thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Team GB's Bianca Williams Plans Legal Action Against Met Police After Being 'Racially Profiled'

Julian Finney - British Athletics via Getty Images
A Team GB sprinter is considering legal action against the Metropolitan Police after accusing officers of racially profiling her and her partner in a stop and search.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bianca Williams and her partner, Ricardo dos Santos, a Portuguese 400m sprinter, were stopped in west London on Saturday.
Advertisement
Williams, whose three-month-old son was in the car during the incident, called it an “awful experience” and believes the couple were targeted because they are Black and drive a Mercedes.
“They (the officers) said there’s a lot of youth violence and stabbings in the area and that the car looked very suspicious,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“They see a Black male driving a nice car, an all-black car, and they assume that he was involved in some sort of gang, drug, violence problem.”
Responding to Williams’ comments, the Met Police reiterated that a Directorate of Professional Standards review had found “no misconduct issues” but asked Williams and dos Santos to “get in touch as soon as they can”.
Advertisement
The statement added that the review “does not mean there isn’t something to be learnt from every interaction we have with the public”.
It went on: “We want to listen to, and speak with, those who raise concerns, to understand more about the issues raised and what more we can do to explain police actions. Where we could have interacted in a better way, we need to consider what we should have done differently and take on that learning for the future.”
Previously, Scotland Yard had said the vehicle was stopped after it was seen driving suspiciously, including on the wrong side of the road, and that the driver had sped off when asked to stop.
But this account was rejected by Williams, who said the car was “never” on the wrong side of the road.
“That is false, we were never on the wrong side of the road. We were driving down through single-width roads,” she told the programme.
Advertisement
“We only found out about us driving on the wrong side of the road once they tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
“This isn’t the first or fourth or fifth time – it must be about the 10th [time her partner has been stopped by police], it’s getting ridiculous.”
She said race was “100%” the reason he gets stopped, adding: “It’s just horrible, it’s an outrageous assumption for them to make.
“We are planning on taking it down the legal route. I feel very hurt by their actions, and to witness my partner being taken away and for me to be taken away from my son, my heart hurts.
“It’s an awful experience.”
Williams also told Sky News that Met commissioner Cressida Dick “does need to think about her position to be honest”.
Advertisement
Footage of the incident was shared widely on Twitter after being posted by former Olympic medallist Linford Christie, who questioned why the vehicle had been stopped.
The clip appeared to show two people – a man and a woman – being pulled out of a car in a London street.
The woman says: “He didn’t do anything” and officers can later be heard telling the woman to calm down after she worries about her son remaining in the car.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he felt “uncomfortable” about the way the officers acted and said he could see no justification for the use of handcuffs during the incident.
“I’ve looked at the video footage, the video footage only deals with what happens when the officers are at the car so I can’t say what happened before,” he told LBC radio.
Advertisement
“When they got to the car I didn’t really think they handled it very well at all because it was clear there was a very young child in the back and the use of handcuffs is always controversial and I couldn’t see what the justification for that was.
“I don’t know what led to the stop in the first place but what I do know is that if I was a senior officer looking at that video footage I would feel uncomfortable about the way that it was dealt with.”
Scotland Yard said officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards have reviewed footage from social media and officers’ bodycams and were satisfied there was no concern around the officers’ conduct.
Commander Helen Harper said: “I understand the concern when incidents like this happen and how they can appear when part of it is filmed without context.
“Due to the concern raised, we conducted a review of the stop. This included social media footage and body-worn camera footage of the officers at the scene.
Advertisement
“We are satisfied that there are no misconduct issues.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan says he has raised the incident with the Met and revealed he has commissioned an action plan for improving transparency and accountability.
He tweeted on Monday: “I take any allegation of racial profiling extremely seriously and have raised Bianca Williams’ case with the Met Police.
“It is absolutely vital that our police service retains the trust and confidence of the communities it serves so that every Londoner, regardless of background or postcode can feel safe, protected and served.
“I am committed to closely scrutinising any disproportionality and that’s why I have asked the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime and Deputy Mayor for Communities to work with police & communities to draw up an action plan for improving transparency & accountability.
“Stop and search must be intelligence-led, carried out fairly and with respect, and all officers now have body-worn video cameras to help hold them to account.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Does Keir Starmer Really Want A ‘Wealth Tax’ To Fund A Covid Recovery?

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

Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds during a visit to the town centre regeneration project in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. PA
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
Taxing times
Back in February, when the Labour leadership was far from in the bag, Keir Starmer moved to reassure party members that he was not backsliding on Jeremy Corbyn’s radicalism. At a hustings meeting in Cardiff, he said: “It’s right that we ask those with the broadest shoulders - the top 5% of earners - to pay more in tax.”
Advertisement
But Starmer also had a lawyerly eye for the small print which perhaps others didn’t at the time, and he made plain he would not be writing Labour’s 2024 tax and spend plans in advance of the next general election. He said he would “work towards writing a tax and economic plan” that was “radical and relevant for the end of the 2020s and 2030s”.
In the Newsnight leadership debate over a week later, he studiously refused to say whether he would repeat Corbyn and John McDonnell’s plan to impose a 45% tax on those earning more than £80,000 a year and 50% on those earning more than £125,000 a year. Sources told me at the time that losing the election meant some specific pledges had to be reexamined.
Rebecca Long-Bailey spotted the Starmer side-step and tried to ram home that she would unequivocally keep the 45% and 50% tax hikes. But she got little traction and her campaign was steamrollered by her opponent, who in the end beat her by a huge margin of two to one.
Since then Starmer has made big strides, gripping his party’s internal machinery and even sacking Long-Bailey for defying him. He’s persuaded the public he would make a better prime minister than Boris Johnson, he’s narrowed the gap between Labour and the Tories (though they retain a healthy gap) and he’s outthought and outfought the PM in several PMQs.
Advertisement
On economic policy, Labour has largely been effective at forcing ministers to improve their coronavirus support (renters, flexible furlough, funding for the arts). Yet all of this has been about spending, not about how to pay for it. And in the last few days, the party has been forced onto the defensive itself about just how it would foot the bill to tackle the pandemic.
The trouble started on Friday, after shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds delivered her first big speech in the job. The Guardian’s economics correspondent Richard Partington asked a perfectly sensible question: “Would Labour propose a wealth tax to finance extra spending or would you continue with higher levels of borrowing at record levels?”
Dodds’ suggested that record low interest rates wouldn’t last forever and when they did change then “I’ve been very clear, it should be those who have the broader shoulders, who are asked to make more of a contribution”. In some ways it was classic Starmerism: sound like you’re grasping a hard truth (borrowing isn’t the long term solution) while staying vague on specifics like a wealth tax (‘broadest shoulders’ is such an elastic term that was an Osborneism during early austerity).
But then the Times’ Patrick Maguire tried to pin Dodds down. His exact question (and it’s worth quoting given what’s happened since) was this: “On a wealth tax again. Obviously that’s something that John McDonnell proposed and you were in his shadow team. Are you happy to continue that policy?”
Dodds replied that an across the board tax rise on everyone would damage demand (again, ducking the question). But then she finally got specific, or so it seemed. “When it comes to wealth taxation...I think the government does need to look at this area. I don’t think we’re in a fair situation where the amount of tax paid by the very worst off people is actually less proportionately as part of their income than that for the very best off. And of course for the very very best off people quite a bit of their money coming in is derived from wealth. I think we do need to have that new settlement.”
Advertisement
That full sentence is important. Dodds talked about the different proportion of tax paid by the poor and the rich. That is precisely the case made by advocates of a ‘wealth tax’. An early backer of ‘Corbynomics’, prof Richard Murphy, had made the case in the Guardian in April that the effective tax rate for the wealthiest 10% of the population – once income and wealth were combined – was 18%, less than half the 42% effective tax rate for the bottom 10%.
Just as important was Maguire’s reference to John McDonnell. Although a ‘wealth tax’ was never Labour policy, the outgoing shadow chancellor said the day before he was replaced that such a policy was needed, along with an immediate windfall tax on banks and a new tax on multinationals. As shadow chief secretary, Dodds cannot have been unaware of the McDonnell piece nor of the meaning of “wealth tax”. Her line about money that was “derived from wealth” sounded like assets rather than income.
Dodds got a first in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford. Although she went on to specialise on social policy and public policy, it’s a fair assumption that she knows what a “wealth tax” is. If more corroborating evidence were needed that she knew precisely what was being asked, she said: “Actually much of the opinion data has indicated that has a lot of support among the UK population as well.” A recent You Gov poll found 61% supported a wealth tax on individuals with assets worth more than £750,000. Was she referring to that?
Still, it was just about possible that all Dodds was talking about was that manifesto pledge on income tax. “Wealth taxation” could at a stretch mean “taxes on the wealthy” solely from their salaries. And some polls had indeed shown that the 2019 income tax policy was popular. But then came the Sunday political programmes.
SkyNews’s Sophy Ridge asked three times specifically what assets Dodds was thinking of taxing. Each time, she refused to deny the premise of the question but ducked it. At one point she talked about “an increase in income and wealth inequality” under the Tories, about “a whole variety of elements of taxation of the very best-off people” and the need for the “broadest shoulders” to bear the burden. On the Marr Show, asked again specifically about a wealth tax, she said the government should “engage” with academics proposing “a number of different mechanisms” for such a tax.
Advertisement
There was however, by this stage, a big caveat. Dodds said tax hikes for the richest “would only be needed if we’re not growing our way out of this crisis”. “I want us to be in a situation where the economy’s growing, where the debt is being eroded because people are paying more tax because they’re in employment,” she told Marr. Most importantly, she refused to “commit” to any tax proposal at all.
When Keir Starmer was asked on LBC about “a potential wealth tax” proposed by Dodds, he would have been expected to kill the idea outright. But he didn’t. “Well, she said, look, it’s got to be amongst the issues that we look at. She’s right about that.” When asked directly if he would support it, he refused to say. “We are saying to the government look at the idea of the wealth tax...But, at this stage, four years before an election, I’m not going to start setting out [our] tax regime. We’ll have to look at it carefully and we will have a fully costed Labour manifesto in due course.”
Starmer then went on to make a crack about the next manifesto being “a much shorter one, by the way”, a dig at Corbyn’s long wishlist that he thinks did so much damage for Labour’s credibility. Asked about another Jeremy’s possible support - Jeremy Clarkson revealing he could vote Labour for the first time because Johnson was so incompetent - Starmer almost licked his lips. “[I’m] very, very, very pleased to have the votes of as many people as possible...I am very pleased that people are beginning to notice the Labour Party and the Labour Party has changed and that’s good.”
Yet if Labour has “changed” on tax, is it now wedded to an even more leftwing policy than Corbyn dared insert into the manifesto? The answer to that is a firm ‘no’, I’m told. In fact, one source tells me that “we want to stimulate growth...and growth doesn’t happen through tax rises”. The party is categorically not proposing any tax rises either on assets or income. 2024 remains a long way away.
Starmer still has his “top 5% should pay more tax” commitment from the leadership hustings, but it’s perfectly possible he will reshape even that. Although one guy on an election QuestionTime was mocked for not realising his £80,000 salary put him in the top 5%, he expressed the view of some senior doctors, headteachers and other public servants - as well as other private sector workers - that they don’t feel “rich”.
Advertisement
Either way, Starmer must realise he can’t have his cake and eat it. He can’t say the Tories “should look at” a wealth tax, without supporting the idea in principle himself. He can’t hide behind the next election manifesto if he’s suggesting specifics right now for ministers. And you can bet that Tory HQ won’t forget the past few days. I’d be amazed if Johnson didn’t raise in PMQs this whole wealth tax plan on Wednesday, as a curtain raiser to the Summer Statement. It could make the flip-flopping accusations over school reopening look like a picnic.
I’m told Tory MPs are already gearing up to gently praise Dodds for attending the same private school as Michael Gove in Aberdeen (Robert Gordon College). When she gets up for her first big moment in the Commons, answering Rishi Sunak’s statement, she can expect an even tougher onslaught from the Chancellor and Tory backbenchers keen to exploit any Labour confusion over tax. She and Starmer had better get their story a lot straighter before then.
Quote Of The Day
“We discovered too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have.”
Boris Johnson
Monday Cheat Sheet
Boris Johnson is facing a backlash from the care home sector after suggesting “too many” failed to follow procedures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Downing Street has said the government will no longer publish daily figures on the number of people tested for coronavirus.
Advertisement
The Department of Health and Social Care has released figures suggesting that around a fifth of coronavirus tests sent out have effectively been wasted.
The PM is facing fresh calls to support the wages of workers asked to self-isolate with Covid after the head of NHS Test and Trace admitted the public have real “financial” worries about taking part in the system.
Dominic Raab announced that 47 people and two organisations accused of the “most notorious human rights violations in recent years” would be hit by sanctions imposed by the UK.
What I’m Reading
Covid-19, England’s Governance And Devolution - British Academy
Got A Tip?
Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com.
Subscribe To Commons People


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Brent Cross Flooding: Motorists Abandon Vehicles After Burst Water Main On London Road

An abandoned Ferrari in flood water on the North Circular road near Brent Cross, north London, after a water main burst. PA
Eight people had to be rescued after vehicles were trapped in water on a major road in north-west London.
Firefighters helped motorists stuck in half a metre of water on the North Circular road near Brent Cross.
Advertisement
Thames Water said a burst main on the road had led to low water pressure or no water at all for the NW2, NW4, & NW11 postcodes.
London Fire Brigade sent four fire engines to the scene shortly after 3.30pm on Monday.
A spokeswoman for LFB said: “We assisted with getting eight people out of their vehicles, that were trapped in their vehicles due to half a metre depth of water.”
Labour MP for Brent North Barry Gardiner shared footage which appeared to show a number of cars stranded in floodwater.
He tweeted: “To all my constituents travelling home this evening intending to use the North Circular. Please be aware of the flooding at the Brent Cross intersection.”
Advertisement
Abandoned cars in flood water on the North Circular road near Brent Cross, north London, after a water main burst. PA
PA
PA
A spokeswoman for Thames Water said: “We’re sorry to anyone who has been disrupted by a burst pipe on the North Circular Road.
“We know this has happened at an especially difficult time and understand the concerns our customers may have.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Boris Johnson Blames Care Home Owners For Failing To Follow Coronavirus Guidelines

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Boris Johnson is facing a backlash from the care home sector after suggesting “too many” failed to follow procedures during the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
The prime minister said lessons are being learned after appearing to cast some blame on care homes as they responded to the Covid-19 outbreak.
But operators responded by saying they were given “slow and conflicting advice” and more than 100 pieces of additional guidance in the same number of days.
Almost 20,000 care home residents in England and Wales have died with coronavirus, the majority dying in their care home, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.
Covid-19 accounted for 29% of the deaths of care home residents between March 2 and June 12 and a fifth of all deaths of care home residents this year.
Advertisement
There has been a slowdown in the number of overall deaths and those involving Covid-19 in care home residents since mid-April, the ONS said.
Asked what he made of NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens’ wish to see plans to adequately fund the adult social care sector within a year, he said: “One of the things the crisis has shown is we need to think about how we organise our social care package better and how we make sure we look after people better who are in social care.
“We discovered too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have but we’re learning lessons the whole time.
“Most important is to fund them properly… but we will also be looking at ways to make sure the care sector long term is properly organised and supported.”
But care providers said the basis for the PM’s comments was unclear, while the National Care Forum (NCF) urged him to start “turning the dial up on reform and down on blame”.
Advertisement
Vic Rayner, executive director of the NCF, which represents 120 of the UK’s social care charities, welcomed the PM’s recognition of the need for proper funding.
She added: “However, Mr Johnson’s comments in relation to care homes’ following of procedures are neither accurate nor welcome.
“Government guidance has come to the sector in stops and starts – with organisations grappling with over 100 pieces of additional guidance in the same number of days, much of which was not accompanied by an understanding of the operational implications of operating care services.
“Care providers have moved to adopt these new procedures consistently, at pace and with integrity.”
She added that he must start “turning the dial up on reform and down on blame”.
The Independent Care Group (ICG) said the vast majority of providers had “done their absolute best in the face of slow and conflicting advice”.
ICG chairman Mike Padgham said: “We should not be getting into the blame game and it is wrong to criticise care and nursing homes at this time.
Advertisement
“It is worth remembering that in February the Government agency Public Health England told homes it was ‘very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home will become infected’ and that homes didn’t need to do anything differently.
“It was many weeks later, after most homes had already put themselves into lockdown, that the advice changed.”
Padgham said it was only when the real death toll in care homes became apparent that the government accepted social care was as much on the front line as hospitals.
He added: “Care providers may not have got everything perfect but neither has the government.
“For far too much of this pandemic, providers were operating in the dark over what they ought to do and with one arm behind their backs in terms of the support they were given. In those circumstances, they have worked miracles.”
Chief executive of the charitable care provider MHA, Sam Monaghan, said that Johnson was “entirely right” that social care needs long-term support, adding: “It is unclear what the evidence is for his claim that ‘too many care homes didn’t follow procedures in the right way’.
Advertisement
“But the three things he has identified that the sector needs going forwards – support, organisation and funding – are the three specific things that have been lacking from government during the course of the pandemic.
“What is clear is that a public inquiry needs to be expedited and the PM’s comments imply that he feels the same.”
Unison assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The underfunding of social care shouldn’t be a surprise to the PM.”
She added: “Care was exposed and vulnerable from the off. Little or no protective kit, no testing and an absence of full sick pay meant the virus spread easily, with catastrophic consequences.
“There’s many lessons to be learned. Governments have promised reform but nothing’s happened. Fundamental change must now happen – and quickly.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--NHS Test And Trace Chief Admits Workers Fear ‘Financial’ Hit If They Self-Isolate

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson is facing fresh calls to support the wages of workers asked to self-isolate with Covid after the head of NHS Test and Trace admitted the public have real “financial” worries about taking part in the system.
Advertisement
Tory peer Dido Harding, who runs the service, revealed to the House of Lords that early surveys had shown that people had reported money worries - as well as practical and emotional difficulties - when asked to comply with the home quarantine request.
Labour and the Lib Dems seized on her words to press for extra wage support such as a rise in Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) which is currently around £94 a week, a level that health secretary Matt Hancock has admitted he could not live on.
The TUC has also pointed out that the prime minister has promised that no one should be “penalised for doing the right thing”, but many workers simply can’t afford to stay at home for a fortnight.
Two million people don’t earn the required £118 a week needed to qualify for statutory sick pay.
NHS Test and Trace requires those who test positive for covid to self-isolate for a week and any of their “close contacts” - defined as being within two metres for more than 15 minutes - to stay indoors for a fortnight.
Advertisement
But the system is currently failing to reach a quarter of people who test positive for Covid-19, and one in five of those asked to self-isolate then fail to do so.
As she gave evidence to the Lords Science and Technology Committee, Harding was asked by Labour’s Lord Hollick what extra support would improve the public’s “adherence” to the test and trace system.
Harding replied: “The early evidence from surveys that we have been doing of people who’ve been asked to isolate shows that people do as you say find it hard. The main reasons why they find it hard tends to be either financial, practical or emotional.”
She went on to say that “access” to sick pay had been improved, a reference to the government’s decision in March to allow workers to get the benefit from their first day off work, not the fourth as required before the pandemic.
Harding added that local councils have plans to “make sure that people who haven’t got easy access to food or either physical or mental health support are able to access it’. “But I think there is undoubtedly more that we can all do,” she added.
Advertisement
Shadow health minister Justin Madders told HuffPost UK: “Labour has been saying since Covid-19 first appeared on the horizon that there were too many people in precarious financial positions who would find it very difficult to self isolate on current statutory sick pay rates.
“Four months on, this acknowledgement from the government that this is an issue is to be welcomed, but it now needs to actually come up with a plan to ensure those who have to self isolate are not penalised financially. A successful test, trace and isolate strategy relies on all those who test positive self isolating.
“The government has been too slow to recognise this as a problem, we don’t want it to be too slow to respond with a solution as well.”
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: “The government must listen to the evidence and give those self-isolating proper financial support.
“Matt Hancock has admitted he couldn’t live on statutory sick pay of £94 a week. Why does he expect others to as a key plank of the Test and Trace system?
Advertisement
“The bottom line is people shouldn’t be left worse off for doing the right thing and following the rules. Increasing support for those self-isolating is both logically and morally the right thing to do.”
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “It’s not viable to ask people to self-isolate, perhaps repeatedly, if they are pushed into financial hardship.
“There’s a clear danger this will force them to keep working and put themselves, workmates and local community at risk.
“That’s why we are calling on the government to raise statutory sick pay to at least the level of the real Living Wage - £325 per week. And to ensure low-paid workers can get it.”
During her evidence, Harding stressed that the system had only been in operation for four-and-a-half weeks but admitted it was not yet meeting government scientists’ goal of getting 80% of a coronavirus case’s contacts into self-isolation within a 72-hour period.
Advertisement
“We are not far away from it,” she said. “We are not exactly there yet but we are close enough that we can see the path.”
“My biggest concern is that less than half of the population in England are aware they are eligible for a test, that everyone can get a test if they are feeling unwell.”
Harding indicated that as the system built up its capabilities, it would begin doing “backward tracing” to identify where a person who tested positive may have contracted Covid-19 .
“We are building that backward-tracing capability as we speak and in fact trialling it in Leicester,” she said.
“As the rate of infection comes down, backward tracing becomes increasingly viable.”
Both Harding and NHS colleague Simon Thompson, refused to say whether the government’s tracing app would be ready in time for a possible winter ‘second wave’ of coronavirus.
Advertisement
Thompson said he had “growing confidence” the app would work and was “leaving no stone unturned” to accelerate its development.
Harding said an app would have a key role but stressed that human contact tracers, particularly the clinicians who phone the public, were most trusted.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Coronavirus: What Is Backward Contact Tracing?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Unless you have been *incredibly* bored in lockdown (or you’re a politics reporter), you probably weren’t watching the House of Lords’ science and technology committee on Monday.
Advertisement
But something pretty significant came up as peers grilled Baroness Dido Harding, the head of the government’s coronavirus Test And Trace programme – the prospect of “backward tracing”.
Baroness Harding tells the Lords the govt is developing a 'backward tracing' strategy (as orginally requested by some in Sage) to ask ppl who test positive who they came into contact with 14 days prior to symptoms. Says govt is trialling it in Leicester. — Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) July 6, 2020
This kind of tracing is already being carried out in other countries such as Japan, where it has been credited with helping to keep the number of cases down. But it could soon be implemented in the UK too.
So what is backward tracing?
How does the NHS trace people at the moment?
A screen on a bus stop displaying a NHS notice on test and trace on Oxford Street, London EMPICS Entertainment
Advertisement
At the moment, the NHS Test And Trace service quizzes people who have tested positive for Covid-19 about who they were in the close contact with in the 48 hours before they started showing symptoms of the virus.
This is an attempt by contact tracers to try and work out who coronavirus patients may have passed the infection on to.
These people – who are potentially infected with Covid-19 – are then contacted and told to stay at home for two weeks, even if they don’t have symptoms, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.
So what is backward tracing?
Backward tracing is something different. Rather than working out who someone with Covid-19 may have infected, a backward tracing programme tries to identify where a coronavirus patient contracted the virus in the first place.
Contact tracers do this by taking details of where people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been in the past 14 days and who they have been in close contact with.
Advertisement
What are the benefits of backward tracing?
People eat and drink oudoors in Soho, London, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased across England Empics Entertainment
The government’s SAGE group – which is made of scientists who advise ministers on emergencies – has called for backward tracing to be used in the UK.
According to the group, the main benefit of backward tracing is that it allows contact tracers to identify “potential clusters” of infection.
For example – were a number of people infected after going to a certain restaurant or bar? Or did a group of people get the virus after attending a party?
What did Baroness Harding say?
Baroness Dido Harding during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). PA
Advertisement
Speaking to peers on Monday, Harding – who is the head of the government’s Test And Trace programme – said the NHS was building backward tracing capability “as we speak”.
It’s currently being trialled in Leicester, she told the science committee.
“I think as the rate of the infection comes down, backward tracing becomes increasingly viable,” she said, calling it an “important component” in the coronavirus tracing model.
“So going back a full 14 days to understand where the individual may have been infected. And then contact everybody who might have been infected at the same time.
“That’s exactly why we have asked all entertainment venues to keep records of people who have attended their premises,” she added.
“That is a key element of the backward tracing system we are building, so we can very quickly identify and make it faster for our contact tracers to do that full backward trace.”
Advertisement
What has the Leicester trial shown?
A deserted Leicester city centre, as the city remains in local lockdown, despite coronavirus lockdown restrictions being eased across the rest of England. PA
A Public Health England report published on June 29 showed that Leicester residents were included in a backward tracing study that is being piloted across the country.
Ministers decided to keep the city – and parts of its suburbs – under stricter lockdown restrictions after a surge in coronavirus cases.
According to the report, there was an aim to sample 50 case studies in the city. However, only 11 cases had completed the study by June 24.
“Preliminary analysis of the 11 cases did not identify any events with multiple households attending,” the report read.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--7 Human Rights Abusers Who Made It Onto The UK's First Ever Independent Sanctions List

Two organisations under the control of North Korean leader King Jon-un made the list. AFP Contributor via Getty Images
Forty-seven people and two organisations accused of the “most notorious human rights violations in recent years” were on Monday given the dubious honour of being hit by sanctions imposed independently by the UK for the first time.
In the past, the measures have been taken collectively as part of the United Nations or the European Union, but today’s announcement was one of the first major international moves by a post-Brexit Britain.
Advertisement
Sensing his moment, foreign secretary Dominic Raab stood in the Commons and, apparently taking a few cues from the world of Hollywood blockbusters, said “thugs of despots”, “henchmen of dictators” and “those with blood on their hands”, would not be welcome in the UK.
Of the the forty-nine individuals, 25 are Russian and 20 are from Saudi Arabia, with the vast majority implicated in one of two major international crimes – the murders of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
But there were notable omissions from the list – Tory Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said there has been a “remarkable silence on human rights violations in China”.
The crimes
Jamal Khashoggi
In October 2017, a team of 15 Saudi agents was dispatched to Turkey to meet Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Advertisement
The journalist, who had been publicly critical of the Saudi regime, believed he was attending an appointment to pick up documents needed to marry his Turkish fiancee but he was never seen alive again.
Protestors demonstrate at the entrance of Saudi Arabia consulate over the what was then just the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, on October 9, 2018. SIPA USA/PA Images
Turkish officials who investigated the incident concluded Khashoggi was killed in the embassy and then dismembered with a bone saw. The CIA concluded the operation was conducted on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
His body has yet to be found.
Sergei Magnitsky
In 2009 Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky uncovered large-scale tax fraud in his home country and died in prison after giving evidence against corrupt officials.
He lends his name to the US Magnitsky Act which imposes sanctions on human rights abusers.
The snow clad grave of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky at the Preobrazhenskoye cemetery in Moscow. ANDREY SMIRNOV via Getty Images
Advertisement
In the years since his death, Magnitsky’s employer Bill Browder has relentlessly campaigned with great success to get governments around the world to impose sanctions on those responsible for his death.
The sanctions
All 47 people named on the list will have any assets held in the UK frozen and will be barred from travelling to or via the UK.
Raab said: “Today this government and this House sends a very clear message on behalf of the British people that those with blood on their hands, the thugs of despots, the henchman of dictators will not be free to Waltz into this country to buy up property on the King’s Road, to do their Christmas shopping in Knightsbridge or frankly to siphon dirty money through British banks or other financial institutions.”
The sanctioned
1) Aleksey Vasilyevich Anichin
Anichin was a deputy minister in the Russian Interior Ministry at the time of Magnitsky’s death.
He oversaw a team of investigators who failed to investigate complaints made by Magnitsky about his mistreatment and concealed evidence of his deteriorating medical condition in the led up to his death.
2) Oleg Silchenko
Silchenko was one of the investigators overseen by Anichin, and according to the UK Foreign Office was “directly involved in the mistreatment of Magnitsky whilst in detention, which contributed significantly to his death”.
Advertisement
Silchenko extended his detention six times despite his deteriorating condition and refused his requests to see his family.
Oleg Silchenko speaks at a news conference in Moscow, Thursday, December 8, 2011 ASSOCIATED PRESS
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Raab said: “I hope that today in this House we show our solidarity with the family that Sergei Magnitsky left behind, his wife Natalya, his son Nikita and I can tell the House they will be watching from the Foreign Office in my office as we speak.
Silchenko and Anichin are just two of 25 people on the list for their parts in the death of Magnitsky.
3) Saud Abdullah Al Qahtani
Al Qahtani was an adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the time of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
Advertisement
He was the senior official involved in planning and directing the killing using a 15 man team.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who ordered the murder of Khashoggi, meets with Theresa May during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. PA
4) Salah Muhammed Al Tubaigy
As well as being a forensic doctor with the Saudi Minister of Interior, Al Tubaigy was also a professor in the Department of Criminal Evidence at Naif Arab University.
This experience and knowledge meant he was made part of the 15 man team that killed Khashoggi and had a large role in the concealment of evidence after the murder.
Al Qahtani and Al Tubaigy are just two of 20 people on the list for their parts in the murder of Khashoggi.
5) Min Aung Hlaing
Away from the deaths of Magnitsky and Khashoggi, the sanctions also target those responsible for human rights violations committed against the Rohingya Muslim population in Myanmar.
Advertisement
Min Aung Hlaing is commander in chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and was responsible for military operations carried out in Rakhine State in 2017 and in 2019.
During the course of these operations, upwards of 24,000 people were killed, 34,000 thrown into fires, and over 114,000 beaten.
Jamila Begum, 35, cries when talking about how members of Myanmar's armed forces killed her son and husband during an interview with The Associated Press in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aung Hlaing is accused of unlawful killings, including through systematic burning of Rohingya houses and buildings, massacre, torture, forced labour, systematic rape and other forms of targeted sexual violence, and enforced labour.
Displaying their sheer scale of depravity, the last two entries on our list aren’t people, they are government organisations established entirely to the enslavement of the very citizens that government – North Korea – is supposed to protect.
Advertisement
6) Ministry of State Security Bureau 7
The Ministry of State Security Bureau 7 is the entity responsible for running North Korea’s political prison camps which house anyone who dares speak out against the tyrannical rule of Kim Jong-un.
Although the North Korean state is highly secretive, defector testimony and satellite imagery have shown summary executions and torture are commonplace.
Prisoners are also subject to sexual violence and forced abortions.
The ministry also plays a large role in North Korea’s strict censorship enforcement, conducting surprise raids on homes to make sure people do not modify TVs or radios to pick up foreign broadcasts.
Satellite imagery of Kaechon concentration camp (Kyo-hwa-so No. 1) - a reeducation camp in North Korea. DigitalGlobe/ScapeWare3d via Getty Images
7) Ministry of People’s Security Correctional Bureau
Even if your crime isn’t political in nature, being jailed in any other part of North Korea’s prison system can be just as terrible.
Advertisement
The Ministry of People’s Security Correctional Bureau is involved in the murder, torture and subjection to forced labour of people held in those camps.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Meghan Markle On George Floyd's Killing: People Have Said 'Enough'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are continuing to focus on fighting racial injustice and correcting wrongs of the past.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in a discussion with young leaders of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust on Wednesday, spoke about Britain’s colonial past and the police killing of George Floyd, which has spurred worldwide protests against racism and police brutality.
Advertisement
The trust has been holding weekly talks with members and young leaders in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Harry is the organisation’s president and Meghan is vice president.
The Duchess of Sussex spoke about what it will take to move forward and pointed out that growth will cause discomfort for some.
“We’re going to have to be a little uncomfortable right now, because it’s only in pushing through that discomfort that we get to the other side of this and find the place where a high tide raises all ships,” she said. “Equality does not put anyone on the back foot. It puts us all on the same footing, which is a fundamental human right.”
Meghan, who has in the past spoken about her experiences with racism, called the rising anti-racism movement a “moment of reckoning.”
Advertisement
“In people’s complacency, they’re complicit. And that I think is the shift that we’re seeing,” the duchess said.
“It’s not enough to just be a bystander, and say ‘Well it wasn’t me.’ And that’s what I think what was very much manifested in what you’re feeling from people’s outpouring surrounding the murder of George Floyd. It wasn’t that this wasn’t always happening ― it’s that it’s come to a head when people have said ‘enough.’”
In the special session last week, Queen's Commonwealth Trust was joined by the Duke and Duchess alongside Chrisann Jarrett, trustee; Alicia Wallace, director of Equality Bahamas; Mike Omoniyi, founder and CEO of The Common Sense Network; and Abdullahi Alim who leads the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers network of emerging young leaders in Africa and the Middle East. Courtesy of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust
Meghan also encouraged those on the call to beware of racism outside of the “big moments.”
“It’s in the quiet moments where racism and unconscious bias lies and thrives,” she said. “It makes it confusing for a lot of people to understand the role that they play in that, both passively and actively.”
The duke addressed the colonial past of the British commonwealth, which is comprised of 54 nations, many of which are former colonies of the British Empire.
Advertisement
“There is no way that we can move forward unless we acknowledge the past,” Harry said.
“So many people have done such an incredible job of acknowledging the past and trying to right those wrongs, but I think we all acknowledge there is so much more still to do,” he added. “It’s not going to be easy and in some cases it’s not going to be comfortable, but it needs to be done, because guess what, everybody benefits.”
Both Meghan and Harry have spoken out about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement since the May killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis.
“I wasn’t sure what I could say to you,” Meghan said during a graduation address last month recorded for students at her old school, Immaculate Heart High School and Middle School in Los Angeles. “I wanted to say the right thing. And I was really nervous that I wouldn’t, or that it would get picked apart, and I realised, the only wrong thing to say is to say nothing.”
She continued: “Because George Floyd’s life mattered, and Breonna Taylor’s life mattered, and Philando Castile’s life mattered, and Tamir Rice’s life mattered, and so did so many other people whose names we know and whose names we do not know. Stephon Clark. His life mattered.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are continuing to speak out about racial injustice in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Pool via Getty Images


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Trump Rage-Quits Fox News After Network Shows Him Trailing Joe Biden In Polls

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Donald Trump said he’s done with Fox News after the network on Sunday showed him trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in the polls.
Trump claimed he was leading in “real polls” but did not cite any:
.@FoxNews gladly puts up the phony suppression polls as soon as they come out. We are leading in the REAL polls because people are sick & tired of watching the Democrat run cities, in all cases, falling apart. Also, now 96% Approval Rating in the Republican Party. Another 2016! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2020
Advertisement
Trump has repeatedly claimed that 96 percent of Republicans approve of him. While he does enjoy high levels of support among members of his party, there are no recent polls that show him reaching that level. Last week, a Hill-Harris X poll found he had an 82 percent approval rating among Republicans, down from 91 percent in May.
In addition to attacking Fox, Trump also urged his supporters to change the channel:
Trump has repeatedly attacked news agencies for reporting on polls unfavorable to him and even sent a “cease and desist” threat to CNN last month for broadcasting a poll that showed him trailing Biden by 14 points.
The Trump campaign also reportedly cut ties with some pollsters last month after internal polls were leaked. Those polls showed Trump trailing Biden in several swing states.
Advertisement
Trump has expressed displeasure with Fox News numerous times in recent months. In May, he complained that the network was “doing nothing to help Republicans, and me, get re-elected.” He also said he was “looking for a new outlet.”
Despite his complaints, Fox News has remained friendly territory for Trump, with personalities such as Sean Hannity frequently offering lavish praise. Over the weekend, the network even cropped an image of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein with Trump to remove the president.
Twitter users had some thoughts on the feud:
Remember when you said it was a dirty filthy media lie that you spend all your time watching tv; that actually, you rarely get a chance to, because you have to spend so much time reading “documents?” That was a good one. — Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) July 5, 2020
Maybe you could spend some time reading your Presidential briefings rather than watching TV and golfing — Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) July 5, 2020
Is *SOMEBODY* having a little Twitter tantrum because hims got the bigly bad news about his polls?
Poor Liddle' Bunker Baby. 🤣🤣😭 pic.twitter.com/4dIkftDCAz — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) July 5, 2020
Advertisement
Republican #CancelCulture getting out-of-control: now they are trying to silence Fox News! — David Rothschild (@DavMicRot) July 5, 2020
The President spends more time watching TV than doing his job.
I'm just glad he's donating his salary, because he doesn't work.
Now, if only he didn't steal taxpayer dollars with his golf trips and numerous emoluments. — Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) July 5, 2020
“We have the REAL polls, you just can’t see them because they live in Canada.” — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) July 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--Two Paramedics Treated For 'Serious Injuries' After Being Stabbed In Wolverhampton

Door of the emergency ambulance car - selective focus Chalabala via Getty Images
Two paramedics have been treated for “serious injuries” after being stabbed in Wolverhampton.
West Midlands Police said the pair – a man and a woman – were attacked while attending a call to check on a man’s welfare in Stephens Close at 12.30pm on Monday.
Officers said the paramedics had suffered serious injuries, with each having sustained one stab wound.
Advertisement
According to the force, one of the paramedics was stabbed in the chest, while the other was stabbed in the side.
Both are now in a stable condition in hospital.
A 52-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of wounding.
A cordon has been placed around the property while enquiries continue, police said.
Superintendent Simon Inglis, from Wolverhampton Police, said: “This is a shocking incident resulting in serious injuries to two of our blue light colleagues.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-06--The Government’s £1.57bn For The Arts Could Still See Creatives Forced Out

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The government’s announcement of a £1.57bn support package for the arts and culture sector has been enthusiastically welcomed by theatres, music venues and galleries alike.
But some within it are raising alarm bells that without money for freelancers, parts of the industry could vanish completely, and leave many of its most underrepresented workers left out in the cold.
Advertisement
“We’ve already had 36% of freelancers find themselves without any financial support,” Paule Constable, a Olivier and Tony Award-winning lighting designer, told HuffPost UK.
“When we’ve looked at our figures around who is leaving the industry, who can’t afford to stay, then of course it’s the most vulnerable who are disproportionately hit.”
Britain’s creative industries have been among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 lockdown, as venues have been forced to close down around the UK.
Statistics published by the government in February 2020 stated that the sector contributed the equivalent of £306m every single day to the economy, but until Sunday night there was no sign of any tailored help to support creatives.
Advertisement
But while the announcement has come of something of a relief to many, there are still serious concerns that in a significant number of cases the support has come too little, too late – particularly for the freelancers who support much of the sector but were not specifically included in the announcement.
Boris Johnson said on Sunday: “From iconic theatre and musicals, mesmerising exhibitions at our world-class galleries to gigs performed in local basement venues, the UK’s cultural industry is the beating heart of this country.
The government has announced more than £1.5bn in funding for the arts, but questions remain over how – or if – it will support those who work on a freelance basis. SOPA Images via Getty Images
“This money will help safeguard the sector for future generations, ensuring arts groups and venues across the UK can stay afloat and support their staff whilst their doors remain closed and curtains remain down.”
The government has said that decisions on awards will be made in conjunction with expert independent figures from the sector.
Advertisement
The £1.5bn support pot for cultural organisations in England will be made up of £270m of repayable finance and £880m of grants.The funding also includes money for the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland (£33m), Scotland (£97m) and Wales (£59m), the government said.
But while the funding has been broadly welcomed, huge questions still remain for the 70% of creatives who work on a freelance basis and have seen most – if not all – their work cancelled as a result of the pandemic.
Paule Constable is part of the Freelancers Make Theatre Work group, which has been campaigning for recognition of the arts throughout the coronavirus crisis and – in particular – the contribution of freelance workers.
Paule Constable, pictured here accepting the Tony Award for best lighting design of a play for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in 2015. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
She said: “The announcement is absolutely brilliant news, but the devil is in the detail. We need to do what we do best, which is collaborate and make something we haven’t seen before to use the money with fairness and positivity.
Advertisement
“We all go through this together, the buildings, the commercial sector, the subsidised sector and freelancers – we’re nothing without each other.
“Those are the most important things to hang on to, but we finally have hope.”
The fair division of the government funding is paramount, Constable explained, because without specific support for freelancers, some 70% of the industry would vanish – taking with it some of the most underrepresented workers in the industry.
“We’ve already had 36% of freelancers find themselves without any financial support,” she said. “When we’ve looked at our figures around who is leaving the industry, who can’t afford to stay, then of course it’s the most vulnerable who are disproportionately hit.
“Huge amounts of people of colour aren’t getting any financial support, as are many disabled performers and art makers.
“What will happen is we will lose the diversity within our industry, just at the point where it is having to become more inclusive, and needs to be more inclusive.
Advertisement
“If our direction of travel is towards a more inclusive industry, then we have to take those people with us.”
Actor Michelle Collins, famous for her roles in EastEnders and Coronation Street, echoed Constable’s concerns around diversity and the fate of small theatres – who provided her and countless others with a first foothold into the industry.
While she welcomed the government’s announcement “as a start”, she has raised concerns that the sum suggested – once it has been split up amongst the entire cultural sector – won’t be enough to reach the people and places who need it most.
Michelle Collins. PA
She said: “I think they either need to extend the SEISS [Self-Employment Income Support Scheme], or even better, start a creative workers’ support scheme as there are lots of people who have fallen through the gaps.
Advertisement
“What have people been doing during lockdown? They’ve been entertaining themselves with creative work – watching TV, film, streaming theatre. There’s going to be a massive gap in society if those things fall away.
“We’re not just talking about the major theatres, I really hope the smaller, regional theatres will see this money too. They don’t just put productions on – they have dementia-friendly cafes, mother-and-baby classes, art galleries. They can be a huge hub for the community.
“We don’t even know where the money is going yet. Everyone is excited because the news only came out last night, but you go on Twitter and see ‘what about the actors?’, ‘what about the dancers?’,’what about the designers?’.
“There’s still a long, long way to go.”
Collins has lost out on at least nine months of work as a result of Covid-19, and has herself fallen through the gaps of government support. With the national tour of Harold Pinter play she was supposed to be on cancelled, she decided to set up a fundraiser to help support actors and creatives who had found themselves suddenly stranded without work.
““I know lots of young actors who are having to leave London because they just can’t afford to live here, can’t afford to eat, and there’s no work. It’s a really, really worrying time.”” - Michelle Collins
Advertisement
Fifty of the UK’s most celebrated actors from a diverse range of backgrounds recorded monologues, raising close to £35,000 to date for the benevolent fund which is being run by Equity, the union for performers and creative practitioners.
“It was horrendous to get a phone call from my agent basically telling me I wasn’t going to work for the next nine months,” Michelle Collins said. “Like everybody else, I was trying to think of ways to keep busy to avoid getting too down about what was happening, and I very quickly I thought of doing some sort of fundraiser.
“It all came together very quickly. I was so worried about younger actors, particularly those who aren’t financially supported by their families and don’t come from a privileged background. How were they going to support themselves in the industry?
“So many people think actors are all wealthy, but it’s a total misconception. It’s a very precarious industry, and coronavirus has just made it so much tougher.
“We could get to a point where only a certain type of actor is able to work. Without the right support all that diversity could be pushed out, and possibly become elitist.
Advertisement
“I know lots of young actors who are having to leave London because they just can’t afford to live here, can’t afford to eat, and there’s no work. It’s a really, really worrying time.”
While much of the discussion around the announcement has centred on theatres, it has also come as a relief to music venues across the UK who have been forced to clear their line-ups for months.
But like other creatives – both behind the scenes and centre stage – the financial future for freelance musicians and crew remains unclear.
Musicians’ Union general secretary Horace Trubridge said: “We’re delighted that the government has answered one of our key lobbying asks by announcing a £1.57bn cultural fund. This is a welcome first step which hopefully ensures that all our great venues and theatres will not go under. Unfortunately, it is still unlikely that musicians who work in these venues will be able to go back to work imminently.
“Given the £5.2bn that the music industry is worth to the UK economy, not to mention the cultural contribution that musicians make, it is vital that our members are able to survive this closure period, which will be far lengthier than for most other workers. One in five of our members have told us that they may leave music for good if they do not receive further financial support.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--What The Stamp Duty 'Holiday' Changes Could Mean For You

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Stamp duty is the tax every homeowner dreads paying – especially when you’ve scrimped and saved to stump up a deposit, then swiftly realise you need thousands more for a lump sum tax payment.
With the economy in dire straits (the Resolution Foundation think tank warns the UK economy could shrink by 9.3% this year – the biggest annual hit in a century), chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak made a statement in July, announcing a stamp duty “holiday”, which will take effect immediately and last until next March.
Advertisement
So what does this actually mean for you – and is it a good deal?
What is stamp duty?
Stamp duty (or stamp duty land tax, SDLT) is a tax you pay if you buy a property or slice of land over a certain price in England and Northern Ireland.
The tax applies to both freehold and leasehold properties, whether you’re buying outright or with a mortgage.
Before today, people had to pay stamp duty on homes over £125,000 or non-residential land and properties over £150,000. How much tax they would pay would go up as the value of the property increased.
Gov.uk Stamp duty tax
Advertisement
So, if you were to buy a house for £275,000, the stamp duty tax you would need to pay would be as follows:
0% on the first £125,000 = £0
2% on the next £125,000 = £2,500
5% on the final £25,000 = £1,250
Total stamp duty tax = £3,750
filo via Getty Images
Is it the same for first-time buyers?
There were separate rules in place for first-time buyers, who wouldn’t have to pay any tax up to £300,000, and would have to pay 5% on the portion from £300,001 to £500,000. If the price went above £500,000, usual rates would apply.
What about second homes?
People buying a second home – meaning they own more than one property – have to pay 3% on top of the normal stamp duty rates for a property costing £40,000 or more.
Advertisement
What are the changes?
Sunak has abolished stamp duty on homes worth up to £500,000, with the change coming into effect immediately and remaining in place until March 31 2021.
This has implications for first-time buyers, who currently have to pay tax on this threshold, as well as existing homeowners looking to move somewhere else.
Those buying second homes will now have to pay 3% stamp duty up to £500,000.
Sunak said the average stamp duty bill will fall by £4,500. Analysis by Savills estate agents found the move would make 88% of English property transactions exempt from the tax, The Telegraph reported, and could actually save the average buyer almost £7,000.
House prices in June 2020 were 2.5% higher than this time last year, according to the latest Halifax House Price Index.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Tory Conference Cancelled And Replaced By Virtual Event Due To Coronavirus Crisis

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Conservative party conference has been cancelled and replaced by a virtual event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
Party chairman Amanda Milling confirmed the move, insisting the Tories’ “first priority is for the health and safety of members, delegates and attendees”.
The event, which was due to take place in Birmingham between October 4 and 7, will now be held online.
But Milling said the party hoped to include “some elements of the traditional party conference we all know and love” if Covid-secure guidelines allow.
This year @Conservatives will be holding a Virtual Conference - we’ll announce more details in due course.
If guidelines allow we hope we can include some elements of the traditional Party Conference we all know and love.
See you virtually in October! pic.twitter.com/RBwrds6zyV — Amanda Milling #StayAlert (@amandamilling) July 7, 2020
Advertisement
Labour has already cancelled its annual party conference, which was due to be held in Liverpool at the end of September.
The Liberal Democrats have also cancelled their conference.
The cancellations could harm the fortunes of the main party leaders.
Boris Johnson would have perhaps looked to be drawing something of a line under the coronavirus crisis, assuming infections had stayed down, and focusing attention on post-Brexit Britain after the transition period ends on October 31.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Michaela Coel Explains Why She Turned Down Netflix's $1 Million Offer For I May Destroy You

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Michaela Coel has explained why she turned down a million-dollar offer from Netflix for them to produce her hit series I May Destroy You.
In an interview with Vulture, Michaela revealed that she was in talks about the series – which she stars in, created, wrote and directed – with the streaming giant in 2017.
Advertisement
However, she said she turned down an offer of $1 million (around £797,000), after the company couldn’t guarantee she’d be able to hold onto even a tiny percentage of the show’s copyright.
Recalling a conversation she had asking Netflix if she could keep at least five percent, Michaela said: “There was just silence on the phone. And [the senior development executive at Netflix] said, ‘It’s not how we do things here. Nobody does that, it’s not a big deal.’
“I said, ‘If it’s not a big deal, then I’d really like to have five percent of my rights.’”
Michaela Coel in character as Arabella in I May Destroy You BBC/Various Artists Ltd and FALKNA/Natalie Seery
Michaela said that this was also met with “silence”, after which she attempted to bargain them down to “two percent, one percent, and finally 0.5 percent”.
Advertisement
After a pause, the woman apparently hung up, after telling her: “Michaela? I just want you to know I’m really proud of you. You’re doing the right thing.”
Michaela said: “I remember thinking, ‘I’ve been going down rabbit holes in my head, like people thinking I’m paranoid, I’m acting sketchy, I’m killing off all my agents’. And then she said those words to me, and I finally realised — I’m not crazy. This is crazy.”
Later that year, Michaela pitched I May To Destroy You to the BBC, where she was granted everything she asked for, including a production title, creative control and the rights to her own work.
Michaela at the Women In Film And TV Awards in 2018 Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
In the same interview, Michaela revealed that creative control had previously been an issue at her previous TV venture, Chewing Gum.
Advertisement
She again wrote and starred in the series, but told Vulture of how she was denied an executive producer title.
“The production office felt like the place I have no access to: the curtain rod behind where Jesus is dwelling,” she explained. “You come to my trailer whenever you need something, but I can’t access you.”
Kadiff Kirwan, who starred as Aaron in Chewing Gum, observed: “It’s like she built this house and gave the keys to someone, and they locked her out of different rooms in her own house, which is absolute bullshit.”
I May Destroy You is currently streaming on BBC iPlayer.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Boris Johnson Criticised By Tory MP For Acting Like A 'High Spending Leftie'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson has been criticised by a veteran Tory MP for trying to emulate “high spending leftie” Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) rather than “good conservatives” like Margaret Thatcher.
Advertisement
The prime minister last week launched the government’s plan to help the economy recover from coronavirus by outlining £5bn of infrastructure spending.
In pre-briefed lines, Johnson described his plan as a “Rooseveltian” new deal, a reference to the massive spending plan the former US president used to help America recover from the Great Depression in the 1930s.
But the government’s outlay of hundreds of billions of pounds during the Covid-19 crisis has worried traditional Tory MPs, including Sir Edward Leigh, who said he was still waiting for tax cuts first floated by George Osborne before he became chancellor in 2010.
After becoming PM last year, Johnson ditched a Tory leadership race promise for a £9bn income tax cut for middle class higher earners to the dismay of some of his own MPs.
Advertisement
As chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to deliver his summer economic update on Wednesday, which is expected to outline further spending, Leigh fired a warning shot from the backbenches.
Before the 2010 election we promised to help middle-class families pass their houses on to the next generation.
We want more Reagan and Thatcher and less FDR! pic.twitter.com/qUODVlOIGG — Sir Edward Leigh MP (@EdwardLeighMP) July 7, 2020
At Treasury questions, he said: “When are we going to fulfil numerous promises made as long ago by George Osborne before the 2010 election to help middle class people pass on more of their profit to the young?
“After all that’s a priority, for the young.
“And while we’re about it can we hear from the chancellor and from the prime minister less about high spending lefties like president Roosevelt and more from good conservatives like Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher?
“Less about subsidies and more about tax cuts and tax simplification.”
Treasury minister Jesse Norman replied: “I’d hate to give you a history lesson but you will recall that Ronald Reagan was a deep admirer of FDR and was a heavy spender in his own right.
Advertisement
“Inheritance tax is paid on only one in 25 estates and therefore it isn’t quite as large an issue in terms of the number of people affected by it as you suggested


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--This Is How Remote Workers Will Look In 25 Years, Apparently

Directlyapply
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
If we continue to work from home longterm, hunched shoulders, weight gain and eye strain could become the norm, according to a team of researchers.
Advertisement
The team created a fictional character, named Susan, who represents what the average desk worker might look like in 25 years if we don’t change our working from home habits.
Our bed-to-desk commutes and general lack of exercise and sunlight could increase the likelihood of poor posture, ‘tech neck’, wrinkles, repetitive strain injury and dark circles, they claim. The researchers even believe hair loss will become more likely.
“Vitamin D is mostly absorbed from sun exposure, so working indoors all day can leave the body deficient, which can cause hair loss and new hair growth can be significantly stunted,” they say.
Advertisement
Some on Twitter have already called BS on the avatar though, arguing that working from home can have benefits for those who want to work flexible hours.
People have pointed out that remote working during lockdown has given then more time to exercise – something we heard when we spoke to people who’d downloaded Couch to 5K.
Directapply Susan
‘Susan’ was created by researchers working on behalf of job discovery platform DirectlyApply – and they’re not the first to paint a grisly picture of desk working.
Last year, a character named ‘Emma’ made headlines around the world after researchers dubbed her “the work colleague of the future”.
Emma was based on a study of more than 3,000 office workers from France, Germany and the UK – 50% of workers interviewed already suffered from sore eyes, 49% from sore backs and 48% from headaches.
Advertisement
Much like Susan, Emma was created with a permanently bent back, a rotund stomach and dry, itchy eyes, with some varicose veins, swollen ankles and sore skin thrown in for good measure.
PA/Press Association Emma
It seems wherever we work at a desk – at home or in the office – counteracting the impacts is key.
Try these exercises from physiotherapist Sammy Margo to improve your posture and end backache if you do computer-based work.
And for those who need a little inspiration for post-work exercise, this guide on how to enjoy exercise (not just suffer through it) may help.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--First Minister Of Wales' Long Winded Answer About Cheese Is The Light Relief We All Need

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A man whose apparent hobby is asking people on Twitter what their favourite cheese is has made it to the highest levels of the Welsh government.
An account under the name “Joe Bangles CBE” was given the opportunity to put the pressing matter to first minister Mark Drakeford, who answered with more enthusiasm than anyone could have expected.
Advertisement
“Well that’s probably the hardest question I’ve had so far because I really like cheese,” he said.
Let us be in no doubt: the first minister Mark Drakeford really, really likes cheese. pic.twitter.com/YlEfJLU4RD — David Deans (@DeansOfCardiff) July 6, 2020
“I always have ever since I was a tiny child and used to walk up to my grandparents on their farm and one of the things I used to look forward to when I got there was my grandmother would pass me a piece of cheese to eat.”
Fulfilling his patriotic obligations, Drakeford then insisted his favourite cheese was the Welsh classic Caerphilly.
But he added: “There are actually a lot of cheeses I like and I’ll be eating some of those this weekend.”
Advertisement
Bangles has been prolific on Twitter in recent months posing the question to many a celeb, plenty of whom were more than willing to provide and answer.
ultra strong cheddar https://t.co/HGtZ0lsTHG — Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) April 19, 2020
Stilton. With digestive biscuits. And an 1961 Taylor’s Port. OR a 1982 Haut Brion https://t.co/rgb9YrL824 — Andrew Neil (@afneil) February 19, 2019
At the moment - Cantal. — Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) April 24, 2020
i loathe all cheese — MATT LUCAS (@RealMattLucas) May 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Boris Johnson Refuses To Apologise To Care Home Owners Over Covid Remarks

Q: The PM seems to have upset lots of people on his visit to Yorkshire yesterday when he talked about care homes. What did he mean when he said too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures?
PMOS: “Throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances. The prime minister was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known at the time.
“We have put in place a comprehensive action plan to protect care homes, including rigorous testing, and additional funding.”
Q: The implication of what he said is they’ve done something wrong. Is he not suggesting they did anything wrong?
PMOS: “As I just said throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances.
“What he was pointing out was that nobody knew the correct procedures to put in place were at the time, because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known. We’re learning about this virus all the time. This is a novel virus and the medical and scientific understanding of it grows as the days and weeks pass by.”
Q: So why didn’t he say that?
PMOS: “I don’t think there’s any more I can add on this. I am just setting out what the PM was pointing out.”
Q: Does the PM regret his choice of words?
PMOS: “As I say, what the PM was doing was pointing out that nobody knew all the correct procedures were because we didn’t know the extent of asymptomatic transmission at the time.
“We know that care providers across the country, and have been doing their utmost to keep those they look after safe in the most challenging circumstances. And it remains the case that almost 60% of care have not had an outbreak at all.”
Q: He’s accused huge offence in the care sector, would he like to retract or apologise for those comments?
PMOS: “As I’ve just set out, the PM thinks that throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances.”
Q: The National Care Association is asking for a formal retraction, is the PM open to that?
PMOS: “It’s not something I’ve discussed with him, but as I’ve just said to you the PM thinks that throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances.”
Q: People are viewing this as an insult. Wouldn’t it be helpful for the PM to go out and clarify what he meant? Because the clear implication of what he said was that care homes were somehow to blame, there were procedures they should have followed, they didn’t and that’s why it’s all gone so badly wrong.”
PMOS: “Again, the PM was pointing out that nobody knew what the correct procedures were because the extent of asymptomatic transmission was not known at the time.”
Q: What do you say to people he’s just passing the buck here?
PMOS: “The PM’s view is that throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances.”
Q: So no apology to care homes today at all? He said what he’s said and everyone has just misunderstood it?
PMOS “I think, I have been very clear that the PM thinks that throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under what have been very difficult circumstances.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Former Kasabian Singer Tom Meighan Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Ex-Fiancée

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Former Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has admitted assaulting his ex-fiancée.
The singer appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to assaulting Vikki Ager on 9 April this year.
Meighan’s court appearance came less than 24 hours after Kasabian announced his departure from the band.
Advertisement
Ex-Kasabian singer, Tom Meighan, arrives at Leicester Magistrates' Court PA
The court heard Ms Ager suffered bruising to her knees, left elbow, outer ankle and big toe as well as a reddening around the neck, which she confirmed to officers was as a result of the assault.
Prosecutor Naeem Valli told the court the offence “could be argued to be relatively serious” – describing it as a “sustained assault”.
Ex-Kasabian singer, Tom Meighan, arrives at Leicester Magistrates' Court where he is appearing on a domestic assault charge. PA
Advertisement
Meighan, of Narborough, originally denied an assault had taken place but after watching video footage, he told officers he could not watch it any further because it was “horrible”.
District Judge Nick Watson sentenced Meighan to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Kasabian announced Tom’s departure on Monday, saying in a statement: “Kasabian have announced today that Tom Meighan is stepping down from the band by mutual consent.
“Tom has struggled with personal issues that have affected his behaviour for quite some time and now wants to concentrate all his energies on getting his life back on track.”
Tom Meighan is stepping down from Kasabian by mutual consent. Tom has struggled with personal issues that have affected his behaviour for quite some time and now wants to concentrate all his energies on getting his life back on track. We will not be commenting further. — KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) July 6, 2020
Meighan subsequently wrote on Twitter: “Following today’s announcement I just wanted to let you all know that I am doing well. I’m in a really good place now.
Advertisement
“Thanks for all your love and support. I’ll be seeing you all very soon.”
The Leicester-based band, which Meighan co-founded as a student in the late 90s, say they “will not be commenting further”.
Kasabian, who went on an extended break last year, features guitarist Serge Pizzorno, bassist Chris Edwards and drummer Ian Matthews.
Kasabian (L-R) Ian Matthews, Tom Meighan, Serge Pizzorno and Chris Edwards PA
They had been due to play a huge return gig in their home city last month, but were left “absolutely brokenhearted” after the coronavirus pandemic led to its cancellation.
It is not yet clear if the band, who released their sixth album For Crying Out Loud in 2017, intend on replacing Meighan.
Advertisement
If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Jess Glynne's Claim She Was 'Discriminated' Against Because Of Her Casual Clothes Has Not Gone Down

Jess Glynne's Claim She Was 'Discriminated' Against Because Of Her Casual Clothes Has Not Gone Down Well

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Jess Glynne has raised eyebrows after sharing an Instagram post saying she’d experienced “pure discrimination” from a London restaurant, which turned her away because she was wearing a hoodie.
On Monday night, the Hold My Hand singer claimed she’d been refused entry by staff at Sexy Fish restaurant in Mayfair because of how she was dressed.
Advertisement
Sharing a photo of her outfit, which included a grey hoodie, black baseball cap and trainers, she wrote: “Dear @sexyfishlondon I turned up to your restaurant looking like this and you looked me and my friend up and down and said no you can’t come in and your restaurant was EMPTY.
“I then went to Amazonico [another Mayfair restaurant] who greeted me and my friend with pure joy and we had a banging meal with wicked service.”
Jess Glynne performing last summer zz/KGC-247/STAR MAX/IPx
Jess continued: “@Sexyfishlondon please check yourself if this is how you treat people cause it’s rude, off putting, embarrassing and most definitely not inviting.
Advertisement
“We were made to wait and 2 members of staff came to look at us and make a decision based on our appearance.”
Signing off with a kissing emoji, Jess added: “I think the attitude of your staff needs to change as that was pure discrimination. Thanks and bye.”
It didn’t take long for people on social media to share their thoughts on Jess’ tweet, pointing out that staff members enforcing a dress code against a successful, white celebrity probably didn’t constitute “pure discrimination”:
Jess Glynne having a moan about ‘discrimination’ because she wanted to go to a high end restaurant in dirty airforces and joggers is the most typical example of white privilege 😂😂😂😂😂😂 — Tyra (@jxdeetyraaa) July 7, 2020
Advertisement
someone needs to tell jess glynne that... being turned away from a restaurant cos you’re wearing a hoody is not discrimination. pic.twitter.com/8GjPQlhpoK — 🐽alim lobotomy gay kheraj (@alimkheraj) July 6, 2020
If anyone asks what privilege is, I’m just going to point them to Jess Glynne complaining she’s been discriminated against because she can’t wear a hoodie while eating £300 sushi in Mayfair. pic.twitter.com/FNUKGY8dnR — Grant Tucker (@GrantTucker) July 7, 2020
Not going to waste too much time on this Jess Glynne story. All I can say is that if she thinks this is discrimination wait until someone tells her about the stop and search stats in this country...wheeew chile!... anyway what's for lunch? 🤔 https://t.co/uEsjiMlpdc — Ri (@Heath0X89) July 7, 2020
Jess glynne clearly expected everyone to drop their standards for her. This couldn’t scream anymore privileged and the fact she’s using it as discrimination in the worlds climats rn is a joke https://t.co/Gzr0NLXeJU — 🇬🇩🇬🇧🇮🇳rebekah (@rebekahjoannex) July 7, 2020
Still can’t get over Jess Glynne screaming discrimination after being turned away from a restaurant in Mayfair bc she turned up looking like she’d just raided the lost property box 😭😭😭😭 — Bubs (@Chloethewanted_) July 7, 2020
Advertisement
Jess Glynne is going to be in for the shock of her life when she realises most people who face discrimination can't solve it by changing their jumper and footwear... 2020 continuing to be the gift that keeps on giving. https://t.co/Nw7pgocQVC — Celia Fraser (@Celia_Fraser) July 7, 2020
Others have been putting their own spin on Jess’ post, by sharing their own “experiences” of being turned away because of their attire...
dear sexy fish london i turned up to ur restaurant looking like this and u looked me and my friend up and down and said no u can’t come in and ur restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/Ew7AeF3vso — G (@oneofthosefaces) July 7, 2020
dear sexy fish london i turned up to ur restaurant looking like this and u looked me and my friend up and down and said no u can’t come in and ur restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/XivJ5fUPk4 — Bally Singh✊🏽 (@putasinghonit) July 7, 2020
dear sexy fish london I turned up to your restaurant looking like this and you looked me and my friend up and down and said no you can’t come in and your restaurant was EMPTY... pic.twitter.com/RCpnnEiLTN — Adam Maidment (@AdamMaidment) July 7, 2020
Advertisement
dear sexy fish london i turned up to ur restaurant looking like this and u looked me and my friend up and down and said no u can’t come in and ur restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/kT4j8nuZUc — michelle aka anne marie lastrassi (@michelle_amaria) July 7, 2020
dear sexy fish london i turned up to ur restaurant looking like this and u looked me and my friend up and down and said no u can’t come in and ur restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/ZQhoJ8gvT8 — Jude McArdle #saveourvenues (@JudeAbides) July 7, 2020
Dear Sexy Fish London I turned up to your restaurant looking like this and you looked me and my friend up and down and said no you can’t come in and your restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/d807U3N8EL — Bobby Mathieson (@ElphaBob) July 7, 2020
Dear sexy fish London I turned up to your restaurant looking like this and you looked me and my friend up and down and said no you can’t come in and your restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/KZ92noyaOh — JJ (@callmebyyourj) July 7, 2020
Just off to sexy fish for a busines meeting xox pic.twitter.com/xj5O6D6Kfa — Chris Mandle (@chris_mandle) July 7, 2020
Advertisement
Going to sexy fish for a business meeting thanks and bye 💋 pic.twitter.com/5np2n8iuQt — Angela Hui (@Angela_Hui) July 7, 2020
Dear sexy fish London I turned up to your restaurant looking like this and you looked me and my friend up and down and said no you can’t come in and your restaurant was EMPTY pic.twitter.com/BrZE8JsLAI — t (@Ohanthonio) July 7, 2020
In a statement, Sexy Fish told HuffPost UK: “Sexy Fish supports individuality and style but respectfully ask all our guests to acknowledge our dress code which is published on our website.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--The 10 Trending Staycation Destinations For UK Holidays

LOADING ERROR LOADING
You’re reading our series Summer’s Not Cancelled, where we celebrate summer in this new normal. From rediscovering nature and cherishing time with friends and family, to virtual festivals and unforgettable staycations – summer’s still here, it’s just different.
With travel abroad still limited, staycations are well and truly in vogue, with Brits flocking to the countryside for their summer holidays. But where should you go?
Advertisement
Airbnb has revealed the top trending UK destinations since bookings reopened, with the scenic village of Warton in Lancashire taking the top spot.
Depending on your view, the list of most popular locations may provide inspiration for your next UK break – or tell you where to avoid if you’re worried about the crowds.
David Clapp via Getty Images Glastonbury Tor, near Glastonbury, Somerset.
Advertisement
John Roberts via Getty Images Warton in Lancashire.
The market town of Duns on the Scottish border was found to be the second most popular destination, while those craving the sea are booking breaks at Snettisham, Norfolk, which came in third place.
Fourth place was secured by Glastonbury in Somerset, while Rothbury in Northumberland came in fifth.
o01shorty10o via Getty Images Snettisham beach in Norfolk
Airbnbs (and other hotels, B&Bs and campsites) have been permitted to reopen from July 4.
During the weekend before, (June 27-28), more than 70% of trips booked by Brits were domestic, according to Airbnb. Last week, daily domestic bookings on the site doubled just from Monday to Tuesday alone.
Almost half of domestic bookings made were for travel within the next month, Airbnb added, perhaps reflecting that many of us are desperate for a change of scenery after months of lockdown.
Advertisement
The majority (80%) of bookings made were between 50-300 miles of the holidaymaker’s home, the site said.
These are the 10 trending domestic destinations:
Warton, Lancashire Duns, Scotland Snettisham, Norfolk Glastonbury, Somerset Rothbury, Northumberland Chapel Saint Leonards, Lincolnshire Ross on Wye, Herefordshire Leiston, Suffolk Pickering, Yorkshire Guildford, Surrey
“In the last week we’ve seen a significant spike in demand as travel becomes a reality again, with our trending destinations showing people are keen to explore the many interesting towns and rural areas the nation has to offer, providing a welcome boost to local businesses,” said an Airbnb spokesperson.
“The safety of guests and hosts is our key priority and we have introduced comprehensive guidelines for cleaning and home sanitisation to do our bit to help people travel with peace of mind.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Trump’s Claim About The Covid-19 Death Rate Is Wrong No Matter How You Spin It

The Washington Post via Getty Images
Donald Trump, referring once again to Covid-19 as “the China Virus”, has claimed the coronavirus mortality rate in the US is “just about the lowest in the world”.
BREAKING NEWS: The Mortality Rate for the China Virus in the U.S. is just about the LOWEST IN THE WORLD! Also, Deaths in the U.S. are way down, a tenfold decrease since the Pandemic height (and, our Economy is coming back strong!). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2020
Advertisement
Now there are a number of things he could have meant by “mortality rate” but because he offered no evidence to back up his claim, it’s not immediately clear which one he was talking about.
Regardless, he would be wrong about all of them.
Let’s start with the total mortality figure. There have been 132,981 deaths in the US attributed to Covid-19, the highest of any country in the world, quite obviously not “THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD”.
What about per capita? This gives a more accurate figure of the scale of the disaster as it divides the total population by the total number of deaths.
By this count, the US has 402 deaths per million people which puts it at number nine of the global chart of 215 countries and territories.
Advertisement
So presumably it isn’t this he was referring to.
Trump may be referring to the the “case fatality rate” which is the proportion of deaths compared to the total number of confirmed cases.
By this definition, the US is also at number 37 in a global ranking, nowhere near “the lowest” and even more damming when given more context.
As you would hope for the world’s richest country, the US has some of the highest testing rates in the world (though still not enough according to the government’s own advisors).
This means its case fatality rate will be far lower than countries battling the virus but without the resources to carry out testing on the scale needed.
So without comparable figures from other countries, we can only look at the facts on the ground which at this stage are the number of deaths.
Advertisement
There’s another reason Trump shouldn’t focus on the case fatality rate – deaths from Covid-19 typically happen three to five weeks after infection and it is only just over three weeks since the US started seeing a huge surge in the number of cases across large parts of the country.
It’s not certain, but this could mean the death rate begins to climb again over the next few days.
On Sunday Trump claimed without evidence that 99% of coronavirus cases in the United States were “totally harmless”.
Instead of listening to Trump’s tweets about coronavirus, perhaps focus on what the US’s top health official, Anthon Fauci said on Monday.
He said that the current state of the outbreak in the US “is really not good” and a “serious situation that we have to address immediately”.
The country is still “knee-deep” in the first wave of the illnesses, having never gotten the case number as low as planned.
Advertisement
“It’s a serious situation that we have to address immediately,” he added.
In California, where hospitalisations have jumped 50% over the past two weeks and for an eighth straight day, Texas registered an all-time high in the number of people hospitalised at any one moment.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Piers Morgan Begs Kanye West Not To Run For US Presidency

Over the weekend, Kanye announced on Twitter that he plans to join the race for the White House after previously stating that “there will be a time when I will be the president of the US.”
On Sunday, he tweeted: “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States #2020vision.”
Advertisement
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION — ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
Piers has described the rapper’s plans to go up against Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden as “deluded” and “narcissistic” in his latest column for the Daily Mail.
The Good Morning Britain presenter writes: “It was almost impossible to think of anything that could possibly make the situation even more negative than it is right now.”
Piers Morgan and Kanye West Rex
Advertisement
Piers says America is in “utter turmoil” and notes the backlash Trump’s administration has received over its handling of the Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd’s death and the coronavirus pandemic.
“Frankly, the very last thing it needs is another ranting, deluded, impulsive, narcissistic, completely unqualified billionaire celebrity to ride to the rescue,” Piers writes.
Referring to Kanye’s controversial comment in 2018 that “slavery is a choice”, which the rapper later apologised for, Piers adds: “Kanye West is a great musician, and in many ways a fascinating character. But there’s nothing courageous about saying other Black people lacked the courage to escape slavery.”
He continues: “Until now, none of this chaotic, emotionally charged, inconsistent and baiting rhetoric has mattered. Kanye is perfectly entitled to his views, however ugly some of them have been. But if he wants to be president, then his views matter very greatly.”
Piers concludes: “America can’t afford for it to be turned into an unedifying clown show where the result is decided by a smug, gobby, irrational, unpredictable billionaire star on a gigantic ego trip.”
Advertisement
In recent years, Kanye has proved a controversial figure when it comes to politics, having been, just like Piers, one of US president Donald Trump’s most vocal celebrity supporters.
Kanye has repeatedly sported a red “make America great again” baseball cap, including on Saturday Night Live and during an appearance at the Oval Office.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-07--Charlize Theron Calls Mad Max Recasting For Young Furiosa 'Heartbreaking'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
After all that blood, sweat and Tom-Hardy-feuding, Charlize Theron won’t be reprising her role as Imperator Furiosa in the forthcoming Mad Max prequel.
Director George Miller will cast another actor to play a younger version of Charlize’s character, which the Oscar-winning star admits is a “little heartbreaking” in her first interview about the film.
Advertisement
“It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
“He’s a master and I wish him nothing but the best. Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character [Furiosa] and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly.”
Charlize Theron Samir Hussein via Getty Images
Charlie also said that she’d have loved to “see that story continue,” but that she ultimately trusts George Miller’s vision for the future of the franchise.
Advertisement
The director previously said that while he considered using technology to de-age Charlize for the prequel role, he ultimately decided against it, noting the valiant but ultimately distracting CGI used in The Irishman.
Instead, actors like Jodie Comer of Killing Eve fame and Emma star Anya Taylor-Joy have reportedly been eyed to replace her.
Charlize seemed to suggest that movie audiences wouldn’t have cared about her age, noting that viewers were fine, for example, with the casting of British actors to play historical Russian characters in the critically acclaimed HBO series Chernobyl.
“We get so hung up on the smaller details that we forget the thing that we emotionally tap into has nothing to do with that minute thing that we’re focusing on,” she said.
And as for her tension with former co-star Tom Hardy, which resurfaced in a recent oral history of the blockbuster, it appears that Charlize has indeed buried that hatchet back in the desert.
Advertisement
“That’s the great thing about time, right? It gives you a moment to really reflect and have all of those things permeate,” Charlize said of how both she and Tom have acknowledged their past faults on set.
“That’s evolution. That’s how we learn. That’s how we become better. So that was not a hard thing for me to do. It’s just the truth.”