thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-20--Rishi Sunak Hints That Two-Metre Social Distancing Rule Will Be Relaxed

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The two-metre social distancing rule in England looks likely to be relaxed after chancellor Rishi Sunak said the prime minister’s review “will make an enormous difference” to businesses.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement next week on pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels – with their reopening in England an ambition from July 4 to start reviving the economy.
He is under pressure from leaders of the hospitality sector and his own MPs to lessen the two-metre rule, which aims to slow the spread of Covid-19 but places major constraints on businesses.
The result of the PM’s review is expected this week but the Chancellor strongly signalled it will allow the government to ease the measure in England.
“The outcome of that review will be announced this week. Obviously that’s something that will make an enormous difference I think to many businesses who are keen to see a change,” he told reporters during a visit to shops in North Yorkshire.
Advertisement
“Obviously we need to go through that review but I’m very understanding of the calls for action on that, particularly for our hospitality industry, for our pubs, for our restaurants, (they) are keen to see if there’s some change that can be made there.”
With the coroanvirus alert level having been reduced from four to three on Friday, plans to allow the hospitality sector to reopen were beginning to emerge.
Guidance drawn up by the sector and ministers is understood to encourage pub goers to order drinks using phone apps instead of going to the bar, while current legislation was said to include the powers for patrols.
The UK Hospitality trade body said draft guidance allowed a “degree of flexibility” over menus being discarded after every use and for cutlery only to be brought out with food.
Chief executive Kate Nicholls told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the idea was for individual businesses to draw up their own plans to keep their team and guests safe.
Advertisement
“As the guidelines cover from a burger van in a park right the way through to the Fat Duck in Bray you need to have something that takes account of everything in between rather than a one-size-fits-all,” she added.
It was stressed that decisions on further easing were yet to be made, but the PM has said the lowering of the alert level from four to three allows ministers to “start making some progress” on social-distancing measures.
And he promised new guidance for the hospitality sector and businesses “very shortly”.
One expert informing the government’s response to the pandemic as part of the scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) said he had revised his opposition to reducing the two-metre rule now transmission is low.
The University of Liverpool’s Professor Calum Semple told Today: “I’m still saying two metres is safer than one but in my opinion it is now a reasonable political decision to relax these rules.”
He said he could “envisage going down to one metre with various caveats and other precautions” in order to reopen society.
Advertisement
The downgrading of the alert level by the UK’s chief medical officers, including Professor Chris Whitty, means transmission of coronavirus is no longer considered to be “high or rising exponentially”.
Huw Fairclough via Getty Images
Localised outbreaks of Covid-19 are still “likely” to occur, the advisers warned, and the virus remains in general circulation.
The move was welcomed by Portugal’s ambassador to London who said the nation would like to form a so-called air bridge with the UK to give an exemption to quarantine measures to make foreign holidays possible.
Manuel Lobo Antunes told Today: “We think that the situation is under control and we would be happy to receive, as before, as many British as possible.”
Advertisement
On Friday, Johnson told the public to “watch this space” when asked whether the distance restriction could be reduced to help schools in England return in autumn.
Government scientific advisers have said they would be comfortable with a reduced distance if risk-mitigating measures were taken, such as people sitting side by side and wearing face coverings.
The PM also said it is his intention that children of all ages in England should be able to return to school on a five-days-a-week basis in September.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson suggested that primary school class sizes of 15, known as “bubbles”, could be expanded back to their normal size to allow more children back in the classroom.
In Wales, first minister Mark Drakeford was planning to end its five-mile restriction on travel next month and allow holidaymakers to return a week later.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-20--Tips From A Pro Cyclist For Commuting To Work

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

Tips From A Pro Cyclist For Commuting To Work
With people returning to the workplace more and more, easing out of lockdown, we’re encouraged to cycle or walk, rather than use public transport. Here are some beginner’s tips from professional para-cyclist, Blaine Hunt.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Victoria Beckham Shares Sun-Drenched Family Photo To Wish Husband David Happy Father’s Day

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Victoria Beckham has shared a pic from the Beckham’s family album to wish husband and dad David a happy Father’s Day.
Advertisement
The Spice Girl-turned fashion designer posted a snap on Instagram of her with David and their children Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and Harper, eight, from their trip to Miami last year, where they stayed at close pal Marc Anthony’s £16.5m waterfront mansion.
Captioning the pic, Victoria wrote: “Happy Father’s Day @davidbeckham! We all love u so so much xxxx So many kisses from us all x we love u!!!! X @brooklynbeckham @romeobeckham @cruzbeckham Harper Seven x.”
Romeo also shared a throwback snap of him being cradled in dad David’s arms when he was a toddler.
Advertisement
Earlier this month, Victoria gave fans a peek inside her own childhood photo album as she celebrated her 46th birthday.
Posh was clearly feeling nostalgic as she shared pictures of herself as a small child in an Instagram post to mark her big day on the 17 April.
Referring to the lockdown, she said the occasion is “perhaps a stranger birthday than usual”.
She added: “But I am so grateful to be safe and well with David, Cruz, Romeo and Harper while missing Brooklyn and all my family I can’t be with today.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Commuters Not Wearing Face Masks Correctly, Expert Warns

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Many public transport users are not wearing face masks and coverings correctly, an expert has warned.
Advertisement
Professor Susan Michie, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ (Sage) subgroup on behavioural science, said many commuters in England are not aware of how to correctly cover their face and are unknowingly putting themselves and those around them at risk.
Some people appeared to be wearing their face coverings below the nose, instead of over “your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably”, as the government advises.
“Do not touch the front of the face covering, or the part of the face covering that has been in contact with your mouth and nose. Once removed, make sure you clean any surfaces the face covering has touched,” it continues.
People have been required by law to wear face coverings when travelling on public transport in England since June 15. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Advertisement
People are now required by law to wear face coverings when travelling on public transport in England – and those without one face a £100 fine and not being able to travel onboard.
Prof Michie said a national campaign might be needed to “train” people on how to wear their face coverings correctly.
She said many people appear to be wearing their face coverings below the nose and holding the front of items to remove them, rather than using the straps behind the head.
“Any time one goes out and around in parks and down the street this is the sort of thing you see,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.
She added: “I think the main thing is that where you have a behaviour that requires some kind of skill, and some kind of routine and procedure to make it effective, then usually it’s not enough to say do this, ie transmit knowledge, but we also need to have training.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Further Lockdown Easing To Be Announced This Week, Confirms Matt Hancock

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Matt Hancock has confirmed the government will announce further easing of the coronavirus lockdown this week, which the health secretary said he hoped would include a reduction of the two-metre rule.
Advertisement
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning, Hancock said: “This week we will announce further details of the measures we can take to relieve some of the national lockdown measures at the start of July including on July 4.”
Asked if this would include cutting the social-distancing guidelines, which many businesses and Tory MPs have warned would make reopening the hospitality industry almost impossible, Hancock said: “I very much hope that we can.”
He added screens and masks are measures that would mitigate the risk of spreading coronavirus if the two-metre rule is changed.
Hancock added reducing the distance people had to stay apart would also “undoubtedly” help with the full reopening of schools.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson is expected to reveal plans for the reopening of pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels and possibly hairdressers from next month.
“We are about to see another’s step in the plan,” Hancock said. “The plan is clearly working because then umber of new infections is coming down.”
The health secretary also confirmed people might be asked to register their attendance before visiting a pub for a drink, as it would then make it easier to trace them should someone in the venue subsequently test positive for coronavirus.
Professor Peter Piot, the director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told the BBC this morning he would be happy for the two-metre rule to be cut.
“It created a false sense of security. It’s not suddenly beyond two metres there is no risk,” he said.
Advertisement
“I would rather be at one metre of someone who is infected but if both of us wear a mask, than at two metres without a mask.”
Piot, a world leading epidemiologist who co-discovered Ebola and helped in the research into Aids, said countries that had been “pretty successful” in dealing with coronavirus had a one-metre rule.
“I am pretty relaxed as long as it is associated with mandatory masks, or face coverings, not only in public transport but also in other public places,” he added.
But other scientists who advise the government have been much more cautious.
Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, told MPs the risk at one metre was “about 10 to 30 times higher” than the risk at two metres”.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Labour would support the end of the two-metre rule if other safety measures, such as face coverings, are put in place.
Advertisement
In his interview, Hancock also said he was “incredibly sorry” after video footage captured him breaching the social-distancing guidelines by patting another MP on the back in the Commons chamber.
“I know these rules inside out and I haven’t seen my colleague for weeks and I really like him,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Reading Stabbing Attack Declared A Terrorist Incident, Police Say

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A stabbing incident in Reading on Saturday which left three people dead and three seriously injured has been declared a terrorist incident, police have confirmed.
The attack took place at around 7pm in Forbury Gardens in Reading’s town centre.
One of the patients admitted to hospital has been discharged, while another remains in a stable condition under observation at Royal Berkshire Hospital, a spokesperson said.
Advertisement
Thames Valley Police have confirmed the attack is now being treated as terrorism and that counter-terror police would now be taking over the investigation.
Boris Johnson said he was “appalled and sickened” by the attack and pledged “we will not hesitate to take action” if there are lessons to be learned.
Speaking to BBC News, Johnson said: “I don’t want to preempt the work of the police and their investigation into what happened in this case.
“If there are lessons that we need to learn about how we handle such cases we will learn those lessons and we will not hesitate to take action where necessary.”
Advertisement
He said these could include “changes to the legal system” in order to try to prevent future attacks from taking place, although he said there was no reason to believe there could be more terror attacks as lockdown restrictions are eased.
Assistant commissioner at Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu, said 41 witnesses had come forward following the attack.
In a statement at New Scotland Yard, he described the stabbings as an “atrocity” and sent his “deepest sympathies” to the family of the three people who died and those who have been injured.
He added there was nothing to suggest anyone else was involved and police are not currently seeking anyone else as part of the investigation.
Forensic officers work at Forbury Gardens park where a stabbing attack took place Saturday, in Reading. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
He said: “From our inquiries undertaken so far, officers have found nothing to suggest that there was anyone else involved in this attack and presently we’re not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
“However, counter-terrorism detectives work closely with the security services and will work closely with Thames Valley major crime colleagues and we continue to make inquiries to ensure that is the case.
“Although the motivation for this horrific act is far from certain, counter-terrorism policing have taken responsibility for leading the investigation.
He said the public should not be alarmed when out in crowded places and counter terror police would be working “around the clock”.
Police at the Abbey gateway of Forbury Gardens in Reading town centre following a multiple stabbing attack on Saturday. PA
Advertisement
Basu added the incident was not connected to a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest that took place earlier in the day in the park.
He said: “We’re clear that it was not associated in any way with the Black Lives Matter protest which took place peacefully earlier on in the day and which had concluded some hours before this attack took place.”
Police said a 25-year-old man from Reading who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder remains in custody.
A statement issued on the Thames Valley Police website said: “Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night (20/6), has now been declared a terrorist incident.
“Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) have been working closely with Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Department throughout the night.
Advertisement
“Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, Senior National Coordinator for the Counter Terrorism Policing network, has this morning declared the incident a terrorist incident, and CTPSE will be taking over the investigation.”
🚨| UPDATE- Murder investigation Reading@TerrorismPolice can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night has now been declared a terrorist incident.
We continue to work together with Counter Terrorism Policing SE.
➡ https://t.co/CMkzwE6crv pic.twitter.com/MQeQr8XLe5 — Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) June 21, 2020
Thames Valley Police chief constable, John Campbell, described the scene of the attack in Reading as “horrific”.
He told reporters: “As you can imagine the scene we came across was pretty horrific.
“We had a number of officers that were in the community because they were patrolling around Reading and they were there very quickly.
“We also had a number of people in the park that were witnesses to this incident and they saw the terrible tragedy unfold.
Advertisement
“So you can imagine both for my officers but also for those that were involved it was very distressing and we are doing all that we can to make sure we are supporting them as well as progressing the criminal inquiry.”
He did not identify the victims and said Thames Valley Police were still in the process of contacting their next of kin.
Floral tributes left by Forbury Gardens in Reading's town centre after a multiple stabbing attack in the gardens. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Floral tributes were left to the victims near the scene of the incident.
One read: “There are no words that anyone can say to express how horrible and senseless this was.
“Our prayers are with all the victims and their families and friends. #Readingstandsunited.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Law Graduate Pursues Private Prosecution Of 'Arrogant' Dominic Cummings

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
A law graduate who believes the actions of Dominic Cummings were like “spitting in the face” of everyone who adhered to the coronavirus lockdown has launched an online campaign to privately prosecute him and seek justice.
Advertisement
It has been a month since news broke that Boris Johnson’s special adviser took his wife and child from London to Durham during lockdown at the end of March after his wife developed Covid-19 symptoms.
At the time, the government had instructed the public not to travel – and to self-isolate completely if they or their families developed symptoms.
Cummings sparked widespread outrage with his behaviour – particularly when it emerged that he had also made a 30-mile trip to Barnard Castle which he claims was to test his eyesight before he made the journey home after suffering from suspected coronavirus.
Mahsa Taliefar, 25, a law graduate who has launched a fundraising campaign to privately prosecute Dominic Cummings. Mahsa Taliefar
Advertisement
There were calls for his resignation but instead, during an extraordinary press conference, he said he didn’t regret his actions – which he says were motivated by concerns about who would look after his child if both he and his wife developed coronavirus. He insists he didn’t break any lockdown rules.
Mahsa Taliefar, a law graduate who lives in London, told HuffPost UK Cummings’ behaviour and the way many in government defended him have caused “irreversible damage”. She is determined that he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it – and has launched an online campaign to raise funds for a private prosecution.
Boris Johnson's special adviser Dominic Cummings pictured on May 28, 2020 ASSOCIATED PRESS
She is calling on the nation to help her in her mission to hold the “powerful” to account.
“It was like Dominic Cummings was spitting in the face of everyone who adhered to the lockdown,” she said.
“People were not able to see their families and friends and were not even able to bury their loved ones and grieve properly.
Advertisement
“This is because we were all following the laws that were put into place to protect the public.
“Dominic Cummings had a direct hand in the making of those Covid laws and I was extremely offended when he didn’t even apologise for breaking the rules – he seemed very arrogant and there were people in government standing by him.”
“It was like Dominic Cummings was spitting in the face of everyone who adhered to the lockdown.” - Mahsa Taliefar
Mahsa, a freelance paralegal who also does pro bono work for Somers Legal Advice Centre in London, says her actions are motivated by holding a person who actually had a hand in the Covid-19 legislation to account.
“I have a friend who is a single mum and she had coronavirus symptoms,” she said.
“But she didn’t get in a car and drive elsewhere to try and get help with childcare. She stayed at home with her child as those were the rules.
“It seemed really unfair that parents who did something similar to Dominic Cummings and were fined for breaking the rules did not have their fines revoked.”
Advertisement
Mahsa, who is from an Iranian background, says Dominic Cummings’ behaviour is also a kick in the teeth for people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities who have been harder hit by coronavirus and are more likely to die of it.
“People from ethnic minority backgrounds are affected more by this virus and have less money and resources and are less likely to have powerful friends and connections,” she said. “Everything Dominic Cummings has, most people from ethnic minorities don’t.
“That makes me angry as when people from ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by coronavirus, why should someone well off and more powerful put other people’s lives at risk by breaking his own laws?
“People from ethnic minority backgrounds also tend to have more people in our households and a lot of families have grandparents living with them. So it is really difficult for these communities to understand why someone like Dominic Cummings would travel so far and potentially put his parents at risk.”
“Why should someone well off and more powerful put other people’s lives at risk by breaking his own laws?” - Mahsa Taliefar
Advertisement
Mahsa has launched a GoFundMe page to meet the costs of privately prosecuting Dominic Cummings. She believes it will cost £300,000 to go all the way, and any funds not used for the private prosecution will be donated to Vision Aid Overseas – a charity dedicated to helping those with eyesight problems.
She has raised just over £6,000 so far and will now be getting a barrister to look into the issue.
“First, I will instruct a barrister to look at what the laws and guidelines were at the time.” she told HuffPost UK. “People were only allowed to go out once a day for exercise and could only leave the home for essentials.
“There was no mention of being able to drive 300 miles for childcare or to get in your car to test your eyesight.”
Mahsa Taliefar, 25, a law graduate who has launched a fundraising campaign to privately prosecute Dominic Cummings Mahsa Taliefar
Mahsa told HuffPost UK that, while she has had a lot of supportive messages since launching her GoFundMe campaign, she has also been targeted by abuse and misogynistic comments from Dominic Cummings’ supporters on social media.
Advertisement
“I have been subjected to nasty comments about my facial features and hairstyle,” she said.
“There have also been many Cummings supporters who have suggested that the money may be going towards aesthetic lip fillers and hair maintenance.
“I find this totally unacceptable. This campaign has nothing to do with my gender or looks. Many people supporting Dominic Cummings have also aggressively told me to ‘move on’ – but we should not until he does.”
Tasnime Akunjee, the solicitor who Mahsa has instructed to act for her, confirmed to HuffPost UK he had taken on her case.
Solicitor Tasnime Akunjee Tasnime Akunjee
“Mahsa Taliefar approached us and said she was extremely offended by what she had seen from Dominic Cummings’ speech and asked if a private prosecution was possible.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--UK Travel Quarantine 'Completely Useless', Says World Leading Epidemiologist

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government’s policy of quarantining people arriving in the UK for 14-days is “completely useless”, one of the world’s leading scientists has said.
Advertisement
Professor Peter Piot, the director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said on Sunday he hoped the law would be “dropped as soon as possible”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Piot said the policy “only would have made sense at the very beginning, before we had cases”.
“Today that’s not going not contribute much and the damage it causes to the country and economy is gong to be enormous,” he said.
Piot, who has recovered from coronavirus himself, co-discovered Ebola and also played leading role in researching Aids.
Advertisement
Professor Peter Piot has dismissed the UK's quarantine policy as "completely useless". FABRICE COFFRINI via Getty Images
International arrivals into the UK, with some exceptions, have to enter a 14-day quarantine.
It means that anyone traveling abroad for a holiday would then have to isolate for two weeks once they land back in the UK.
The government has said the rule is necessary to further reduce the spread of the infection.
Passengers have to fill out an online locator form giving their contact and travel details, as well as the address of where they will isolate.
People who fail to comply can be fined £1,000 in England, and police are allowed to use “reasonable force” to make sure they follow the rules.
Failure to complete the locator form is punishable by a £100 fixed penalty notice.
In addition to complaints from the travel industry, the scheme has been met with strong criticism from opposition parties and some Conservative MPs.
Advertisement
Ministers have dropped heavy hints the quarantine might soon be lifted for people returning from specific countries by creating so-called travel corridors to enable people to take summer holidays.
Britons will be “freely” welcomed to Spain from Sunday without the need to quarantine there, the nation’s foreign minister said yesterday, and called on the UK to enter a reciprocal agreement.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--After Weeks Of Anticipation, Trump Rally Crowd Underwhelms

“Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle, or Minneapolis,” the president tweeted Friday. “It will be a much different scene!”
Bracing for potential violence at the Trump event, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum issued an executive order on Thursday declaring a civil emergency ahead of the rally. Bynum said the city expected tens of thousands of people to flock to the vicinity of the event, including “individuals from organised groups who have been involved in destructive and violent behaviour in other States” and who were planning on travelling to Tulsa “for purposes of causing unrest in and around the city.”
On Saturday afternoon, a peaceful protester wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt was arrested by Tulsa police outside the BOK Center at the behest of Trump’s campaign staff. “I Can’t Breathe” has become a rallying cry for protesters calling for the end of racism and police brutality following the death last month of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis who uttered those words as a white police officer knelt on his neck, leading to his death.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Trump Uses Racist Terms 'Kung Flu' And 'Chinese Virus' To Describe Covid-19

LOADING ERROR LOADING
President Donald Trump on Saturday used racist terms to describe coronavirus — including “kung flu,” a phrase White House counsellor and Trump ally Kellyanne Conway has specifically called out for being “highly offensive.”
“China sent us the plague,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“COVID-19 — that name gets further and further away from China, as opposed to calling it the Chinese virus,” Trump added. “It has more names than any disease in history. I can name ‘kung flu.’”
Advertisement
The crowd laughed.
President Trump talks about the many names of Coronavirus, including “Kung Flu”. pic.twitter.com/m0aQLfpNuT — Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 21, 2020
Conway was furious when reporters asked her in March about an unnamed White House official referring to coronavirus as “kung flu.”
“Of course it’s wrong,” she told a reporter at the time. “That’s highly offensive. ... I’d like to know who it is.” (Check out the video of her comments up top.)
Conway noted she is married to an Asian American man: Her husband, lawyer George Conway, who dislikes Trump intensely, is part Filipino.
Advertisement
George Conway used the phrase Saturday in a tweet mocking the president’s speech at the rally.
ramp water kung flu windmills dead birds Hunter Biden Obama Minneanopolis https://t.co/6R4oC5HqBY — George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 21, 2020
Public health experts and political leaders around the world have sharply criticised Trump for labelling COVID-19 a Chinese disease.
“This crisis requires science ... not fear-mongering, finger-pointing and xenophobia by our public servants,” said MegaToys CEO Charlie Woo, a member of the Chinese American organisation Committee of 100.
The pandemic “calls for a truly global, unified response,” he added. “Attempts to ascribe the virus to one culture, ethnicity or country can only hinder this effort, alienating people who could instead collaborate and support one another.”
Trump told Fox News in late March that he would no longer call COVID-19 the Chinese virus. “Look, everyone knows it came out of China, but I decided we shouldn’t make any more of a big deal out of it,” he said. Trump noted that China had “lost thousands of people; they’ve been through hell.”
Advertisement
It is very important that we totally protect our Asian American community in the United States, and all around the world. They are amazing people, and the spreading of the Virus.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020
....is NOT their fault in any way, shape, or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it. WE WILL PREVAIL TOGETHER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020
Donald Trump Jr. shared an Instagram post in March with a “Karate Kid”-themed meme showing his father beating the coronavirus. It had an offensive caption: “Hahahahaha ‘The Kung-Flu Kid.’”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--People Might Have To Register Before Going To A Pub, Says Matt Hancock

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Drinkers may have to sign up to a register before visiting a pub when they reopen, Matt Hancock has said.
Advertisement
The health secretary said on Sunday the country was “on track” to lift further aspects of the coronavirus lockdown “on or around July 4″.
This could mean the reopening of pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels and possibly hairdressers.
Asked by Sky News if people could have to “register” or “sign-up” to a list before visiting a pub, Hancock confirmed he “wouldn’t rule that out”.
“That is the sort thing we are looking at for how to make it safe,” he said.
The health secretary said this would make it easier to then trace the close contacts of anyone who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.
Hancock also said he would not rule out hairdressers reopening on July 4. “A lot of the country does need a haircut,” he said.
Advertisement
Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement this week on the next stage of easing the lockdown.
The prime minister is under pressure from leaders of the hospitality sector and his own MPs to lessen the two-metre rule, which aims to slow the spread of Covid-19, but places major constraints on businesses.
Rishi Sunak has given the biggest hint yet that the rule will be relaxed in England, saying the government’s review “will make an enormous difference” to businesses.
“I’m very understanding of the calls for action on that, particularly for our hospitality industry, for our pubs, for our restaurants, (they) are keen to see if there’s some change that can be made there,” he said yesterday.
ViewApart via Getty Images
Advertisement
Guidance drawn up by the hospitality sector and ministers is understood to encourage pub goers to order drinks using phone apps instead of going to the bar, while current legislation was said to include the powers for patrols.
The Times said it had been leaked the guidance and reported:
– Limits on the number of punters allowed into pubs, where tables would be spaced out and glasses would be collected from tables, while bar tops and door handles would be cleaned at least hourly.
– Restaurants would be required to place strict limits on the number of diners and would be encouraged to stagger reservations.
– Hotel room service would see staff leave trays outside guests’ doors and if they fall ill the customer would be asked to self-isolate in their room, which would be cordoned off for 72 hours after their recovery.
– Gyms and swimming pools would require receptionists use clickers to count numbers going in and booking systems would be put in place to prevent overcrowding.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Reading Stabbing Attack: Everything We Know So Far

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Three people have died and another three have been seriously injured after multiple stabbings in Reading town centre.
A 25-year-old man from Reading was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody.
Advertisement
Here is what we know so far about the incident.
The attack
The attack took place at around 7pm on Saturday night in Forbury Gardens in Reading’s town centre.
Three people have died and another three are seriously injured.
South Central Ambulance Service said five ambulance crews and two air ambulance services were among the resources sent to treat the casualties.
One of the patients admitted to hospital has been discharged, while another remains in a stable condition under observation at Royal Berkshire Hospital, a spokesperson said.
Forensic officers work at Forbury Gardens park on Sunday morning. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lawrence Wort, 20, who said he was around 10 metres from the attack, said the attacker “shouted unintelligible words” before attacking multiple groups of people.
Advertisement
He told PA: “The park was pretty full, a lot of people sat around drinking with friends, when one lone person walked through, suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.
“He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running.
“When he realised that he couldn’t catch us, he tried to stab another group sat down, he got one person in the back of the neck and then when he realised everyone was starting to run, he ran out the park.”
The victims
James Furlong Supplied
Teacher James Furlong has been named locally as one of the three victims of the terror attack.
Furlong was head of history, government and politics at The Holt School in Wokingham, and died during the incident, which took place at 7pm on Saturday in Forbury Gardens, in the town centre.
Advertisement
Co-headteachers Anne Kennedy and Katie Pearce paid tribute to their colleague, and described him as a “kind and gentle man” who had a “real sense of duty and cared for each and every one of our students”.
In a statement, they said: “He truly inspired everyone he taught through his passion for his subject and his dedication. He was determined that our students would develop a critical awareness of global issues and in doing so become active citizens and have a voice.
“As a Holt community, we all now need to absorb this sad news. Counsellors will be available for students and staff.
“Words cannot describe our shock and sadness at this time. Our thoughts are with his mum, dad, brother and family, and his friends and colleagues.
“He was a cherished colleague and he will be sadly missed.”
Lessons for tomorrow have been cancelled for all year groups, and counsellors will be onsite for students wishing to come to school and talk.
Advertisement
The other two victims’ identities have yet to be revealed.
The suspect
Police said a 25-year-old man from Reading was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody.
On Sunday he was re-arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said.
The suspect’s name and nationality have not yet been confirmed.
Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes, head of CTPSE, said: “The investigation continues to move at a fast pace.”
She added: “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families who will be mourning loved ones after this horrific act, and to all those who have been affected by it. We continue to work with the coroner to formally identify those who have died and to inform and support their relatives.”
Armed police officers investigate at a block of flats off the Basingstoke Road in Reading. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Advertisement
The motive
The incident is now being treated as terror-related and counter-terror police would now be taking over the investigation. Thames Valley Police have said.
A statement issued on the Thames Valley Police website said: “Counter Terrorism Policing can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night (20/6), has now been declared a terrorist incident.
“Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) have been working closely with Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Department throughout the night.
“Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, Senior National Coordinator for the Counter Terrorism Policing network, has this morning declared the incident a terrorist incident, and CTPSE will be taking over the investigation.”
🚨| UPDATE- Murder investigation Reading@TerrorismPolice can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night has now been declared a terrorist incident.
We continue to work together with Counter Terrorism Policing SE.
➡ https://t.co/CMkzwE6crv pic.twitter.com/MQeQr8XLe5 — Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) June 21, 2020
Advertisement
The reaction
Boris Johnson has said he is “appalled and sickened” by the attack.
“I’m appalled and sickened that people should lose their lives in this way and our thoughts are very much with the family and the friends of the victims today,” he said in an interview in Downing Street.
“I’ve obviously talked to the chief constable at Thames Valley Police, thanked him and his officers for their bravery in tackling the suspect.
“We now have someone in custody. The police must get on with their job, get to the bottom of exactly what happened, and so it would be difficult really to comment in detail.
“Except to say this, if there are lessons we need to learn about how we handle such cases, how we handle the events leading up to such cases, then we will learn those lessons and we will not hesitate to take action where necessary.”
Home secretary Priti Patel called attack “senseless”, adding: “My heart, prayers and thoughts are with all of those affected and to the people of Reading who will be deeply shocked and concerned by this terrible incident.
Advertisement
“I am in contact with the police and will ensure they have all the support they need.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the stabbing was “very concerning”.
Police have asked anyone with mobile phone footage of the attack to come forward and people have been urged not to share videos and photos online “out of respect for the victims’ families”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--34 Times Amanda Holden Was Nothing Less Than Fabulous

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
From actor, to Britain’s Got Talent judge and Heart radio presenter, Amanda Holden has had a varied career during her near-30 years in showbiz.
Advertisement
And as she’s demonstrated on Instagram in recent months, she’s one of the campest people in the biz too.
In celebration, we’re counting up all the times she was nothing less than fabulous...
1. Let’s start with her lockdown antics, shall we? She first entertained us by taking out the bins in ballgown because she “wheelie wanted” to dress up
2. Which she then followed up with pics of her mowing her sprawling lawn in a wedding dress
Advertisement
3. And who could forget this hilarious make-up tutorial with her daughter Lexi?
4. As an actress, presenter, talent show judge, and full-time flawless queen, she has many talents, including this hidden one:
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
5. Oh, and did we mention dancer in that list?
6. One of the things Amanda is best at is oversharing, as demonstrated by this story of her crapping her pants
7. And while we’re on the topic, this moment was Peak Mandy
8. We love her womance with fellow BGT judge Alesha Dixon
ITV
9. And the fact they both refuse to be drawn into the traditional talent show narrative that the two female judges don’t get on
Advertisement
10. She is obsessed with her nipples
11. And she once compared them to another famous duo
12. She was the best guest-host This Morning has ever had, mainly because of all the inappropriate things she said, like this:
13. And this:
Advertisement
14. Mandy always likes to play it subtle in photoshoots
A little out- take from @eventmaguk thanks to the very talented @elisabethhoffphoto A photo posted by Amanda Holden (@noholdenback) on Mar 21, 2016 at 4:34am PDT
15. See what we mean?
.
16. And she is equally understated on red carpets
Samir Hussein via Getty Images
17. She has one of the best laughs in the business
18. And her explanation for it is even better
.
Advertisement
19. But much as she loves a laugh and a joke, Mandy does not take any shit
20. Remember when she re-enacted *that* scene from When Harry Met Sally on BGT?
21. And when she somehow managed to keep a straight face when she was introduced to her *ahem* look-a-like?
22. She isn’t afraid to experiment with big hair
Splash
Advertisement
23. She’s the queen of home work-outs (move over, Joe Wicks)
24. Not to mention a doctor
25. And was also responsible for our favourite celebrity-consumer crossover story of 2019
26. She always kills it with her looks on the BGT live shows
Syco / Thames / Dymond
27. And she’s not about to stop wearing low-cut dresses just because a few people complain to Ofcom
.
Advertisement
28. In fact, she’s never been shy about showing off any part of her anatomy
Twitter
29. She once starred in a terrible cereal advert, but made up for it by just being extremely camp
30. Likewise, her bejewelled caftan stole the show in this yoghurt ad
31. She’s refreshingly honest about what work she’s had done
.
32. And she’s not afraid to let people see her without make-up
YouTube
Advertisement
33. Which she applies in a director’s chair with ‘Mandy’ emblazoned on it
Shake it off, tousled hair for @bgt london #britainsgottalent #love #mandyschair thanks @mrvermaak A video posted by Amanda Holden (@noholdenback) on Jan 22, 2016 at 4:41am PST
34. Is it any wonder this is how she describes herself?
Never change, Mandy.
Legs eleven! @noholdenback ❤ A photo posted by Alesha Dixon (@aleshaofficial) on Jan 26, 2016 at 9:13am PST


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--My Pride Anthems: Charity Shop Sue

My Pride Anthems: Charity Shop Sue

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we’re all celebrating Pride in 2020.
With huge public gatherings out of the question, we’re asking a range of LGBTQ celebrities and allies for their personal Pride anthems, to help us all get into the Pride spirit from lockdown.
Advertisement
Every now and then, a new diva comes along that you know will come to define the decade ahead. The early 80s saw the arrival of Madonna. Lady Gaga put her stamp on pop music in the 2010s. And now, as we begin a brand new decade, it’s the turn of Bulwell’s own Charity Shop Sue to step into the spotlight.
Sue’s YouTube series about life in her shop Sec*hand Chances is responsible for a thousand and one memes, and has turned her into a social media sensation.
Charity Shop Sue celebrating Pride in Nottingham in 2018 Charity Shop Sue
And while her one-liners and shop-floor antics have led to her being embraced by the community, she’s long been an ally to LGBTQ people, as anyone who follows her on social media can attest, as well as becoming a Nottingham Pride staple in recent years.
Advertisement
“Just don’t ask me to tell you the story of London Pride in 1995,” she insists. “That’d be too much darlin’...”
If you want to celebrate Pride at home Charity Shop Sue-style, these are the tunes you need to set the mood...
Robin S – Show Me Love
“As soon as I hear that bass it takes me back to my clubbing days! This was a special period in time. The dance charts were full of powerful queens giving us soulful vocals over addictive house beats.
“In this track Robin S is telling her lover how she wants to be loved, on her terms. More people should listen to this song today. Timeless.”
Advertisement
Madonna – Deeper And Deeper
“I could have picked any Madonna song for this list, but I chose this one because when this was released, it felt like there was a change on its way. It talks about sexual desire and the freedom you gain when you choose to live an unapologetic and open life.
“Disco, house, flamenco guitar and a lil throwback to Vogue at the end, Madonna really has done it all.”
Bronski Beat – Small Town Boy
“This one really makes me emotional. I can’t say too much, but basically my best mate Dean had a similar experience to the story/video. Every time I hear the line ‘and as hard as they would try, they’d hurt to make you cry, but you never cried to them, just to your soul’ it never fails to give me goosebumps.
Advertisement
“It reminds me of the pain I could feel from him at the time but also the incredible strength and resilience from the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper
“I smile so much when I think of this song. The absolute power and uniqueness that Grace presented to us with this track was mind-blowing. They played the 12” mix of this in one of the bars back at London Pride ’94.
“I can’t put into words what the energy was like on the dancefloor. With Grace, every vocal is an affirmation and every look is a front cover - what an artist! Bumper is the sexiest dance classic there is!”
Erasure – A Little Respect
Advertisement
“I loved Erasure from the get-go and this song is an absolute blinder. The way Andy sings the words, definitely resonated within the LGBTQ+ community. It became an anthem to many of my friends campaigning against Section 28. We’re still singing that same tune today and won’t stop!
“It’s good to remember about how far things have come since this song hit the charts but also reminds us how much further we still have to go for respect and equality for EVERYONE in the community!”
Watch Charity Shop Sue on YouTube here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--How The Coronavirus Is Being Written Into Drama For TV And Film

So far in 2020, the entertainment industry has been defined by the things it can’t do. Film crews can’t easily film new shows, to state the most blindingly obvious, as we all continue to social distance.
The virus has left the film and TV worlds paralysed, its pipeline badly ruptured as post-production houses work at a distance to finish sound mixes and edits for the lucky shows that wrapped before lockdown. Others that were mid-filming were temporarily abandoned, and then, at least in terms of traditional film and TV studios, the lights went out.
Advertisement
That isn’t to say filming stopped entirely. Some writers immediately responded to the virus, and a handful of digital dramas appeared online, including She Left Home For A While, a drama starring David Bradley, and the Unprecedented series starring Gemma Arterton.
But these are the few ambitious exceptions that were shot with difficulty from isolation, relying entirely on video conferencing technology when most writers and directors have naturally taken time away from producing new work.
She Left Home For A While is one of the first pieces of professional acting to respond to the virus Paines Plough
But as the culture of distancing gradually erodes and opportunities to meet one another rise now that the virus is on the decline, and some filming tentatively begins again, such as Emmerdale and Coronation Street, it’s appropriate to begin wondering how the virus will be represented in drama and comedy more broadly.
Advertisement
What will Covid-19 look like on our screens, if indeed representation is even something we want as we slowly overcome the virus? Aren’t we all exhausted by it?
TV producers and writers HuffPost UK spoke to share the belief that representation of the virus in drama will need to be subtle to avoid the risk of audiences getting fatigued with excessive coronavirus content - especially when taking into account the relentlessness of the news cycle around the pandemic.
“In-your-face content will not work” - TV producer Mercy Murugi
“Being the first time that most of us have lived through a worldwide pandemic, I do think that audiences are definitely interested,” reflects Mercy Murugi, TV producer of Togetherness Supreme, winner of Best International Feature Film at the African Movie Academy Awards.
But she warns: “We have to remember that the virus is the content the whole world has been consuming for several months now: in-your-face content will not work.”
Advertisement
The exception to this rule may be soap operas. Their dramatic purpose is to reflect real life, so unlike new stand-alone dramas they are far likely to convey the day-to-day realities of the crisis, as Emmerdale has done with its six Lockdown Episodes now it has recommenced filming. That said, soap experts including Inside Soap’s Editor Steven Murphy agree that nuance is essential.
“I think it should be there, but in the background, not really as a driver of the drama,” he suggests. “It’s good to put characters under new and different kinds of pressure, so I think the changes we’ve all had to make to our lives can help to add to the drama – I’m sure the writers will find a way to use it to enhance stories rather than stifle them.”
“It has been suggested we’ll get a wave of escapist drama – adventures in space” - Alexia Skinitis, Radio Times Drama Commissioning Editor
New dramas and comedies are likely to avoid the virus altogether, to help lift audiences away from reality and offer an escape.
“I suspect people will be happy to move forward and try to forget about it for a while – especially in what they’re watching on TV,” reckons Alexia Skinitis, Radio Times Drama Commissioning Editor.
Advertisement
“It has been suggested we’ll get a wave of escapist drama – adventures in space with solo performances or small casts with lots of special effects – as well as the complete opposite, beautifully written, stripped-back dramas. Either way, it’s unlikely these will have Covid as their focus.”
The Neighbours cast and crew were the first soap to return to work amid social distancing Fremantle BOXAdministrator
But strict sanctions around best filming practice due to social distancing may mean the virus is still felt, even if the subject matter has nothing to do with it, suggests Mercy Murugi. “Everything about a film or TV set is against what a world with Covid19 looks like,” she posits.
Forthcoming dramas can expect to include less crowd shots and urban scenes in general, due to limitations on filming - which in turn must affect storytelling. “There is going to be more films and TV shows that have very few cast, skeleton crew, and probably a lot of post-production-heavy content with very little location or studio-set filming,” she suspects.
“We are not seeing a 50 Shades of Grey anytime soon” - Mercy Murugi
Advertisement
“Think Tom Hanks Castaway. So maybe stories about claustrophobia, mental health... such storylines will increase while we will see fewer scenes with intimacy and physical contact. We are not seeing a 50 Shades of Grey anytime soon.”
Easier to film under social distancing are two-handers and human-led stories, perhaps tense, gritty and suspenseful narratives or aspirational romances.
“I’ve seen a couple of really great lockdown thriller ideas. I’m sure there’ll be some great conspiracy dramas and lockdown romances too,” says Ceri Meyrick, a drama producer at the BBC.
The shared common denominator of shows like these is promoting a sense of togetherness in the face of strife. A sense of community, camaraderie and kinship.
Ceri says this style of mid-Covid-19 drama writing will be defined by “lighter touches.”
“Commissioners are talking about wanting “uplifting” drama after all this” - Ceri Meyrick, a drama producer at the BBC
Advertisement
“I can only speak for myself and some commissioners and writers I’ve talked to recently, but I would like to see the positive parts of the experience – the sense of shared experience, the sense of community and mutual support,” she says. “Commissioners are talking about wanting ‘uplifting’ drama after all this.”
EastEnders has an opportunity to rethink how it may incorporate the virus into its storylines as the show falls off air for the first time since 1985 BBC
One such drama inspired by the lockdown is called Indefinitely, by the indie production company Blackbox Multimedia. “
We have managed to assemble a fantastic cast and crew who share our desire to make something that reflects on the time rather than exploits it,” says the project’s writer Jackson Gregory.
“It seems far more pertinent to focus in on characters living through the crisis, rather than the crisis itself, as that is where the real drama can be found.”
Advertisement
Telling human-led stories rather than relying on the specifics of the virus isn’t only producing greater drama, it’s also fundamental for writers and producers while we remain amid the virus, with news headlines changing hourly.
At worst case, attempting to recreate the virus in drama could backfire, with shows being out of date before they air due to dramatic changes in lockdown rules around social distancing, or returning to the workplace.
“I anticipate a rise in scripts relating in some way to Covid - but not necessarily in the form of a Chernobyl-like virus-focused drama” - Celine Cotran, director
It may be years before we see a show specifically about the virus, not only because of practical challenges but because frankly, who wants to relive it so soon after it’s just happened, asks Celine Cotran, director of Indefinitely.
“I would certainly anticipate a rise in scripts relating in some way to Covid, but not necessarily in the form of a Chernobyl-like virus-focused drama,” she reflects. “Or at least not for another few years, before we see what it will actually leave in its wake.”
Advertisement
While we wait, the industry has the more immediately pressing question of getting back to work to overcome. As studios around the world lie dormant, writers continue to enjoy a period of introspection and calm.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Pink Perfectly Roasts Donald Trump After Huge Crowds Fail To Show Up To ‘Donkey Show’ Rally

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The US president’s re-election campaign was expecting to sell out the 19,000-capacity BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but there were plenty of empty seats - and that didn’t go unnoticed by the singer who has played the same venue in the past.
Advertisement
Pink NINA PROMMER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“I think In sold that same place out in five minutes,” Pink tweeted, adding the hashtag #donkeyshow.
I think I sold that same place out in five minutes. 😹 #donkeyshow pic.twitter.com/JNOwjIQ3hB — P!nk (@Pink) June 21, 2020
In fact, the crowd was so unexpectedly small that Trump’s campaign cancelled a speech to the “overflow” crowd outside the centre because there wasn’t enough attendees.
Trump’s campaign blamed the decision to cancel the “overflow” event on protesters.
The Tulsa event, the first Trump rally to take place in months, was held against the advice of Trump’s own coronavirus task force, which had urged White House officials to cancel the event amid fears it might spread coronavirus.
Advertisement
The president’s aides previously claimed that more than 1 million people wanted tickets to the main rally inside the BOK Center.
Some anti-Trump supporters registered for tickets to deliberately inflate demand...
Shout out to the k-pop stans and tik tok zoomers who mass requested #TulsaTrumpRally tickets and made them dramatically overestimate the number of people coming.
Team Trump has produced the political version of the Fyre Festival.#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/wDouM05QnH — Socialist Boomer (@SocialistBoomer) June 21, 2020
i have three teenagers. two of them have a pair of tix each to @realDonaldTrump’s rally in tulsa; they registered to spoof POTUS & his campaign. one of them is sitting at dinner now, laughing and saying teens around the united states fooled the man. https://t.co/akLU9o8u3f — C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) June 21, 2020
Same here, but 2 teens. (All their friends, IRL and online, did as well.) After they registered for tix, the campaign sent them texts asking for $$. My kids' responses would make a sailor blush.
So proud. — ILikeTheNumbersWhereTheyAre JP (@pick617) June 21, 2020
Here's the millions of people who couldn't get into the arena. Two million people have disguised themselves as a fire truck.#TulsaTrumpRally pic.twitter.com/lG95LG1nDn — Martin drinks like an adult. (@BigBlackGED) June 21, 2020
Advertisement
I saw larger crowds fighting over #toiletpaper in the grocery aisles than at the #TulsaTrumpRally.
What happened? — Scott Huffman For Congress (@HuffmanForNC) June 21, 2020
Pink has made it clear over the years she is not a fan of Trump.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--I Was A Doctor In Syria’s Civil War. Now I’m On The NHS’ Coronavirus Frontline

Ahmad, at work at Royal Oldham Hospital HuffPost UK
Helping people is something I have also wanted to do.
After studying medicine at the University of Aleppo back home in Syria. Unfortunately, the civil war began in my country during my final years of training and myself and my colleagues soon found ourselves dealing with casualties of this conflict on a daily basis.
This was an incredibly difficult time for all medical staff both psychologically and physically. Aleppo was besieged by government forces and we were working to save people often without any medical equipment or resources. The bombing was relentless and we always had new patients, without any time to rest. My job was to assess patients and figure out what we could do to treat them, such as scanning for signs of internal bleeding in the body. Sometimes we had nothing we could do, apart from giving some of the limited pain relief we had to try and make people comfortable.
Advertisement
As conditions worsened and with my family’s life in danger, we made the decision to seek safety in another country. Hearing about how dangerous this journey could be – thousands have died on such a journey – I had to make the most difficult decision of my life: to leave my wife and daughter in the safest place we could find while I set out in search of a safe place to call home for my family, and somewhere I could continue my ambition to work as a doctor.
“Almost exactly five years after arriving in the UK, I passed all the exams needed to practice medicine in the UK last September.”
I set out and after a long, dreadful journey arrived in the UK in October 2014. Granted refugee status in late December 2014, I was then able to apply for my wife and eldest daughter to join me. They are now living safe with me, thankfully, in a life away from the war. My wife, Bayan, is studying hard to learn English and has just started work as an accountant, with my eldest daughter working hard at school. We’ve also had a younger daughter who was born in the UK and who is getting ready to start nursery in September.
With my family safe, I began to focus on becoming a doctor again. Passing the exams and getting through the process to work as a doctor in the UK has been an incredibly long, challenging and expensive process, even if, like me, you have lots of experience and all the right skills.
Advertisement
Thanks to the REACHE North West Programme, I got the support I needed financially to afford all the different exams and courses. Without them, I would never have qualified. Almost exactly five years after arriving in the UK, I passed all the exams needed to practice medicine in the UK last September. Just a few weeks later, I began working at Royal Oldham Hospital as a junior doctor.
Ahmad, with his family HuffPost UK
The hospital was great, introducing me to all the new NHS systems and refreshing a few skills after a long gap of not working. The health care system in the UK is one of the best in the world. I am very proud of the NHS and we are lucky to have it, because not every country does.
It was a great feeling to be back helping patients and then, suddenly, everything began to change. As the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we started to treat patients, I realised it would be a very difficult time for all of us. Very few of us had worked in such a crisis situation before – and I had a mixture of both fear and determination. Fear, because we didn’t know what was going to happen or how bad things could be. Determination, to ensure we help as many people as possible and knowing that I’d been in and overcome these difficult situations before.
I began working in the Covid wards pretty quickly, dealing with patients that have the disease on a daily basis. I still remember the first patient which I had been asked to check by a nurse during my first night shift at A&E. At that moment, while I didn’t have much experience in this exact field, I refused to let the panic overwhelm me. Instead, I remembered the difficult times back at home where we were treating people as we were bombed by missiles, as the hospital I worked at was considered as a target by the Syrian government’s army.
Advertisement
I’ve been very proud to help during this pandemic. I believe it’s my duty as a doctor anyway, but I feel that hopefully in some way I have been able to repay back the kindness and generosity this country has shown me and my family.
Dr Ahmad Alomar sought sanctuary in the UK as a refugee from Syria in 2014. He now lives in Manchester with his wife and two children, and works as a doctor at Royal Oldham Hospital.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--The Inside Story Of Government U-Turns – And What They Mean For Boris Johnson

Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
“You turn if you want to. The lady’s not for turning,” Margaret Thatcher told the Tory faithful in Brighton as part of her famous 1980 speech to Conservative Party conference.
Advertisement
The divisive former PM did not do compromise – not on privatisation, industry or her hated poll tax – and, in the end, that unyielding leadership style saw “the iron lady” ousted.
Fast-forward 40 years and there is a very different Conservative prime minister in Downing Street.
He won power on a landslide victory in December, taking so-called “red wall” former Labour seats by pledging to “level up” state spending and “get Brexit done”.
The former London mayor, it seems, is unafraid of U-turns.
On Monday, it was the turn of education secretary Gavin Williamson to admit defeat after five days of clinging on to the controversial A-level algorithm that had seen 100,000 students marked down.
Advertisement
In the midst of a global pandemic, and government and civil servants stretched to capacity, some turbulence is to be expected.
But with economic disaster looming on the horizon and the Covid emergency wages scheme set to be scaled down, is Johnson playing a dangerous game signposting his flexibility to voters, opponents and even his own backbenchers?
The backlash to Osborne's pasty tax was huge The backlash to Osborne's pasty tax was huge
David Gauke was exchequer secretary to the Treasury in 2012 when chancellor George Osborne’s notorious “omnishambles” budget collided heavily with public opinion.
The government eventually buckled over plans to charge VAT on hot takeaway food – more commonly referred to as “the pasty tax”.
Advertisement
Gauke recalls sitting opposite Osborne, then viewed as Cameron’s likely successor, as No.11 weighed up whether to stick or twist given “the political capital we were expending”.
Theresa May’s former justice minister thought the tax was “justified” but questioned whether it was “worth going to war with The Sun every day for and worth alienating a lot of your own MPs for”, Gauke said.
He told HuffPost UK: “The conclusion we came to was that trying to persevere with the particular policy was going to cause considerable political damage for what was a relatively small sum of money.”
Having to accept defeat is tough for ministers, but even more difficult for backbenchers who can feel remote from policy decisions, says Gauke,
It is something the former MP says Johnson – who is accused of delegating to a small number of ministers listening to his top adviser Dominic Cummings over MPs – must bear in mind.
Advertisement
“You take a deep breath and you do it,” says Gauke. “Sometimes, it is part of the job of being a minister. You hope not to be in that position and you have to make the best of it, but it is harder for backbenchers.
“It can really damage their confidence if they went in to defend the policy and then were made to look foolish.”
Gauke believes many of the U-turns have been the fault of a relatively inexperienced cabinet, who were all under pressure when the PM was seriously ill with coronavirus.
He also warned the public will increasingly ask: “If you have money for the furlough scheme, then why wouldn’t you give money for this?” should the about-turns continue.
Students wearing face masks take part in a protest in Westminster in London over the government's handling of A-level results, university provision and bleak employment prospects. PA
Advertisement
“Boris Johnson as prime minister was always going to delegate more than others – but there is only so much of that you can do,” he said.
“If you are going to follow that Ronald Reagan model, you have to have a very competent top team around you.
“In the end, the system depends heavily on the prime minister providing the necessary leadership and that is tough in these circumstances, particularly if you are not fighting fit.”
Two U-turns defined the premiership of former Labour PM Gordon Brown ahead of his 2010 election defeat – abolishing the 10p tax rate, and “the election that never was”.
Stewart Wood was his top adviser in 2008 when Labour backbenchers threatened to rebel over how the 10p rate would hit some of the UK’s poorest.
Advertisement
The policy had been drawn up a year earlier when Brown was chancellor, but the newly-minted PM’s defence that it formed “part of a package” was wearing thin with MPs.
Matters came to an excruciatingly high-profile head for Brown at a press conference in Washington, where he was taking questions alongside then US president George W Bush.
Gordon Brown (L) shakes hands with with US president George W Bush during a joint press conference at the White House, April 17, 2008. Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images
“I was with Gordon at the White House rose garden and here was the BBC’s [then political editor] Nick Robinson asking about the 10p tax rate when we were supposed to be talking about the special relationship,” says Wood, now a Labour peer.
Afterwards, Bush joked with Brown: “I thought they were talking about Tempe, Arizona,” while Wood and the PM took calls from Labour whips as Angela Smith, then parliamentary private secretary to Yvette Cooper, threatened to resign.
Advertisement
“It was horrible,” remembers Wood. “It was an embarrassing time for the government – no doubt about it.”
Worse for Brown, and his standing with the public, was his U-turn on an early election, which came in the months after he took over from Tony Blair.
“For the first few months, his different style was exactly what the public wanted – his unflashiness, his control freakery was popular for a while. He was 10 or 12 points ahead,” said Wood.
Brown believed he could use his popularity to press on David Cameron’s sores – the modernising Tory leader was thought to be in trouble with the old guard – and his press secretary Damian McBride briefed that an early poll was on the cards.
Later, an examination of the party’s election war chest and a sharp drop in the polls meant he “got cold feet”.
Advertisement
“It was a pressure tactic against the Tories but the big mistake he made was letting the briefing go on for too long,” said Wood.
Brown’s image as a strong leader suffered irreparable damage, demonstrating that while some U-turns can be popular, if they expose a lack of judgement or pinpoint a leader’s perceived flaws, they can be fatal.
Wood believes that, while Johnson’s U-turns so far have not damaged him, the decision to stick by Cummings, who provoked widespread public anger when he broke lockdown by visiting Durham, could return to haunt him.
Johnson was elected because of promises to “throw money at the red wall”. But like the financial crash in 2008, coronavirus has “swept away that political terrain”.
It is being forced to shift away from that solemn promise – or a failure to “get Brexit done” – that Johnson may fear most.
Advertisement
Former Lib Dem leader Vince Cable, who served as business secretary during the coalition years, knows this from painful experience.
He told HuffPost UK government can be difficult when “you march everyone up to the top of the hill only to have to march them down again”.
But U-turns that clearly demonstrate a leader breaking promises can be worse.
His party’s decision to back a hike in university tuition fees – something Nick Clegg had promised students he would not do – destroyed trust.
Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg attends a photo call before addressing the Scottish Party conference on March 5, 2010, in Perth, Scotland, on the manifesto – which included refusing to back an increase in student tuition fees. Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images
The Lib Dems were left with just eight out of their previous 57 seats after the 2015 election.
Like Johnson’s battle with his own party’s Remainers and fiscal conservatives, Clegg and Cable fought to convince activists not to tack left and force the party to back free tuition in 2010. Unlike the PM, however, they failed.
Advertisement
“I was absolutely adamant it was a terrible idea because there was no way we could deliver it in government,” says Cable.
“It was then profoundly difficult. We had broken a pledge and there was no way to disguise it.”
Johnson’s anti-austerity stance – for example, he backed the living wage as London mayor – is part of his brand.
Cable adds: “What would cause real damage and political damage is if, having opened up the floodgates with the furlough scheme, they panic in the autumn budget and crack down on spending.
“People will get really angry.”
The former MP for Twickenham says the public may be more accepting of a change in direction than they were in Thatcher’s era, but adds that as PM during an unprecedented moment in British history Johnson has a responsibility to be transparent with the public.
“Grown up governments accept that when the circumstances change, you have to change policy.
“If you have done a U-turn, you have to be honest and have the confidence in your judgement to be able to go out and explain it.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--We Helped Tackle Loneliness In Lockdown. Now’s Not The Time To Stop.

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Lockdown has given many people an insight into what true loneliness feels like. Single parents and people living alone recorded the highest level of loneliness in the past few months, a survey found, with women more likely to experience it than men.
Advertisement
Loneliness isn’t a new issue, of course, but lockdown has exacerbated it. Those with health conditions that make them more vulnerable, as well as older people, have been forced to stay indoors for months. Single parents haven’t been able to source support from grandparents. People living alone have relied on phone calls and Zoom quizzes for company. For some, their homes have become their prisons.
The Clap for Carers initiative was successful in bringing millions of neighbours together on their doorsteps. As much as it was about saying ‘thank you’ to key workers, it also became a moment of connection for those isolated from everyone else.
Lockdown has posed challenges in how we support those experiencing loneliness. With traditional routes like visiting or meeting for coffee no longer allowed, people have gone back to basics – with phone calls, letters and chats over the fence with a neighbour.
Befriending helplines have also been a lifeline for some. James Carlin, director of charity 3SG, started Compassionate Community – an initiative bringing people together in Bath and North East Somerset to support each other.
Advertisement
Carlin was inspired to launch it after noticing many people were lonely when he was delivering food and medicine to them. The befriending service meant vulnerable people would receive a call a few times a week for a 45-minute chat.
The majority of volunteers are now calling back the same people, having established a relationship with them, “which is testament to the Compassionate Community we are now building for the longer term,” says Carlin.
Lucy Lambriex via Getty Images
Cheshire charity, Older People Active Lives (OPAL), also set up a befriending line for members. Volunteer James Wilkinson, 71, from Runcorn, has been helping out. “I call a man in his 80s called Les once a week who’s on his own,” he says. “I’m usually quite active so I enjoy talking to Les as it breaks the monotony.
“We have a good chat about sport or the weather and he says I keep him sane.”
Duncan Round, 61, moved in with his 92-year-old mother, who has dementia, during lockdown to care for her. He struggled with loneliness, too, but found support through a virtual community of carers aligned to OPAL. “One chap struck up independent WhatsApp calls on football, music and life,” he says.
Advertisement
They also had weekly Zoom calls – and the charity even found a hairdresser to offer tips for doing his mum’s hair, “which was useful as I had no idea how to use curlers and mousse,” says Round.
“I call a man in his eighties called Les once a week who’s on his own.” - James Wilkinson, befriending volunteer
Younger people have faced loneliness during lockdown, too, which is why Sara Dewhurst, based in Whalley, Lancashire, set up The Resilience Nest, a Facebook group to offer support to anyone who needed it.
Dewhurst is a health psychologist in training, with past experience facilitating mental health groups for the charity Mind. “I keep the group number small, as it helps the ladies feel confident in sharing how they feel,” she explains. “We have regular mood check-ins, we share our personal experiences and what helps us get out of a funk, we have virtual coffee mornings and I teach the group effective and healthy coping techniques to help get through lockdown.”
Serena, 33, who is a member of the group, says: “It’s been so helpful to know you’re not the only one feeling a rollercoaster of emotions in this time! I’ve gone from being employed to unemployed and living alone – it’s been tough. Sara has given us helpful activities and ways of coping and distracting our brains.”
Advertisement
For Robert Hacking, who works for the Campaign to End Loneliness, keeping an eye on his neighbours has been important.
During lockdown, Hacking spotted a neighbour, John, wasn’t watering his garden as much, and his curtains were opening later – so, he called him to check in. John said he was worried because three hospital appointments had been cancelled and he hadn’t seen anyone in days. Hacking invited him to a socially-distanced supper in his garden. His neighbour was over the moon, and said it was the first social interaction he’d had since lockdown started.
These tactics to tackle loneliness during the pandemic have been great, but the concern is that our efforts will lose momentum as things go back to normal. Hacking worries older people will be left behind. “Younger people want to get back to the life they had prior to coronavirus,” he says.
“I fear there is an age divide developing, and older people who are prone to loneliness – and more likely to become isolated – will not be helped unless people maintain the community spirit the pandemic started and notice changes in people’s habits in their local community.
“All it then takes is a quick chat to connect and ask them if everything is still alright – you could make someone’s day.”
Advertisement
So, how can we keep it up?
There are many ways for all of us to stay connected – phone calls, emails, Zoom chats. But we can also be doing more in our own neighbourhoods.
If you know of someone who lives alone, why not invite them over to sit in the garden and have a socially-distanced cuppa? They can bring their own beverages and cups, or even snacks, to reduce risk.
Create, or keep using, WhatsApp groups with neighbours, family or friends –share how you’re getting on and ask others how they are, Hacking suggests. Use Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch; and carry on the phone and video calls with grandparents, older friends and relatives who may still need to isolate in the coming months. Laughing and sharing memories can be a big help.
“I’ve always recognised that staying in touch with friends, family and loved ones is so important,” says Hacking. “That said, we also need to remember to keep checking in on our neighbours and those who live alone both in our local community and further afield.”
Joining befriending schemes, continuing to support people through Covid-19 mutual aid groups, and supporting charities who help those at risk of loneliness are more great ways to help. There are also plenty of letter-writing schemes to join such as Letters for the NHS, or a government-run scheme enabling people to write letters to those isolating in their homes.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--'Where's Daddy?' How To Answer The Dad Question If There Never Was One

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
When Natasha Fox was in primary school, she used to make a card for her granddad each Father’s Day. She remembers asking her mum why she didn’t have a daddy, and her mum’s explanation that they were “a mummy and daughter” family.
Advertisement
“I never felt that anything was missing,” Natasha, now 28, recalls. “When people asked what my dad did, I’d explain I didn’t have one. Sometimes I’d say a doctor helped to make me, and my mum had to clarify I wasn’t the outcome of an affair because assisted conception was so rare in those days.”
My daughter Astrid, age three, asks similar questions about where her daddy is. For now, there doesn’t seem to be an emotional load attached and she also frequently calls me Daddy Bear when I make her porridge.
I find my answer is an echo through time of the one given by Fox’s mother, Carol. “We’re a mummy, Astrid and Xavi family,” I explain, as I tell her about a donor who helped make her.
Advertisement
Carol Fox’s decision to become a solo mum after being diagnosed with ovarian cysts was so unusual in the 1990s that she appeared on the front page of the Daily Record.
The lawyer and author of Memoirs of a Feminist Mother, who lives in Edinburgh, had family support through 29 cycles of IVF. She made her daughter a storybook to explain her origins, something I too plan to do.
Carol Fox Carol Fox and her daughter Natasha as a young child.
“When my daughter asked about her dad, I told her about her donor so I gave her the language to own her story,” Carol says. “I taught her that it was up to her what she wanted to share, and that she didn’t have to justify anything.”
Children’s curiosity about dads is as varied and personal as children themselves. Sarah*’s daughter Louise, age eight, is from a two mum family in Brighton. “When she was very small she thought all men were daddies and would say ‘hi daddy’,” Sarah remembers.
“We introduced the fact she had a donor early. She met him a couple of years ago. I felt threatened that she might feel abandoned, or become obsessed with him. But she’s been unfussed. Maybe it’s slightly easier with two of us: we’re very much her world and she’s focused on us.”
Advertisement
When Louise plays with her toys there will sometimes be a ‘daddy,’ but Sarah’s never seen her imagine two mums. “There’s usually no parents at all, though.”
“When my daughter asked about her dad, I gave her the language to own her story” - Carol Fox
For Christelle Chamoutin, whose son Etienne is nine, the first question came one day during nursery pickup round the corner from their north London home.
“He asked if the ‘nice man’ loved him. I explained that he didn’t know him, so couldn’t love him,” she remembers. “Etienne is open to saying he doesn’t have a dad and answering questions. Once he told me that he wished he had a dad to talk to and do things together. We talked about it recently and I asked if he was sad not to have a dad. He told me he used to be but he’s okay now. Every time my heart breaks into little pieces but I hide it.”
Olivia Montuschi, co-founder of the Donor Conception Network charity, says questions about dads start at around two. “Questions should be answered honestly but simply, leaving space for a child to ask questions,” she suggests.
Advertisement
“Negative or sad responses need listening to rather than shutting down or being met with over-emphatic positive ones. Some mums have coached their children to say things like, ‘You don’t have to have a dad. My mum got some sperm from the hospital to make me.’ Others coach their children to refer any enquirer to them: ‘I don’t have a dad. You ask my mum.’”
Montuschi continues: “Early teenage years can be particularly difficult when many young people don’t want to stand out. By middle to older teenage years there is usually an acceptance of who they are.”
Carol Fox’s advice is to be “confident and happy with your circumstances”. She says that then, ultimately, your children will understand there’s no problem.
Carol Fox Carol and Natasha at her graduation day.
As Carol’s daughter Natasha grew up, she became more curious about her donor. “I never felt that I had an absent father, but I was frustrated at knowing so little,” she explains.
Advertisement
Until UK law changed in 2004, babies conceived using donor sperm, eggs or embryos did not have the right to contact their donors when they turned 18.
“There’s a huge gulf between being a donor and a dad... some people still don’t get that all you need in a family is love” - Natasha Fox
Natasha, who lives in north London, is now trying to trace her donor, though she believes the chances are low.
“There’s a huge gulf between being a donor and a dad and it’s shocking that some people still don’t get that all you need in a family is love. But I want to find out if we look alike and share similarities,” says Natasha who has met with a genetic half sister she found through a DNA website and found it striking how much they have in common.
Father’s Day can be difficult for children in families with no visible dad, says Montuschi. “One teenager told me it always feels weird. Not traumatic, just strange. Another said he was encouraged by his mum and teacher to make a card for his male cat!”
Advertisement
Now, on Father’s Day, Natasha says she finds herself wondering what her donor thinks. “I don’t expect him to consider himself a father of me, but a man who gave my mum a chance to have a family and live the life she wanted.”
*Name changed on request of anonymity
5 Books For Children About Families
Families come in all shapes and sizes. These books – suitable for a range of different age-groups – are great at communicating that.
The Family Book by Todd Parr (under fives).
The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith (4—11 year-olds).
What Makes A Baby by Cory Silverberg (2-6 year-olds)
Just The Baby For Me by Barbara Levin (2-7 year-olds)


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-20--Three People Killed In Reading Knife Attack

Thomas Hornall and Ted Hennessey / PA Media

Police at Forbury Gardens in Reading town centre where they are responding to a suspected terror attack PA
Three people have been killed and another three are seriously injured after multiple stabbings in Reading town centre, police have confirmed.
Thames Valley Police said a 25-year-old man from Reading was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody.
Advertisement
The attack took place at around 7pm in Forbury Gardens, and is not currently being treated as terror-related.
Detective chief superintendent Ian Hunter said: “We have made one arrest and at this stage we are not looking for any other people in connection with this incident.
“There is no intelligence to suggest that there is any further danger to the public, however we urge people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious by calling police.”
At least two casualties are being treated in the emergency department of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, a spokesperson told PA news agency.
Advertisement
Graphic footage shared on social media showed a bloodied scene as a person gave chest compressions to a victim on the ground. Thames Valley Police and the National Police Chiefs Council have urged people not to share pictures of video alleged to show the attack or aftermath.
Two air ambulances and several police vehicles responded to the attack, with images on social media showing a significant police presence.
Boris Johnson tweeted: “My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was “deeply concerned” by the reports emerging from the attack while business secretary and MP for Reading West Alok Sharma also took to social media to thank emergency services.
Sharma tweeted: “My thoughts are very much with all at @ThamesVP and others who are dealing with this incident and those who have been affected.”
Advertisement
One eyewitness, who said he was about 10 metres from the scene, said the attack looked “completely random”.
Lawrence Wort, 20, a personal trainer from Chippenham, told PA: “So the park was pretty full, a lot of people sat around drinking with friends when one lone person walked through, suddenly shouted some unintelligible words and went around a large group of around 10, trying to stab them.
“He stabbed three of them, severely in the neck, and under the arms, and then turned and started running towards me, and we turned and started running.
“When he realised that he couldn’t catch us, he tried to stab another group sat down, he got one person in the back of the neck and then when he realised everyone was starting to run, he ran out the park.”
The leader of Reading Council Jason Brock tweeted: “Concerning reports from Reading town centre – please stay clear of the area as Police are dealing with a serious incident.”
Advertisement
Freelance journalist Claire Gould, 33, who lives near the scene, told PA she saw the emergency air ambulance vehicles land on the nearby Kings Meadow on Saturday evening as a police helicopter circled overhead.
She described hearing lots of sirens and said surrounding roads and a retail park had been cordoned off by officers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Campaigners Blast Police As Black Driver Is Pulled Over On Suspicion Of Using Vaseline To Smuggle Dr

Campaigners Blast Police As Black Driver Is Pulled Over On Suspicion Of Using Vaseline To Smuggle Drugs

Vaseline search Screenshot
Campaigners have criticised the Metropolitan police after a video showed officers detaining a Black driver on suspicion of using Vaseline from his car to smuggle drugs inside his bottom.
The two minute clip – which gained over one million views – was filmed on Friday afternoon in south-east London and showed the man in handcuffs.
Advertisement
Some six officers were at the scene on Bromley Road and a van was parked nearby, while people began to congregate and film the incident.
When one bystander asked why the man was being stopped and searched, an officer said: “to search someone we have to have reasonable grounds to suspect. One of those things in this scenario is that there’s Vaseline in the car.”
“Commonly (...) sadly a lot of people do like to plug drugs up their bum. To get it up there they’d like lubricant and that lubricant, a lot of the time, is Vaseline,” the officer continued.
“So that is one of the reasons that made us suspect that has made us suspect that he may be in possession of drugs.”
Advertisement
The bystander proceeded to ask the officer whether she saw the Vaseline when they drove past the man shortly before the clip ends.
Imagine getting Nicked because you’ve got Vaseline in your car. We’re fighting a losing battle at this point pic.twitter.com/wznAM75HnY — BLACK LIVES MATTER ✊🏿 (@imjustbait) June 20, 2020
Viewers swiftly condemned the force and accused officers of racially profiling the driver, a 24-year-old man.
One user wrote: “For the love of jesus! This is a product most black people use @metpoliceuk are as thick as two flipping short planks and @Sadiqkhan must make some changes and it starts with employing officers with more than half a brain cell!!”
The Labour Party’s Black Women Network wrote: “Calmly challenge all of it, everywhere you encounter it. Often it’s not this blatant. Black people calling for police help can often end up being harassed, provoked, vilified, labelled as vexatious, sectioned, tasered, arrested, brutalised, killed & they wonder why there is no trust!”
Advertisement
Another person added: “I have Vaseline in my car right now. And I’ve had Vaseline in my car for years. I’ve never been stopped for this reason. And if I was, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t result in 6 police officers, a police van and myself in handcuffs. Wonder why?”
The Met said the driver was pulled over as he was “deemed to be driving suspiciously” but refused to exit the vehicle and cooperate with officers.
After some time, he exited the car and was informed he was being detained for the purposes of a search under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
According to the force, the driver obstructed the search and after time spent engaging with him, he “refused to cooperate” and he was arrested for obstruction. Once the situation had deescalated, the man was de-arrested.
Due to a large crowd gathering in the vicinity, it was decided the search would take place at a police station where he was said to have again obstructed officers. He was rearrested for the offence and subsequently charged with obstructing a search.
Advertisement
Video is too long for me to upload just one so I broke it down.. but here is an example of what being a YOUNG BLACK KING in this unjust society is like. pic.twitter.com/459SkloVa7 — Yeng. (@ObVents) June 19, 2020
The young man is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on 14 August.
A Met spokesperson told HuffPost UK: Police are aware of a video circulating on social media that shows part of the incident.
“Each stop and search is dealt with on its own merits at the discretion of the individual officers involved, taking into account various aspects including behaviour and compliance.
“Officers have to make these judgement calls regularly on a daily basis, often in difficult circumstances.”
“They understand that their actions will be scrutinised as they go about their work and that the public have the right to hold them to account where appropriate,” the spokesperson added.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--UK Records 43 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 42,632

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 42,632 – an increase of 43 over 24 hours.
Advertisement
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Saturday and do not include all deaths involving coronavirus across the UK.
Only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, which means anyone who died with a suspected case would not be recorded.
As of 9am 21 June, there have been 7,890,145 tests, with 175,018 tests on 20 June.
304,331 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 20 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,632 have sadly died.
More info:
▶ https://t.co/r2YbE2e3O8 pic.twitter.com/dqxWq6OHAi — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 21, 2020
The Department of Health and Social Care reported that another 1,221 people had tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the UK total to 304,331.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Manchester Shooting: Double Murder Inquiry Launched As Second Victim Dies

PA
Police are investigating a double murder which followed a lockdown street gathering of “hundreds of people” in Manchester.
A 36-year-old man died after reports of a shooting near Caythorpe Street, Moss Side, at about 12.55am on Sunday.
Advertisement
A 21-year-old was also taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but died later on Sunday, Greater Manchester Police said.
No arrests have been made.
A cordon is in place surrounding a residential courtyard between Caythorpe Street, Broadfield Road and Bowes Street.
A forensic tent partially covered a Skoda car, with litter strewn across the ground including bottles of alcohol and canisters of laughing gas, also known as “hippy crack”.
PA
Advertisement
Footage on social media of the gathering shows a crowd of revellers tightly packed in the courtyard in darkness and dancing to loud music.
Detective Inspector Andrew Butterworth said: “Firstly, our thoughts are with the victims’ loved ones, who are understandably devastated.
“A thorough and fast-paced investigation is already well under way to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident and arrest those responsible. As we speak, dedicated teams of officers are carrying out house to house inquiries and reviewing CCTV.
“We are aware that, in the hours before this incident, there was a community event in Moss Side. This event was monitored by Greater Manchester Police in conjunction with partner agencies – it was not an illegal rave and it had concluded prior to this incident.”
Butterworth said officers are aware that a number of people were in the area at the time of the incident. He appealed for them, and anyone else with information, to come forward.
Advertisement
“Finally, I would like to use this opportunity to offer the community some reassurance,” he added.
“I understand this news will cause concern but there will be an increased police presence in the area throughout today and the coming week – I would encourage anyone with any concerns at all to speak.”
PA
A primary school teacher, who lives a couple of streets away, said he heard loud music from about 10pm and that it continued past midnight as he and his wife went to bed.
The man, who did not wish to be named, said: “It’s a really normal neighbourhood with an occasional spike in violence.
“I had a walk out to see what was happening and I would say there were hundreds of people around but I did see police patrols. Later, we heard an helicopter overhead.”
Advertisement
He said he did not feel a need to call 999 because the police were already there, but others did and were reportedly told that officers were unable to break the party up because it was too large.
PA
Another neighbour said they saw a DJ in the courtyard with music equipment.
Earlier this week, Greater Manchester Police vowed to take “serious action” to deter more illegal raves after two gatherings in Trafford and Oldham last weekend.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-21--Ansel Elgort Issues Statement Denying Allegation Of Sexual Assault

Ansel Elgort has denied an accusation of sexual assault made against him.
The 26-year-old actor posted a statement to Instagram on Saturday following an allegation on Twitter by an individual who said that they had been sexually assaulted by him in 2014, when they were 17 and he was 20.
The Baby Driver star said he was “distressed to see the social media posts about [him] that have been circulating in the past 24 hours” and said that the woman’s “description of events is simply not what happened”.
Ansel Elgort EMPICS Entertainment
Advertisement
“I have never and would never assault anyone,” he said, but confirmed that he and the girl did have “a brief, legal and entirely consensual relationship”.
“Unfortunately, I did not handle the breakup well. I stopped responding to her, which is an immature and cruel thing to do to someone. I know this belated apology does not absolve me of my unacceptable behavior when I disappeared,” he wrote.
“As I look back at my attitude, I am disgusted and deeply ashamed of the way I acted. I am truly sorry. I know I must continue to reflect, learn, and work to grow in empathy.”
Advertisement
The alleged victim, calling herself Gabby, claimed in a now-deleted tweet that she had private-messaged Ansel on Twitter, before he invited her to message him on his private Snapchat account.
She also shared a photo of what appeared to be herself with the actor and screenshots of some messages she alleged were between her and the star.