – to a new system, where individuals are automatically added to the register using data the Government already holds.
In the current context, as we face a global pandemic that is disrupting every aspect of our lives and society, this is more important than ever. The problems the upcoming boundary review faces a result of this crisis make it abundantly clear that we urgently need a new approach to electoral registration.
Operating with an incomplete register risks cementing unfairness into the system for at least eight years.
Given the cancellation of this year’s local elections and the significant pressures that local authorities are currently facing, the Government has said it will consider using a register from a different year.
But if we had an automatic registration system – which continually updated the electoral roll using digital data from across government – we would be in a much better position to deal with this situation.
We cannot know what the crises of the future will be. But we can prepare by building a robust registration system that is fit for the twenty-first century.
Advertisement
I believe my bill improves the resilience and reliability of the electoral system, as well as making it fairer and ensuring every single person eligible to vote is able to do so.
Its basic principle is that the state should do all that it can to ensure the electoral roll is as comprehensive and accurate as possible. It does this by using data already held by the government and public services to automatically register people to vote and to ensure their details are kept up to date.
We would need to build in privacy and data security safeguards, but with those protections I believe we could finally have a modern and, crucially, completely accurate electoral register.
Automatic electoral registration is a common-sense proposal that’s time has come.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--US Fighter Aircraft Pilot Killed In North Sea Crash Named As 1st Lt Kenneth Allen

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
Click ' I agree ' to allow Verizon Media and our partners to @ @ @ @ @ to access your device and use your data ( including location ) to understand your @ @ @ @ @ measure personalised ads .
We will also provide you with personalised ads on partner products @ @ @ @ @ we use your data in our Privacy Centre .
Once you confirm your privacy choices @ @ @ @ @ changes at any time by visiting your Privacy dashboard .
Click 'Learn more ' to @ @ @ @ @ Media and our partners collect and use data .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The pilot killed when his fighter jet crashed off the north-east coast of England on Monday morning has been named as 1st Lt Kenneth Allen.
The F-15C Eagle, from the 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, crashed at around 9.40am.
Advertisement
The US Air Force said the pilot arrived at the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk earlier this year and is survived by his wife and parents.
His wife, Hannah Allen, paid tribute in a post on Facebook and described him as “the love of my life”.
She added: “He is gone. I’m shaking. No words to express how shaken I am.
“Kage was perfect, never been treated with more love and respect in my life.
“He was my absolute best friend and man Christ needs hurry up and come back so I can be with Kage again.
Advertisement
“Thanks for all the messages. I love you all, Kage loves you all.”
Yesterday’s tragic loss of @usairforce pilot Lt Kenneth Allen is being felt across the RAF community. Our thoughts and condolences are with @48fighterwing, and the family and friends of Lt Allen. https://t.co/kFZjde5Unc — Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) June 16, 2020
Col Will Marshall, commander of 48th Fighter Wing, said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lt Allen and mourn with his family and his fellow Reapers in the 493rd Fighter Squadron.
“The tremendous outpouring of love and support from our communities has been a ray of light in this time of darkness.”
HM Coastguard, which co-ordinated the search efforts, said it received reports that an aircraft went into the sea 74 nautical miles (85 miles) off the coast of Flamborough Head in Yorkshire.
The cause of the crash is not known and an investigation is under way, PA Media reports.
The F-15C is a model of jet that has been used by the US Air Force since 1979.
In October 2014, an F-15D fighter jet based at RAF Lakenheath crashed in fields near Spalding in Lincolnshire.
Advertisement
The pilot ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries, and no-one on the ground was hurt.
A US air force investigation found that the crash was caused by the “angle of attack” of the aircraft and “imperfections” in the assembly of the jet’s nose cap.
In October 2015, US pilot Major Taj Sareen died when his F-18 Hornet jet crashed on farmland near RAF Lakenheath.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Face Mask Vending Machines Are Popping Up Across The UK

Maskey
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
If you haven’t bought a face mask yet, you’re now able to pick one up from a vending machine, with an entrepreneurial start-up bringing them to the masses.
Advertisement
The company, called Maskey, has installed 10 face mask vending machines across the UK, with at least 20 more planned to launch in the next few weeks.
Areas with vending machines up and running are mainly in the south of England so far, including Chigwell, Loughton, Woodford, Basildon, Southend, Luton and Slough. Three of the machines are strategically placed near London Tube stations, as face coverings became mandatory on public transport on Monday.
The company is the brainchild of Adam Freeman, who previously appeared on BBC One’s The Apprentice. Maskey is already selling more than 3,500 non-medical face coverings each week, after just five weeks of trading, he says.
“We’ve been stunned by how fast we have grown. The idea came about from seeing machines being used in other countries to make masks easily accessible, convenient and comfortable for people,” Freeman adds.
Advertisement
“Based on conversations I’m having now, I believe we will have 50 vending machines in place around the UK by the end of July. All the businesses we are speaking to want ways to keep both staff and customers safe. It’s clear they feel that, while not compulsory to wear everywhere, these face coverings offer people confidence to get back out and about in this ‘new normal’.”
Maskey has also opened a dedicated shop in Woodford, Essex.
The vending machines – dubbed ‘Vendamasks’ – have a reader for contactless payments from cards or smartphones. The reusable coverings come in a range of patterns, are priced £6-£15, and are washable. There’s also a range for children aged five to 13.
“We’ve scaled up our production over the past few weeks to meet increasing demand, taking on new machinists, finding more space for them to work and making more room to build up stock to meet the increasing orders that will come due to the changes in the rules,” says Freeman.
“We’ve been inundated with requests from shopping centres and businesses too and all are keen to have their own vending machine installed for staff and customers.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Tulisa Breaks Silence On Misha B’s Video About Her X Factor Experiences

Tulisa Contostavlos has apologised for publicly calling out former X Factor contestant Misha B on the show in 2011, but claimed her comments were not “racially motivated”.
Over the weekend, Misha filmed an hour-long Instagram live video about her time on the talent show, and its effects on her life and mental health in the years that followed.
Most notably, she addressed an incident which saw her accused of ‘bullying’ other contestants live on air by judges Louis Walsh and Tulisa.
Advertisement
Speaking about the exchange in question, Misha said: “If you go back and watch the clip carefully, and I’ve gone back and watched the clip carefully, this woman had every line scripted before she even opened up her mouth. I wasn’t fooled. I’m not fooled. I know what it is here. I know exactly what it is here. And, you see, back in 2011 they got away with it. They got away with so much shit.
“’Feisty’, [Tulisa] threw, followed by ‘mean’... Now I know that I am not the only one here that has heard those words. ‘Feisty’, ‘mean’. These are like the common words that people use to describe Black women. She then went on to say something along the lines of ‘seeing that some of the things that I say could come across as mean’.
“This woman had spent zero time with me. The only conversation this woman had with me was after this all happened, when she gave me a very half-arsed apology. Not the words ‘I’m sorry’, but ‘I never meant to do you no harm’. The damage is done.”
Advertisement
On Monday night, Tulisa uploaded a video response to Misha’s comments, apologising for having “called her out publicly”, but insisting that accusations the incident was – in her words – “racially motivated” are “ludicrous”.
“I’m making this video in response to a video Misha B has done, and also a lot of false accusations that I’m seeing online,” she began. “Now, I’m not taking away from the fact of how Misha feels. I accept that she is entitled to her opinion and I’m sorry if she feels that that situation was racially motivated. I can only speak from my side of the situation which I can say it was 100% not.
“One thing I regret is calling her out publicly the way that I did. If I was a person that I am today, who’s more emotionally intelligent, who has more life experience, I would have handled it in a very different way. And that I am truly sorry for. But to say and make claims – I’m not saying she is but I’m seeing people doing it online – that it was racially motivated is ludicrous.”
Advertisement
She continued: “Let me explain to you what happened. There’d been an accumulation of things that Misha had done to other contestants and my contestants backstage. She had made two of my acts cry. One of them being on the night that I made those comments.
“Afterwards, backstage, she asked me ‘why did you do that?’. And I said, ‘why did you do what you did to my acts?’. To this day I didn’t find her excuse reasonable. I still don’t agree with it. I called a lot of people out on that show, white, Black, tall, short, it’s nothing to do with skin colour, I was protecting my acts. And if somebody does some nasty stuff, whether it be on that show or not, I’m going to call them out on it.
“It’s nothing to do with race. I didn’t wake up and go ‘I want to cause some drama for Misha B because of the colour of her skin’. She did some things that I felt I needed to pull her up on. These things were real, and they were happening. I was dealing with crying contestants backstage because of her actions.
“Now, I’m sure she’s not the same person – this was 10 years ago – just as I’m not the same person, to call her out in the way that I did,” Tulisa said. “I was a very feisty 22-year-old. I didn’t think of emotional consequences. But I can 100% tell you that race wasn’t even in the equation, it had nothing to do with race. These accusations are ludicrous.”
Tulisa Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Advertisement
After a cut, Tulisa then addressed the Black Lives Matter movement more generally, stating: “I owe my life to Black people and to Black culture, from my career, to the music I make, to my very being, who I am as a person. I was the only white person in my friendship group growing up, my father was raised in Congo and Ethiopia to the age of 16. I’m very passionate about the Black Lives Matter movement.
“And when I spoke to my friends about what they think I should do, they told me to get educated. So that’s what I’m currently doing, before I start speaking up and doing what I can. I hope that this movement can put an end to the centuries of oppression, abuse, racism and [the] corrupt system we are a part of. But please, believe me when I tell you, I do not have a racist bone in my body.”
In response to Misha’s video, an X Factor spokesperson said: “We are very concerned to hear Misha’s comments regarding her experience on The X Factor in 2011. We are currently looking into this matter and are reaching out to Misha to discuss the important issues she has raised. The welfare of contestants is our priority and we are committed to diversity and equality.”
HuffPost UK also contacted a representative for Louis Walsh after Misha B’s video, who declined to comment.
Misha also spoke about the effects X Factor had on her mental health, explaining: “What I didn’t understand was that that experience, that trauma, had changed me as a person. It changed me. I didn’t trust anyone. Everyone asks me, ‘Misha, where have you been? What’s been going on?’ I’ve been battling. I’ve been healing. I’ve been working on self.
Advertisement
“I started therapy in 2012. I’m still having therapy now. Shout out to all my therapists, you’re the greatest, honestly. If it wasn’t for your patience, kindness, understanding and your services... life would be very different right now. You’d be looking at a different Misha B right now.”
Misha B performing on The X Factor in 2011 Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/Shutterstock
In his 2018 autobiography, former X Factor judge Gary Barlow addressed the show’s treatment of Misha, claiming producers had deliberately stirred up drama for the tabloid press.
He wrote: “About half an hour before the show goes live, the producers would come in and they’d go ‘Oh my god. That Misha. She’s such a bully. Can’t believe it. She is such a bully. In fact, you know what? You should say it. You should say it on air. She’s just bullied everyone all week’.”
Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
Advertisement
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Marcus Rashford Slams Minister After 'Snarky' Tweet In Free School Meals Row

LOADING ERROR LOADING
England footballer Marcus Rashford has hit back at a cabinet minister who failed to respond to his pleas for free school meal vouchers to cover the summer holidays.
Work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey sparked an online backlash after she commented on the 22-year-old’s tweets about the difficulties facing poorer families in the UK.
Advertisement
Rashford, who has been leading a campaign to get £15-a-week vouchers extended throughout the summer, had urged MPs and the public to think about those struggling with bills that affected everything from hot water to meal times.
After HuffPost UK highlighted his tweets, Coffey intervened to refute his line about people facing the loss of hot water, saying “water cannot be disconnected though”.
Rashford has such a huge following, it's baffling the govt would want to take him on. https://t.co/20BzXDhKCW — Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) June 16, 2020
Water cannot be disconnected though — Therese Coffey #ProtectEachOtherSaveLives (@theresecoffey) June 16, 2020
Advertisement
Rashford, who relied on free meals as a youngster, hit back that “I’m concerned this is the only tweet of mine you acknowledged. Please, put rivalries aside for a second, and make a difference #maketheuturn”.
I’m concerned this is the only tweet of mine you acknowledged. Please, put rivalries aside for a second, and make a difference #maketheuturn — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds added: “Imagine having priorities so warped that this snarky comment is your response to @MarcusRashford’s powerful campaign.”
Tory MP Simon Hoare made plain his backing for the Rashford campaign.
In exceptional pandemic times there’s a v strong social inclusion/educational attainment argument to provide non transferable/food ONLY vouchers to those who receive FSM. Let us rise to meet this social mobility challenge — Simon Hoare MP (@Simon4NDorset) June 16, 2020
Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson also waded into the debate to urge Westminster colleagues to reverse their stance.
Advertisement
I totally get that some LA funding has been put in place, but am baffled why WM colleagues picking this hill to die on. I didn't have or need free school meals, but I went to a school where a huge % did. Food security during the holidays so important. It's basic. Feed the kids. — Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) June 16, 2020
The fresh twist in the row came as a growing number of Tory MPs joined the campaign to get Boris Johnson and education secretary Gavin Williamson to make a U-turn on their plans.
Labour leader Keir Starmer was set to stage an Opposition Day debate in the Commons which would challenge every MP to vote to extend the vouchers through the summer break.
No.10 has so far held firm, with the prime minister unveiling a new plan last week to give councils £63m in extra support for families in need through activity clubs and some free meals.
But the government plan was less than half of the estimated £115m cost needed to provide free meals to all 1.3m children eligible for the vouchers.
Advertisement
The department for education did extend the voucher scheme over the Easter and late May school holidays and several Tory MPs are baffled why ministers want to pick a fight with such a hugely popular public figure as Rashford.
One former minister with a southern seat told HuffPost UK: “How have we got ourselves into this mess? It is stupid not to extend it for the summer. It impacts my constituency, I hate to think what the Red Wall thinks.”
Boris Johnson has promised to reply to a letter from Rashford, and No.10 have praised him for using his high profile to raise the issue.
Education Select Committee chairman Robert Halfon said he supports extending free school meals throughout the summer holidays because “so many people up and down the country are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and to feed their families”.
“It is not a lot of extra money if you add up all the different Government food programmes, but it’s simple, it works, and the public understand it. I think that’s why Marcus Rashford has so much support.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Oscars 2021 Postponed Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Next year’s Oscars ceremony will now be held in April instead of February, in the latest ripple effect of the coronavirus crisis on the entertainment industry.
At one time, it looked as though the ceremony, which is typically held in late February or early March, was set to go on as planned.
Advertisement
However, as the pandemic continues to jeopardise long-term plans and major events, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, announced on Monday that it would postpone the 2021 ceremony from its scheduled date of 28 February.
Instead, it will now take place on 25 April.
It's true! Next year's #Oscars will happen on April 25, 2021.
Here's what else you need to know:
- The eligibility period for the Oscars will be extended to February 28, 2021
- Nominations will be announced on March 15, 2021
- @AcademyMuseum will open on April 30, 2021 pic.twitter.com/cTsqOfsf8k — The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 15, 2020
The Academy is also extending the eligibility period for films past 31 December, until 28 February. It’s unclear what effect this will have, given that traditionally, many of the films that end up receiving Oscar nominations tend to come out towards the end of the year anyway.
“Our hope, in extending the eligibility period and our Awards date, is to provide the flexibility filmmakers need to finish and release their films without being penalised for something beyond anyone’s control,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement.
Advertisement
The Academy, which has been experimenting with changes to the Oscars’ date and format amid years of flagging ratings for the show, also stressed that the “exceptional changes” were purely due to the coronavirus crisis, and “the intent going forward is to ultimately return to awarding excellence for films released in the January-December calendar year”.
In addition to shifting the schedule for the awards, the Academy also pushed the opening date for its long-awaited museum in Los Angeles, from 14 December to 30 April.
The next Oscars will take place in April 2021 Handout via Getty Images
The Academy had already changed this year’s Oscars eligibility requirements to temporarily allow films without a theatrical release to compete — a step they’ve long resisted in previous years.
Since the pandemic shut down cinemas throughout much of the world, the vast majority of films have been released directly on streaming platforms or as on-demand rentals/purchases for moviegoers to watch at home.
Advertisement
Hollywood executives have been grappling with how to map out the rest of the year’s big film releases, as public health experts have warned that cinemas and other large-scale gathering places will likely remain unsafe for the foreseeable future. Even if cinemas reopen, it’s likely many film fans may not feel safe returning right away.
Industry officials initially seemed to be pinning their hopes on July, lining up major releases like Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and Disney’s live-action Mulan remake.
But on Friday, Warner Bros postponed the release of Tenet by two weeks, to 31 July, and moved Wonder Woman: 1984 from August to October.
As for the entertainment industry’s other major awards shows, this year’s Tonys, normally held in June, were postponed indefinitely, since all Broadway shows went dark in March.
US television’s biggest night, the Emmys, is still scheduled for 20 September. But as that date approaches, it seems increasingly likely that the ceremony will be held remotely, as is the case for the upcoming UK TV Baftas.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Trump Suggests Stopping Covid-19 Tests Would Result In Fewer Cases

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump has made a lot of concerning statements about Covid-19, but he outdid himself on Monday.
During a roundtable on “Fighting for America’s Seniors,” the US president suggested that not testing for the coronavirus could be one way of reducing reported cases.
Advertisement
“If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any,” he said.
Trump on the number of coronavirus cases, per pool: “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.” — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) June 15, 2020
It’s an argument Trump has made before. To be clear: Not testing people for Covid-19 would reduce the number of new cases being reported, but would have no effect on reducing the number of people who actually have the disease.
Vice President Mike Pence supported the president’s statement, which Trump may have meant as a PR tactic rather than literal scientific evidence. Trump has consistently been concerned about the PR aspect of rising coronavirus figures.
Still, Twitter users had a field day taking the president’s quotes to hilarious extremes.
And if we got rid of the bathroom scale, I'd fit into skinny jeans. https://t.co/G3CFLFUbAv — Kevin Allman (@KevinAllman) June 15, 2020
Advertisement
When I was struggling in math, I kept telling teachers to stop testing me — Gregory Zuckerman (@GZuckerman) June 15, 2020
"If I close my eyes right now, it won't be sunny anymore!" — Trumpy Trumpy (parody) (@outofcontroljb) June 15, 2020
If I stare into an eclipse before you tell me it's one I will be fine — RJ O. (@YeahHeDid) June 15, 2020
Big “if I don’t check my bank account, the problem doesn’t exist!!!” energy https://t.co/ZK4wyNvbCc — Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) June 15, 2020
Well, yes, in the same way that if you stopped charging people with murder you'd have no murder convictions. https://t.co/YjxfENJVoU — Philip Bump (@pbump) June 15, 2020
Advertisement
“If we got rid of X-rays we’d have very few cavities, if any.” https://t.co/7G9rfWrTl4 — Michael Green (@andmichaelgreen) June 15, 2020
Does this work with student loans? https://t.co/3yGgaPnVRv — Erica Pishdadian (@ericapishdadian) June 15, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--New Zealand No Longer Coronavirus-Free After Two Passengers Fly In From London

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus . Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
New Zealand is no longer free from the new coronavirus after health officials say two women who flew from London to see a dying parent had tested positive.
Advertisement
But before they were tested, the women had been given an exemption to leave quarantine on compassionate grounds and had travelled from Auckland to Wellington by car.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said that as part of their travel plan, the women had no contact with any people or any public facilities on their road trip.
Nevertheless, the new cases have sparked a round of testing in New Zealand for anybody who might have been close to the women.
That includes passengers and staff on their flights, which arrived via Brisbane in Australia, other people at the Auckland hotel they initially stayed at in quarantine, and a family member they met in Wellington.
Advertisement
The women remain in isolation in Wellington and have delayed the funeral of their parent until they have recovered.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--North Korea Blows Up Inter-Korean Liaison Office

North Korea has blown up a building used to facilitate dialogue with its southern neighbour as tensions on the peninsula continue to rise.
South Korean officials said an inter-Korean liaison office building just north of the border in the town of Kaesong between the two countries, had been destroyed on Tuesday.
North Korea had earlier threatened to demolish the building as it stepped up its rhetoric over Seoul’s failure to stop activists from flying propaganda leaflets across the border.
Some experts say North Korea is expressing its frustration because Seoul is unable to resume joint economic projects due to US-led sanctions.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Pence Tells Governors To Share Misleading Facts About Coronavirus Infections: Reports

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Vice President Mike Pence urged US governors to share misleading facts about ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in some states during a private call on Monday, according to multiple reports.
During the call, Pence, who leads the White House’s coronavirus task force, downplayed increases in Covid-19 diagnoses in some regions, claiming they were simply “intermittent” spikes of the virus. He later pushed the administration talking point touted by President Donald Trump that the higher figures were merely due to an increase in testing, not actually higher rates of infection. Data, however, shows that seven-day averages of new cases have increased in at least six states since May 31.
Advertisement
“I would just encourage you all, as we talk about these things, to make sure and continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of increase in testing,” Pence said on the call, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times. “And that in most of the cases where we are seeing some marginal rise in number, that’s more resolved by the extraordinary work you’re doing.”
The Associated Press, which also obtained the audio, noted Pence told the state leaders to, with “proper gentleness and respect,” share the “progress that we are making.”
The call comes as the Trump administration continues to downplay the rise in coronavirus cases in some parts of the country. At least 22 states have seen rates of infection increase over the past 14 days as most regions across the US have begun reopening large sectors of their economies.
Trump has also pushed misleading claims that infections are only increasing due to high rates of testing. He said earlier Monday, without evidence, that “if we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.”
Advertisement
A readout of the call released by the White House later Monday acknowledges that some states had seen case increases and that Pence had told governors to “provide updates on these situations.”
Both Trump and Pence are scheduled to appear at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday despite calls that the event be delayed due to the risk of spreading the coronavirus among the thousands expected to gather at an indoor arena. Tulsa’s biggest newspaper slammed the event this week, saying it was the “wrong time” while noting it couldn’t “see any way that his visit will be good for the city.”
At least two states, Oregon and Utah, have pushed back their own relaxation of social distancing measures due to a surge in cases in recent days. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also warned residents he was prepared to reverse some regions’ reopenings should businesses flout guidelines meant to avert a second wave of cases.
Despite ongoing concerns about the spread of the virus, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine, the Times noted Pence urged state leaders to focus on the positives of the nation’s response.
“Encourage people with the news that we are safely reopening the country,” he said during the call. “That, as we speak today because people are going back to hospitals and elective surgery and getting ordinary care, hospitalization rates may be going up. But according to our most current information, hospitalizations for coronavirus are going down across the country.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Donald Trump Basically Spent Last Night Talking To Himself On Twitter

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Being leader of the free world is a full-time job with little respite from all manner of incredibly important and life-changing decisions that have far-reaching consequences around the world.
Advertisement
It’s also a bit lonely at the top.
Which might explain why President Donald Trump took some time out last night to essentially chat to himself on Twitter.
Perusing his own feed, the president saw a comment he had made on Sunday and decided that the world needed to know he hadn’t changed his mind in the intervening two days and retweeted it with the words “So true!”.
The self-congratulation over his ironically loud tweet about a silent majority inevitably raised a few eyebrows.
Advertisement
Soooo our President is just replying to his own tweets at midnight on a Monday? Sure, sounds reasonable and normal. https://t.co/muhYAmkOuX — Kelsey (CK Cross Stitch) (@iamkelskels) June 16, 2020
Did he just act like what he said the first time was a different person and what they said was smart? https://t.co/UWYwpxq3vS — Brian Espinoza (@bestpinoza) June 16, 2020
Sometimes even the president forgets to switch to his alt accounts. https://t.co/TKnnYpcecU — Paul Valentine (@paulrvalentine) June 16, 2020
Me liking and commenting on my own humorous tweets https://t.co/kF9nH6gz4y — Cameron Cruz (@c_cruzzer) June 16, 2020
And it’s not like he didn’t have anything else to do what with the country and the world being gripped by a pandemic and economic recession.
Advertisement
Earlier on in the day the president had lamented that an increase of coronavirus testing led to more cases of coronavirus being found, a comment that baffled people even more than his own retweet.
He said: “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.”
Ever-faithful vice president Mike Pence supported the president’s statement, both seemingly unaware that Covid-19 spreads and infects whether you test for it or not.
Well, yes, in the same way that if you stopped charging people with murder you'd have no murder convictions. https://t.co/YjxfENJVoU — Philip Bump (@pbump) June 15, 2020
When I was struggling in math, I kept telling teachers to stop testing me — Gregory Zuckerman (@GZuckerman) June 15, 2020
Does this work with student loans? https://t.co/3yGgaPnVRv — Erica Pishdadian (@ericapishdadian) June 15, 2020
Advertisement
The US currently has the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities in the world and new cases and hospitalisations are sweeping through more states as most push ahead with reopening.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Coronavirus Lockdown Sees 600,000 People In UK Made Jobless Between March And May

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The number of people made jobless amid the coronavirus lockdown hit 600,000 between March and May, new figures reveal.
Advertisement
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said early estimates showed the number of paid employees dropped by 2.1% or 612,000 in May compared with March.
The number of people temporarily away from work, including furloughed workers, rose by six million at the end of March into April.
Statista
The ONS said jobless claims under Universal Credit jumped 23.3% month-on-month in May to 2.8m and soared 125.9% or 1.6m since March, when the UK was placed in lockdown.
Advertisement
Experts said while the data shows the painful toll taken by lockdown, the true impact will be shown after the current furlough scheme to support workers ends in October.
Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics at the ONS, said: “The slowdown in the economy is now visibly hitting the labour market, especially in terms of hours worked.
“Early indicators for May show that the number of employees on payrolls were down over 600,000 compared with March.”
He added: “More detailed employment data up to April show a dramatic drop in the number of hours worked, which were down almost 9% in the latest period, partly due to a six million rise in people away from work, including those furloughed.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) make for grim reading given the economic fallout from Covid-19, and Tory grandees have called on Boris Johnson to ease the extent of the restrictions currently in place.
Data published last week revealed that the UK’s economy shrank by 20.4% in April – the largest monthly contraction on record – as the country spent its first full month in lockdown.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, former Conservative Party leader William Hague said the latest batch of figures were likely to “represent a personal catastrophe for hundreds of thousands of people” and that the lockdown was a “disaster [that] cannot under any circumstances be repeated”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--This Is How Pharmacies Are Being Turned Into ‘Red Telephone Boxes’ To Help Domestic Abuse Victims

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
When Mafalda’s abusive relationship with her partner escalated during the coronavirus lockdown, she knew she had to escape for the sake of herself and her children.
Advertisement
As her partner grabbed her by the hair and tried to punch her, Mafalda broke free and fled from the house. She was working in a shop as a key worker and ran to her workplace where her manager alerted the police and her social worker.
For some people trapped in lockdown with their abusers, escape seems impossible as their every move is closely controlled.
Stuck in the house and unable to raise the alarm that they need help, many victims are too afraid to use their mobile phones or access the internet in case they are being listened into and monitored.
At one time, public telephone boxes were a familiar sight on streets, and domestic abuse victims knew they could leave the house and make a phone call seeking support.
Advertisement
However, with the arrival of most people owning mobile phones, many red telephone boxes have disappeared, cutting off a vital line of support for those suffering domestic abuse.
Lockdown has made life even more difficult for abuse victims as they no longer have many of their usual routes to let someone know their plight have faded away due to the pandemic – such as talking to people at the school gates, going to their GP or to places like children’s centres and baby groups.
But now a charity which supports victims of domestic abuse and provides refuge services has joined forces with pharmacies across the country to replicate the public pay phones of yesteryear by offering designated safe spaces where people can contact specialist support services.
Pharmacies across the country are replicating red telephone boxes by offering designated safe spaces where domestic abuse victims can contact specialist support services.
Safe Spaces launched during May with charity Hestia’s UK Says No More campaign to create safe havens at pharmacies where abuse victims can use a consulting room, talk to specially trained pharmacists and be signposted to specialist support.
Advertisement
There are now more than 3,000 Safe Spaces launched at pharmacies including Boots, independent pharmacies and at pharmacies inside Morrisons supermarkets.
“When we moved to a world of almost everyone having a handheld telephone device, we lost phone boxes,” explained Lyndsey Dearlove, head of UK Says No More at Hestia, who implemented the Safe Spaces scheme.
“While technology is great in many ways, for those suffering domestic abuse, it poses problems as it can be mirrored, monitored and listened into and there are so many apps allowing them to be followed that they are worried about their abuse perpetrator finding out if they try to seek help.
“In times gone by, people knew they could pop into a phone box and make a call without their abuser tracing the call and if someone saw them in a phone box, it wasn’t an issue as it was usual for people to use public telephone boxes.”
Lyndsey Dearlove, head of UK Says No More at Hestia who implemented the Safe Spaces scheme. Hestia
Advertisement
Dearlove told HuffPost UK that even before the coronavirus crisis hit, Hestia was already working with businesses to look at how they could help their own employees but also how businesses with a presence on the high street could help people on a larger scale.
When the coronavirus pandemic happened and people went into lockdown spending the majority of their time at home, the need became greater.
“When Covid-19 happened and people were forced into lockdown, issues that we knew were bubbling away became louder and even more apparent,” said Dearlove.
“Domestic abuse victims access support in many different places, but with lockdown, all those usual opportunities for intervention disappeared and initially, people were really only allowed to go out for essential shopping and to the pharmacy.
“This meant the power the abusive person had over their victim grew exponentially.”
“When Covid-19 happened and people were forced into lockdown, issues that we knew were bubbling away became louder and even more apparent.”” - Lyndsey Dearlove, Hestia
Advertisement
Hestia wanted to provide an environment where those experiencing domestic abuse could feel encouraged and empowered to disclose what was happening and feel confident that they would be put in touch with the right specialist support services.
Hestia joined forces with pharmacies and in the last few weeks, Boots, independent pharmacies and pharmacies inside Morrisons supermarkets across the country have come on board.
Information about the Safe Spaces will be shared on posters and on till receipts. As a trip to a supermarket or a pharmacy is a routine activity, it is unlikely to alert an abuser.
The move comes as the latest figures from domestic abuse charity Refuge show that since lockdown began, there has been a 66% rise in demand for its National Domestic Abuse Helpline and a 950% increase of visitors to the Refuge website.
Dearlove told HuffPost UK: “The way it works is that domestic abuse victims would come into a store, see a sign and talk to a pharmacist – who has safeguarding training – and they would be directed to the consulting room.
Advertisement
“Once inside the consulting room, they will have time to call helplines or get in touch with services who they are already in contact with. They will also be directed to the right specialist support.”
While the total number of people who have used a Safe Space since they were launched is not yet known, Boots have told Hestia that in the first week, the Safe Spaces were used more than 100 times.
Dearlove said: “In one case, a woman who had just left her abusive partner and was staying in a refuge was on the high street and her abuser bumped into her and started following her.
“She walked into the pharmacy and asked to use the consulting room and the pharmacy staff called 999 immediately.
“The woman was looked after and offered food and drink and they stayed with her. The police attended and found the abuser on the high street and arrested him.”
Advertisement
Hestia, which is continuing to take referrals and accept women fleeing domestic abuse into its safe houses throughout the pandemic, saw calls to its referral lines increase by around 60% in April compared to the six months prior to lockdown.
One of the people they helped move into a refuge during lockdown was Mafalda, whose name has been changed to protect her identity.
She met her partner in 2013, but after she fell pregnant in 2015 he became controlling.
“I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere on my own or wear make-up.” she said. “Then the abuse became physical. He would pull my hair and choke me.
“Sometimes, he would get his brothers to hold me down while his sister slapped me.”
Serghei Turcanu via Getty Images
Mafalda said that when the coronavirus lockdown happened, things became intense and stressful as they were stuck at home together.
Advertisement
“One day, he asked me to send money to his mum.” she said. “I agreed but said we needed to be careful because coronavirus had made us financially insecure.
“He accused me of trying to control him and grabbed me by my hair and tried to punch me.
“I broke free and ran out of the house. The police had been called several times throughout our relationship, but I knew this time that I had to leave.”
Mafalda says she ran to her workplace and received incredible support from her manager. She then went to stay with a friend while her children stayed with her partner.
However, a few days later, her abuser turned up at her friend’s house and tried to drag her out. When she said she didn’t want to go, he slapped her. She reported it to the police and the social worker decided she and her children needed to move into emergency accommodation.
Due to coronavirus, there weren’t any refuge spaces available so Mafalda and her children were moved into a B&B.
Advertisement
“We were told that lots of people at the B&B had coronavirus and I became so worried.” she said. “I just kept thinking about my children and their health and didn’t know what to do. It was so stressful.”
Kittisak Jirasittichai / EyeEm via Getty Images
Mafalda and her children have now been moved into a refuge run by Hestia. They arrived with just a small bag of clothes.
She says she is worried about the impact on her children as they are now stuck in a refuge all the time.
“We can’t go to the park like we used to and my little boy really wants to go to school. Between the impact of the pandemic and having to watch me get hit, I can see the effect it is having on their mental health.
Advertisement
“I just want life to go back to normal so we can go to a GP, access the money we need and the children can go back to school.
“We need to get back in a routine so we can start to recover.”
Tamara White, who oversees the refuges Hestia provides in east and south London, told HuffPost UK that they noticed a change in the way referrals came to them from the start of lockdown.
Tamara White, who oversees the refuges Hestia provides Hestia
“Usually, we would get women who had left an abusive relationship to go and stay with their mum or sister or friend contact us from there after they had left their abusive situation.
“They would remove themselves from the immediate danger and then think: ‘I now need somewhere safe’ as they knew their abuser would probably follow them to their mum’s or sister’s or friend’s house.
Advertisement
“But when lockdown happened and people weren’t able to go anywhere, they were not able to go to the places where they might have escaped to.
“Instead, we were getting calls from women trapped in the house in maybe the five minutes they got when their abuser went out to buy some milk.”
White said the lockdown also impacted on refuge spaces as not only was there a lot of demand, people were staying for longer as they did not have places to move on to. However, Hestia has secured funding to increase their bed capacity.
“We were getting calls from women trapped in the house in maybe the five minutes they got when their abuser went out to buy some milk.”” - Tamara White, Hestia
She has welcomed the Safe Spaces scheme as she says there is a real need for discreet places where victims of abuse can go to reach out for help.
Advertisement
She told HuffPost UK: “For some people, the control from their abuser is so great that they will not even be allowed to go out to the pharmacy.
“But there are many people who this scheme will be able to help by providing a safe space where they can reach out for help.”
Hestia is working with the Home Office to look into implementing a code word system where abuse victims can alert pharmacy staff of their plight with one word without having to explain their situation.
Dame Vera Baird, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales
The victim’s commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird told HuffPost UK that the partnership with pharmacies to support domestic abuse sufferers is an excellent scheme and she believes it will be a lifeline for victims.
Advertisement
“The one place they are still likely to be allowed to go to is the supermarket or to pick up a prescription."” - Dame Vera Baird
“The fact is that under lockdown, those suffering domestic abuse will be finding it very difficult to get help or tell others about what is happening.” she said.
“However, the one place they are still likely to be allowed to go to is the supermarket or to pick up a prescription.
“I am very pleased this scheme with pharmacies has gone so broad and that pharmacies in supermarkets have also joined it. I hope many more places come on board.”
Dame Vera told HuffPost UK she was keen to see a code word system introduced as it would be useful for those victims who might not speak much English but can learn a code word or those who feel too traumatised to talk about their situation.
Advertisement
“A code word system would be good as if someone has suffered domestic abuse, they might not be able to explain it or talk about it.
“But by saying one word, that is recognised, they can trigger the help and support they need.
“However, the concern is that staff need to be trained to recognise the code word and learn how to act in a safe way so this idea needs to be properly considered.”
While in the Safe Space consulting room, people will have access to:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week (June 6-12)

A telemarketer called me the other day but instead of hanging up on her I gave the phone to my toddler. Nothing could have prepared her for the barrage of babbling gobbledegook that came her way and listening to her try to disengage without hurting his feelings was fucking MAGIC.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--8 Actions That Help Black Colleagues Get Ahead At Work

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Following demonstrations against the police killings of Black people, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, companies across the world are sharing words in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
But being a true ally to a Black colleague means voicing more than words of support or announcing yet another generic commitment to diversity. It means backing it up with individual action.
Advertisement
Pamela Newkirk, a journalist and author of “Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business,” said it’s easier for people to look at the more blatant forms of racism than it is for them to question how their own actions may perpetuate racial inequality.
“I think people are beginning to question, ‘Why is it that I work in a place that is pretty much all white? Why is it that I’ve never gone outside of my own circle to make sure that people who don’t look like me have opportunities? What can I do?’” Newkirk said.
Despite anti-discrimination laws, diversity initiatives and racial bias trainings, stats show that these efforts are failing Black Americans. Only 8% of Black professionals hold white-collar jobs, and only 3.2% become senior management, as detailed by the 2019 study “Being Black in Corporate America” by the nonprofit Center for Talent Innovation. Only four companies in the Fortune 500 –– Lowe’s, Merck, TIAA and Tapestry –– are run by Black CEOs.
On top of doing their jobs, Black professionals face racial prejudice in the workplace and are often tasked with the extra work of addressing these disparities of representation by serving on diversity committees, hiring panels and task forces.
Advertisement
Just because the issues are systemic doesn’t mean you can sit it out, no matter who you are. Every employee has a role in making a workplace fair for all, and you can take concrete action that promotes and advances a Black colleague’s success.
1. Share what you earn.
One way for colleagues of Black professionals to address the racial pay gap is to be transparent about pay even when companies aren’t. Discussing salary with peers is part of being a good ally, said Minda Harts, founder of The Memo LLC, a career development company for women of colour.
“If I knew one of my colleagues was not making a certain amount of money that they should, I would want them to know,” Harts said. “I wouldn’t want to be in the dark about that.”
2. Measure pay, promotion, hiring and retention gaps across race, and be held accountable.
On a company level, you cannot fix racial gaps in pay, hiring and promotions until you have data to measure it. Companies should be documenting diversity metrics like pay, retention and promotions across race, Harts said, and make it available for job applicants.
“I think there should be stats available when a Black applicant asks, ‘What are your metrics for diversity and inclusion?’ that every company should be tracking the retention, and then also the pay,” Harts said.
Advertisement
Companies also need to centre the voices of Black employees in discussions of this accountability to diversity, too, so that decisions are not made in an echo chamber. “You need to actually have conversations with Black employees to find out what they need from you,” Harts said.
CEOs have “been committed to diversity and inclusion and equity, and we haven’t seen anything. I think it’s going to be really important for Black employees to hold their leaders accountable to change,” Harts said.
3. Advocate for Black colleagues to get the high-profile assignments necessary for promotions.
When you look at your organisation, notice who is getting the high-profile assignments that lead to acclaim and promotions. Chances are, Black women are getting sidelined.
A 2018 LeanIn.org survey found that Black women were far less likely to feel they had an equal opportunity to grow and advance, and were less likely to think the best opportunities went to the most deserving employees, compared with all men and women who were white, lesbian, Latina or Asian.
To fix the lack of equal access to high-profile assignments, legal scholars Joan C. Williams and Marina Multhaup proposed two solutions in Harvard Business Review. One: Managers need to assess which team members are volunteering for office housework ― the routine tasks that don’t lead to promotions ― such as taking notes, scheduling meetings and ordering food. Once they know, managers need to recognise that there can be a social pressure to say yes when it’s an option to volunteer, and instead make everyone take turns doing it.
Advertisement
Two: Make high-profile assignments an option for all eligible employees, “not just the ones who come to mind first or who ask to do it,” Williams and Multhaup wrote.
4. Be a sponsor to a Black colleague’s career.
A mentor can give colleagues general advice. A sponsor is someone, usually within your organisation, who is “spending their valuable political and social capital on you,” as Carla Harris, a vice chair, managing director and senior client adviser at Morgan Stanley, put it in a TED talk.
To be a sponsor, you need to have a seat at the decision-making table, you need to have exposure to the colleague’s work in order to have credibility behind closed doors, and you need to have power, Harris said.
If you fit this profile, you have the ability to speak up for a Black colleague’s advancement in your organisation, whether it’s a promotion, a raise or a high-profile assignment, and you should take advantage of this power to identify Black co-workers to sponsor.
Advertisement
5. If you’re non-Black leader in power, you can give up your seat.
If you’re a leader, there is power in yielding it to someone else. That’s another way to get a Black colleague in your field to the decision-making table. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently resigned from his company’s board and specifically asked to be replaced with a Black candidate. “I believe resignation can actually be an act of leadership from people in power right now,” he wrote.
On Wednesday, Reddit replaced Ohanian with Black tech entrepreneur and Y Combinator CEO Michael Seibel.
6. Get Black colleagues more speaking opportunities to share expertise.
Whenever you go to a conference or a panel, notice who else is invited.
“Free conference tickets don’t make up for not having a single Black speaker,” wrote Tiffani Ashley Bell, founding executive director of Human Utility, in a Marker post. “Event organisers, everybody sees through the, ‘We asked, but they weren’t available’ shtick. Plan ahead and find somebody else.“
If you are a non-Black person who notices the lack of Black professionals in these or other kinds of corporate events, call it out publicly. Designer Timothy Goodman said he makes inclusivity part of his speaking agreement.
“I always give them a list of talented people with speaking experience ― and even after they say yes, I’ve had to threaten to pull out just weeks before a conference starts when I see the speakers list is still super unbalanced,” Goodman said in an Instagram post. “The lazy curation and knee-jerk reaction to invite the same ol’ people is very unfortunate. And what’s becoming increasing frustrating are all those who say yes to these conferences every year without making this a point.”
Advertisement
7. Shout out your Black colleagues’ work.
“Making it a point to shout out your colleague or co-worker during a team meeting, those types of things really go a long way,” said career coach Latesha Byrd.
If you’re working on a project, and you notice that you get credit for it but your Black colleague doesn’t, give credit where it’s due with language like, “Oh, you know such-and-such was very instrumental in this” or “They actually did X, Y and Z,” Byrd said.
8. Check the internal biases you have toward Black colleagues at work.
You have a responsibility to interrogate the assumptions you could be holding against Black colleagues.
“If you’re not used to engaging and building authentic relationships with people of colour or Black employees, then you have these assumptions about who they are,” Harts said.
Advertisement
Black women in particular deal with “double jeopardy,” or biases against their gender and race, as detailed by a report from the Centre for WorkLife Law at the University of California Hastings College of Law that was co-authored by the centre’s director, Joan C. Williams.
Byrd said her Black clients are commonly confronted with the false assumptions that they are aggressive if they disagree or standoffish if they don’t speak up out of fear of coming across as aggressive. “Let’s say we disagree with someone in a meeting. We are told that we’re aggressive. We’re told that we’re mean, we’re rude. Those are the biggest ones that I see,” Byrd said. “We need to learn how to engage with each other in healthy conversation instead of thinking we’re being confrontational.”
Williams’s report found that Black women were also more likely than other women to report a sense of bleak isolation at work.
“When white people actually are in a room with an African American, they come with all the baggage, all those years of stereotypes, and so the reality of African Americans is not known to many whites, and so you still have this barrier,” Newkirk said.
She said she experienced this herself in a newsroom where she was the only Black professional.
“For months, no one spoke to me, and one month, one of my colleagues said pretty much the same thing, [that] he didn’t know what to say, and I said, ‘What about hello?’” Newkirk said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Reach For The Stars: 10 Baby Names Inspired By Great Explorers

Westend61 via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
“I want to be an astronaut, a doctor and a dancer,” my little girl once boasted. She was about three at the time – and the whole world stretched out in front of her.
Advertisement
We all want to give our kids the confidence to believe they can achieve whatever they put their minds to. So, to help them along their way, how about giving them a name that, literally, invokes that feeling?
We have a wealth of baby name inspiration on HuffPost UK Parents, but here are 10 monikers inspired by famous explorers.
Harriet
Explorer Harriet Chalmers Adams said in 1920: “There is no reason why a woman cannot go wherever a man goes, and further”. She was the inaugural president of the Society of Woman Geographers, and the first female journalist to visit the French trenches in WWI.
Anne
Anne Morrow Lindbergh was the first American woman to earn a glider pilot’s license. She also won awards for her skills in navigation.
Advertisement
Marie
Marie Tharp mapped the ocean floor and made great headway in the theory of continental drift.
Electa
Electa ‘Exy’ Johnson circled the globe seven times with her husband, Irving, an American sail training pioneer and author.
Amelia
Amelia Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
Halfpoint via Getty Images
Ernest
Sir Ernest Shackleton is famous for his journeys into the Antarctic. He led the infamous Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914.
Edmund
Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first people to ever climb to the summit of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
Marco
Marco Polo was one of the first explorers to travel the Silk Road. He travelled around Asia and visited China in the Middle Ages.
Advertisement
Jacque
Jacque Cousteau was an undersea explorer, filmmaker and oceanographer. He also invented diving and scuba gear.
David


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--It’s Four Years Since My Sister Jo Cox Was Murdered. I Still Have So Many Questions

The author, left, pictured alongside her sister Jo Cox HuffPost UK
Like Jo, I am a glass half-full person. It takes a lot to shake my determination to remain as optimistic as possible. Those close to me know that I always try to stay as positive as I can.
But today, four years on from Jo’s murder, I have to admit that I am struggling. If this was just because of my own personal grief, it would be one thing. What makes it even more upsetting is that it is not.
Advertisement
I know that I have still got a huge amount of work to do in terms of dealing with the senseless murder of my sister – a woman who was genuinely one of the kindest and least self-centred people you could hope to meet. But I sometimes feel that I can’t even begin to deal with the grieving process while there is still so much work to be done on the issues Jo cared about during her life – and indeed the issues raised by her brutal murder at the hands of a right-wing extremist and white supremacist.
As we sit here in these unprecedented circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic, I feel a sense of helplessness that is both unfamiliar and unwelcome. And I know I’m not alone in this.
“I feel a real sense of responsibility to ‘do something’ with the heartbreakingly unique situation I have found myself in”
I’m not an expert, I’m not an academic, and I’m not a politician. I never had any desire for people to know who I was. But I feel a real sense of responsibility to ‘do something’ with the heartbreakingly unique situation I have found myself in, and the lived experience I sadly now have. But at the moment I am struggling to know what I can do to make a difference. I have so many questions, and I’m not sure I have that many answers.
Advertisement
In 2020 how can we still be living in a world where people are abused, attacked and killed because of the colour of their skin? How can we still be living in a world where we are supposedly better connected than ever yet so many people feel lonely? And how can so many of us still be so reluctant or unable to listen to other people’s opinions in a civilised and respectful manner?
Jo and I were brought up to treat other people how you would wish to be treated – is that so hard? That doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything or that we are all the same. Indeed, the world would be a very dull place if we were. But surely we can find a way to disagree respectfully? And a way to accept our differences and work towards finding common ground?
I’m not a ‘leftie’ or a ‘do-gooder’ and I don’t want to be labelled or put in a box. I hate generalisations and the over-simplified categorisation of human beings. It’s so sad that the non-reality of the online world and social media leads us to make snap judgements, label each other and then dismiss people based on those labels.
“One of the things that has kept me going in the last few months is the many heart-warming examples of amazing people up and down the country supporting each other.”
At a time when there is so much uncertainty and sadness around, along with such a huge sense of loss for so many of us – whether that is the loss of loved ones or of so many of our freedoms and human interactions – surely it is more important than ever that we pull together with compassion and kindness rather than judge each other and allow ourselves to be divided?
Advertisement
Indeed, one of the things that has kept me going in the last few months is the way that, despite seeing some pretty dreadful behaviour at times, we have also seen many heart-warming examples of amazing people in communities up and down the country supporting each other. And I know we will see much more of this during the fourth Great Get Together this weekend, when we invite people to stay connected and celebrate the power of community, on what would have been Jo’s birthday.
So, four years on since Jo’s murder, despite feeling a huge amount of pain, and despite my feelings of frustration at how far we have yet to progress on some of the issues she cared about, I do continue to be inspired by how, when faced with tragedy and crisis, people often also show the best of humanity. It is no doubt sadly still a ‘work in progress’ in some ways, but even in our darkest times the vast majority of people continue to demonstrate that, as my sister said, we do indeed have ‘far more in common than that which divides us.’
Kim Leadbeater is an ambassador for the Jo Cox Foundation. For more information on the Great Get Together, visit greatgettogether.org
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--We've Gone Back To Work Post-Lockdown. Here's How It's Changed

No matter your profession, the coronavirus pandemic will have undoubtedly changed your working life in some way – whether it’s your morning commute or your daily tasks. For many of us, working from home has become the norm.
As lockdown restrictions ease, more and more people are returning to work. But for the millions of Brits still at home or furloughed, the future of work remains a mystery.
To lift the lid on what it might be like when you go back, we spoke to six people in different industries who’ve already done it. From estate agents to dentists, teachers and store managers, here’s what work looks like to them, post-lockdown.
Advertisement
HuffPost UK
‘Simple things require careful thinking and planning in advance’
Primary school teacher
Alan Jones, 52, is a primary school teacher in Bedford. He usually teaches Year 5 pupils, but has been on a rota teaching the children of key workers Years 3-6 since lockdown began. The school reopened to Year 1 and Year 6 on June 1. He’s still teaching a mix of ages, and says not knowing which children you will teach – or how many – on a daily basis is a challenge.
“I’ve been apprehensive in having to continue teaching... but we’ve done everything physically possible as a senior management team to protect children, families and staff,” he says.
Alan Jones Alan Jones
Advertisement
The school reopened with a “social bubbles” system, to keep children in Year 1 and 6 away from key workers’ children across the rest of the school.
Because the school was built in 1977, they can physically only have 10 children safely in a class while maintaining a two-metre social distance. They’ve also implemented staggered start times and break times, but Jones says “social distancing is impossible for children seven and under”.
“Having to teach the children at arms’ length is horrible, as is constantly reminding them of their personal hygiene and proximity to others,” he adds.
Moving around the school safely is an hourly challenge. “It’s almost a military procedure planned to go to the photocopier,” says Jones. “Simple things such as sending them to the toilet or dealing with first aid issues require careful thinking and planning in advance.”
And break times are simply a break from the classroom, but not particularly fun for anyone, he says: “Children can’t play as they once would, contact games are impractical and problematic.”
Advertisement
Jones points out that these difficulties are persistent even though the school has a small percentage of its pupils in. “It’s impractical to expect schools to return to normal in September,” he adds. “Even if the social distancing rule was reduced, you would only get a maximum of 15 pupils in a class in our school. We don’t have enough space nor teaching capacity to have all pupils back.”
‘I’m having to filter all of my decisions through a new system’
Dentist
Katie Davis, 34, works as a dentist in Somerset, splitting her time between private and NHS patients. During lockdown she’s been unable to attend the surgery, so has been working on her side hustle Habox – selling dental subscription boxes for kids. Her first day back at the surgery was June 11.
“I was really nervous before I got there, but after a few patients I settled in and thought: ‘Good, I still know how to do my job,’” she says.
Covid-19 safety precautions mean the treatments dentists can offer are still limited. Different treatments require different levels of PPE, Davis explains, and there’s still a shortage in dentistry.
“In a nutshell, if you’re creating an aerosol you have to have the high level of PPE that’s needed in hospitals to treat patients with Covid,” she says. “We don’t have that, so I can’t drill teeth, I can’t spray water or air on teeth, I can’t make a patient cough, and they can’t rinse their mouth out anymore.”
Advertisement
Bupa Dental Katie Davies
As a result of the restrictions, Davis is limited to taking teeth out, giving injections and putting temporary fillings in. For each patient, she has to think about what will provide the best outcome for them, if the treatment she would usually perform isn’t an option.
“At first I was second-guessing everything I was doing. I felt this nervous energy,” she says. “I know how to do my job and I’m really good at it, but now I’m having to filter all my decisions through a new system, which is so expansive and based on best-guess most of the time.”
There are a high number of elderly patients in her area and Davis says many can’t hear what she’s saying because her face is covered with a mask and visor. She’s having to write a lot down, so appointments are taking longer than usual.
Getting home from work also takes more time. Davis shares a car with her partner, who has asthma, so she doesn’t want to risk using it after work – or bringing the virus home. Instead, her partner drops her to work in the morning, then Davis changes out of her uniform at the surgery, puts it into a pillow case and gets the bus home.
Advertisement
She goes through the back door to the house into the kitchen and throws the pillow case straight into the washing machine, along with the clothes she’s just commuted in. She wipes down everything she’s touched and jumps straight into the shower.
“The journey has had to be modified just to protect my family,” she says. “Being starkers in the kitchen is probably the most stressful part!”
‘Even the time I arrive to work has changed’
Store manager
Bharat Dhimen, 38, is the store manager at Homebase in Haringey. Every aspect of his working day has changed due to the pandemic, he says, from the way he briefs his team to how he spends his lunch break.
“Even the time I arrive to work has changed,” he says. “We stagger shifts more than we used to, to ensure we’ve got enough people in for two hours before opening and two hours after closing, where we replenish stock and clean the entire store. Previously, we’d replenish stock throughout the day but that’s not possible with social distancing now.” Another change is that his office has become a team space, where anyone can go to take five minutes to themselves if they need a break, or to eat their lunch. “Our canteen, which used to comfortably fit six or seven of us, is now only safe for three team members to take a break while remaining socially distanced,” he explains. “We’ve had to make sure to stagger breaks throughout the day, so there’s no risk of it ever being overcrowded in there.”
Bharat Dhimen Bharat Dhimen
Advertisement
When Homebase began a phased reopening of stores, many of the staff’s roles had to change, so it’s Dhimen’s job to help the team adjust.
“Instead of serving customers at the checkouts, we’re reminding them to follow the arrows laid out in store and that we’re card-only when making a payment,” he says. “There’s a much greater onus on them to serve themselves where possible – especially at the checkouts.”
Staff have also been redeployed to manage the queues and clean surface – and Dhimen says the hard work is paying off. “We’re seeing customers coming back to us safe in the knowledge they’ll enjoy a safe shopping experience – and that’s something I know we’re all really proud of,” he says.
‘I hadn’t anticipated how alien it would feel’
Estate agent
Claire Reynolds, 37, is and estate agent for Savills, who splits her working day between client sales and overseeing the operations of seven of the company’s London offices. She returned to work on May 18.
“I was apprehensive as it’s a very people-facing role, bearing in mind that with Covid-19, the biggest danger to us is other people,” she says. “But it’s been really enjoyable being back.”
Advertisement
The biggest difference to Reynolds’ job has been to house viewings. Half of the sales in Mayfair – where she works – are to international buyers, who can’t visit in person due to travel restrictions. Instead, she’s conducting virtual viewings.
“Yesterday, I was showing a husband and wife based in the Middle East around a house in Mayfair. I had them on a Zoom video call, starting off coming through the front door and walking them through the house,” she explains.
“I had the wife asking me to open the cupboards so she could see all the draw space and how it was laid out. You can still hone in on the real detail of the property, but it’s a very different way of operating.”
Jon Paul Ladd 2015 Savilles
Now lockdown restrictions have eased, Reynolds can do in-person viewings with UK buyers with some adaptations. If it’s not a new build, she’ll ask the buyers to leave if they can, or stay in one room with windows and doors open. Prospective buyers maintain social distancing throughout the visit, so Reynolds asks them to use lifts ahead of her and meet her on the correct floor.
Advertisement
She also wears a face mask and gloves for every appointment. “You feel like you’re turning up to clean up a crime scene rather than build a lovely, smiley rapport with someone,” she says. “I hadn’t anticipated how alien it would feel.”
On the plus side, her new working day has “forced her to be healthier” as she’s cycling to work rather than getting the Tube and is bringing lunch in, rather than buying something on-the-go.
“The world is just quieter at the moment,” she says. “I do love the hustle and bustle of London, but there is a more relaxed pace. I wouldn’t want London to lose its vibrancy permanently, but in this adjustment period, it’s not a bad thing.”
‘The lack of face-to-face interaction with colleagues is demotivating’
Charity worker
Sajan Devshi, 35, based in Leicester, is a digital marketing specialist at the charity Learndojo, which provides free resources to make education accessible to all. Devshi has gone back to the charity’s central hub – but it isn’t running any classes or allowing students in, so the corridors are deserted.
“We used to have countless students coming and going for their classes, making noise, talking, laughing,” he says. “We could constantly hear teachers running classes from their respective rooms, but that’s completely gone now.
Advertisement
“The only noise I can hear is the clock ticking on the wall loudly as I struggle to concentrate due to its noise, while working away on my laptop. Everything echoes in the building, something I would never have noticed before.”
Sajan Devshi Sajan Devshi
There’s only one other person working in the building. Devshi describes the lack of face-to-face interaction with colleagues as “demotivating”.
“Humans are social creatures and being alone kills all your drive, motivation and focus,” he says. “I keep asking myself if things will ever go back to how they use to be. I didn’t realise I took the company of others for granted.”
Devshi says working in the building provides a change of scenery from home and he’s able to get more work done without his children around. Another added bonus is his commute has been cut by more than half.
Advertisement
“We’re located next to a school, so what used to be a busy drive packed full of delays and traffic now sees me drive through what feels like a ghost town,” he says.
‘I’m the only one in most days’
Start-up founder
Davide Machado is the founder of the taxi share company SplitCab, so the core concept of the company – allowing Londoners to share a ride – is currently not possible. Instead, the business has had to focus on providing private cars.
Most of the staff are working from home or furloughed, so Machado has used the quieter period to work on planning for the future. “Work is pretty lonely at the moment,” he says. “I’m the only one in most days, but we have more team members starting to come back next week.”
The company has three offices, so Machado is preparing for the return of the workforce, including getting rid of hot-desking.
“Most of the day-to-day operations have been taken up by the management team to cover the work normally carried out by the furloughed team members,” he says. “I live jogging distance from our Heathrow office so getting to and from work was minimal in terms of risk to myself and others.”
Advertisement
Davide Machado Davide Machado
Socially distanced team meetings have already proved a challenge – Machado notes you have to speak abnormally loudly with everyone spaced so far apart.
“Team lunch breaks won’t be possible until further down the line once firm advice on this has been issued by the powers that be,” he adds. The experience of using the company’s cabs will be different, too, as all drivers and riders will have to wear masks, while handles and hard surfaces are being sanitised before and after each ride. “It’s been challenging and we have had to furlough a lot of staff and stand down a significant number of drivers,” says Machado. “But we’re seeing signs of recovery and are positive about the future.” Working It Out is a series exploring the future of work and wellbeing after coronavirus – from office life to working from home.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-16--Seeking Asylum In Britain Finally Let Me Live As The Gay Man I Am

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Growing up in Bangladesh, I was told that homosexuals would go to hell. And I believed it. I knew I was gay, but all the time I was told that it was dirty and sinful. I felt disconnected from my country, my community and my family. Unable to speak to anyone about my sexuality, most nights I would cry myself to sleep, feeling like the loneliest boy in the whole world.
Coming to the UK changed all this. From the moment I arrived at Heathrow, I realised I could start to live the life I’d always wanted. I still vividly remember walking around Soho for the first time – seeing people dressing how they wanted and expressing their sexuality, I felt like I was suddenly seeing the world in all its colours, after a lifetime in black and white. Living in safety in the UK has allowed me to experience a rebirth: to live my life as gay, out and proud of my sexuality – and meet the love of my life, who I can’t live a day without.
Advertisement
With the support of groups like the Say It Loud Club, which supports LGBTQ+ refugees in London, and the charity Help Refugees, I began to realise that being gay is a gift, not a curse. I’m not ashamed of being gay and never will be. For that I have no apologies. I think being gay is a blessing, and it’s something I am thankful for every single day.
“Going down Regent Street holding a rainbow flag with my friends, for the first time ever I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.”
My journey to this point has been long, but going to Pride in London for the first time was the point I knew there was no going back. I was buzzing with joy and anticipation. For someone born and brought up in what felt like a cage, I was experiencing freedom for the first time. Instead of having to hide myself away, I wore a rainbow outfit, with glitter on my face. People cheered me on and high-fived me as I marched with my new LGBTQ+ family. Going down Regent Street holding a rainbow flag with my friends, for the first time ever I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be – like I was part of the biggest family reunion ever. The energy, love, and acceptance were breathtaking.
The author with his partner, who he met in the UK HuffPost UK
Advertisement
My journey hasn’t been easy, but the UK has given me my life. For me, the definition of home is the place I feel secure, where I can live without fear, where I feel loved. This is what the UK now means to me. Although I have lost touch with most of my biological family members, I have a new family: the love of my life, my friends and my LGBTQI+ community. For the first time, I have a home where I feel safe, secure, and loved.
And I know everyone deserves to have what I now have. To give back, I now volunteer with Say it Loud Club, a charity supporting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in London. Like me, most of the people I work with have fled lives lived in secrecy or coloured with persecution, violence, attempts to ‘cure’ their sexuality. Helping them to accept themselves, to see them slowly shed the heavy layers of fear, guilt and shame, and come out the other side knowing that they are perfect just as they are, is extremely powerful.
“After years of shame, every day I now feel proud of my sexuality”
Coronavirus means this year there will be no dancing in the street, but we know Pride Month has always meant far more than just the parades. To me, Pride is about self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and the increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexually oriented people as a social group. Pride is putting an end to the closet, shame, fear, hate and social stigma.
And Pride is about celebrating acceptance, community, togetherness and love. While we can’t physically be together, our community has never been stronger. After years of shame, every day I now feel proud of my sexuality. We can’t choose our sexuality, nationality or race, but we can choose to accept and celebrate ourselves and others. You only get one shot at life, so choose love. After all, love is too beautiful to be hidden in the closet.
Advertisement