thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Extinction Rebellion Slam 'Ridiculous' Reports Home Office Could Reclassify Them As 'Organised Crime

Extinction Rebellion Slam 'Ridiculous' Reports Home Office Could Reclassify Them As 'Organised Crime Group'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Extinction Rebellion (XR) have criticised reports that they could be reclassified as an organised crime group by the Home Office as “ridiculous”.
The news comes a day after a number of the UK’s biggest national newspapers were delayed by XR protesters who blockaded printing presses as part of their environmental protests.
Advertisement
The Sunday Telegraph – which was one of the affected papers alongside The Daily Mail and Ruper Murdoch-owned titles including The Sun and The Times – revealed the news amid ongoing controversy about XR’s tactics.
But the climate change campaigners – 26 of whom have now been charged with aggravated trespass following the protest – have hit back at reports, highlighting unlawful practices at the Murchoch-owned News Corp such as the phone hacking scandal.
In a statement from the group, published online,XR spokesperson, Nuala Gathercole Lam, said: “According to the government’s own strategy ‘organised crime’ is ‘characterised by violence or the threat of violence and by the use of bribery and corruption’.
“That is hardly an accurate description of the thousands or ordinary people – the nurses, the doctors, the grandparents and others – who take part in Extinction Rebellion’s non-violent protests.”
Advertisement
In their statement Extinction Rebellion also drew attention to Murdoch’s defence of the fossil fuel industry as Australia burned during the bushfire crisis at the end of 2019 and start of 2020, highlighting the fact that his own son James quit News Corp citing “disagreements over editorial content”.
While the exact nature of the disagreements was not disclosed, James had previously criticised News Corp outlets for their climate change coverage.
XR also highlighted news reports on Saturday that the UK government has been formally warned by The Council of Europe for threatening press freedom after it blacklisted a group of investigative journalists.
A Whitehall source told The Sunday Telegraph that Priti Patel and Boris Johnson had asked Home Office officials to take “fresh look” at how the group is classified legally.
The paper reported a quote from an anonymous source, which read: “It’s clear they’re not your normal protest group, so you have to look at them in a different way.”
Advertisement
They reportedly added that the PM was “extremely concerned” about the group.
Johnson tweeted on Saturday: “A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change.
“It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public’s access to news in this way.”
A Home Office spokesperson declined to comment on the Sunday Telegraph’s report, instead directing HuffPost UK to comments made by Priti Patel on Twitter.
The home secretary on Saturday described the protest as an “attack on our free press, society and democracy”, adding that the action was “completely unacceptable.”
This morning people across the country will be prevented from reading their newspaper because of the actions of Extinction Rebellion.
This attack on our free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable. https://t.co/3DfasjD6sS — Priti Patel (@pritipatel) September 5, 2020
Speaking to Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, foreign secretary Dominic Raab avoided commenting directly on the reports that Extinction Rebellion could be reclassified.
Advertisement
He said: “We always keep all of our laws under review but I think actually the laws are in place to take relevant enforcement action against criminal behaviour.
“This government is hosting the UN global climate change talks next year, we’ve got an incredible record of cutting emissions, we want to go further, and I respect the right to peaceful protest.
“But hijacking that with a militant agenda to disrupt the very heart of democratic debate which is through a free media is just totally wrong and we’re against it.
“I think law enforcement action should be taken to preserve our wider freedoms, and they do include a free media.”
Asked again to answer whether the government was planning or reclassify XR as an organised crime group, Raab said: “Well as I said, we keep all of our laws under review but I think certainly from everything I’ve seen to date there are the enforcement powers necessary to ensure that that kind of behaviour that we saw overnight is not repeated.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Marcus Rashford Hits Back At Tory MP Over Child Hunger Tweet

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through @ @ @ @ @ similar technologies , to display personalised ads and content , for ad and content measurement @ @ @ @ @ development .
Your personal data that may be used • Information about your device and @ @ @ @ @ IP address • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps Find @ @ @ @ @ use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .
To enable Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ your personal data select ' I agree ' , or select 'Manage settings ' for @ @ @ @ @ your choices .
You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Marcus Rashford has told a Tory MP he has not met anyone who wanted their children to go hungry, after the backbencher said it was a parents “job” to feed them
Kevin Hollinrake hailed the “extraordinary success” of the government’s Eat out to Help Out scheme on Sunday.
Advertisement
The programme subsidised a 50% discount on meals and soft drinks up to £10 each between Mondays and Wednesdays in August in an attempt to help the hospitality industry recover after the coronavirus lockdown. It cost £522 million.
Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, said in a tweet the scheme “simultaneously helped boost the economy, encouraged staycations and got us all used to venturing out once again”.
But another Twitter user asked him: “Why does it take footballer Marcus Rashford to make a stand for the hungry children in our society? Is that not the governments job?”.
Undoubtedly a success Kevin and I’m sure warmly welcomed by the hospitality industry. Credit where it’s due👏👍. Whilst we’re discussing food, why does it take footballer @MarcusRashford to make a stand for the hungry children in our society? Is that not the Governments job🤔🤔 — @BryBarrett999 Bryan Barrett (@brybarrett999) September 5, 2020
Advertisement
The Conservative MP replied: “Where they can, it’s a parents job to feed their children.”
Rashford, who led a successful campaign to force the government into providing free school meal vouchers to disadvantaged pupils over the summer holiday, hit back.
I would urge you to talk to families before tweeting. To this day I haven’t met one parent who hasn’t wanted or felt the responsibility to feed their children... https://t.co/J72VyRazbF — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) September 6, 2020
Rashford has now teamed up with Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Deliveroo, FareShare, Food Foundation, Iceland, Kellogg’s, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, to form the Child Food Poverty Task Force.
The Manchester United and England striker has warned of the “devastating” effects on the stability of the country if action is not taken quickly to tackle child poverty.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “Boris Johnson’s out of touch Tories either have no idea about the impact of a decade of austerity on families and communities across our country or they simply don’t care.
Advertisement
“Tory MPs have a lot to learn from Marcus Rashford, an exceptional young man who is using his platform and success to help millions of others who are less fortunate than himself.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Test MPs Every Day For Coronavirus, Says Commons Speaker

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has said he wants MPs to be tested every day to allow packed scenes in the Commons to return.
There are currently strict rules in force in parliament to prevent the spread of Covid-19, with the number of people allowed in both chambers limited to allow for social distancing of two metres, leading some senior politicians to claim the Commons is missing its usual spark.
Advertisement
Hoyle said he and Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg had ruled out the use of masks, which would allow gaps between MPs to be lowered to one metre, but that he had lobbied for daily testing for elected representatives in a bid to pave the way for more participation in debates.
In an interview on Times Radio on Sunday, Hoyle said: “To be quite honest with you, I’d like to do it daily, not weekly. The problem is weekly testing doesn’t tell you anything.
“I’ll be quite honest with you, I’ve made approaches to the NHS and Government to say, look, why can’t we have a testing system?
“What we would need is a quick turnaround of tests in order that we can get MPs in.
“We’re looking at it. I personally would have had the heat screening equipment in to test temperatures.”
Advertisement
The comments came after Downing Street insisted Boris Johnson obeys social distancing rules despite his attendance at a reportedly packed meeting of Tory MPs in parliament.
Multiple reports suggest at least 50 MPs were at the meeting of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories that the prime minister addressed on Wednesday night, despite a sign on the door stating 29 as the room’s maximum capacity.
Around 40 minutes after the meeting ended, the PM’s office sent a tweet warning that gatherings of more than 30 people are currently illegal due to coronavirus restrictions.
Hoyle said Rees-Mogg had concurred that asking MPs to wear a mask while on the green benches “really wouldn’t work” as it would make recognition more difficult and be an obstacle to making speeches.
The former Labour MP, when asked about Johnson’s desire to see parliament return to its pre-Covid ways by the end of the year, said he wanted to see it happen but vowed not to “compromise health and safety”.
Advertisement
“We are a Covid-secure workplace – if we were to lose that status, the game is over,” he told the radio station.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Man Killed And Seven Injured In 'Multiple Stabbings' In Birmingham

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A man has died and seven people have been left injured after multiple people were stabbed in the city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Police are still searching for the suspect involved.
West Midlands Police confirmed that a 23-year-old man had suffered fatal injuries in Irving Street, while a man and a woman – aged 19 and 32 – were critically injured.
Advertisement
Another five people, aged between 23 and 33, were also injured, officers said. They were treated in hospital and so far two have been discharged.
Police have now released CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to following the incident.
#BREAKING | This is the first footage of a man we want to speak to after last night's murder and stabbings in #Birmingham.
Do you know him?
Get the latest on the investigation, and details on how to send us your information, photos and videos here ➡ https://t.co/1VXvrObSlj pic.twitter.com/9eCzTGeoaH — Birmingham Police (@brumpolice) September 6, 2020
Chief Superintendent Steve Graham said: “We do not underestimate the impact that these incidents have had on the city of Birmingham today.”
“Scores of officers” have been drafted in to help with the investigation and to patrol the city to reassure residents, he said.
Advertisement
“We have worked throughout the day to trawl CCTV footage and speak to witnesses to ensure we release the best possible video and image of the man we want to speak to.
“At this stage we believe that the attacks were random and we have no indication of a motive. I would urge people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to us.
“We are appealing for anyone who recognises the man in the footage to contact us urgently.”
West Midlands Police declared a major incident after being called to reports of a stabbing just after midnight on Sunday, before more calls came in of further attacks.
Earlier on Sunday, Graham said the incidents appeared to be “random”, with “no suggestion” the night’s events were linked to terrorism.
Home secretary Priti Patel tweeted: “All my thoughts are with those affected by the shocking incident in Birmingham last night.
Advertisement
“Our emergency services are working hard to find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice.”
All my thoughts are with those affected by the shocking incident in Birmingham last night.
Our emergency services are working hard to find whoever is responsible and bring them to justice.
Anyone with information should contact @WMPolice. — Priti Patel (@pritipatel) September 6, 2020
Speaking to Andrew Marr on BBC One earlier on Sunday morning, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “We know it’s a very serious incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Fox Reporter Snaps Back As Trump Demands Her Firing For Confirming War Dead Story

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A Fox News reporter staunchly defended her work Saturday after Donald Trump demanded she be fired for confirming parts of The Atlantic’s bombshell story revealing the president’s insults about military service members.
“I can tell you that my sources are unimpeachable,” Fox News’ national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin said on-air. “I feel very confident with what we have reported at Fox.”
Advertisement
She didn’t confirm “every line” of the report, but did confirm “most of the descriptions and the quotes in that Atlantic article... so I feel very confident in my reporting,” Griffin said. She also discovered as part of her reporting that Trump had once said that including “wounded guys” would not be a “good look” at a July 4th parade honouring the military, according to a source.
The Atlantic article cited multiple accounts of shocking incidents when Trump denigrated military service members, including referring to fallen war heroes as “losers” and “suckers.” It also revealed details of the president’s refusal to visit the graves of America’s war dead at Aisne-Marne Cemetery while he was in France in 2018. Trump has denied everything.
Griffin said she wasn’t able to confirm the “suckers” and “losers” portion of the Atlantic report about dead military heroes. But a source did confirm that Trump once said that anyone who served in the Vietnam War was a “sucker.”
While reporters at other news operations confirmed the Atlantic report, Trump singled out Griffin because a hit from Fox, which is usually supportive of the president, is particularly damaging for him.
Advertisement
Trump cited a Breitbart article pointing out that Griffin had failed to confirm the “most salacious” (“suckers” and “losers”) details of the Atlantic story, written by editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, whom Trump called a “slimeball.” The president also declared that Fox News was “gone.”
Jennifer Griffin of Fox News Did Not Confirm ‘Most Salacious‘ Part of Atlantic Story https://t.co/rUpbSWhHac via @BreitbartNews All refuted by many witnesses. Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. @FoxNews is gone! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2020
Fox News was confused about where it stood on the story Friday. News hosts bashed the story before it was confirmed (by Griffin), then it was bashed again, then reconfirmed. News hosts also attacked the use of anonymous sources by The Atlantic, but then used anonymous sources to attack — and confirm — the story.
At least seven of Griffin’s colleagues — and a Republican congressman — supported her after the president’s tweet and after being bashed by Fox contributor Mollie Hemingway for using anonymous sources.
Jennifer @JenGriffinFNC is a great reporter and a total class act. https://t.co/se0k6I2oLa — Bret Baier (@BretBaier) September 5, 2020
Advertisement
Jennifer Griffin is the kind of reporter we all strive to be like. She’s courageous, smart, ethical, fair and a class act. She’s earned the trust of viewers throughout a distinguished career and is credibile. https://t.co/yVkXMFqXPx — Bryan Llenas (@BryanLlenas) September 5, 2020
I'll forever stand by @JenGriffinFNC. Very accomplished journalist and distinguished colleague, who is always very careful with reporting stories like this. Also stand by our fine polling unit, which the president has targeted numerous times. These attacks are unwarranted. https://t.co/OuoNiemrpF — Rocco Aloe (@Rocco_FNC) September 5, 2020
Illinois GOP representative Adam Kinzinger also spoke up for Griffin on Saturday, calling her “fair and unafraid.”
She’s one of my favorite reporters. Fair and unafraid. https://t.co/dfieE7HqL4 — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) September 5, 2020
Twitter critics are calling on two retired Marine Corps generals — former defence secretary James Mattis and ex-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly — to speak out about the Atlantic article.
Advertisement
Former NATO supreme commander and Navy admiral James Stavridis tweeted Friday that the men’s “lack of denial” speaks volumes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Kate Garraway Reveals Husband Derek Draper Has Lost Eight Stone As He Battles Covid-19 In Intensive

Kate Garraway Reveals Husband Derek Draper Has Lost Eight Stone As He Battles Covid-19 In Intensive Care

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Kate Garraway has revealed her husband Derek Draper has lost eight stone since being admitted to hospital with Covid-19.
The Good Morning Britain presenter says Derek lost the huge amount of weight after being placed in a medically-induced coma for the last six months.
Advertisement
Speaking to YOU Magazine, Kate recalled the first time she got to see her husband on a FaceTime call as he lay unconscious in his hospital bed.
Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper. PA
“When I finally got to FaceTime him, seeing him unconscious was a big shock,” Kate said.
“He’s lost nearly eight stone in weight, a lot of it muscle throughout his body.
“He looked worn-out, thin and pale with dark circles under his eyes and there were lots of tubes.”
While Derek has shown signs of consciousness in recent weeks - even occasionally opening his eyes - Kate has no idea whether his condition will improve further.
Kate Garraway Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Advertisement
She explained: “We hope and believe he will come out of it, but we just don’t know. The heart of the family has been ripped out and we don’t know if we will ever get it back.
“If they say this has improved today you don’t feel the euphoria you’d like because you have this feeling the next day something else will have gone wrong.
“At first it was all about Derek’s lungs, but then his kidneys started failing and he was on dialysis. Now they’ve realised Covid can affect every cell of the body.”
However, Kate insists she hasn’t given up hope, saying: “What you have to keep thinking is there were so many moments when doctors thought we’d lost Derek or were about to, and he’s still here. There is still hope.”
Last month Kate announced she was taking a short break from presenting on Good Morning Britain to focus on looking after her family.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Diane Abbott Says She Turned Down Strictly Come Dancing

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Diane Abbott has said she turned down the chance to appear on Strictly Come Dancing.
Former Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith is among the 12 contestants announced for the 2020 line-up, joining the likes of actress Caroline Quentin and comedian Bill Bailey.
The former shadow home secretary, was asked by Sky News’ Ridge on Sunday programme if the hit BBC One show had ever approached her to be a contestant.
Advertisement
Abbott said: “They have, and I turned them down. “I couldn’t possibly do it. I think Jacqui’s very brave.”
Asked why she felt she could not do the show, Abbott joked: “Because you’ll be surprised to know I’m not someone with natural rhythm and I didn’t want it exposed to millions of television viewers.”
Former Labour colleague Ed Balls is also among the politicians to have taken part in the show in recent years.
PA


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Working From Home 'Damaging The Economy', Says Dominic Raab

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Dominic Raab has sad people continuing to work from home is “damaging to the economy”.
In an interview on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning, the foreign secretary said “we need to get people back to work”.
“We are all going to do a bit more remote working in the future,” he said. “But it does make a difference.
Advertisement
“The economy needs to have people back at work. Unless there is a good health reason why it shouldn’t happen, or unless the employer can’t put place the Covid secure workplace we all need.”
Asked what would happen if workers do not go back to their offices, he said: “It’s damaging to the economy.”
Ministers fear huge job losses in town and city centre shops and cafes if workers do not return to their pre-lockdown commuter patterns.
A study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released on Friday revealed there has been an increase in people travelling to work in the last two months.
Advertisement
According to the data, 57% of working adults reported that they had travelled to work – either exclusively or in combination with working from home – in the past seven days, while 20% had worked solely from home.
The findings show an increase from the results of an ONS survey in the last week of June when 49% of working adults said they had travelled in to work, and 29% said they had worked exclusively at home.
Raab’s comments came as Labour demanded industry-damaging quarantines should be reviewed and more extensive testing rolled out at airports to reduce travellers’ self-isolation periods.
In a letter to home secretary Priti Patel, the opposition said the “dire warnings” from the travel sector about the use of “chaotic” blanket self-isolation advice meant it was time to review the methods being used to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from those returning to the UK from abroad.
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said a “robust testing regime in airports” could minimise the need for those returning from countries with high coronavirus prevalence to quarantine for two weeks.
Advertisement
He also said “serious concerns” about the low-level of monitoring of incoming travellers, claiming “less than a third of passenger locator forms are checked”, were another reason why a review was required.
There has been confusion across the UK in recent days after Scotland and Wales reintroduced quarantine measures for those returning from Portugal but England and Northern Ireland did not.
Airlines have also criticised the use of quarantine measures as they face large job cuts due to Covid-inspired lockdowns around the globe reducing travellers numbers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Amanda Holden Reveals She Was Diagnosed With PTSD Following Death Of Stillborn Son

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Amanda Holden has revealed she and her husband Chris Hughes were diagnosed with PTSD and sought therapy following the death of their stillborn son Theo.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge said she ‘felt so responsible’ after Theo passed away in 2011 and that “not a day goes by” when she doesn’t think of him.
Advertisement
Amanda Holden Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment
Speaking to The Sun, the 49-year-old presenter explained how hypnotherapy has given her “confidence” in her body which led her to welcoming her youngest daughter Hollie a year later.
“After we first lost him, Chris and I were diagnosed with PTSD so we went and had some therapy about that, as anyone would,” Amanda said.
She added: “I just felt like everything was my fault, and I felt so responsible — what did I do wrong?
Advertisement
“I’d had a Filet-O-Fish from McDonald’s the day before, and I panicked it was that or all kinds of things. I felt pretty neurotic. You really blame yourself.”
She added: “There is not a day that goes by when I don’t think about Theo, especially when a new school year begins.”
Amanda spent several days in intensive care following the birth of daughter Hollie Rose in 2012 and did not see her newborn daughter for the first three days of her life as she was deemed to be in a ‘critical condition’.
Amanda, who shares daughters Lexi, 14, and Hollie, eight, with Chris, also revealed how lockdown has made her realise “what is and isn’t important”.
Advertisement
“I have put on half a stone,” she says. “It’s gone to my boobs and bum mainly — let’s just say Chris is not complaining in the slightest.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Multiple Boats Sink During 'Trump Boat Parade' On Texas Lake

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A parade of boats on a Texas lake intended to honour Donald Trump threatened to turn disastrous when multiple vessels began sinking.
The “Trump Boat Parade” took place Saturday afternoon on Lake Travis, northwest of Austin, Texas. Authorities began getting distress calls shortly after 12pm, said Kristen Dark, spokesperson for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
Advertisement
“During the boat parade we received multiple calls from boats that were in distress and several boats did sink,” she said.
Trump supporters on Lake Travis, Texas. What a site to see at least three to four hundred boats. See if it make news today! pic.twitter.com/2K1uJ8Ln3i — Linda Hawthorne (@l_hawth67) September 5, 2020
The calls came in from “all over the parade route” and described situations that included a boat taking on water, a boat capsizing and a boat “stalled and smacking on the rocks,” Dark said. “It was all over the place.”
Dark did not know the exact number of boats that participated in the event overall.
“There were a lot of boats on our lake,” she said. “And it’s a very, very large lake.”
At least four boats sank at an event promoted as a Trump Boat Parade on Lake Travis in Texas on Saturday, the authorities said. https://t.co/osOlxc0FPO — The New York Times (@nytimes) September 5, 2020
Advertisement
At least four boats sank, according to The New York Times. Firefighters on the scene rescued people from the water, the Lake Travis Fire Fighters Association president told the Times. No injuries were reported as of mid afternoon.
The sinkings were under investigation, but law enforcement did not suspect foul play, Dark told The Associated Press.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Vinnie Jones’ Interview On Piers Morgan’s Life Stories Leaves Viewers 'In Pieces' As He Breaks Down

Vinnie Jones’ Interview On Piers Morgan’s Life Stories Leaves Viewers 'In Pieces' As He Breaks Down Over Wife’s Death

Viewers of Saturday night’s Piers Morgan’s Life Stories were left in tears as Vinnie Jones discussed the death of his wife.
The former footballer turned actor broke down as he admitted it’s “impossible” for him to remarry following Tanya’s death from cancer last year.
Vinnie’s emotional interview also left many viewers in tears, with others also praising the actor for speaking so candidly about his grief.
Advertisement
Vinnie Jones ITV
Tanya passed away in July 2019 after a six-year battle with skin cancer.
The couple had been married since 1994 and first met when they were just teenagers.
During his interview with Piers, Vinnie recalled the heartbreaking moment his wife passed away, telling him: “They said to us maybe days, maybe weeks, maybe months. I was on my knees howling,
“You find yourself going to Forest Lawn cemetery to make arrangements before she passed. You think you’re in a horror dream, that is the only way to describe it.
“I knew the pain was horrific, I knew it was time to stop and I begged the nurse to stop it.
“All of a sudden she took her last breath and I felt all these butterflies leave her. You’re just not in real time… I felt all these butterflies, Tinkerbell, and she was free. Painless.”
Advertisement
Vinnie Jones and his wife, Tanya. ASSOCIATED PRESS
When asked whether he could ever face marrying again, Vinnie admitted: “I think that’s an impossible question to answer but if you asked me if I would get married again that would be an impossibility, she wouldn’t want that.
“There won’t be another marriage Piers I can tell you that. It was the perfect one and done for me.”
Viewers quickly shared their feelings about the interview on Twitter…
Crying my eyes out watching Vinnie Jones on Piers Morgan life stories. So open and honest, absolutely heartbreaking — Mandy and maisie burns (@mandyburns67) September 5, 2020
@piersmorgan thanks a lot I’ve just cried for an hour straight have to say i think that was best #LifeStories so far an absolutely beautiful episode well done and much love to #vinniejones 💚❤💜💙 — sharon rogers (@sharonr40329152) September 5, 2020
What an amazing thing to watch. I felt like I was in the room and felt every single emotion. High five fella #vinniejones you are a lucky to have known such love . @piersmorgan one of your best. — Laura Sargeant (@Luzalee11) September 5, 2020
Advertisement
Note to self: don't watch the Vinnie Jones Life Story when you're feeling emotional 😭 I am in actual pieces — 🕊💫 (@alicegrace_x) September 5, 2020
Vinnie Jones’ interview with Piers Morgan 🥺🥺🥺 a love like that is rare 💔 — Sophie McGrattan (@__smcgrattan) September 5, 2020
Vinnie Jones interview with Piers Morgan, three words to describe it, emotional, caring and Pride. What a fantastic person and should be proud 👍 — Jack Maydew (@JackMaydew1997) September 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--The Truth Behind Seven Myths About Asylum Seekers

A sharp increase in the number of people crossing the English Channel to claim asylum in the UK has refocused the nation’s attention on its borders.
As Covid-19 continues to decimate the levels of road freight crossing the Straits of Dover, and the government’s EU resettlement scheme remains on hold, more and more people are left with no other option but to travel in small boats.
Advertisement
Their arrivals have been met with fierce rhetoric, both from right-wing, anti-immigration commentators and the government, which has vowed to reduce the number of people arriving by boat and even threatened to send in the Navy.
On Thursday, Priti Patel hailed the removal of a group of migrants and was widely criticised after resurrecting the term “activist lawyers” to describe legal professionals working in immigration.
It seems that with each new picture showing crowded vessels arriving on the Kent shoreline, a new barrage of angry comments and calls for action appears.
The claims favoured by those against asylum seekers searching for safety in the UK are often based on misinformation, but that doesn’t stop them from being echoed time and again online.
Advertisement
Here are seven of the most pervasive myths shared about asylum seekers – and the truth behind each claim.
1. Refugees have to claim asylum in the first “safe” country they arrive in
For the vast majority of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel, the 20-mile journey between France and the UK is one of the last legs of a long and traumatic journey.
Many people fleeing conflict, particularly in northern African countries such as Libya, make the extremely dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean by boat and often arrive in southern European countries such as Italy and Greece in the first instance.
A popular myth circulated by those opposed to refugees coming to the UK is that people seeking safety in Europe must claim asylum in the first “safe” country they land in.
““Even the most callous people who have a dim view of asylum seekers would not want our country to be a place that completely lacks humanity.”” - Mandu Reid, Women’s Equality Party leader
Advertisement
Under the rules set out by the UN Refugee Convention, which the UK joined in the early 1950s, there is no obligation for asylum seekers to do so.
Full Fact, an organisation that examines and debunks false information, states that UK case law supports this interpretation of UN rules – meaning asylum seekers can pass through other safe countries before making a claim.
Just because a European country such as France or Italy is often perceived as safe for most people, it doesn’t mean that’s necessarily true for asylum seekers – individuals could face any number of dangerous situations we can know nothing about without proper examination of their case.
In 2011 the European Court of Human Rights upheld an asylum seeker from Afghanistan’s right to seek asylum in Belgium after he claimed he was at risk in Greece due to deficiencies in the nation’s asylum process.
2. They’re just economic migrants
Free Movement reported on Friday that Home Office officials had confirmed that the majority of people crossing the Channel in small boats are genuine asylum seekers.
Advertisement
Officials presented evidence to the Home Affairs committee on September 3 that highlighted the fact a significant proportion of those making the crossing were either granted refugee status very quickly, or came from countries for which the success rate in applications is extremely high.
People crossing the Channel are often referred to as migrants, but the distinction between migrants, asylum seekers and refugees is an important consideration.
Refugees are people who have fled their home country in order to escape persecution or armed conflict – crossing national borders to seek safety in a different country. The rights of refugees are protected by the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
Asylum seekers are people who claim they are refugees – usually on the basis that returning to their home country would result in their persecution – but have not yet had their claim evaluated. A person is an asylum seeker for as long as it takes for their application to be processed and decided.
A migrant is a person who has chosen to move to improve their lives – often for family, work or education – rather than someone who has left due to a direct threat of harm.
Advertisement
Ultimately, the decision on whether or not someone is a “genuine” asylum seeker and should therefore be granted refugee status, is one made by assessors at the Home Office – though refused claims are often escalated to the courts who then review an application.
It is impossible to know exactly what an individual’s circumstances are before they arrive in the UK and are assessed by the relevant authorities.
3. Asylum seekers are worsening overcrowding in the UK
The Covid-19 crisis has once again brought concerns about overcrowding of the UK to the fore. As we jostle for space physically in order to social distance, some people have turned to refugees and asylum seekers to point out an extra “strain” on the overstretched NHS or increasingly competitive jobs market.
A 2015 Ipsos MORI study found that, on average, the public vastly overestimated the number of foreign-born people living in the UK.
While the perception of how many immigrants lived in the UK varied significantly between supporters of different political parties, the average guess from the public on what proportion of the UK population was foreign born is 21% – despite the most recent estimate available at the time was around 13%.
Advertisement
According to data collected by The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford in 2018, just 0.6% of the population originally came to the UK to seek asylum.
An estimated 361,000 people living in the UK in 2018 had originally come to the UK to seek asylum – and 61% of those had lived in the country for more than 15 years.
4. The UK gets more asylum seekers than other European countries
The media – both traditional and online – may make it seem as though the UK has been inundated with migrants bypassing other European countries along the way, but data show this isn’t the case.
According to figures collected by Eurostat, and shared in August by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in 2019 France received 123,900 applications, while Germany received more than 142,000.
In the same year, the UK received 35,566.
But France is a safe country, why don’t they seek asylum there?
Most do. Last year France received 123,900 applications, Germany 142,500 and the UK 35,566. Only a minority of refugees in Europe attempt to reach the UK… (2/8) pic.twitter.com/BAqX7WqI15 — UNHCR United Kingdom (@UNHCRUK) August 12, 2020
Advertisement
Experts have almost unanimously stressed the fact that asylum seekers often pick the UK because of cultural, family and language ties.
Those travelling to the UK may already have relatives already settled in the country, or speak English instead of other European languages such as German or French.
A large number, especially unaccompanied children, some of whom are currently being held by Border Force in Kent as the council has reached its capacity for proper care, may simply be brought here without having a say.
Jeff Crisp, of the Oxford University Refugee Studies Centre, told HuffPost UK in August that the UK is also seen as a “relatively easy place to live in the shadows” even if your asylum claim is refused.
“You can find work in the informal sector, in ethnic minority economies, we don’t have an ID card system,” he says.
Advertisement
“In a country like Sweden it’s virtually impossible to live as an irregular migrant because your documentation and ID is demanded at every step of the way.
“The UK has moved to some extent in that direction but there still seems to be a sense that it’s a country in which you can just about survive without having documented status, more so than in other countries.”
5. Asylum seekers are breaking the law by coming to the UK in a small boat
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel. Andrew Matthews - PA Images via Getty Images
In August Boris Johnson described crossing the English Channel as a “very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do”.
While crossing the Channel in an unauthorised small vessel isn’t a legal way to arrive into the UK, there is no lawful restriction against people who travel this way that could prevent them from claiming asylum once they arrive.
Advertisement
Most aid organisations working with people in Calais and northern France agree that crossing the Channel in the boat is regarded as a last resort – a necessity when all other routes of passage have been been decimated by Covid-19 (as is the case with road freight and the government’s refugee resettlement scheme, which has been paused indefinitely).
Many asylum seekers have no choice but to enter the UK in a clandestine way, and under UK and UN law have the right to apply for refugee status no matter how they enter the country.
The concept of a queueing system granting prioritised access to asylum seekers looms large in the public imagination, but no such formal queue exists. Those crossing the Channel in small boats do not “jump ahead” of people who travel to the UK via legal means, such as on plane, and each claim is assessed on the basis of its own individual validity.
6. People want to come to the UK just to get benefits
Another popular assumption is that asylum seekers are flocking to the UK to exploit a generous package of benefits. But asylum seekers are eligible for just £37.75 each as they await the decision on their application, are unable to work, and have no say in where they are sent to live.
At the end of August it emerged that an asylum seeker from Uganda, 34-year-old Mercy Baguma, had died in extreme poverty in a flat in Glasgow. She was discovered next to her one-year-old son, who was severely malnourished.
Advertisement
She had no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which meant she had no access to money from the government after limited leave to remain had expired and she had lost her job.
In the wake of Baguma’s death Women’s Equality Party leader Mandu Reid said it is deeply disturbing that in 2020 we “live in a Britain where a woman can perish next to her extremely malnourished baby because she did not have recourse to public funds”.
“Even the most callous people who have a dim view of asylum seekers would not want our country to be a place that completely lacks humanity.”
Meanwhile, as the UNHCR has highlighted, asylum seekers in France receive almost exactly the same as they would in the UK (without risking their lives crossing the Channel) and are eligible for €344 (£308) a month in Germany.
Do benefits and rights in the UK play a part?
Unlikely. Receiving temporary housing and around £170/month (compared with €190 in France and €344 in Germany) seems hardly worth risking your life for… (5/8) — UNHCR United Kingdom (@UNHCRUK) August 12, 2020
Advertisement
7. The UK asylum system is so soft that people know they won’t be turned away
The UK is often accused by those against asylum seekers of being a soft touch when it comes to their policies, but that isn’t reflected in comparisons to other nations.
The UK is the only western European country without a statutory detention limit, which means that people can be placed in detention centres – often with the immediate threat of deportation looming – for any length of time.
People detained inside removal centres have widely described prison-like conditions, and according to the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (AVID) in 2018 20% of people were held for more than two months.
This includes 225 people who were held for more than a year and 13 people for more than two years. The longer someone is held the less likely it is that they will be deported, putting some genuine asylum seekers through months of additional trauma.
According to the Migration Observatory, there were more than 19,000 enforced and voluntary returns from the UK in 2019. This figure has declined steadily over the past decade, but the perception that the UK is powerless to return migrants and asylum seekers is far from the truth.
Advertisement
In 2019, there were around 7,400 enforced returns, with each one costing the government some £15,000. While this number encompasses “failed” asylum seekers and immigrants deemed to be in the UK illegally by the Home Office, it also includes criminal offenders from foreign countries.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Michelle Obama Admits Her Marriage To Barack Hasn't Always Been Smooth Sailing

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Michelle and Barack Obama might be most people’s definition of couple goals, but that doesn’t mean the two haven’t faced challenges in their nearly 30 years of marriage.
The former first lady sat down with late night host and comedian Conan O’Brien to talk about marriage on the latest episode of her exclusive Spotify podcast.
Advertisement
“People aren’t perfect. Marriage is hard. It’s a struggle for everyone,” she said, adding that when children enter the picture, it’s even tougher on a relationship at some points.
Young couples go through hard times, and then they “give up,” Michelle Obama said, because “nobody told them that this time is hard.”
Barack and Michelle Obama have been through their share of ups and downs. WPA Pool via Getty Images
“You’ve got to know that there are going to be times ― long periods of time ― when you can’t stand each other,” she said, joking that, “There were times that I wanted to push Barack out of the window. And I say that, because it’s like, you’ve got to know the feelings will be intense. But that doesn’t mean you quit.”
Advertisement
Michelle Obama added that “these periods can last a long time,” even years, in a relationship. But that’s no reason to throw the towel in.
“But we don’t talk about that, so young couples, they face these challenges, and they’re ready to give up because they think they’re broken,” she said.
“I just want to say, look, if that breaks a marriage, then Barack and I have been broken off and on, throughout our marriage, but we have a very strong marriage,” the former first lady added. “And if I had given up on it, if I had walked away from it, in those tough times, then I would’ve missed all the beauty that was there as well.”
In Michelle’s memoir, Becoming, she opens up about going to marriage counseling with Barack after their daughters, Malia and Sasha, were born.
Advertisement
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey prior to the book’s release, the author said that counselling was a much different experience than she expected it to be.
“It was about me exploring my sense of happiness and my voice ― the notion that you come to a relationship whole and that I couldn’t look to Barack and he couldn’t look to me to be everything,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--'Major Incident' Declared In Birmingham After Multiple Stabbings

A major incident has been declared in Birmingham after multiple people were stabbed in the city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning.
West Midlands Police said there were “a number” of victims, but the severity of their injuries was not immediately known.
Officers were called to reports of a stabbing at around 12.30am on Sunday, which was then followed by reports of other incidents in the area.
The force said: “We are aware of a number of injured people, but at the moment we are not in a position to say how many or how serious.
“However, all emergency services are working together at the scene, and making sure that those who are injured receive medical care.
“Work is still going on to establish what has happened, and could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything. At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Diversity Praised For Powerful Britain's Got Talent Performance Inspired By Black Lives Matter

Dance group Diversity have won praise for their powerful performance on Saturday night’s Britain’s Got Talent, which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
The routine saw a white police officer kneel on star and temporary BGT judge Ashley Banjo, echoing the killing of Black man George Floyd, while other dancers performed with police riot shields.
Advertisement
The first half of the performance was set to a spoken word poem The Great Realisation by Tomfoolery, which reflects on the coronavirus lockdown.
Diversity on Britain's Got Talent. Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock
The narration then continued: “But while we all were hidden, under orders of the Prime Minister, people dusted off their instincts and noticed something more sinister.
“Another disease, deep rooted in our system, fear, hate and ignorance, but racism was the symptom.”
As Ashley lay on the floor while the police officer handcuffed him, other dancers crowded around with smartphones as if to film and take photos of the incident.
Advertisement
The narration continued: “What we thought we knew, some clearly didn’t. Black Lives Matter.”
The group, who won the talent show in 2009, then all took a knee before the song Black Lives Matter by Dax began, which features the lyrics: “I can’t breathe,” the last words uttered by George Floyd.
Afterwards Ashley referred to the performance as a “remix” of the Tomfoolery poem.
He had hinted at the performance ahead of time, writing on Instagram: “Tonight is a big night… The First live semi final on the panel of @bgt and the first TV performance of the year for @diversity_official all in one moment.
“We only had 5 days to prepare, but we put our heart and soul into this one. I hope people are ready – We’ve got something to say.”
Viewers rushed to praise the performance on Twitter...
That wasn't a proformace, it was art. @AshleyBanjo and @Diversity_Tweet literally gave me goosebumps the whole way through this. Powerful and strong. pic.twitter.com/4Qodbkk1MF — Jason DMcC (@Jason_D10) September 5, 2020
Advertisement
that @Diversity_Tweet performance on #BritainsGotTalent gave me CHILLS. balling my eyes out. — Jodi (@jodichapmann) September 5, 2020
Just when you think Diversity couldn’t set the bar any higher they go & pull something like that out the bag. 11 years on & they still feel so fresh & remain the best #BGT — ✨Michaela✨ (@Xmichaela_eveX) September 5, 2020
DIVERSITY - THATS TALENT, THATS HOW YOU SEND A MESSAGE AND THATS HOW TO USE YOUR PLATFORM. #blm #bgt pic.twitter.com/8aOrVMTkL7 — M I K E . L Ⓜ (@MLines05) September 5, 2020
that diversity performance was absolutely phenomenal, so informative, so emotional, so powerful, and needs to be seen everywhere, wow wow W O W #BGT — Shannon Coe (@shannonjcoe) September 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--The Queer British Rappers Rising Above Hip Hop Homophobia

“Tyler create nothing, I see why you called yourself a f*ggot,” penned Eminem in 2018 track Fall. “Bitch/It’s not just ’cause you lack attention/It’s ’cause you worship D12’s balls, you’re sac-rilegious/If you’re gonna critique me, you better at least be as good or better.”
Rap music has a longstanding history with homophobia. Eminem has defended his music against accusations of homophobia since 2000, when his song Criminal included the lyrics “My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge/That’ll stab you in the head, whether you’re a fag or les’/Or a homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest/ Pants or dress, hate fags? The answer’s yes.”
Advertisement
The bedrock of structural homophobia in rap dates back to groups like the Sugarhill Gang and The Beastie Boys, the latter of which infamously wanted to call their album Don’t Be A F*ggot back in 1986 (thankfully, they didn’t, after label execs fought back).
It’s fair to say the rap scene has been built on out-of-date stereotypes about masculinity.
James Indigo is releasing his debut EP this autumn, the lead single is called Van Gogh Supplied
However, in America over the past few years, representation has finally improved. One year ago the rapper Lil Nas X was celebrated for coming out, and Frank Ocean wrote an open letter to fans revealing his bisexuality in 2012.
Despite the consensus that the rap industry still peddles an unhealthily macho image, 2020 has seen the UK rap scene finally birth the first cohort of proudly queer rappers.
Advertisement
In January drill rapper Mista Strange came out during a studio session, and the rise of femme rapper Karnage Kills and androgynous James Indigo signify a new era for queer rap in the UK.
With all three working on new music this year, HuffPost UK spoke with the new breed of LGBTQ rappers to hear their thoughts on the rise of queer rap in the UK right now.
“How can people hate on gay people? We are literally the nicest community going.” - Karnage
Karnage Kills finds the whole idea of homophobia confusing, both within rap and outside of it.
“How can people hate on gay people? We are literally the nicest community going as far as I know,” he reflects. “Do you know what I mean? People love to put us down, to not take us seriously, and if we do anything it’s always, ‘oh, the gay one.’”
Although it may be a sad reality, perhaps the reason there’s been so little queer rap is because there have been no role models to inspire new young artists to come forward.
Advertisement
But each of the three new artists experimenting on the scene are distinct from one another in style and musical direction, a natural signifier of the potential for diverse and authentic representation of queer rap in Britain.
Karnage Kills finds the whole concept of homophobia bizarre Supplied
“I love how everyone is doing their own thing and there’s space for all of us,” says James Indigo, whose new single Van Gogh is released in September. “I feel we all have a different approach to our music and what we represent.”
James androgynously plays with ideals of masculinity and femininity and has always felt comfortable experimenting with different gender expressions. “It’s clear from my visuals that I am demanding to break down gender stereotypes,” he says.
“One day you can be a cowgirl, another day you can be a superhero. I liked playing with barbies as much as I liked playing with my action men. I loved all things that oozed femininity and all things that embodied masculinity and I’ve stayed the same as I’ve grown up. I never saw gender as a big deal. If I like something I’ll wear it.”
Advertisement
All three say they are rappers before they are queer rappers, yet they acknowledge that their sexuality is a key part of their identity, and their music is by default helping to make queer rappers more represented.
“There are so many amazing Black queer rappers all over the world owning their art and expressing who they are. However, more locally in the UK we are a lot less visible,” says James.
James Indigo's debut single Daddy's Coming Home premiered with Gay Times Supplied
Helping to raise their profile are gay magazines such as Gay Times, which premiered James’ single, the hypnotic Daddy’s Coming Home.
“Gay Times was something I could secretly look at where I could have a glimpse into a world where I fitted in,” says James.
Advertisement
“I was never the popular kid at school, I got bullied really bad. I would get kids laughing at me and I would get picked on every day without fail for my appearance, for being different, ‘weird’, gay and for having feminine qualities. I remember feeling like I didn’t belong.
“So when I get messages from people saying I gave them the strength to come out to their family and I inspire them to live their truth, it makes me know I’m doing something right. It makes me feel amazing.”
James describes forthcoming single Van Gogh as “a little fuck you to people that try to bring you down and hate on you!”
“I’m basically saying I don’t care what people think, I’m going to carry on being myself and I’m a work of art,” he says.
“Sticking to your guns, having integrity and discipline in your craft pays off” - James Indigo
Advertisement
Name checking Kylie, Bob Marley and Tom Daley, Van Gogh abounds with the energy of an artist inspired by varying musical cultures. The rap vocals are set against a colourful pop structure, with a build that drops into something more like a dance track with dub inflections. Nicki Minaj feels like another influence. It’s an ambitious statement of intent.
“Sticking to your guns, having integrity and discipline in your craft pays off,” says James, who self-funded the whole process of the EP from laying down the tracks to recording the music videos. “Sharing your story and using your voice is powerful. It can help others and it helps yourself grow. I really want people to know that.”
For Karnage Kills, the mission is to put effeminate male rappers on the map.
“I just give off everything when you see me,” says Karnage. “I’m a gay boy from London, a grime Barbie, about to be the drill Barbie, I’ll still fuck up your favourite MC...”
Vibes, Karnage’s latest single, is tinged with classic ’90s R&B; in the video he looks killer in a lycra dress strutting around an empty club.
Advertisement
Karnage describes needing “strong skin” to overcome the toxic masculinity in grime and “the Black community in general,” and believes most homophobia derives from people’s fear of change. Yet, he feels it is his responsibility to change perceptions using the power of his lyrics.
“One thing that has continued to push me is my lyricism,” he says. “The way that I push my pen is undeniable, do you know what I mean? I feel like that is what’s pushed me so far and will continue to. But it is hard, I’m not going to say it’s not, it is… Especially when you’re femme and you present as femme.”
Mista Strange presents as more heteronormative, and is a drill rapper, a sub-genre of rap which often responds to violence, and is perhaps the most machismo of all rap sub-genres.
'I used to hold it back but fuck it this is how I feel': lyrics by Mista Strange Supplied
Whereas the music of James Indigo and Karnage is flavoured with pop which is more familiar territory for queer performers, there is something uniquely potent about Mista Strange’s confessional delivery in a culture which historically condemns the content of his lyrics.
Advertisement
Strange’s coming out performance contains the lyrics: ‘I don’t care what they say/ I love who I am, I’m trying to open the gates/And show the world that it don’t matter if you’re gay or straight/‘cause love is love, and real is real/I used to hold it back but fuck it this is how I feel.’
“I knew it would be controversial, but I didn’t expect it to blow up like it did,” the rapper tells HuffPost UK. “In a way I’ve opened a door, I’m definitely leading the way for a load of gay kids, rappers, that just wanna be able to be themselves. I’ve shown that it can be done and it’s not going to end badly.”
“Being a gay Black male,” he carries on, “I feel like the torch is hotter. When that torch is passed, I have a bigger responsibility in a way.
Part of the way Strange inspires change is to call out hypocrisy. Another line in the Blackbox track is: ‘Don’t focus on my preference. How you call me f*ggot - last night you was fucking lesbians.’
Advertisement
“I always find that so crazy,” laughs Strange. “You know lesbians are gay as well right? You can’t be against the LGBT community and then love lesbians. It’s crazy but it’s the world we live in - but also the world we’re trying to change.”
Mista Strange came out in a confessional drill rap performance this January Supplied
Strange says his own sexuality was “not easy to come to terms with” growing up in Hounslow, London, and losing friends to “crap” like being put in prison - but the 20-year-old hopes that if he can “convince people to come out of their shell a bit earlier, or spend less time in that shell, that’s job done.”
Fresh off the back of ‘meet the UK’s first gay rapper’ headlines this January, the hype surrounding Mista Strange will hopefully trickle down to burgeoning names like James and Karnage Kills, legitimising queer rap at the same time as building an audience for it.
At the moment the community is small: James Indigo does not know another gay rapper other than these three. Queer rap may still be relatively underground, but that’s where all change lays its roots.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--How To Turn An Acquaintance Into A Good Friend

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Pre-pandemic, I used to see the same girl every Saturday morning at a strength training class at the gym. On a few occasions, we were paired up for the workout and exchanged greetings and small talk. From then on, we’d say “hi” and chat briefly when we saw each other. She seemed cool and I contemplated asking her if she ever wanted to get coffee or breakfast after class. But I talked myself out of it — I was worried the invitation might come across as weird. And I didn’t want to put myself out there.
Many adults bemoan the struggle of making new close friends in adulthood. One reason, according to psychologist David Narang, is that people expect these bonds to form effortlessly as they did when they were younger.
Advertisement
“In childhood and often in early adulthood, we were thrown together daily with the same people for many hours in school, with unstructured time available afterward to talk or get together,” Narang, author of “Leaving Loneliness,” told HuffPost. “This repetition gave us a chance to vet each other through time and experience and allowed us to naturally gravitate toward those we felt comfortable with and curious about.”
As we get older, many of these organic opportunities start to dry up. Instead of sitting back and hoping an awesome new friendship will fall in our lap, it’s on us to put in some effort.
Is there an acquaintance in your life that you think would make a great friend? We have some expert-backed actionable advice to help make it happen.
Make plans with this person outside of the place you normally see them.
If it’s an acquaintance from yoga class, ask if they want to go to the farmers market. If it’s an Instagram friend you’ve been DMing back and forth with, invite them to go out to lunch. Basically, you want to change up the contexts in which you typically interact with this person, said psychologist and friendship expert Marisa G. Franco.
Advertisement
“Ultimately, the more sides of ourselves that we reveal to one another, the closer our friendships become,” she said. “And varying the contexts in which we interact allows us to surface the different sides of ourselves.”
“Ultimately, the more sides of ourselves that we reveal to one another, the closer our friendships become.” - Marisa G. Franco, psychologist and friendship expert
You can think of it as “repotting” some of these casual friendships. Just as a plant requires a larger pot to continue growing, so too does a fledgling friendship.
“Sometimes you’ve got a friend at work, and you see them every day, but the pot that plant is in at work is quite small,” researcher Ryan Hubbard told The Atlantic. “It’s going to reach the size of the pot, and that’s it. If you want it to be a bigger, deeper friendship, you need to repot it to a bigger context. You might need to bring them to your house. Or invite them to meet your family — that’s an even bigger pot.”
These days, you can safely repot by “asking an acquaintance or work colleague on a socially distanced walk, or asking a neighbour to join you on a hike,” Franco said.
Advertisement
An alternative ― invite them to a group activity, if that’s more comfortable.
If you’re not ready for a one-on-one hangout yet, start by inviting the acquaintance to join you and a few others for a small group gathering.
Maskot via Getty Images Breaking the ice with an acquaintance you'd like to get to know better could be accomplished by inviting them to a small group activity.
“See if there is a fun activity you can begin with that person and a couple of others, such as a dinner, a golf game, sharing YouTubes over Zoom, or even getting a drink,” Narang said. “If it goes well, rally the group again when enough time has passed for everyone to be hungry for an encore.”
As you get to know this person better over time, it will start to feel more natural to make plans involving just the two of you.
Hang out with them consistently.
“Interacting regularly is how we both build and maintain our relationships,” Franco said. “This is, in part, due to a psychological phenomenon called the ‘mere exposure effect,’ where we tend to like people more as they become more familiar to us.”
Advertisement
You might benefit from creating a standing plan of some sort, like taking your dogs for a walk every weekend or meeting up for a virtual book club twice a month.
Find little ways to show you support them.
“People often think making friends is about being intriguing or smart or funny, but it’s actually more about making others feel valued and loved,” Franco said. “The more we can affirm others — through praising them, supporting them, getting excited at their accomplishments, showing gratitude for them — the closer our bonds will become. Whenever you have a positive thought about a friend, make sure you share it.”
Start to open up to them gradually.
It’s by being vulnerable — taking emotional risks and honestly sharing our insecurities, fears, struggles and mistakes — that we create meaningful, fulfilling relationships
“While we tend to think it’ll scare others away, research finds the opposite,” Franco said. “It makes others like us more, see us as more genuine, and feel closer to us. It also makes others feel safe to be vulnerable with us.”
That doesn’t mean you need to lay all of your cards on the table right away. But slowly opening up about smaller things and then bigger things over time can foster intimacy.
Advertisement
PeopleImages via Getty Images Vulnerability is a key ingredient in close relationships. Start by opening up about something small and take it from there.
“If you overshare, you may have signalled that you are going to become too dependent upon the other person, destabilising the friendship before it forms,” Narang said. “If you under-share, you may have shown that you will be excessively self-protective and that you are unwilling to take the risks required to become closer.”
Instead, start by volunteering something mildly personal, Narang said. You could, for example, talk about a flub you made at work that cost you a big sale. The other person will likely reciprocate by sharing a mistake they’ve made on the job.
“Then, hit pause, take the long view of the friendship and take your time,” he said. “If this seems to be going well, then one of you will bring up something more personal in a future conversation, and the other can again reciprocate.”
If the acquaintance is in a moment of need, see if you can help.
“If they are sick and need some medicine, or need a particular cable to be able to pull off a presentation the next day, or if they need advice about something you specifically have expertise in, this is a moment to stop what you are doing and provide,” Narang said.
Advertisement
It’s in these difficult moments that we notice — and remember — who showed up for us, Narang said, “and we instinctively feel more open to that person.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-06--Here's How Face Masks Have Changed The Way We Communicate

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
The eyes are the window to the soul, as the old saying goes – and with mask-wearing now the norm in most indoor public settings, our eyes are having to do an awful lot of the legwork when it comes to communicating with others.
Advertisement
Where once you could smile at a neighbour you passed in the street, it now becomes an awkward affair if you’re both wearing masks. Are they squinting, frowning, or are those creases around their eyes a sign they’re smiling back?
Some people choose to wave instead, or give a thumbs up. Others opt for a friendly nod, salute or – God forbid – finger guns. All of a sudden, we’re having to get creative with how we acknowledge others. Not only that, we’re also working harder to decode what people are trying to convey to us.
“Typically, it’s the combination of our facial features coupled with speech and other non-verbal gestures that helps us communicate with others,” says Dr Charlotte Hilton, a psychologist and British Psychological Society member.
One of the biggest issues with mask-wearing, then, is that we don’t pick up all the facial cues we normally would, says Professor Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist at the University of British Columbia and author of The Psychology of Pandemics. This makes communication challenging.
Advertisement
iprogressman via Getty Images
What are the challenges? Well, the nose and mouth, alongside the eyes, give people the full picture of the emotions we experience and convey visually – happiness, sadness, disgust, anger. Take that away and you might struggle to work out how the person you’re talking to really feels. If they say, “you’re an idiot,” the meaning will vary greatly depending on their facial expression while they say it. And then, miscommunication arises.
Another issue is that we rely heavily on mouths for lip-reading. If we don’t hear what a person says, we often fill in the gaps by looking at the shapes their lips make as they speak. This is even more important for those who are deaf, which is a whole issue in itself. Masks also make it harder to hear what people are saying as their voices might be muffled. This poses additional challenges to those with hearing loss, prompting the design and manufacture of transparent masks to tackle this.
“We're learning to adapt to mask-wearing.” - Dr Charlotte Hilton, a psychologist and British Psychological Society member
While there are limited studies on face mask-wearing and the impact on our communication, one study in a hospital setting did find patients perceived doctors who wore face masks in appointments to be less empathetic. Not great news for building trust and rapport.
Advertisement
But despite these challenges, we’re learning to adapt, says Dr Hilton. Wearing a mask removes the lips, nose and mouth from the equation, but we still have our speech and other gestures to rely on.
“It’s not like we’ve gone blind and are having to learn how to use a cane,” says Prof Taylor, “we’ve lost some sensory input and we’re learning how to use other cues. Just like people who are losing their hearing will start to rely more on lip-reading, now people are relying more on facial cues and voice intonations.”
You might not be able to see a person’s mouth, but you can often hear it in their voice, for example. If they’re happy, the tone might be light, almost musical, whereas if they’re sad, they might speak more slowly or at a deeper pitch.
“People are looking more for cues,” says Prof Taylor, “and because people are having trouble being heard when they’re using masks, they’re speaking up more. And, it’s just anecdotal observation, but people are using voice cues more to communicate emotion to people.”
Will our communication change completely as a result, then? “We might adapt the way we communicate with others while wearing masks, but we also have time communicating with others in situations where we’re not wearing one,” Dr Hilton points out. “It’s likely, over time, we’ll learn to adapt our communication style while mask-wearing, but retain our ability to communicate in the same way we did prior to having our mouth and nose covered.”
Advertisement
Potentially, we’ll learn to alternate between those two modes of communication. It may not be easy, though. “Whilst humans have the capacity to be adaptable, it can take time to become more familiar with new things, such as wearing and seeing others wear a mask,” says Dr Hilton.
“We’ve heard the phrase ’new normal’ used extensively during the pandemic and this is perhaps because we tend to feel more comfortable and safe with things, people and environments that are familiar to us.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Trump Helped Himself To Art From Ambassador's Mansion In Paris For White House

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Donald Trump helped himself to art treasures he fancied in the US ambassador’s historic 1842 mansion in Paris when he visited two years ago —and had them shipped to the White House with him on Air Force One, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.
Trump had extra time on his hands during his visit to Paris to commemorate the centennial of the end of World War I when he controversially skipped a trip to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery outside the city. The cancellation is now causing a world of trouble for Trump since The Atlantic reported that he blew it off after calling the fallen heroes “losers,” according to their sources.
Advertisement
The White House has confirmed — but downplayed — Trump’s highly unusual art “caper,” Bloomberg noted.
Trump spent some of the six hours of his newly found free time after skipping out on the cemetery visit by “shopping” for art in the ambassador’s mansion where he was staying, Bloomberg reported.
The following day Trump pointed out a Benjamin Franklin bust, a Franklin portrait and figurines of Greek gods, which he ordered to be returned to Washington with him. They were valued at $750,000, according to Bloomberg. He reportedly quipped that the mansion would get the art back in six years.
Ambassador Jamie McCourt was “startled,” while others were amused and astonished, according to Bloomberg.
Advertisement
Nothing to see here, a White House spokesperson told Bloomberg in a statement.
“The President brought these beautiful, historical pieces, which belong to the American people, back to the United States to be prominently displayed in the People’s House,” Judd Deere said.
The Greek figurines are currently on the fireplace mantel in the Oval Office, according to Bloomberg.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Teenager Arrested After 15-Year-Old Boy Shot On Way To School In Suffolk

Armed police officers outside a property on Westwood Avenue, Ipswich, a few miles from Grange Farm in Kesgrave, Suffolk, where police were called to reports of a shooting just after 8.40am this morning. PA
A teenage boy has been arrested following a shooting in Kesgrave, Suffolk.
Police were called to reports of a shooting in Friends Walk, just after 8.40am on Monday.
The victim – a 15-year-old boy - sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital where he is receiving urgent medical attention, Suffolk Police said.
Officers have arrested a teenage boy and he has been taken into police custody for questioning.
Assistant chief constable Rob Jones said: “Following this serious incident our priority is to keep everyone safe.
Advertisement
“We have now made an arrest as part of the investigation and are working with our partners in Suffolk and our schools to ensure that everyone feels safe when they are collecting their children from school this afternoon.
“There will be more police officers on patrol and to provide reassurance in the area and I would ask for anyone with information about this incident to come forward.”
Earlier on Monday, Kesgrave High School said it had been told by police “there had been a serious incident involving one of our Year 11 students, on their way to school”.
We have made aware by the police that there has been a serious incident involving one of our Year 11 students, on their way to school. Students in school are safe and we are managing the situation in constant, close communication with the police. 1/2 — Kesgrave High School (@KesgraveHigh) September 7, 2020
Advertisement
“Students in school are safe and we are managing the situation in constant, close communication with the police,” the school said in a tweet.
Police will be present around the school throughout the day, parents were told on social media, but students are expected to be dismissed at 3.20pm as normal.
Officers have completely closed off Friends Walk and Through Jollys following the incident, while Ropes Drive has also been partially closed.
The public have been urged to avoid the area.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--While Trump Was Golfing, His Campaign Attacked Joe Biden For Visiting Cemetery

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Donald Trump’s campaign is coming under criticism after mocking former Vice President Joe Biden for “meandering” through a cemetery, where he was visiting the graves of his late son, Beau Biden, as well as first wife Neilia Biden and daughter Naomi Biden.
Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015; Neilia and Naomi Biden were killed in an automotive accident in 1972.
Advertisement
Francis Brennan, the Trump campaign’s director of strategic response, tweeted:
REPORTER: "Mr. Vice President come talk to us."
Joe Biden just keeps meandering along. pic.twitter.com/6tnNQj2Ucg — Francis Brennan (@FrancisBrennan) September 6, 2020
The former vice president had just come from St. Joseph on the Brandywine church in Wilmington, Del. and and was walking on a path through the cemetery; Trump, meanwhile, was playing golf at roughly the same time.
The incident comes days after it was reported that Trump didn’t want to visit the graves of fallen U.S. soldiers in France because they were “losers” and “suckers.”
Brennan was roundly called out for the message:
Meet Trump campaign Director of Strategic Response @FrancisBrennan mocking Joe Biden for visiting the grave of his late son who is a US military vet. It's not just Trump- it's the entire Trump team that hates our veterans! #TrumpHatesOurVeterans https://t.co/eQYbX2iy6Y — (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) September 7, 2020
Advertisement
You are a ghoul — Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) September 7, 2020
In July, a RNC spokesman mockingly tweeted a photo of Biden and his dead son as a boy. Today, a Trump campaign spokesman mockingly tweeted a video of Biden visiting his son’s grave. pic.twitter.com/3v15U4eWe7 — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) September 6, 2020
Joe Biden visits his son's grave after attending church this morning. Punk from Trump campaign ridicules him. https://t.co/2rYPqCKImv — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) September 6, 2020
It’s a cemetery. Where his son is buried. Are you human? https://t.co/MSEIPlUxUq — Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) September 6, 2020
Joe Biden was visiting his son’s grave. You are not even human https://t.co/VXXoCHb0gK — Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) September 6, 2020
Advertisement
He's in a cemetery. You know, those places where Trump won't go? — Leslie - 58 Days 🇺🇲 🌊 (@Leslieoo7) September 6, 2020
You have no soul, Francis. — Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) September 7, 2020
.@FrancisBrennan, like the next President @JoeBiden, I understand what it's like to go to a cemetery to visit your child. I actually do meander and focus on my personal grief and my daughter. What sub human life form are you that you would tweet this & think it was a good idea? https://t.co/XHruNFdG3h — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) September 7, 2020
If you had a soul, you would’ve taken this tweet down. @JoeBiden went to church, and then to his sons grave. While our troop hating president @realDonaldTrump went golfing. 200,000 dead Americans.I wish you never ending explosive diarrhea @FrancisBrennan https://t.co/f7z65Xcy6T — Amy Aiello Lofgren (@azsweetheart013) September 6, 2020
So much of the criticism of Biden from the Trump campaign, I look at and I can't understand who it's appealing to. Biden politely declined to talk to a reporter while at the cemetery visiting his son's grave. Which voters will dislike Biden for this? https://t.co/cNuo3XTpTN — Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) September 6, 2020
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Jade Goody's Son Bobby Brazier Unveils His First Ever Magazine Photo-Shoot

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Jade Goody’s eldest son Bobby Brazier has landed his first ever magazine shoot, appearing on the cover of Man About Town.
The 17-year-old aspiring model – whose father is the TV presenter Jeff Brazier – is the latest cover star for the magazine, following in the footsteps of Joe Alwyn, Jared Leto, Asa Butterfield and Andrew Scott.
Advertisement
The cover sees Bobby sporting some 90s-esque double denim, while laying in a field. Casual.
He said: “Like every boy, you want to think your mum would be proud of you. I hope she’s looking down on me and smiling, probably laughing, thinking, ‘Look at Bobby lying in a field in his designer gear’.”
Bobby Brazier on the cover of Man About Town Man About Town
At the beginning of this year, Bobby made his catwalk debut, modelling for Dolce And Gabbana at Milan Fashion Week.
He said at the time: “6 months ago I said give me 3 years I’ll be doing fashion week. Thankyou @dolcegabbana ! Dream come true tonight, I’m buzzin ! [sic]”
Advertisement
He has also modelled at London Fashion Week.
Bobby walking the runway earlier this year Daniele Venturelli via Getty Images
Bobby signed to the modelling agency Unsigned Group in 2019, shortly after finishing his GCSEs.
He and his 14-year-old brother Freddie have been raised by their dad, following their mum Jade’s death from cervical cancer in 2009.
During lockdown, Bobby has been at home with Freddie, Jeff and his step mum, Kate Dwyer, who his dad married in 2018.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--'Traumatic': Maternity Services Are Still Restricted. This Is The Impact.

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Update: Since this article was published, the NHS has introduced a framework to support hospitals to reintroduce regular maternity services.
Advertisement
HuffPost UK has been reporting on the restrictions to maternity and postnatal services since June. Now, women are sharing their stories online, showing not much has changed in the months since.
BlissBirth, a company providing birth and postnatal doula services, has launched the campaign #ButNotMaternity, highlighting all the things the public can now do under the reduced pandemic restrictions.
The campaign encourages women to share the placards and hashtag, along with their own experience.
BlissBirth BlissBirth
The hashtag gained momentum this weekend after Tobi Oredein, the CEO and founder of Black Ballad, shared her story, detailing how her husband didn’t see their baby until she was three days old.
Advertisement
Last month, Oredein wrote about her experience of giving birth during the pandemic as part of Black Ballad’s takeover of HuffPost UK. “I gave birth to my daughter by myself after needing an emergency c-section,” she wrote.
“Of course, doctors were there, but my husband wasn’t allowed by my side and I had never felt more alone or more powerless, in a face mask and looking up a white ceiling with lights so bright they felt like they were piercing my eyeballs.
“Spending nearly 60 hours in labour pushed me not just physically, but mentally in a way I could have never predicted.”
This needs to be addressed immediately by the government.
I gave birth by myself & my husband didn’t see our baby until she was 3 days old. Giving birth alone was the most traumatic experience of my life. We must do better by those giving birth during this time #ButNotMaternity pic.twitter.com/h1W5lg7Ehy — Tobi Oredein (@IamTobiOredein) September 5, 2020
According to guidance published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), Royal College of Midwives (RCM), and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, visiting on antenatal and postnatal wards is down to “local discretion by Trusts and other NHS bodies”.
Advertisement
The guidelines, updated in August, state that women should be able to have their birthing partner with them during labour, but it isn’t always possible for partners to be present during inductions, caesareans or some emergency situations. In addition, the guidelines confirm that women may still be asked to attend a scan or other antenatal appointment alone.
On Tuesday (September 8), the RCOG and RCM called for the NHS to publish updated guidance on maternity care in the pandemic. RCM CEO Gill Walton said it’s “completely unacceptable that NHS England has been dragging its feet and delaying the publication of this guidance”.
The Colleges say not having guidance that’s transparent and available to all is causing inequity across services, with some fully open and others keeping the same restrictions that were in place during the height of the pandemic.
Since this article was published, the NHS has introduced a framework to support hospitals to reintroduce regular maternity services.
Advertisement
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images
Mums-to-be have previously told HuffPost UK how distressing the restrictions are. One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her partner hadn’t been allowed to attend any of her scans, which was particularly difficult because she experienced a missed miscarriage during her last pregnancy, which was only picked up at a routine scan.
“Knowing I had to do the whole appointment process – taxis, waiting surrounded by other pregnant women, the actual scan – without the support of my partner added a lot of anxiety into the lead up to the appointments,” the 37-year-old from London said. “My partner also felt the same way, mostly helpless as he just had to wait for the information alone at home. And then when the scans went well, there wasn’t the one person I wanted to be there to share the overwhelming joy with.”
An online petition calling for the restrictions to be eased has gained more than 300,000 signatures. Pregnant women and new mums have also been calling for change on Twitter, using the campaign’s hashtag.
My husband wasn’t allowed in with me for days during induction. Our baby had to be resuscitated and my husband wasn’t allowed to see him for days after he was released from intensive care to postnatal ward. This is just a small bit of what we went through #ButNotMaternity pic.twitter.com/GpF3tXZpnh — CJ Eaton-Rutter (@cjrutter) September 5, 2020
My husband's not a visitor, he's a parent who's been shunned from his child.
He can go to the pub, gym, a holiday & cinema #ButNotMaternity
Birthing partners are still not allowed at inductions, antenatal appts and scans. @MattHancock Stop denying parents their rights. — Hannah O'Sullivan (Pender) (@hannahpensully) September 2, 2020
Advertisement
Trust me, as a pregnant woman at the moment, this situation is rubbish. ☹ My boyfriend has missed all 6 of my scans so far (had to have extra due to health complications) & won’t be able to come to my growth scan next week either. #butnotmaternity pic.twitter.com/WjOeFeF1fK — Dollymarie (@DoIIymarie) September 4, 2020
Absolutely disgusted that restrictions have not been lifted for maternity services within the NHS. My husband has been deprived of scans, visits, consultation meetings etc and this still continues! I have personally found this mentally and emotionally draining. #butnotmaternity pic.twitter.com/BBPnsk4SLY — Shauna McNamee (Rafferty) (@shaunamarieraff) September 4, 2020
#maternitypetition #ButNotMaternity
Why is attending a pub, theme park or gym any safer than our babies attending sanitised groups, weigh ins or health appointments? Have you been to some of these pubs! Your priorities make no sense & are discriminating women and babies! — Hannah Coles (@MrsColesx) September 6, 2020
I can go shopping, mix with others, also in pubs, restaurants but my baby cannot access basic developmental checks, groups and professionals? I can’t even see my GP for help?! What has this world come to! Women’s needs denied! Babies forgotten! #maternitypetition #ButNotMaternity — Bjenner (@Bjenner11) September 6, 2020
When asked whether there are any plans to ease restrictions on maternity services, a spokesperson for the NHS told HuffPost UK: “The safety of our patients and their families is always the absolute priority, which is why guidance on safely attending maternity appointments was developed at the start of the pandemic with the Royal Colleges of Midwives and Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Art Attack's Neil Buchanan Addresses *That* Banksy Conspiracy Theory

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Art Attack legend and modern art pioneer Neil Buchanan has spoken out to address rumours that he’s actually the secretive street artist Banksy.
And we’re sorry to say, it hasn’t gone the way we were hoping.
Over the weekend, a conspiracy theory began doing the rounds online suggesting that Neil was actually responsible for the artworks done under the guise of Banksy.
Advertisement
“Just heard that it’s rumoured Neil Buchanan is Banksy. If true, it’s the funniest shit ever. Aintree’s finest,” one tweet posted on Friday read.
“He’s a musician and art has followed in the cities of shows he’s done allegedly.”
Just heard that it's rumoured Neil Buchanan is Banksy. If true, it's the funniest shit ever. Aintree's finest.
He's a musician and art has followed in the cities of shows he's done allegedly.
This is straight in the believe without question category . pic.twitter.com/LWU48wGekR — Scouseman (@ScouseMan_) September 4, 2020
As the post racked up thousands of retweets, others began weighing in, with various media outlets even reporting on the theory.
The coverage prompted an official response from Neil on his website, but we must admit, we’re a little disappointed with the outcome.
Advertisement
Under the headline “Neil Buchanan is NOT Banksy”, the statement reads: “We have been inundated with enquiries over the weekend regarding the current social media story.
“Unfortunately this website does not have the infrastructure to answer all these enquiries individually, however we can confirm that there is no truth in the rumour whatsoever.”
Neil Buchanan on the set of Art Attack ITV/Shutterstock
To be honest, we think we were better off not knowing. Then again, surely that’s exactly what someone who was secretly Banksy would say, right?
The statement added that “Neil spent Lockdown with vulnerable members of his family and is now preparing to launch his new art collection in 2021.”
Advertisement
Bansky graffiti in Camden, London Pawel Libera via Getty Images
Neil presented Art Attack for a total of 17 years, giving generations of children all over the UK new uses for old cereal boxes and washing up liquid bottles (and reason to beg their parents to invest in some PVA glue).


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Jacob Blake Speaks From Hospital Bed

Jacob Blake Speaks From Hospital Bed

Jacob Blake Speaks From Hospital Bed
Jacob Blake has publicly spoken for the first time since being hospitalised after being shot seven times in the back by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Richer Young People Driving Coronavirus Spike, Matt Hancock Says

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Richer young people are one of the biggest drivers of the recent spike in coronavirus, the health secretary has said, as he urged people “don’t kill your gran”.
Matt Hancock appealed to younger people to stick to social distancing measures, saying that under-25s, particularly those aged 17 to 21, accounted for a large number of positive cases.
Advertisement
He admitted that it was “concerning” that nearly 3,000 new cases of coronavirus were counted in the 24 hours to 9am on Sunday, the biggest jump in new cases since May 22.
Speaking on LBC radio, he said younger people could still have serious illness and could pass on disease to more vulnerable people.
The revelation could also pose questions about the imminent return of students to universities.
“Over the summer we had particular problems in some of the areas that are most deprived,” he said.
“Actually the recent increase we have seen over the last few days is more broadly spread and is not concentrated in poorer areas.
“So it is actually amongst more affluent younger people especially that we’ve seen the rise.
“And that is where people need to really hear this message and abide by it, which is that everybody’s responsibility for social distancing to keep themselves safe and to keep others safe.”
Advertisement
Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells LBC the rise in Covid-19 cases appears to be among younger people.
"The message to all your younger listeners is even though you're at a lower risk from dying, you can still have serious symptoms." #CallTheCabinet | https://t.co/W83sjLm7LE pic.twitter.com/NiTcvzO7ok — LBC (@LBC) September 7, 2020
He added: “It is important for everybody to wash their hands, to follow social distancing. It’s ‘hands, face, space’, as in wash your hands, cover your face when appropriate and stay two metres apart where appropriate, or one-metre plus.
“We will take action if people go to big social events that are completely inappropriate, sadly, in a time of coronavirus.”
In a separate interview with BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat he said: “Don’t kill your gran by catching coronavirus and then passing it on.”
Meanwhile, Hancock revealed that ministers are working on a plan to replace 14-day quarantine restrictions for people travelling into the UK from countries suffering Covid-19 spikes with a test eight days after arrival which could free people from self isolation if they test negative.
Advertisement
The health secretary said he was working with transport secretary Grant Shapps and the travel industry on the proposals amid continuing disquiet among Tory MPs over quarantine.
“It’s one of the things we’d like to bring as soon as it’s practical to do it,” he said.
“It isn’t something that is as straightforward as simply testing people when they get off a plane because of the number of people for whom that wouldn’t catch.”
Hancock said the government was also looking at introducing rapid saliva tests that give results within an hour to allow people to do activities without social distancing.
People could do the tests themselves to see if they have the virus on that day.
If they do not, they would be able to do activities without social distancing, for example attending a packed theatre or a sold-out football match.
Hancock said he hoped it could allow Britons to enjoy a “merry Christmas this year”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Justin Bieber Reflects On Past Troubles: 'Ego And Power Took Over And My Relationships Suffered'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Justin Bieber has reflected on the personal difficulties he faced early in his career, saying his “relationships suffered” as a result of allowing his “values” to change.
The singer rose to global fame as a teenager, with songs like One Time, One Less Lonely Girl and Baby, but as his popularity grew, he began making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Advertisement
In a statement posted on Instagram, Justin wrote: “[Growing up] I didn’t have material things and was never motivated by money or fame I just loved music.
“But as I became a teenager I let my insecurities and frustrations dictate what I put my value in. My values slowly started to change. I let ego and power take over and my relationships suffered because of it.”
He continued: “I truly desire healthy relationships. I want to be motivated by truth and love. I want to be aware of my blind spots and learn from them!
Advertisement
“I want to walk in the plans God has for me and not try and do it on my own!”
Justin – who was baptised in the Hillsong Church in 2014 – added: “I want to give up my selfish desires daily so I can be a good husband and future dad!
“I’m grateful that I can walk with Jesus as he leads the way.”
During the early years of his celebrity status, the star dated fellow singer Selena Gomez, who last year said she endured “emotional abuse” during their relationship.
Justin married his wife Hailey in 2018, and in his first interview since tying the knot, he addressed his past addiction to drugs, as well as a “problem with sex”, for the first time.
He later spoke about a dark period of “heavy drug use” and “disrespecting women”, commenting: “Have you ever noticed the statistics of child stars and the outcome of their life? There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a child whose brain, emotions, frontal lobes (decision making) aren’t developed yet.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--Trump Threatens To Yank Funding From Schools That Teach Anti-Racism Project

LOADING ERROR LOADING
US President Donald Trump has launched another assault against education intended to address racism in America.
On Sunday morning, Trump tweeted that the Department of Education was investigating whether California public schools had implemented the New York Times’ 1619 Project into their curriculum. The Pulitzer Prize-winning initiative aims to reframe American history around the year slaves landed on its shores and by “placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very centre of our national narrative.”
Advertisement
“Department of Education is looking at this. If so, they will not be funded!” Trump wrote, sharing a September 1 tweet from an unverified account stating that California schools were using the curriculum.
Department of Education is looking at this. If so, they will not be funded! https://t.co/dHsw6Y6Y3M — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2020
It follows a White House memo released on Friday and obtained by the Washington Post that ordered federal agencies to discontinue racial sensitivity training. The Trump administration claimed the training sessions were “divisive, anti-American propaganda” and that trainings that mention white privilege or suggest that racism is part of the nation’s foundation undercut the government’s core values.
All agencies were directed to cancel any training related to white privilege or critical race theory, a school of thought which views race as a social construct that is used by white people to perpetuate institutional racism at the expense of people of colour.
Advertisement
It’s unclear how much of this training was conducted at federal agencies. The memo was issued days after a guest on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” bashed critical race theory and called for its removal from federal government institutions.
Similarly, while some schools have moved to incorporate the 1619 Project into classes, the extent is not known. The curriculum is available for free online.
On Sunday, historian Nicole Hemmer, who authored a book about right-wing media’s role in transforming American politics, weighed in on Trump’s directives in an interview with CNN’s Brian Stelter.
“I don’t think any of us believe that the president has deep thoughts about critical race theory or that he’s read the 1619 Project,” she said. “These have really become watchwords for what the right sees as anti-white racism.”
Trump’s allies have also attacked teaching a version of history that is not flattering to the US. Earlier this year, Arkansas senator Tom Cotton introduced the Saving American History Act of 2020, legislation that would prohibit the use of federal funds to teach the 1619 Project. He said the project was “a racially divisive, revisionist account of history that denies the noble principles of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded.”
Advertisement
Trump has claimed systemic racism is not a problem in America.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-07--California Wildfire Started During A Gender Reveal Party, Officials Say

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The El Dorado Fire east of Los Angeles that has burned more than 7,000 acres was started by a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used at a gender reveal party on Saturday morning, according to fire officials.
Law enforcement determined the fire was started by the device ― often used to generate pink or blue smoke to indicate the gender of an expected baby ― just after 10:20 am in the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a news release.
Advertisement
The wildfire then spread to the north and has since prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 residents. More than 600 firefighters battled the blaze, which remained at 5 percent containment on Sunday night amid extreme weather conditions. No injuries were reported.
“CAL Fire reminds the public that with the dry conditions and critical fire weather, it doesn’t take much to start a wildfire,” the news release said. “Those responsible for starting fires due to negligence or illegal activity can be held financially and criminally responsible.”
The fire at Yucaipa was one of 22 major fires burning in the state. California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in five counties on Sunday, including in San Bernardino County due to the El Dorado blaze.
A wildfire burns at a hillside in Yucaipa, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. A brutal heat wave pushed temperatures above 100 degrees in many parts of California over the weekend. ASSOCIATED PRESS / Ringo H.W. Chiu
Advertisement
It’s not the first time a gender-reveal stunt has set off a major wildfire. In April 2017, an Arizona man revealing the gender of his baby with an explosive substance ignited a massive blaze in his state that caused more than $8 million worth of damage as it burned across 45,000 acres.