thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Shamima Begum Being Stripped Of Citizenship Causes Unease Among British People With Foreign Heritage

Shamima Begum Being Stripped Of Citizenship Causes Unease Among British People With Foreign Heritage Of A ‘Two-Tier System’

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Shamima Begum losing the first stage of her appeal against the government’s decision to remove her UK citizenship has caused concern among people who believe it sets a dangerous precedent.
Begum, now 20, left London in 2015, aged 15, to join Islamic State and was discovered in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019.
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Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid stripped her of her UK citizenship and a tribunal ruled that Ms Begum could be stripped of her nationality because she had not been left stateless.
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), a semi-secret court which hears national security cases, said she could instead turn to Bangladesh for citizenship.
But Bangladesh’s ministry of foreign affairs said in February 2019 that Begum was not a Bangladeshi citizen and there was “no question” of her being allowed into the country.
However, the decision has disturbed many who have taken to social media to voice their concerns and belief that it gives the message that there is a two-tier citizenship system: one for white British citizens and another for citizens with any foreign heritage.
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If Shamima Begum is losing her right to British citizenship because "she is a citizen of Bangladesh by descent", then what does that mean for every British national who has foreign-heritage thru their parents? It means their citizenship is never secure. https://t.co/muskofdtZr — Dr Zubaida Haque (@Zubhaque) February 7, 2020
Shamima Begum was 15 when she was groomed online, was born & grew up in Britain & has never been to Bangladesh
If she was called Sarah Brown she wd never have had her citizenship stripped. She obv remains British & not Bangladeshi however Orwellian citizenship law & policy is — Omar Khan (@omaromalleykhan) February 7, 2020
So re Shamima Begum - those of you with a parent born abroad are happy Priti Patel can strip you of your British citizenship, the only one you hold? Do you trust this government not to shift the goalposts on who gets it stripped? — marcus (@marcusjdl) February 7, 2020
There is no question that Shamima Begum’s crimes requires a heavy penalty.
But it is illegal under international law to strip anyone of their statehood.
Leaving them stateless.
Why does the UK not trust its own judicial system to deal with this? https://t.co/nybVzj3mTu — Dr. Jennifer Cassidy (@OxfordDiplomat) February 7, 2020
Shamima Begum ia a British citizen by birth and a Bangladeshi citizen by descent. The Bangladesh government refuses to recognise her as a citizen, and the British government revoked her British citizenship. Is she stateless or not? Who knows. But nobody should feel happy. https://t.co/3O85Hhl9qY — Yuan Yi Zhu (@yuanyi_z) February 7, 2020
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And it means for British nationals who have foreign-heritage, their British citizenship will always be conditional - and not equal to their white British/indigenous counterparts #shamimabegum — Dr Zubaida Haque (@Zubhaque) February 7, 2020
Let’s recall Boris Johnson was born in in 1964 in New York. He didn’t settle in the UK until 1969.
If Shamima Begum is losing her right to British citizenship because "she is a citizen of Bangladesh by descent", then surely Johnson could also lose his rights? https://t.co/d1k0H320Ni — “SIR” John Clarke (@JohnClarke1960) February 8, 2020
The government are stripping Shamima Begum of her rightful citizenship because she is a descendent from Bangladesh? This is slipping into mass deportations aka Nazi Germany. So I could have my citizenship revoked because I am from Jamaican ancestry?https://t.co/71qERS9Dvg — Nick (@Nclarke30) February 7, 2020
The Shamima Begum case is probably the most frightening one I've seen in a long time. Lots of news stories horrify me, but the ruling on her having her British citizenship denied gives me a special shiver of doom. Racism is law, my friends. People support it too. — Claudia Boleyn🌹Labour🌹 (@ClaudiaBoleyn) February 7, 2020
This Shamima Begum thing has basically confirmed what we’ve always known. You’re not British if you’re not white 🤷🏿♂ — Yasin (@Serriusbleck) February 7, 2020
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Anyone who happens to have parents born in another country can be deprived of their UK citizenship - even if they were born in the UK and never visited their parents' home country. As a policy, it has a racial discriminatory feel to it. https://t.co/vB4KDO9BgA — Robert Verkaik (@robertverkaik1) February 7, 2020
But others feel it is justified and right that Begum has lost her right to British citizenship and have welcomed the news of her losing the first stage of her legal fight over her citizenship.
Begum’s lawyer, Daniel Furner, has said his client would “immediately initiate an appeal” against the decision “as a matter of exceptional urgency”.
He added the dangers Begum faced had now increased and her chances of survival were “even more precariously balanced than before”.
At present, she remains in Camp Roj, a refugee camp in northern Syria.
It was Shamima Begum’s decision to join IS. To have children with an IS fighter. To show no remorse. She’s not the victim. The victims of the genocidal terrorist organisation that she glorified were dumped in mass graves.https://t.co/dzHRy3zZPM — Julie Lenarz (@MsJulieLenarz) February 7, 2020
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Relieved that Shamima Begum has lost the first stage of her appeal to keep her British citizenship.
The UK has been seen as a soft touch for too long. Time to get tough.
These people made their decisions, they have to live with the consequences.
No sympathy here! — Rupert Lowe (@RupertLowe10) February 7, 2020
Justice! Jihadi wife Shamima Begum has lost the first stage of her appeal to return to the UK
IMO she forfeited her right to British citizenship the moment she joined a terrorist organisation intent on wiping us out
Good riddance! https://t.co/rzQ0ZnFqYx — Martin Daubney (@MartinDaubney) February 7, 2020
This Is Excellent News And Just!
Seeing Decapitated Heads in Bins and saying it didn't affect her..😱😱
Keep Her Out...🤯
https://t.co/3K2bbwEnC9 — SandraBBD (@SandraBBD) February 7, 2020
Why are people turning this #ShamimaBegum thing into a race issue again? It isn't. Remember when #JihadiJack (Letts) got stripped of his British citizenship last year? British father/Canadian mother and very, very white. This is nothing to do with skin colour! — Bob For A Full Brexit (@boblister_poole) February 8, 2020
Tasnime Akunjee, the lawyer acting for Begum’s family says that the decision opens up a lot of issues over who exactly could be stripped of their citizenship in the future.
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He told HuffPost UK: “A lot of people who support the idea that Shamima Begum was stripped of citizenship think it only applies to someone in the context of terrorism.
“But if you look at the legislation, the class of people who could be stripped of citizenship whose family hark from somewhere else could be anyone who the Home Secretary does not consider conducive to the public good.
“Often, such legislation is started with the most unsavoury characters, but then it is rolled out to lots of different people.
“Most people consider the country they are born in and where they live and pay their taxes to be their country and their home.
“What this legislation is saying is that this is not necessarily the case, even if you have not lived or travelled anywhere else.
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“I feel this sets a dangerous precedent and communicates to the British public that one British passport in one person’s hands is not the same as one in someone else’s hand – it is a two tier system.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Thailand Shooting: Shopping Mall Lockdown As Soldier Kills 20 In Gun Rampage

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Police and bystanders stand near the scene of a shooting at the Terminal 21 mall, in Korat, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. Police in northeastern Thailand said a soldier shot multiple people on Saturday, killing more than 10, and was holed up at a popular shopping mall. (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
A soldier has killed 20 people and injured many more in a mass shooting in the north-eastern Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
The soldier, who livestreamed the shooting on social media, is holed up in a shopping mall, police have said.
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The gunman appeared to be armed with an assault rifle, based on security camera video aired on Thai Rath television.
He opened fire at different locations in the city which is more than 155 miles away from Bangkok.
The soldier reportedly attacked his commanding officer before stealing a gun, ammunition and an army vehicle from a military camp.
A police officer in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima said the soldier initially shot dead another soldier and a woman and wounded a third person, apparently over a land dispute.
The incident began at about 3.30pm on Saturday and appeared to be unresolved five hours later.
City and neighbourhood police officers said the man took a gun from his base and drove to the Terminal 21 mall, shooting along the way.
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Video taken outside the mall and shared on social media showed people taking cover in a car park as gunshots were fired.
The mall was shut down and the street outside was closed while authorities tried to arrest the gunman and rescue shoppers.
Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Kongcheep Tantrawanich identified the suspect as Sergeant Jakrapanth Thomma.
He said police and military units had locked down the mall and the surrounding area.
The suspect posted messages on his Facebook page during the rampage, including “No one can escape death” and “Should I give up?”. In a later post, he wrote: “I have stopped already.”
In one photo on the page, he is shown wearing a green camouflaged military helmet while a fireball and black smoke rage behind him.
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The Terminal 21 shopping mall is on a major road near the centre of the city, which is a hub for Thailand’s relatively poorer and rural north-eastern region.
The incident came a month after another high-profile mall shooting, in the central city of Lopburi. In that case, a masked gunman carrying a handgun with a silencer killed three people, including a two-year-old boy, and wounded four others as he robbed a jewellery store.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Keir Starmer Nominated By Corbyn Constituency Islington North In Unexpected Result

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In a highly unexpected result, Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency of Islington North has nominated Keir Starmer to be Labour party leader rather than Rebecca Long-Bailey.
The Islington North CLP (constituency Labour party) has nominated Starmer to be leader of the Labour party and Angela Rayner to be deputy leader.
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The CLP nominated Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 and 2016 and the move is being seen as a real snub for Long-Bailey who was seen closest to Corbyn’s leadership and the natural choice of candidate.
Islington North CLP nominates:
• Keir Starmer to be leader of the Labour Party
• Angela Rayner to be deputy leader of the Labour Party
This CLP nominated Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 and 2016. — CLP Nominations (@CLPNominations) February 8, 2020
Starmer won the nomination with 3 more votes than Long-Bailey – with 138 votes to her 135.
The unexpected result has triggered disbelief and shock on social media with people saying it shows the lack of faith in Rebecca Long-Bailey’s campaigning.
Starmer cancelled taking part in the hustings as his mother-in-law remains in a critical condition in hospital after an accident last month.
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The new Labour leader will be revealed on April 4
I mean I don't like Starmer's politics at all, and I hope (although I don't believe) that RLB will win. But this is Islington North; if her campaign was doing well you would expect a decisive RLB vote, not a narrow Keir victory. — Rowan Fortune (@RT_Editing) February 8, 2020
Whoa wait a minute - @Keir_Starmer just got nominated by Islington North???!!! — Luke Akehurst (@lukeakehurst) February 8, 2020
Keir Starmer supporters getting the nomination from Islington North CLP be feeling like: pic.twitter.com/8uRUDmCYkJ — Tom Wilson (@feedthedrummer) February 8, 2020
Even Islington North have had enough of Jeremy Corbyn and his Momentum cronies, there is finally some real hope for our party! — kev (@splootman) February 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Keir Starmer Cancels Labour Leadership Campaigning As Mother-in-law Remains Critically Ill

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Labour leadership contender Keir Starmer has cancelled planned campaign events this weekend as his mother-in-law remains in a critical condition in intensive care.
The shadow cabinet member was due to take part in hustings with other candidates in the battle to succeed Jeremy Corbyn on Saturday and Sunday.
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A hustings event in Nottingham went ahead on Saturday with a representative standing in for Starmer.
A spokesperson for the early frontrunner in the leadership race said: “Since being admitted to hospital two weeks ago, Keir’s mother-in-law remains in a critical condition in intensive care.
“For this reason, he will be cancelling all campaign events this weekend and will be unable to attend hustings.
“We ask that his family’s privacy is respected at this time.”
Starmer pulled out of campaign events for a number of days in January after his mother-in-law was admitted to hospital following an accident.
At the time the shadow cabinet member thanked people for their “support and kindness” in what he said had been - and would continue to be - “a very difficult time”.
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Polls have regularly been suggesting that Starmer is likely to come out on top in the leadership ballot in which he is pitted against Rebecca Long-Bailey, Emily Thornberry and Lisa Nandy.
At a rally in Sheffield on Friday night, Long-Bailey pledged to back workers and trade unions in every strike and dispute “no questions asked” if she succeeds in becoming Labour leader.
The shadow business secretary said the party’s path back to power after its worst general election defeat since 1935 is by “rebuilding” the trade union movement.
She added that the next leader must be “as comfortable on the picket line as at the dispatch box” and commit to giving workers a “right to unplug” from emails and calls outside of work hours.
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“As leader, I’ll put trade unions at the heart of Labour’s path to power, and back workers in every dispute,” she said.
She said Labour would “back workers in every dispute and strike against unfair, exploitative and unjust employers” under her leadership.
And she said that “standing on the side of workers and trade unions, no questions asked, is going to be crucial in standing up to this reactionary Conservative Government”.
Although she is seen as the current leadership’s favoured candidate, it appears she is facing an uphill battle to convince the membership to vote for her.
An Ipsos Mori study released on Thursday put Ms Long-Bailey in last place when 1,001 voters were asked if she has what it takes to be a prime minister.
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She also trailed in last place – with Keir Starmer on top, Lisa Nandy second and Emily Thornberry third – when Labour supporters were asked the same question.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Cynthia Erivo Reacts To Joaquin Phoenix's Bafta Speech: 'It Meant A Lot To Me'

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The Harriet actor said Joaquin was “brave” for making that speech on stage, adding in an interview with Variety that his words “meant a lot” to her.
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Cynthia Erivo and Joaquin Phoenix (Getty Images)
All of the nominees in the Bafta acting categories were white. And in the US, Cynthia is the only Black actor – or actor of colour – who received a nomination for an Oscar in the acting categories, renewing criticism that those selected to vie for various Academy Awards often lack diversity.
“I think it was time for someone like (Joaquin) to say it, because people like me, the Black girls of the world, the Black men of the world, are saying it consistently, but we’re not always being heard,” Cynthia told Variety. “So maybe it might have taken that to change something.”
Cynthia also told the publication that Joaquin’s speech “meant that someone like him was listening and seeing what is going on and [it] has gotten to the point where he [can’t] pretend it’s not happening anymore.”
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Cynthia has spoken out against the lack of representation in the acting categories. Last month, she publicly declined an invitation to sing at the Baftas, saying the request was “calling on me as an entertainer as opposed to a person who is a part of the world of film.”
She told author Roxane Gay for The Hollywood Reporter last month that the lack of representation among the Oscar nominees was “saddening.”
Cynthia earned Oscar nods in the Best Actress and Original Song categories for Harriet, which tells the story of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Joaquin is nominated for Best Actor for Joker.
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Already being a Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner, Cynthia could become the youngest person to reach EGOT status ― earning an award at each of the major entertainment industry ceremonies ― if she garners an Oscar on Sunday night.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Britons Prepare To Fly Back From Coronavirus Hit City Wuhan For Quarantine In UK As Illness Set To B

Britons Prepare To Fly Back From Coronavirus Hit City Wuhan For Quarantine In UK As Illness Set To Become More Deadly Than SARS

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Around 150 Britons being flown back to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan on Sunday will be quarantined at a facility in Milton Keynes.
Everyone boarding the plane at the Chinese city, which is the epicentre of the outbreak, will be assessed and continue to be monitored after landing in the UK on Sunday morning.
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Kents Hill Park, a conference centre and hotel, will be used to house the returning citizens after they land at RAF Brize Norton, South Central Ambulance Service has said.
The individuals will remain at the site in isolation for 14 days.
The ambulance service said the presence of the group in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, does not present a risk to local people.
“The local site has been chosen because it offers appropriate accommodation and other facilities for those coming back from Wuhan while they stay in Milton Keynes,” the ambulance service said.
“It also allows their health to be regularly monitored and has the necessary medical facilities close at hand should they be required.”
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All staff working at the facility will wear appropriate protective equipment at all times.
Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, ahead of the repatriation to the UK of the latest Coronavirus evacuees who are due to land at RAF Brize Norton on Sunday. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images) Joe Giddens - PA Images via Getty Images
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the flight would be the final service chartered by the Foreign Office to bring UK nationals back from the Chinese city
Britons who returned on a flight last month were taken to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.
The global death toll from the ongoing outbreak has reached 724, priming the illness to become more deadly than SARS.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Why Phillip Schofield And Holly Willoughby Are Ultimate Friendship Goals

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As far as on-screen partnerships go, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are up there with the likes of Morecambe and Wise and Ant and Dec.
And just like their fellow TV stars, it’s clear to see their friendship extends far beyond the walls of the This Morning studio.
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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield David Fisher/Shutterstock
Phil and Holly were first paired together in 2006, when they were chosen to front ITV’s new skating competition Dancing On Ice, which also marked then-kids TV host Holly’s first foray into mainstream telly.
Producers and viewers alike noticed their chemistry, and when Fern Britton announced she was leaving This Morning in 2009, there was only one obvious choice to join Phil on that famous sofa.
Holly and Phil were first paired up on Dancing On Ice in 2006 Ken McKay/Shutterstock
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Ten years have since passed, and on Friday, the pair experienced their most emotional on-screen moment yet, as Phillip opened up to his co-host about his sexuality, revealing he is gay.
Phillip told of how Holly had been a rock for him as he worked through a difficult period in his life, with their love for one another shining through the screen.
Phil opened up to Holly about his sexuality in an emotional interview on This Morning S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock
Holly remarked that she had “never been more proud of my friend than I am today”, adding: “Whatever happens in the future, I’ll be sat by your side forever... we’re all part of this family.”
They were both visibly emotional as Phil described Holly as “the sister he never had” to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, with Holly adding that they were “very lucky” and “blessed” to have such a close relationship.
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Phillip and Holly's friendship shone through ITV
After their heart-warming display of friendship moved many viewers to tears, we’re celebrating their bond with the reasons why Phil and Holly are the ultimate best mate goals...
A shared sense of humour
Phil and Holly’s relationship has been characterised by giggling and a shared naughty sense of humour.
Barely an edition of This Morning goes by where the pair aren’t corpsing on air, usually at an accidental innuendo, some of the ITV daytime show’s more left-field topics, or sometimes for absolutely no reason at all.
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And then there’s the times where there’s laughter when they’re trying to be very serious. Speaking of which...
Getting the giggles when they’re not supposed to
You know what its like when you get the giggles at the most inappropriate moment and can’t stifle them – and then before you know it, your best mate is also in hysterics but for no other reason than the fact you are.
Well, this happens to Holly and Phil all the time too, and it utterly joyful to watch.
Getting boozy together...
Phil and Holly are known for their love of a tipple or five, regularly downing booze during This Morning’s food and drink segments.
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But their love of getting on the sauce together was no better demonstrated than after the National Television Awards in 2016.
In what has become one of the iconic This Morning moments ever, they turned up to work after a night of celebrating the daytime show’s win at the event in the same clothes as the night before, having not been to bed.
Party animals after our own hearts.
... and pulling each other through the subsequent hangovers
As everyone knows, when you’re still with your pals the following morning, hangovers can often be even more fun than the night out you’ve just had, as Phil and Holly regularly prove.
Every year, the pair support one another as they struggle through the following day’s show, which always makes for chaotic but hilarious viewing.
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Their quit pact
Such is Holly and Phil’s bond that neither of them can imagine ever fronting This Morning without the other, hence why they have a pact that if one of them ever quits, the other will follow.
“"We said right from the beginning that if either of us didn’t do it, we wouldn’t want to do it. I can’t imagine This Morning without Phil."” - Holly Willoughby, 2019
You wouldn’t get many other people willing to give up a hefty six-figure salary for someone else.
Co-ordinating their fancy dress
Each year, This Morning hosts a Halloween extravaganza, with Holly and Phil always throwing themselves into the spirit of things.
And, as anyone who has been to university will attest, co-ordinating your outfit with your best mate is essential, with Holly and Phil showing why this is the case as they transformed into characters from The Wizard Of Oz in 2019.
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Holidaying together
Mates holidays are they best, aren’t they? Holly and Phil clearly know this too, taking a summer jaunt away together with their families every year – often inviting Ant and Dec and their partners along as well.
And if their Instagram snaps weren’t already enough to give you holiday envy, the tales of their ridiculous antics certainly will...
“We were at a restaurant and Holly said ‘This is quite close to our house so we will walk back and there’s a beautiful sort of natural park land, with fields and paths.’ And she got us lost. It was pitch black and we were using our phones as torches. We were a little worse for wear and we were essentially lost in the Portugese woodlands for quite some time, all of us.”” - Phillip Schofield, 2019
Putting fallout rumours to bed with dignity
Despite their obvious closeness, Holly and Phillip have still had their fair share of speculation that they fall out behind-the-scenes of This Morning – but the pair always bat it off with class.
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After a story was published last year claiming they’d rowed over a magazine cover where Holly was photoshopped to be wearing a crown above the headline “Queen Holly: How Holly Willoughby eclipsed Phillip Schofield and became Britain’s hottest TV star”, Holly silenced everyone by paying tribute to her best friend on Instagram.
As she shared three pictures to the men in her life in celebration of Father’s Day, she wrote: “Talking of important men in my life on Father’s Day. Here’s another one.
“My partner on the telly and one of my best friends in the world... love you @schofe.”
When it was reported that they’d fallen out again later that year, they were pressed about the matter in a joint interview with the Daily Star, in which Phillip said: “We are so open on the show, we are so open online and we go on holiday together... so it’s not as if we have anything to defend. Can you imagine a feud between us ever happening?”
Holly added: “It would be impossible for us to fake our relationship and the laughs.
“We’re on the telly for two-and-a-half-hours and I’m not that good an actress. If I was I’d be doing something else.”
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Pulling pranks
One of This Morning’s most memorable stunts ever saw Phillip take advantage of Holly’s gullibility to pull off the ultimate April Fools Day prank, which left her in tears and nearly swearing live on air.
He colluded with the show’s fashion and beauty experts to orchestrate a “makeover” that went horribly wrong, before ending in a car accident.
As Phil revealed it was all a joke, Holly exclaimed: “Oh my God, are you joking? Oh my God that was so awful – I was panicking so much! I can’t believe you’ve just done that to me, you b...
“I can’t swear and I really want to!” she said, having stopped herself from letting something slip out.
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Wiping away tears from her eyes, she added: “That’s the best April Fool ever, [but] I hate you all.”
You only get away with that kind of stuff with a true friend.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
Useful websites and helplines:
London Lesbian & Gay switchboard (LLGS) is a free confidential support & information helpline for LGBT communities throughout the UK | 0300 330 0630
(LLGS) is a free confidential support & information helpline for LGBT communities throughout the UK | 0300 330 0630 Manchester Lesbian and Gay Switchboard is a free support, information and referral service for the Manchester and North-West area | 0161 235 8000
is a free support, information and referral service for the Manchester and North-West area | 0161 235 8000 Stonewall for more information on other LGBT services and helplines | 08000 502020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Freedom of Movement Changed My Life – We Can’t Lose It Now

As Britain leaves the EU, I can't help but feel I've failed, David Poyser writes. Getty
Freedom of movement between countries changed my life when I was growing up in Lincolnshire, and if it ends because of Brexit, the cost will be in human contact.
The UK government boasts that it will end free movement between the UK and the EU as soon as it can, which could be as early as 31 December 2020. This doesn’t bother some commentators, especially those who claim that freedom of movement only benefited the rich and became a source of resentment for “the working classes” in places like Ipswich and Lincolnshire.
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I grew up in a village of 2,000 people in Lincolnshire, one of the most rural counties in England. But life in other countries was made real by our foreign holidays - meaning taking a caravan around different countries in Europe - and by family friends from other European countries who came to visit us, and even to stay and work. Added to that were school exchanges, and French and German language assistants who taught us their language and also about their life back home.
The life-changer for me: at 18, I got my first full-time job – in France. This wasn’t predictable – I was the first person in my family to work in another country – but it was surprisingly easy to arrange. Once I got the job I boarded a coach to Lyon and the next day was working, on minimum wage, for the local council supporting “town-twinning”, which brought together a small town near my home in Lincolnshire with Feyzin, a suburb of Lyon known for its oil refinery.
Neither were places attractive to foreign tourists, but the links developed between the towns brought so many different people together. Freedom of movement made it easy to arrange for musicians from a Lincolnshire brass band to play at a famous concert venue near Lyon, and for French artists to come to work in England.
And this openness stretched to partnerships with towns in Germany and Portugal as well, all linked by free movement. In Feyzin, I worked with Chilean refugees who had fled to France from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, showing me for the first time human rights abuses on the other side of the world, made real by their presence in my new home.
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After returning to the UK, to university in Yorkshire, my life and knowledge of the world were immeasurably enhanced by students from around the world. So many came from other parts of Europe, because it was easy to study across the EU.
When I began working as a human rights lawyer – a world I doubt I would have discovered without that work experience in France – I learned that this ability to travel, live, work and study in other countries was not something that can be taken for granted. The EU’s guarantee of free movement is among the strongest in the world. It was that protection that made it easy for the young language assistants to work in rural schools like mine, and made it easy for me to live and work in France.
And importantly, the EU combines freedom of movement with strong guarantees for workers’ rights, to try to ensure there is no “race to the bottom” on employment standards when people work across borders. This system is not perfect, but these are basic principles and rights that have made so many lives better.
It’s a disastrous mistake to present freedom of movement as being primarily about economics and cost-benefits. It is above all about human connection.
If we lose this right after Brexit, it will not be the rich who suffer the most – they will still be able to travel, holiday and work in other countries with ease, fulfilling any income requirements for free movement. But millions of ordinary people with lives that cross borders are rightly worried by threats to free movement. If the government prevents people from moving and working and living together across borders, people from backgrounds like mine will lose millions of potential connections: future friendships, family relationships, and work opportunities. Ending freedom of movement is not inevitable after Brexit – it will be a political choice. It is time we celebrate freedom of movement, and work to save it.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Five British Nationals – Including A Child – Contract Coronavirus In French Ski Chalet

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Five British nationals including a child have been diagnosed with coronavirus while staying in a ski chalet in France.
The four adults and child were infected after coming into contact with a person who had been in Singapore, French health minister Agnes Buzyn told a press conference.
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This takes the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 11.
Buzyn said the group of newly-infected people with the virus had formed “a cluster” grouping around one original case.” staying in the same ski chalet in the Contamine Monjoie resort in Savoie in eastern France near Mont Blanc.
Buzyn said: “That original case was brought to our attention last night. It is a British national who had returned from Singapore where he had stayed between January 20 and 23, and he arrived in France on January 24 for four days.”
She said that the group of people newly infected with the virus were not in a serious condition.
Another health official told how two of the apartments in the ski chalet were being examined.
The five Britons whose diagnosis was confirmed, as well as people they had close contact with - 11 people in total, all of British nationality - were taken to hospital in Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Grenoble.
The health ministry confirmed their condition shows no signs of seriousness.
A crisis unit has been set up and people who have been in close and prolonged contact with these new cases will be informed during the day and given specific instructions.
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LUDOVIC MARIN via Getty Images
Five British nationals have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in France, after a coming into contact with a person who had been in Singapore, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said on Saturday https://t.co/BFg0BeWBrE — ChrisInParis (@ChrisInParis) February 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Phillip Schofield's Mum Voices Pride For Son After This Morning Star Comes Out As Gay

Phillip Schofield’s mum has spoken out to voice her support after the This Morning presenter came out as gay.
Pat Schofield told of her pride after watching his emotional interview with friend Holly Willoughby on Friday, in which he spoke publicly about his sexuality for the first time.
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During the chat, Phillip revealed he had travelled to Cornwall to visit his mother and tell her the news prior to posting a statement coming out on Instagram.
Now speaking to The Mirror, Pat said she told him: “I don’t care.”
She said: “For him to be so brave in front of so many people was inspiring, because I know how hard it was for him to do.
“I love Steph [Phillip’s wife] and the girls more than anything in the world and I will always be there for them.
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“When Phillip drove to Cornwall to tell me, the first thing I said was I don’t care.
“Yes it was a shock, but nothing as a family that we can’t support and applaud.”
Holly gave Phillip a big hug after their interview ITV
Phillip has been married to wife Steph for over 26 years and they have two grown-up daughters, Molly and Ruby.
In his interview, Phillip paid tribute to them and their “astonishing” support as he came to terms with his sexuality.
“We’ve been honest and open,” he told Holly. “Steph, I can’t write in any statement what I feel about that woman. She’s amazing, she’s incredible.
“There is no one in my life who would have supported me the way… as a wife, as the way she’s supported me. She’s astonishing, literally astonishing.”
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He added in his Instagram statement: “My girls have been astonishing in their love, hugs and encouraging words of comfort.
“Both mine and Steph’s entire families have stunned me with their love, instant acceptance and support. Of course they are worried about Steph, but I know they will scoop us both up.”
Philip has been married to his wife Steph for over 26 years Yui Mok - PA Images via Getty Images
Phillip has since spoken out to thank fans for their support following his announcement, also issuing an emotional plea encouraging people who are in a similar situation to talk to someone.
He has also defended This Morning co-host Eamonn Holmes over jokes he made on Friday’s show, insisting he “lightened a very emotional moment”.
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This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Phillip Schofield Defends Eamonn Holmes' Jokes After His Coming Out On This Morning

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Eamonn raised some eyebrows among some This Morning viewers on Friday when he and wife Ruth Langsford joined Holly and Phillip on the sofa, following Phil’s personal announcement.
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After joking that he thought Phillip had been preparing to announce he’d quit the ITV daytime show, Eamonn went on to say: “There’s this great imponderable in life that has always irritated me.
“I thought, ‘How come he can sit in a hot tub with Holly Willoughby and Steph [Phillip’s wife] doesn’t have a problem, and Dan [Holly’s husband] doesn’t have a problem?’”
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock
While some viewers on social media remarked that the joke didn’t quite hit the right note after Phillip’s emotional interview, Phillip has since insisted he is glad Eamonn “lightened” the moment.
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He tweeted: “Can I just say that @EamonnHolmes & @RuthieeL were utterly magnificent with me today, privately downstairs just the three of us and upstairs in front of the world. I couldn’t have hoped for a better, calming and loving set of hugs and support, I adore them both.
“And for the record, @EamonnHolmes made me laugh, he lightened a very emotional moment and I’m very happy that he did.”
1/2 Can I just say that @EamonnHolmes & @RuthieeL were utterly magnificent with me today, privately downstairs just the three of us and upstairs in front of the world. I couldn’t have hoped for a better, calming and loving set of hugs and support, I adore them both. — Phillip Schofield (@Schofe) February 7, 2020
2/2 and for the record, @EamonnHolmes made me laugh, he lightened a very emotional moment and I’m very happy that he did ❤ — Phillip Schofield (@Schofe) February 7, 2020
Eamonn also spoke out about his jokes, sharing a picture of him and Phil on Twitter.
He wrote: “A picture paints a thousand words. This is a man who was in pain , who today confided in Ruth and I and who knows we stand in support of him, his family and his sexuality .... Also unlike some, he appreciated a laugh to break the tension.
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″@Schofe hoping you find happiness.”
A picture paints a thousand words.
This is a man who was in pain , who today confided in Ruth and I and who knows we stand in support of him, his family and his sexuality .... Also unlike some, he appreciated a laugh to break the tension. @Schofe hoping you find happiness. 👏👏👍 pic.twitter.com/p7RuE7H8uY — Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) February 7, 2020
The This Morning presenting team has been besieged by rumours of an alleged feud between Phillip and Ruth in recent months, but these were put to bed once and for all when Ruth and Eamonn came together with Phillip and Holly to support Phil on Friday.
Many viewers commented on Twitter how lovely it was to see the TV family uniting for Phil.
Eamonn also told him: “So many people will be strengthened by what you’ve said, we’re by your side, we’ll be the first to stand beside you.”
Phillip came out as gay in a post on his Instagram Story on Friday morning, before being interviewed by Holly on This Morning.
The This Morning family came together to support Phillip on Friday S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock
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In his statement, he said: “My friends are the best, especially Holly, who has been so kind and wise – and who has hugged me as I sobbed on her shoulder.”
During the interview, Holly told Phillip: “Whatever happens in the future, I’ll be sat by your side forever... we’re all part of this family.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Donald Trump Fires Impeachment Witnesses In ‘Friday Night Massacre’

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Donald Trump has ousted two government officials who testified against him during his impeachment hearings.
The US envoy to the EU Gordon Sondland, told how he was advised “that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as United States ambassador to the European Union.”
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Hours earlier, Lt Col Alexander Vindman, an expert on Ukraine who played a central role in the Democrats’ impeachment case, was escorted out of the White House complex.
His lawyer said this was in retaliation for “telling the truth”.
“The truth has cost Lt Col Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy,” David Pressman said in a statement.
Vindman’s twin brother, Lt Col Yevgeny Vindman, was also asked to leave his job as a White House lawyer on Friday, the army said in a statement.
Both men were reassigned to other positions in the army.
In its historic vote, the senate decided not to remove America’s 45th president from office on charges arising from his dealings with Ukraine.
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White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Trump was glad the impeachment trial was over and “maybe people should pay for that”.
February 7, 2020 - Washington, DC, United States: President Donald Trump talking with the press near the South Lawn of the White as he leaves the White House via Marine One. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA) SIPA USA/PA Images
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that Vindman’s ouster was “a clear and brazen act of retaliation that showcases the President’s fear of the truth.
“The President’s vindictiveness is precisely what led Republican Senators to be accomplices to his cover-up.” she said.
Californian Democrat Jackie Speier called it “the Friday Night Massacre”, likening the situation to President Richard Nixon’s so-called Saturday night massacre, when top justice department officials resigned after refusing to do his bidding by firing a special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal. The prosecutor himself was fired anyway.
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Speier added in her tweet, “I’m sure Trump is fuming that he can’t fire Pelosi.”
#FridayNightMassacre began trending with people accusing Trump of retaliating against the truth.
I woke up to this #FridayNightMassacre
It keeps getting worse and worse and worse and worse......
America, what have you done?😒 https://t.co/U2BHIFBWzf — Niovi Santama (@n_santama) February 8, 2020
When Nixon fired those who refused to cover up his crimes, it was called the “Saturday night massacre” and led to his removal.
Now, Trump is having his own #FridayNightMassacre of those who refused to cover up his crimes, and it’s obscene Trump may never face consequences. https://t.co/wu0CiXNWjp — Albert Fox Cahn🔯 (@FoxCahn) February 8, 2020
This is how #Trump repays cowardly #GOP Senators who let him walk on #AbuseOfPower.
Not 48 hours after, Trump abuses power again & fires all the witnesses who testified
Is this still America? Still a democracy?#Purging like a dictator!#FridayNightMassacre #NovemberIsComing pic.twitter.com/h68ibBqXsr — James C. (@Steampunkflyer) February 8, 2020
UTTERLY LIVID that our #nationalheroes lose their jobs for defending the #USConstitution they swore an other to defend #FridayNightMassacre https://t.co/hpt5qJ05Xd via @msnbc — Fabienne Marsh (@FabienneMarsh) February 8, 2020
Since his acquittal, Trump has held nothing back in lashing out at his critics, including Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Republican to vote against him.
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On Friday, he also took after Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia whom Trump had hoped would vote with the Republicans for his acquittal but who ended up voting to convict.
Trump tweeted that he was “very surprised & disappointed” with Manchin’s votes, claiming no president had done more for his state. He added that Manchin was “just a puppet” for the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate.
Alexander Vindman’s lawyer issued a statement that accused Mr Trump of taking revenge on his client.
“He did what any member of our military is charged with doing every day: he followed orders, he obeyed his oath and he served his country, even when doing so was fraught with danger and personal peril,” Mr Pressman said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--How It Feels To Be Mistaken For Another Person Of Colour By The Media

“It feels like more than a mistake,” says think-tank director Faiza Shaheen. “It feels like on a deeper level we are interchangeable because we are brown women.”
This week, the BBC sparked controversy after it confused Labour MPs Marsha de Cordova and Dawn Butler, showing the deputy leadership hopeful’s name on screen while de Cordova spoke during a Commons debate.
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It was a mistake that triggered anger from both de Cordova and Butler and a storm of outrage online.
“I love my sister @MarshadeCordova but we are different people,” Butler, the shadow equalities secretary, tweeted. “Marsha is amazing and deserves to be called by her own name.”
.@BBCNews @BBCPolitics I love my sister @MarshadeCordova but we are two different people. Marsha is amazing and deserves to be called by her own name. Diversity in the workplace matters it also helps to avoid making simple mistakes like this. pic.twitter.com/pXyrGKJ4hZ — (((Dawn Butler))) (@DawnButlerBrent) February 3, 2020
Then, just hours later, it happened again – the media confused de Cordova with yet another black woman.
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This time, it was the Evening Standard which made the mistake. Reporting on the BBC’s blunder, it used a photo of Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy thinking it was de Cordova.
So @standardnews have just done a story on the BBC blunder where they've mistaken @DawnButlerBrent for @MarshadeCordova and they've just used a picture of @BellRibeiroAddy.
For the love of God! It's not that difficult! pic.twitter.com/GUXum9rSSI — Omar Baggili (@OmarBaggili) February 4, 2020
But it was far from the first time this has happened to BAME people in the public eye – over and over again, people of colour are mistaken for one another in the media.
While it does occasionally happen to white people – the BBC confused Labour MPs Cat Smith and Holly Lynch in January – it seems to happen more often to people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
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Only this week, the Mirror confused the name of the mother of the Streatham attacker with that of Inzamam Rashid, the (male) Sky journalist who had interviewed her.
Last month, the BBC featured a clip of LeBron James during a report about the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, while Labour’s Tulip Siddiq was confused for Rupa Huq on BBC Parliament last year.
On all of these occasions, the news outlets apologised for the mistakes and corrected them.
But what does it feel like when, despite spending years working hard to establish yourself, you repeatedly get mistaken for other people of colour in a way your white colleagues appear not to? And what does it say about society?
In the wake of the outrage about the mix ups between de Cordova, Butler and Ribeiro-Addy, Tulip Siddiq shared a photo of her speaking in the Commons – with Rupa Huq’s name at the bottom of the screen.
Tulip Siddiq says she and Rupa Huq (right) have been confused on a number of occassions Getty Images/ PA
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“News channels have mixed me and Rupa up a lot,” Siddiq tells HuffPost UK. “And to be honest, Rupa and I are not very similar looking – it’s just that we both happen to be quite small and we are both of Bangladeshi origin.
“But our hair is different, our noses are different, our faces are different, our dress styles are very different.
“It’s just very lazy. I’m not sure it’s malicious… but at what point do you stop forgiving people for being lazy?”
Despite MPs like Tom Tugendhat and Grant Shapps having similar characteristics, “I don’t often see people mixing them up,” she says.
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“I fought an election like everyone else. When I first stood, I inherited a constituency that had the smallest majority in the country – it was 42 votes. It’s now a 14,000 majority.
“Give me some credit here… I think I should at least deserve to be known by my own name.”
It’s a view echoed by Brent Central MP Dawn Butler. From her point of view, it feels like black women are “always having to justify our presence in a space” in a way other people don’t.
Labour's Dawn Butler, who is running to become the party's next deputy leader ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images
“How many white men are there in parliament?” she asks. “How many times has this happened to a white man? All you have to do is Google – it’s really not a difficult thing.
“It’s almost as though there can only be one [Black woman], because having more than one is just too much for anyone to cope with,” Butler says.
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“Sometimes mistakes happen. It’s not about making a mistake. It’s about making an effort to recognise people for who they are [...] and the qualities they bring to the table.
“We all have our priorities. We all have things that we care passionately about and we each deserve to be recognised for our merits.”
For Faiza Shaheen, the director of the Class think-tank who ran to become a Labour MP during the most recent general election, these kinds of errors “feel like more than a mistake”.
During the campaign, she was confused for journalist Ash Sarkar twice – once by Tory MP Nadine Dorries on Twitter, and again during an episode of Newsnight.
Faiza Shaheen with Jeremy Corbyn during the general election campaign PA Wire/PA Images
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“Ash is amazing and I love her, but we are two different people with different voices who have worked hard to develop our own line of work,” she explains.
“It feels like on a deeper level we are interchangeable because we are brown women.
“It makes you feel like you have worked so hard to be there and they can’t be bothered to tell you apart from other people. You work so hard to be in those places in the first place and then when you get there you’re treated with such little respect.”
It’s not enough just for the media to say sorry when these mix-ups happen, Shaheen says, speaking about the incident involving Butler and de Cordova.
The people who make these mistakes are not “faceless institutions”, she says. “It’s not enough to say it was a mistake.
“No – take a long, hard look at yourselves and ask yourselves why it is you make this particular mistake and you don’t confuse Boris Johnson with another man with dodgy blond hair.
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“Recognise that you are having a problem differentiating between people of colour and double check. Know your stuff. It’s just not acceptable. There has to be some kind of consequences.”
David Lammy says he has been confused for a number of people in the public eye, including Lenny Henry, Gary Younge – and the president of Sierra Leone EMPICS Entertainment
Many of these mistakes in the media “point to a failure of diversity in our newsrooms”, according to Tottenham MP David Lammy.
While his local paper – the Tottenham and Wood Green Independent – infamously used a photo of former Sierra Leone president Julius Maada Bio thinking it was him, Lammy says he’s also been mistaken for Lenny Henry and Gary Younge.
“Everyone can make mistakes, but the frequency with which prominent Black and other ethnic minority people are confused shows this is a structural problem rather than a series of gaffes,” Lammy says.
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“Rather than being viewed as individuals in our own right, ethnic minorities are too often viewed as one homogenous blob.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “We always strive for accuracy in all of our reporting and coverage.
“Where we make mistakes we correct them quickly, and our editorial guidelines apply to all of our staff irrespective of their background and ensure accuracy, impartiality and diversity of opinion in our output.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--OHSS, The IVF Side-Effect Making Women's Fertility Journeys 'Agony'

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“I was in excruciating pain, I was bloated and felt really sick. The doctor had said I’d be able to go about my normal business but I missed work, I couldn’t do anything and I had to stay in bed for six days.”
Carol*, 39, from London, is an IVF success story. On her second cycle, she became pregnant and she now has a joyful toddler. But during her first cycle, as well as the invasive trips to the doctors and grimacing through the daily self-administered progesterone injections, she developed what her doctors called a “borderline” ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS). The symptoms Carol experienced are some of the many side-effects of OHSS, which can range from nausea and vomiting to severe bloating and blood clots. In the worst cases, OHSS can be fatal – according to government records, it has killed two British women in the past 15 years. Statistics from the Human Embryology and Fertility Agency (HFEA), the fertility industry regulator that is required to record all incidences of OHSS, suggest a third of women undergoing IVF will develop mild OHSS. The reason IVF poses this risk is because part of the process involves provoking the woman’s body to produce a lot of eggs at once. Gonadotropins – mainly follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and leutinising hormone (LH) – are injected into the body to help harvest eggs. Those eggs are removed from the body so that they can be fertilised in a laboratory, developed into embryos, then implanted into the patient’s womb. Ideally, the ovaries respond to the gonadotropins by producing anywhere from eight to 15 eggs, depending which doctor you’re asking, but sensitive ovaries can respond by producing over 20 eggs at once, in turn causing harm to their bodies. Data released by the HFEA after a parliamentary request by Siobhain McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden, found that between 2013 and 2017, 20 or more eggs were collected in 21,244 cycles, 30 or more in 1860 cycles, and in some cases, more than 50 eggs were collected from a single cycle.
image_jungle via Getty Images
In Carol’s case, her body had produced 23 eggs. Only six were viable, and of those, only three became successful embryos. Carol was at particular risk of OHSS, because she has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can mean that even without additional hormones the body is prone to releasing more eggs at once. Women under 30 are also at heightened risk of OHSS.
“I was warned beforehand of the risk, and told I’d get a lower dose because of that,” says Carol, who was 37 at the time of that IVF round. “But clearly the dose was still too high. I was so shocked because I wasn’t prepared for it, I genuinely thought something had gone wrong,” she adds.
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“I thought I was going to die. My moods were god awful too.” Things got so bad, she was “ready to ditch the IVF altogether, even after coming so far.”
Sasha_Suzi via Getty Images
Because PCOS affects around 20% of women in the UK and is one of the leading causes of female infertility, some IVF providers, as well as women’s healthcare rights campaigners and politicians, argue that lower doses of hormones should be the standard for women undergoing IVF.
But the consequences of this little-known side-effect of the treatment – in the context of a fertility industry that is worth £300m a year in the UK alone – are significant. A 2019 study found that the NHS is having to pay over £120m per year to attend to illnesses caused by IVF – and that includes OHSS. And then there’s the physical toll that OHSS takes on those who experience it.
“There was no treatment they could give me,” says Carol, “so I just had to ride it out. It wasn’t like period pains, I was in agony all over, and [even] now when I ovulate it feels more painful than it used to.”
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Carol returned to the clinic – “the first day I felt better, really” – to be implanted with one of the eggs. But soon after, she miscarried. “In hindsight,” she reflects, “I do wonder if it’s because my body had just been under so much stress.”
It’s not known whether OHSS, a product of fertility treatment, can, paradoxically negatively affect fertility. The scale of the issue is also hazy. A Daily Mail study found that between 2010 and 2015, there were 4,792 admissions for OHSS in the UK, but only 256 were reported to the HFEA in that period. In light of this, there’s a split within the medical industry on how to tackle the issue.
Another study in 2014 found that, of 650,000 IVF cycles, the fewer gonadotropin hormones administered, the higher the likelihood of a live birth. In simple terms, this study called for ‘quality over quantity’ during the egg harvesting process, concluding that “physicians may wish to avoid prescribing a high dose of FSH”.
However, in a 2019 presentation designed to myth-bust OHSS, Dr Raj Mathur, consultant gynaecologist and subspecialist in reproductive medicine and surgery at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, said that OHSS cannot be “completely abolished” because ovarian stimulation will always increase the amount of eggs produced.
“It would be a very brave doctor who said they never saw a case of OHSS,” Dr Mathur told the Progress Educational Trust conference on assisted fertility. “Guidelines help doctors to work with patients to reduce the risk of developing OHSS and manage it, but even if you can choose how much medication you give the woman, you cannot choose how her body will respond,” he added, concluding that as women’s sensitivity varies hugely, “we cannot micromanage this”.
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“IVF is a desperate market. You’re willing to do whatever and go through whatever to have a baby.” - Carol
However, Dr Mathur also suggested OHSS rates may be lower than reports suggest, due to NHS doctors’ inability to correctly diagnose and record it. The British Fertility Society, where Dr Mathur is chair elect, stands by these comments.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) doesn’t see it the same way. A spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “OHSS is a controversial issue with ongoing concerns about under-reporting to the HFEA.” They added that clinics should keep in better contact with their clients. Even as the HFEA is obliged to collect the data, this is provided by the clinics, rather than direct from the patients.
But to Carol, it’s simple. “IVF is a desperate market. You’re willing to do whatever and go through whatever to get the end result of a baby.”
One solution is increasing awareness of the condition so that women know how to spot the symptoms earlier and seek medical help if needed. Professor Adam Balen, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, tells HuffPost UK: “It is the role of fertility clinics to provide patients with information on OHSS, the risks and symptoms so they are aware of the condition and know where and when to seek medical help if needed. Clinics should have protocols in place to ensure patients are referred for the right care if they develop this.”
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But if low-dosage proponents had their way, there would be a root and branch reconsideration of how women are treated by these clinics. The booming IVF industry is currently hemmed in by laws that protect the rights of the unborn child – but not those of the prospective mother.
In the last parliament, Siobhain McDonagh brought a private members’ bill seeking legal protections of the welfare of women going through IVF, so that their physical and mental health is looked out for and that doses of hormones they’re given are recorded by the HFEA. She now tells HuffPost UK that while IVF is a “miracle” that enables many to have a child, “40 years on from the first IVF baby, the welfare of the woman is shockingly still absent from UK law.”
“This is a scandal that cannot continue to exist,” says McDonagh. “It is high time that the law ensures the welfare of women is at the heart of IVF law, so that IVF enables the celebration of new life, whilst protecting those women undergoing it.”
A spokesperson from the Department for Health and Social Care pointed out the rarity of critical cases of OHSS (none were reported in 2018) – and told HuffPost UK: “We are confident the HFEA is taking appropriate action, in partnership with fertility clinicians, to ensure the safety of patients by informing them clearly about the risks of treatments and improving hospital reporting processes, for when the condition is detected.”
Meanwhile, while Carol’s IVF is in her past, had she needed her eggs harvested again, she says: “I would have wanted the clinic to adjust what they did, because what happened wasn’t right.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Like Phillip Schofield, I Came Out After Years Of Marriage. This Is How It Feels

HuffPost UK Press Association
It was a specific moment in time that, like Phillip Schofield, I made the decision to come out as gay while I was married – but when you look back at the whole story of my life, I know I’d had feelings since I was back in school.
I’d never said anything, though. I’m 63, and in those days it was illegal to have a same sex relationship until you were 21. Add in the AIDS crisis, increased homophobia and fears about the so-called ‘gay plague’ and of course Section 28, and I just don’t think I was brave enough to face up to it or talk to anyone about my feelings. I didn’t even know anyone else who was gay.
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As a teenager, my friends would all talk about girls, football, things I didn’t relate to at all. I wanted to have a relationship and was attracted to girls, but when they started talking about the physical side, I remember thinking ‘no, I’m not comfortable with that, it’s not the kind of relationship I want’. It was simply not something I could relate to, or imagine happening.
But then I met my now ex-wife, Evelyn, and we fell in love. We had two children – one who we lost before they were born, and our son Lawrence about a year later. I always thought the feelings about men would just go away at each stage. When I get married I’lI feel completely settled and fulfilled. When I have a child. But as all that happened and there was nothing to ‘come next’, I realised I still felt all those feelings. So I spent the next couple of years knowing what my feelings were, and I would go to places where I thought I might see people like me, go to see films with gay storylines. I remember seeing Maurice and sitting there feeling so uncomfortable because it generated all sorts of feelings in me.
“Having that feeling of wrenching my wife's life, and my son’s life too, apart, I just really wanted her to be happy.”
It was at this point I thought: I’ve got to tell her. I didn’t like being dishonest. I knew that it was going to be a game-changer, going to change the course of everyone’s lives, and I didn’t want to disrupt happiness when I wasn’t ‘sure’. It took me a long time, but now I was sure.
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I remember hoping that she would meet someone. Having that feeling of wrenching her life, and my son’s life too, apart, I just really wanted her to be happy. She’s an incredibly generous person, someone everybody loves, and I didn’t want to lose her from my life. I would have loved to have been able to have a relationship with her but that wasn’t possible – of course I couldn’t be that selfish, she needed to have her own life.
My son was very young, only three, but it was enough for him to know his parents were breaking up. Obviously he was upset, but it was a major priority for me and my ex-wife to be as normal as possible. Christmas, birthdays, we would always do as a family, and we stayed together for nine months and I was happy to stay there – I didn’t have a partner or anything – I was happy to live there as long as she was comfortable.
HuffPost UK Barry, centre left, alongside his son Lawrence, partner Philip, and ex-wife Evelyn
There were stressful times. We had to work at it, and I can’t imagine the work she’s had to do because it came as a shock and she had a lot to accept – Is he going crazy? Is he having a midlife crisis? Is he going to turn around and realise he made a mistake? – and comes to terms with. When she was ready to separate, we told my parents, I left everything behind and had to get two extra jobs to be able to afford the rent on my flat and pay all the bills. Yet it was always very amicable – Evelyn and I would meet around Lawrence and make it work. Then she met somebody else, and he came into our family, and we made it as easy as possible to bring Lawrence up together as a team – our partners even did some of the school runs with Lawrence. My partner Philip, a classical pianist, brought music into my son’s life: he’s now training to be a music therapist. We’ve now got to a point now where we go to galleries together, think about going on holiday together, and even celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary together alongside our partners.
It’s as normal as it could possibly be, and I know I’m incredibly lucky to have that. I was never bullied at school because nobody ‘knew’ I was gay. I didn’t have any of the stereotypically ‘gay’ characteristics that would make me a target for bullying, but I did know a lot of people who did, and got called f****ts, spat on, it was terrible. So I kept schtum, and still feel guilty about it now.
“Just knowing that someone like Phillip Schofield has got through will help others get through too.”
That’s why Phillip Schofield is so brave. Coming out in the way we have brings with it huge guilt, huge worry you’re being selfish and choosing to ruin people’s lives. To have a role model like Phillip Schofield – a huge figure in TV who has been on screens in for a long time and is seen as a ‘nice bloke’ – be prepared to share their story in such a personal way not only helps spread the message about acceptance of difference for the wider society, but will help anyone out there in his situation – in my situation – coming to terms with their sexuality. Just knowing that someone like him has got through will help them get through too.
Schofield will educate others too. Frankly, it’s just important for people to know gay people don’t have horns growing out of their head, and they’re not so different in any way other than they have an attraction to people of the same sex. We still want the same as everyone else in every respect: a career, a home, a relationship.
Phillip will get flak from some, because you always do, from the types that say “why do you have to tell people?” But my hope is there’ll be more people who learn to be more accepting of others like me, like Phillip, because of his bravery today.
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Barry Snelgrove is a retired probation officer and volunteer with Diversity Role Models


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-08--Your Child Is Having Their First Sleepover. Here’s How To Boss It

Visual Generation via Getty Images
My daughter turned eight last weekend. She celebrated with her first sleepover.
I know. The phrase every parent said to me as they dropped their child off that afternoon (delightedly, might I add – because they were then heading out for dinner and wine) was: “You’re brave. Good luck.”
I did stop, for a moment, to wonder exactly what I was thinking when I agreed to host six seven-year-olds for an entire Saturday night, from 4pm until 10am the next morning. But the tradition of a sleepover is a rite of passage. I vividly remember the fun, excitement and sugar-highs of going to friends’ houses 30 years ago, and that’s something I want my kids to experience, too – even with the very real risk of at least one child crying and wanting to go home.
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I was 10 years old when I had my first sleepover. Unlike my daughter, who chose to do ‘makeovers’ in her bedroom with her friends, my mum blindfolded us all to play a game called ‘Nelson’s Grave’, in which you hand around innocuous items like peeled grapes and cold spaghetti. You’re then told a spooky story that makes you believe you’re holding body parts like eyeballs and intestines. Only... unlucky for my friends, my uncle was a butcher. We really were holding cold intestines – and a pig’s nipple.
Understandably, perhaps, I’ve never forgotten my first sleepover – and I’m sure my daughter won’t either. Not least because she had some very firm ideas for what it was going to entail. She created a 38-point plan – yes, 38! – of activities, ranging from “wake up” and “have a disco” to “read books and tell each other things about the book” – all before 6.30am.
There was also the (frankly adorable) point 36 – “my friends go home” – followed by 37, “wave out of the window”, winding up with 38: “Sleepover accomplished”.
Victoria Richards Sleepover accomplished.
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In fact, she was so excited at the prospect of her friends coming over for an entire night that she created her own calendar countdown; carefully writing out the days and dates next to tiny squares and diligently ‘ticking off’ every morning for two weeks leading up to the big day.
And that’s the thing about sleepovers – or more accurately, about being a kid: there’s beauty in the simple things. It’s something us grown-ups often forget, because we’re so bone-achingly tired all the time, beaten down by the pressures of life.
For my daughter, though, the promise of a sleepover was inextricably linked to the prospect of fun, laughter and friendship.
On the night itself – because that’s what you really want to know about, isn’t it? – there was so much joy. From the pleasure of sharing pizza, popcorn, a ‘midnight feast’ (at 9pm) and a cacophony of giggling; to the childlike hysteria over a ‘kissing’ scene in the PG-rated family film, and a gentle fight over who got to cuddle ‘Kevin’, the giant carrot.
When it was time for bed, they spent hours cackling in the bedroom until they exhausted themselves in the early hours of Sunday morning. And while the reality of it may also have involved grown-ups getting increasingly grumpy after midnight – with various threats to send everybody home and strict rules on absolute silence – it’s a joy I know my daughter will always remember.
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There was even joy in the tears and tiredness the day after. A bittersweet recognition of having experienced something wonderful, amidst the sadness that what she had looked forward to for so long was now over.
Point 38 was right. Sleepover accomplished – even if at times it felt like nobody would ever sleep again.
If that hasn’t put you off, and your child is having their first sleepover soon, don’t make the mistakes I did. Here’s how to survive the first all-night party.
Julia August via Getty Images
Don’t give them too much sugar.
Some sugar is inevitable, of course. My daughter had popcorn and a packet of Oreos to share with her friends as the token ‘midnight feast’. But tread carefully. That way sleepless hysteria, lies. Extra tip: make the ‘midnight feast’ a lot earlier than midnight. Say, 9pm.
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Don’t expect anyone to go to sleep before 1am.
We tried to foolishly impose a ‘no talking quiet zone’ at 11pm. Mistake. They were still giggling and chatting at 12.30. Choose the latest time you can handle, set that as the boundary, and stick to it.
Keep the other parents on speed-dial.
It didn’t happen to me, but I’ve heard lots of stories from other parents of kids getting teary-eyed and wanting to go home at bedtime. So keep the other parents on speed-dial – or, at least, warn them not to drink too many cocktails, as they may need to come and pick their child up.
Prepare yourself for a very early start.
It doesn’t matter how late they finally give in and go to sleep, they will still wake up at the crack of dawn. Best thing to do? Tell them the night before they can go downstairs and watch TV by themselves “as a treat”, allowing you to grab a few extra minutes in bed. It’ll all add to their sense of fun and independence.
Accept there will be tears.
There will be tears on the night itself (there will also, probably, be a couple of arguments) and the day after, once your child realises it’s all over – until next year. Get tissues. Be gentle. Steel yourself.
Know that the next day will be a write-off.
Don’t plan anything for the day after a sleepover. Your child will be a demon. Stick to a film and something low-key – preferably nothing that involves them having a tantrum, in public – and an early night.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Olivia Colman Charms At The Oscars… Again

Olivia Colman Charms At The Oscars… Again
After winning the Oscar for Best Actress last year, Olivia Colman was back on stage to present an award and was her usual charming self...


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Storm Ciara Batters UK And  Leaves Thousands Without Power

Storm Ciara Batters UK And Leaves Thousands Without Power
With disruptions set to continue, Storm Ciara left more than 20,000 without power in the UK over Sunday night. Parts of the country were hit by blizzards, leaving 20cm of snow.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Parasite Didn’t Deserve To Win The Best Picture Oscar According To Joan Collins

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Joan Collins has spoken out to say she didn’t think it deserved the accolade, and admitted that when she watched it she turned it off 20 minutes before the end.
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Joan Collins and Parasite director Bong Joon-ho Rex
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the actress said although Parasite was a “good” film she disagreed with the decision to award it the Best Picture Oscar.
“I have watched it but I have to say I didn’t watch the last 20 minutes because it got incredibly dark,” she said.
“I couldn’t see half of what was going on and also because it had very small writing at the bottom, so I had to kind of lean forward because we watched it on a DVD.
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“So I saw three quarters of it.”
She added: “It was enough for me to say yes, it is a good film, but it is not the best film of the year in my opinion.”
Our guest @Joancollinsdbe doesn't think Parasite was the best film of the year.
Do you think the South Korean satire deserved to bag Best Picture at the #Oscars? pic.twitter.com/0E959FofGS — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 10, 2020
Parasite swept the board at Sunday night’s Oscars, picking up four awards at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
In addition to the award for Best Picture - the first foreign language film to ever win in the category - it also picked up gongs for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature.
The latest film from director Bong Joon-ho was already an Oscars trail-blazer, becoming the first South Korean film to be recognised by the Film Academy.
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What’s more, Bong Joon-ho beat frontrunner Sam Mendes in the Best Director category, with the British filmmaker having previously received the distinction for 1917 at both the Golden Globes and Baftas.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Masked Singer Denise Van Outen Shares Brilliant Moment Her Shocked Daughter Found Out She Was The Fo

Masked Singer Denise Van Outen Shares Brilliant Moment Her Shocked Daughter Found Out She Was The Fox

Denise Van Outen has shared the moment her daughter found out she was one of the mystery celebs taking part in The Masked Singer.
The actress and presenter was unmasked as The Fox during Saturday’s semi-final of the ITV show.
Denise was filmed watching the episode with her nine-year-old daughter Betsy and one of her friends.
The Fox AKA Denise Van Outen Instagram
After she removed her mask on the show, Betsy - who had been watching the big reveal through her fingers - immediately turned to her mum and pointed, crying: “You!”
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Denise laughed as the two girls screamed and pointed at her, with Betsy shouting: “It was you the whole time! We knew it!”
As well as unmasking The Fox, the identity of Monster was revealed to be Grammy winner Cee Lo Green in a double elimination.
After she was unmasked, Denise, who has starred in musicals in the West End and on Broadway, revealed she has been busy recording an album.
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“Now I’ve been unmasked I can finally talk about what I’ve been up to the past few weeks,” she tweeted.
“I’ve been tucked away in a studio recording an album with the fabulous @mrstevenanderson.
“I know I always appear super confident (another mask) I actually lost confidence in myself when it came to singing.
“As a mummy I stepped back with my singing and stage career to make sure I never missed precious moments with my daughter.
“It was a moment last summer when I was singing in the shower when Betsy my 9 year old daughter said to me ‘mummy, why have I never heard or seen you sing on stage?’
“That made me realise I had to get back to what I’ve always loved doing. @themaskedsinger gave me the chance to get my confidence back. Thank you all for your lovely comments week after week. This cheeky little fox is a happy little fox.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Man Dies After Storm Ciara Topples Tree Onto His Mercedes

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A 58-year-old man has died after a tree fell on to the Mercedes he was driving on the A33 from Winchester to Micheldever on Sunday, Hampshire Police said.
More than 20,000 homes have spent the night without power as the UK continues to reel from the storm.
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As of 5am on Monday, UK Power Networks reported more than 18,500 properties across the east and southeast of England were still without power while Western Power Distribution said more than 2,800 homes were in the dark.
Parts of the UK continue to brace for blizzards and up to 20cm of snow in the wake of the storm, with travel disruption set to continue.
Some areas saw a month and a half’s rainfall in just 24 hours and gusts of more than 90mph swept across the country on Sunday.
Meanwhile, 178 flood warnings in place across the country.
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Flights, ferries and trains all saw cancellations and delays on Sunday, while drivers faced treacherous conditions with floodwater, fallen trees and other debris closing roads.
A Met Office amber weather warning for wind, which had been in place across most of England, elapsed at 9pm on Sunday as Storm Ciara moved away to the north-east of Scotland.
But a yellow warning for wind remained in force for the whole UK until midnight, with strong winds, heavy showers, snow and ice expected on Monday.
⚠Yellow Wind Warning ⚠
A spell of very strong winds is expected across southern England on Monday
Further information 👉https://t.co/N3AcwivKwO
Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/qO4u5aZCvM — Met Office (@metoffice) February 10, 2020
A yellow warning for heavy snow and strong winds is in place for Northern Ireland and most of Scotland and a yellow warning of snow and ice is in force for North West England throughout Monday and Tuesday.
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A yellow warning for wind in the south is in place between 10am and 5pm on Monday.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “While Storm Ciara is clearing away, that doesn’t mean we’re entering a quieter period of weather.
“It’s going to stay very unsettled.
“We have got colder air coming through the UK and will be feeling a real drop in temperatures, with an increased risk of snow in northern parts of the UK and likely in Scotland.
“There could be up to 20cm on Monday and Tuesday and with strong winds, blizzards aren’t out of the question.”
There are currently some flood warnings in place due to #StormCiara. Please stay safe and avoid driving through flood water. Check your flood risk: https://t.co/BpUpnj1mdd pic.twitter.com/wkH1rJDzg2 — Environment Agency (@EnvAgency) February 9, 2020
Train passengers are being advised to check with operators before travelling as there are likely to be some cancellations to early trains as Network Rail engineers work through the night to assess the damage.
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There are already numerous reports of rail disruption, including trains on the TransPennine Express between Preston and Edinburgh being suspended due to flooding at Carlisle.
Motorists are also warned to take care with continued disruption to the road network and tricky driving conditions likely to continue into rush hour.
And airports around the country on Sunday night told travellers to check their flight with their airline due to the continuing bad weather conditions.
British Airways said in a statement there will be a “minor knock-on effect” to Monday’s schedule.
Waves crash over the harbour wall by a lighthouse as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven, on the south coast of England on Sunday ASSOCIATED PRESS
“We’re getting in touch with those affected, and have brought in extra customer teams to help them with a range of options including a full refund or an alternative flight between now and Thursday,” the airline said.
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“Any customer flying short-haul to or from Heathrow or Gatwick, can also choose to make changes to their travel plans if they would prefer to fly another time.”
More than 200 flood warnings were issued across England on Sunday, with the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, in Cumbria, severely hit.
The River Irwell burst its banks at Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, while areas including Blackpool, Whalley, Longton and Rossendale, were affected by flooding in Lancashire.
The fastest gusts of 97 miles per hour were recorded on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, with 93 miles per hour winds hitting Aberdaron, a village at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula.
Inland, Manchester Airport recorded gusts of 86 miles per hour, while 178mm of rain fell in Honister Pass, in Cumbria, in the 24 hours to 4pm on Sunday – around one-and-a-half times the average February rainfall of 112mm.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--How To Spot A Dodgy Condom, As 90,000 Unsafe Ones Are Seized

Oleksiy Boyko / EyeEm via Getty Images
More than 90,000 counterfeit condoms have been seized in the UK in the past two years, new data suggests, putting people at risk of unwanted pregnancy or STIs.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized the huge haul of condoms throughout 2018 and 2019, according to figures obtained by The Guardian.
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Counterfeit condoms are those that haven’t passed the official tests required to ensure their safety and effectiveness. These illegal condoms may be produced in unhygienic environments or made using cheap, substandard materials that are prone to rips and bursting.
Many of them sold illegally online imitate the branding of well-known, legitimate manufacturers, so it’s not always easy to spot them at first glance. How can you ensure your condom is the real deal?
When buying condoms in the UK, look for products that carry the BSI kite mark or European CE mark, as these are recognised safety standards, states the NHS. “Don’t use novelty condoms, unless they carry the BSI kite mark or CE mark,” the site adds.
The MHRA advises consumers to buy condoms from “reputable sources”. You can get reliable condoms for free from your GP and from sexual health services like Brook, or buy them from all big supermarkets and pharmacies.
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If you’re buying contraception from an individual seller, you can check if they’ve been authenticated by the MHRA by accessing its list of registered suppliers.
And, it might be worth buying condoms in the UK before travelling abroad. This means you can avoid any language barriers or uncertainty over that country’s safety regulations.
“Once you’ve got your condoms, make sure you store them out of the heat and sun,” Eliza Bell from Brook tells HuffPost UK, “and if you’re using latex condoms always keep them away from oily substances (including moisturisers and oil-based lube) as this will damage them.
“Keeping loose condoms in your wallet, pocket or bag can also damage them. If the wrapper looks at all damaged it’s best to throw it away and use a new one.”
Finally, be sure to always check the expiry date on condoms before using them, as even legitimate products have a limited shelf-life.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Oscars 2020 In Memoriam Segment Criticised Over Notable Omissions

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The Oscars has been criticised over notable omissions in its in memoriam segment.
Viewers of Sunday night’s ceremony noticed late Beverly Hills, 90210 star Luke Perry was among those missing from the video montage shown on the big screens at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
The actor, who was best known for his role as Dylan McKay in the 90s US teen drama, died last year at the age of 52, after suffering a stroke.
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Luke Perry died last year at the age of 52 Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Luke’s absence from the segment was all the more notable given he had a role in Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood, which was nominated for Best Picture.
Descendants and Grown Ups star Cameron Boyce, who died last July at the age of 20 due to epilepsy, was also not recognised.
Cameron Boyce died last July at the age of 20 SIPA USA/PA Images
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Other notable stars who hadn’t been included in the segment included horror actor Sid Haig, who died in September at the age of 80, Oscar-nominated actor Michael J Pollard, who died in November aged 80, and The Carol Burnett Show star Tim Conway, who died last May aged 85.
The omissions were quickly noted by social media users...
Cameron Boyce and Luke Perry DESERVES BETTER!! pic.twitter.com/ju6Rim5wCW — Sabrina D (@JoBrosButterfly) February 10, 2020
The fact that The Academy failed to include Luke Perry AND Cameron Boyce in their tribute is something I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around #Oscars pic.twitter.com/QvaH36IXyH — sara⛄❄ (@sarareneexo) February 10, 2020
Oof! Not including Cameron Boyce and Luke Perry was a HUGE mistake academy! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/16lmz4lcUH — E-Mack 🧢 (@emacdaddy1234) February 10, 2020
They also left out Cameron Boyce. His grandmother JoAnn Boyce is a civil rights pioneer & one of the #Clinton12 who were the first to go to an all white school in TN after Brown vs BOE.
Luke Perry was in one of the Oscar nom films.
They royally f'ed up leaving them all out. pic.twitter.com/Jf2fMcQcWt — Charlene Worley (@cworley2007) February 10, 2020
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Did the academy really leave out Luke Perry(he was literally in one of the movies nominated for best picture) and Cameron Boyce? Like do y’all realize how bad you messed up. @TheAcademy 🤔 — mikayla|taylor+harry stan (@mikaylaanncar) February 10, 2020
I also wished Sid Haig was mentioned in the memorial. He's a very beloved actor to horror fans, and he's been acting since the 1960s. Same thing with Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce.
Not cool guys. — Max Robards (@max_robrds) February 10, 2020
Not mentioning Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce during the memoriam at the #Oscars was a slap in the face. Hello?!! — Dusty Stanfill (@dusty_stanfill) February 10, 2020
Cameron Boyce got his start playing Adam Sandler's son in the Grown-Ups movie, Luke Perry was in several theatrical releases including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, they both qualified, Cameron Boyce's inclusion would have shown the industry sometimes loses talent too soon — Kathy Byrne (@kab_fair) February 10, 2020
how could they even forget three VERY popular people
not only the LEGEND Sid Haig, but Luke Perry and Cameron Boyce
I'm mad enough about Sid https://t.co/TisRhhCBjN — SØX カム @ A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED (@SeasonalGent) February 10, 2020
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She was joined by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, on piano as images of Kobe Bryant, Kirk Douglas and other stars appeared on screens above them.
The Academy confirmed on Twitter last month that Billie would appear at the Oscars for a “special performance,” but kept specifics under wraps.
Some fans assumed that she would use the occasion to unveil her much-anticipated theme song for the forthcoming James Bond film, No Time to Die, but that didn’t happen.
Billie herself called Yesterday a song she’d “always loved” in an Instagram story shortly before the ceremony.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Egyptian Rights Activist Who Criticised Government ‘Arrested And Tortured’ In Cairo

George Patrick Zaki Change.org
An Egyptian rights activist who was a vocal critic of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s government has been arrested and allegedly tortured on his return to Cairo.
Patrick George Zaki, 27, was detained at Cairo’s international airport after returning from Italy on Friday for a holiday, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a local NGO, where he works as a researcher.
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Zaki, who is doing a master’s on LGBT+ and human rights, was taken to the prosecutor’s office in his home city of Mansoura in the Nile Delta.
His lawyer Wael Ghally told Il Fatto Quotidiano newspaper Zaki was blindfolded, taken to a mystery location and beaten and tortured with electric shocks. According to Ghally the interrogators threatened and questioned him about various issues related to his work and activism and were skilled in inflicting pain without leaving any visible injuries.
Zaki’s arrest was the latest in an unprecedented crackdown on dissent waged by El-Sissi in recent years. Thousands have been arrested — both secular-leaning activists and Islamist opponents — all while rolling back freedoms won after the so-called Arab Spring uprising in 2011.
Zaki had been on leave from the NGO since last August while pursuing a master’s degree in gender studies at the University of Bologna, the group said.
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The interior ministry, which oversees Egypt’s police, said in a brief statement Sunday that Zaki was being held on a warrant from the prosecution, who ordered him remain in detention pending an investigation.
The EIPR said Zaki was being investigated over allegations of spreading false news and misuse of social media, as well as claims he called for unauthorised protests.
Egypt outlawed all unauthorised protests in 2013, months after el-Sissi, as defence minister, led the military’s removal of the country’s first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, after his one-year rule proved divisive and sparked massive nationwide protests.
The rights group said the investigation includes allegations of managing a social media account that aims to undermine the social order and public safety, as well as incitement to commit violence and terrorist crimes. Zaki has campaigned with the body for the rights of women in Egypt, the LGBT+ community and Christian minorities.
It has demanded his immediate release and a Change.org petition has been signed by almost 10,000 people since Zaki was arrested last week.
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The Italian authorities are acting on the arrest, fearing a repeat of the murder of Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--Phillip Schofield's Wife Steph Says She Still Loves Him As She Supports 'Brave Step' To Come Out

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Phillip Schofield’s wife Steph has said she supports his “brave step” to come out as gay, and will “still be there, holding his hand”.
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Steph, who previously said the couple had faced “the most emotionally painful time” in their 27-year marriage, told The Sun of how she still loves her husband.
Phillip Schofield and wife Steph PA
She told the paper: “I love Phillip, as much today as I ever have, and always will.
“At the same time, we’ve been awestruck by the strength and love of our precious girls, even as they’ve been trying to make sense of it all for themselves.
“Our family has also been so supportive and will help us going forward.”
She went on: “Although this is difficult for us all, I support Phillip in taking this brave step and I will still be there, holding his hand.
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“Everyone should be proud to live their own truth.”
The couple have two grown-up daughters Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment
Phillip, 57, met Steph while working on Children’s BBC, and they married in 1993, before going on to have two daughters, Molly, 26, and Ruby, 23.
He revealed that he has been struggling with being gay for years, and had experienced some “very dark moments” as he tried to come to terms with it.
In an interview with The Sun, Phillip also admitted he suspected he was gay when he married Steph.
Phillip previously paid tribute to his wife and their children, saying their support had been “astonishing”.
“We’ve been honest and open,” he told co-host Holly. “Steph, I can’t write in any statement what I feel about that woman. She’s amazing, she’s incredible.
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“There is no one in my life who would have supported me the way… as a wife, as the way she’s supported me. She’s astonishing, literally astonishing.”
Phillip was applauded for his courage and hailed as a “legend” as he returned to TV for the first time since coming out on Sunday night.
Phillip appeared on Dancing On Ice on Sunday ITV
He was back at the helm of Dancing On Ice alongside Holly, with judge Ashley Banjo taking a moment out of the show to praise Phillip after a “big week”.
The Diversity star said: “Phil, it’s been a big week, a big, big week.
“You have always been an absolute legend but never, never ever more so than this week my friend.”
Ashley Banjo hailed Phillip as a "legend" ITV
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“I think I speak on behalf of all of us when I say we’ve got nothing but love and respect for you,” he added, as fellow judges John Barrowman, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean clapped.
Holly squeezed Phillip’s arm as the studio erupted into a loud round of applause.
A visibly moved Phillip then joked: “It’s not about me! It’s not about me!” before they moved on with the ice-skating competition.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-10--9 Small Daily Lifestyle Changes That Could Help Maintain Your Health

Consider taking a vitamin supplement
andresr via Getty Images
In our busy, 24-hour, always-on lifestyle, we sometimes don’t have time or opportunity to eat a balanced diet every day, and you may wish to take a multivitamin. In the UK, we may not get enough Vitamin D in the gloomy days of autumn and winter; the body makes vitamin D from sunlight on skin and it is only available in a limited number of foods. The NHS recommends that everyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a 10-microgram daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter months – a good multivitamin like Centrum Multigummies will include this. Available in cherry, berry and orange flavours, two gummies each day will supply your recommended 10mcg of Vitamin D, as well as other essential vitamins like niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 which all contribute to the reduction of fatigue.