thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--White Supremacy Shaped American Christianity, Researcher Says

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Robert Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, comes from a line of white American Christians that stretches back before the Revolutionary War. His ancestors weren’t large plantation owners or Confederate generals, or ― as far as he knows ― active members of the Ku Klux Klan. For much of his life, Jones believed the “unremarkable” nature of his family’s background meant that white supremacy wasn’t a part of their history.
But he’s recently started to tell a different kind of story ― one that acknowledges that white privilege shaped his family’s sojourn on American soil.
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His ancestors were wealthy enough to own slaves, Jones said. The family settled in Georgia on land the government seized from indigenous Creek and Cherokee people. They became Southern Baptists, part of a denomination founded in 1845 on the belief that it was perfectly moral for Christians to be slave owners.
Decades later, after Jones’s great-grandfather was killed in a clay mining accident, co-workers allegedly killed an innocent Black worker in retaliation. Jones still remembers how satisfied his great-uncle appeared while retelling that story, as if this arbitrary and unjustified act of racial violence helped balance the scales after a white man’s death.
It wouldn’t be hard for many white Christians to find examples of white supremacy’s claims on their own family’s trees, Jones said. But white Christians’ image of themselves and their religion has been warped by what Jones calls “white-supremacy-induced amnesia.”
It’s impossible to talk about American Christianity without recognising that racism helped shape the church, according to Jones. ehrlif via Getty Images
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Jones wrestles with that amnesia in his new book, “White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity.” He argues that white Christians ― from evangelicals in the South to mainline Protestants in the Midwest to Catholics in the Northeast ― weren’t just complacent onlookers while political leaders debated what to do about slavery, segregation and discrimination. White supremacist theology played a key role in shaping the American church from the very beginning, influencing not just the way denominations formed but also white Christians’ theology about salvation itself.
HuffPost spoke with Jones about his book earlier in July. Just as his own family history would be incomplete without acknowledging the influences of white supremacy, Jones said it’s impossible to talk about American Christianity without recognising that racism helped shape the church.
Robert Jones is the CEO and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, a nonprofit organisation that conducts research on religion, culture and politics. Courtesy of PRRI
How did your own eyes open to the ways that white Christianity and white supremacy are entangled?
I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. I was deeply immersed in white Southern Baptist evangelical culture. I was that kid who was always at church, four to five times a week. I have a degree from a Southern Baptist college, and I have a Master of Divinity degree from a Southern Baptist seminary. But it wasn’t until I was in grad school in my 30s that I really began to examine the history of my denomination’s direct ties to slavery.
Along with that, in my day job as CEO of PRRI, we’re repeatedly confronted with public opinion data that suggests white Christians really have a blind spot in seeing racial injustice and particularly structural racism. So it was a combination of really reckoning with my own family’s history, together with seeing patterns in the data that just made it so clear that this is not a story of some distant past, but this is very much still in the DNA of white Christianity today.
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So what is the story that white Christians tell themselves about the church’s relationship to white supremacy?
They tell themselves that their version of Christianity is God’s means of bringing salvation to the lost world. That they are the embodiment of everything that is good about America, that they are pillars of the community. But that story doesn’t stand up to very much scrutiny.
Along with the good that white Christian churches have done — building hospitals, orphanages and other civic institutions — they have also pronounced the blessings of God on slavery. They were the main legitimisers of a massive resistance to civil rights and have very consistently been on the wrong side of those issues. You can certainly point to the abolitionist movement and say, yes, that has Christian roots. But the bigger picture is that there were many, many more white Christians resisting desegregation than were on the abolitionists’ side of things.
The legacy of this ― the proof in the pudding ― is what public opinion looks like today. White Christians ― evangelicals, mainline Protestants and Catholics ― are 30% more likely than religiously unaffiliated whites to say the Confederate flag is more a symbol of Southern pride than a symbol of racism. If you ask whether the killings of Black men by police are isolated incidents or part of a pattern, white Christians are twice as likely as religiously unaffiliated whites to say these are isolated instances. They have a very difficult time connecting the dots and seeing the structural justice issues at stake.
You spend some time in the book explaining that white mainline Protestants and white Catholics were also complicit in white supremacy. Why did you feel that it was important to point that out?
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It’s important not to dismiss this as a question of Southern culture. In the book, I developed a racism index, a broad index of 50 different racial attitude questions. I put those into a statistical model that controlled for things like Southern regionalism, Republican identity, education level, all kinds of things that could be driving these attitudes that have nothing to do with Christian identity. Even when I controlled for all of those things, white Christian identity in itself is directly connected to racist attitudes.
Some of this data gets dismissed by white Christians who say those numbers are muddied because they include people who just claim to be Christian but never darken the door of a church. But the data refutes that quite soundly. In fact, among white Christians overall, there’s a positive relationship between their religious identity and holding more racist views. Perhaps most disturbing is that among white evangelicals, the relationship between holding racist views and white Christian identity is actually stronger among more frequent church attenders. That ought to be a cause for a deep soul-searching among white Christians overall and among white evangelicals in particular.
White evangelicals who attend church frequently are more likely than less frequent attenders to hold racist views, Robert Jones argues in a new book. middelveld via Getty Images
How do you think racism helped shape white American Christians’ theology about salvation?
I think it’s helpful to go back and imagine what early church history in the U.S. looked like in the colonies. There was this sense that white people were God’s chosen instruments to civilise the U.S. and the world. It would not be unusual for white slave owners to bring enslaved people to church with them on Sunday morning. Whites would sit in the front and enslaved people would sit in the back. That context certainly shapes the way Christian theology and practices form. You’re not going to preach a lot of liberation, freedom and equality from the pulpit. You’re going to preach more about obedience to the master and fulfilling your roles, those kinds of things. I think that fundamentally distorted American white Christianity from the beginning.
One of the ways this happened is that salvation became this very hyper-individualised concept. So it becomes about a person’s individual relationship to God through Jesus, and it’s very much about personal morality and piety. It was this very privatised and cordoned off way of thinking about spirituality and Christianity. This developed by necessity and by design, as a way of thinking about salvation that would be consistent with a world that was already committed to the idea of white supremacy.
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I’d like to get your thoughts on how white supremacy influenced how white Christians think about the purpose of government. In my own reporting, I’ve seen white evangelical Christians express the idea that, when it comes to issues such as immigration and policing, it’s the government’s God-given duty to keep the country safe, while it’s individual Christians’ duty to be charitable and care for the poor. Do you think this way of thinking has racist roots?
I do think whenever white Christians declare or draw lines between what is biblical and what is political, I would look for white supremacy to be at work. This kind of boundary drawing is a way of delegitimising certain kinds of claims and privileging other kinds of claims. One of the most prominent recent examples is from the 1960s, when the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other African American ministers were using churches as places for civil rights organising.
Jerry Falwell Sr. came out and said that this was not a legitimate thing for a pastor to be doing, that pastors should only be preaching the gospel from the pulpit, that these kinds of organising things are political and shouldn’t be the concern of the church. Not too many years later, Falwell suddenly changed his mind. The one thing that really made him change his tune on this was that Bob Jones University, an evangelical university, was threatened with losing its federal funding because it didn’t allow interracial relationships. Evangelicals at the time were making very explicit claims defending the separation of races, and all of a sudden, that was a biblical issue.
What is biblical, what is political, often tends to be driven by self-interest. In the case of white Christian churches, I think it’s always appropriate to ask, “What kind of interest is that? Is it an interest that is privileging the position of white Americans over Americans of colour?” And if it is, then it’s a straightforwardly white supremacist interest that’s being reflected in those distinctions.
In his new book, Robert Jones argues that racist attitudes have become embedded in the DNA of white Christian identity over time and calls for an honest reckoning with the past. Courtesy of PRRI
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There still seems to be a lot of scepticism and resistance in white Christian spaces to words such as “social justice,” “white privilege” and “systemic racism.” At the same time, over the past few weeks, I’ve seen evangelical news sites emphasising reconciliation, forgiveness, people coming together. Where do you think that comes from?
The easiest thing for white Christians to reach for is reconciliation. While I think that’s a laudable goal, if it’s reached for too quickly, I think it’s actually disingenuous. Too often, the formula for white Christians is white apology or lament plus Black forgiveness equals reconciliation. What’s missing in that equation is any conversation about justice and repair. If you’re a white Christian, heading straight for reconciliation is the quickest way to protect the status quo without doing the hard work and without really dealing with the past.
It’s surprising to me in some ways because if there’s anything I heard and that white Christian churches emphasise is this idea of repentance. But repentance, in the biblical sense of the word, is never just about apology. It’s about making things right. I think the real test of authenticity for white Christians who want to lament this past is whether they’re willing to walk through the valley of repair and justice in order to get to that destination of reconciliation or whether they want to skip that part of the journey.
How do you think white Christian churches have responded to George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter protests? Do you think the message is sticking, or are you seeing more evidence of what you call in the book the “white Christian shuffle”?
I called it the white Christian shuffle because there does tend to be this one step forward, two steps back movement. Particularly at moments like this one, where there’s a high social expectation that something will be said, something will be done, the question is whether it’s something authentic or something to just check the box and move on.
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In my home state of Mississippi, the legislature finally voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state flag. Before that happened, the Mississippi Baptist Convention had a press conference and actually called on the legislature to do that. Now that’s a pretty big deal. But in my view, we can’t pretend we’ll get on the right side of the battles around symbols without dealing with the way white Christians built white supremacy into their theology and for so many years used Christian theology as a way to legitimize the worldview that put those monuments up in the first place.
What do you think it would it look like if white Christians began reckoning with that theology?
Part of what I hope the book will do is help white Christians tell a truer story about themselves. If it’s an older church, the questions are pretty obvious: “Where were we on the issue of civil rights? Where were we on the integration of our own congregation? Where are we now on the issue of mass incarceration?” Even for newer congregations that are predominantly white, it’s worth interrogating things as simple as, “Are we in an all-white suburb, and if so, why? Has there been a conversation about police killings of African Americans or about Black Lives Matter that isn’t just about the dangers of rioting but actually about the pain that African Americans are feeling at this moment?”
The second step after that reflection is to ask, “How can we be in community with African Americans and other people of colour in our communities? How can we be allies on issues of racial justice?” Those conversations themselves will begin to challenge some of the ways in which white Christian theology has blinded white Christians to these issues.
A defensive reaction is a real temptation for white Christians at the moment. One of the biggest moves white Christians could make is to try to find some deep sense of humility and to listen and resist the urge to rebut and defend and to try to take in the witness that our African American brothers and sisters are trying to bring to white Christians.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Acting Legend Olivia De Havilland Dies At 104

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Olivia de Havilland, one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood’s golden age and the oldest living Academy Award winner, died of natural causes on Sunday at her home in Paris. She was 104.
Her publicist Lisa Goldberg confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.
Gracing the silver screen in both big and small roles, in a career stretching over 50 years, de Havilland was perhaps best known for her performance as Melanie Hamilton in “Gone with the Wind,” and for making multiple films with Errol Flynn. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for “To Each His Own” in 1946 and for “The Heiress” in 1949.
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She is also forever enshrined in the history of workplace law, scoring a major legal victory over the Hollywood studio system in 1944 that became informally known as “the de Havilland law.” Her lawsuit against Warner Brothers resulted in California state regulations that limited the extent to which artists could be bound to contracts. It catalysed the eventual end of the powerful studio system, which often constrained actors’ career opportunities.
Olivia de Havilland (center), with Hattie McDaniel and Vivien Leigh, in a scene from "Gone with the Wind." Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
De Havilland had a lifelong personal and professional rivalry with her younger sister, Joan Fontaine, which became a major part of her star persona and the stuff of Hollywood legend. The two actors ― the only pair of siblings to win Oscars in a lead acting category ― clashed over everything from their careers, to their romances, to their mother’s funeral.
Fontaine, who died in 2013, said de Havilland resented sharing the spotlight and began antagonising her younger sibling as soon as she was born.
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“I remember not one act of kindness from Olivia all through my childhood,” Fontaine said in a 1978 interview with People magazine.
Both were nominated for the Best Actress Oscar in 1941 ― Fontaine for Alfred Hitchcock’s “Suspicion” and de Havilland for “Hold Back the Dawn.” They were sitting at the same table when Fontaine was announced the winner.
“I stared across the table, where Olivia was sitting directly opposite me. ‘Get up there, get up there,’ Olivia whispered commandingly. Now what had I done?” Fontaine later recalled in her memoir. “All the animus we’d felt toward each other as children, the hair-pullings, the savage wrestling watches, the time Olivia fractured my collarbone, all came rushing back in kaleidoscopic imagery. My paralysis was total.”
Unlike her sister, de Havilland rarely spoke about the feud. But in an interview with The Associated Press for her 100th birthday in 2016, she referred to Fontaine as “Dragon Lady” and described their relationship as “multi-faceted, varying from endearing to alienating.”
“On my part, it was always loving, but sometimes estranged and, in the later years, severed,” de Havilland said. “Dragon Lady, as I eventually decided to call her, was a brilliant, multi-talented person, but with an astigmatism in her perception of people and events which often caused her to react in an unfair and even injurious way.”
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Olivia de Havilland (left) with Joan Fontaine, circa 1945. Silver Screen Collection via Getty Images
De Havilland was born in Tokyo on July 1, 1916, to British parents. She grew up in California, where she and Fontaine, a year and a half younger, were raised primarily by her mother, a former theatre actor.
As a teenager, she began performing in community theatre productions and gave up a college scholarship when she landed a role in a production of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Hollywood Bowl. She reprised the role in Warner Brothers’ movie adaptation in 1935, which launched her film career.
“It was an illustrious beginning,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2015.
The studio paired her with Flynn, who ended up being her co-star in a total of eight feature films. Their onscreen chemistry spurred rumours of a real-life romance, but de Havilland repeatedly denied it. Later in life, she admitted to having feelings for Flynn, saying that their last film together felt like a “loss.”
“I experienced a sense of grief and loss, a terrible feeling, but couldn’t define it at the time. I had sort of a sense of that you may know a person one way but not others. Errol and I were not sharing experiences and life but instead sharing the lives of these characters we were playing,” she recalled in a 2006 interview. “But, oh, he did mean a great deal to me, but in that day, a woman did not declare her feelings for a man.”
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After the success of “Gone with the Wind,” de Havilland’s career continued to soar. In addition to winning two Oscars for Best Actress, she also received nominations for “Hold Back The Dawn” and “The Snake Pit.” In the latter film, released in 1948, de Havilland played a woman living in a psychiatric hospital after experiencing a mental breakdown. The movie’s realism inspired states to reform conditions in mental institutions.
De Havilland grew tired of the film industry and her celebrity by the 1950s. She moved to Paris, where she would remain for the rest of her life, taking fewer acting roles and preferring reality over the artifice of Hollywood.
“I loved being around real buildings, real castles, real churches—not ones made of canvas,” she told Vanity Fair in 2015. “There were real cobblestones. Somehow the cobblestones amazed me. When I would meet a prince or a duke, he was a real prince, a real duke.”
Olivia de Havilland with Montgomery Clift in the 1949 film "The Heiress," for which she won her second Best Actress Oscar. John Springer Collection via Getty Images
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Later films included “Light in the Piazza” (1962) and “Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (1964), co-starring her friend Bette Davis. She also returned to theatre and appeared on numerous TV shows, including the NBC miniseries “Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna,” for which she received an Emmy nomination in 1987.
As de Havilland got older, her deteriorating vision and hearing forced her to conduct interviews over email. Even in writing, though, she maintained her charm and wit and was candid about her career, including her experiences with sexism in Hollywood ― “a fact of life I simply had to accept,” she said in 2016.
“Men felt threatened and mistrustful of women who had good ideas, and one had to employ immense tact when dealing with directors and producers,” she said.
“Men felt threatened and mistrustful of women who had good ideas, and one had to employ immense tact when dealing with directors and producers.” - Olivia de Havilland
In 1965, she became the first woman to serve as president of the Cannes Film Festival’s jury. The French government appointed her a chevalier of its Legion of Honor in 2010.
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U.S. President George W. Bush awarded her the National Medal of the Arts in 2008 “for her persuasive and compelling skill as an actor in roles from Shakespeare’s Hermia to Margaret Mitchell’s Melanie. Her independence, integrity, and grace won creative freedom for herself and her fellow film actors.”
Although de Havilland retired from acting in 1988, she still made occasional public appearances to commemorate her films and career. As one of the only surviving stars of “Gone with the Wind,” she often attended anniversary celebrations of the classic film.
She was met with a standing ovation when she introduced a presentation of previous Oscar winners at the 75th anniversary of the Academy Awards in 2003.
“There have also been tributes and similar occasions that have called me back to Hollywood,” she said in 2015. “I’ve returned so often, I almost feel that I’ve never left.”
Before she turned 100, she said that she hoped to live to 110. She remained in good health in her later years, regularly taking the stairs at her home in Paris and doing The New York Times crossword puzzle.
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At the peak of her stardom, de Havilland had several famous Hollywood romances, including with business mogul Howard Hughes, actor Jimmy Stewart and director John Huston. She married and divorced twice, first to American screenwriter and novelist Marcus Aurelius Goodrich. Their son, Benjamin, died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1991.
She is survived by her daughter, Gisele, from her second marriage to French journalist Pierre Galante.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Monica Lewinsky Wins The Internet With Best 'I Have A Joke' Tweet

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The jury’s pretty much in that Monica Lewinsky just won the “I have a joke” competition now trending on Twitter — and it concerns her relationship as a White House intern with former President Bill Clinton that led to his impeachment for perjury.
The informal Twitter contest begins “I have a joke but ...” The humour comes in the explanation of why the joke won’t be revealed as in: “I have a prune joke, but it’s kind of dated.” Or “I have an astronomy joke, but might be over your head.” Or “I have a Star Wars joke, but it’s kinda forced.”
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Monica Lewinsky, pictured here in February 2020. Toni Anne Barson via Getty Images
I have a Star Wars joke, but it’s kinda forced. https://t.co/9VdJpL3tLS — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 25, 2020
I have a religion joke, but God forbid. — Elizabeth Mika (@yourauntemma) July 25, 2020
I have an IKEA joke, but it needs a setup. — AWhitneyBrown (@TheWhitneyBrown) July 25, 2020
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Lewinsky was particularly taken with the quip: “I have a Charles Mansion joke, and it kills.” She fired back: “I have an intern joke and it .. oh, nevermind.”
i have an intern joke and it... nevermind. https://t.co/SCHRGYVIJV — Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) July 24, 2020
The Twitterverse was smitten. Even the never-Trump Republican Lincoln Project responded.
Monica wins the internet — Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) July 24, 2020
Omg Monica pic.twitter.com/gJ0sa320Zd — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 24, 2020
You are so good. — Cheryl Strayed (@CherylStrayed) July 24, 2020
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Girl are you taking applications for new friends? When this quarantine is over me and you need to hang out and have drinks... pic.twitter.com/xWOLnbSWCI — Sheletta Brundidge (@ShelettaIsFunny) July 24, 2020
Queen. — Hilarie Burton Morgan (@HilarieBurton) July 25, 2020
Love you, Monica. That’s really the best of these joke memes I’ve read. On a related note, I’m sorry for what this country put you through. — Kent (@windsorknot) July 25, 2020
Guy walks into the Oval Office with a cigar... — EVENT DRIVEN / SPECIAL SITUATIONS (@EVENTDRIVEN2020) July 25, 2020
I don’t get it — 🐷 (@FrenklynP) July 25, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Harry Dunn's Parents Drop Legal Claim Against Northamptonshire Police

Harry Dunn’s parents have dropped their legal claim against Northamptonshire Police after concluding the force are “absolved of any blame” following their son’s death.
The 19-year-old’s family are set for a two-day judicial review hearing at the High Court in November where they allege the foreign secretary “obstructed justice” by allowing suspect Anne Sacoolas to leave the UK.
Northamptonshire Police were brought into the legal claim in January as Harry’s mother Charlotte Charles and father Tim Dunn sought to understand how Sacoolas was able to claim diplomatic immunity following the fatal crash in August last year.
The PA news agency understands the force will now only be involved in the claim as an “interested party” on the request of chief constable Nick Adderley.
It is also understood the force will not seek costs against the family for its involvement in the proceedings.
The Dunn family has decided to discontinue proceedings against the police after alleging that documents disclosed for court proceedings demonstrated the force was “kept in the dark” by the Foreign Office (FCO).
Recent documents, seen by PA, showed that Northamptonshire Police said it was “not informed” by the FCO of the arrangements that allowed Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity.
The force also claims the FCO did not tell it about the risk of Sacoolas being withdrawn from the UK or the existence of a waiver in respect of her husband Jonathan’s immunity – preventing officers from interviewing him as a witness.
In December last year, Sacoolas was charged with causing Harry’s death by dangerous driving but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in January.
The US State Department described the decision as “final” but the UK and the US have since agreed to amend the “anomaly” which allowed Sacoolas to claim diplomatic immunity.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Boris Johnson 'Not The Person To Save The Union', Says Tony Blair

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Boris Johnson is “not the person” to stop the break up of the UK, Tony Blair has said, amid a sustained rise in support for Scottish independence.
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The former Labour prime minister said the prospect of a hard Brexit “adds an additional dimension”, but it was “hard to judge” whether Scotland is on an unstoppable journey to independence.
Polling shows that 67% of Scots think Johnson, who last week visited Scotland in a bid to drum up support for the Union, is doing a poor job of handling the coronavirus crisis.
Blair said: “He’s not going to be the person who is going to save the union in that sense.”
He went on to say “it’s a possibility” that support for independence would continue to rise, as there was “no proper opposition to the SNP” north of the border.
The polls put Labour trailing at third place and Scottish Tories have struggling to regain popularity since the well-liked Ruth Davidson stood down as leader.
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“It’s hard to judge,” said Blair. “I don’t think it’s in the interests of Scotland to leave the UK because the ties - the economic ties, cultural ties, everything - are so strong.
“But Brexit, particularly if it’s a hard Brexit, adds an additional dimension.”
Tony Blair HuffPost UK
Scotland voted 62% for Remain and Johnson played a leading role in the Leave campaign.
Blair went on to say that Keir Starmer had made Labour a “politically competitive” party again.
He said: “Keir is doing a good job – a very good job actually – and I think he has put Labour back on the map. He has made them competitive again.
“He will know and we all know that there’s a long way to go before a general election and many things to be done.
“But in these months since he has become the leader, he has I think completely changed the image certainly of the Labour leadership amongst the public and he deserves respect and admiration for that.”
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Boris Johnson speaks to members of the crew, on the Carvela at Stromness Harbour in Stromness, Orkney, Scotland, during a visit to the Highlands and Northern Isles of Scotland. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Asked if Starmer had made Labour a party that can win again, the former prime minister said: “He has put it in a position where it can.
“There are a whole set of questions around policy and so on that in time I’m sure and know he will come to.
“But has he made it politically competitive again which it hasn’t really been for quite a long period of time? Yes – and that is a huge step forward for the Labour Party.”
Labour has failed to win a general election since Blair left office in 2007, with Gordon Brown, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn all failing to secure majorities.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Protester Shot After Car Drives Into Black Lives Matter Protesters In Colorado

A person has been taken to hospital after being shot in Colorado after a car drove into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters.
The Aurora Police Department said on Twitter that protesters were walking on Interstate 225 on Saturday when a vehicle slammed into the crowd.
Police said a demonstrator fired a weapon, striking at least one person who was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Authorities confirmed that the vehicle was towed and they are investigating.
Protesters also broke windows to the courthouse and a fire was started in an office, police said, with demonstrators ordered to leave after an unlawful assembly was declared.
Tensions have been heightened at recent protests against racial injustice as federal officials were sent to quell demonstrations in Portland, Oregon.
Leaders have demanded an investigation into the conduct of officials, who have been accused of snatching protesters from the streets and detaining them in unmarked vans.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse in Portland into the early hours of Saturday.
The Federal Protective Service had declared the gathering as “an unlawful assembly” and said officers had been injured.
Meanwhile, police declared a riot in Seattle on Saturday.
Protests against police brutality have spread around the world following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minnesota who died after a white officer held him to the ground with a knee to his neck.
In Colorado, protesters have been drawing attention to the death of Elijah McClain, who was stopped by police while walking down an Aurora street in August 2019 after a 911 caller reported him as suspicious.
Police placed him in a chokehold, and paramedics administered 500 milligrams of ketamine, a sedative, to calm him down.
He went into cardiac arrest, was later declared brain dead and taken off life support.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab Defends 'Swift' Return Of Spain Quarantine Measures

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Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has defended the government’s snap decision to reinstate quarantine measures for Spain – and would not guarantee other countries would remain on the “safe list”.
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Speaking to Sky News, he said ministers acted as “swiftly as we could” on Saturday by reintroducing the 14-day quarantine period for people returning from Spain, after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the country.
The shock news has angered holidaymakers and even took transport secretary Grant Shapps, who is on a break in Spain, by surprise.
Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday the decision was taken to avoid a second wave in the UK and said the government “can’t give a guarantee” other destinations would remain on England’s travel corridors list.
He told Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “As we’ve found with Spain, we can’t give a guarantee.
“All we can say is we’ve got this Joint Biosecurity Centre, we monitor the risk in real time, we take decisive swift action and so there is an element of uncertainty this summer if people go abroad.
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A couple wearing face masks walk along the shore in a beach in Cadiz, south of Spain, on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I’m not going to tell people what they should and shouldn’t do, they should follow the advice, I’m going to be staying at home this summer.”
He also said ministers had to be able to “gauge the data in real time”, adding: “The cases in Spain, the data came we got was on the Friday, showed a big jump right across mainland Spain, that was then assessed yesterday afternoon and we took the decision as swiftly as we could.
“And we can’t make apologies for doing so.
“We must be able to take swift, decisive action, particularly in relation to localised, or internationally in relation to Spain or a particular country, where we see we must take action.
“Otherwise, we risk re-infection into the UK, potentially a second wave here and then another lockdown.
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“So yes, I understand it is disruptive for those going through this who are in Spain or have been considering going but we must though be able to take swift, decisive action to protect the UK because we’ve made such progress in getting the virus down and prevent the virus re-taking hold in the UK.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab leaving 10 Downing Street, London. PA
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth, meanwhile, said “you couldn’t make it up” after it was confirmed Shapps would have to self-isolate on his return to Britain.
“You couldn’t make it up that Grant Shapps is over there on holiday in Spain when he is the Transport Secretary – I think that tells you everything about the sort of government approach to this,” he said.
He said the news about Spain had also left holidaymakers “confused and distressed”.
“I understand why they’ve made the decision but, of course, the way in which this decision has been made in the last 24 hours is frankly shambolic,” he said.
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“There are holidaymakers in Spain at the moment confused and distressed, there are people about to go on holiday to Spain and the islands like Tenerife who are confused, and they don’t know whether their employers will allow them to take two weeks’ quarantine – the government is just saying, ‘we hope that employers co-operate’.
“Well, to be frank, I hope I win the lottery on Saturday but that doesn’t mean it is going to happen.
“We need clarity from government now as to whether those who are asked to quarantine, whether they’ll get financial support if their employers refuse it them and we need clarity for those holidaymakers who are currently in Spain who have properly saved up all year for their family holiday who are confused and distressed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Brexit: Where We Are

Brexit: Where We Are

Brexit: Where We Are
Negotiations have reached yet another impasse in Britain’s phased leaving from the European Union. With the transition period end date in sight, Boris Johnson refuses to countenance extending the deadline meaning both sides are once again planning for a future no deal Brexit. With the coronavirus pandemic, it’s not something many have paid attention to in 2020, here’s where we currently are.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Here's What We Know About The New Quarantine Rules For Spain

The UK has removed Spain from its list of safe countries to travel to after fears were raised that the European country was experiencing a second wave of coronavirus infections.
The shock announcement, made on Saturday evening as thousands of families had already jetted off to the continent at the start of the summer holidays, means those returning from the country will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return to the UK.
But when do the new quarantine rules come into force? And why now?
Here are five questions you might have if you’re planning a trip to Spain – or if you’re already there:
When will holidaymakers have to start self-isolating?
The measures came into effect from midnight, meaning that from Sunday all returning travellers will be have to isolate for 14 days.
The quarantine applies to people returning to any of the four nations of the UK – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Why is it being brought in now?
The government said the move follows a “significant change” over the last week in both the level and pace of change in confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Spain.
On Thursday, the Spanish health ministry reported 971 new daily infections, the biggest daily increase since Spain’s lockdown ended.
Catalonia became the latest region to crack down on nightlife, trying to halt new infection clusters.
The wealthy north-east region – home to Barcelona – ordered all nightclubs to close for 15 days and put a midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area and other towns around Lleida that have become contagion hot zones.
What should people do if they’re already in Spain?
People currently on holiday in Spain have been encouraged to follow the local rules, return home as normal and check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) travel advice pages on gov.uk for further information.
The FCO is not advising those already travelling in Spain to leave at this time.
What should holidaymakers do if they have a holiday booked to Spain?
The FCO is advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain.
Abta – the UK’s travel trade association – has advised customers due to travel to the country imminently to contact their travel provider.
Holiday operator Tui has said it will cancel all planned holidays to Spain in response to the announcement and customers will be contacted to discuss options.
Meanwhile, airline easyJet said it planned to operate its full schedule in the coming days.
A spokeswoman said: “Customers who no longer wish to travel can transfer their flights without a change fee or receive a voucher for the value of the booking.
“Should any flights be cancelled for later in August customers will be notified and informed of their options which includes transferring to an alternative flight free of charge, receiving a voucher or applying for a refund.”
Does the quarantine apply if the holidaymaker has been to a Spanish island?
In short, yes.
The Department for Transport has confirmed that as well as those returning from mainland Spain, quarantine measures will also apply to holidaymakers who have visited the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa) and the Balearic Islands, such as Mallorca and Ibiza.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Fleetwood Mac Stars Stevie Nicks And Mick Fleetwood Lead Tributes To Founder Member Peter Green Foll

Fleetwood Mac Stars Stevie Nicks And Mick Fleetwood Lead Tributes To Founder Member Peter Green Following His Death, Aged 73

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Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks have led the tributes to Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green following his death at the age of 73.
Fleetwood and Green formed the influential group in London in 1967, alongside John McVie and Jeremy Spencer.
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Nicks signed with the band in 1975, five years after Green had quit amid struggles with his mental health.
After his death was announced on Saturday, tributes poured in from across the music industry, with the musician lauded as among the greats of the British blues scene.
Peter Green Scottt Weiner/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
In his emotional tribute, Fleetwood described Green as “my dearest friend” and said they “trail blazed one hell of a musical road for so many to enjoy”.
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He said: “For me, and every past and present member of Fleetwood Mac, losing Peter Green is monumental.
“Peter was the man who started the band Fleetwood Mac along with myself, John McVie, and Jeremy Spencer. No one has ever stepped into the ranks of Fleetwood Mac without a reverence for Peter Green and his talent, and to the fact that music should shine bright and always be delivered with uncompromising passion.”
Mick Fleetwood Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
The 73-year-old added: “Peter, I will miss you, but rest easy your music lives on. I thank you for asking me to be your drummer all those years ago. We did good, and trail blazed one hell of a musical road for so many to enjoy.
“God speed to you, my dearest friend……. Love Mick Fleetwood.”
Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac alongside her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham and helped make the band one of the world’s most successful.
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The singer said her biggest regret was not sharing a stage with Green.
In a statement shared on social media, Nicks wrote: “I am sorry to hear about the passing of Peter Green. My biggest regret is that I never got to share the stage with him. I always hoped in my heart of hearts that that would happen.
“When I first listened to all the Fleetwood Mac records, I was very taken with his guitar playing. It was one of the reasons I was excited to join the band.
“His legacy will live on forever in the history books of Rock n Roll. It was in the beginning, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and I thank you, Peter Green, for that. You changed our lives.”
Green, the influential blues rock guitarist, whose songs included Albatross and Oh Well, was born in London’s Bethnal Green into a Jewish family.
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He formed Fleetwood Mac with drummer Fleetwood in London in 1967, after a stint in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – filling in for Eric Clapton.
Green and Fleetwood wanted McVie to join the group on bass, and named the band Fleetwood Mac to entice him – a strategy that was ultimately successful.
Under his direction, the band produced three albums and a series of well-loved tracks including Black Magic Woman, Man Of The World and Oh Well.
Green penned the instrumental Albatross, which remains Fleetwood Mac’s only UK number one single, hitting the top of the charts in January 1969.
Carlos Santana’s 1970 version of Black Magic Woman, in which he added conga and timbales drums, became one of the Mexican-American’s biggest hits.
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Green left Fleetwood Mac after a final performance in 1970 as he struggled with mental health difficulties and spiralling drug use, later sleeping rough.
He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent time in hospitals undergoing electro-convulsive therapy during the mid-70s.
The band continued with a transformed line-up featuring a core group of Fleetwood, Nicks, Buckingham, McVie and Christine McVie.
This phase gave rise to their hugely successful albums Fleetwood Mac and Rumours.
Fleetwood Mac: John Mcvie, Christine Mcvie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood And Lindsey Buckingham. 182754_Globe Photos/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
Green emerged from obscurity on a number of occasions, forming the Peter Green Splinter Group in the late 1990s with Nigel Watson and Cozy Powell.
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They released nine albums between 1997 and 2004.
Speaking to the PA news agency in 1992, Fleetwood described Green as “a major talent that to this day holds out”.
He added: “I consider myself very lucky to have even played with him.
“Of course it upsets me but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s his life. I haven’t seen him for years.”
Green was among the eight members — along with Fleetwood, Nicks, Buckingham, the McVies, Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer — inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Earlier this year, artists including Fleetwood, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and guitarists Jonny Lang and Andy Fairweather Low performed at the London Palladium during a gig celebrating the early years of Fleetwood Mac and Green.
Green married Jane Samuels in January 1978. They divorced in 1979 and share a daughter.
Additional reporting by PA Media.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Naya Rivera’s Ex Husband Pays Tribute To Glee Star: ‘I Can’t Believe This Is Life Now’

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Naya Rivera’s devastated ex-husband has paid tribute to the Glee star after she accidentally drowned during a boating trip with their four-year-old son.
The actor went missing at Lake Piru in Southern California on July 8. Her body was recovered on July 13.
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Ryan Dorsey was married to Naya for four years from 2014 and is father to their son Josey Hollis, who was found unharmed on a rented boat after his mother disappeared.
Ryan Dorsey and Naya Rivera Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Speaking publicly about her death for the first time, Ryan said “I can’t believe this is life now”.
Sharing a picture of his ex-wife cradling Josey, he wrote on Instagram: “This is so unfair…there’s not enough words to express the hole left in everyone’s hearts. I can’t believe this is life now. I don’t know if I’ll ever believe it.
“You were just here… We were just in the back swimming with Josey the day before. Life just isn’t fair. I don’t know what to say…I’m thankful for our times and our journey that brought us together and gave us the sweetest and kindest smart little boy we could ever hope for.”
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He added: “I remember sometimes you used to get annoyed at me: ‘Ryan can you stop snap chatting!’ Haha.
“I’m glad I didn’t listen to you because I have hundreds and probably thousands of snaps and videos that Josey will have forever and know his momma loved him more than life, and how much fun we had together as he was growing up.
“Life is all about good times and bad times but with Josey it makes the bad a little less so because a part of you will always be with us. He’ll never forget where he came from. We miss you. We will always love you. Love you Meep.”
Ryan also thanked those who had been in touch to offer support for the family and urged people to “be kind to yourself, be kind to others, forgive…forget…don’t hold grudges….if you have nothing nice to say maybe try not to say anything”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Kanye West Issues Public Apology To Wife Kim Kardashian: ‘I Did Not Cover Her Like She Has Covered M

Kanye West Issues Public Apology To Wife Kim Kardashian: ‘I Did Not Cover Her Like She Has Covered Me’

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Kanye West has publicly apologised to Kim Kardashian West for making a series of claims about his wife and her family.
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Kanye and Kim. RE/Westcom/STAR MAX/IPx
On Wednesday, Kim called for “compassion and empathy” in a lengthy statement addressing her husband’s bipolar disorder, saying she hoped doing so could challenge the stigma around mental health.
Following a difficult week for the music star, Kanye has now tweeted an apology.
“I would like to apologise to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter. I did not cover her like she has covered me,” he tweeted.
“To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.”
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I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter.
I did not cover her like she has covered https://t.co/A2FwdMu0YU Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me. — ye (@kanyewest) July 25, 2020
The apology comes after Kim, the mother of Kanye’s four children, said she and her family were “powerless” to intervene and addressed his bipolar disorder publicly for the first time.
She said: “He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder.”
She added that she has not discussed his condition before because she is “very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health”.
She added: “But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.”
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Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--What The Hell Is Going On With Brexit?

What The Hell Is Going On With Brexit?

Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
You’d be forgiven for having absolutely no clue what’s going on with Brexit at the moment.
With a global pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and a raft of other political turmoil all demanding our attention, the little matter of Britain leaving the single market and customs union has fallen by the wayside.
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But with the Brexit transition period ending in just over five months on 31 December, the UK is about to wake up and smell the coffee of a post-EU future that will bring significant changes.
Negotiators continue to work on a trade agreement to make the shift a smooth one, but fears of no deal being reached are not going away.
So what’s been happening, and how will our lives change from January?
What’s going on in the negotiations?
It’s a familiar old story now, but another round of negotiations ended this week in stalemate.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier’s verdict was that a deal is now “unlikely” but the UK’s David Frost struck a more optimistic tone, insisting “agreement can still be reached in September”.
But the failure to make progress on key issues forced Downing Street to concede that Boris Johnson’s hopes of having an outline deal reached by the end of July have now faded.
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European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, speaks with the British PM's Europe adviser David Frost ASSOCIATED PRESS
The UK already left the EU on January 31 – so why can’t they just do a deal?
The UK has flatly refused EU demands in two areas.
Firstly, Britain does not want to agree to Barnier’s demand for a so-called “level playing field” which would see both entities maintain minimum standards in areas like workers rights and the environment.
Secondly, the UK wants total control of its fishing waters while the EU wants to strike a long-term deal to ensure access for European boats.
These are by far the thorniest issues of the talks and the two sides are some way apart.
So are we heading for no deal?
“We’re not at that point, I don’t think either side is about to walk away but also we don’t expect a breakthrough,” a UK source insisted.
Despite his negative assessment on Thursday, Barnier also chose to highlight on social media the EU’s “willingness to reach an ambitious and fair partnership”.
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Georgina Wright, a senior Brexit researcher at the Institute for Government, does not think it is time to panic about no deal yet.
“It’s no surprise that we are where we are,” she says.
“Typically EU trade negotiations take around six years and here we are obviously not only negotiating a trade agreement but also a security arrangement in a very short space of time.
“So you would expect compromise much later in the negotiations.”
Barnier and Frost attend a meeting with their delegations on further Brexit negotiations at EU headquarters in Brussels, June 29 ASSOCIATED PRESS
So how will we get to a deal?
Insiders have not entirely rejected suggestions that a compromise can be found on the EU’s level playing field demands.
Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank has detected hints of movement from Brussels.
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The so-called landing zone for a deal would need the EU to agree to keep the European Court of Justice (ECJ) – anathema to Brexiteers – out of any enforcement of standards.
That would mean setting up an non-ECJ body to “manage divergence” as the UK and EU move away from each other’s laws, which are currently the same.
It would also both sides to impose unilateral action on the other if it does not meet agreed minimum standards, Menon says.
The UK though will also have to allow some legal enforcement of trading rules, Menon said, but if both sides shift “a little” then there could be a deal.
Another key sticking point is state aid, which is when governments use taxpayers’ money to give an advantage to certain businesses or sectors – an approach that is apparently keenly favoured by Johnson’s top aide Dominic Cummings.
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Dominic Cummings, senior aide to prime minister Boris Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS
Menon feels Brussels’ initial hardline position was always “there to be rowed back on, it was there as a concession because ‘EU law will apply’ is so out of kilter with British preferences it was never going to work.”
Wright agrees this was “designed to be climbed down from” but suggests the UK will need to show its hand on exactly what Johnson and Cummings plan for state aid after Brexit is fully “done”.
Wright explains that the EU position is “if you don’t want to be part of the single market and customs union but you still want generous access to our market you either have to follow our rules or very similar rules or we need a way of enforcing or monitoring their rules.”
“If you have divergence you don’t want to be in a position where you abruptly stop trade, you want to be in a position where you discuss that divergence and minimise friction as much as possible,” she says.
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“So I think that’s where their equation is.”
A Whitehall source believes a deal can now be reached quickly - as long as both sides can make the concessions required to make it happen.
“Both sides know a deal could be wrapped up relatively quickly, there’s not three months more work that needs to be done,” they said.
“But at the moment there are still unacceptable things in their offer in our eyes and I think they would probably say the same.”
So is it finally over on January 1?
The UK will leave the European single market and customs union, nearly five years after the vote for Brexit, on December 31.
It is going to mean big changes for British businesses and individuals, regardless of whether there is a deal or not.
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But Menon warns: “I think a deal is relatively easy to get with a little bit of movement from both sides, we can see what that deal will look like.
“But equally I think we can see that deal is not going to encompass a lot of stuff where we work with the EU already.
“So one of the big questions after January is: What happens to all the other stuff?”
Menon identifies areas as broad as data, foreign policy, financial and legal services in which no agreement is likely to be reached before January.
And yes, that could mean a “decade-plus” of further negotiations on areas not covered by this year’s deal.
“I suspect that there is a long haul to come,” he says.
There could be many more years of negotiations PA
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How will people be affected?
Most observers agree the UK will suffer at least an initial economic hit from unwinding trade ties.
Government analysis in November 2018 predicted that leaving without a trade deal would cause a 7.6% contraction in the economy, while leaving with an “average” free trade agreement would cause a 4.9% reduction in GDP, compared to the UK continuing as an EU member.
There are already reports that the red tape businesses will need to navigate as a consequence of leaving the customs union could leave the UK with a £7bn bill.
People booking holidays for Easter will now need to take out health insurance and have a passport valid for six months after the date of travel.
There could be demands for travellers to show return tickets, or even proof that they have enough money to tide them over their trip - “all normal things for international travel” according to Menon.
If Brussels does not recognise UK qualifications, workers like architects may not be able to practise in the EU, while business travellers may have to register any equipment they are taking over the border.
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Travelling to Europe is likely to become more difficult NurPhoto via Getty Images
“It’s going to feel very different from January,” Menon says.
“If you trade with the EU, if you travel to the EU, it’s going to feel very different indeed.
“There are all sorts of things that make it far, far harder.”
Wright agrees: “Whether there is a deal or not, there will be friction.
“For businesses, that means filling in documents and declarations to prove your exports to the EU meet EU standards.
“It means factoring in delays at the borders, it means that you are on top of the process, you know exactly what’s required of you.
“All of those things - it’s time but it’s also money.
“And all of those things happen irrespective of whether there’s a deal or not.
So what now?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--10 Ways The World Has Changed Since One Direction’s Formation

HuffPost UK
A lot can change in a decade, and things are certainly a lot different in the world to how they were when One Direction were formed on The X Factor in 2010.
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This week has seen Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne celebrating 10 years since they were first put together during filming of the seventh series of the ITV talent show.
And as part of our 10 Years Of 1D celebrations, we’re taking a closer look at just some of the ways the world has changed – from political moments and life-changing inventions, to the demise of the very show that launched them...
1. Brexit
In July 2010, the Conservatives had only just got back into power after 13 years of Labour rule, with David Cameron taking over at No 10 from Gordon Brown just two months earlier.
Back then, none of us could have imagined just how much the political landscape would change over the ensuing decade – not least because of Brexit.
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In the lead up to the 2015 election, Cameron – who had actually made a cameo appearance in One Direction’s video for One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks) two years earlier – pledged to let the UK vote on its EU membership in his manifesto.
Remember this Vevo
And while it might feel as if Brexit has been going on since the beginning of time, One Direction’s hiatus has actually lasted longer. The result of the referendum in June 2016 came five months after the lads went their separate ways.
2. Instagram
One Direction built a fanbase unlike any other thanks to social media, with their army of Directioners primarily using Twitter to support their idols in the group’s early days.
And while that later spilled over onto Instagram, it’s mad to think it was a full three months after 1D formed before the photo-sharing app even launched in its earliest incarnation in October 2010.
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As a band, they didn’t even have an Instagram account until August 2012, with their first post a picture of Zayn in the recording studio.
Insta Stories – which are now an integral part of marketing yourself as an artist or influencer – didn’t follow until after One Direction went on hiatus, launching in August 2016, meaning the lads have never posted a story as an actual band.
1D’s Instagram Followers (as of 22 July 2020) Zayn 33.7m Harry 29m Niall 24.1m Liam 19.7m Louis 14.9m 1D’s Twitter Followers (as of 22 July 2020) Niall 39.7m Harry 34.6m Louis 33.9m Liam 33.2m Zayn 28.8m
3. Selfie sticks
Azure-Dragon via Getty Images
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A selfie stick was an essential for any Directioner in with a chance of getting near their idols.
However, the modern incarnation of the photo-taking device – one capable of holding a smart phone – did not go on sale until late 2012, with the term “selfie stick” not entering popular vernacular until around 2014.
4. The rise (and rise) of Love Island
While it feels like we’ve been watching toned and tanned Love Island contestants cracking on and pie-ing each other off for years now, the series (as we know it now, not the mid 00s celebrity version) didn’t actually launch until after Zayn had left the group.
In fact, Love Island used Zayn to help launch the show in 2015, casting Lauren Richardson, who made headlines when she was pictured with Zayn earlier that year, sparking rumours he’d cheated on then-fiancée Perrie Edwards. However, Lauren firmly denied anything had ever happened between her and Zayn.
Lauren on Love Island ITV
Much like Big Brother and X Factor did before it, Love Island has brought with it a whole new breed of celebrities, in the form of social media influencers.
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5. And the fall (and fall) of The X Factor
Back in 2010, The X Factor was at its absolute peak. A true cultural phenomenon, with an average of 14 million of us tuning in each week during the seventh series, on which One Direction were formed.
However, these days, it struggles to pull in even half that audience, with the last regular series in 2018 (on which 1D’s Louis Tomlinson served as a judge) pulling in an average of 6 million – around 3 million less than its Saturday night rival Strictly Come Dancing.
The 2018 X Factor judges Robbie Williams, Ayda Field, Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell Mike Marsland via Getty Images
The X Factor hit embarrassing new lows during its spin-off series The Band in December last year, with not a single episode pulling in even 3 million. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been put on a hiatus in 2020, with only one more series commissioned by ITV.
6. Trump’s presidency
Back in 2010, the White House was still occupied by Barack Obama, who was still two years away from being re-elected for a second term in office.
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A certain Mr Donald Trump was still a business tycoon who was playing at being a celebrity at the helm of the US version of The Apprentice.
Donald Trump in 2010 Charles Sykes/Shutterstock
That year, a celebrity version of the reality series saw former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne sitting in the boardroom as a contestant, alongside singer Cyndi Lauper and Olympian Michael Johnson.
7. The dominance of Spotify
stockcam via Getty Images
Back when One Direction released their first single What Makes You Beautiful in September 2011, the charts were a very different place.
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Streaming services like Spotify – which massively help shape the chart these days – were still very much in their infancy, and the charts only counted singles that were downloaded on the likes of iTunes or physically bought in shops (yes, this really used to happen).
New rules fully integrating streaming counts into the official singles chart were only introduced in June 2014.
This meant that Steal My Girl was the first One Direction single to debut on the new-look chart in September 2014, with it reaching number three.
8. Smart speakers
Michael Wapp via Getty Images
Likewise, smart speakers have also changed the way we listen to and consume music.
There’s now many different brands and devices on the market, but the first home assistant device that allowed you to stream music was Amazon’s Alexa, which was released in November 2014.
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9. Gen Z stars in the spotlight
Lil Nas X, Millie Bobby Brown and Billie Eilish Shutterstock
The last decade has seen the emergence of a new generation of stars who were literally children when One Direction first got together.
Take chart toppers Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X for example. Billie was just eight years old in 2010, while Lil Nas was 11.
Love Island stars Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury were also both 11, and if you really want to feel old, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown was just six. SIX!
10. Covid-19
Radoslav Zilinsky via Getty Images
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Remember a time when we’d never heard of coronavirus or hadn’t a clue what a national lockdown felt like? No, us neither.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Holiday Romance Is Nothing If Not Random. These 6 Stories Prove It

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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. As borders between countries start to reopen and coronavirus lockdown rules begin to relax, we’re lusting for that holiday feeling after months of being cooped up indoors (even if we’re not all ready to jet off to Marbs quite yet).
Sun, sea, sand and snogs from a beautiful stranger – who doesn’t love a holiday romance? Fuelled by warm weather, a carefree, ‘joie de vivre’ mindset and perhaps too much sangria, someone you wouldn’t look twice at back home seems suddenly attractive on foreign shores.
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Those feelings of intense lust and longing coupled with the time limit of a looming plane ticket home can turn on the holiday goggles every time.
HuffPost UK spoke to those who fell hard for their holiday beaus to hear their unexpected travel fling stories. From drunkenly transporting expensive art across a foreign city to bringing your laundry along for an impromptu trip, love on the road is nothing if not random.
‘He reminded me of Villanelle from Killing Eve’
Liz Beardsell, 38, an event producer and podcaster for Diary, She Wrote in Hackney recalls her memorable birthday adventure in Paris two years ago.
“I wandered into an art gallery and the guy running it invited me to join him at his desk for a glass of red wine. He was white, dark-haired, handsome and had a look of Daniel Day-Lewis about him,” she explains. “I accepted his invitation, it led to a kiss, he gave me his number and the following morning I headed to his apartment and spent a few hours naked with him until we needed to return €20,000 worth of art.
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“After drunkenly clumsily wrapping it up together, like the Chuckle Brothers, we transported it in an Uber to another art gallery on the other side of Paris.”
Liz Beardsell Liz Beardsell in Paris
Beardsell saw the funny side but was also slightly on edge about potentially breaking one of the 3D elements and drastically reducing the piece’s value.
“From here we went for red wine, steak and frites,” she recalls. “He told me he had been to jail for six months when he was 18 for beating up a man who’d groped his sister. He went to the toilet and came back to a full restaurant, locked my eyes, did a pirouette like a ballerina, and then bowed to the pretend crowds.”
“The whole time we were together, he reminded me of Villanelle from Killing Eve – it was like witnessing two different personalities. He was confident, flirtatious and good looking. I really enjoyed his company and I was fascinated to see what was going to happen next, or what new story he was about to tell me.”
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‘I asked him: Do you have a washing machine?’
For Rochelle White, 34, who runs a marketing and PR agency in Milton Keynes, romance arrived when she used to work as a PR rep in Ayia Napa and got talking to an olive-skinned Turkish Cypriot man after the clubs were shut.
“We chatted until the sun started to rise. I was hungry and we went to the shops and he bought me some fresh bread and Ribena,” says White. “He dropped me home where I was staying. He asked me to pack some things and bring my passport for tomorrow the day I met him and told me he was going to take me somewhere. Me being cheeky I asked: “Do you have a washing machine?” and he replied, “yes?” The next day I packed my passport along with my washing and we went to North Cyprus for the day.”
Rochelle White Rochelle White
That one day turned into four, White realised it was a big risk at the time, but she felt safe and trusted him. Their relationship lasted the rest of the summer season and the following two seasons when she returned to Ayia Napa. They even met up once when she returned to the UK.
“We were never official, but we spent most evenings together. Although there was an age gap, it never felt like there was. We both were fun and didn’t take anything too seriously, loved the same music and just went with the flow,” she explains. “It naturally fizzled out, but I don’t know how it would have panned out if it was in the UK. We still speak to this day, but I would honestly say, it was one of the most fun, random summer romances I had ever had.”
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‘Sex was awkward, sweaty, poorly ventilated’
James*, 27, writer based in New York, was on a working holiday covering a film festival in France when he met a young fellow American woman in the queue for waffle sandwiches. “I overheard her speaking English. I asked her if she was American as well and in town for the festival — we ended up eating lunch together and exchanging numbers,” he says.
“Once I’d finished my writing that night, I texted and found out that her hotel was only a few blocks from my Airbnb. She nabbed a bunch of the little bottle of liquor from her hotel room (on her employer’s dime, of course) and brought them to the beach. We drank little nips of vodka and talked over the gentle crash of black water, which felt too romantic not to be acted on.”
“We went back to mine, watched about twenty minutes of the film Kate Plays Christine in what I can now recognise as poorly-conceived foreplay and had awkward, sweaty sex. I remember, it was so damned hot and the flat I was staying in was so poorly ventilated that we both had to take a cold shower afterwards and tried to have sex again. Once we’d both collected ourselves, she left for the night, and I didn’t see her again during the festival.”
Later in the year, they kept missing each other at different film festivals and fell out of touch. “We never met up again! I suppose that’s the faintly tragic end this romance deserves.”
‘I dumped his demanding ass and had a fling with a Brit instead!’
Seetal Savla Seetal Savla
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Seetal Savla, 39, social and PR Manager, North London, had a French fling while working as a waitress on a holiday camp in Brittany when she was 17.
She started seeing an older French man and things were going well until he started pressuring her to sleep with him. “We had a decent relationship. I was working and he was on holiday, so our time together was limited. We mainly kissed, cuddled and so on, but he wanted to take it further,” she explains.
“He said I was frigid, made me feel bad for not wanting to go ‘all the way’ and that he’d dump me if I didn’t. Even though I wasn’t the most confident teen, I wasn’t going to cave in to this pressure when I wasn’t ready, so I dumped his demanding ass and had a better fling with a Brit instead!”
‘He made soup and wrapped me in a blanket’
Andrew, 30, a fitness trainer from Manchester fell for the receptionist who opened the door for him on his last-minute solo trip to Porto. “I’d booked the cheapest hostel. It was so run down I couldn’t even find the place and had to ask locals in very broken Portuguese. But when he finally arrived, he saw the receptionist and “felt chemistry with him right away”, he says.
“I dropped subtle hints every time I popped hoping he’d notice and eventually plucked up the courage to ask him out on the last night because why not? I had nothing to lose. To my surprise, he actually said yes and offered to cook for me after his shift.”
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Together, they drank good wine as the receptionist made a delicious soup at his place. “I remember it being winter and they didn’t have heaters, so he wrapped a blanket around me. We cuddled and kissed, but didn’t do anything more.
“It was such a perfect end to a holiday, I’ll never forget it,” says Andrew. “Sadly, I never stayed in touch with my Portuguese receptionist. I had moved on to Lisbon before returning home and he only spoke about three words of English.”
‘I knew I’d met the actual love of my life’
Olivia Mushigo, 23, a PR manager from London, was travelling around Thailand with her friends when she met a Swedish Iraqi DJ on a night out on the island of Koh Phi Phi – and knew it was love at first sight.
“He was performing at the club we were in and I loved his confidence. I told my friend I was taking him home with me – obviously as banter. She then went up to him and to my surprise, he came up to me. I don’t know what magic words she said, but we got talking and all moved on to another club with his friends.
Olivia Mushigo Olivia Mushigo
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“The next day we went on a date, we went to a restaurant and had a motorcycle ride around the island. It was the first time I was on a motorcycle but he was really good at calming me down. He was such a gentleman and did little things like holding the door open and pulled out my chair.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-26--Lockdown With Our Parents Was The Push We Needed To Move Out

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Lockdown has been hard on all of us. It’s been even more of an experience for those quarantining with family members – especially with their parents.
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For many of my friends and me, housing options can be very limited. We are known as ‘generation rent’. Figures have shown that a third of millennials may never be able to own their own home and will probably be renting for the majority of their life. These statistics are one of the main reasons why plenty of us still live with our parents. But for many young people who’ve been in quarantine with family, they’ve come to realise it’s time to move out.
Moving out of your parents’ house doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t get along with them. For Bola*, 22, who lives in Croydon, lockdown has actually improved her relationship with her mum and dad.
However, she is still feeling the pull of moving. “I wasn’t sure how our family would cope,” she says of lockdown living. “I think it brought us closer and we managed to reconcile a lot of tensions, because of the time we spent together.
“But for me, moving out is more about me being allowed to be an adult and having my own space. Being in lockdown made me realise your parents always see you as a child if you live at home and boundaries will always be crossed.”
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Bola, who works in corporate responsibility for an insurance company, hopes to move out by December, but realistically thinks it will be more like next year.
Peter Griffith via Getty Images
Jessica, 27, a writer from Essex, says her family are her “best friends”, but that she wants to move out as soon as possible. Working from home has been a constant headache. But it can be even more stressful when your family members don’t realise working from home actually means working, she says.
“I’ve been working from home throughout lockdown which has been a challenge because my whole family has been disturbing and distracting me throughout my working day,” says Jessica. “They often forget that I’m actually working nine- -and-a-half hour days and will constantly try to talk to me.”
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As with any houseshare, one of the biggest sources of tension has been food and mealtimes. Studies found a third of lockdown arguments have been waged in the kitchen. “My mum gets annoyed if I cook my own meals (which is a stress-relieving activity for me) because she wants to cook all the time,” says Jessica. “We’ve had a lot of arguments in the kitchen because she literally wants to oversee everything I do.”
For those of us who live in first-generation households, culture clash can also be a factor. It’s a commonly discussed among me and my peers that we’re proud of our heritage but also feel conflicted, as we often have British values where our parents do not. These tensions can be heightened by the pressures of lockdown.
This is the case for Dami*, 22, who is living at home in north London while working in tech.
“My mum is a typical African parent in the sense that giving her respect is more important than her talking to me in a respectful way,” she says. “It’s hard for us to talk things through without it escalating, I feel like there just isn’t that kind of sense of conflict resolution. If something goes wrong, it usually goes left and it really gets on my nerves. So I just think, If you’re not going to change, I might as well leave.”
Terry Vine via Getty Images
Being in lockdown around your parents and family for weeks can highlight a lack of personal space. Bola, who says her bedroom is ‘tiny’, is certainly hankering for more, especially with her two brothers also living at home.
There is a sense that moving away from your parents could actually nurture your relationship – as you won’t be in each other’s way all the time. When Dami went to university, she says the dynamic with her mother was “great”. “I could check in with her when I wanted to and there wasn’t anything to argue about. That kind of long-distance parental relationship benefits me.”
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Similarly, Jessica found relations improved when she lived away from her parents. “I first moved out aged 19 and then again when I was 23 after university. When I moved out, we weren’t under each other’s skin all the time; my mum loves to nag even when she has nothing to nag about. But when I was living away from home, we would call each other every night and just have a nice catch-up,” she says.
However, while the desire to move out can be a strong one, it’s still a risky move for young people to take – and easier said than done. As Dami, who hopes to make the move soon, tells me: “I’m quite lucky in the sense that the company I’m interning at has a housing stipend for me but if I didn’t have that I’d be stressed as it’s very expensive.”
Bola can just about afford to move out, she says, but wants to be in a better place financially before she does so – with a view to buying rather than renting. “There’s a lot of pressure in my household [for me] to get a mortgage. So I’d like to save before I move so I have enough for a deposit or enough money in my savings pot for any plans I have later, in terms or long-term investments.”
Jessica is also confident she could save for a house, but wants to take care of her family. ″Yes I can afford to rent and/or buy if I wanted to, and I think after the lockdown I will seriously start to look for a house in London to move to.
“But I moved back in with my parents to help out as my dad had a hip operation last year so I came home to help and support my mother; especially as my parents are also looking after my brother, too.”
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Living with your parents isn’t always stressful; there are real moments to be treasured. “When I’m at home, we mostly spend our evenings watching a thriller and drinking hot chocolate, or I have movie nights with my dad,” says Jessica. “And when I’m not there, we do miss each other.” Equally, for many young people, quarantine has shown that it’s finally time to leave the nest.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-25--UK Tourists Returning From Spain Set To Face Two Week Quarantine

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Ministers are set to remove Spain from the government’s list of safe countries to travel to after the European country saw a rise in Covid-19 cases, the PA news agency understands.
The decision means those coming back from Spain will have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return to England.
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A formal announcement is expected to be made by the department for transport on Saturday.
In Spain, Catalonia became the latest region to crack down on nightlife, trying to halt new infection clusters.
The wealthy north-east region – home to Barcelona – ordered all nightclubs to close for 15 days and put a midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area and other towns around Lleida that have become contagion hot zones.
Spain has reported more than 900 new daily infections for the last two days as authorities warn the country that lost 28,000 lives before getting its outbreak under control could be facing the start of a second major outbreak.
The expected announcement about the removal of a so-called “air bridge” with Spain comes only a day after a further five countries were added to the quarantine-free list for people travelling to England.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Anyone coming from Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines will not be required to isolate for two weeks on arrival, the government confirmed on Friday.
Popular holiday destinations including Portugal, Thailand and the United States remain notable absentees.
The government said people should continue to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice and their insurance policies before embarking on any overseas travel.
Ministers had previously warned that travel corridors could be closed if coronavirus rates escalated in other nations.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-28--Boris Johnson Warns Of Coronavirus Second Wave 'Threat' To UK From Europe

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Boris Johnson said the UK must be “vigilant” regarding the threat of a second wave of coronavirus in Europe, after the government imposed a 14-day quarantine on people returning from Spain.
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The prime minister said on Tuesday while he was looking at ways to “mitigate” the impact of forcing people to isolate, the public had to “stick with the guidance”.
“If we do see signs of a second wave in other countries, it really is our job to act swiftly and decisively to stop travellers coming back from those places seeding the disease here in the UK,” he said.
“Clearly we now face, I’m afraid, the threat of a second wave in other parts of Europe and we just have to be vigilant and we have to be very mindful.”
The government is caught in a diplomatic storm with Spain amid warnings that its policy on travel to the country risks major damage to business and confusion for holidaymakers.
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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has warned against all but essential travel to Spain’s Balearic and Canary Islands, having already issued the same advice for the mainland.
Travellers from all parts of Spain are required to quarantine for a fortnight on arrival in the UK, a change imposed at short notice over the weekend.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez described the latest move as an “error”.
He pointed out that the upsurge in coronavirus cases is focused in two regions, Catalonia and Aragon, adding: “In most of Spain, the incidence is very much inferior to even the numbers registered in the United Kingdom.”
Madrid had been urging the UK to exclude the Canaries and Balearics— which include popular tourist resorts on Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca— from its quarantine requirements.
But instead, official travel advice was tightened to bring the islands in line with the Spanish mainland.
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The UK has rejected the Spanish criticism of its response. Local government minister Simon Clarke told BBC Breakfast: “We respectfully disagree with the Spanish government’s position on this.
“We obviously continue to work closely with them and we wish them every success in managing this outbreak, but we’ve seen a very sharp increase in cases in Spain.
“A 75% increase in cases reported between the middle of last week and the end of last week. That’s why we took the action that we have.
“Clearly, you do have to make decisions on a country-wide basis. There is going to be internal transfer within Spain and it’s important that we do our utmost to protect the public.”
But transport minister Baroness Vere told the Lords this afternoon the government was “looking at” moving to a regional approach.
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“For the time being we are taking the approach by country for border measures,” she said.
“But it is the case that it could be that we could put them in place for regions in the future.
“We are not there yet, but we are certainly looking at it because it is an appropriate consideration.”
Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister of Scotland, also warned today about people returning home from abroad.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-28--Jesus Garcia Pitarch's Sacking From Aston Villa Has Everyone Making The Same Richard Madeley Joke

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With his back catalogue of Accidental Partridges and memorable TV moments, you probably thought there could only be one Richard Madeley.
Seemingly not.
Fans have spotted that the former This Morning presenter has a look-a-like in the form of football boss Jesus Garcia Pitarch.
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Richard began trending on Twitter on Tuesday following the news Pitarch –commonly known as Suso – is leaving his role as Aston Villa’s sporting director.
And after seeing the two side by side, we have to say the likeness is uncanny...
Richard Madeley and Jesus Garcia Pitarch, or is that the other way round? Shutterstock/ITV
Twitter certainly had a lot of fun with it...
Since when was Richard Madeley working for them? https://t.co/iGylHGbBPQ — Jack Stringer (@jackstringer19) July 28, 2020
And have now got Richard Madeley by the looks of it pic.twitter.com/TQP4kvlE4p — Ross Jones (@Ross12Jones) July 28, 2020
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Can't believe we've sacked Richard Madeley https://t.co/f95YVVRINq — Phill Whitehouse (@PhillWhitehouse) July 28, 2020
Whys Dean Smith stood with Richard Madeley? https://t.co/LRm4HbKYeA — * Unbearable Warren Davies (@WogsyLad) July 28, 2020
No wonder their signings were shit with Richard madeley as sporting director https://t.co/SG6Mj3HaYe — Mike Bassett (@tomwatts123) July 28, 2020
It's a shame it didn't work out for Richard Madeley at Villa. https://t.co/Z9Q5xrnJS2 — Ross MacDonald (@RossMacDonaldW6) July 28, 2020
Suso is leaving Aston Villa after less than two years in the role as sporting director, following criticism about the club’s recruitment strategy.
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Last summer saw a number of arrivals, with more than £120 million spent, with Suso’s transfers including forward Wesley from Club Brugge for £22m, while £11.5m was spent on left-back Matt Targett from Southampton.
However, as recently as 12 July, Villa were seven points adrift of 17th place in the Premier League, which they were promoted to in 2019.
Suso has now paid the price for a tough first season back in the league and the club will look to improve their recruitment strategy ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-28--Blaming Obesity Is Not The Solution To Coronavirus

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The UK government has announced its new obesity strategy linking it to “beating coronavirus”.
It includes plans on banning TV and online adverts and ending “buy one get one free” promotion deals for high salt, sugar and fat foods, and calorie labelling on restaurant menus.
These are important actions if implemented, several of which were listed in the 2018 Childhood Obesity Chapter 2 plan for action.
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A new national campaign focusing on individual behaviour, called Better Health, has also just been launched by Public Health England (PHE) accompanying the government’s recent strategy, working with commercial partners such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World.
The campaign aims to support people to ”eat better, drink less alcohol and get active”, including access to mobile phone apps. I strongly welcome the fact that actions on obesity are back on the political agenda, particularly the system-based ones.
However, I am concerned about linking these actions to the fight against the viral pandemic.
Both the obesity strategy and the Better Health campaign use insights from the recently published PHE report to justify the link.
The report sights evidence that people who are obese are more likely to be hospitalised, get admitted to intensive care and die from Covid-19.
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However, the available evidence establishes an association but falls short of confirming that obesity causes more severe Covid-19 disease.
It is understandable, given that we have only known the virus for a few months, that there is no available research on the impact of weight loss on the severity of the infection. We do know, however, that weight loss has many other proven health advantages and reduces the chance of premature death.
Obesity is much more common in people who suffer from multiple disadvantage and poverty. The same PHE report quotes an obesity prevalence of 35% (men) and 37% (women) in people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods, compared to around 20% in the least deprived. We already know that people in the most deprived groups are more than twice as likely to die from Covid-19 than those in the least deprived. We also know that people from ethnic minorities in the UK tend to suffer more from both poverty and obesity, and more likely to die from Covid-19, compared to people of white ethnicity.
“This narrative of losing weight to beat coronavirus can easily turn into victim-blaming.”
The type of data we have, and analysis done on them so far, limit our ability to establish causality of these various co-existing risk factors and ascertain which one contributes the most to the risk of severity and death from Covid-19.
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Covid-19 is an infectious disease and the risk of getting it is determined by how much of the virus is circulating in the community more than anything else.
Therefore, fighting it primarily means controlling the spread and transmission of the virus, and very quickly detecting and isolating cases.
Obesity on the other hand is a structural problem in society. This basically means that it is largely determined by people’s environment and resources.
If you are poor, it is much harder to maintain a healthy weight due to the many barriers imposed by your environment and available resources.
Analysis by the Food Foundation found that over a quarter of UK households would need to spend more than a quarter of their disposable income after housing costs to meet the government’s healthy eating guide.
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For the 10% lowest income households, almost three quarters of disposable income is needed to meet this guide. A health promotion campaign, a weight loss app or even banning adverts and promotion deals will not help these households afford a healthy diet. However initiatives such as subsidising the price of fruit and vegetables potentially can, and may lead to significant health benefits and healthcare cost savings.
Population-level action on obesity is very much needed, but it is a long haul of systems-wide change and must not be linked to the fight against Covid-19. This can potentially lead to further stigma of already disadvantaged people. This narrative of losing weight to beat coronavirus can easily turn into victim-blaming. If it is necessary to link it as a “wake-up call” then the same should apply for action on poverty right from the start of life, given the pre-pandemic status of almost one in three children in the UK living in poverty. Those who live with multiple disadvantage are most vulnerable to getting Covid-19 and getting it badly. These are the same groups vulnerable to many other health problems.
Singling out a consequence such as obesity as a solution to the pandemic is not the way to go. We must address the root of the problem; lifecourse inequalities in opportunity and resources. The PHE report on excess weight and Covid-19 concludes that “factors such as deprivation are complex to address”. I would argue that the time to start addressing this challenge is now, otherwise we are only just scratching the surface.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-28--NHS Test And Trace Phone App To Be ‘Rolled Out In Next Few Weeks’

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A new version of the long-awaited NHS Test and Trace smartphone app will be rolled out “in the next few weeks”, one of the service’s former chiefs has revealed.
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Tom Riordan, who led the local tracing element of the programme until last week, said London would benefit particularly from the introduction of the technology because its residents are more likely to be in close proximity to strangers on Tubes and buses.
The UK app has been dogged by missteps and health secretary Matt Hancock had to abandon a previous version last month because of its incompatibility with Google and Apple privacy restrictions.
One minister said recently that the technology might not be ready until “the winter”, but Riordan suggested to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that progress was much faster.
“It’s probably needed most in places like London, where people use public transport more than the rest of the country and we need the economy to kick start. I would expect that to start to be rolled out in the next few weeks,” he said.
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“I think it will happen and it’s needed. It’s not the silver bullet [but] it’s something that could really help.”
Riordan has returned full time to his role as chief executive of Leeds City Council after spending months getting the local authority coordination of the NHS tracing service in place.
His “few weeks” timeframe suggests that a functioning NHS Test and Trace app could be up and running well ahead of the October 31 deadline set by Boris Johnson for half a million daily Covid tests to be available.
NHS Test and Trace has relied on manual contact tracing since it started in late May, with people who test positive for coronavirus phoned by clinicians and then asked for all their recent “close contacts”.
“Close contacts” are defined as anyone the subject spends more than 15 minutes within two metres of.
While such information is relatively easy to obtain in hospitals and care home settings it is proving more difficult for wider public settings where people don’t know each other.
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A smartphone app would use bluetooth technology to log all those who have been in close contact with a positive case, and alert them to take a test or self-isolate for 14 days.
Health secretary Matt Hancock (L) and prime minister Boris Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS
Riordan said that the current system was now “working pretty well” after local public health chiefs were granted access to data of individuals’ names and addresses.
“The German system is often quoted. [But] what we’ve created as well as the national Test and Trace is a very strong local system that is dealing with outbreaks really effectively every day,” he said.
Hancock promised in April that the NHSX app would be ready by “the middle of May”. He described it as “crucial”, while No.10 said it would be “a key part of the surveillance programme going forward”.
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The app was piloted on the Isle of Wight but then downgraded to just the “cherry on the cake” of the wider NHS Test and Trace programme – and finally abandoned in early June in favour of a model more acceptable to Google and Apple.
Health minister Lord Bethell said on June 17: “We are seeking to get something going for the winter, but it isn’t a priority for us at the moment.”
The government says that its testing identified issues both with the NHS app and the Google/Apple technology, which did not estimate the two-metre distance in the way officials had hoped.
The Department of Health and Social Care has always insisted it was right to conduct the Isle of Wight pilot scheme as it “provided valuable information that we will now use to build an app that is right for the British public”.
Johnson has insisted the UK’s Test and Trace system ”is as good as or better than any other system anywhere in the world”.
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Germany is one of the few countries in the world to have had major take-up of “Corona-Warn-App”, which has now been installed by around 16m people.