thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--UK Scientists Relied On Wikipedia During Early Stages Of Coronavirus Pandemic

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The UK’s scientific advisers to the government were forced to scour Wikipedia in the early stage of the pandemic because of a lack of data about the spread on coronavirus in other countries.
A BBC documentary that airs on Thursday, Lockdown 1.0 – Following the Science?, hears from top scientists at the heart of Britain’s response to the virus, and paints a picture of a country unprepared to reduce its spread.
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Among those to speak out were members of the the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), which reports to the influential Scientific Advisory Committee for Emergencies (Sage).
Professor Ian Hall of the University of Manchester, who is deputy chair of SPI-M, said: “The public may be surprised that we were using Wikipedia to get data very early on in the pandemic, but that was really the only data that was publicly available that we could access.”
Dr Thibaut Jombart, an academic at Imperial College London and member of SPI-M, who spent six months in the Democratic Republic of Congo fighting Ebola, added that there was a big gap in the basic epidemiological information they were drawing from.
He said the Covid-19 data situation was “less good in the UK” than the Ebola data in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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By the middle of March, it became clear that the official number of daily cases being reported by the government – around 450 – was incorrect, but the extent to which it was incorrect was not clear.
Professor Mark Jit, an academic at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and member of SPI-M, had to extrapolate more accurate information by comparing the number of hospitalisations in China and Northern Italy to the actual data available in the UK.
Jit said: “We were predicting that there were probably close to 100,000 cases each day. This was extremely worrying because 100,000 new cases would mean that about a week later we would get 20,000 new hospital patients a day.”
Dr Nick Davies from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a member of SPI-M, said that the NHS data some modellers were using was “in some cases up to a week old” by the time they were able to use it.
“That was the first time when I started to feel like things really were not in control,” he says.
He believes the subsequent delay in lockdown cost lives and “had lockdown been imposed a week earlier, we may have avoided about half or slightly more than half the number of deaths”.
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Boris Johnson announced a complete national lockdown on March 23 – exactly one week after receiving inaccurate advice from Sage about Covid-19’s doubling time.
The documentary has also revealed that the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), which advises ministers, had no specialists on the spread of the disease among humans at the start of the outbreak.
Professor Calum Semple, an academic at the University of Liverpool and member of NERVTAG, said: “Quite a few of us had read the literature for SARS and MERS” but there was no particular specialist who has just focused their entire life on human coronaviruses.
Professor David Matthews, of the University of Bristol, who has been studying viruses for over 30 years, told the BBC that he would have expected to have been consulted on the virus as one of only a handful of UK human coronavirus specialists.
He told the programme that at the time they were one of the only teams that were working on human coronaviruses in the UK.
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Matthews said: “You have to remember there are not many corona virologists in the UK at all. I half expected someone in the government to say: ‘Is there anybody who’s got a containment facility and working on dangerous human coronaviruses right now?’ And that didn’t happen.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told the BBC: “Covid-19 is a novel virus – we drew on the relevant expertise.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Boris Johnson Promises The Military An Extra £16.5bn

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Boris Johnson is to unveil what is being billed as the biggest programme of investment in Britain’s armed forces since the end of the Cold War.
The prime minister will set out a four-year financial deal for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to “transform” the military, developing cutting-edge capabilities in the future battlefields of cyber and space.
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It will include the creation of an agency dedicated to artificial intelligence, and a “space command” capable of launching the UK’s first rocket by 2022.
The plan – to be announced in the Commons on Thursday – will see the MoD get an additional £16.5 billion over and above the government’s manifesto commitment to a 0.5% real terms increase for each year of the Parliament.
The move will come as a relief for military chiefs who have been pressing for a multi-year settlement to enable them to plan effectively for the future.
It is thought their demands were being resisted by the Treasury, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak holding out for a one-year deal – along with the rest of Whitehall – in next week’s spending review.
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Mr Johnson said the settlement reflected the need to upgrade Britain’s military capabilities “across the board” amid an international situation “more perilous” than at any time since the Cold War.
“I have taken this decision in the teeth of the pandemic because the defence of the realm must come first,” the prime minister said.
“The international situation is more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold War and Britain must be true to our history and stand alongside our allies. To achieve this we need to upgrade our capabilities across the board.
“This is our chance to end the era of retreat, transform our armed forces, bolster our global influence, unite and level up our country, pioneer new technology and defend our people and way of life.”
The announcement marks the first phase of the government’s Integrated Review of the UK’s foreign, defence, development and security policy, with the final conclusions due to be unveiled next year.
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Officials said it would cement the UK’s position as the largest defence spender in Europe and the second largest in Nato.
As well as promising a new space command, the Prime Minister will also set out plans for a national cyber force to protect the country from attack.
Boris Johnson flies a Black Hornet nano drone during a meeting with military personnel on Salisbury plain training area. POOL New / Reuters
It will be underpinned by of an additional £1.5 billion investment in military research and development with a commitment to invest further in the Future Combat Air System to develop the next generation of fighters for the RAF.
Downing Street said that together, the various projects were expected to create up to 10,000 thousand jobs a year across the UK.
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Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “This is excellent news for defence, and provides us with the financial certainty we need to modernise, plan for the future and adapt to the threats we face.
“It demonstrates the prime minister’s recognition of how important defence is to our resilience and to the reputation of the United Kingdom.
“This settlement secures UK jobs and livelihoods, allows us to invest in our fantastic shipyards and aerospace industry, spreading prosperity to every corner of the UK.
“Next year represents a huge opportunity for this country, and defence will be at the forefront of creating the jobs and business opportunities that will help us build back from the pandemic.”
Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey said: “This signals a welcome and long overdue upgrade to Britain’s defences after a decade of decline.
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“Since 2010 the size of the armed forces has been cut by a quarter, defence spending was cut by over £8 billion and the defence budget has a £13 billion black hole.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Why Boris Johnson Is Still Dreaming Of A Nice Christmas

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As the dark nights of winter keep on drawing in, any glimmer of hope on Covid really is welcome. Today, there were several shafts of light coming from the end of the tunnel, although blurred by the inevitable caveats and qualifications.
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First, the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech reported a 95% effectiveness (including among adults over 65 years old). It is set to be given emergency approval in the US “within days” and our own MHRA regulator looks poised to fast-track its own authorisation. Matt Hancock’s hope of getting it to the most vulnerable from December 1 may even be met.
Second, the cheaper and easier to administer Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is due to report its phase 3 trial progress very soon. Given that the UK has ordered 100m doses of this vaccine (we have ordered 40m of the Pfizer one) that would be another huge morale boost.
Third, and this is the most tentative glimmer of hope of all, today’s UK daily Covid case number dipped below the magic 20,000 level (to 19,609). That matters because it is the lowest daily total since November 2 and well below the rolling seven day average. One day’s number can never be relied on but if it is followed tomorrow with a lower number, the corner may finally have been turned.
On Monday, NHS Test and Trace’s Susan Hopkins had said that if the lockdown is working “we will start to see cases decline over the next week”. Everyone in No.10 and outside it will be hoping that her assessment is right. At a separate briefing today, Hopkins and deputy chief scientist Angela McLean said a family Christmas was “possible” as long as people followed the rules.
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But here’s where the good news is tempered with cold reality. Both scientists stressed that tight restrictions may be needed before and after any Christmas break in order to keep the virus under control. And then Hopkins came out with her striking line that for “every day that we release, we will need two days of tighter restrictions”.
With the overnight speculation that a five-day loosening for Christmas was likely, that suggested a 10-day tightening afterwards. But when Public Health England told SkyNews later that in fact the Sage research (as yet unpublished) suggested five days for every day of relaxation, we were suddenly looking at a 25-day mini-lockdown to pay for the festive excess. That’s quite the New Year hangover.
The difficulty with this 5:1 ratio in the Sage research is of course that it suggests that any relaxation after December 2, when the current lockdown (McLean had to correct herself for using that word today, hastily using the No.10 approved “national measures” instead) may need some lengthy correctives.
With “non-essential” high street shops relying on even a slimmed down Christmas shopping season, will they face a long closure period in January? If pubs and restaurants reopen for a few weeks, will they then have to shut down again in 2021? Given that Liverpool’s Tier 3-plus seems to have got case numbers down, we could see that in other parts of the country. Prof Neil Ferguson has suggested hospitality should stay closed before Xmas.
The encouraging news for Boris Johnson is that the lag in the system means that for a couple of weeks after the lockdown ends on December 2, the case numbers could keep coming down. The danger is that the relaxation would kick in around December 16, the week before Christmas when many may be hitting the streets hardest in search of shopping or entertainment.
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If there is on top of that another relaxation on household mixing (and on the Rule of Six) to allow for larger family gatherings for five days over the holiday period itself, there could be a bumper bulge in numbers that only a really tough January and February could counter. The prospect of a mini ‘third wave’ of Christmas Covid suggests a government policy process that would make a yo-yo diet look healthy.
Of course, the simple fact may be that Johnson is preparing for a Christmas relaxation simply because he believes most of the public will take matters into their own hands anyway. Better to tweak the rules than have them bent or broken, the logic goes. Also, schools being off for a fortnight may help counter the short relaxation in other rules.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Len McCluskey Blasts 'Vindictive' Keir Starmer For Banning Jeremy Corbyn From Being A Labour MP

General Secretary of Unite the Union, Len McCluskey Simon Dawson / Reuters
Unite boss Len McCluskey has called Keir Starmer “vengeful and vindictive” for his decision to block Jeremy Corbyn from being a Labour MP.
Starmer decided not to restore the Labour whip to Corbyn on Wednesday, even though his predecessor’s party membership has been reinstated by the Labour’s ruling body.
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The watchdog found the party committed unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination while Corbyn was leader.
In response Corbyn said allegations about anti-Semitism had been “dramatically overstated” by his political opponents.
McCluskey led calls from the Labour left for Starmer to “pull back from the brink” and urged him “in the strongest possible terms” to reconsider his decision.
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The union leader tweeted that he was “astonished”, and added: “This is a vindictive and vengeful action which despoils party democracy and due process alike and amounts to overruling the unanimous decision of the NEC panel yesterday to readmit him to the party.”
After clarifying his remarks on Tuesday, Corbyn was reinstated as a member, but Starmer said Corbyn’s original remarks “undermined” the party’s work rebuilding trust with Jewish communities.
McCluskey added he believed the move by Starmer, who took over from Corbyn in April showed “marked bad faith”.
He said: “The continued persecution of Jeremy Corbyn, a politician who inspired millions, by a leadership capitulating to external pressure on Party procedures risks destroying the unity and integrity of the Party. I urge Keir Starmer in the strongest terms to pull back from the brink.”
Former Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn (right) alongside Keir Starmer during a press conference in central London. PA Wire/PA Images
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The Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs, which includes former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, also issued a joint statement opposing the decision.
Signed by 32 MPs, it said it was “correct” of the National Executive Committee to reinstate Corbyn’s membership, adding: “In light of this, the decision to not restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn is wrong and damaging to the Labour Party.
“This decision and the division it causes severely undermines efforts to unite to defeat antisemitism and fully implement the EHRC recommendations and to challenge and defeat this disastrous Conservative government.
“It should be swiftly reversed.”
Momentum, the campaign group launched to support Corbyn’s leadership, called the decision a “joke” and has started a petition.
The petition read: “In his leadership campaign, Starmer promised party unity and progressive policy. So far he’s launched a vindictive campaign against everyone from Corbyn to CLP members, and done a U-turn on the public ownership of the big energy companies.
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“Rather than fighting a corrupt Tory party, he’s trying to destroy the left.”
The petition has so far received just over 1,000 signatures.
Starmer’s decision has, however, been welcomed by Jewish groups and prominent Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who was reportedly prepared to resign from the party.
A snap YouGov poll found that 50% of the public thought Starmer was right not to allow Corbyn’s return to the Labour benches, while 21% thought he was wrong.
YouGov poll YouGov poll
Starmer said: “Jeremy Corbyn’s actions in response to the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights) report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party’s ability to tackle anti-Semitism.
“In those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn. I will keep this situation under review.
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“Since I was elected Labour leader, I have made it my mission to root out antisemitism from the Labour Party.
“I know that I will judged on my actions, not my words.
“The disciplinary process does not have the confidence of the Jewish community. That became clear once again yesterday.
“It is the task of my leadership to fix what I have inherited. That is what I am resolute in doing and I have asked for an independent process to be established as soon as possible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Tory MP Michael Fabricant Appears To Suggest Muslims Can't Be English

Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, during the Conservative Party Conference at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, Manchester, in 2019 NurPhoto via Getty Images
Tory MP Michael Fabricant appeared to suggest Muslims could not be English when he accused a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain of damaging “Anglo-Muslim relations”.
It came in a debate about Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, with Miqdaad Versi, the council’s media spokesperson, insisting on Twitter there were “hundreds” of examples of anti-Muslim prejudice in the party.
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But Fabricant – the MP for Lichfield – disregarded these claims, writing: “Mr Versi. I have read your unpleasant tweets about the #Conservative Party. The @Conservatives have NOT been investigated by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.”
In a now-deleted tweet, he went on to add: “Your spite and unpleasantness neither does the cause of tolerance in this country nor the cause of Anglo-Muslim relations any good at all.”
Fabricant later admitted to HuffPost UK the tweet had been “sloppily worded” but stopped short of apologising.
In a now-deleted tweet, Fabricant used the phrase 'Anglo-Muslim relations' Screenshot from Twitter
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The bizarre wording led some – including Versi – to accuse Fabricant of implying that Muslims could not be English.
As part of Conservative MP Michael Fabricant's attack on me for highlighting Islamophobia in the Conservative Party, he chose to imply English & Muslim are separate categories by saying I am harming "Anglo-Muslim relations".
This is totally unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/IPcWx0KWEe — Miqdaad Versi (@miqdaad) November 18, 2020
Here @Mike_Fabricant
a) suggests that the problem here is @miqdaad for tweeting links to news stories about examples of racism/islamaphobia, not the actual behaviour in question.
b) implies Muslims like @miqdaad aren't actually English/British. https://t.co/dtdTOwwcM0 — Jonathan Portes (@jdportes) November 18, 2020
Anglo-Muslim relations? What about British Muslims? An insight into ‘otherness’. https://t.co/fk9rbIIDof — Andrea Catherwood (@acatherwoodnews) November 18, 2020
Fabricant later deleted the tweet, publishing a new version that replaced “Anglo-Muslim relations” with “relations between Muslims and non-Muslims”.
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However, he accused Versi of “deliberately milking and misreading” his original message.
This character is deliberately milking and misreading the fact that I criticise his tweets for being divisive, damaging to Muslim-nonMuslim relations in this country all for his own ends, and not calling out #LabourAntisemitism.
Nationality & religion are NOT the same thing. https://t.co/cfqkT9fXlf — Michael Fabricant 🇬🇧 (@Mike_Fabricant) November 18, 2020
“This character is deliberately milking and misreading the fact that I criticise his tweets for being divisive, damaging to Muslim-nonMuslim relations in this country all for his own ends, and not calling out #LabourAntisemitism,” he wrote.
“Nationality & religion are NOT the same thing.”
Asked on Twitter why he had deleted his original tweet, he wrote: “I deleted it because some people chose to misinterpret it.
“I replaced it with Muslims and non-Muslims which is clearer. Religion/no-religion and nationality are two different matters. I hope that answer is helpful.”
In a statement, Fabricant told HuffPost UK: “My tweet was sloppily worded and the Twitteratii have seized on it.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--The Crown's Emma Corrin Addresses Reports Real-Life Royals Are Not Happy With Her Portrayal Of Diana

The Crown newcomer Emma Corrin has spoken out amid claims that the real-life royal family are unimpressed with the events depicted in the new series of the Netflix drama.
Emma joined The Crown for its fourth season, which debuted over the weekend, and has already received huge critical acclaim for her portrayal of Princess Diana.
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However, it seems not everyone is a fan.
During an interview on Tamron Hall’s US talk show, the host referred to reports that claimed the royals are “not happy” about the “portrayal of Diana and Charles’ marriage”, asking Emma for her take on the matter.
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in The Crown Des Willie/Netflix
“It’s a difficult one,” she responded. “I think for everyone in the The Crown, we always try and remind everyone that the series we are in is fictionalised, to a great extent.
“Obviously it has its roots in reality and in some fact, but Peter Morgan’s scripts are works of fiction.”
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Emma continued: “At the same time, I understand why people would be upset, because this is history… and even with Diana, you know, it’s still very much fresh, I suppose, everything that happened. So I do really understand if people would be upset.
“But obviously, for all of the cast, we just want to constantly remind people that we approach these people that we play as characters, which is why it’s such a joyous job, because Peter writes such rich and complex characters, and as an actor it’s such a joy to be able to really bring a lot to them.”
Emma on set with co-stars Olivia Colman and Josh O'Connor Des Willie/Netflix
One in particular is a letter sent by Lord Mountbatten to Prince Charles in the show, which did not actually happen in reality.
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While many, including Piers Morgan, have criticised the decision to add this scene, The Crown co-creator Peter Morgan recently said: “What we know is that Mountbatten was really responsible for taking Charles to one side at precisely this point and saying, ‘Look, you know, enough already with playing the field, it’s time you got married and it’s time you provided an heir’.
“As the heir I think there was some concern that he should settle down, marry the appropriate person and get on with it.
In my own head I thought that would have even greater impact on Charles if it were to come post-mortem, as it were. I think everything that’s in that letter that Mountbatten writes to Charles is what I really believe, based on everything I’ve read and people I’ve spoken to, that represents his view.
“We will never know if it was put into a letter, and we will never know if Charles got that letter before or after Mountbatten’s death, but in this particular drama, this is how I decided to deal with it.”
All four series of The Crown are now available to watch on Netflix.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Boris Johnson Suffers Another Lords Defeat Over His Hardline Brexit Bill

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Boris Johnson has suffered yet another Lords defeat over his Brexit plans, as Tory peers rebelled against an attempted “power grab” over devolved nations.
Peers voted by 367 to 209 for a cross-party amendment that would prevent Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from being “bypassed” once the UK’s transition period out of the EU ends on December 31.
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The latest rebellion guts another key section of the PM’s landmark Internal Markets Bill, which has already suffered one of the biggest Lords defeats in history over its provisions to break international law.
Nicola Sturgeon has already called the bill “a full-frontal assault on devolution” because it hands to London previous EU powers over food safety, minimum pricing, environmental policy and animal health and welfare.
Johnson is already under fire over the issue after he told MPs this week that “devolution has been a disaster north of the border”.
And peers warned that the campaign for Welsh independence would take off too if they bill was passed in its current form.
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Peers voted for an amendment tabled by independent crossbencher Lord Hope of Craighead, a retired Scottish judge who was the first deputy president of the Supreme Court, to protect “common frameworks” across the whole of the UK.
A total of 15 Tory rebels defied the government whip.
Former Tory Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay and former Tory minister Lord Bourne both joined the rebellion against “top-down imposed direction from the centre”.
Ex-solicitor general Lord Garnier warned the unamended bill would “hasten the break up of the UK” by fuelling further resentment in Scotland.
House of Lords PA Archive/PA Images
In a withering speech, former judge Lord Hope claimed the bill was typical of “an uncompromising, careless style of government ...that has no place in our democracy”
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“Not only does the bill ignore the common frameworks process, it destroys one of the key elements in that process, which brought the devolved administrations into it in the first place,” he said.
“It destroys policy divergence. It destroys those administrations’ ability through that process to serve the interests of their own people and innovate.”
The PM already faces huge challenges over the Brexit legislation, with incoming US president Joe Biden suggesting that it poses a threat to the Northern Ireland peace process and the EU threatening legal action over its bid to breach the withdrawal treaty signed earlier this year.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--186,000 Covid Tests Are Being Wasted Each Day. Here’s How They Could Be Used

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More than 1.3m coronavirus tests went unused in the UK last week, HuffPost UK analysis has found.
Testing capacity varies slightly day to day but never dipped below 504,595 in the seven days up to and including Monday, according to the government’s own figures.
But the most tests carried out in a single day was just 382,110, and the number fell as low as 234,189. On average, capacity for 186,081 tests went unused each day.
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The government has announced that two new laboratories are to open in early 2021, which will increase its daily Covid-19 testing capacity by 600,000.
Testing capacity has been a sore point for the government, which set itself a string of targets for the beleaguered Test and Trace service over the summer and claimed to have met them in some cases not by carrying out an actual number of tests but by saying it had achieved the capacity to do so.
The DHSC said capacity now was being increased to accommodate spikes – such as that seen in September with the return of schools – and falls in demand, as is the case at weekends for both in-person testing and in care homes.
91-year-old Salina Ward gazes at grandson Levi, one, from her bed in a care home. She has not seen him in the flesh since March Supplied
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It claims: “It is useful to create more capacity than needed, as it enables us to work to improve turnaround times for tests and consider expanding testing to new use-cases, such as asymptomatic testing of NHS staff, mass testing in Liverpool, and testing of contacts.”
But all that assumes there isn’t currently a desperate unmet need for testing that the unused capacity could go towards.
No one is disputing that creating more capacity is useful, but the government would not say why it hadn’t found a use each day for the huge numbers of extra tests.
Nor would a spokesperson answer questions as to where the increased capacity would be used next, or how the government would prevent such high levels of underuse going forward.
In case they’re struggling, we’ve helpfully rounded up four places the government could have used those 1.3m tests last week.
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Care homes
Keeping care home residents safe has been particularly challenging during the pandemic – as has finding ways for families to visit their loved ones.
During the first lockdown, many in care homes were unable to see visitors at all as restrictions were so stringent, leaving them devastatingly lonely – especially those who couldn’t understand what was happening.
It comes after Charity John’s Campaign says limiting family visits for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients has contributed to the 79% rise in deaths between March and September recently reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The charity and its supporters are urging for visitors to be offered testing so homes can allow them in to see their families.
Otherwise, they face the prospect of using “pods” with floor to ceiling screens and separate entrances, or seeing their loved ones wheeled to the window and trying to communicate through glass.
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Carol Milnes’ mother Margaret Johnson, 86, has been in a care home in Yorkshire for more than two years and suffers from dementia.
Milnes has also been calling for weekly testing to allow her access to her mother, who weeps at their window exchanges because she does not understand why she cannot see her daughter in the flesh.
There is hope in the form of a pilot, where family and friends of people in 20 care homes across Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall are getting access to regular testing to allow them to visit. It started on Monday and could be rolled out to other regions before Christmas.
But shadow care minister Liz Kendall said it was not good or quick enough, adding: “There simply isn’t enough time for many of those living in care homes to wait and watch for a pilot scheme or another set of guidelines, we need action now.”
The Alzheimer’s Society fears it is “too little too late” for those who have been waiting eight months to see their loved ones.
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More testing of key workers
The government hopes to implement twice-weekly testing of all patient-facing health service staff within the next six weeks.
NHS chief exec Sir Simon Stevens said new tests and increased capacity mean that testing for all frontline workers is achievable regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Earlier this month, Sarah-Jane Marsh, the outgoing director of testing at NHS Test and Trace suggested that routine staff testing would occur on a weekly basis, but on Wednesday the NHS told HuffPost UK that the asymptomatic staff testing would take place twice as often.
But testing staff daily could significantly reduce the risk to them and others of spreading the infection unknowingly.
At the other end of the scale, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle called for all MPs to be tested daily back in September as a means of allowing the House to return to some semblance of normality. There is currently no asymptomatic testing of MPs taking place, though some may feel this is not a significant priority when they can participate by video link.
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More testing of schoolchildren
Calls were made in September to test asymptomatic students regularly as a means of helping keep schools open.
This has not happened and the number of students missing out on education as a result of coronavirus has soared in recent weeks. The NHS website states: “Asymptomatic testing is provided only in specific circumstances and on the recommendation of public health experts.”
Latest figures from the National Education Union found more than 600,000 pupils did not attend school for coronavirus-related reasons and one in six secondary pupils were not in school last week.
Almost two thirds of secondary schools had pupils self-isolating, up from 38% the week before. The proportion of primary schools affected has doubled from 11% to 22%.
“The level of testing amongst school-age children has actually fallen in recent weeks,” the union said in a press release. “This means that only a tiny proportion of pupils with coronavirus are self-isolating. We call on the government to take urgent steps to massively increase the level of testing for school pupils.”
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Jury members
Jury trials have resumed after the courts were completely shut down during the first lockdown – resulting in a backlog of nearly half a million criminal cases as of June, according to the Ministry of Justice. That’s a 44% increase year-on-year and the highest number since 2012, when records began.
However, a number of trials have had to be paused as jury members have tested positive for the virus.
Last week a murder trial had to be halted at Maidstone Crown Court when three jurors were confirmed to have the virus and fourth reported symptoms.
England and Wales’s most senior judge has warned it will become an “increasing problem” if the pandemic is not contained.
Speaking to the Justice Committee, Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett of Maldon told MPs: “That’s deeply regrettable. This is going to become, I think, an increasing problem in the event that Covid is not contained.
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“And also there is undoubtedly a potential problem from people receiving messages from track and trace which are by their nature very precautionary but nonetheless requiring them or at least advising them [...] to stay away.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Amanda Holden's Margaret Thatcher Impression Has Us Convinced The Crown Should Have Signed Her Up

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From singing, to judging to presenting, Amanda Holden already has plenty of strings to her bow – but we can now add another.
The Britain’s Got Talent star has revealed she has a hidden talent of her own, after unveiling her dead-on Margaret Thatcher impression.
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In fact, it’s that good that we’re convinced The Crown producers should have signed her up.
Amanda did the impression for her Heart Breakfast co-hosts Jamie Theakston and Ashely Roberts on Wednesday, leaving them astounded.
“I used to do that when I was eight,” Mandy revealed. “Along with Gladys Pugh from Hi-De-Hi!”
Revealing the key to her Thatcher impression – whilst in character – Amanda said it was all in making the words “long and measured”, with “a slight head tilt”.
The former prime minister is played by Gillian Anderson in the fourth series of The Crown, which debuted on Netflix last Sunday.
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Gillian Anderson plays Margaret Thatcher in The Crown Des Willie/Netflix
And while the Sex Education star has already won plaudits for her portrayal, we can’t help but wonder what Mandy would have brought to the role...


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--Michael B. Jordan Revealed As People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' In The Most 2020 Way

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Michael B. Jordan is People magazine’s 2020 ‘Sexiest Man Alive’.
The 33-year-old actor, known best for his performances in Creed and Black Panther, was revealed Tuesday night as the winner of this year’s title on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
To up the suspense and drive down the risk of spreading Covid-19, the actor arrived on stage in a bright yellow hazmat suit and revealed himself only when an audience member correctly guessed who he was.
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In an interview with the magazine, Michael said the women in his family were “definitely proud of this one.”
“When my grandmother was alive, it was something that she collected, and then my mom naturally reads it a lot and my aunts as well. This is one that they’re definitely going to have a special place for,” he said.
“My grandma lookin down talkin bout ‘that’s my baby,’” he added in an Instagram post about his new title.
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He joins the likes of John Legend, Idris Elba, Chris Hemsworth, Channing Tatum and David Beckham who have all been previous winners of the accolade.
John Legend, the 2019 winner, said he was more than happy to pass on the torch.
“I’ve appreciated the whole experience and I’ve been trying to have a lot of fun with it, but I’m so ready to relinquish this title,” he told People.
In concert with his critically acclaimed acting performances in Just Mercy and the historic Black Panther film, Michael has fought for justice off the screen, too.
He’s been an active voice in the Black Lives Matter movement and advocated for voter registration ahead of the 2020 election.
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He said he hopes in the coming decade to maybe direct and produce more, and act less.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-18--England Will Need Five Days Of Lockdown For Every Day Off At Christmas, Says PHE

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An extra five days of strict lockdown measures will have to be imposed for every single day the rules are relaxed over Christmas, Public Health England has confirmed.
It is a significantly bleaker picture than the one painted by PHE deputy director Dr Susan Hopkins on Wednesday morning when she told a Downing Street press conference that “for every day that we release, we will need two days of tighter restrictions”.
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PHE has now corrected Hopkins’s statement and said the epidemiologist meant to say five days of restrictions would be needed per day of relaxation to keep coronavirus infections under control.
Hopkins said that “hopefully” Boris Johnson would allow “some mixing” of people over the Christmas holidays.
“Then, I think, once we have got past the Christmas period if there has been a release and some socialisation we will all have to be very responsible and reduce those contacts again,” she said.
According to The Sun, one option under consideration is a five-day period beginning on Christmas Eve during which households could mix.
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If the rules are loosened for five days, that would mean 25 days of tighter restrictions would then be needed.
The government science office said the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) advice on five days of restrictions for every one day of “release” was “very preliminary work” and has not yet been published.
Johnson has all but promised the national lockdown in England will end when the measures legally expire on December 2.
The prime minister has said he wants to then revert to a system of local measures.
A return to a tiered system of local restrictions does not necessarily mean a return to the levels in place before November 5.
It has been reported a fourth more severe level could be added, or that an entirely new regional approach might be introduced.
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But the prime minister is already facing a backlash from Tory MPs, who will be given the opportunity to vote on what happens next.
Mark Harper, the former Tory chief whip, said: “We cannot keep living under a cycle of restrictions, expect people to be grateful for being let out to enjoy the festive season, only to impose strict restrictions on them afterwards, causing health problems and destroying livelihoods.”
❌ On latest No.10 briefing ❌
We cannot keep living under a cycle of restrictions, expect people to be grateful for being let out to enjoy the festive season, only to impose strict restrictions on them afterwards, causing health problems & destroying livelihoods #PMQs — Mark Harper (@Mark_J_Harper) November 18, 2020
Steve Baker, who runs the anti-lockdown Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs with Harper, said “freedom cannot just be for Christmas”.
“Lockdowns and restrictions cause immense economic, social and non-Covid health damage and we’ve got to start talking about those so that we know the restrictions we’re being asked to live under are not causing more harm than good to our citizens,” he said.
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“We’ve also got to develop a much better strategy for living with this virus that doesn’t require us being locked up and freed by the government.”
Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, confirmed a the press conference that scientists advising the government had sent “some advice in over the weekend” to ministers about relaxing restrictions over Christmas.
“But we genuinely don’t know what decisions have been made,” she added. “We are advisers. We advise, they decide.”
Johnson has all but promised the national lockdown in England will end when the measures legally expire on December 2. The prime minister has said he wants to then revert to a system of lo
Steve Baker, who runs the anti-lockdown Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs with Harper, said: “Freedom cannot just be for Christmas.
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“Lockdowns and restrictions cause immense economic, social and non-Covid health damage and we’ve got to start talking about those so that we know the restrictions we’re being asked to live under are not causing more harm than good to our citizens.
“We’ve also got to develop a much better strategy for living with this virus that doesn’t require us being locked up and freed by the government.”
Opposition from Tory MPs could mean Johnson will have to rely on Keir Starmer and Labour votes to impose any new lockdown restrictions after December 2.
Asked about the scientists’ suggestions of tight restrictions before and after any Christmas “relaxation”, Johnson’s spokesperson said it was No.10′s “clear intent” for the public to have as normal a break as possible.
“It’s obviously important that we look at the most recent data and that will inform the next stages. I’m obviously not going to preempt them, but I would point you back to what the PM has said about returning to a regionalised tiered system,” they said.
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“The PM has been clear in his desire to try and allow families to have Christmas together. We accept it won’t be a normal Christmas. We are taking the tougher measures now to drive down transmission.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--You Have No 'Right' To Drive A Car Through Our Neighbourhoods, Even If It's Electric

Britain will ban petrol and diesel vehicle sales from 2030 as part of a 10-point plan for a "green industrial revolution" to be unveiled Wednesday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
“Not TV or illegal drugs but the automobile has been the chief destroyer of...communities,” the late heroine of human-scale cities, Jane Jacobs, once declared.
This sentiment – with which I wholeheartedly agree – is clearly shared. Following the prime minister’s announcement that no new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be sold in the UK beyond 2030, I tweeted that Hackney would be ready to respond with one of the largest electric vehicle charging programmes in the UK.
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But outraged Twitter followers were quick to remind me that “electric vehicles will not save us!”.
The uncomfortable truth is, when it comes to the motor vehicle, we cannot live with them, but we cannot – entirely – live without them.
Environmentalists are right to be sceptical of the latest government announcement. Not only will no single measure address the major challenge of our ballooning land transport emissions, but this specific one will have limited impact on the UK’s ability to hit the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s “higher confidence” 2030 target of 45% fewer global warming emissions than 2010.
It will also, manifestly, not address many other problems arising from our growing addiction to cars. But, environmentalists would be wrong to presume that the proposal is entirely without merit.
“Addiction” might seem like an overstatement, but the statistics speak for themselves. In less than 30 years, the number of motor vehicles on our roads has almost doubled to 40 million, and this phenomenon has been accelerating, with around half of that growth coming in the last decade alone.
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Land transport emissions represent around 21% of the UK’s emissions and, unlike grid electricity which has experienced rapid decarbonisation in recent years, CO2 emissions from motor vehicles have been growing both in absolute terms and as a proportion of the UK’s carbon budget.
If we look at the problem of the motor vehicle in London, where its public health and social impacts are particularly pronounced due to the population density and road layout of the capital, the challenge becomes clear.
Department for Transport data shows since 2009 the number of miles driven by motor vehicles of London’s roads annually has increased by 3.6 billion – an 18.6% increase – to an all-time high of 22.6 billion miles in 2019.
This has had profound implications for air quality – with 99% of London exposed to particle pollution levels above the World Health Organisation’s recommended limits – and for the social life of a city where the sight of children playing and neighbours chatting in the streets used to be commonplace.
There is more research to be undertaken on the cause of this alarming increase of driving in the capital, which is strongly-correlated with a decade of real-terms cuts in fuel duty, the dramatic growth in online shopping and the issuing of private hire cab licences, and of course the advent of satnavs and way-finding apps.
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What we can definitively say is that London’s neighbourhoods have borne the brunt of this increase. In fact, DfT data makes clear that not only have our residential streets absorbed the full net increase in driving over the decade, the increase on these roads has been 3.9 billion miles over this period.
“Private cars, in particular, should be placed at the bottom of a transport hierarchy that prioritises the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, and our communities first.”
This demonstrates that, contrary to the claims of some Low Traffic Neighbourhood opponents, main roads have been displacing vast amounts of traffic into to our communities for more than ten years, not the other way around.
And this brings us to the problems electric vehicles cannot solve and, therefore the limitations of the government’s announcement.
Electric vehicles only eliminate carbon dioxide emissions at the tailpipe. They do not eliminate emissions deriving from their manufacture and shipping; they do not eliminate lung-stunting particulate emissions, with 50% coming from tyre, brake, and road wear; they do not eliminate the significant social costs of rat-runs and poor road safety; and, crucially, they do nothing to address road congestion.
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That’s why the work that so many local authorities are undertaking across the country, but particularly in the capital, to eliminate through-traffic and local short-distance car journeys – 50% of which are under 3km – with the introduction of controversial, but long-overdue, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, is essential.
Nor will this be enough, with road user pricing, now being mooted as a key tool in the fight against car dependency.
Moreover, it will not be enough for the government, transport authorities, and councils to ensure the price of driving reflects the full social, economic, and public health costs it imposes on society; we also need to deliver fully-integrated, good value, and accountable public transport systems and first class walking and cycling infrastructure, which are lacking in so many parts of the country.
To misquote Aneurin Bevan, there can be no immaculate conception of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Oslo. We will not humanise the city by chance.
We should also be careful not to discount the social benefits of the motor vehicle and, in so doing, be tempted to throw the baby out with the bath water.
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Even if we were to click our fingers and make every private car in London disappear tomorrow, which we cannot do, there would still be over 220,000 socially-useful vans in the capital, servicing the needs of its residents; there would still be the circa 10,000 local authority vehicles carrying out housing repairs and lifting the bins; and there would still be the many thousands of emergency service vehicles that help ensure the wheels of London continue to turn. They are, on the whole, not going anywhere, so they need to be zero emission at the tailpipe as soon as possible.
If we want to create human-scale communities in which wellbeing is placed before the long-established and often-expected “right” of drivers to dominate the roads, we need to completely reimagine how the transport system of our country works.
That involves placing private cars, in particular, at the bottom of a transport hierarchy that prioritises the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, and our communities first.
All the remaining motor vehicles, and especially the ones that serve the broader needs of society, need to be zero emission at the tailpipe as soon as possible, and that’s why we should, just for once, suspend our cynicism and welcome the government’s announcement calling time on the combustion engine, as a small, but essential, piece of the land transport decarbonisation jigsaw.
Jon Burke is councillor and cabinet member for energy, waste, transport, and public realm in the London Borough of Hackney


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Boris Johnson Repeatedly Refuses To Rule Out Ditching 0.7% Foreign Aid Commitment

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Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to rule out ditching the Conservative manifesto pledge to maintain the commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) on international development aid.
The prime minister on Thursday announced what he said was an end to the “era of retreat” as he unveiled an increase in defence spending of £16.5bn over four years.
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But senior Tory MPs raised concerns in the Commons that Johnson was about to gut spending on foreign aid.
Johnson has already closed down the Department for International Development (Dfid) and merged it with the Foreign Office to create the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The UK, in line with an international target, is committed to spending 0.7% of its gross national income on overseas aid.
In 2019 the total aid budget was £15.2 billion but as the target is linked to the health of the economy the amount is expected to shrink in any event as a result of the impact of coronavirus.
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The Conservative 2019 general election manifesto promised: “We will proudly maintain our commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on development, and do more to help countries receiving aid become self-sufficient.”
Andrew Mitchell, a former Conservative international development secretary, told Johnson he should heed the warning by general Mattis, the former American defence secretary, who told Donald Trump: “The more you cut aid, the more I have to spend on ammunition.”
Jeremy Hunt, the former foreign secretary who lost out to Jonhnson in the 2019 Tory leadership contest, warned a cut in aid spending would send the “wrong signal out to the world about our values as a country”.
“We spent a decade wining the argument,” he said of the 0.7% pledge. “Even a temporary cut will create an enormous clamour of people who will say we should not go back it.”
Johnson told MPs he expected that British people “will continue to be world leaders in giving aid” but dodged demands he maintain his manifesto commitment.
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“I think that this country as I say can be very proud of our record in overseas aid, we lead the world and will continue to lead the world under this government,” he said.
“Under any view this country is, has been and will remain one of the biggest contributors to aid of any country on earth.”
Lieutenant General Phil Jones (Retd.) the former chief of staff for Nato at the Ministry of Defence, said on Thursday that “development supports defence and diplomacy”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Michael J Fox And Princess Diana Sat Together At The Back To The Future Premiere And It Was 'Just Ag

Michael J Fox And Princess Diana Sat Together At The Back To The Future Premiere And It Was 'Just Agony'

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Sitting next to Princess Diana at the cinema would be the stuff of dreams for most people, but not so for Michael J Fox.
The Canadian-American actor found himself in just that situation back in 1985, when Diana plonked herself down next to him at the world premiere of his movie, Back To The Future.
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But instead of pinching himself, all the then-24-year-old Michael could do was cross his legs.
The actor explained his unfortunate predicament during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night.
Michael J Fox and Princess Diana Rex
“She was sitting next to me. The lights go down and the movie starts and I realise I am one fake yawn and an arm stretch away from being on a date with her, which is hilarious,” Michael recalled.
“The movie started and also I had to go pee. So for the rest of the movie, I’m sitting there like dying. I can’t say anything to her and I can’t walk away from her because I can’t turn my back on her.”
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The star added: “So it was just agony. What could have been the greatest night of my life was a nightmare. A pee-holding nightmare.”
Michael – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease aged 29 – revealed that he hadn’t known he was going to be sat next to Princess Diana until the movie started.
He went on to say that “she was great, very sweet”.
When asked if the princess had enjoyed the film, he replied: “She seemed to laugh a couple of times. She wasn’t ebullient.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Declan Donnelly Gives Matt Lucas A Run For His Money With Spot-On Boris Johnson Impression

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During the latest instalment of the ITV reality show, he and co-presenter Ant McPartlin were seen passing comment on Victoria Derbyshire’s joke-telling ability (or lack of), when they said they “can’t wait for [her] next hard-hitting interview”.
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“Prime Minister, the public has a right to know what is green and wobbly and flies through the sky?” Ant asked, in character as Victoria.
Ruffling his hair and muttering, Dec then responded, as Johnson: “Er… er… a jellycopter.”
Ant and Dec during Wednesday's I'm A Celebrity ITV
“Evening Prime Minister!” he added. “He’s definitely watching.”
“He’s isolating, isn’t he?” Ant then pointed out, referring to the fact that the PM is currently in the middle of a two-week quarantine, after the NHS Test and Trace app told him he had been in “close contact” with a Tory MP who had tested positive for Covid-19.
As you can see, Dec’s impression went down very well with I’m A Celebrity viewers on Twitter…
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Must have rewound and watched Dec’s Boris Johnson impression about 10 times. Hilarious 😂 #imaceleb — Simon Haytack (@simonhaytack) November 18, 2020
Boris Johnson after watching dec absolutely destroy him #imacelebrity pic.twitter.com/TcrmTQmWyV — Jordan Thompson (@Jord_Thom00) November 18, 2020
Watching Ant and Dec make fun of @BorisJohnson is a highlight of my day, only 10minutes into the episode! 😂 💀 #imacelebrity #ImACeleb — Erin whitaker (@erinwhitakerxxx) November 18, 2020
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Meanwhile, earlier this week, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden gave Gillian Anderson a run for her money, when she revealed she could do a rather impressive Margaret Thatcher.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Barack Obama Plays Footsie With Oprah Winfrey During Fireside Chat, Even Though They’re Thousands Of

Barack Obama Plays Footsie With Oprah Winfrey During Fireside Chat, Even Though They’re Thousands Of Miles Apart

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While we’ve become used to fuzzy screens, dodgy sound and even unexpected guests during most TV interviews filmed during the pandemic, that simply won’t do for Oprah Winfrey.
Well, the queen of chat did have a rather special guest on the latest episode of The Oprah Conversation, and so pulled out all the stops.
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As you would for Barack Obama, wouldn’t you?
Despite being filmed thousands of miles apart on separate coasts of America, thanks to the wonders of very modern technology, it looks like Oprah and the former US president are having a cosy fireside chat.
Wow.
Obama, who was chatting about his new memoir, A Promised Land, was actually in a studio in Washington, D.C., and Oprah was at home in Santa Barbara.
The former US president was filmed in front of a green screen. Apple
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“Through the miracle of technology, we get to be face-to-face in the same room, and we don’t have to wear a mask,” Oprah says in the episode’s opening sequence. President Obama adds: “We have a fire going, apparently!”
As well as chatting about their mutual love of The Crown, our favourite moment comes when Obama initiates a game of virtual footsie with Oprah.
Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey Apple
Cuuuute!
Even though things look super cosy next to the crackling fire, Obama joked that he would have been happIier if their surroundings had been a little more “out there”. Like waaaay out there.
“We should have done this in outer space,” he jokes in the episode. “We could have both been sitting on Neptune, in a bubble!”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--This Scottish Village's Christmas Lights Are The Absolute Cutest

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What do a squiffy angel, a squashed turkey, a reindeer with chicken feet and a drunken-looking snowman have in common?
Well, they’re all proudly displayed in Newburgh, a small town in Fife in Scotland, as part of the annual celebration of Christmas lights designed by local primary school kids.
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A tweet showing off the de-lightful display has racked up 143,000 ‘likes’ and been retweeted more than 26,000 times.
There’s even a Christmas Lights Appeal fund-raising page – perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s already passed its goal.
Our favourite of the festive creations? The Christmas reinduck, of course.
Poppy McKenzie Smith The Christmas Reinduck
Poppy McKenzie Smith, who posted the original tweet, said she “can’t believe the love for our mad and lovely lights”.
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She told HuffPost UK: “I live in Newburgh, a small town in Fife in Scotland. It’s a tradition that has been going for as long as I can remember – I’m 27 now, and my family have always lived in Newburgh – so I’d say a good 15 years or so.
Our village Christmas lights are designed by the local primary kids and they are the single best thing about the festive season. pic.twitter.com/kDhfLk3Dcb — Poppy McKenzie Smith (@GTOpoppy) November 16, 2020
“I love the lights so much, it was always so exciting to come home for xmas and see what the new addition to the lights would be. I particularly love the very wonky ones such as the reindeer, they are just so innocent and adorable, they properly capture the happy excitement of Christmas from a child’s point of view.”
And as a bonus, here is my absolute fave ❤ pic.twitter.com/SePo7jmbjx — Poppy McKenzie Smith (@GTOpoppy) November 17, 2020
McKenzie Smith, who works in comms and is also a motoring journalist, said she was astonished at how popular the lights had been on Twitter. “It is a fairly dark time at the moment for many people, especially with uncertainty around Christmas plans for families, so these lights just bring a bit of childlike happiness to everyone,” she said.
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“It is a happy story free of politics or Covid, and reminds people of the little happinesses in life.
Poppy McKenzie Smith Newburgh's Christmas robin
Poppy McKenzie Smith
Her dad, Andrew McKenzie Smith, also got in touch with HuffPost UK.
“Poppy posted a picture on Twitter of our local lights and overnight it’s gone bonkers,” he said. “It genuinely feels like people are looking for a good news story!”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Coleen Rooney 'Villainised' Rebekah Vardy With Infamous 'WAGatha Christie' Post, Court Hears

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Coleen Rooney has been accused of “villainising” fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah Vardy, at the first hearing in the pair’s libel case.
Last year, Coleen made headlines across the globe when she claimed her Instagram account was the source of fake stories appearing in The Sun newspaper.
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In her now-infamous Twitter post, Coleen wrote: “To try and prove [who was behind the stories being leaked to the press], I came up with an idea. I blocked everyone from viewing my Instagram stories except ONE account (those on my private account must have been wondering why I haven’t had stories on there for a while).
“Over the past five months I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way into the Sun newspaper. And you know what, they did!
“Now I know for certain which account/individual it’s come from. I have saved and screenshotted all of the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
This has been a burden in my life for a few years now and finally I have got to the bottom of it...... pic.twitter.com/0YqJAoXuK1 — Coleen Rooney (@ColeenRoo) October 9, 2019
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Rebekah has always vehemently denied the accusations, in what became known as the “WAGatha Christie” row, and filed a libel lawsuit against Coleen earlier this year.
At the first High Court hearing on Thursday, Rebekah’s legal representative Hugh Tomlinson QC branded Coleen’s accusations an “untrue and unjustified defamatory attack”, insisting: “In fact, she did nothing wrong. Whatever leaks there were did not come from her.”
Tomlinson claimed that Coleen’s language – specifically the fact she said she knew “for certain” who was behind the leaks to The Sun – left no doubt for the reasonable reader, stating: “That is not the language of suspicion, that is the language of finding out the truth.”
Tomlinson continued: “The fact that both women are married to professional footballers has led to this action being trivialised in some media coverage as ‘Wag wars’ but the impact on Mrs Vardy was not trivial.
“She has been subjected to an undue and unjustified attack that has had, and continues to have, an impact on her.”
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Rebekah Vardy Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Referring to the final line of the post, in which Coleen famously wrote “it’s… Rebekah Vardy’s account”, Tomlinson added: “The person is Rebekah Vardy, the finger is being pointed at her, as the villain, the person, the someone, the one person.
“They are going to think [Coleen] has revealed the culprit… it was Rebekah Vardy that was leaking to The Sun, she was the one person who had access to the three stories, and she was the one person who had betrayed Mrs Rooney’s trust for many years.”
In her written claim filed with the court, Rebakah Vardy said she had worried she could suffer a miscarriage because of the stress she experienced around Coleen’s post, as she was pregnant at the time.
She also “suffered extreme distress, hurt, anxiety and embarrassment as a result of the publication of the post and the events which followed”, her lawyers have said.
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David Sherborne, representing Coleen, said in written submissions: “It is true that the claimant was responsible for consistently passing on information about the defendant’s private Instagram posts and stories to The Sun, and that this was part of her history and practice of providing private information to the press, especially The Sun, with whom she had a very close relationship.”
Coleen Rooney Peter Byrne - PA Images via Getty Images
He also said: “The fact that these sting operation stories also then appeared in The Sun, after access to her private account was limited to just the @beckyvardy account, is the reason why the defendant published the post which is the subject of this claim.
“The impression the reader would take away would be the essential message, that it was Rebekah Vardy’s account that was the source of private stories about the defendant appearing in The Sun – not Rebekah Vardy herself. The impression the post gives the ordinary reader stops short of guilt.”
Neither Rebekah Vardy nor Coleen Rooney was present in court on Thursday, with Rebekah being pictured at rehearsals for the upcoming series of Dancing On Ice in Nottingham earlier in the day.
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After beginning legal proceedings, Rebekah told Good Morning Britain in September: “We tried to sort things out amicably, it just didn’t work. I understand people think it’s ridiculous, but what was I meant to do? I need to clear my name. I want to clear my name.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Craig Revel Horwood Compares Anton Du Beke To Trump After Strictly Come Dancing Judging Stint

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The BBC ballroom judge compared the professional dancer to the US president after Anton filled in for regular panellist Motsi Mabuse last weekend.
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Motsi has been forced to miss two weeks of Strictly as she is currently self-isolating after an “urgent” trip to Germany.
However, Craig thinks Anton might have a hard time giving his seat back to Motsi, much like how Trump is yet to concede defeat in the US election.
Anton Du Beke made his Strictly judging debut on Saturday BBC / Guy Levy
Speaking on Thursday’s Lorraine, Craig said of Anton’s judging stint: “It was like a three-year-old coming in, sitting in his podium. He was loving himself sick, it was fantastic to see him sitting on the podium.
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“I was absolutely delighted darling that finally he got the chance. Now I think he is going to be a little bit like Trump – difficult to remove.”
US president Donald Trump is yet to concede defeat in the election ASSOCIATED PRESS
It was the first time Anton – who has been a professional on Strictly since its inception in 2004 – had sat on the panel, having previously made no secret of his desire to do so over the years.
Anton previously made a play for a role on the judging panel in 2017, when he was in the running to replace head judge Len Goodman. However, Shirley Ballas was later announced as Len’s replacement.
Upon his debut on the panel on Saturday, Anton – who had already been eliminated from this year’s competition with partner, former home secretary Jacqui Smith – was met with a thumbs up from fans of the ballroom competition.
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Meanwhile, Craig has also named Bill Bailey as the one to watch in this year’s competition.
Craig Revel Horwood on Lorraine ITV
“I am secretly actually loving Bill Bailey,” he told Lorraine. “I adore him. He just shocks me.
“Every time I see him dance, I am surprised, amazed and delighted. I never thought for one moment he would be able to do it. He doesn’t look like the type or the type of character… I love him, I would love to see him in the final.”
“I think he is brilliant, the dark horse of the competition,” he added.
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV, while Strictly Come Dancing continues at 7.15pm on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Test And Trace Failed To Reach 40% Of Covid 'Close Contacts' In First Week Of New Lockdown

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Boris Johnson’s Test and Trace service failed to reach nearly 40% of “close contacts” of people with Covid-19 in the first week of the November lockdown, new figures have revealed.
The controversial system reached just 60.5% of those identified as having been near someone who tested positive in England, according to the latest statistics for November 5 to November 11.
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The figure is almost identical to the previous week, with a total of 123,886 “close contacts” not reached and therefore not told to self-isolate for the required 14 days.
Government advisers have consistently told the PM that an 80% contact rate is needed to make the entire service viable and break transmission of the virus and stop its spread.
The latest contact rate figure is unchanged on the previous week’s revised percentage, and is only slightly higher than the all-time low of 60.1% for the week to October 14.
The update means that since the system was launched in May, a total of 847,126 people have not been reached and have been potentially spreading the virus asymptomatically.
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The four-week November lockdown has been designed not just to get the virus back under control but also to give time for the testing and tracing system to improve its performance.
But testing turnaround times are also well below what is expected, with 38.0% of people who were tested in England at a regional site, local site or mobile testing unit – a so-called “in-person” test – receiving their result within 24 hours.
This is up marginally from 37.5% in the previous week, but still well short of the 100% pledge Johnson had told MPs he would hit by the end of June.
A total of 167,369 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England at least once in the week to November 11, according to the latest figures.
This is the highest weekly number since the service was launched and is an increase of 11% in positive cases on the previous week.
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Downing Street defended the “colossal” achievements of NHS Test and Trace but acknowledged improvements could be made.
A No 10 spokesman said: “We are testing more people per head of population than any other European country and that will grow thanks to our increased
testing capacity.”
But “we accept there are still improvements to be made, and we will continue to work on it”.
Dido Harding, the NHS Test and Trace chief who this week herself went into isolation after being told she had a close contact, pointed to the figures showing a record number of positive cases (156,853) were transferred to contact tracers.
The figure was an 11% increase on the previous week. Of those, 84.9% were reached and told to self-isolate, 11,788 more than the previous week.
“This week we have seen more tests processed and more positive cases contacted than ever before, which means we are finding the virus where it hides and reducing its spread,” she said.
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“As the number of people using NHS Test and Trace continues to increase, so the service is constantly evolving and improving.
“This week sees the introduction of changes to the contact tracing programme to reduce calls to the same family household, which should reduce duplicate calls, as well as the introduction of Sunday collections of tests from priority boxes by the Royal Mail, which should improve home test turnaround times.”
But shadow health minister Justin Madders said: “There seems little sign that the government are managing to get test and trace performance to the level it needs to be to avoid the virus spreading out of control again. This time must not be wasted.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--'Normal' Christmas Would 'Throw Fuel On The Fire' Of Pandemic, Warns Sage Expert

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Lifting lockdown restrictions for the sake of Christmas would be “throwing fuel on the fire” of the pandemic, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has warned.
Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London (UCL), said on Thursday that households mixing at Christmas would “pose substantial risks”.
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“We’re on the cusp of being able to protect those elderly people who we love through vaccination and it would be tragic to throw that opportunity away and waste the gains we’ve made during lockdown by trying to return to normality over the holidays,” he told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme.
But Downing Street has said it is Boris Johnson’s “clear intent” for the public to have as normal a holiday as possible.
Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, confirmed on Wednesday that the government had been handed advice from experts about how it could lift restrictions for a few days.
Public Health England also revealed it believed for every one day of relaxed rules, an extra five days of “tighter” lockdown would then be needed.
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According to The Sun, one option under consideration is a five-day period beginning on Christmas Eve during which households could mix.
If the rules are loosened for five days, that would mean 25 days of tighter restrictions would have to be imposed.
Hayward said: “Mixing at Christmas does pose substantial risks, particularly in terms of bringing together generations with high incidence of infection with the older generations who currently have much lower levels of infection and are at most risk of dying if they catch Covid.
“My personal view is we’re putting far too much emphasis on having a near-normal Christmas.
“We know respiratory infections peak in January so throwing fuel on the fire over Christmas can only contribute to this.”
England’s four-week national lockdown is due to come to an end on December 2.
The prime minister has said he wants to then revert to a system of local measures.
But Johnson is facing growing opposition to continued restrictions from Tory MPs.
Mark Harper, the former Tory chief whip, said: “We cannot keep living under a cycle of restrictions, expect people to be grateful for being let out to enjoy the festive season, only to impose strict restrictions on them afterwards, causing health problems and destroying livelihoods.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Radio 1 Will Play Edited Version Of Fairytale Of New York This Year... But Radio 2 Won't

The BBC has confirmed that Radio 1 will be airing an edited version of The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale Of New York in the lead-up to Christmas this year, but its sister station will not.
In recent years, the festive tune has sparked a debate about its lyrical content, in particular a line in which Kirsty is heard singing: “You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap, lousy f****t.”
Others have also taken issue with lyrics like “you’re an old slut on junk”, which they also feel is not appropriate for radio broadcast.
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Radio 1 has now revealed they’ll be playing an alternative version of the song, with different lyrics still sung by Kirsty MacColl.
Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan performing in 2014 Roberto Ricciuti via Getty Images
However, Radio 2 will be playing the usual, uncensored version of the song, while 6 Music will leave it to individual presenters to decide which version of the track they want to play.
In a statement, the BBC said: “We know the song is considered a Christmas classic and we will continue to play it this year, with our radio stations choosing the version of the song most relevant for their audience.”
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Responding to those who had complained, a BBC rep said: “While the word ‘f****t’ is now widely acknowledged as having the potential to offend, the song never suggests or implies that this is, or was ever, an appropriate way to address another person, nor does it link it to homosexuality.
“Nessa and Bryn were seen singing the original lines and we can assure you there was no intention to offend viewers. We understand that some people will find it offensive in any context but we also recognise that the song is widely played and enjoyed in its original form.”
Bryn and Nessa performing together in the show's trailer BBC
Ruth Jones, who co-wrote the show, previously told The Sun: “It is a different climate. But we have to remain true to the characters, to who they were.
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“Characters in Gavin & Stacey are kind and big-hearted, I believe. So I think no one is going to be intentionally hurtful.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Lorraine Kelly Loses Her Cool Over Government's Rumoured Christmas Covid Plan Live On Air

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Lorraine Kelly lost her usual cool over the government’s rumoured proposals for coronavirus restrictions over the Christmas period live on Good Morning Britain.
The ITV presenter was asked for her thoughts as she linked up with GMB presenters Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid following their interview with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday.
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Amid speculation of a five-day break and loosening of Covid restrictions over the festive period, Wallace refused to say whether he agreed with the plans or not.
An angered Lorraine did not hold back with her views on the subject as she made an appearance on the breakfast show to discuss what was coming up on her own programme.
Lorraine Kelly vented her frustration at the government live on GMB ITV
After Ben suggested Wallace had implied that the government know “it’s not the right thing to do”, Lorraine said: “Can I just say cautiously, no. Just say it. I’m getting so frustrated about this.
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“I know how important Christmas is, I really do. I really appreciate that, but for goodness sake will we stop all this woolliness?
“And trying to be nice, and wanting to be loved, and wanting to be liked. They’re leaders, they’re in charge – say what is right for the country and what is gonna save lives! I mean what’s more important, having a dinner and being with your family – I know how important that is believe you me – or keeping everybody safe?
“It’s a no-brainer so just stop waffling about, and just say it as it is, that’s it, it’s gone, sorry. You have to be with a smaller group of people this year, that’s gonna be hard, but it means that actually in the New Year we will get over this quicker.”
Lorraine then apologised for her outburst, but said: “It just drives me crazy. I can’t be doing with all the woolliness, I can’t be doing with it.
“Just stop wanting to be liked, and just stick to your plan and get on with it.”
According to The Sun, one option under consideration is a five-day period beginning on Christmas Eve during which households could mix.
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However, Public Health England has warned that an extra five days of strict lockdown measures will have to be imposed for every single day the rules are relaxed over Christmas.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Donald Trump’s Effort To Steal The Election Is Comically Stupid — And Extremely Dangerous

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Donald Trump is no stranger to comically stupid scandals.
He was impeached for an open attempt to illegally leverage congressionally approved military aid so a newly elected Ukrainian president would investigate rival Joe Biden and announce it on television. “Stupid Watergate,” HBO’s John Oliver called it.
It’s no surprise, then, that Trump’s blatant and racist effort to steal an election he lost by 82 electoral votes and 5.8 million popular votes and counting is also really, really stupid.
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First, Trump telegraphed the entire scheme to steal the election ahead of time, like a Bond villain explaining his entire plot, thus exposing the true purpose of his ensuing frivolous lawsuits. If it looked like he would lose, he planned to claim that late-counted absentee ballots were fraudulent and illegal and to file lawsuits to stop the certification of results in states where he trailed. The hope then was that Republican-controlled legislatures or governors would just hand him their state’s electoral votes. Whether or not this was legal didn’t seem to matter.
Those lawsuits claiming election and voter fraud have almost all been laughed out of court in embarrassing fashion after Trump’s own lawyers admitted they had no evidence of said fraud. Republican state lawmakers all said they wouldn’t be switching electoral votes to Trump. Law firms then dropped Trump as pressure mounted for them not to help him undermine democracy, which left former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to step in as counsel.
Giuliani delivered a performance worthy of the bumbling Simpsons lawyer Lionel Hutz in which he lied about his standing with the District of Columbia Bar, rambled about the long-dead Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, demonstrated an incapacity to understand basic legal practices and could not properly define the word “opacity.”
“I’m not sure what ‘opacity’ means,” Giuliani said. “It probably means you can see.”
“It means you can’t,” Judge Matthew Brann corrected the former prosecutor.
It’s easy to laugh at a former mayor who was recently caught with his hand down his pants in a “Borat” movie be-clowning himself in court.
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But just because this is all incredibly dumb and has no chance of successfully overturning Biden’s win doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly dangerous. The entire scheme involves the delegitimisation and disenfranchisement of voters in predominantly Black municipalities.
It undermines his supporters’ faith in democracy. And it could be used in years to come to justify unnecessary and damaging voting restrictions that would disproportionately affect Black voters.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, November 13, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Political partisans often feel like elections were stolen from them. Shock and disbelief are, after all, the first stage of grief. But never before has a president of the United States led the charge in creating that false impression. Nor has any prior president refused to abide by the peaceful transfer of power inaugurated first by President George Washington’s decision not to run for a third term and President John Adams’ peaceful transfer to Thomas Jefferson after the two ran against each other in 1800.
Trump has turned this 200-year-plus tradition, the bedrock of American democracy, on its head through a disinformation campaign designed to maintain his power within the Republican Party and its aligned media system.
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Like everything else Trump has done as president, his entire scheme to steal the election is not meant to succeed in reality — reality, in this case, being judged by actual courts and judges. It is, rather, intended to succeed on television or social media by making his supporters believe that Trump lost due to fraud and not think of him as a loser.
So far, it is working. The majority of Republicans state a belief that the election was rigged against Trump. (It wasn’t.) And nearly every Republican Party politician has either backed Trump’s false allegations of mass voter fraud or refused to accept that Biden won and is now president-elect.
The reason why is because of the nature of the Republican Party, which is actually just a hollowed-out shell filled by the ever-mutating conservative movement.
The conservative movement, born out of the 1964 Barry Goldwater presidential campaign and brought to power by Ronald Reagan in 1980, is openly antagonistic to Republican Party regulars and opposes any evidence of cooperation or appeasement with the enemy: Democrats.
To appease the movement, Republican politicians must pay strict attention to the far-right fringe of their party in order to stave off the looming threat of primary challenges. Once Trump conquered the party in 2016, Republicans seeking to avoid right-wing primary challenges had to adapt to his neo-personalist style of rule. This meant supplementing support for extremist right-wing policies and rhetoric with obsequious fealty to Trump and his family members. (With the only exception being when Trump suggests using the government to distribute wealth in an equitable manner.)
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In 2020, this means echoing Trump’s false claims of fraud as he tries to steal the election ― or at the very least not rejecting them as the dangerous absurdity they are. Republicans now face a litmus test of endorsing a belief that the 2020 election was unfair, a position that undermines the necessary peaceful transfer of power that American democracy would not exist without.
Trump supporters echo Trump's false allegations of voter fraud outside the Supreme Court during the Million Maga March protest on November 14, 2020. Chris Tuite/imageSPACE/MediaPunch /IPX
This has trickled down to even the most local level of politics. On Tuesday, two Republican Party members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers in Michigan initially voted against certifying the county’s election results. They were just following the president’s openly stated scheme to prevent the certification of election results in states he lost and to somehow get Republican state legislators to ignore the state’s popular vote and hand him its electoral college votes.
Initially, Republican board member Monica Palmer said she would have been happy to certify the vote from Wayne County’s predominantly white suburbs, but not from nearly 80% Black Detroit. But after nearly three hours of angry calls from the public lambasting the racist effort to disenfranchise Detroit citizens, she and the other Republican board member reversed themselves and voted to certify the results.
But not before Trump could tweet that they were heroes for trying to throw out votes cast by Black voters.
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In Pennsylvania, Trump sued (and lost) to stop the certification of votes in Philadelphia, which is over 40% Black. In Wisconsin, he has filed for a partial recount in Milwaukee and Dane counties, where he alleges fraud without evidence. These two Wisconsin counties contain 74% of the state’s Black population. In Georgia, senator Lindsey Graham reportedly asked Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger if he could find a way to throw out all absentee ballots in counties with high rates of signature mismatch. (Graham denies this.) Studies show that Black voters are disproportionately punished for signature mismatches.
These efforts will all fail. But they augur a terrible turn to the past in the long-standing effort to limit Black voter participation in elections. It harkens back to the long history of racist disenfranchisement perpetrated by the white majority on Black Americans.
Republicans, taking Trump’s lead, today call to “count every legal vote.” In the past, the phrase “legal votes” came up most frequently in relation to two particular episodes, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer: the initial disenfranchisement of Black men outside of the South beginning in 1810, and the Compromise of 1877 that ended post-Civil War Reconstruction and set the South on the path to Jim Crow.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--I'm A Celebrity Viewers Left Howling At Beverley Callard's (Very Sweary) Pep Talk To Jordan North

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Beverley Callard had I’m A Celebrity fans in stitches on Wednesday night, as she delivered a pep talk to fellow campmate Jordan North.
Viewers of the ITV reality show voted for the Radio 1 DJ to take on the Bushtucker Trial for a third time, which had left him looking devastated.
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But the Coronation Street star was there with some words of encouragement after hosts Ant and Dec announced the result live on air.
Beverley Callard tried to give Jordan North a pep talk after he was selected for another I'm A Celebrity trial ITV
With the live feed still running, viewers caught Beverley telling a dejected Jordan: “They love you. They want to see more of you. This is going to make you a fucking megastar!”
The comment certainly tickled many watching, sparking reaction online...
I can't stop laughing @ Beverley telling Jordan "this is going to make you a fooking megastar!" #imacelebrity — it's the wrong David, honey (@bet_binch) November 18, 2020
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Beverley Callard calling you a "f*cking superstar" is a life peak! Lucky Jordan!#imacelebrity #ImaCeleb pic.twitter.com/TcZIMQpt4B — Mr Adam R (@MrAdamR) November 18, 2020
Oh Jordan's little face!!! He's gutted #ImACeleb And love Bev telling him this is gonna make him a megastar to make him feel better... — Olivia Fahy (@Toxicolly) November 18, 2020
Oh leave the poor boy Jordan alone! Want to see someone else now. (Love Bev being supportive ,“this’ll make you a fucking megastar” 😂) #imacelebrity — Laura Kemp (@Laurajanekemp) November 18, 2020
Bev whispering in Jordan's ear just now. pic.twitter.com/Eab0hfCkJd — Nik C (@Nixic) November 18, 2020
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#ImACeleb Liz McDonald telling Jordan that doing the trial is gonna make him a 'fucking megastar' rofl — Han (@hanrairai) November 18, 2020
Beverly Callard saying 'it's gonna make you a fucking megastar' to Jordan and ITV unable to bleep it was the highlight of I'm a Celebrity tonight. — Steve Cooper (@Stephen_Cooper_) November 18, 2020
Funniest thing #imacelebrity @Beverleycallard telling Jordan doing the trial will make him a fcuking megastar 😆😆😆 — KBC 🙏🏻♥ (@KBC122012) November 18, 2020
I can't stop laughing @ Beverley telling Jordan "this is going to make you a fooking megastar!" #imacelebrity — it's the wrong David, honey (@bet_binch) November 18, 2020
Jordan, who vomited before tackling a cliff abseil in the first show, had been voted to take on in the Trapped Door challenge, which will see him face many creepy crawlies whilst locked underground.
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He has already faced his fear of snakes in the Viper Vault trial, which saw him crowned the show’s most terrified contestant ever.
Jordan and Bev were then voted to take on the first eating challenge of the series alongside Vernon Kay.
Wednesday night’s show also saw new campmates Ruthie Henshall and Russell Watson arrive at the castle, after taking on a Bushtucker Trial.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--The Black Farmer Fighting To Make Britain’s Farming More Diverse

The Black Farmer Fighting To Make Britain’s Farming More Diverse
Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones is fighting against the institutions and systems in Britain to make farming a more diverse industry. He hopes that more diversity with the people involved will mean more diversity in produce and results.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--George Clooney Recalls People Filming Him Instead Of Helping After Near-Fatal Motorcycle Crash That

George Clooney Recalls People Filming Him Instead Of Helping After Near-Fatal Motorcycle Crash That Left Him 'Screaming'

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George Clooney speaks out about his terrifying 2018 motorcycle crash in Italy for the latest issue of GQ, in which he’s dubbed the magazine’s Icon of the Year.
The actor and director collided with a car at over 70 miles per hour on the Italian island of Sardinia while traveling to the set of the Hulu series Catch-22. He was riding alongside his friend producer Grant Heslov.
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TMZ reported at the time that the star was thrown 20 feet on impact and his helmet shattered the car’s windscreen.
George Clooney Matt Winkelmeyer via Getty Images
The ER alum told GQ that the crash tossed him onto his hands and knees and caused him to lose his shoes. At one point, he thought he’d lost all his teeth, “but it was glass from the windshield.”
“I was on the ground. I was really screaming. Like, really screaming,” Clooney said.
“And Grant came back, and he was screaming at everybody to get an ambulance, and I remember everybody got out of their cars, they stopped in the middle of the street, and all these people came and stood over me and just pulled out their phones and started taking video,” the actor said.
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George Clooney all'ospedale: con la sua moto è finito contro un'auto che stava svoltando https://t.co/yG2jA4OomJ pic.twitter.com/MqZDD7oKpU — La Nuova Sardegna (@lanuovasardegna) July 10, 2018
Heslov added that he was holding Clooney’s head in his lap while people took photos.
“It’s a funny thing. I’m not a cynical guy, and I really tend to look at life and try to find the good in everything,” Clooney said. “But I’ll never forget the moment that what I thought might be my last few moments was for everyone else a piece of entertainment.”
Clooney’s experience sounds sickeningly similar to that of Princess Diana, who was reportedly photographed by paparazzi as she lay dying in the backseat after a car crash in Paris.
After the crash, George Clooney remembers that “all these people came and stood over me and just pulled out their phones and started taking video.” J. Merritt via Getty Images
When he collided with the car and was launched into the air, the actor said he briefly thought of his two children. “My kids were like a year old, and mostly it was just the thought that this was it and that I wasn’t gonna see them again,” the star told GQ.
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After the accident, the director said that his wife, international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, forbade him from riding a motorcycle again.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Tiny Owl Found In Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree After Long Journey To NYC

The Ravensbeard Wildlife Center wrote Tuesday on Facebook that it was excited to share a “rare holiday story” about a secret inside this year’s tree.
The rescue centre said the northern saw-whet owl, one of the smallest owls in North America, was rescued from the 75-foot Norway spruce that was trucked into the city after it was felled in Oneonta last week.
Ellen Kalish, the director and founder of Ravensbeard, told HuffPost the stowaway wasn’t found until workers were unwrapping the tree in the city. She suspects he might have been stunned or pinned when the tree was wrapped up.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-19--Trump Is Getting Ever More Brazen In His Attempts To Steal The Election He Lost

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Having lost his election for a second term, President Donald Trump, his campaign and his allies are ever more openly just trying to steal it.
In recent days, his campaign has welcomed the idea of disenfranchising all of the voters of Nevada, pushed to have Michigan’s 16 electoral votes awarded by its Republican legislature and alleged, without evidence, “massive fraud” all over the country in a court case in Pennsylvania ― all as Trump posts one lie after another on social media.
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“In Detroit, there are FAR MORE VOTES THAN PEOPLE. Nothing can be done to cure that giant scam. I win Michigan!” he wrote Wednesday morning.
“I WON THE ELECTION. VOTER FRAUD ALL OVER THE COUNTRY!” he wrote a couple of hours earlier.
And campaign in-house lawyer Jenna Ellis wrote enthusiastically Tuesday evening of sending the election results in Michigan ― which President-elect Joe Biden won by 154,000 votes ― to the state’s GOP-run legislature: “Huge win for @realDonaldTrump.”
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on authoritarianism at New York University, said Trump’s claim to have won an election he lost by 74 Electoral College votes and 6 million votes overall is a clear danger sign.
“The red line is the election,” said Ben-Ghiat, whose new book, “Strongmen,” puts Trump in the context of a century of fascist leaders. “If you don’t recognise an election, you have gone into the territory of a non-democracy. It’s pretty easy.”
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“There are those, including the president, ... who are perpetuating misinformation and are encouraging others to distrust the election results in a manner that violates the oath of office they took. It is well past time that they stop.” - Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs
Ryan Mahoney, who until early this year was a top staffer at the Republican National Committee, called the actions of Trump and his campaign “dangerous and undemocratic” and asked them to stop.
“They’re either purposely spreading false information and conspiracy theories and don’t care, or they actually believe this nonsense,” Mahoney said. “Either way, they’re subverting democracy with evidence-free allegations. There is no evidence of widespread fraud. It’s time to accept the results. Joe Biden won.”
Numerous staffers at the Trump campaign did not respond to HuffPost’s queries on this matter. Nor did White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who has been appearing on television for the campaign while continuing to draw a $180,000 annual salary from American taxpayers.
Nor did Stephen Bannon, a former top Trump White House aide who is now under indictment for fraud but who, out on bail as he awaits trial, has been broadcasting a daily radio show and podcast in which he repeatedly calls Biden an “illegitimate” president and falsely claims that the votes that were counted after election night are illegal.
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Many of Bannon’s narratives have been echoed on pro-Trump media outlets, such as OAN and NewsMax, as well as Fox News’ prime-time evening shows. They even emerged in Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s arguments Tuesday before a federal judge in Pennsylvania.
One former White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Trump’s statements on social media are not taken seriously by Americans and that eventually his legal challenges will end and life will go on, in all likelihood with a Biden presidency.
“I think the country is fairly well-conditioned about Trump’s tweets,” the former official said. “Our institutions are not in danger because of this. Our republic will survive.”
President Donald Trump acknowledges supporters Sunday as he departs the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling Virginia, after playing golf. Steve Helber/ASSOCIATED PRESS
While most Americans do appear to take Trump’s assertions with several, if not more, grains of salt, some of his hard-core supporters do not and have taken to harassing and threatening election officials in battleground states.
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On Wednesday, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, released a statement reporting threats to her family and her office, and called on Trump and others in Republican leadership to take responsibility.
“There are those, including the president, members of Congress and other elected officials, who are perpetuating misinformation and are encouraging others to distrust the election results in a manner that violates the oath of office they took,” she wrote. “It is well past time that they stop. Their words and actions have consequences.”
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, had previously reported death threats against him and his wife from Trump supporters. He also reported being pressured by senator Lindsey Graham to discard mail ballots from areas of Georgia that favoured Biden. He also said he was pressured directly by the Trump campaign earlier this year to help make sure Trump won the state.
Biden won Arizona by 10,400 votes and Georgia by 14,000. Trump has falsely claimed those results point to fraud, an accusation that has riled up his supporters in those states.
Jim Dicke, a Republican National Committee member from Ohio, nevertheless said he is not terribly worried that Trump will incite GOP voters into violence or anything of the sort when reality makes itself evident.
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