thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Attempted Murder After Hospital Worker Stabbed

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a member of hospital staff was stabbed.
The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton was put in lockdown following the incident on Sunday morning.
The victim, a man in his fifties, is in a “life-threatening” condition, according to Sussex Police.
A force spokesman said the incident was not being treated as a terrorist attack and no-one else had been hurt.
He added that a 30-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Take That's Howard Donald Appears To Have Been Tricked By A Doctored Photo Of Himself And David Bowi

Take That's Howard Donald Appears To Have Been Tricked By A Doctored Photo Of Himself And David Bowie

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Take That singer Howard Donald appears to have been fooled by a photoshopped picture of himself and bandmate Mark Owen posing with David Bowie.
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Earlier this week, Howard posted a black-and-white picture on his Instagram feed showing the late music legend with his arms draped around himself and his bandmate.
However, over the weekend, one Twitter user pointed out that the photo in question looked as though it had been doctored, and that Bowie’s face had actually been edited over Gary Barlow’s.
In important Take That news, Howard Donald has posted a photo of himself with David Bowie, which it later transpires is Bowie photoshopped over Gary Barlow's face pic.twitter.com/qqBQ8bCj0P — Major Charles Innocent (@JoeStephenson96) July 18, 2020
It was then spotted that a Take That fan page may well have been responsible for the picture, as they were seen commenting: “I’m so glad you like it Howard.”
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A quick glance at the fan in question’s feed shows the members of Take That posing with a number of other iconic artists in doctored photos, including Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley and a young George Michael.
Interestingly, Howard accompanied his photo with an anecdote about having met Bowie, writing: “I was just gonna put this on my stories but then I though[t] this is much more worthy of the main feed.
“For sure I was very nervous meeting @davidbowie as I’m not so comfortable around other famous people and can get star struck quite easily, but he was so normal and down to earth which made me feel at ease. Plus it was an opportunity I was never gonna miss and so glad I had the balls to ask.”
He continued: “Will there ever be anyone as musically talented as the man himself? And also someone that changed fashions and music styles like nobody else. Doubt it! Was a pleasure Mr Bowie.”
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As another Twitter user pointed out, though, the post could well be Howard’s way of reminiscing about his past meeting with Bowie.
For no particular reason I'm going to defend Howard and say that to me it looks like he was using this fan edit photo as a reminder of the time he did meet Bowie, which I don't doubt he did. Doesn't mean he is actually claiming this is a photographic record of the event. — Nick Worrall (@heathensquirrel) July 19, 2020
HuffPost UK has contacted Howard Donald’s representatives for clarification about his Instagram post.
This isn’t the first time Howard’s social media posts have raised eyebrows in recent times, though.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Chinese Ambassador Won't Explain Footage Of Handcuffed And Blindfolded People

“If the UK goes that far to impose sanctions on any individuals in China, China will certainly make a resolute response to it,” he said.
“You have seen what happened between China (and) the United States. They sanctioned Chinese officials, we sanctioned their senators, their officials. I do not want to see this tit-for-tat between China-US happen in China-UK relations.
“I think the UK should have its own independent foreign policy rather than dance to the tune of the Americans like what happened to Huawei.”
Raab insisted that Britain wanted good relations with China but said it could not stand by while abuses such as forced sterilisations and mass re-education camps took place.
“It is clear that there are gross, egregious human rights abuses going on. We are working with our international partners on this. It is deeply, deeply troubling,” he told The Andrew Marr Show.
“The reports of the human aspect of it – from forced sterilisation to the education camps – are reminiscent of something we have not seen for a long, long time.
“This from a leading member of the international community that wants to be taken seriously and in fact who we want a positive relationship with. But we cannot see behaviour like that and not call it out.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--No Increase In Coronavirus Cases Since Lockdown Eased, Says UK’s National Statistician

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The UK’s National Statistician has not noticed an increase in coronavirus cases since the lockdown measures were lifted.
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Professor Sir Ian Diamond said the numbers had been “basically flat over the last few weeks” with currently around 1,700 new cases a day.
Speaking to Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday, Diamond was asked if he had noticed any uptick. “No we haven’t,” he said.
But the head of the Office for National Statistics said the public had to be “super careful” and follow the social distancing rules if this was to be maintained.
“Clearly over the autumn we will need to be ever vigilant,” he said.
Diamond also revealed 61% of the population had used face coverings in the last week, up from 50% the week before, and he expected this to continue to increase.
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“What we are showing is that week on week there is an increase in the number of people who are using face coverings,” he said.
“But certainly people using face covering and it becoming the norm in many parts of society.”
It came as Boris Johnson played down the prospect of a second national coronavirus lockdown.
The prime minister said the authorities were getting better at identifying and isolating local outbreaks, although it was important that the power to order national action was held in reserve.
“I can’t abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent, I certainly don’t want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again,” he told The Sunday Telegraph.
His comments could lead to further tensions between ministers and their scientific experts after the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance warned on Friday there was “a risk” that national measures could be needed as winter approaches.
Announcing another easing lockdown restrictions in England, Johnson on Friday said he hoped there could be a “significant return to normality” in time for Christmas.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Harry Dunn: Dominic Raab Says UK Cannot 'Force' US To Comply With Extradition Order

The UK cannot “force” the US to extradite the suspected killer of Harry Dunn, the foreign secretary has said, as the teenager’s mother made an emotional plea for government support.
The 19-year-old motorcyclist’s mother Charlotte Charles has appealed to Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab to make her son’s case “top priority” during US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s visit to London on Monday.
Charles told of her “beyond excruciating” ordeal and feeling abandoned, saying: “It’s so important to feel supported by your own government and unfortunately we just haven’t had that but it’s never too late. So just help us.”
Dunn died when his motorbike crashed into a car outside a US military base in Northamptonshire on August 27 last year.
Suspect Anne Sacoolas, 43, the wife of a US intelligence official and a reported CIA operative, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.
Raab told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “It’s heartbreaking, I understand how agonising it’s been, I understand how exhausted they are with this.
“There’s a denial of justice here.
“There’s an extradition request that’s outstanding, we’ve called on Anne Sacoolas to return and our American partners to facilitate that.
“But there’s no measures that we could I think credibly, realistically take which is somehow going to force the US or indeed Anne Sacoolas to comply with this.
“I want to be realistic because I don’t want to raise expectations which are then going to be dashed.”
He added: “I’ve raised it, we’ve raised it in Washington, the prime minister has raised it with president Trump and we will continue to make clear we’re on the side of the family here, we think that she should return, she must return home, so that justice can be done.”
Washington and London have been locked in a diplomatic row over Dunn’s death, with an extradition request submitted by the Home Office rejected by Pompeo in January, a decision the State Department has said is “final”.
In a video statement, Charles said: “Mr Raab, Mr Pompeo, Mr Johnson, when you get together next week with all of your families fully intact whilst mine is in complete tatters and my family has been ripped apart, can you please, please discuss Harry?
“We’ve been assured he’s high on your list of priorities to discuss amongst all of the other important global issues that you have surrounding you but please, please make him top priority.”
She said the anniversary of her son’s death next month will be “beyond painful”, and said she would not wish her anguish on her worst enemy.
On Sky News, Dunn family spokesman Radd Seiger added: “What we want now, and I’ve asked this of Mr Raab several times, is a very clear timetabled structured plan to bring Anne Sacoolas back.
“It is no longer any good … that they raise it continually. That means nothing to the family.
“She needs to come back. Actions have consequences. This is one of the most egregious abuses of human rights America has ever committed on a British citizen, a British family. Where is the special relationship?
“We need a clear specific plan. If the US are not going to send her back what is the UK going to do with specificity to make sure this terrible wrong is righted?
“This is the United Kingdom’s opportunity, Mr Raab’s opportunity, to show the nation that he is going to fulfil his first duty, which is to safeguard and protect the lives of UK citizens. He needs to stand up to the US now.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Linkin Park Take Issue After Their Music Appears In Pro-Donald Trump Video

Linkin Park have sent a cease and desist letter to Donald Trump, after he retweeted a campaign-style video featuring one of the band’s songs.
The group’s track In The End was used to soundtrack a pro-Trump video posted on Twitter by staff member Dan Scavino, which was then shared on the president’s page.
However, it didn’t stay up for all that long at all, and within a few hours, the clip had been pulled from the social media site, and replaced by a message reading: “This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner.”
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Making their stance explicitly clear, a message was then posted on Linkin Park’s Twitter page, which said: “Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorise his organisation to use any of our music.
“A cease and desist has been issued.”
Linkin Park did not and does not endorse Trump, nor authorize his organization to use any of our music. A cease and desist has been issued. — LINKIN PARK (@linkinpark) July 19, 2020
Twitter told Sky News that they respond to “valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorised representatives”.
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Since the clip was taken down, fans have been re-sharing a tweet criticising Donald Trump which was posted by Linkin Park’s late frontman Chester Bennington in 2015, which read: “Donald Trump is a greater threat to the United States than terrorism.”
Donald Trump is a greater threat to the United States than terrorism. — Chester Bennington (@ChesterBe) December 11, 2015
Bennington went on to repeat this message in tweets posted in 2016 and 2017.
Linkin Park is far from the first musical act to take issue with their music being used in conjunction with Trump, though.
US president Donald Trump ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last year, Sharon Osbourne blasted the US leader for using the Black Sabbath track Crazy Train in a campaign video, and making it clear that Trump was “forbidden” from using her husband Ozzy’s music in future videos or at his rallies.
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A year earlier, Rihanna issued a typically withering response after learning that her song Don’t Stop The Music was being played at pro-Trump political events, writing: “Not for much longer… me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up!”
A week earlier, singer and music producer Pharrell Williams also sent the POTUS a cease and desist letter, after his tune Happy was played at a Trump rally on the same day as a massacre at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Katie Price Says Harvey Is Doing 'A Lot Better' As He Thanks Supporters In Video Message

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Katie Price has said her son Harvey is doing “a lot better” following his recent stint in intensive care.
The reality star’s eldest son was rushed to hospital a week ago with a fever and difficulty breathing, and it was later revealed that he had been taken into the intensive care unit, where he remained for a number of days.
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Since then, Katie has assured fans that Harvey’s condition is improving, and even posted a photo of the two of them in hospital on Saturday evening.
“Harv, what do you want to say to all those people who have sent you lovely messages?” she asks him in the short clip.
Harvey then expressed his thanks to his supporters, and agreed with his mum that he was doing “a lot better”.
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At the end of the clip, Katie told Harvey that she wasn’t able to stay with him much longer, but would be back to visit the following day.
In the comments, Katie’s son Junior was seen celebrating the fact his “big bro” was “doing so well”, while her ex-husband Kieran Hayler wrote: “Happy he is on the mend. Strong boy.”
Katie and Harvey Price on Loose Women in 2016 Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Harvey – who has Prader-Willi syndrome and autism – was previously taken to hospital at the end of last month for “urgent medical care”, after falling ill during a celebration in honour of his younger sister Princess’ 13th birthday.
It was recently revealed that Katie and Harvey were to appear alongside one another in a new BBC documentary, Katie Price: Harvey & Me, which will aim to shine a light on “what it’s really like to be a mum of a disabled child approaching adulthood”, as Harvey moves “from child to adult services”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--World Health Organisation Reports Largest Ever Single-Day Increase In Covid-19 Cases

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Global cases of Covid-19 rocketed on Saturday with a record increase of more than 260,000, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed.
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The news came as the worldwide death toll exceeded 600,000, with a number of countries struggling to contain the rapid spread of the virus.
While the US leads global infections, South Africa now ranks as the fifth worst-hit country in the pandemic with 350,879 cases – roughly half of all those confirmed on the African continent.
Its growing difficulties are a sign of trouble to come for nations with even fewer healthcare resources.
India on Sunday reported a 24-hour record surge of 38,902 new cases, taking the country’s total to 1,077,618.
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People walk past a Covid-19 advert promoting the use of face masks, washing of hands, use of sanitiser and social distancing in the township of Soweto outside of Johannesburg. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elsewhere in Asia, China confirmed 13 new cases in the northwestern city of Urumqi.
The outbreak is the latest to pop up since China largely contained the domestic spread of the virus in March.
At least 30 people have been infected and authorities are conducting universal testing in communities where cases were discovered, later to be expanded to other parts of the city and major businesses.
South Korean authorities are also struggling to suppress an uptick in local infections, with 34 additional cases, 21 of them domestic and 13 from overseas, raising the country’s total to 13,745 with 295 deaths.
Both countries are mandating testing and enforcing two-week quarantines on all overseas arrivals.
After a one-day respite, Covid-19 cases in the Australian state of Victoria rose again, prompting a move to make masks mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and the nearby shire of Mitchell.
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Health officials on Sunday recorded 363 new cases in the past 24 hours.
Two men and a woman in their nineties died, taking the national death toll from Covid-19 to 122.
South Africa now trails the US, Brazil and India – all far more populous countries – in the number of infections, surpassing Peru, after health authorities announced 13,285 new cases.
South Africa’s new coronavirus epicentre, Gauteng province, hosts the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria and one quarter of the country’s population of 57 million, with many poor people living in crowded conditions in the middle of a frosty southern hemisphere winter.
A worker disinfects the terminal where passengers will disembark after docking in Montevideo, Uruguay. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“The simple fact is that many South Africans are sitting ducks because they cannot comply with World Health Organisation protocols on improved hygiene and social distancing,” the foundation of former South African archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah warned in a statement.
Meanwhile, global Covid-19 deaths have hit 601,549, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
The United States tops the list with 140,119 deaths, followed by 78,772 in Brazil, 45,358 in the United Kingdom and 38,888 in Mexico, where a surge in cases has frustrated plans to reopen the economy.
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The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2m, out of which 3.7m are in the United States.
There are over two million in Brazil and more than one million in India.
Experts believe the true numbers around the world are likely to be much higher because of testing shortages and data collection issues in some nations.
Infections are soaring in US states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, fuelled by the haphazard lifting of lockdowns and the resistance of some Americans to wearing masks.
Teams of military medics have been deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deal with a deluge of patients who are flooding emergency rooms in parts of the US.
Some patients are being moved into hallways to make room for the most seriously ill and nurses are working extra shifts to keep up with the surge.
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Patients struggling to breathe are being placed on ventilators in emergency wards since intensive care units are full, officials say.
Patients are waiting “hours and hours” to get admitted, said Dr Alison Haddock of the Baylor College of Medicine in the state of Texas, which reported a new daily record for virus deaths on Friday and more than 10,000 confirmed cases for the fourth consecutive day.
More than 80 infants have tested positive for the virus in the state.
“I’ve never seen anything like this Covid surge,” said Dr Haddock, who has worked in emergency rooms since 2007.
“We’re doing our best, but we’re not an ICU.”
Two medical workers wearing PPE are seen changing their gloves at a free coronavirus testing location outside Washington Square Park, New York. Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images
Despite the loosening of lockdown in many countries, some authorities are now moving to adjust restrictions in order to ensure continued social distancing.
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Police in Barcelona are limiting access to some of the city’s beaches because sunbathers are ignoring regulations amid a resurgence of coronavirus, while authorities in Amsterdam are urging people not to visit the city’s famous red light district and have closed off some of the historic district’s narrow streets because they are too busy.
Local governments in India continued to reimpose focused lockdowns in several parts of the country following a surge in cases.
And in Iran, the president made the startling announcement that as many as 25m Iranians could have been infected, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Hassan Rouhani cited a new Health Ministry study that has not yet been made public. Iran has the Middle East’s worst outbreak with more than 270,000 confirmed cases.
In Bangladesh, confirmed cases surpassed 200,000 but experts say the number is much higher as the country lacks adequate labs for testing.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--The Girl Next Door: How Trans Neighbours Star Georgie Stone Is Blurring The Lines Between Activism A

The Girl Next Door: How Trans Neighbours Star Georgie Stone Is Blurring The Lines Between Activism And Acting

“I literally had to create this role for myself,” says the Neighbours actor Georgie Stone, 20, speaking to HuffPost UK down the phone from Melbourne. “Because there are no roles in Australia. None. I had to write to an executive producer to create a role for me. That’s how scarce these opportunities are.”
First she was a trailblazing child trans activist, becoming the youngest trans child to receive hormone blockers in Australia aged 10. Her treatment was to set a precedent which led to a change in law around access to hormone treatment for young trans people.
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More recently, she took her activism to the small screen, developing the first trans character for Australian soap Neighbours.
Georgie Stone as Mackenzie in Neighbours Jackson Finter
In a few short years, Georgie Stone has made history by blurring the lines between acting and activism. Schooling viewers about transness in the soap opera since her character Mackenzie arrived in 2019, in real life she is proudly outspoken on trans rights and believes, for one thing, that cisgender people playing trans roles is “grossly unfair.”
“There are so many trans actors looking for these parts,” she stresses, although she’s also keen to assert her desire to work on strong female non-trans roles when she eventually explores work outside of Neighbours.
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Now permanent on the Australian soap, Georgie works closely with scriptwriters to help assure her character is as representative of the trans experience as possible. And the story of her development as a young trans person culminates in her gender confirmation surgery scenes, airing in the UK on July 22 and 23.
The surgery plot may be the last time Mackenzie’s gender identity is dealt with directly. Georgie hopes that in the future storylines, Mackenzie will be approached in the same way they would be for any other young female character on the show.
But the surgery storyline felt like an essential inclusion.
“This surgery isn't making Mackenzie a girl - she is already a girl.” - Georgie Stone
“It is a very personal subject and I wanted it to be done well and respectfully,” says Georgie from her home in suburban Melbourne.
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“It is about the surgery,” she continues, “but it’s more about making it clear that this surgery isn’t making Mackenzie a girl - she is already a girl, she just wants this for her own comfort, this is purely for her own benefit but it’s there so she can now move on. Onto the things that she is passionate about, like law.”
Georgie Stone's character Mackenzie with her boyfriend Richie in Neighbours HuffPost UK
While for many trans people surgery feels essential, Georgie stresses that it is only physical - having surgery doesn’t help trans people overcome any mental health challenges they may be facing. Mental health issues, such as feelings of shame, are very common among trans people, and the LGBT+ community more widely.
Georgie says she is privileged not to carry a heavy burden of shame around with her, partly because she had supportive parents, although she describes to HuffPost UK how the “process” of dealing with shame is ever-present in her life, much like it is in Mackenzie’s.
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“It’s weird, because I’m proud of who I am and I’m proud to be trans, and then sometimes there are these moments that I just really wish that I wasn’t,” says Georgie.
“They’re fleeting and those feelings go away, but sometimes they’ll just come back, and those feelings of shame creep in again when you’re feeling especially vulnerable or something’s happened in your life. What I wanted with Mackenzie was to show that it’s a process.”
Georgie calls Mackenzie “an alternative reality version of myself”: less confident, less comfortable in her own skin, but ultimately sharing the powerful experience of being trans in this era of change for transgender people.
While the majority of Australians and Brits are supportive, there are still waves of feminists who argue, much to the upset of people like Georgie, that trans women aren’t women - and some prolific figures have recently made headlines.
“I realised this isn’t my problem, this is her problem, actually. I’m not at fault here, there’s actually nothing wrong with me. It’s other people’s shit that I’m having to deal with” - Georgie Stone
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JK Rowling’s recent controversial comments on transness were deeply upsetting for Georgie. “It was just another one of those moments where I crumbled, and I wished for just a very small second that I wasn’t trans, just so I wouldn’t feel so bad, so I wouldn’t feel so attacked by someone who I looked up to,” she says.
“And then that second was gone and I realised this isn’t my problem, this is her problem, actually. I’m not at fault here, there’s actually nothing wrong with me. It’s other people’s shit that I’m having to deal with.”
Georgie was a fan of Harry Potter and has been saddened by JK Rowling's comments around transness Dia Dipasupil via Getty Images
What would she say to Jo Rowling?
“I’ve fantasised a lot about what I would say,” she ruminates. “I would really love to just sit down with Jo and explain to her why modern day feminism is so important to include trans people.
“I don’t agree with where she’s coming from,” she continues, “but I see what she’s stuck on in terms of her perceived fear of trans activism and how that will lead her down a bad path. I’d just love to help her out of that and explain to her why she’s wrong, but I don’t know if she really wants to listen and that’s the disappointing part.”
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Expecting to be confronted by hateful comments online and in real life is an unfair but inevitable experience for trans people and explains why so many suffer from bad mental health.
Georgie says: “Mackenzie carried more shame and anxiety with her and she’s definitely less confident in herself, and less trusting of other people, and I wanted her to come across as someone who’s really really unsure of who she is, not in terms of her gender identity but in terms of who she wants to be as a person.”
Mackenzie and her dad Scott in Neighbours, who doesn't instantly support her decision to go through gender confirmation surgery HuffPost UK
“I think it’s important to see that sometimes when you’ve been bullied for a long amount of time like Mackenzie, or she’s had years of trauma, it’s not something that you can shake very easily,” she says. “It’s not a black and white journey from A to B of going from ashamed to not anymore, it’s kind of a cycle or bumpy road where it’ll all come back.”
As the story of Mackenzie’s transness simmers, Georgie hopes to create an authentic female lead with the character: one that isn’t solely defined by their romantic relationships but has career aspirations and independence. She hopes to still be contracted on Neighbours in a year, but what about further down the line?
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“I want to keep playing trans characters and keep, I suppose, educating people,” she says. “But I’d also love to play characters that aren’t trans or their gender identity isn’t mentioned. I think that would be really cool - my main thing is I just love acting, I just love the job.”
Neighbours airs every weekday at 1.45pm and 5.30pm on Channel 5.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--'We'll Treasure This Time:' The Reality Of Fostering During A Pandemic

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Barnardo’s recently called a ‘state of emergency’ in the care system, reporting that the numbers of children referred for foster care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland had risen by 44% during lockdown. The charity also revealed a 47% decline in the number of people coming forward to become foster carers, compared to last year.
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However, Andy Elvin, CEO of fostering and adoption charity TACT Care, told HuffPost UK they have actually seen an 11% increase in queries from people hoping to become foster carers since lockdown began.
Elvin believes some people have been reevaluating what they’re doing with their lives as a result of the pandemic – and says that while they’ve had to be honest with carers that they can’t guarantee a child hasn’t been exposed to Covid-19, most have still gone ahead with their placements.
AndreyPopov via Getty Images
“We’ve actually seen stability in the foster care environment,” Elvin tells HuffPost UK. “More stability than instability. We haven’t had many kids leaving foster homes, and a lot of the children have relaxed into it. Placements have, on the whole, gone ahead – the only ones who have not been okay with it are those with underlying health conditions or health risks.”
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While referrals of new cases from local authorities have decreased by 5%, perhaps as a result of school closures, Elvin believes the pandemic may have actively prompted interest from some carers. “Unemployment is rising and people are looking at doing other things,” he says. “Fostering is recession-proof. Hopefully in three to six months time we’ll have a new cohort of foster carers.
In many ways, social distancing and homeschooling has helped children relax into their new environments, says Elvin.
“For some children, not having the social and academic pressures of school has made things better and easier,” he explains. “It’s improved their mood and given them less anxiety. Often, in foster homes, the evenings are spent dealing with the fall-out of the school day. So, in many ways, if it’s going to work in a new placement - if children are going to settle – it’s a good thing to do it in lockdown.”
HuffPost UK spoke to one family who recently took in two young brothers about what their experience has been like during lockdown – and how it’s affected the way they feel about fostering for the first time.
To protect the identity of children, some personal details have been changed or omitted.
‘The whole idea we had of what fostering would be like changed overnight’
AndreyPopov via Getty Images
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Charlotte and Ian, a couple in their 40s, were officially approved to foster for TACT in March this year. Two weeks later – just days after lockdown began – they welcomed two brothers, aged 10 and seven, into their family.
“They came to us at the end of March, once lockdown had started,” Charlotte tells HuffPost UK. “We had never done it before, so we didn’t know what to expect - but things had to be done very differently.” And in addition to the initial shock of being given just a day’s notice that the boys would be placed with them, they also had to acclimatise to not leaving the house due to the government’s self-isolation guidelines.
“We had to get used to each other quickly, because it was a very unique situation,” Charlotte says. “There was an expectation beforehand that they would be in school, and we had an idea of the clubs they might like to join, and the places we would take them. The whole idea we had in our minds of what fostering would be like changed overnight. It’s not more or less stressful, it’s just totally different to the way I imagined it would be.”
She adds: “Schools had closed, so they didn’t do any of the ‘normal’ socialising they would’ve usually been doing, with all the challenges that might have brought. Instead, we were given the opportunity to get to know them really well, and they got to know us - with continuity, and without distraction. It helped in terms of them getting used to routines – our way of living.”
Charlotte admits the first day and night was challenging – the older boy was angry when he first arrived, while the younger boy wasn’t used to sleeping in a bed on his own. But the intensity of lockdown helped the brothers get used to the new ‘house rules’ – fast.
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“They had to swiftly acclimatise to things that were acceptable, and things that weren’t,” Charlotte says. “Being siblings, there was some fighting – that was quite difficult. They had to get used to how we deal with conflict. We don’t use any kind of physical reprimand, we tend to talk things through and explain why something is wrong and why it isn’t right, to hurt each other. That’s been different, for them. They’ve not been used to having that kind of respectful relationship.”
Charlotte, a social worker, and Ian, who works in social housing, had to juggle working from home around introducing the boys to the family – including Charlotte’s 16-year-old daughter, Suzie. The couple also have a dog and cat – and the presence of the additional family members seems to have had a positive effect in helping the boys settle in.
“Suzie was fantastic, and a huge part of the assessment,” Charlotte says. “She was really keen to be involved with the boys – she does baking and modelling with them, and they love and idolise her. She’s really helpful and they learn a lot from her, because she’s sensible and level headed, but fun, as well. And she’s learning a lot from them, too.”
ThitareeSarmkasat via Getty Images
“For the initial four weeks we were both still working full-time from home,” Charlotte adds. “We muddled between taking annual leave and managing Skype meetings so we could make sure the boys have something to do – I’ve never bought so much Lego in my life! In many ways, we’ve been winging it, like the rest of the country.”
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The younger boy had significant communication challenges but is now happily chatting away, something he was not able to do when he first arrived. The siblings’relationship with each other has also started to improve. And weekly ‘virtual’ contact has been maintained with the birth mother via Whatsapp video.
“If it wasn’t for lockdown, the boys would’ve been going to a contact centre, to meet face to face,” Charlotte says. “That’s been very unusual in terms of the divide between ‘home’ and ‘contact’, because we’ve had to bring that contact into the house. It’s been quite strange, and there’s been pros and cons. Even as adults, we can find video calls intimidating. It’s been interesting, but again – we’re muddling through.”
And even though lockdown is easing, Charlotte says they’re not going to rush the boys into a hectic social whirlwind, just yet. “We’re not going to rush to do things now we can do them,” she says. “We’re just going to go easy. This whole experience has taught us that doing lots of different things would’ve been more stressful for the boys – and they weren’t used to doing those things anyway.”
She adds, with excitement: “We can plan some nice summer experiences now, maybe a couple of days over the summer in a cabin somewhere. We’re not going to overload them. We’re really just looking forward to having some sort of normality – even simply going shopping.
“The time we’ve spent getting used to fostering during lockdown has been so rewarding. They’ve made so much progress in such a short space of time, in terms of their confidence, their relationship with each other and communication. We’ve even been able to teach them to ride bikes. They’d never done that before. I’ll look back and treasure this time. We all will.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--More Than A Haircut: Why Black Salons Are Needed More Than Ever After Lockdown

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The nation celebrated when salons and barbershops reopened on July 4 after being closed for three months during the Covid-19 lockdown – but for Black people their return was about more than just getting a haircut.
Yes, Black women rejoiced as their kinks and coils finally got some much-needed TLC, yes people could stop pining for a press and curl – and yes Black men rushed to link up with their barber for a shape up.
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But Black barbershops and salons have also long been revered as safe spaces for people to convene and really be seen in more ways than one.
It’s deeply transactional. So, typically, you have your locks seen to by a professional and get given carte blanche to express your innermost thoughts about the topic of the day without fear or favour.
These are spaces where Black people who are far too often ostracised can either laugh or cry, or both, and their lived experiences resonate with those around them in a way that isn’t often guaranteed across wider society.
Marlene Abuah, owner of Natural Gloe hair salon in west London, says she has been inundated with gifts since reopening by clients who missed popping in for their regular appointments.
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“Everyone has come with a gift for me – and some for my kids, even! It’s so nice. Obviously we know that we’re appreciated as stylists but the love has been wonderful,” she told HuffPost UK.
Supplied Natural Gloe Hair
Natural Gloe opened in 2016 and stylists are trained in attending to curly tresses – from Afro to European hair. Their clientele is multicultural and the topic of race, the Black Lives Matter movement and George Floyd’s killing by US police officers has been a topic of discussion.
“For some of my white clients, I’m probably the only Black person that they have contact with,” said Abuah. “For instance, since they’ve now been able to come back and see me, Black Lives Matter has come up and they’ve asked questions that they haven’t asked before and it’s major for them.
“I’m like the first and only Black person that they get to speak to on a personal level because we have this thing that connects us which is curls. Our motto is curls don’t have a race, no background. Curls are curls.
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“They’ve asked questions like: ‘Tell me your experiences’, ‘how have you dealt with what’s been happening?’, ‘let me apologise if I’ve ever been insensitive’. It gives me goosebumps every time I’m able to share something on this topic without having to apologise for being ‘controversial’.
“The salon means so much to our community and they mean so much to us too.”
“The salon means so much to our community and they mean so much to us too.” - Marlene Abuah, Natural Gloe hair salon
For the past 24 years, Garfield Fatal has managed Duell hair salon in Streatham, south London. The lockdown has been difficult for a lot his customers, many of whom relied on the social interactions their visits offered.
One of his clients who lives with mental health issues had a relapse while the shop was closed – something a family member directly attributed to the absence of the salon’s space.
“Being shut was hard...it put a spanner in the works; the first couple of weeks were okay but after a month it became more challenging,” Fatal told HuffPost UK.
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“Obviously they did not have that interaction with us. This time has badly impacted the local community because they could usually come to socialise; Black people are different, our hair is different, we interact differently.”
“There’s a lot of things that Black people face that can impact our quality of life and mental health, so we need one another – and hair salons and barbers are key places where we can talk.” - Garfield Fatal, Duell hair salon
Local residents rejoiced at Duell’s reopening.
Fatal continued: “We always have people from different walks of life coming into the shop. So the conversation is always interesting. People like coming to my salon because they can talk about anything they want to.
“There’s a lot of things that Black people face that can impact our quality of life and mental health, so we need one another – and hair salons and barbers are key places where we can talk. It’s the only place we can talk, really and truly.”
Fatal bemoaned the lack of Black representation in the government and prioritisation of issues that these communities face. A solution, he says, is for decision makers to visit hair salons, barbershops, and take stock of the no-holds-barred discussions.
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Supplied Garfield Fatal
“If politicians – like Boris Johnson, Priti Patel – visit Black hair salons - they’d get an education!” he said. “They’ll see a different side, how people really think; at the moment they don’t engage with our community. And the few Black people they do engage with are the ones who want, or need, to take money, line their pocket and conform.
“In the salon, these are safe spaces where Black people can express themselves without fear of repercussions or losing their jobs.”
Barbara Gayle has been running Ella hair salon in Brixton for over 15 years. She counts many local council workers and media practitioners among her clientele.
“It’s a small business but it has a community spirit where people come in and talk about what’s going on with them; it’s a safety net. They feel safe within this environment,” she told HuffPost UK.
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“I’ve got two clients from Reading who kept asking when they could come. Finally, on July 4, they came and it was such a big thing. They were making orgasmic sounds as their hair was being washed, they were excited.
“One of them said: ‘I didn’t realise how important my hairdresser is’ because this has got everything do with her feelings, her emotions.
“It gives me pleasure to know I’m not just a hairdresser. People need counselling and especially at this time, after being locked away for a long time; they want to sit and talk about their life – and all you have to do is just listen.”
Supplied Barbara Gayle, Ella
Despite the obvious importance of this space, Gayle said many people across wider society don’t understand the importance of hair salons for Black people specifically and how detrimental the Covid-19 pandemic has been to these businesses.
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“The lockdown has thrown our lives upside down,” she added. “It’s exhausting and I’m concerned about whether or not things will ever get back to normal.”
She is calling for the government to ramp up its support of hair salons, lest stylists be forced to give up their shops and “operate underground” while clients remain fearful of venturing outdoors.
“You’ll soon find that people, including those who are not qualified, will start doing people’s hair from their homes and then the tax man won’t get their money! Will that make economic sense? The government should give salons more funding, give more free training and not just treat this as a second-rate job.”
Experienced stylist Lavern Marshall echoed Gayle’s view on how Black salons are seen by those who deem these spaces as alien.
The 48-year-old, who has spent the last six years running her own salon after moving to the UK from Jamaica aged 26, said salons frequented by Black people are too-often judged negatively because of the ethnicity of their clientele.
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“These shops are convenient for people to convene but it can be bad for business when it comes to Black communities because we’re judged when too many of us congregate,” she told HuffPost UK.
“It’s often viewed as a negative thing by wider society when too many Black people are seen to be spending time with friends, enjoying themselves.
“But it’s a place of meeting up and getting to air our views on what’s going on around us; it is an important aspect of our socialising experience.”
Jordan Walters La Bella hair salon
Put simply: Black grooming shops are often microcosms of family households.
Karl Williams – owner of Chic Unique hair salon in Brixton, south London – knows this well.
The 57-year-old has been in the hair industry for over 30 years. Alongside his parents and older brother, Williams set up a salon in 1982 following the Brixton Uprising, or “riots”, of 1981 before setting up base in Acre Lane 10 years ago.
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“One of the things that makes Chic Unique so different is that it’s a family run business so, ultimately, we brought a family vibe to that working environment. We tried to make it a home from home experience – the only difference is you’re getting your hair done,” he told HuffPost UK.
“The Black hair salon is a social hub. You can get an intellectual response to a topic, as opposed to just letting off steam; and nine times out of ten, most people in the shop will get involved in a discussion.”
Supplied Karl card, welcome back card from a 5 year old supporter.
On July 4, Williams enjoyed seeing different people from the community – of all ethnicities – pass by his shop and say how happy they were to see it reopen.
“A five-year-old came in and bought me a card she had made me; it’s the best welcome back you could ever want. For me, that’s what it’s all about: community,” he said.
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Two years ago, the salon owner served five generations of one family in the salon: a great, great grandmother; a great grandmother, grand mother, a daughter and her children.
He added: “It was crazy, being able to touch all of those generations in one family. I think people like the fact that there’s longevity in the service provided at salons – people know and trust you.
“I really enjoy what I do, I enjoy the people that I serve. It’s more about relationships than just a salon – client situation. That’s what I pride myself on as far as what we offer.”
HuffPost UK Karl Williams
Anderson Boyce runs Hair Force 1 – a chain of successful barbershops across east London.
“There is an unquantifiable amount of value to be taken from your local Black barbershop,” he told HuffPost UK.
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“The barbershop is a place where my clients feel a lot more at ease talking to me than they do a doctor, a wife, a mum, a dad – there’s a sense of comfortability, community and it’s almost tangible...you can almost touch it and feel it.
“The relationship is that strong – where even taboo issues can be discussed. People discuss health issues, their feelings, people can offload. These can be moments that change and shape people’s lives for a very long time to come. There’s a wealth of value from the barbershop – a lot more than your haircut.”
Hair Force 1 is transformative to its very core, hosting a training academy in association with Job Centre Plus and the YMCA which equips young people with the experience required to enter the profession.
“It’s way more than you see on the surface; these are life changing places. I’ve lived it, I’ve seen it via the training and education we’ve delivered over the years and I’m watching younger versions of myself gain value, gain a skillset that could possibly change their lives.”
This is something that Boyce can personally attest to.
“I haven’t always been the person you’re talking to now,” he said. “I’ve been misguided, I had a lack of drive and ambition, I’ve been a young Black male going through the struggles of growing up in London – but barbering changed that for me.”
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“Barbershops are a fantastic hub, cornerstone of the neighbourhood and they’re worth a lot more than I think they’re given credit for.”
Supplied Hair Force 1
Elite is a Black hair salon based in Lewisham, south London. Manager Keely Giscombe-Williams calls herself a “psychologist with scissors” – thus is the importance of her business to the local community.
″A lot of people come for the hair, and also come for that chat, and they know that they’ll get confidentiality, they can release emotions and it’s not gonna go anywhere else,” she told HuffPost UK.
“There’s not much of that which goes on as it’s not a private world anymore.”
“I really enjoy what I do, I enjoy the people that I serve. It's more about relationships than just a salon - client situation. That's what I pride myself on as far as what we offer.” - Karl Williams, Chic Unique salon
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Giscombe-Williams has been doing hair for the past 33 years and she said the Black hair salon has always been an institution; at one point, people would even bring their Sunday dinner along to visits in anticipation of a day well spent.
“When I first started out people used to come to the salon and see people they haven’t seen for years,” she said.
“They used to bring their rice and peas and chicken, because back then you stayed all day basically. It was more like a community centre more than anything.”
For Elite’s clientele, the emotional expense of not being able to enter these spaces has been profound – particularly for Black women against the backdrop of a pandemic and racial tension.
“Black women have needed this definitely to release tension especially at a time with Covid-19 and the Black Lives protests, mixed into one. It has been a very testing time,” the salon manager said.
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“It’s been great for them to come in and be able to release that tension and talk about current affairs. I have had a few clients who you could see the weight lifted off of their shoulders just by being able to discuss with people who understand.”
Jordan Walters Ose Ehi, La Bella hair salon
Ose Ehi, owner La Bella hair salon in Thornton Heath, echoed the devastation that Covid-19 has wreaked upon her predominantly Black clientele. The impact has been so profound that many have been scared to leave their homes.
″Black people are dying more from Covid-19; some were scared to come back to the shop and many were enquiring about whether we’re wearing masks and have the correct PPE,” she told HuffPost UK.
“Some are still scared to leave their house, despite the shop being open again. I don’t blame them – I am scared too.”
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“For years, my salon has been an important part of people’s daily life; it’s like a community within the shop – most clients are Black but people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, come and exchange views, talk, compliment each other and not having the space to do that has had a big impact on my customers.
“People know that they are free to express themselves and even be emotional if they need to, they can get a hug and offload their stress. And our key rule across Black salons is: ‘Everything discussed in the shop stays in the shop’. Given the pandemic, we can’t even hug each other at the moment which is tough.”
Evelyn Nakigudde, co-founder of product company Ms Hair, described Black hair salons and barbershops as strong community pillars.
“They are a great place to get guidance directly from hairdressers and other customers who can share advice and tips on hair care by drawing from their own experiences, such as those who experience thinning edges or breakage.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--You Can Still Burn Out While Working From Home. These Are The Signs

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We might be working from home, but that doesn’t mean we can’t burn out from stress. The feeling might be a little different from what we’re used to, though.
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Pop-up offices have appeared in bedrooms across the UK, so the boundaries between work and personal lives are increasingly blurred. It’s all too easy to check emails at 9pm because your laptop is within reach, or skip a lunch break because your head is deep in a project. And while you might not realise it, it’s also all too easy to burn out.
“Working from home provides little opportunity for variety in your working day,” says Lucy Fuller, a UKCP-accredited psychotherapist. “There’s little chance for face-to-face, non-work social interaction and it comes with an intensity that would usually be broken up by travelling and dawdling on your way to work, in your lunch period and also going to meetings outside your place of work.
“Our days are therefore becoming grey and our brains are burning and clouding from sitting in front of a screen for so long. We’re effectively trapped in this way of work without a definite end point to look forward to.”
Psychotherapist Philip Karahassan, a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), doesn’t think people know they can burn out while working from home – “people usually see it as a more relaxing work day, where they can do work at their own pace” – which might mean they’re hurtling headfirst into it.
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MHJ via Getty Images
What actually is burnout?
Last year, burnout was classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an “occupational phenomenon”, legitimising the experiences of many who’ve fallen prey to the problem, also know as vital exhaustion.
“Burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” said WHO. It’s characterised by three factors: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance or negativity surrounding your job; and reduced productivity. Left unchecked, it can cause physical problems too. One study linked the issue to atrial fibrillation (AF) – an irregular heartbeat – which is a major cause of stroke. So what are the signs of burnout at home?
When working from home, feelings of burnout might be slightly different to what we experience while commuting and travelling for work, suggests Fuller. “We can experience a burnout that has less physical symptoms but manifests as more of a mental fuzziness,” she says.
Those experiencing burnout at home might feel tired, confused and become forgetful. Other signs include frustration, anger and sadness.
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Burnout is different for everyone, so it’s important to check in with how you’re feeling and be aware if your feelings or behaviour change. If you do notice a change, don’t ignore it.
Can I prevent it?
Making changes in your work-life routine to prevent burnout is important because, as Fuller points out, when our mood starts to dip, it can be even harder to climb out of our low state of mind.
Taking holiday is a good place to start – especially if you feel like the last few months have been a stressful blur. “Many people have taken their holiday leave, even though they have nowhere to go,” says Fuller. “This might sound mad and a waste of holiday leave but it makes good sense in terms of taking a break and doing something different for a few days away from the pressures of work.”
If you can’t take annual leave, try to separate your work life from your home life as much as you can. Karahassan recommends setting boundaries as soon as possible. “Have a separate place for work, rest, discussion,” he says. “It can be as easy as having a corner of the room which is just for your work.”
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“Something that helped me is having a table for me to sit and do my work rather than the laptop on my legs,” he says. “It’s about making those small changes that go a long way as you are able create a work-life balance.”
Set boundaries with the people around you, too. Make clear what times you’ll be working and when you can spend time with them – and stick to that routine.
You might also want to think about how to create commute-type divides into your working day. “In normal circumstances we have a natural divide, which is your commute, but we now have to create our own transition,” says Fuller. “This might be doing exercise, putting music on that you love or taking a bath.
“Whatever it is, use the activity to shake off your day and draw a line under your work to move into your leisure time.”
What can I do if I feel burnt out already?
First of all, stop and tell yourself you’re doing a great job and take a break outside of your home environment, suggests Karahassan. “Go for a walk, sit on a bench alone. If you can’t go out, go in the shower, wash your face, just do something for you. That five or 10-minute break can give you the space to reset and take control of your thoughts and feelings,” he says.
“Turn off your work screen and indulge yourself in something that brings you joy,” adds Fuller. “You won’t regret it.”
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Avoid unhealthy vices like smoking and drinking and instead try to do things for your mental wellbeing – do some exercise, connect with loved ones, prioritise self-care, sign up to volunteer, and try to work smarter (not harder).
Practising mindfulness can help you live in the moment rather than thinking about the endless Zoom meetings you’ve got coming up. And practising gratitude can promote feelings of positivity – write down three things that went well today, or for which you’re grateful.
Breathing exercises are useful when things feel too much, so take five minutes out of your day, sit comfortably somewhere, and focus on your breath. There are a number of deep breathing apps you can download on your phone to help guide you, or you can find some helpful breathing exercises here.
And if none of this helps and your stress is causing you distress, speak to your GP who can offer psychological support. You can refer yourself for psychological therapy through the NHS IAPT service.
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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).
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--2020-07-19--Black Barbershops And Hair Salons On Why Their Businesses Are Unique Community Hubs

Black Barbershops And Hair Salons On Why Their Businesses Are Unique Community Hubs
Where socialising in pubs is an important working class British tradition, Black barbershops and hair salons have long-been revered as safe spaces for people to convene and really be seen in more ways than one. These black hair styling business owners talk about what it means to be open after Covid-19 lockdown and why they are unique community hubs.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Chi Chi Devayne 'Overwhelmed' By 'Outpouring Of Love' Since Being Hospitalised

RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Chi Chi Devayne has said she’s been “overwhelmed” by the “outpouring of love” she’s received since being hospitalised with suspected kidney failure.
Chi Chi was admitted to hospital earlier this week, telling her Instagram followers: “I have high blood pressure and they’ve said that I’m going through kidney failure.
“So tomorrow they’re going to give me a biopsy on my kidneys and let me know what it is that’s making my blood pressure so high.”
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Chi Chi then disclosed that she’d undergone dialysis treatment to try and “get my kidneys back functioning”, noting: “I let it go too long without going to the doctor and these are the consequences. Take care of your body.”
Chi Chi in her All Stars 3 publicity picture Logo
Since then, Chi Chi’s fans and fellow drag queens have been sending their well wishes, as well as posting her Paypal and Venmo accounts so fans can contribute to her medical bills.
Send a special prayer for my baby Chi chi Devayne. We need to bombard heavens gates.. speak her name and thank God for his will to be done.. speedy recovery baby girl.. — Kennedy Davenport The Dancing Diva of Texas (@kennedyddoftx) July 16, 2020
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Send this angel some love and healing energy. pic.twitter.com/IThNPcKPw1 — Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 17, 2020
Please Send all your love and support to Chichi Devayne 🥺😍🙏🏾
•Venmo - @Zavion-Davenport
•Cashapp - $ZavionDavenport
•Paypal - chichikdevayne@gmail.com
pic.twitter.com/RiKJfzNfMa — The Vixen (@TheVixensworld) July 16, 2020
I don’t believe in much but ALL the love and healing energy to Chi Chi Devayne! Flawless, stunning, and we need her back on the stripper pole in top form! ❤❤❤ pic.twitter.com/G7QX7p8dCD — Trixie Mattel (@trixiemattel) July 16, 2020
Please consider helping our friend Chi Chi Devayne in any way possible. She’s experiencing major medical issues and needs our support and love more than ever ❤
Venmo - @Zavion-Davenport
Cashapp - $ZavionDavenport
Paypal - chichikdevayne@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/oZPykM6rdx — Aquaria 🖤 (@aquariaofficial) July 16, 2020
Let’s help our dear Chi Chi so she can be on her way to a speedy recovery! https://t.co/EhoXHTX0TT — Kim Chi (@KimChi_Chic) July 17, 2020
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Chi Chi – real name Zavion Davenport – has now posted a new video message from her hospital bed on her Instagram story, updating fans about her condition.
“It’s day three, and I’m feeling ‘much bettah’,” she said, referring to fellow Drag Race star Baga Chipz’s catchphrase.
“I’m ready to get the hell out of here. But I know I’ve got to get well first. But I’m ready to go.”
She then wrote: “I see you alls outpouring of love. I promise I’m gonna call y’all back I’m just still overwhelmed.”
Originally hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, Chi Chi made it to the final four in the eighth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
She later returned for the third All Stars run, finishing in eighth place.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--People Are Protesting Against Wearing Masks While... Wearing Masks

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Hundreds of people gathered in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon to protest against wearing face coverings, some of them while wearing actual face coverings.
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The demonstration, organised by Keep Britain Free, was against what organisers called the “liberty-sapping” new rules that will make face masks mandatory in shops later this month in order to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
One protestor held a sign saying “no mask” while wearing a mask that had “fuck masks” written on it.
There's an anti-mask protest going on in Hyde Park right now and this is the calibre of galaxy-brained thinking on display... pic.twitter.com/9K3Eho2XrF — Chris York (@ChrisDYork) July 19, 2020
One man was carrying a mask-wearing doll that said “these masks will not let you breathe oxygen” while wearing a much larger mask in the shape on an alien which read “gagged”.
People attend a protest against the wearing of masks during the coronavirus outbreak, in Hyde Park, London. PA
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Some of those who oppose the wearing of face coverings have made the completely false claim they reduce the bodies of intake of oxygen.
Another protestor went all out and was spotted strolling around wearing a full leather plague mask.
A man wearing a plaque mask attending a protest against the wearing of masks during the coronavirus outbreak, in Hyde Park, London. PA
Others at the protest brandished signs saying “I will be not be masked, tested, tracked” and one man was spotted wearing a t-shirt promoting another completely false conspiracy theory, that 5G causes coronavirus.
PA
One of the organisers, Leah Butler-Smith, told Sky News: “Because the government started out saying ‘there is absolutely no need for a mask’, and many other important scientists have reportedly said the same, it did not make any sense why they suddenly said it was going to be mandated.”
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“If the government really wants to protect the public and give them more confidence then they should stop trying to use the coercion strategy or to make people scared.”
PA


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Toilets For Severely Disabled People Made Compulsory In Every New Building In England

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New buildings in England will be required to include toilets which have been specially adapted to meet the needs of severely disabled people, ministers have confirmed.
According to the Changing Places campaign, at least 250,000 people in the UK are unable to use standard accessible toilets because they do not have changing benches or hoists and are often too small to accommodate carers.
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Campaigners say this means some disabled people feel restricted about leaving their homes – or that they often have to lie down on a dirty bathroom floor.
Changing Places campaigners have called this “dangerous, unhygienic and undignified”.
A government consultation found that there were around 1,300 specially adapted Changing Places toilets in the UK in 2019, up from 140 in 2007.
However, charities say there are still not enough of these facilities in public places.
On Sunday, the government announced that the inclusion of Changing Places toilets would be compulsory in public buildings with a capacity of more than 350 people from January.
Housing minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “For too long, the lack of changing places toilets has meant that severely disabled people have faced severe difficulties in attending public places.
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“We are making the installation of these toilets compulsory in hundreds of new public buildings in years to come to help bring major, life-enhancing freedoms to the more than 250,000 people who need them.”
On top of the changes to building legislation, more funding will be made available to install Changing Places toilets at 37 motorway service stations.
Muscular Dystrophy UK have been at the forefront of the campaign for more Changing Places toilets for years, and have welcomed the announcement which came on Changing Places Awareness Day.
Rob Burley, director of campaigns, care and support at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “This is huge news for the quarter of a million people in the UK who need Changing Places toilets. Having access to these much-needed facilities increases independence and improves quality of life.
“The changes to legislation will make it easier for disabled people and their families to enjoy activities that many take for granted, whether that’s a day at a shopping centre or attending a concert. And the funding for the motorway service stations means people can travel knowing a facility will be available en route.
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“None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our wonderful campaigners. Thanks to everyone working together, we have taken a big step towards ensuring Changing Places toilets will be more widely available to everyone who needs them and to tackling the exclusion people face.”
cezars via Getty Images
James Taylor, executive director of strategy, impact and social change at disability equality charity Scope, said: “This is welcome news for many disabled people and their families, whose needs are too often forgotten.
“Changing Places toilets are currently few and far between, making going out and about incredibly difficult and stressful for disabled people who rely on them.
“Too often we see new buildings created that are inaccessible, which is frustrating for disabled people, and a missed opportunity to make our society more inclusive. Building accessibility in from the start makes it much easier to design buildings that everyone can use.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Donald Trump Thinks '100 Minus Seven' Is A 'Very Hard' Question

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Donald Trump has said he found a cognitive test which requires the identification of common animals and sums such as subtracting seven from 100 was “very hard”.
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, the president was attempting to prove he is smarter than his Democratic rival Joe Biden by referencing a test he took in 2018 that looks for signs of dementia.
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Host Chris Wallace then revealed he too had taken the exam and it was “not the hardest” as one part simply required identifying a drawing of an elephant as an elephant.
"I took the [cognitive] test too, when I heard you passed it. It's not the hardest test. It shows a picture and it says, 'what's that,' and it's an elephant." -- Chris Wallace pushes back on Trump hyping the cognitive test he passed at Walter Reed pic.twitter.com/8Df8Ez10Ma — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 19, 2020
Trump hit back: “Nah, nah, nah, that’s all misrepresentation. Because yes, the first few questions are easy but I bet you couldn’t even answer the last five questions.
“They get very hard, the last five questions.”
To which Wallace responded: “Well one of them was ‘count back from 100 by seven’.
Undeterred, Trump said he could “guarantee you Joe Biden couldn’t answer those questions”, before proudly adding: “And I answered all 25 questions correctly.”
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Trump was referencing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and while the actual questions differ slightly, the following is a representative example.
The last question on this example of the test, which Trump said was “very hard” ones, is “where are you right now and what is the date?”
Montreal Cognitive Assessment
During the same interview, Trump also suggested he will not accept the result of November’s US presidential election if he loses to Biden.
He also repeated his claim that coronavirus will “disappear”, saying: “I’ll be right eventually. I will be right eventually.
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“You know I said, ‘It’s going to disappear.’ I’ll say it again.”
The United States recorded a total of at least 70,674 new Covid-19 infections on Friday after climbing by a record 77,499 a day earlier, the largest increase posted by any country since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.
US deaths on Friday rose by at least 912, the fourth day in a row that fatalities have exceeded 900 a day.
The country has been averaging about 60,000 cases a day in July with cases rising in 41 states on Friday.
Texas and Arkansas reported a record number of deaths on Friday, while Kansas, Ohio, North Dakota and Puerto Rico reported record numbers of infections.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Thousands Attend Illegal Rave At Former Airfield Near Bath

Cars parked near the site of the rave. @JudeAndon
Police are working to disperse hundreds of people from a rave in a disused airfield near Bath, which was attended by some 3,000 people on Saturday night.
The event, at the former Charmy Down airfield in Upper Swainswick, continued throughout the morning and crowds of people are believed to still be on site as of Sunday afternoon, with video footage shared on Twitter appearing to show large crowds partying in daylight.
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With the event audible across Bath, and with reports of some areas of Bristol still within earshot of the music, police were first alerted shortly before 11.30pm on Saturday evening.
Households as far away as Keynsham, some 10 miles from the site, could hear the loud music, ITV reported.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary released a lengthy statement on Sunday afternoon explaining why the event had not been shut down sooner, stating that officers had arrived “within 10 minutes” of the first call – at which point several hundred people were already on site.
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A spokesperson said: “We had dedicated extra patrols on duty last night to respond to any reported unlicensed music events across the force area. These units were immediately deployed to this incident.
“Officers closed off the approach routes, however people were abandoning vehicles and making their way to the site on foot. Officers were still turning vehicles away at 6.40am today, Sunday 19 July.
“A full risk assessment last night concluded that the potential risks to public safety of an intervention to close an event attended by more than 3,000 people in dark and wet conditions were too great.
“There were also other significant incidents across the force area including 120 999 calls which required an immediate police response and the attention of our resources. Therefore the decision was taken to contain the event until daylight hours.”
Reports of the rave circulated quickly on social media, with posts largely bemoaning the volume of the event and raising questions about why it had continued throughout the morning – especially with social distancing rules still in place.
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Scenes from the #BathRave today - cars parked up the motorway, roads blocked by police, ravers still arriving every minute, and music still blasting over #Bath . pic.twitter.com/4vmoqlX12a — Jude Andon (@JudeAndon) July 19, 2020
Given up trying to sleep - illegal rave that @ASPolice seem powerless to stop has kept much of Bath awake most of the night. I would advise sending them packing soon - there are a lot of angry, sleep deprived locals. — Adam Joinson (@joinson) July 19, 2020
@ASPolice @bathlive PLEASE STOP THE RAVE!! Woken up half of Bath Weston,Lansdown, Larkhall Batheaston. — Emma Moxham RN QN (@MoxhamE) July 19, 2020
The force’s chief superintendent Ian Wylie Said: “We’re working with neighbouring forces and other agencies including Bath and North East Somerset Council, highways, and the ambulance service to close down this event in a controlled way and ensure those attending are able to disperse safely.
“We’re sorry for the disruption caused to so many residents by the selfish actions of the organisers of this event and those attending, knowing the problems it would cause and the ongoing risk to public health of large gatherings due to COVID-19.
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“We will take appropriate action against those responsible and would ask anyone with evidence which could help to get in touch, quoting reference 1414 of 18 July.”
The rave comes after a number of illegal events were held throughout the lockdown period, with police attending several gatherings in London.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Donald Trump Suggests He Will Not Accept Presidential Election Result If He Loses

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Donald Trump has suggested he will not accept the result of November’s US presidential election if he loses to Joe Biden.
Speaking to Fox News Sunday, the president once again falsely claimed mail-in voting “is going to rig the election”.
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When pressed by host Chris Wallace if this meant he would not accept the result, he said: “No. I have to see.”
Asked again what this meant, he said: “No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.”
Trump has repeatedly railed against mail-in voting which has been proposed by Democrats as one of the methods that could be used to safely conduct the election during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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Last month the president claimed without evidence that it would allow “foreign countries” to print mail-in ballots and rig the election. Election officials have described such a plot as “preposterous”
RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2020
Just a reminder that if you see unsubstantiated claims that mail voting is "rigged" or that ballots are being printed in foreign countries, that info is FALSE. There is zero evidence to support it, and states have many protections in place to prevent rigging of mail ballots. — David Becker (@beckerdavidj) June 22, 2020
Earlier in the interview Trump was asked about the possibility of losing.
“I’m not a good loser. I don’t like to lose,” he said. “I don’t lose too often. I don’t like to lose.”
During the same interview, Trump also said he found a cognitive test which requires the identification of common animals and sums such as subtracting seven from 100 was “very hard”.
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He also repeated his claim that coronavirus will “disappear”, saying: “I’ll be right eventually. I will be right eventually.
“You know I said, ‘It’s going to disappear.’ I’ll say it again.”
The United States recorded a total of at least 70,674 new Covid-19 infections on Friday after climbing by a record 77,499 a day earlier, the largest increase posted by any country since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.
US deaths on Friday rose by at least 912, the fourth day in a row that fatalities have exceeded 900 a day.
The country has been averaging about 60,000 cases a day in July with cases rising in 41 states on Friday.
Texas and Arkansas reported a record number of deaths on Friday, while Kansas, Ohio, North Dakota and Puerto Rico reported record numbers of infections.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-20--These 'Distance Aware' Badges Let Others Know To Keep 2m Away

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If you’ve started going out more since the easing of lockdown but are worried that people aren’t respecting the 2m rule, a new ‘distance aware’ badge could help offer a polite prompt for them to keep away.
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Those who are anxious about a lack of social distancing, or have been shielding, can now order a badge or lanyard which essentially tells other people: “Help me feel safe. Respect my space.”
The ‘distance aware’ project is the brainchild of Helen Iliff, a trainee anaesthetist at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, who has been shielding since March and was worried about returning to work.
Iliff saw there was a need for some way to prompt others to maintain social distancing – especially as lockdown restrictions ease. So she teamed up with three advertising professionals who had been made redundant – Joe Dennett, Rob Donaldson and Dan Gaffney – to design messaging that encourages just that.
Distance Aware
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The ‘distance aware’ logo comes in the shape of a bright yellow shield with a striped border and a double-ended arrow to highlight the need for physical distancing.
“As people go out and about more, and there are conflicting messages, it is easy for people to forget the importance of social distancing over time,” Joe Dennett tells HuffPost UK.
“The badge acts as a gentle, non-confrontational prompt to respect distance.”
Distance Aware The distance aware badge
Shops and charities can also download posters and social media images to tell customers they are distance aware. If businesses use them, says Dennett, it might also give people confidence to get out more and interact with those organisations, “knowing that others care and want to keep them safe”,
The ‘distance aware’ scheme, launched through the Bevan Commission think tank, is already taking off in Wales where several charities have taken on the designs and created badges or lanyards for people they support.
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Kidney Wales is one of them. The charity identified a need for such a scheme after a poll of 1,749 people in June, including people with kidney disease, found that more that 91% thought it was a good idea to have a badge or similar available to enable individuals to self-identify as vulnerable.
Almost all (99%) of those polled said that if they saw a badge or pin they recognised, they would respect someone’s space and keep their distance.
While the ‘distance aware’ scheme isn’t specifically for shielders, it may help bring peace of mind to the 2 million people for whom shielding will be ‘paused’ from August onwards.
Among this group, the easing of restrictions has been met with a lot of understandable anxiety. Research by Scope found only 5% of disabled people feel safe about shielding being paused and a fifth said they won’t go out until a Covid-19 treatment is available.
Currently, the badges and lanyards are available through NHS Wales health boards to staff and patients – as well as through Kidney Care UK, Marie Curie and Lymphoma Action. The ‘distance aware’ creative team are also in contact with major retailers to try and make them more readily available.
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In the meantime, if you can’t get hold of a badge or lanyard, images of the shields are available to download here – or Dennett recommends making your own badge or lanyard using ‘create your own’ websites.
There has been “overwhelming support” for the initiative so far, with backing from Wales’ first minister, health minister and NHS Wales, he says.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-20--Fleabag's Andrew Scott Has A Special Treat For Theatre-Goers While Auditoriums Remain Closed

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While large public gatherings remain off limits for the time being, Fleabag star Andrew Scott is set to give theatre-goers a special lockdown treat in a bid to ignite the box office.
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Andrew will perform to viewers at home live from The Old Vic in London in a production of the new play Three Kings.
The production will be live-streamed from the empty theatre as part of the In Camera series.
Andrew Scott Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
The Old Vic has said the series is “crucial in igniting the box office now all our usual channels of revenue have been entirely wiped out”.
Three Kings has been penned by Stephen Beresford, who describes it as being about “fathers and sons, the gifts and burdens of inheritance, and the unfathomable puzzle of human relationships”.
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Andrew will take to the stage in five special performances, beginning next week, which will use the empty auditorium as a backdrop.
The Old Vic’s artistic director Matthew Warchus said: “I am hugely grateful to Stephen for writing this play specially for the Old Vic: In Camera series and to Andrew for agreeing to perform it.
“Their generous support of The Old Vic at this critical time and their spirit of adventure in joining us in this crucial fundraising experiment is enormously appreciated.”
The move comes after former The Crown stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith reunited to star in a socially-distanced production of Lungs as part of the series at The Old Vic.
Claire Foy and Matt Smith Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
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The theatre says its In Camera series is a “creative experiment and also crucial in igniting the box office now all our usual channels of revenue have been entirely wiped out and we fight to preserve this beloved theatre for our audiences, surrounding schools and communities, staff, crew, and the myriad of writers, performers and creatives that work with us.”
The government has announced that indoor performances with socially distanced live audiences will be allowed, subject to the success of pilots, from 1 August.
But Jon Morgan, director of Theatres Trust, has warned that the majority of theatres will not be able to reopen while social distancing is still in place because it is not financially viable.
The Old Vic also announced that Dermot O’Leary will host a live one-off Old Vic: In Conversation event with Andrew Scott.
Three Kings will be live streamed for five performances from 29 July to 1 August, with tickets priced from £10 to £40.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-20--UK To Suspend Extradition Treaty With Hong Kong, Announces Dominic Raab

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Dominic Raab has announced he has immediately suspended the UK’s extradition treaty with Hong Kong, amid rising tensions with China.
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The foreign secretary made the move in response to the imposition of a tough new national security law by Beijing which restricts civil liberties in Hong Kong.
The UK has said it violates the Sino-British Joint Declaration which was supposed to guarantee Hong Kong’s way of life for 50 years after the handover of the former British colony in 1997.
Scrapping the extradition treaty would prevent China from asking the UK to return any Hong Kong dissidents who have fled to Britain.
Raab also told MPs an arms embargo on China will be extended to Hong Kong.
“Let me be really clear about this – we want to work with China,” he said.
“But as we strive for that positive relationship, we are also clear sighted about the challenges that lie ahead.”
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The UK has already offered a path to citizenship for three million Hong Kong residents eligible for British National (Overseas) passports – a move that enraged China.
Boris Johnson earlier today said he would be “tough” with China in some areas but would not “completely abandon our policy of engagement”.
“China is a giant factor of geopolitics – it’s going to be a giant factor in our lives and in the lives of our children and grandchildren,” he said.
“There is a balance here. I’m not going to be pushed into a position of becoming a knee-jerk Sinophobe on every issue, somebody who is automatically anti-China.
“But we do have serious concerns. We have concerns about the treatment of the Uyghur minority, obviously – about the human rights abuses.”
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Yesterday Raab also accused Beijing of committing “gross, egregious human rights abuses” against the country’s Uighur population in the north-western Xinjiang province.
The Chinese ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming, told the BBC the UK was “dancing to the tune” of the US and accused Western countries of trying to foment a “new cold war”.
In the combative interview he also refused to explain drone footage of people handcuffed and blindfolded in China.
Beijing was already smarting over the UK’s decision last week to exclude the tech giant Huawei from the UK’s 5G network – reversing a decision in January allowing it a limited role.
It has been reported that in response Chinese-owned TikTok could scrap plans to open a global headquarters in Britain.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-20--The UK And US Were Ranked Top For Pandemic Preparedness. What Went Wrong?

In October 2019, an extensive report two years in the making placed the US and the UK first and second respectively in a global ranking of countries’ pandemic preparedness.
Even more impressively, Britain led the world in a sub-section on a country’s ability to respond rapidly and halt the spread of devastating diseases.
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A year later, the US and the UK have been crippled both physically and economically by coronavirus. So what went wrong?
In short, everyone did what they were supposed to when Covid-19 hit – except the politicians.
Health secretary Matt Hancock in Downing Street in February ASSOCIATED PRESS
The report
The Global Health Security (GHS) Index was the most comprehensive global study on pandemic preparedness to date. It was a collaboration between the John Hopkins University, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and the Nuclear Health Initiative (NTI).
Its results were relatively unsurprising – wealthier countries tend to be better prepared than poor ones.
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Global Health Security Index Statista/Global Health Security Index
The report did not go unnoticed – here’s a picture of President Trump waving the very same chart around at a press briefing at the White House in February last year, while assuring his country that all would be well.
One year later and more than 400,000 Americans have died of coronavirus
Global Health Security Index Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
The scores
Overall, the US and the UK topped the chart, scoring 83.5 and 77.9 respectively – but the conclusion of the report was sobering.
“No country is fully prepared for epidemics or pandemics,” it read. “Collectively, international preparedness is weak.”
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Still, a few months later – and certainly in February, when Trump was touting America’s score in the survey – the findings suggested both countries would fare better than most as the pandemic progressed.
The reality
As you will no doubt be aware, the US and the UK are two of the hardest hit countries in the world, with the UK this week passing the grim milestone of 100,000 dead.
Statista Statista
The subsections
Key to understanding this massive discrepancy is how the GHS Index was compiled.
Jessica Bell, NTI’s co-lead on the project, told HuffPost UK: ”[The report] measures six categories and in each we drill down into 140 questions. We examine data that speaks to legislation, regulations, plans, academic publications and things of that nature.
“It was years in the making.”
In those six subsections, the UK’s score varied wildly.
The planning
In those subsections that looked at planning for a pandemic, the UK scored highly – successive governments for years have compiled, maintained. and updated national plans on how to cope specifically with influenza pandemics.
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Academics, think tanks and health bodies all did what was required of them and contributed to plans that were in place in case the worst happened.
In 2011 the Department of Health published the “influenza pandemic preparedness strategy”, and it was updated regularly and remained the go-to document when coronavirus struck.
The GHS Index highlighted this in its third subsection, titled “rapid response to and mitigation of the spread of an epidemic”.
Explaining what they examined, Priya Bapat of the EIU told HuffPost UK: “So, do you have these emergency plans in place and do they cover lots of different types of diseases?
“Do they incorporate planning for vulnerable populations? We looked at exercising response plans, so – you have these plans on paper but, in the last year, have you actually tested them out in a scenario planning exercise?
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“Do they have a plan on how to communicate with the public?”
When it came to the UK, the answers were “yes, yes, yes and yes” and it scored 91.9 out of 100, more than 10 points ahead of any other country.
The implementation
But the UK didn’t score quite so well on subsection six, which looked at how well a country can actually implement the plans it has.
“Six looks at aspects that aren’t traditionally looked at like the strength of the government and social economic risks and infrastructure,” said Bapat.
“And if you look at the UK, some of the areas where it scored lower have been the story of this outbreak. One aspect in particular – when you look at high income European countries, the UK has the lowest doctors per capita than any of those countries except for Poland.
“There’s been huge underinvestment in the NHS and that’s shown itself in the number of health care workers per capita.”
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This underinvestment has of course been thanks to a decade of austerity under a Conservative government. But this still can’t explain why the UK has so far fared worse than countries with inferior healthcare systems – like Vietnam, for example.
To explain that we have to look to our political leaders.
The leadership
The UK had the plans, so why didn’t they work?
“Even though the US and the UK had the best environments in terms of plans in place and thinking about what they would need in terms of capacity,” said Bapat, “when it came to the moment that everyone had been preparing for, the decision-making really hampered the actual ability of the country to respond.”
Documenting the UK government’s delayed response to the pandemic is an ongoing process but there are already a number of things the public inquiry that Boris Johnson has committed to might want to examine.
The nationwide lockdown was by some accounts too late and “cost a lot of lives”; face masks in shops are only being made mandatory on July 24 after months of dithering; contact tracing has been discussed endlessly but is still not up and running; and quarantine rules have changed like the seasons.
Then there’s the way the government has let down Black, Asian and minority ethnic people, who have been worse hit by coronavirus than their white counterparts despite repeated warnings being sounded. That has already been the subject of a review, but it was heavily criticised for containing little new information and making no recommendations.
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Statista
Asked about the biggest factor in the current situations facing both the UK and the US, Bell said: “If I was going to put my finger on any one large influencer, it would be the political leadership.”
In a statement, a UK government spokesperson told HuffPost UK: ”Every death is a tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with all those who have lost loved ones.
“The government has been working day and night to battle against the pandemic and has taken swift action to protect our NHS, and save lives and livelihoods.
“Our approach continues to be guided by scientific and medical experts, and we have never shied away from lifesaving measures, including restrictions and lockdown measures.
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“This is an unprecedented situation and we have made significant strides in our response to tackling Covid-19 including building the largest diagnostic testing system in British history from scratch and developing the biggest vaccination programme the NHS has ever had.