thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Harvey Weinstein Charged On More Sex Crimes In Los Angeles

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Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been charged with new sex crimes in Los Angeles on Monday, the county district attorney announced.
Prosecutors in LA have brought an indictment against Weinstein, charging the producer with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another in separate incidents over a two-day period in 2013, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey.
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“We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them,” she said in a statement. “I want to commend the victims who have come forward and bravely recounted what happened to them.”
Weinstein could face up to 28 years in state prison if convicted, Lacey said Monday in a news conference. His bail will be set at $5 million.
She also noted that each of the women told friends about the attacks in 2013 and reported them to police in 2017 amid the Me Too movement, the sexual misconduct reckoning inextricably linked to Weinstein.
Lacey’s office launched a special task force on sexual assault in 2017 amid the litany of accusations against the onetime Hollywood kingmaker, whose rape and sexual assault trial in New York began this week.
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Sources familiar with the case first confirmed the news of the new charges with The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and TMZ.
The new charges will intensify the scrutiny against Weinstein, whom more than 80 women accused of sexual assault or battery in 2017. He has denied the allegations, with his legal team largely claiming the incidents were consensual.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Iran’s Cultural Sites Should Never Be Targets. Trump Should Know Better After Iraq

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Tensions between the United States and Iran are continuing to spiral, despite international calls for de-escalation.
Donald Trump has indicated the US has identified 52 Iranian sites, including some of “a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!” according to a recent tweet.
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If the legacy of the Iraq war can teach us anything, it’s that targeting cultural sites dear to so many is a surefire way to unleash carnage across a region.
To be clear, the intentional targeting of cultural sites can be considered a war crime under international humanitarian law. Recently, Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi was charged by the International Criminal Court for destroying cultural artefacts in Timbuktu.
It is by no means a secret that the US-led invasion of Iraq destabilised the Middle East and resulted in the deaths of at least 180,000 Iraqi civilians. Up until 2006, however, violent attacks in Iraq remained relatively isolated and often targeted occupying US forces. In February 2006, the bombing of the Al-Askari shrine in Samarra, Iraq, shook the nation into a sectarian civil war, as the images of the collapsed golden dome reverberated among the country’s Shia community. The destruction of the shrine, built on the grave of two of the most important figures in Shia Islam, triggered many Iraqi Shia to indiscriminately seek revenge from the Sunni community.
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Prior to the US invasion, sectarianism in Iraq was never part of the socio-political lexicon but has now become synonymous with violence in the country. The bombing in Samarra ignited a nationwide outpouring of rage as heavily armed Shia militia fighters took to the streets, firing at Sunni mosques. In the immediate aftermath of the Samarra attack, 29 Sunni mosques were targeted, as well as Sunni political party buildings. Eulogies, normally reserved for mourning religious figures, rallied the Shia community in vowing vengeance over the attacks.
The 2006 attack mobilised Iraq’s diverse demographic with identity politics along sectarian lines, leading many to abandon their names for fear of their religious affiliation being recognised from their namesake. This instability and security gap paved the way for the rise of ISIS and the catastrophic spread of international terror.
The shrine of Iran's revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini is seen, just outside of Tehran, Iran. ASSOCIATED PRESS
At the time, then US President George W. Bush stated, “The United States condemns this cowardly act in the strongest possible terms”. Fourteen years later, and the current US president is threatening similar attacks on Iran, which, like Iraq, also hosts religiously significant sites, including the UNESCO listed Imam Reza shrine. Should this, or similar sites, be attacked across Iran, Trump will create not only enemies in Iran, but enemies from the global Shia community. Considering the militias involved in sectarian violence in Iraq were often Iran-backed, the consequences of an attack on any of the holy shrines dotted around Iran would cause widespread violence.
Apathy towards cultural heritage is not new to the US political sphere. When cultural sites, including the Iraqi National Museum, which houses millennia-old artefacts, were looted during the US invasion of Iraq, then-US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, responded with: “Stuff happens”. To this day, these antiquities have not been recovered and occasionally find their way to auction houses.
Trump often claims his conflict is with the Iranian government and that his administration supports the Iranian people. Only last month, responding to anti-government protests in Iran, Trump tweeted: “The United States of America supports the brave people of Iran who are protesting for their FREEDOM. We have under the Trump Administration, and always will!” Attacking Iran’s cultural heritage goes against this claim and would hurt Iranian civilians, regardless of their political affiliation. Watching Notre Dame burn caused significant emotional trauma for many, the deliberate destruction of cultural sites, would cause similar heartbreak for innocent Iranians.
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After receiving backlash for wanting to target cultural sites in Iran, Trump doubled-down his threat, stating, “They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. they’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site?” Even such a threat rewrites the history of insurgency in Iraq, where roadside bombs were funded by people from other gulf states.
Cultural sites should never be used in threats of war. We continue to lament the destruction of Nineveh and Palmyra by ISIS: centuries old history which younger generations will never be able to experience. Trump, with his “disproportionate” war plan, is now suggesting he would do much worse. The consequences of such attacks would be devastating.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Labour's New Leader Will Be Announced On April 4, Party's Ruling Body Decides

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Jeremy Corbyn’s successor as Labour leader will be announced on April 4 after a three-month contest, the party’s ruling body has decided.
Nominations for the race to replace Corbyn will open formally on Tuesday, with the ballot taking place between February 21 to April 2, the National Executive Committee (NEC) agreed on Monday.
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Among those expected to go for the top job are Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long Bailey, Jess Phillips, Lisa Nandy, Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry. Party chairman Ian Lavery, who attended the meeting, is still undecided.
The general public will be able to take part in the leadership election if they join the party by next week or if they pay £25 each to register for a one-off vote, the NEC decided.
A 48-hour window will be created to allow people to sign up as so-called “registered supporters” with voting rights.
Candidates will have just under a week to get the required nominations from fellow MPs. A further month will be allowed to get the necessary nominations from local parties and from trade unions and other groups.
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But the left-dominated NEC faced swift accusations of trying to “rig” the race in favour of Long Bailey, who is expected to win the backing of Momentum founder Jon Lansman.
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Momentum has extensive reach among the party’s members but candidates won’t get access until membership data until after the local party and union nominations are completed.
“Basically, the Momentum candidate goes in to the race with an in-built advantage,” one NEC source told HuffPost UK.
The first hustings for leader could take place as early as Tuesday 6pm in the Commons for MPs, with Wednesday 10am mooted as the time for the first deputy leader hustings in front of their colleagues.
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A Labour party spokesperson said: “Our National Executive Committee has agreed the timetable and process for the leadership and deputy leadership elections.
“We are by far the largest political party in the UK with well over half a million members. We want as many of our members and supporters to take part, so it has been designed to be open, fair and democratic.”
The full timetable is as follows:
Tuesday 7 January: Nominations open from MPs and MEPs.
Monday 13 January: Nominations from MPs and MEPs closes at 2.30pm.
Tuesday 14 January: Registered supporters applications open at 5pm.
Thursday 16 January: Registered supporters applications close at 5pm.
Wednesday 15 January: Second stage of nominations from Constituency Labour Parties and affiliates opens.
Monday 20 January: Freeze date for eligibility for new members and affiliated supporters, closes at 5pm.
Friday 14 February: Close of CLP and affiliate nominations.
Friday 21 February: Ballot opens.
Thursday 2 April: Ballot closes at 12pm.
Saturday 4 April: Special conference to announce results.
Nominations of candidates is a two-stage process.
Candidates who receive nominations from at least 10% (22) of Labour MPs and MEPs will go through to the second stage of nominations from Constituency Labour Parties and affiliated organisations.
They then must receive nominations from at least 5% of all CLPs or at least three affiliates - at least two of which must be trade unions - comprising 5% of fully paid up affiliated membership.
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The freeze date of 20 January for new members to join and be eligible to vote is a change from 2016, when a retrospective cut-off date was set. This is to ensure the elections are as open and democratic as possible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--This Morning Hosts Holly Willoughby And Phillip Schofield Left Red-Faced After Viewer Wins Holiday..

This Morning Hosts Holly Willoughby And Phillip Schofield Left Red-Faced After Viewer Wins Holiday... To Her Hometown

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This Morning kicked off the new year by introducing a brand new competition to the show, but things didn’t go quite according to plan.
The ITV daytime show has been extended by half an hour and as part of the new look, presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were tasked with giving away a holiday to one lucky viewer.
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Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby introduced the Spin To Win competition on Monday's This Morning. Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
But the two hosts were left red-faced (and giggling, obviously) when the first ever game of Spin To Win gifted viewer Anne with an all-expenses paid trip to Edinburgh.
Sounds lovely, right? Except Anne lives in the Scottish capital.
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
The game is called Spin To Win, not Spin To Stay In, and thankfully Phil was good enough to offer up another spin, and cheekily moved the dial on when it landed on UK Break again.
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So Anne’s off to Florence for the weekend, where she definitely does not live.
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Teenager Accused Of Murder After 'Dismembered' Body Found Inside House

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A teenager has appeared in court accused of murdering a man whose “dismembered” body was discovered at a house in south-west London.
The 17-year-old boy, from the Earl’s Court area of central London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke only to confirm his name and address at a short first appearance Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
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The remains were discovered by officers during a search of the property on Friday, after concerns had been raised about the welfare of an occupant.
A post-mortem examination carried out at Kingston mortuary on Sunday gave the man’s cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.
Though formal identification has not taken place, the police believe they know who the victim is: a 53-year-old man, whose family have been informed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Downing Street Slaps Down Trump Over Threat To Target Iran's Cultural Sites

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No.10 has issued Donald Trump with a warning over his threat to target Iran’s cultural sites as tensions rise over the killing of Tehran’s top military general.
As the Middle East crisis deepened at the weekend, the US president was accused of raising the spectre of war crimes in a tweet warning Iran the US was prepared to attack sites “important to Iran and the Iranian culture”.
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Quds Force general Soleimani was killed in a US drone on Friday in Baghdad, Iraq, on the US president’s orders, sparking protests in Baghdad and Tehran.
Downing Street has now issued the president with a light rebuke over the tweet, with Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said the move could breach convention.
He said: “There are international conventions in place that prevent the destruction of cultural heritage.”
Asked directly if targeting cultural sites in Iran would constitute a war crime, the spokesman replied: “You can read the international conventions for themselves. It is the 1954 Hague Convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict.”
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Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
....hundreds of Iranian protesters. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
....targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
But Downing Street said the US has the right to “self defence” and underlined the White House’s claim that Soleimani was planning an attack on American diplomats.
Johnson said on Sunday that Soleimani “posed a threat to all our interests” and said that the UK “will not lament his death”.
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His spokesperson also insisted Britain’s security partnership with the US remains “very close” despite Trump not informing the UK of its plans to assassinate Soleimani.
“We have a very close security partnership with the United States,” he said. “We are in regular dialogue at every level.”
Asked if Johnson was convinced the US drone strike was legal, the spokesperson said: “States have a right to take action such as this in self-defence and the US have been clear that Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on American diplomats and military personnel.”
The president has also vowed to impose sanctions on Iraq if it tells US troops to leave the country.
Johnson spoke to the Iraqi prime minister on Monday morning in a bid to encourage a de-escalation.
No.10 also urged the Iraqi government to allow foreign troops to remain in the country to fight against the threat posed by the self-described Islamic State (IS, or Daesh in Arabic).
The PM’s spokesperson said: “The coalition is in Iraq to protect Iraqis and others from the threat from Daesh at the request of the Iraqi government.
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“We urge the Iraqi government to ensure the coalition is able to continue our vital work countering this shared threat.
“The foreign secretary spoke to the Iraqi president and prime minister this weekend.
“The prime minister is speaking with his Iraqi counterpart today and our ambassador in Baghdad is in touch with political leaders in Iraq to emphasise these points and urge them to ensure we can keep fighting this threat together.”
No.10 said Iran’s announcement that it will abandon the limits in the unravelling nuclear deal on fuel enrichment, its uranium stockpile and research activities was “extremely concerning”.
“Iran’s announcement is clearly extremely concerning – it’s in everyone’s interest that the deal remains in place,” the PM’s spokesperson said.
“It makes the world safer by taking the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran firmly off the table.
“We’ve always said the nuclear deal is a reciprocal deal and in light of Iran’s announcement we are urgently speaking to partners about next steps.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Student Who Drugged And Attacked At Least 48 Men Is UK’s Most Prolific Rapist

The court heard that none of the victims – many in their late teens or early 20s – wanted to know details of what had happened to them when traced by police and some have chosen not to tell their family or close friends of the trauma.
Two of the victims, of whom 45 were heterosexual and 26 were students, attempted to commit suicide as a result of severe depression.
Sinaga tested negative for HIV after he was arrested.
Jurors had to watch the mobile phone footage as Sinaga persisted with his defence and all were later uniquely offered counselling.
Last June, Sinaga was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years for the convictions from his first two trials.
Reporting restrictions were put in place to avoid prejudice to subsequent trials and to avoid the possibility of potential victims and witnesses being deterred from giving evidence or coming forward.
Ian Rushton, north west deputy chief Crown prosecutor, said: “Reynhard Sinaga is the most prolific rapist in British legal history.
“His extreme sense of sexual entitlement almost defies belief and he would no doubt still be adding to his staggering tally had he not been caught.
“Sinaga’s unthreatening demeanour duped these young men – many of whom thanked him for his kindness in offering them a place to stay – into thinking this monster was a Good Samaritan.
“But once back at his flat he used victims as objects purely for his own gratification – then appears to have derived further twisted pleasure from re-watching his films in court and putting victims through the trauma of giving evidence.”
A number of personal statements were read out in court from victims of offences which Sinaga was convicted of in the third and fourth trials.
One said: “That night was just like any night out with my mates. What I didn’t know was that there was a monster lurking in the background waiting to take advantage of my drunken state.
“I want Sinaga to acknowledge what he has done to me and show some remorse but I doubt that will ever happen.”
Another victim said: “I genuinely thought he had helped me. How wrong could I be?
“The day I gave evidence was the hardest day of my life.
“I have a message to you, Sinaga. I am not going to let your ruin my life. I am going to fulfil my career plans and live a happy, content life.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Brits Win Big At The Golden Globes 2020

Brits Win Big At The Golden Globes 2020

Brits Win Big At The Golden Globes 2020
British talent won a host of the major prizes at the Golden Globes in Hollywood. Sam Mendes’ war epic 1917 shocked many by winning two prestigious awards, while Rocketman saw Taron Egerton pick up Best Actor in a musical or comedy. And in the television awards, wins for Fleabag, The Crown and Succession saw a good night for the British contingent continue.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Angela Rayner Launches Labour Deputy Leader Bid And Backs Rebecca Long Bailey For Top Job

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Angela Rayner has officially launched her bid to become the deputy Labour leader, with a warning party faces the “biggest challenge in our history”.
The shadow education secretary had previously been seen as a likely candidate to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader.
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But instead she has thrown her support behind her friend and flatmate Rebecca Long Bailey.
Speaking in Stockport on Monday, Rayner said Labour faces the “the fight of our lives” following its general election defeat.
“The quick fix of a new leader will not be enough. We must rethink and renew our purpose and how we convince the people to share it,” she said.
“Either we face up to these new times or we become irrelevant. The next five years will be the fight of our lives and I’m standing here today because I don’t run away from a fight.
“It is why I want the leadership of our party to be a team effort. I will be quite straightforward: I will be voting for my friend Rebecca Long Bailey if she stands for the leadership.”
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Rayner added: “As a Party we face a choice: win or die.”
"She is nobody's continuation." @AngelaRayner responds to @tom_watson's criticism that herself and @RLong_Bailey will be seen as the "continuity candidate" following the path that Jeremy Corbyn has set out.
More on Labour leadership: https://t.co/yN0EojlDzu pic.twitter.com/W63HRfo1Sq — Sky News Politics (@SkyNewsPolitics) January 6, 2020
The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne also hit back at claims she and Long Bailey represent “continuity Corbyn”.
“As a northern working class lass I’ve been underestimated and told my place ever since I was born,” she told Sky News. “Two northern women will not be told they are continuity anything from any man.”
Tom Watson, the former deputy party leader who stepped down from parliament at the election, this morning said Long Bailey was the “continuity candidate” who “stands for Corbynism in its purest sense”.
Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, has already announced his intention to stand for the deputy job.
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Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) will later today decide on the campaign timetable and other key elements for the leadership election.
The meeting will consider factors that could potentially affect the outcome, such as the “freeze date” for eligibility to vote for those signing up and the cost of becoming a registered supporter – non-party members who can vote in the race.
PA Wire/PA Images
It comes as Corbyn’s allies are facing a backlash over plans to radically reshape the party before he steps down this spring.
Multiple sources have told HuffPost UK that party general secretary Jennie Formby and Corbyn’s chief of staff Karie Murphy are drafting proposals to “embed Corbynism” with a major staffing reorganisation expected to start this week and end in March.
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Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, has emerged as the early frontrunner in the race to succeed Corbyn.
Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary and favourite of the current leadership, is expected to formally declare her candidacy soon.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--The Rise And Rise Of Phoebe Waller-Bridge

The Rise And Rise Of Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Since taking over the world with Fleabag and Killing Eve, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s writing and acting skills have garnered her many fans. Here’s how she rose to fame and prominence.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Adele And Harry Styles Leave Waiter £1500 Tip After Dining Together On Holiday

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If serving Adele and Harry Styles wasn’t exciting enough for one lucky waiter, things got even better when it came to paying the bill.
The British stars were feeling particularly generous when they dined together at a restaurant in the Caribbean over the New Year, leaving their server a whopping $2020 (£1545) tip.
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Adele and Harry have been holidaying together along with James Corden and his family on the Caribbean islands of Anguilla and the Virgin Islands.
After dining at the Caribbean Fishmarket on Saturday, Adele and Harry gifted their server and bartender the 400% tip.
A snap of the receipt was shared by the staff member’s friend on Instagram, which he captioned: “When Harry Styles and Adele give your friend a nice 2020 New Years tip.”
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Over the weekend, pictures emerged of the Hello singer enjoying the beaches of the Caribbean.
Adele is my 2020 MOOD 🍸🍸 pic.twitter.com/Lexubqb0Iu — boohoo.com (@boohoo) January 4, 2020
Since filing for divorce from her husband Simon Konecki last year, the singer has embraced a new fitness regime, which includes private training sessions and Pilates.
Sharing a picture of her at Drake’s birthday party in October, Adele captioned the snap: “I used to cry but now I sweat.”
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After announcing her separation from Simon last year, Adele admitted 2019 had “tried me so hard”.
Posting on Instagram after celebrating her 31st birthday, the singer said that she had “changed drastically in the last couple years”, joking she would be recording a drum and bass record to “spite” the difficult 12 months she’s had.
“This is 31… thank fucking god,” she wrote. “30 tried me so hard but I’m owning it and trying my hardest to lean in to it all.
“No matter how long we’re here for life is constant and complicated at times.
“I’ve changed drastically in the last couple years and I’m still changing and that’s okay.”
Adele and Simon Konecki. Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
She continued: “31 is going to be a big ol’ year and I’m going to spend it all on myself. For the first time in a decade I’m ready to feel the world around me and look up for once.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Jeremy Bamber: New Drama On White House Farm Murders Will Air After Lawyers Fail To Postpone Show

Jeremy Bamber, who jailed for life in 1986 for the murders of five members of his family at White House Farm in Essex, arriving at the Court of Appeal in London in 2002 PA Archive/PA Images
A plea from the lawyers of convicted murdered Jeremy Bamber to postpone an ITV dramatisation about the killings has been turned down.
Bamber, who is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murders of his parents Nevill and June, sister Sheila and her six-year-old twin sons Daniel and Nicholas, is the subject of a new six-part series called White House Farm, which will begin on January 8.
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His conviction has been the subject of several appeals and reviews by the Court of Appeal and the Criminal Cases Review Commission over a number of years.
Lawyers for Bamber are currently seeking to appeal his case and had asked for the show, starring Freddie Fox, Cressida Bonas and Mark Addy, to be put on ice, though not cancelled altogether.
Bamber claims to have received a frenzied phone call from his father on the night of the 1985 tragedy, telling him to fetch help because his sister Shelia, who suffered from schizophrenia, had gone “berserk” with a gun and murdered the family before turning the weapon on herself.
Freddie Fox plays Bamber, pictured alongside Alexa Davies who plays his girlfriend Julie Mugford in ITV's dramatisation of the murders in White House Farm, which starts this week ITV
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Last month Bamber’s legal team confirmed that it had applied for a judicial review of the Crown Prosecution Service’s alleged failure to hand over information it had requested, though could not be any more specific.
A statement from Quality Solicitors Jordans said of the plea to ITV: “This arises in the context of an ongoing and very active process to seek the return of the case of Jeremy Bamber back to the Court of Appeal, including importantly judicial review proceedings which have been issued against the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to serious non-disclosure which our client says have occurred.
“As a result of this, we have written to the producers of the drama series and invited them to postpone the broadcast of this series whilst matters are resolved in the High Court. We have intimated that we are concerned that such a drama series by nature will place a fictitious narrative in the public domain which may be counter-productive to the administration of justice in due course.”
But on Monday ITV confirmed the drama would be aired as scheduled. At time of press the broadcaster had made no further comment on the matter.
Upon hearing of the decision to air the show as planned, Bamber’s lawyers told HuffPost UK: “We have made our client’s position clear to ITV, which we stand by.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Jennifer Aniston Looks Ready To Burst With Pride As Ex Husband Brad Pitt Collects Award At Golden Gl

Jennifer Aniston Looks Ready To Burst With Pride As Ex Husband Brad Pitt Collects Award At Golden Globes

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And guess who was the proudest looking person in the room?
Yep, that’ll be Jen.
Jennifer Aniston couldn't have looked prouder. Twitter
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The former Friends star, who was sat with her The Morning Show co-star Reese Witherspoon on an adjacent table to her ex, looked ready to burst as Brad made his acceptance speech.
“I wanted to bring my mom,” he told the captivated audience. “I couldn’t because every woman I stand next to, they say I’m dating and it’d just be awkward.”
Cue the camera panning to Jen as she cracked up at Brad’s joke.
Things went all warm and fuzzy on Twitter...
Find someone who looks at you the way Jennifer still looks at Brad #GoldenGlobes #BradPitt #JenniferAniston pic.twitter.com/WgNQgBTbQn — StephaniePC (@mrspanetta) January 6, 2020
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Am I really rooting for 👑Jennifer Aniston & Brad Pitt to reunite in the year of 2020? Why am I like this. pic.twitter.com/RAFh8AH49d — Danny Pellegrino (@DannyPellegrino) January 4, 2020
Jennifer Aniston watching her ex husband Brad Pitt winning a golden globe with happiness #goldenglobe pic.twitter.com/8RteHgeAUO — Brunito 🏊🏻♂ (@brunobaretto) January 6, 2020
That's Jennifer Aniston looking at Brad Pitt during his speech.... that's all im gonna say #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/A91WCfc9WJ — Camilla (@CamillaxCoopers) January 6, 2020
Earlier in the evening, Brad proved what a gent - and master at interviews - he is when he was reminded on the red carpet that the media is still as interested in his personal life as his efforts on the big screen.
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When reporter Kevin Frazier suggested “the world, the internet” was “hoping for this moment where you and Jennifer run into each other, so [they] can take [your] picture”.
Brad was unfazed by the question, referring to his ex-wife as his “good friend” who he was sure he’d “run into” over the course of the evening.
“The second most important reunion of her year? I understand,” Brad added, referring to the much-rumoured Friends reunion.
Jennifer was at last night’s Golden Globes after earning a nomination in the Best Actress In A TV Drama category, following her performance in the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-06--Trump's Latest 'Unhinged' Tweet On Iran Floats Possibility Of Illegal Military Action

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Donald Trump has been accused of acting like a “dictator” and threatening to break a number of US and international laws after he used his personal Twitter account to notify Congress of possible retaliation against Iran.
In a tweet posted on Sunday evening, the president warned he would “strike back” against the country including in “a disproportionate manner” – action that is prohibited under international law.
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Trump also appeared to flout the War Powers Act of 1973 which is designed to check the president’s ability to commit the US to armed conflict or escalate actions without consulting lawmakers.
The post threatened to dramatically escalate an already tense international crisis after the unprecedented assassination last week of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, a high-ranking military official.
Trump said: “These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any US person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner.
He added: “Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!”
These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner. Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2020
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The declaration prompted a huge response including from a number of legal scholars. Professor Oona Hathaway from Yale Law School outlined four ways the president was “threaten[ing] to break several laws”, not least that Congress cannot be notified via Twitter.
This tweet threatens to break several laws. First, the President cannot notify Congress under the War Powers Resolution by tweet. 1/ https://t.co/tf5m8gXzCh — Oona Hathaway (@oonahathaway) January 5, 2020
Hathaway also said Trump is required to give legal notice and is obliged to consult with Congress when committing US forces to, or escalating an armed conflict.
The fourth point relates to international law which dictates any military response to an attack must be proportionate.
As well as threatening to directly contravene this in his tweet, Trump has already said he could hit dozens of historically and culturally important sites in Iran in what could amount to war crimes.
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Speaking to reporters as he flew back to Washington from his holiday stay in Florida on Sunday he doubled down on the threat, despite international prohibitions.
“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way,” he said.
Responding to Trump on Twitter, the Democratic-led House Foreign Affairs Committee warned him to “read the War Powers Act” and reminded him he is “not a dictator”.
This Media Post will serve as a reminder that war powers reside in the Congress under the United States Constitution. And that you should read the War Powers Act. And that you’re not a dictator. https://t.co/VTroMegWv0 — House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) January 5, 2020
Those around Trump appeared to take a more measured approach. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo defended the strike which killed Soleimani and said any further strikes inside Iran would be legal.
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“We’ll behave inside the system,” Pompeo said. “We always have and we always will.”
The latest developments
Inside Iran
The man who has replaced general Qassem Soleimani has vowed to take revenge.
Esmail Ghaani made the threat on Iranian state media, saying: “God the almighty has promised to get his revenge, and God is the main avenger. Certainly actions will be taken.”
Elsewhere, tens of thousands of Iranians thronged the streets of Tehran on Monday for the funeral of Soleimani and his daughter said his death would bring a “dark day” for the United States.
Adding to tensions, Iran said it was taking another step back from commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers, a pact from which the United States withdrew in 2018.
Iraq
Iraq, the scene of the airstrike in which Soleimani was killed, has called for US and other foreign troops to leave the country. Around 5,000 US troops are stationed there assisting the war against the Islamic State group.
The Iraqi parliament passed a resolution calling for an end to all foreign troop presence, reflecting the fears of many in the country that Friday’s strike could engulf them in another war between two bigger powers long at odds in Iraq and across the region.
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Iran and the United States have been competing for clout in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.
In response, Trump threatened sanctions against Iraq and said that if US troops were required to leave the country, Iraq’s government would have to pay Washington for the cost of a “very extraordinarily expensive” air base there.
He added: “We will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.”
Iraq was subject to harsh sanctions in the 1990s during which time half a million children died.
The White House
Trump has returned to the White House after his 17-day holiday in Florida. He is facing growing questions from Democrats fearful that the killing of Soleimani endangered Americans in the region and may have been an effort to distract from the president’s political crisis back home.
“Next week, the president of the United States could be facing an impeachment trial in the Senate. We know he’s deeply upset about that. And I think people are reasonably asking: ‘Why this moment?’” Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat running for president, said on CNN’s State of the Union.
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The Massachusetts senator added: “Why does he pick now to take this highly inflammatory, highly dangerous action that moves us closer to war?”
Downing Street
Prime minister Boris Johnson and his French and German counterparts, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, have called for all sides to work towards an urgent easing of tensions in the Persian Gulf, PA Media reports.
The three leaders released a statement saying that, while they were concerned by the “negative” role Iran has played in the region – including through forces directed by General Qassem Soleimani, whose killing by the United States last Friday sparked the crisis – there was now “an urgent need for de-escalation”.
“We call on all parties to exercise utmost restraint and responsibility. The current cycle of violence in Iraq must be stopped,” the joint statement, released late on Sunday night, said.
Some 400 UK troops are stationed in Iraq in the fight against IS, while the US has 5,200, prompting fears of a withdrawal that could cripple the battle against the terror group.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--Where Is Boris Johnson? Running The Country Like He Ran London

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Where is Boris Johnson? It’s now four days since the assassination of Iranian military chief Qassem Soleimani and the prime minister of the United Kingdom has not appeared on TV or in the Commons to make any comment.
The PM addressed cabinet on the crisis and chaired a National Security Council on Tuesday, but signally failed to turn up to parliament to lead for the government. With Dominic Raab in Brussels, it was left to defence secretary Ben Wallace (who also happens to be one of Johnson’s longest serving political allies) to bat for HMG.
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Jeremy Corbyn tried to ram home the importance of the issue by himself appearing at the dispatch box for the Opposition, and Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said it was “shameful that Boris Johnson is hiding behind his ministers” and “must stop dodging parliament”.
Moreover there will be a growing suspicion that this is actually going to be the way things are under this PM. With a majority of 80, he has no need to worry about the Commons, a place where his lack of oratory and impatience with procedure has always made him look uncomfortable. Yes, he’ll turn up for big events like Brexit votes and Budgets, but will he bother otherwise?
Well, one clue was given by No.10 today when his official spokesman defended him against the charge of failing to lead from the front on the Iran/Iraq crisis. “The PM leads a cabinet government and the response to events in the middle east is a collective cabinet response,” he said. The PM had been speaking directly to world leaders and “has overseen the ministerial response”.
That felt to me an awful lot like Mayor Boris’s modus operandi that we saw during his London City Hall tenure from 2008 to 2016. Delegation was the key to Johnson’s reign in the capital, passing to deputy mayors a range of responsibilities. He even had a deputy for the key job of policing (Ken Livingstone did it himself) and relied on a superb fixer (the late Sir Simon Milton) to rescue him from the early chaos of his tenure.
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In No.10, Johnson clearly likes to delegate too. But as in London, he also has a habit of seizing on particular details and pursuing them doggedly. When he was at City Hall, those who worked with him remember he was a mix of the man who dealt with ‘big picture’ broad brush strokes, while also getting “very micro if he needs to”. Sometimes he would ask why an individual traffic light was in a certain street or why police had failed to respond to a stabbing in time.
As Mayor, he famously came back late from his holiday during the London riots and as PM he refused to cut short his Caribbean Christmas break early when the crisis sparked into life last Friday. Even Tory MPs suspect that the real reason he didn’t want to appear in the Commons was because he hadn’t had time to ‘read himself in’ properly on the Iraq situation, or at least not in the detail that Wallace had a grasp of (and during an 80 minute session he handled every query thrown at him). Johnson certainly avoided saying anything on camera that Donald Trump could get upset about.
Similar suspicions abounded before the election when it seemed that Johnson just hadn’t read the Intelligence and Security Committee report on Russia, or at least in enough detail to allow it to be published. As foreign secretary, his apparently slapdash approach to his brief (the Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe evidence session being the most glaring example) was notorious too.
Yet PM Johnson may share the delegating-yet-micromanaging tendencies of Mayor Johnson. Today the cabinet was warned by chancellor Sajid Javid that he wanted all departments to look at their legacy projects (there could be ‘hundreds’ of them sources say) and see which should be axed. “Ministers need to root out any waste, particularly anything that is not aligned with the government’s priorities and demonstrate value for money of every pound of taxpayers’ money that we spend,” he said.
The PM gave his wholehearted backing for this new war on waste (waste that has developed since 2010, during the Tories’ own tenure). “There will be some squeals of protest,” one source said. Labour’s John McDonnell called it a new cuts programme aimed at finding money “down the back of the sofa”. McDonnell joked to us hacks that he wanted the “scrapping any associated expenditure with the Heathrow airport expansion”.
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But maybe McDonnell put his finger on something. Johnson would love nothing better than to claim a third runway at Heathrow simply lacks the value for money case to justify the government support and subsidy it needs. Transport secretary Grant Shapps, who has a quasi-judicial role, said last year he wanted “a really close look at whether the figures stack up”.
That’s the curious thing about Boris Johnson. Sometimes he seems he’s not really there. But other times, you just can’t ignore him. It worked in London and it may work again in government. No wonder Labour is still struggling in how it handles his premiership.
Quote Of The Day
“I’m not anybody’s continuity candidate”
Rebecca Long Bailey hits back at suggestions she isn’t her own woman
Tuesday Cheat Sheet
The first leadership hustings for the Labour leadership took place as contenders appeared before fellow MPs. Rebecca Long Bailey faced tough questions on anti-Semitism and was contrasted with the ‘future-facing’ rivals Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips.
Asked to rate Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Long-Bailey told ITV “I’d give him 10 out of 10 because I respect him and I supported him all the way through”. She blamed his poor reception on the election doorstep on media misrepresentation and said a rebuttal unit was needed.
Corbyn attacked the US killing of Qassem Suleimani, claiming it put British servicemen and women in danger. He said Boris Johnson had failed to stand up to Donald Trump because he was desperate for a post-Brexit trade deal.
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The committee stage of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill began, but with a majority of 80, most amendments are purely academic during the eight hours of debate scheduled.
Rosena Allin-Khan and Ian Murray entered the race for Labour’s deputy leadership. John McDonnell endorsed Richard Burgon for the post. Dan Jarvis announced he would not be standing for the leadership itself.
No.10 revealed that the FCO had started the process for choosing a replacement for Sir Kim Darroch, the former UK ambassador to the US forced to quit last year over leaked remarks about Trump. Only serving diplomats and civil servants will be allowed to apply - so Nigel Farage’s dream of being our man in Washington just died.
What I’m Reading
Why Trump Lacks The Experts To Deal With Iran - Washington Post
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Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--Rebecca Long Bailey Struggles To Convince MPs Amid Claims She’s The ‘No Change' Candidate

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Labour leadership frontrunner Rebecca Long Bailey has struggled to convince fellow MPs as her rivals painted her as the ‘no change’ candidate and questioned her role in the party’s anti-Semitism crisis.
At the first hustings in the race to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, the shadow business secretary declared that Labour’s “number one duty” was to learn the lessons of its shattering defeat to Boris Johnson in the 2019 election.
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But her record came under fire as Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips, Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry all pitched themselves as the future of the party and called for a clear break with the past.
During the near-two hour session in the Commons on Tuesday night, she faced claims that she failed to speak up enough to tackle anti-Jew hatred during the past three years and had argued against adopting an international definition of anti-Semitism.
Long Bailey has a potentially formidable power base within the party’s membership grassroots and union movement and is expected to win the endorsement of Unite and Momentum’s founder Jon Lansman.
PA Wire/PA Images
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She is also likely to win the bulk of leftwing MPs to reach the required threshold of 22 colleagues needed to formally get on the ballot in the three-month contest that lasts until April 2.
Yet her five rivals each underlined that they would not be the “continuity candidate”, with Phillips declaring “I am sick of just shifting the dial, I want to smash it!” and Starmer warning that Labour can win again “only if we focus relentlessly on the future and not on the past”.
Nandy was withering about suggestions that the party only needed to change its leader and not its policies, strategy or messaging to the public who voted in millions for the Tories for the first time.
Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips, Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry. PA - PA Images via Getty Images
“Now is not the time to steady the ship. If we do not change course we will die and we will deserve to,” she said.
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She also savaged the general election strategy for failing to protect Labour seats in the north and midlands, saying: “Never again can we get factions and friends of the leader determine where resources go.”
Earlier, Long Bailey insisted “I’m not anybody’s ‘continuity candidate’”, yet leapt to defend Corbyn. Asked to rate his performance as leader, she told ITV News “I’d give him 10 out of 10, because I respect him and I supported him all the way through”.
During the hustings, Long Bailey said the party lost because of its Brexit compromise failed to satisfy either side, because “too few voters thought Labour spoke for them”, and because it failed to convince people that “our popular policies were credible and deliverable”.
She also said that the voters “didn’t trust us to deal with anti-Semitism” but faced criticism when all the candidates were asked by backbencher Holly Lynch what they had personally done to tackle anti-Jewish hatred in the party.
Long Bailey said that “we owe Jewish people an apology” but that prompted Thornberry to say she and Starmer repeatedly raised the issue in shadow cabinet meetings, implying the shadow business secretary had failed to do so as vigorously.
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Nandy, who also raised the issue directly with Corbyn when she was in the shadow cabinet in 2016, said that some “people on this stage” had failed to agree the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of anti-Semitism - a line seen as a dig at Long Bailey.
Nandy said there had been a “collective leadership failure” to acknowledge the crisis, while Phillips said “Jewish people were afraid of us governing” while she and other backbenchers demanded action “again and again”.
Starmer said the Labour leader should take “personal responsibility” and “kick people out”, while Thornberry said “no more second chances - kick people out”.
One MP said that the hustings were conducted in a “comradely manner” but the anti-Semitism issue was when the questions sparked into life. “It was more obvious than ever that Becky is the ‘no-change’ candidate,” they said.
Others said that while Starmer was solid, Nandy was the one who made the biggest impression, partly because she is less well known than the others. Several MPs who had not aligned themselves to Nandy said she performed best on the night.
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Some very good individual answers from Labour leadership candidates but best overall analysis and solutions from @lisanandy Brave and principled. Looks and sounds more like a leader for the future every day. #mightcomeoffthefence — Jack McConnell (@LordMcConnell) January 7, 2020
Starmer, who has topped one poll among a YouGov survey of members, used his speech to tell MPs that Labour has to “be thinking about the end of the 2020s and 2030”.
“Our party wins when we glimpse the future and we are seen as a force for good and a force for change,” he said.
Phillips said: “We run the risk of being completely irrelevant for the next four years. All over the country people have busy lives, with lots of noise from one way or another. We have got to get them to hear us in the little time they give us.
“We cannot do the same thing again and again and expect a different result. We have got to be brave! I would be a different kind of leader, no doubt about it. Some times you have to close your eyes and be bold. I am the bold choice, it’s going to take bold to beat Boris Johnson.”
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Lewis left the meeting, saying “tough audience, tough gig”.
One former shadow minister told HuffPost UK that they felt Starmer had a “solid 30% of the membership” because of his combination of loyalty, break with the past and pro-Remain record. But they added that Long Bailey had a strong machine behind her too.
With MP nominations due in next Monday, Starmer and Phillips currently lead in support from colleagues in parliament, followed by Long Bailey, Nandy, Lewis and Thornberry.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--Jeremy Corbyn Was '10 Out Of 10' As Labour Leader, Says Rebecca Long Bailey

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Jeremy Corbyn was a “10 out of 10” leader of the Labour Party, says hopeful for the top job Rebecca Long Bailey.
The shadow business secretary, who is one of the favourites to replace Corbyn, suggested he was not at fault but was “savaged” by the media.
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Corbyn has been heavily criticised by chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and numerous others for his handling of anti-Semitism in Labour’s ranks.
He also led the party to its worst defeat since 1935 at December 12′s general election, with Boris Johnson winning a towering 80-seat majority.
“I thought Corbyn was one of most honest kind principled politicians I’ve ever met,” said long Bailey, speaking to ITV’s Paul Brand.
When pressed on what score she would give him, she went on: “I’d give him 10 out of 10, because I respect him and I supported him all the way through.
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“What we can’t ignore was that Jeremy was savaged from day one by the press.
“We have a role as party to develop the image of our leader and to put them forward in the most positive way, but we also have a duty to rebut criticism and attacks.”
Long Bailey formally launched her campaign on Monday night with a piece in Tribune magazine.
Setting out her stall as the left-wing candidate, she said the party needs a “proud socialist” to succeed Corbyn and said she could be trusted to maintain “our socialist agenda”.
Jeremy Corbyn and Rebecca Long Bailey. PA Archive/PA Images
Long Bailey was also asked how her leadership would differ from Corbyn’s.
“I’m not anybody’s continuity candidate,” she said.
She added: “We are very different people. The reasons I supported him were because I liked his approach to policy making.”
Pressed again on how they differ, she said: “We are different in the way we speak, different in tone.”
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The Salford MP, who has the backing of deputy leadership favourite Angela Rayner, was also asked about her life outside politics.
She said she had not “done anything crazy” and does not “go to the bars in Westminster regularly”.
She added: “I like watching telly. I spend a lot of time with my family and my favourite hobby is having a Chinese take away and watching box set on a Friday night with my husband.
“My life centres around my little boy... making sure the time I spend time with my family is fun for him, taking him to trampoline parks and things like that.”
Long Bailey faces competition for the top job from shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, shadow Treasury minister Clive Lewis and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, as well as backbenchers Jess Phillips and Lisa Nandy.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--Government Attempts To Ease Concern Over Child Refugee Protections Ahead Of Crunch Vote

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A senior minister has attempted to reassure MPs that Boris Johnson remains “fully committed” to helping lone child refugees after Brexit, despite watering down their legal protections.
Brandon Lewis’s letter to all MPs ahead of a Commons vote on Wednesday suggests “worried Tories are demanding answers from ministers over the policy” on child refugees, a Labour source claimed.
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The Home Office and Brexit minister acknowledged “several members” had “recognised the importance” of the issue after the prime minister stripped from his Brexit deal legal protections for unaccompanied child refugees.
They would have placed the government under an obligation to negotiate with the EU a continuation of the rights of child refugees stranded in Europe to be reunited with their family in the UK after Brexit.
The protections were written into the original withdrawal agreement bill (WAB) by Theresa May after a campaign led by Lord Dubs - who fled to the UK from the Nazis via a Kindertransport when he was six years old - but removed by Johnson.
The PM instead plans to replace the commitment with a much reduced obligation to simply make statements to parliament on the government’s child refugee policy after Brexit.
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MPs will vote on whether to reinstate the so-called Dubs amendment on Wednesday. But, with his new 80-seat majority, Johnson is likely to emerge victorious.
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Lewis stressed the government remains “fully committed” to “the principle of family unity” and supporting “the most vulnerable” children.
He stressed government policy “has not changed” and that removing the protections from the bill was about ensuring the government has “full flexibility” to negotiate a long-term post-Brexit relationship with the EU without having to worry about obligations set by parliament.
It is understood he wrote to MPs to ensure they have a commitment in writing that the government will continue to protect child refugees.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told HuffPost UK: “Tory ministers are failing to assure us that their policy towards refugees has not changed with Brexit.
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“But there is no reassurance at all from maintaining a policy which prevents children from coming here, even though that is their legal entitlement.
“Ministers have also removed the obligation to negotiate with other EU member states, which gives them even greater scope to refuse legitimate asylum claims.
“It’s time this government fulfilled its moral and legal obligations to these most vulnerable children.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine told HuffPost UK: “No MPs should be fooled by Conservative ministers’ pathetic attempt to justify repealing our commitment to child refugees.
“This is nothing other than a PR exercise to try and hide the fact they’re turning their back on vulnerable children.
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“The only way to ensure we keep safe and legal routes to sanctuary for child refugees is to reject the government’s heartless amendment, and that is what Liberal Democrat MPs will vote to do.
“We hope that any brave and principled Conservative MPs will join us.”
In his letter to MPs, Lewis said: “The prime minister made clear the importance this government places on ensuring that unaccompanied children who are seeking international protection in an EU member state can continue to be reunited with specified family members who are in the UK, as well as children in the UK with family in the EU, following the UK’s exit from the EU,” he said.
“This remains a negotiating objective of this government.
“It is also important to note that the UK will continue to reunite unaccompanied children with children with family members in the UK under the Dublin regulation during the implementation period, processing and deciding all ‘take back’ requests that have been submitted.
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“The new clause 37 in the EU (withdrawal agreement) bill is primarily about clarifying the role of government and parliament in negotiations.
“It is right that the statutory obligation to negotiate previously contained in section 17 of the withdrawal act is removed and not retained by this amendment, so that the traditional division between government and parliament be restored, and the negotiations ahead can be carried out with full flexibility and in an appropriate manner across all policy areas.”
MPs will debate and vote on a raft of amendments as Johnson’s WAB, which puts his Brexit deal into law, passes through the Commons this week.
But the deal is widely expected to emerge unscathed as opposition MPs lack the numbers to win votes following the election.
The Lib Dems are also hoping to ensure the government commits to replacing EU funding, worth about £2.1bn a year, after Brexit with a UK shared prosperity fund.
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Lib Dem MP Daisy Cooper said: “This funding is vital for charities that help some of the most vulnerable here in the UK.
“If Boris Johnson’s government refuse to provide detailed plans for how they will replace this funding once we leave the EU, they are turning their back on some of those most in need.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--‘All We Can Do Is Wait’: How Iranians In The UK Feel As The Crisis Worsens

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America’s assassination of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani was “like if Iran had killed Mike Pence in Mexico”, an “act of terrorism” that has left Iranians abroad afraid even to contact their families.
These are the words of Iranian nationals living in Britain, who this week told HuffPost UK about the shock they feel over events back home.
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Soleimani was killed on Friday in a US-orchestrated drone strike. In the days that followed, Iran vowed “forceful revenge”. Trump then threatened to destroy 52 of the nation’s most historically and culturally significant sites.
Meanwhile, millions spilled onto the country’s streets in mourning and protest. Fifty people are reported to have died when a stampede broke out in Kerman at his funeral on Tuesday.
Tens-of-thousands of Iranians mourned the death of the general over the weekend. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Iranian refugee Mohammad, 20, who arrived in the UK six years ago with his family, has struggled to come to terms with events.
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“I was woken up at about half three in the morning by the news,” he said. “It was hard to believe what had happened at first.
“My father said the crowds mourning Soleimani were the biggest he had seen since the death of the Ayatollah [Sayyid Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first supreme leader],” said Mohammad. “The way in which he was killed has caused a lot of anger, and has destabilised so much.
“Just a month ago 1,500 Iranians were killed by the government during protests, and now some of the people involved in those protests are mourning Soleimani as a show of anger at what the US has done even though he was one of the biggest symbols of the establishment.”
He added: “It seems obvious that Trump did what he did to advance his own political agenda – it was completely disproportionate and it has done nothing to help the people of Iran.”
Mourners in Kerman attend a funeral ceremony for Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a US drone strike on Friday ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The attack near Baghdad airport in Iraq that killed Soleimani also claimed the life of Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis – sparking calls from Iraqi MPs for their government to expel foreign troops from the country’s land, sea, and airspace.
“I see what Trump has done as an act of terrorism,” said one 22-year-old Iranian currently studying law at a university in the south of England, who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s as though the Iranian people are just being used so he can stay in power.
“I would say the predominant feeling in Iran right now is one of anger. There has been unrest in the country for a long time, but this is the most anger I have ever seen.
“Iran is made out to be this country of terrorists, but as I see it terrorists can be westerners in suits, too. We can’t deny that Iran has big problems, but it feels like this has undone so much.”
Huge crowds, made up of tens-of-thousands of Iranians, gathered in the country’s streets over the weekend as the military general’s remains were transported during a major funeral procession.
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When it comes to Soleimani himself, the student said attitudes towards the military leader among Iranians were often opposing.
She added: “For many Iranians, Soleimani was a very charismatic figure.
“He was seen as instrumental in the fight against ISIS and that earned him a lot of popularity. I can see that, but I can’t understand his support for Assad during the Syrian civil war – I can never see him as a black or white figure. He’s in the grey area for me.
“Over the weekend I saw pictures of people celebrating his death at the same time as people I know were changing their Facebook profile pictures to his portrait in his memory. It’s a very complicated situation.”
One thing, though, is clear for her.
“Trump had no reason to intervene in the way he did,” she said. “The US is always going to be the US and no one is going to question that, but it’s Iranians who will suffer because of what he has done.”
Iranian mourners carry a picture of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Qassem Soleimani during the funeral procession in the capital SIPA USA/PA Images
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The Foreign Office has advised British nationals to avoid all but essential travel to Iran.
But for Iranian residents of the UK, the country is still home to their loved ones.
The Iranian Association, a London-based charity that has helped Iranian migrants settle in the UK for more than 30 years, said the situation had caused “a lot of anxiety” for Iranians here.
“People are very, very worried,” said a spokesperson. “Many people in the community have been watching the news closely because that’s all they can really do.
“Many of us have family still in Iran, but it can be difficult to communicate with them. A lot of people are afraid to speak via text or online messaging in case their messages are being watched, so it’s not easy to speak openly.
“Things have been unstable in Iran for a long time, but suddenly now it is even harder for people living in the UK to go back and see their families. All we can do is wait.”
Mehren Hosseini is a computer studies student at the University of Oxford. He moved from Iran three years ago.
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He said: “Everyone I know in Iran is at least as worried as me. Some of them are looking to the future fearfully awaiting what it will bring to them.
“Some others are already planning on fleeing from Iran before it is too late. The current situation reminds me of a very interesting quote I saw on the internet: ‘If you don’t want immigrants, don’t create them.’


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--The Latest On Iran Explained: US Braced For ‘Severe Revenge’ As Crisis Escalates

The unfolding crisis in the Middle East has continued to escalate as the world waits to see how Iran will respond to the killing of General Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike last week.
UK and European allies have called for calm as Iranian officials threaten to “set ablaze” American interests in the region.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the developments of the last 24 hours.
Iranian officials promise retaliation
The leader of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has threatened to “set ablaze” places supported by the United States but gave no hint of where this might be.
Speaking on Tuesday at the funeral of Soleimani in the town of Kerman, Hossein Salami’s vow mirrored the demands of top Iranian officials – from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to others – for “severe revenge” against America.
Salami praised Soleimani’s exploits and said as a martyr, he represented an even greater threat to Iran’s enemies.
“We will take revenge. We will set ablaze where they like,” he said, drawing cries of “Death to Israel!” from the crowd.
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In a further development, Iran’s parliament on Tuesday passed a bill that designates all US forces as terrorists.
The bill states: “Any aid to these forces, including military, intelligence, financial, technical, service or logistical, will be considered as cooperation in a terrorist act.”
US on high alert but unsure what to expect
The next chapter of the crisis is largely in the hands of Iran as the US awaits its response to the killing of Soleimani.
While officials say American intelligence isn’t clear on whether Iran’s latest military moves are designed to bolster Tehran’s defences or prepare for an offensive strike, the US is continuing to reinforce its own positions in the region, including repositioning some forces.
A police officer and K-9 do a security sweep early on Monday as Congress returns to to Washington to face the challenge of fallout from President Donald Trump's military strike in Iraq. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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US officials have initiated a heightened state of military readiness as they prepare for a possible “tit-for-tat” attempt on the life of an American military commander.
One official said the US anticipated a “major” attack of some type within the next day or two, PA Media reported.
Statista
According to a report on Tuesday by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has worked up 13 sets of plans for revenge for Soleimani’s killing.
The report quoted Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, as saying that even the weakest among them would be a “historic nightmare” for the US.
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An Iranian guard holds a Hezbollah flag during a funeral procession and burial for Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani/ Wana News Agency / Reuters
Britain treads a careful diplomatic path
Boris Johnson finds himself joining with French and German allies in calling for calm in the region, whilst attempting to maintain good relations with the Trump administration ahead of talks with the US on a post-Brexit trade deal.
The PM and foreign secretary Dominic Raab have said the UK would not “lament” the passing of Soleimani but have made it clear that Trump’s threat to target Iranian cultural sites would be a breach of international law.
The PM has briefed senior ministers on the situation in Iraq at the weekly meeting of the Cabinet, Downing Street said on Tuesday.
The spokesman said they agreed Soleimani had been responsible for “disruptive, destabilising behaviour in the region and posed a threat to all our interests”.
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The spokesman said a more “substantial“ discussion would take place at the National Security Council later on Tuesday.
Raab is travelling to Brussels for talks with his European counterparts on the situation.
The United Nations
The US has denied a visa to Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that would have allowed him to attend a long-planned United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday.
Qassem Soleimani pictured in 2016. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Under the 1947 UN “headquarters agreement”, the US is generally required to allow access to the United Nations for foreign diplomats but Washington says it can deny visas for “security, terrorism and foreign policy” reasons.
The Security Council meeting would have given Zarif a global spotlight to publicly criticise the United States for killing Soleimani.
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The situation in Iraq
The strike that killed Soleimani was conducted in Iraq where the US continues to have a large military presence.
Iraq has urged the UN Security Council to condemn the air strike as a “flagrant violation” of the terms of the American forces’ presence in the country and the Iraqi parliament voted over the weekend to force them to leave.
Senior Pentagon leaders were forced to reaffirm the US has no plans to withdraw troops from Iraq, when a draft letter from a senior military officer surfaced that appeared to suggest plans for withdrawal were under way.
Deadly stampede
At least fifty people were killed and hundreds injured in a stampede that erupted at a funeral procession for Soleimani in his hometown of Kerman on Tuesday.
Coffins of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others who were killed in Iraq by a US drone strike, are carried on a truck surrounded by mourners during a funeral procession, in the city of Kerman, Iran, Tuesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The big winners
The threats of retaliation coming out of the US and Iran over the last 24 hours were enough to spook markets into taking a knock by closing time on Monday, but there were some beneficiaries of the chaos.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-07--Iran Latest: ‘At least 50 Mourners Dead After Stampede’ At Funeral Of Qassem Soleimani

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At least 50 people have been killed and hundreds injured in a stampede that erupted at a funeral procession for an Iranian general killed in a US air strike, Iran state TV has said.
The stampede took place in Kerman, the home town of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, as the procession got under way. Videos posted online showed people lying lifeless on a road.
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The number of casualties has yet to be independently confirmed.
The body of Soleimani reached his hometown for burial on Tuesday after a tour of holy sites in the country.
Mourners in Kerman dressed in black carried posters bearing the image of Soleimani, PA Media reports.
It isn’t known how many were at the funeral, but a crowd said by police to be in the millions filled Tehran’s streets on Monday as the general’s death prompted Iran’s supreme leader to weep over his coffin.
Mourners attend a funeral ceremony for Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a US drone strike on January 7 ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Although there was no independent estimate of Monday’s proceedings, aerial footage and Associated Press journalists suggested a turnout of at least one million, and the throngs were visible on satellite images of Tehran.
The outpouring of grief was an unprecedented honour for a man viewed by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force.
The US blames him for the killing of American troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before his death on Friday in a drone strike near Baghdad’s airport.
Soleimani also led forces in Syria backing President Bashar Assad in a long war, and he also served as the point man for Iranian proxies in countries such as Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
General Qassem Soleimani, centre, pictured in 2016. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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His killing has already pushed Tehran to abandon the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as his successor and others vow to take revenge.
In Baghdad, the parliament has called for the expulsion of all American troops from Iraqi soil, something analysts fear could allow militants from so-called Islamic State to mount a comeback.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Labour Only Wins When We’re United. Here’s What We Need From The Next Leader

Jeremy Corbyn AP
As a passionate and committed non-candidate for the Labour party leadership, I have received many calls for support from those putting themselves forward. I want to wait till I have heard from the members of Newcastle Central constituency Labour party at our meeting this Friday to make any decision, but after several conversations and the first leadership hustings I am beginning to form a clearer picture of what I believe the Labour party needs to look for over the next three months.
Our leaders need to be unifiers. Our party has not been well-served by well meaning people whose instinct has been to either withhold support from leadership they personally might not have chosen, or to seek to drive from the party voices they might not agree with. Our party has always included those to the left and right of each other, and we have always sought to represent the working people of our country in all of our vast diversity. But we only win when we are unified as a party – and we need leadership that can make that unity real.
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Our leadership needs to reflect the diversity of our party and our country. Frankly it’s embarrassing that the Tories have had two women leaders and the Labour party has had none. I will vote for the best candidates regardless, but I will also enthusiastically support BAME and women candidates that are suited on substance to be our party’s leaders.
Our leaders need to support structural economic change. We have a profoundly unequal society – where wealth, power, and opportunity are concentrated by class, race and geography. We need a fairer tax system and improved investment in education and skills, but taxes and training alone will not fix what is wrong. We need leadership that is committed to changing patterns of capital investment and increasing worker bargaining power. As automation pushes out the routine and mundane, the true means of production are the creativity and skills of working people, they need to have power over these as wealth creators in their own right, not the beneficiaries of Whitehall largesse.
“Our leaders and the team they put together need to be rooted in our communities, their experiences and their values.”
Our leaders need to support an economic strategy that helps British business succeed, one that is forward looking to enable it to be more innovative and more productive. As a practical matter this means both a commitment to economic integration with Europe and a Green Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, in the last election generalised rhetoric around nationalisation and “taking on the bosses” overwhelmed sensible policy goals that would have benefited business such as universal broadband access and increased R&D spend. So we need leaders who understand British business as a partner and as a key beneficiary of Labour policies.
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Our leaders and the team they put together need to be rooted in our communities, their experiences and their values. We should be proud of our 2019 manifesto in its comprehensiveness and eagerness for large scale change. But too often it was more of an expression of the idealism of its drafters than the experiences, priorities and values of working people as a whole. This problem was compounded by a campaign that seemed unable to bring the party clearly in line with the values of those whose trust we sought – whether by acting decisively to deal with anti-Semitism or by clearly supporting important British (and Northern) institutions such as the armed forces.
Finally, it is not essential but it would be helpful if our leaders had a sense of humour. We don’t want a stand up comedian or negative or demeaning sniping, but the ability to make people laugh positively can get you a much-needed hearing at a time when politicians are often distrusted by default.
My criteria may not be everyone’s and they certainly do not reflect a particular “wing” of the party. But they are, I believe, absolutely necessary if Labour is to win back the voters we lost in the North East and be seen by voters generally as a credible governing party, one capable of winning the trust of the British people and the honour and challenge of Government.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Body Of 'Child Migrant' Found In Landing Gear Of Air France Flight

Plane stowaways are uncommon but do occur, with experts saying the chances of a one managing to avoid either being crushed by the wheels as they retract after take-off or being frozen to death during the flight are very small.
In July last year the body of a suspected stowaway landed in a south London garden, narrowly missing a sunbather. It is thought the man’s body fell from the landing gear of a Kenya Airways flight as it prepared to land at Heathrow Airport.
A bag, water and some food were discovered in the landing gear compartment of the plane when it arrived at the airport, the Met Police said.
In 2015, the body of a man landed on a shop in Richmond having clung on in the undercarriage of a plane from Johannesburg in South Africa to Heathrow.
Three years earlier, Jose Matada fell to his death from a British Airways flight inbound from Angola.
Matada, originally from Mozambique, was found on the pavement in East Sheen on September 9.
An inquest into his death heard he is believed to have survived freezing temperatures of up to minus 60C for most of the 12-hour flight.
But he was understood to be “dead or nearly dead” by the time he hit the ground.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--How Olivia Colman Became TV And Film Royalty

How Olivia Colman Became TV And Film Royalty
BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar winner, Olivia Colman has appeared in multiple TV shows and films for over a decade now. Currently playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown, Colman has come a long way since she was Sophie in Peep Show.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Dog To Be Reunited With Owner After Being Left In Church With Heartbreaking Note

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A dog who was left at a church with a note from his owner saying “I love you and I am so, so, so sorry” is to be reunited with his family.
The seven-year-old Staffie – temporarily named Cracker – was found tied up next to the altar at Sacred Heart Church in Blackpool just before Christmas with a note from his former owner that read: “Please believe me when I say I haven’t done this easily.
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“My dog means the world to me and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve no home or money now for him. Life has taken a really bad turn for me and I couldn’t imagine him being outside with me cold and hungry. I love you and I am so, so, so sorry.”
Now the hound – whose real name is Rooney – is being looked after by local charity Street Paws while his owner Alison (who has asked for her surname not to be used) gets back on her feet.
RSPCA inspector Will Lamping collected the dog from the church and said: “Everyone has fallen in love with this little dog. The outpouring of support for him and the publicity his story has received resulted in us finding his owner.”
He added: “I’d like to thank everyone who has shared Rooney’s story, offered help and support to his owner, enquired about offering him a home and played a part in enabling us to reunite Alison and Rooney and get this lovely dog back home where he belongs.”
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Rooney will now be reunited with his owner Alison RSPCA
Street Paws founder Michelle Southern said: “Rooney’s story has really touched the hearts of the nation, but sadly it’s not uncommon.
“People who have no home are forced to make heartbreaking decisions to give up their pets as they have no other choice.
“Street Paws is committed to keeping people in crisis and their pets together. We offer support across the UK to relieve animal suffering by providing free of charge veterinary care and emergency kennel space to homeless people and those suffering the affects of extreme poverty.
“We recognised Rooney when pictured in the media, and were relieved when his owner was found as she loves him very much.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Christopher Beeny, Last Of The Summer Wine And Upstairs, Downstairs Star, Dies Aged 78

Christopher’s son, Rick Blackman, has announced that the actor died on Friday, and was at home “in his armchair”.
He wrote: “I have some sad news to impart. On Friday 3rd of January my old dad Christopher Beeny died at his home in Kent. He was 78.
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“Comforted to know he was not alone at the end and was in his armchair.”
I have some sad news to impart. On friday 3rd of January my old dad Christopher Beeny died at his home in Kent. He was 78. Comforted to know he was not alone at the end and was in his armchair. pic.twitter.com/e4GsvYtPVp — Rick Blackman (@rickblackman01) January 7, 2020
Since his initial post, Rick has thanked his dad’s fans for their “kind tributes”, noting: “I’ve tried to answer and like as many as possible but the sheer volume has been staggering.
“Thank all you so much from me and the rest of the family.”
Me and dad early 70's with the WW1 story line in Upstairs Downstairs I changed my name aged 14 when my mum re married if you were doubting I am his son! Don't believe all you read on wikipedia. Me and my sister don't exist according to that! Dad was born in London not Bristol! pic.twitter.com/8YTj9Z1r4k — Rick Blackman (@rickblackman01) January 7, 2020
Morning twitter. I want to thank you all for the kind tributes and messages following the death of my dad. I've tried to answer and like as many as possible but the sheer volume has been staggering. Thank all you so much from me and the rest of the family xx #ChristopherBeeny — Rick Blackman (@rickblackman01) January 8, 2020
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A former child actor, Christopher made multiple TV and film appearances in the 1950s, including in the British soap opera The Grove Family, and films like The Long Memory, The Kidnappers and Child’s Play.
He also played Edward, the footman, in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, and played Billy Henshaw in the sitcom In Loving Memory.
Christopher was best known for his portrayal of Herman Teasdale, who went on to become known as Moreton Beamish, in Last Of The Summer Wine.
Christopher pictured in the 1990s ITV/Shutterstock
The actor first began making guest appearances in the show in 2001, and eventually joined the show’s cast until it went off the air in 2010.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--What’s Actually In Meat-Free Foods – And Are They Healthy?

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There are more meat substitute products on the market than ever before, with a whole host of new releases hitting supermarkets for Veganuary.
But the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, an independent body that advises policy-makers, has warned consumers may be unaware of the potential health implications of eating these products. It said some meat substitutes contain high levels of salt for flavouring.
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“The long-term health effects of consuming meat alternatives have not been established and it is not yet known how people will incorporate these foods into their diets,” the council warns in a new report. “These products are usually highly processed and the use of novel ingredients and new production processes might carry health risks that are hard to predict.”
Only 4% of the UK population are vegan or vegetarian, the report suggests, but the meat-free market is growing – largely due to meat-eaters trying to cut down, it said. An estimated 14% of people in Britain now identify as flexitarian – meat-eaters reducing their meat consumption – and 70% of people who buy plant-based meat alternatives are meat-eaters.
But the researchers are concerned that using words like “clean” and “green” on these products might mean people “overlook the health implications” of them.
Ultra-processed foods have been found to increase a person’s risk of dying early, a study concluded in 2019. This could be because they often contain additives and ingredients such as hydrogenated or interesterified oils, where the oil has been modified to make it more suitable.
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So, what’s inside these meat-free products we’re suddenly eating – from the Greggs’ vegan steak bake, to the Burger King plant-based patty? And how do we make healthy meat-free choices?
Heather Russell, a dietitian at The Vegan Society, tells HuffPost UK the majority of meat substitutes are made from soya, tofu, mycoprotein (Quorn) and seitan (made from wheat flour).
Just like non-vegan food, some vegan options should only be reserved as a treat, she says. But going vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian doesn’t have to be bad for health, insists Russell.
“Use food labels to keep an eye on added fat and salt and choose plenty of healthy sources of protein like canned beans and chickpeas in water, red split lentils, pure peanut butter, unsalted nuts, pumpkin seeds, the dry variety of soya mince, and plain tofu, which can be seasoned using spices,” she says.
“Everyone can help the environment by limiting their intakes of highly-processed foods, but an off-the-shelf vegan diet has the lowest environmental impact and it’s the clear winner from an ethical perspective.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--White House Farm Is ITV’s New Drama On The Jeremy Bamber Murders – Here’s Everything You Need To Kno

White House Farm Is ITV’s New Drama On The Jeremy Bamber Murders – Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Like The Moorside, Little Boy Boy and A Confession before it, White House Farm is set to tell one of Britain’s most shocking true-life crimes.
Beginning on ITV on 8 January, the six-part series has been hotly anticipated as it dramatises the shocking Jeremy Bamber murders that happened at an Essex farmhouse in 1985.
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Ahead of its debut, here’s everything you need to know about it…
(L-R) Mark Addy (DS Stan Jones), Freddie Fox (Jeremy Bamber) and Stephen Graham (DCI Thomas 'Taff' Jones). ITV
It is based on the real-life Jeremy Bamber murders
White House Farm recounts the events leading up to and following a fateful night in August 1985, when five members of the same family were murdered at an Essex farmhouse – some as they slept in their beds.
The victims were wealthy and respected Nevill and June Bamber, their adoptive daughter Sheila Caffell, and her twin six-year-old boys, Daniel and Nicholas.
Police initially believed that glamorous former model Sheila, who had problems with her mental health, had killed her family before turning the gun on herself, having been found with the weapon still in her hands.
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While the head investigating officer, DCI Thomas ‘Taff’ Jones, believed it was an open and shut case, Detective Sergeant Stan Jones had doubts about the murder-suicide theory, with his suspicions aroused over Sheila’s brother Jeremy Bamber, who first called the police to the farm.
Fast-forward 14 months, and Jeremy was charged and convicted of the murders.
White House Farm ITV
“The story of this reversal is one of the most astonishing and controversial tales in the history of British policing,” says writer and executive producer Kris Mrksa. For me, it is also one of the most heart breaking.
“Our main ambition was to do justice to the emotional truth of the terrible crimes that took place at White House Farm. That a decent family, including two small boys, were murdered in cold blood, apparently so that a greedy young man could secure his inheritance. And that he might have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for the courage and perseverance of a few brave people.”
While Jeremy Bamber denies his guilt to this day, he is currently serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He is one of the few prisoners in the UK subject to a whole-life order.
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The show relies heavily on the book The Murders at White House Farm, partly based on the extensive research and interviews competed by author Carol Ann Lee
Carol corresponded with Jeremy Bamber from his prison cell over a three-year period to get an idea of the case, as well as speaking to all the key players from Essex police, as well as friends and family of the victims.
Her book is seen as the most detailed and balanced account of this notorious crime, and will also be republished to tie in with White House Farm’s debut on TV.
But while Carol spoke to Jeremy Bamber for her book, White House Farm bosses confirmed they did not approach him about the dramatisation.
Freddie Fox plays Jeremy Bamber ITV
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The drama was made with the blessing of one remaining family member
Colin Caffell, the father of Daniel and Nicolas, had written a book about his loss in the years since the murders called In Search Of The Rainbow. But until now, he had not cooperated with any programme about the case.
Producers therefore reached out to him at “a very early stage”, explaining how important it was to tell the story.
“This was crucial to us,” says co-executive producer Willow Grylls. “As was having his blessing.”
“Colin’s book is uncomfortably honest,” Willow continues. “Not just about Sheila but about himself. What I found remarkable was his personal journey to make sense of this tragedy. Colin’s own ability to transcend tragedy and rebuild his life is inspiring.”
ITV
Director Paul Whittington added that it was also important for Colin that we see his ex-wife Shelia “as a wonderful mother as well as someone who suffered from mental illness”.
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Willow revealed that as well as speaking to Colin and using Carol Ann Lee’s book, they also “spoke to many other people who were involved in this case”.
“There was a huge amount of research to ensure that we were as accurate as possible,” he says.
However, the majority of filming locations were changed out of respect
“Aside from filming Jeremy Bamber’s trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, where it took place in 1986, we avoided filming at any of the real locations out of respect,” director Paul Whittington says.
“Wherever we film - whether a real location or not - we are always acutely aware and sensitive to the fact we are portraying real life with real victims. Along with the responsibility that comes with that.”
The programme makers have a history of quality storytelling
White House Farm is produced by New Pictures who previously made The Missing for the BBC. It was written by Kris Mrksa, whose previous credits include The Slap and Requiem, and was directed by Paul Whittington, who worked on the acclaimed real-life drama Little Boy Blue and ITV’s Hatton Garden.
The White House Farm cast is seriously impressive
Freddie Fox (Cucumber, Year Of The Rabbit, The Three Musketeers)
Freddie Fox plays Jeremy Bamber ITV
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Freddie takes on the role of killer Jeremy Bamber, who like Sheila, was also adopted by Nevill and June Bamber.
Freddie says he “cannot and would not” give an opinion on whether he feels Jeremy Bamber is guilty or innocent.
“It is not my place to do that,” he says. “But obviously he is a psychologically interesting person who is both articulate, well-spoken, well-educated, determined and, quite possibly, manipulative. It was a very interesting balance to strike.”
Mark Addy (The Full Monty, Game Of Thrones, Atlantis, The Syndicate)
Mark Addy plays DS Stan Jones ITV
Mark plays DS Stan Jones, who was the officer who first had suspicions about Bamber.
In real-life, Stan never received any official recognition for helping convict him, which is something Mark disagrees with.
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“I think Stan should have got some official recognition,” he says. “But the police could not condone him going above his commanding officer’s head so he got a cup of tea and a pat on the back. That was possibly enough for Stan.
“And in my version of Stan he was happy with that because justice was served. It wasn’t about him being feted or decorated. It was about justice for those two six-year-old boys and the three adult victims.”
Stephen Graham (This Is England, Line Of Duty, A Christmas Carol, The Virtues)
Stephen Graham plays DCI Thomas 'Taff' Jones ITV
Stephen appears as DCI Thomas ‘Taff’ Jones, the head investigating officer who believed the case was an open-and-shut one of murder-suicide.
Mark Stanley (BBC’s Little Women, Sanditon, Elizabeth Is Missing)
Mark Stanley plays Colin ITV
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Mark plays Colin Caffell, Sheila’s ex-husband and father of Daniel and Nicholas, whose performance was praised by the man himself.
Mark says: “He also got in touch after he watched it all to say, ‘You’ve played it as I wanted it - and how I felt I was. Which is that I survived it.’”
He adds: “He is a better survivor than I ever would be. He went through absolute hell. But to see him come on set and to be able to do that with strength; I’ve got a massive amount of respect for him for being able to do that. I think Colin is incredible.”
Colin’s partner, Heather, is played by Grace Calder (Outlander, Deadwater Fell).
Cressida Bonas (Tulip Fever, The Bye Bye Man, Doctor Thorne)
Cressida Bonas plays Sheila ITV
Cressida plays Shelia Caffell, a former fashion model who has schizophrenia and no longer has full-time custody of her two sons.
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“From all I’ve read, she loved her children very much and was a good mother,” Cressida says. “A kind person and very lost. But at this time mental health was spoken about and treated differently to today.”
Gemma Whelan (Game Of Thrones, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow)
Gemma Whelan plays Ann ITV
Gemma plays Ann Eaton, who is cousin to Sheila and Jeremy, and lives close to their parents’ farmhouse.
Gemma says Ann was “pivotal in alerting the police to the way Jeremy behaved after the murders and other aspects they overlooked when originally deciding this was a case of murder-suicide”.
“She knew there was no way Sheila could have done it. Ann made people look again at the case,” she explains.
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Alexa Davies (Raised By Wolves, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again)
Freddie Fox (Jeremy Bamber) and Alexa Davies (Julie Mugford) ITV
Alexa plays Julie Mugford, Jeremy’s girlfriend, who initially supports him following the killings at White House Farm.
“I believe she was head over heels in love with Jeremy,” Alexa says of her character. “It is hard to understand at first why she didn’t immediately go to the police if she knew what had really happened. It’s hard for people to excuse that. But it’s not as black and white as that.
“Outwardly Jeremy could be very charming and attractive. Her life was completely set out. She hoped to marry Jeremy and have children.”
Her brother David is played by Richard Goulding (King Charles III, Ripper Street), who supports his sister’s suspicions.
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Amanda Burton (Silent Witness, Waterloo Road, Midsomer Murders) plays June Bamber, Jeremy’s adopted mother, who is deeply religious and has strong ideas about parenting.
June’s husband Nevill is played by Nicholas Farrell (The Iron Lady, The Chariots Of Fire).
Alfie Allen (Game Of Thrones) also appears as Brett Collins, one of Jeremy Bamber’s friends.