thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--EastEnders Revealed The Queen Vic's New Owner In Its 'Series 1 Finale' And It Was All Sorts Of Iconi

EastEnders Revealed The Queen Vic's New Owner In Its 'Series 1 Finale' And It Was All Sorts Of Iconic

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After 35 years, EastEnders fell off the air for the first time in its history on Tuesday night, finally running out of episodes that were filmed prior to coronavirus shutting down production.
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But what a final doof-doof moment it gifted fans.
The episode saw the ongoing sale of the Queen Vic come to a head, with the pub’s new owner was revealed as Sharon Mitchell in the final moments.
Sharon Mitchell is the new owner of the Queen Vic BBC
Over the last few months, fans have seen current landlords Mick and Linda Carter deciding to sell their beloved boozer in order to help Linda’s recovery from alcoholism.
Originally, they had planned to sell it to Phil Mitchell, as he plotted a fresh start for himself and his wife Sharon, following her affair with Keanu Taylor.
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However, their relationship fell apart again last week, when Phil refused to accept Sharon’s decision to keep her lovechild with Keanu.
With Linda feeling uncomfortable with the idea of Phil owning the Vic after how he had treated her best mate Sharon, they pulled out of the sale, prompting a hunt for a new owner.
In the final episode, fans saw Mick inform Phil the deal was off, before introducing him to the new landlady, with Sharon perched behind the bar.
“Hello Phil, what can I get ya?” she purred to her estranged husband, as they exchanged glares before the famous drums kicked in for the last time in a number of months.
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The extremely camp moment delighted long-term fans of the show...
Sharon is the new landlady. THANK YOU 😍😂 #EastEnders — Ryan 😜 (@Ryanmonaghan16) June 17, 2020
To mark this special occasion and a new era for Sharon, I have a new quote in my header....#EastEnders pic.twitter.com/5hTAr1E8N8 — ALESSIA (@always_mourning) June 16, 2020
“Hello, Phil! What can I getcha?” - Sharon Watts 2020, Series 1, Finale, EastEnders. #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/POiqykiZn0 — The Landlady (@SharonWattss) June 16, 2020
Loved the last episode before Lockdown, you couldnt have planned tonights episode better. . Great that Sharon has the Pub, its come full circle. Well done Eastenders — Dawn Taylor (@DawnTay44989384) June 16, 2020
Perfect ending! Sharon! Behind! The Bar! Already iconic! Can't wait for it to come back and see her in action. To be continued... #eastenders — Corey Terrett (@terrettcorey) June 16, 2020
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Still hyped over that ending! Sharon back at the heart of the show in the Queen Vic is just what we need to get us through the rest of 2020 #Eastenders — Dominic Powell (@dominicpowell94) June 17, 2020
YESSSSSS 🎉 what an iconic way to end! Sharon got what she deserved roll on when it returns #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/8tTytXBVDK — GILBYP (@GilbyPPPP) June 16, 2020
Sharon running the Vic and that "what can i get ya?" YASSS QUEEN END HIM👑👑thats what ya get when u mess with sharon, phil 🙋🏻♀✌🏻😂 #EastEnders — Emma Swan❤ Ballum💙 (@WinchesterSmoak) June 16, 2020
What a twist Sharon behind the bar buying the pub can’t believe it ended like that for now. Well done @bbceastenders can’t wait to see you back on screen👏🏻👏🏻 #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/OsDLn1bf6m — Cara🤱🏻 (@Cara_lennon94) June 16, 2020
And they noted how it was the perfect cliffhanger for the show to end on...
That perfect ending is still on my mind! Couldn’t have written a better cliffhanger for us to end on 👸🏼 #Sharon #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/qspXrwYGZV — Rich (@MrRichieW) June 17, 2020
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Perfect final scene for the last #EastEnders of 2020 BC. No huge cliffhanger but leaves it feeling like one chapter has closed and another opened. If any show needs a reset it’s this one. Don’t mess it up! pic.twitter.com/cEppP8Kxuj — Alan 🏳🌈 (@veryalan) June 17, 2020
stealing @rudemrlang's observation here, but that would have even been the perfect final beat if EastEnders was ending FOREVER. Couldn't have planned it better! — Shaun Kitchener (@ShaunKitchener) June 16, 2020
#LetitiaDean & @AdamWoodyatt were involved in the last #DoofDoof of series 1.
This is more iconic than people may realise: Letitia & Adam were in the very first episode, to bow out with them is a perfect fitting to @BBCEastEnders' rich history. They started and ended #EastEnders. pic.twitter.com/87Mg15dqbO — Andy Gibson (@AndyGibsonTV) June 16, 2020
That was such a perfect ending that I wonder if they had other episodes ready to air but decided to end it there. Either way, well played #EastEnders. Well played. — Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) June 16, 2020
The moment also mirrored how Sharon was unveiled as the Vic landlady back in 2000, when she first took over the pub from arch enemy Peggy Mitchell...
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However, with Ian Beale looking to have funded the purchase of the Vic for Sharon, fans also predicted the arrangement could be short-lived, as Ian is currently hiding the fact he is actually responsible for Sharon’s son Denny’s death during the boat crash in February...
YES! So pleased Sharons behind the bar again! Tbh I wasn’t expecting Ian to help out! I take it Ians bought it right for Sharon? Wait till Dotty tells Sharon about Denny. Shit will hit the fan! #EastEnders — Deedee Richardz (@deedee_dgr) June 16, 2020
I can't see Sharon's and Ian's friendship lasting though because wouldn't surprise me now if Dotty does tell Sharon what really happened on the boat. She'll want revenge after Ian basically threatening and grassing her up to the police. — Kelly Gray 🐕🦄🎨🖼🇬🇧📱🎶 (@kelsa18) June 16, 2020
Oh, but wait until Sharon and Phil find out about Ian's involvement with Denny's death. I see a future water dunking for Ian. #EastEndersToBeContinued #EastEnders — BovaryCee ♋🌻🙋🏾♀ (@BovarysComplnt) June 16, 2020
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Others weren’t fancying her chances of having a profitable business, as she will have had to close the pub’s doors due to coronavirus...
Sharon is smug here, but the next day she was told to close indefinitely, had to furlough her staff and didn’t qualify for a government grant because the Vic has a rateable value of over £51k #EastEnders pic.twitter.com/lWE2xraL0j — Hun-derrated (@Hun_derrated) June 16, 2020
The way Sharon and ian bought the vic just as a national lockdown would have started meaning they probably had about 3 days of being open #EastEnders — grace🌻🐝 (@_lilacskiesx) June 16, 2020
sharon may think she has the upper hand & im sure she will rise like a phoenix... but wot a time to buy a pub! 🤷🏼♀😂🙈 is the vic doing takeaway food & speciality cocktails? #eastenders #lockdown @bbceastenders — claire (@littleblonde87) June 16, 2020
EastEnders is due to resume production at its studios in Elstree, Hertfordshire later this month, but with strict social distancing rules in place.
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While it hasn’t been officially confirmed when new episodes will start airing, speculation has suggested the soap could be off air until September.
Bosses previously cut the number of episodes from four to two episodes per week to keep the show on as long as possible during the pandemic.
They have confirmed it will resume airing four times a week when it returns, although the episodes will have a shorter runtime of 20 minutes.
To plug the gap in the meantime, behind-the-scenes specials fronted by Stacey Dooley will air on Monday nights, as she chats to members of the cast.
Letitia Dean, Adam Woodyatt, Danny Dyer, Diane Parish, Tameka Empson and Kellie Bright have already been confirmed as among those taking part.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--7 Times Marcus Rashford Has Championed Kindness Off The Pitch

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At just 22 years old, Manchester United player Marcus Rashford has had a pretty inspiring career. He’s climbed high at one of the UK’s top football clubs, is considered one of the best attacking players in the country, and is constantly using his celebrity status as a force for good.
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Most recently, the striker campaigned for children to have free meals this summer, forcing a government U-turn in a matter of days after they cut the food voucher scheme over the summer holidays. It was personal to him: the footballer spoke of his plight as a youngster growing up and knowing what it’s like to go hungry, relying on food banks.
His call to action wasn’t about politics, it was about helping vulnerable children – and he won. Now, parents will be able to claim food vouchers for 1.3 million children in England during the six week holiday.
I don’t even know what to say.
Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020. — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020
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After news broke of the victory, Rashford tweeted to MPs: “This was never about me or you, this was never about politics, this was a cry out for help from vulnerable parents all over the country and I simply provided a platform for their voices to be heard.
“I stand proud today knowing that we have listened, and we have done what is right.”
It’s not the first time he’s championed kindness off the pitch, and it won’t be the last – he told the BBC there are “more steps that need to be taken” in fighting hunger.
Here are just a handful of the lovely things he’s done for other people.
He helped children get meals in lockdown.
Before campaigning for children to have free meals this summer, Rashford helped raise more than £20 million for FareShare, a UK charity fighting hunger and food waste, after an initial target of £100k. He worked with them to supply food to children who usually rely on school meals.
The England forward told Sky Sports at the time: “I didn’t know how high the numbers were of kids not eating at home other than school meals. That number kind of shocked me.
“And then I remember speaking to a friend who was saying there was an opportunity where we can help these people and FareShare allowed us to make it work. I don’t think I’ve actually ever done something at such short notice before.”
Guys, we’ve done it!! £100k for @FareShareUK that’s 400,000 meals for vulnerable children around the UK. Thank you!! You’re all amazing. ♥@brfootball when’s that Q&A we promised? — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) March 28, 2020
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He’s been helping kids keep fit during lockdown.
The Manchester United striker appeared on Celebrity Supply Teacher this month to help kids keep fit during the lockdown. Ahead of his debut, he asked PE teachers on Twitter to give him guidance. “I obviously know how to warm up but what else do I need? Help please,” he tweeted. “I want to get this right.”
Needless to say, he smashed it – and there were plenty of excited children tuning in to exercise with him, too.
Kids, 25min countdown ⏰
Grab your water and let’s go!! Let’s start the day the right way 🏃🏾💨 https://t.co/ez79wbz2P1 — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 10, 2020
He signed up for sign language lessons after a young fan asked him to judge a competition.
The footballer received a letter from a seven-year-old fan asking him to judge a World Book Day poetry competition back in February.
“The deaf children in Manchester will write poems,” the letter read. “Please can you pick the winners! And give out prizes if you can?”
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I mean how can I say no to this Sheryar, that’s some swerve ⚽
Count me in 👍🏾 pic.twitter.com/oPAbQqpt3u — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) February 4, 2020
Rashford didn’t just agree to judge the competition, he also decided to take sign language lessons so he could interact with the children whose poems he’ll be judging. He plans on meeting them face-to-face once it is safe to do so.
✍ @MarcusRashford is judging a poetry competition for children with hearing loss 👏#BBCBreakfast’s @sallynugent joined him for his first sign lesson… pic.twitter.com/wvv4Xob7ja — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) March 4, 2020
He helped make a cancer survivor’s dream trip to Old Trafford a reality.
Last year, Rashford teamed up with Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand to help make one fan’s dream come true.
US-based lifelong Manchester United supporter, John Burk, was told his cancer was in remission in September 2019, so his friends and team mates from the Hilton Head Wanderers soccer club in North Carolina raised $1,000 to send him to Manchester to see his favourite club play.
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Burk’s friend contacted several Man Utd players asking for their help – and Rashford replied offering tickets for Burk and his friends. He then asked Neville, who owns the Hotel Football complex outside Old Trafford, to provide accommodation. The trip was set – and topped off with a 3-1 win to Man U.
Burk and his friends also got to meet Rashford after the match, while Ferdinand provided dinner reservations for the fans and sent a personal video message too. Lovely stuff.
Humbled to meet @Jobu_13 and his friends after the game as well.
It was a pleasure to host you after the journey you’ve been on, John. Hope you enjoyed the win and also enjoy the rest of your time in Manchester 👊🏿❤ pic.twitter.com/M4bZSloyqb — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) November 10, 2019
He gave money to trick-or-treaters on his birthday.
Journalist Simon Austin claimed his eight-year-old daughter and her friends had been trick or treating when Marcus Rashford pulled up in a car and a woman in the passenger seat asked them to sing ‘happy birthday’ because the footballer had turned 21.
The kids did just that, and he gave them £20 each.
My 8 year old has just been trick or treating with 4 other friends in Sale. Nice man pulled up in his car. Lady in passenger seat said ‘sing happy birthday, he’s 21 today’, so they did. And he gave each of them a £20 note. Thank you @MarcusRashford 👏🏻👏🏻 — Simon Austin (@sport_simon) October 31, 2018
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He ran a Christmas shoebox campaign to help the homeless.
The footballer teamed up with Selfridges for the In-The-Box campaign last year and encouraged people to fill shoeboxes with essential items like hats, gloves and toiletries.
As part of the campaign, he delivered 300 boxes to homeless charity, Centrepoint.
He visited children in hospital after the Manchester terror attack.
After the horrendous Manchester Arena terror attack in 2017, Marcus Rashford and fellow United player Jesse Lingard paid a visit to those injured by the bombings in hospital.
The pair handed out signed shirts and spoke to people about their recovery. They’ve since been back to local hospitals to visit patients over the Christmas period and deliver presents.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Nurse Who Died Of Covid-19 After Giving Birth Felt 'Helpless' About Being On Front Line

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong Family of Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong/GoFundMe
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The husband of a nurse who died from Covid-19 just days after giving birth has said she felt too “helpless” to ask her employers to stop working.
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Ernest Boateng’s wife Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong died in April, a week after she was admitted to hospital with the virus.
Her death came just days after her daughter, also named Mary, was delivered by emergency C-section.
Now Boateng has revealed that his 28-year-old wife felt she could not ask to stop working despite being heavily pregnant – even when she was warned by a union representative that it was not safe.
In an interview with the BBC, he said: “She was really worried to the point that any time she returned back from work she had to start undressing from the doorstep.
“As soon as she entered the house, the first thing she would do is undress, leave the uniform there and walk straight to the washroom – to the bathroom to have a shower – before she could come down to socialise with the family or even talk to us.”
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Boateng said that, following his wife’s death, one of her union representatives revealed he had warned Agyapong it was not safe for her to be working and told her: “You need to get out of here.”
“But she said she couldn’t help it – she was helpless,” her husband said.
Agyapong was pregnant with the couple’s second child when she was admitted to hospital.
“There is no amount of words that really can explain how I am feeling within,” Boateng said.
“There are some times I just laugh and smile about the precious moments we had together for the past three-and-a-half years.”
The Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC Agyapong had been on sick leave by the time the first coronavirus patient was admitted to her ward at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
“We find it a bit difficult to comprehend because even at the time Mary was off sick some of her colleagues were even self-isolating,” Boateng said.
The trust said: “We were extremely saddened to lose Mary.
“We have carried out a full internal review of the circumstances surrounding her death and we are confident she received the best possible care and support from the trust.
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“We have sent our deepest condolences to Mr Boateng, and are currently working through a number of issues he has raised.”
Describing his wife, Boateng said: “She was very kind. Her heart was pure and she was very genuine.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Rebel Wilson Insists Royals 'Secretly Loved' Jibes About Princes Harry And Andrew At Baftas

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Rebel Wilson has claimed the royal family were actually big fans of her jibes at their expense during this year’s Baftas.
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The Pitch Perfect star stole the show with her speech in February, poking fun at controversies that had recently hit the royals.
Referencing the evening’s venue, the Royal Albert Hall, Rebel remarked: “It is really great to be here at the Royal Andrew... Royal Harry... Royal Phillip... this royal palace place.”
All this with Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the front row, no less.
Rebel Wilson
“Welcome to the Royal Andrew Hall”
NO ONE#BAFTAs pic.twitter.com/WF4KG5cWAt — Adam Willis (@adamtwillis) February 2, 2020
However, speaking to The Sun, Rebel has insisted that she has inside knowledge that the royals actually rather enjoyed her jokes.
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“I did speak to Kate and William’s private secretary after the Baftas and all seemed fine,” she claimed. “I mean, obviously, I’m not a malicious person either. My goal is not to try to take down someone, especially at the Baftas.
“But I’m also very cheeky and I like to just sometimes say stuff.”
Rebel also claimed to be “friends with someone in the royal family”, who told her “all the royals have a great sense of humour and they secretly love it”.
Rebel Wilson at the Baftas zz/KGC-254/STAR MAX/IPx
The comedy actor’s speech came when she introduced the Best Director category, poking fun at the lack of female nominees, coronavirus and her performance in the critically-derided Cats.
“I’m not sure if anyone has been across the controversy, but this year there has been a distinct lack of nominations for felines,” Rebel told the audience.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--London Mayor Sadiq Khan Takes A Pay Cut Over Coronavirus Funding Shortfalls

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Sadiq Khan has cut his own pay by 10% as he called on Boris Johnson to bail out local authorities facing funding black holes as a result of coronavirus.
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The London mayor warned that authorities across the country faced a shortfall of business rate and council tax income.
Khan is taking an immediate reduction to his £152,734 salary, cutting it by almost £15,300, and has frozen pay for his senior appointments at City Hall.
He said: “Londoners did the right thing to tackle Covid-19 by following the rules, staying at home and helping to save lives.
“But now the government is punishing them with a new era of austerity.
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“Unless ministers act, the current number of police officers will need to be reduced and it will be impossible to tackle youth violence or make the changes to the London Fire Brigade that are desperately needed after the awful Grenfell Tower tragedy.”
According to the Office for National Statistics, the median wage in the UK in 2019 was £24,897.
This means that in the UK, 50% of the working population earn less than this amount – called the 50th percentile – and 50% earn more than it.
Even with the self-imposed wage-cut, Khan’s salary remains above the 99th percentile.
By contrast, two months ago, MPs received a pay rise of 3.1%, bringing their annual basic salary to £81,932 from April this year.
The increase from the current wage of £79,468 kicked in from April 1, 2020. The body that sets MPs pay has also proposed an increase in budgets for MPs’ staff, support for their welfare, and for security.
MPs’ pay is linked to average rises in the public sector, as determined by the Office for National Statistics.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Willie Thorne, Former Snooker Player And Commentator, Dies Aged 66

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Former snooker star Willie Thorne has died at the age of 66.
Willie announced he had been diagnosed with leukaemia in March, and was placed into an induced coma in hospital in Spain over the weekend after suffering respiratory failure.
News of his death was announced on Wednesday on a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for his treaatment, where it was revealed he had died earlier that morning.
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A message from his friend and carer Julie O’Neill read: “It is with a very heavy and broken heart that I have to officially announce that at 1.55am this morning Willie Thorne lost his battle and passed away.”
Willie Thorne at the Masters tournament in 1987 Trevor Jones via Getty Images
She continued: “Willie went into septic shock and was not responding to any treatment so the decision was made by the hospital to turn off the machines
“I was with him all the way to his end and reading out messages to him from people. He passed away very peacefully and without pain listening to his children saying they love him... that gives me some comfort in this difficult time.”
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Julie added that she and Willie’s family will be “making plans” regarding his memorial, which she said she will keep fans informed about.
She had been updating fans on the fundraising page, which had raised almost £20,000 to help with Willie’s treatment.
Willie competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 BBC
During his snooker career, Willie reached two World Championship quarter-finals and won the Mercantile Credit Classic in 1982.
He later moved into TV, covering the sport as a commentator for the BBC, and for Sky Sports from the 1990s until coverage was dropped in the mid-2010s.
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In 2007, he also competed on the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside Erin Boag, although the pair were voted out just three weeks in to the competition.
Willie’s friend Gary Lineker was among the first to pay tribute, tweeting: “Deeply, deeply saddened to hear that my friend Willie Thorne has passed away. One of life’s great characters.
“A marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who’s potted his final black much too soon. RIP Willie.”
Deeply, deeply saddened to hear that my friend Willie Thorne has passed away. One of life’s great characters. A marvellous snooker player and a lovely man, who’s potted his final black much too soon. RIP Willie. — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 17, 2020
We are deeply saddened to hear that the Great WT himself, Willie Thorne, has passed away at the age of 66. It's a great loss to our sport.
Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time.
RIP Williehttps://t.co/dQYOen9L3Q pic.twitter.com/Kj57meHU5g — World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) June 17, 2020
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World Snooker tweeted: “We are deeply saddened to hear that the Great WT himself, Willie Thorne, has passed away at the age of 66. It’s a great loss to our sport. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time. RIP Willie.”
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn added: “I had the pleasure of managing the Great WT as part of the Matchroom team in the 1980s. He was a larger than life personality and he was a major part of the rebirth of snooker at that time.
“It’s so sad to hear he has passed away and our thoughts are with his family.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Gwyneth Paltrow Is Now Selling An Orgasm Scented Candle. Yes, Really

“It was really funny to us, but also a little bit punk rock,” she said. “I think women, a lot of us, have grown up feeling certain degrees of shame around our bodies or whatever. So this is a little bit of a subversive candle for all of us out there.”
Critics of Goop are unlikely to be giggling at the latest product, though. Dr Jen Gunter, dubbed “Twitter’s resident gynaecologist”, has long accused the brand – and others like it – of “promoting faux-feminism”. Let’s not forget the vagina candle was scented with rose, bergamot, and cedar – and we’re pretty sure no vagina has ever naturally smelt like that in the history of humanity.
Still, Goop continues to reign supreme in the wellness world – and it seems the wackier the product, the more chatter and sales it generates. Gwyn we have no desire to sniff your orgasm, but we think you knew that already.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Trump Claims Covid-19 Will Go Away And That An AIDS Vaccine Exists. It Doesn’t.

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Donald Trump went off-topic during an address outside the White House on police reform Tuesday, declaring that the coronavirus pandemic will go away without a vaccine and that scientists have “come up with the AIDS vaccine.”
At present, there is no scientific indication that coronavirus will go away if a vaccine is not developed and no AIDS vaccine exists.
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On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order on police reform amid a global conversation about racial inequality and police brutality in America prompted by the police killing of George Floyd in late May. The order will establish a federal database of police officers who have a history of using excessive force.
Trump made his address in the Rose Garden, telling the crowd that he was signing the order “to deliver a future of safety and security for Americans of every race, religion, colour and creed.” He also praised law enforcement’s response to the protests and insisted Americans “demand law and order.”
“Without police, there is chaos,” Trump said.
His speech went on to address the ongoing pandemic and how the administration is handling it. While lauding himself and the scientists working on a vaccine for the coronavirus, he claimed that “before the end of the year I predict we will have a very successful vaccine.”
Of the scientists, he said: “They’ve come up with things. They’ve come up with many other cures and therapeutics over the years. These are the people, the best, the smartest, the most brilliant anywhere. They’ve come up with the AIDS vaccine.”
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“Or the AIDS, and the as you know theres various things, and now various companies are involved and the therapeutic for AIDS. AIDS was a death sentence and now people live a life with a pill,” he continued.
“They’ve come up with the AIDS vaccine” pic.twitter.com/Z8MQK5Bi2F — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 16, 2020
No vaccine is currently available to prevent HIV infection, the virus which causes AIDS, or to treat those who have it, but there are many medications available for those living with HIV to manage the virus.
Outside of his erroneous claims about an AIDS vaccine, Trump once again said that the coronavirus will eventually go away if a vaccine does not get developed.
“I always say, even without it, it goes away. But if we had the vaccine ― and we will ― if we had therapeutic or cure, one thing sort of blends into the other. It will be a fantastic day and I think that’s going to happen. And it’s going to happen very soon,” he rambled.
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Trump claims (falsely) that coronavirus "goes away" on its own, even if a vaccine isn't developed pic.twitter.com/iw5NlYSdsE — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2020
Dr Mike Ryan, director of WHO’s emergencies program, told a virtual press conference from Geneva that he doesn’t believe “anyone can predict when this disease will disappear” and that it may “never go away.”
“It is important to put this on the table: This virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away,” Ryan said. “HIV has not gone away — but we have come to terms with the virus.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--The Walking Dead Star Khary Payton Introduces His Transgender Son To The World

Khary Payton expressed his "unquenchable love" for 11-year-old son Karter, who is transgender, on social media LISA O'CONNOR via Getty Images
Khary Payton is beloved by fans around the world as Ezekiel on The Walking Dead, but his off-screen role as a doting dad is earning him the most praise this week.
On Tuesday, the actor introduced the world to his 11-year-old son Karter, who is transgender, in heartfelt posts on Instagram and Twitter.
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Describing Karter as “one of the most happy, well-adjusted individuals I’ve ever known”, Khary wrote: “Man, there is nothing more beautiful than watching your child feel the joy of exploring what it means to be true to themselves.
“I hope you all have the opportunity to feel the unquenchable love that I am feeling right now.”
His wife Stacy offered similar sentiments on Instagram over the weekend, saying she was “overjoyed” that Karter was being true to his authentic self.
“Karter is so confident in who he is and was thrilled for me to let everyone know that he’s finally living as his true self,” she wrote. “As a boy. As my son. As Karter. I am so incredibly proud of him and feel blessed every single day to be his mama.”
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Khary’s announcement garnered praise from fellow actors, including Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame.
👍right back at Karter!
❤- Mar🐫 — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) June 15, 2020
“These kids are truly amazing!!” Reno Wilson of CBS’s Mike and Molly wrote on Instagram. “Teaching us how to be human on the regular! Let’s go Karter!”
Khary’s Walking Dead co-star Samantha Morton added: “Karter we love you! You are incredible.”
As a number of outlets have pointed out, Khary’s announcement came roughly four months after retired NBA star Dwayne Wade publicly opened up about his transgender daughter Zaya.
Zaya, who turned 13 last month, made her red carpet debut alongside her father and stepmother Gabrielle Union at the Better Brothers Los Angeles’ sixth annual Truth Awards in March.
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While Gabrielle has said she’s grateful for the support she and her family had received from LGBTQ rights advocates, she also spoke about the criticism the family has endured for allowing Zaya to live as her true self.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--What Is Dexamethasone And How Does It Work?

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A cheap and widely available steroid can help save the lives of patients seriously ill with coronavirus, a trial has found.
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The drug, dexamethasone, is a major breakthrough in the fight against the virus, UK experts say. Here’s what we know about it so far.
What is it?
Dexamethasone is a steroid drug that works to reduce inflammation. It has been used to treat a number of different conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
The drug is also used in end-of-life care and can work to prevent the immune system from destroying blood platelets in people with blood disorders.
Patients with a brain tumour may also be prescribed dexamethasone to reduce swelling around the tumour.
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When was it created?
The drug was developed in 1957 and was first approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration in the US in 1958.
Bill Oxford via Getty Images
How much does it cost?
Dexamethasone is relatively cheap, with researchers saying the cost of a course of treatment for people seriously ill with coronavirus is about £40.
The NHS now plans to make the drug available to all patients in hospital who will benefit from it. Dexamethasone is also available globally at cheap prices, meaning poorer countries will benefit.
How was the UK trial conducted?
A team from the University of Oxford recruited 2,104 patients who received 6mg of dexamethasone once a day either orally or by intravenous injection for 10 days. Their outcomes were compared with a control group of 4,321 patients.
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This is the most important trial result for COVID-19 so far. Significiant reduction in mortality in those requiring oxygen or ventilation from a widely available, safe and well known drug. Many thanks to those who took part and made it happen. It will save lives around the world. https://t.co/zRIaHulHOe — Professor Chris Whitty (@CMO_England) June 16, 2020
How big a breakthrough is this?
It was hailed a “major breakthrough” in the fight against Covid-19 by scientists and politicians.
Researchers estimate if they had known what they now know about the steroid at the start of the pandemic, 4,000 to 5,000 lives could have been saved.
What did the trial prove?
The mortality rate of those with Covid-19 who end up on a ventilator is above 40%, but this figure was reduced by a third among those prescribed dexamethasone.
It also cuts the risk of death by a fifth for those on oxygen and was described by researchers as “statistically significant”.
Based on the results, one death would be prevented by treatment of around eight patients on ventilators, or around one in every 25 patients requiring oxygen alone.
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Does it help treat coronavirus generally?
There was no benefit in those patients who were in hospital with Covid-19, but whose lungs were working sufficiently well not to need oxygen or a ventilator.
The government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said during Tuesday’s Downing Street press conference that the steroid does not stop people from catching coronavirus.
Researchers warned it has not been studied in patients in the community, and people should not be taking dexamethasone for Covid-19.
Will it be widely used?
It’s readily available in hospitals and should now become “standard of care” in Covid-19 patients on ventilators or oxygen, according to researchers.
Advice will be going out to all NHS hospitals within the next 24 hours to act on the results, meaning everyone who could benefit from the steroid could get it.
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What do the experts say?
Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, and one of the chief investigators for the trial, described it as “an extremely welcome result”.
“Dexamathasone has delivered significant results in trials to help people recover from Covid 19. This is tremendous news in the fight against this virus.”- PV pic.twitter.com/YIeHEZQ7Uh — Sir Patrick Vallance (@uksciencechief) June 16, 2020
Sir Patrick Vallance said: “This is tremendous news today from the Recovery trial showing that dexamethasone is the first drug to reduce mortality from Covid-19. It is particularly exciting as this is an inexpensive, widely available medicine.
“This is a groundbreaking development in our fight against the disease, and the speed at which researchers have progressed finding an effective treatment is truly remarkable.”
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England medical director, said: “This is a huge breakthrough in our search for new ways to successfully treat patients with Covid, both in the UK and across the world.
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“It is thanks to NHS staff and patients who participated in the trial that from now we are able to use this drug to dramatically improve Covid-19 survival for people in hospital who require oxygen or ventilation.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Matt Hancock Confuses Marcus Rashford With Daniel Radcliffe

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Matt Hancock has praised “Daniel Rashford” for his campaign to help feed disadvantaged children.
Unfortunately the 22-year-old footballer, who forced a U-turn from the government on free school meals, is called “Marcus” not “Daniel”.
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Yesterday Boris Johnson reversed his decision not to extend meal vouchers into the summer holidays following a campaign by England star.
Speaking to Sky News this morning, Hancock said: “Righty-ho – I will tell you what happened. The prime minister talked to Daniel Rashford, he considered it, and made his decision – I think it’s terrific.”
I’ve been called much worse over the last couple of days 🤣 — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 17, 2020
Hancock said he may have had “Harry Potter on the mind” as it was “too early in the morning”.
“My seven-year-old listens to Harry Potter and reads Harry Potter avidly, including at 5.30 this morning when I got up to do this morning’s media round,” he told LBC after the slip-up.
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Downing Street on Tuesday announced a one-off £120m fund which will benefit some 1.3m children in England over the six-week summer period.
Rashford told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday morning he was “shocked” by the decision.
“It’s a big decision for someone to make and I’m just grateful that the prime minister did change his decision and he understood,” he said.
“I spoke to him and thanked him for that. It’s a nice feeling but I’m just happy that people’s lives, and people’s summers especially, have been changed for the better.”
But the player said that people are “struggling all year round” and he now wants to learn “how we can help them best” in the future.
Johnson told yesterday’s Downing Street press conference he had to “understand the pressures families are under right now”.
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“I think it is the right thing to do and it will help the kids from the families who really need it,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--‘It’s Time We Talk About This’: Republican Group Questions Trump’s Health

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Some of Donald Trump’s most persistent critics from the right are questioning his health after his unusual behaviour over the weekend.
“Something’s wrong with Donald Trump,” the video from the anti-Trump GOP group The Lincoln Project states. “He’s shaky. Weak. Trouble speaking. Trouble walking. So why aren’t we talking about this?”
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The spot, which Fox News reports will run on TV in Washington, DC, comes after Trump appeared to struggle to lift a glass of water during a speech at West Point on Saturday.
Then, when the event was over, he took an unusually long and deliberate walk down a ramp as he left the stage.
The Lincoln Project ― co-founded by several high-profile conservatives, including attorney George Conway, husband of counsellor to the president Kellyanne Conway ― says this and other behaviour raises serious questions about Trump’s fitness for office.
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“We’re not doctors, but we’re not blind,” a voiceover in the spot states. “It’s time we talk about this: Trump is not well.”
The video recalls one of the ads the Trump campaign ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016, which questioned the former secretary of state’s health, claiming “she doesn’t have the fortitude, strength or stamina.”
This year, the Trump campaign has attacked Democratic rival Joe Biden over his age, making implications about his mental fitness as well. In one online ad, the Trump campaign said “geriatric mental health is no laughing matter.”
Trump himself has claimed Biden is “not mentally sharp enough” for the job.
But now questions are being raised over Trump’s health and fitness, including a sudden trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in November, referred to in The Lincoln Project’s ad.
His unusual behaviour at West Point only adds to the questions.
Trump has insisted he’s healthy and said the slow and deliberate walk was because the ramp at West Point was “very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery,” despite it being a clear day.
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He also falsely claimed that in the “final ten feet I ran down to level ground.”
The incident at West Point caused #TrumpIsNotWell to trend on Twitter over the weekend, and the new ad caused the hashtag to pop once again on Tuesday:
Lincoln Project hits Trump right in his vain underbelly with #TrumpIsNotWell spot set to air on Fox News.
pic.twitter.com/S6gl7Dpj6G — The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) June 16, 2020
Ohhhh shit.@ProjectLincoln's new ad running on Fox News.
"Why did Trump have a secretive, midnight run to Walter Reed Medical Center? It’s time we talk about it." #TrumpIsNotWell #ifdonaldtrumpisreelected pic.twitter.com/inbCuulg1j — Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) June 16, 2020
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Watch this!
Now, who in God’s name thought this man was healthy enough to walk down a ramp?!#TrumpIsNotWell pic.twitter.com/LiqpzDmHu0 — Ken Olin (@kenolin1) June 16, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--New Zealand Puts Military In Charge Of Quarantine After Covid-19 Blunder

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New Zealand’s military will now oversee its quarantine process after a slip up at the border allowed two people with Covid-19 to move around the country, which was previously considered virus-free.
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Two women from the UK – who are New Zealand citizens – were released from quarantine before being tested for coronavirus.
They had flown from London to visit a dying parent and were granted an exemption to leave their mandatory 14-day quarantine early on compassionate grounds, the Associated Press reported.
They then travelled by car from Auckland to Wellington, where they tested positive for coronavirus.
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern branded the incident an “unacceptable failure”.
Health officials said the women had no contact with other people on their road trip – but that they were contacting 320 people who may have come into contact with them on their flight or in their quarantine hotel.
Before the two new cases were announced on Tuesday, New Zealand had gone more than three weeks without reporting any new cases and was considered virus-free.
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Last week, it became one of the first countries in the world to eliminate Covid-19 and return to pre-pandemic conditions, lifting all social and economic restrictions except border controls.
Ardern has now assigned a top military leader – the assistant chief of defence Air Commodore Digby Webb – to oversee New Zealand’s quarantine facilities and to strengthen border requirements.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--3 US States See Record High In Daily Coronavirus Infections After Reopening

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Texas, Arizona and Florida all reported their highest daily increases in new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, even after all three states implemented and later lifted stay-at-home orders meant to stop the spread of infections.
State officials in Florida reported 2,783 new cases, in Texas, 2,622, and in Arizona, 2,392. All three states have seen social distancing regulations relaxed for weeks, and most businesses have been allowed to reopen in some capacity.
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The figures come amid ongoing efforts by Donald Trump and other Republican leaders to downplay the ongoing spread of the virus. At least 21 states have seen rates of new cases increase over the last two weeks as a majority of the country reopens.
At the same time, Trump has been pushing misleading claims that infections are only increasing because there’s more testing, going so far as to claim Monday, without evidence, that “if we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.”
Trump is also preparing to hold a massive rally in Oklahoma this weekend with 20,000 attendees at an indoor arena, despite pleas from local officials and health professionals that the event could quickly lead to a renewed outbreak in the state. Infection rates in Oklahoma rose 68% in the second week of June.
“I’m extremely concerned,” Bruce Dart, the executive director of the Tulsa health department, told the Tulsa World. “I think we have the responsibility to stand up when things are happening that I think are going to be dangerous for our community, which it will be. It hurts my heart to think about the aftermath of what’s going to happen.”
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Other state leaders have pushed back their own reopening efforts as cases have surged, including the governors of Utah and Oregon.
But in Florida, governor Ron DeSantis said he was not considering another shutdown despite the surge in cases. He also rolled out the White House’s misleading talking point that cases were rising only because of increased testing.
“We’re not rolling back,” DeSantis said during a press briefing, according to the Miami Herald. “The reason we did the mitigation was to protect the hospital system.”
“You have to have society function,” he added. “To suppress a lot of working-age people at this point I don’t think would be very effective.”
In Arizona, some health officials were already reporting a strain on hospitals’ intensive care capacity due to a spike in coronavirus cases, even as governor Doug Ducey said any concern was “misinformation” and said the facilities were prepared to handle an influx in patients.
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And in Texas, governor Greg Abbott said that, despite his own state’s figures, hospital capacity remained “abundant.”
“The more Texans protect their own health, the safer our state will be and the more we will be able to open up for business,” he said Tuesday.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, said that, despite the attempts to alleviate any concern, some states jumped the gun on reopening before meeting White House criteria on case levels.
“There certainly were states that did not strictly follow the guidelines that we put out about opening America again,” Fauci said in an interview with NPR. “Clearly there were states that ― left to their own decision about that ― went ahead and opened to a varying degree ... certainly, before they got to the benchmarks that they needed to get.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Strictly Come Dancing Pro Neil Jones Opens Up About Sleeping On The Streets As A Teenager

Strictly Come Dancing professional Neil Jones has revealed he briefly slept on the streets as a teenager.
Neil told his Instagram followers about his history in a post about a new campaign for a charity organisation that helps homeless youth.
“As you know during lockdown I’ve been lucky to be able to move into my very own flat,” he wrote. “Unfortunately due to Covid-19 many charities have been hit hard and one which was hit hard [is Depaul UK, a] youth homelessness charity who support vulnerable people who move from place to place, staying on sofas/floors often in unsafe situations facing physical, mental and even sexual abuse and exploitation.
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“Not many people know but as a teen I found myself at one point sleeping on the streets for a short period but because of a charity like DePaul I was able to find a place to stay.”
Neil Jones pictured earlier this year Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
The award-winning dancer went on to say that Depaul is “under strain” due to the pandemic, urging his followers to join him in a new charity initiative that sees people sleeping “somewhere other than your bed” for one night, donating £5 to Depaul and then nominating three friends to do the same.
In his post, Neil nominated his fellow Strictly stars Katya Jones and Oti Mabuse, as well as Michael Jowita, who won The Greatest Dancer earlier this year.
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Neil and his dancing partner Katya joined Strictly in 2016, but he only landed a celebrity partner for the first time last year, finishing in fifth place with footballer Alex Scott.
He and Katya announced last year that they had split up after six years of marriage, having been together for five years before tying the knot.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Top Gear's Paddy McGuinness Speaks Out To Reassure Fans After On-Set Crash

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Top Gear presenter Paddy McGuinness has spoken out to reassure fans after being involved in a car accident on the set of the BBC series.
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On Tuesday, The Sun reported that Paddy had crashed a new Lamborghini while filming in the Yorkshire Dales, after “losing control” of the vehicle.
Hours later, the former Take Me Out star shared a video on Instagram assuring his followers he was completely fine, albeit in need of “a cup of tea, a paracetamol and a good old cry”.
The current Top Gear presenting team Rex
“It’s been a mad old day on Top Gear today, you might have seen that I had a bit of a shunt,” he said. “I finally got to drive one of my fantasy childhood cars, the Lamborghini Diablo.
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“But it turns out 30-year-old supercars don’t like torrential rain. Who’d have thought?”
He continued: “If you’ve ever owned a Diablo or you’ve driven one you’ll know just as well as me, oh my God, she can be a cruel mistress, she can be a cruel mistress that one.
“That V12 lures you in and suddenly… it bites you. I’m totally fine. Fingers crossed we get the car running again because it is an absolute beauty.”
A spokesperson for Top Gear later said: “During Top Gear filming in North Yorkshire today, presenter Paddy McGuinness’s car skidded and left the road, coming to an almost immediate stop. Paddy was quickly taken to the production unit base for medical checks and is unhurt.
“No other vehicles were involved and the police, who had been monitoring filming, were quickly on the scene to assist.
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“Safety on Top Gear is always the production team’s priority and the vehicle’s speed at the time was within the road’s limit of 60mph.”
Paddy joined Top Gear in 2018, alongside fellow new recruit Andrew Flintoff and existing host Chris Harris.
They replaced departing presenter Matt LeBlanc, who took over the show – as did short-lived co-presenter Chris Evans – when the BBC famously decided not to renew Jeremy Clarkson’s contract.
Filming on Top Gear resumed last week, when Paddy, Andrew and Chris sped through a specially-designed maze at theme park Alton Towers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Is It Safe To Take A Taxi During Coronavirus?

martin-dm via Getty Images
As more businesses reopen and people emerge from their homes with greater frequency, there’s a sense that things are getting back to “normal.” Many folks are easing into activities from their pre-pandemic lives, like dining at a restaurant, booking air travel and even taking an Uber.
But are services like Uber ― or even traditional taxis ― safe for passengers amid the Covid-19 pandemic?
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“Although it doesn’t feel as scary as it used to be, we are nowhere near the end of this pandemic,” said Kit Delgado, an assistant professor or emergency medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Indeed, hundreds of people are still dying from the disease each day.
So if you’re considering using a taxi in these times, there are important factors to keep in mind and ways to mitigate the risks involved. Below, Delgado and other health experts share their guidance for safe Uber and taxi rides right now.
Know the risks involved.
It’s helpful to look at various modes of transportation along a spectrum of risk ranging from the least to most risky.
“I would say the safest mode of transportation at this time would be taking your own personal car by yourself since in this situation you would not be exposing yourself to anyone else,” said Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious diseases physician and biosecurity fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “The next best situation would be to have someone you know (that might be in your social bubble) drive you since you would be in regular contact with them. I would say the next safest scenario would be to take a taxi.”
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Delgado told HuffPost that while there are no scientific studies quantifying the risk of getting Covid-19 specifically from using a taxi, evidence from other settings and on local transmission activity can provide guidance.
“First, we know that the virus is primarily transmitted by respiratory droplets between persons in close proximity (e.g., less than 6 feet away) with higher risks in closed spaces sustained exposure (more than 10-15 minutes),” he explained. “Therefore, using a rideshare or taxi can be moderate to high-risk venues for exposure if someone with coronavirus is in or has recently been in the vehicle.”
To reduce risks, companies like Uber and Lyft now require drivers and passengers to wear face coverings. Both companies have also announced efforts to send cleaning supplies to drivers.
“However, cleaning and sanitising the vehicle is the individual responsibility of the driver and remains unclear how well this being done,” Delgado said. “Also, it is the individual responsibility of ride-share drivers to self-quarantine and not drive if they develop symptoms and they may face tough choices when self-quarantine means forgoing income.”
Ask yourself whether it’s necessary.
“Decide if the trip is really necessary and worth the potential risk of coronavirus exposure, particularly in medium-to-high risk counties with ongoing transmission,” said Delgado. “For example, if you have an essential health care appointment or procedure, and taxi is the only feasible way to go, take the taxi. The consequences of forgoing necessary medical care are likely to outweigh the individual risk of coronavirus exposure.”
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You should also consider whether you have safer options for transportation, like driving yourself (unless you’ve been drinking of course) or asking someone in your circle to drive you.
“Consider whether it’s necessary to travel locally and any alternative options, particularly physically active ones such as walking or riding a bike if feasible,” said Sachin Nagrani, a physician and medical director for the telemedicine and house call provider Heal.
Consider your location.
“The rate of new Covid-19 cases in your area may affect the risk of going into public for any activity, including using a taxi or rideshare,” Nagrani noted.
Delgado echoed this sentiment, suggesting that people research local coronavirus activity where they live.
“I would consider places with zero new cases as lower risk, those with under 10-20 new cases per day as medium risk, and those with more than that as higher risk with lots of new cases per day,” he said.
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dowell via Getty Images Your location and health status are major factors to consider when deciding whether or not to take a taxi or rideshare.
Assess your own health.
As with other activities outside the home, your own health status should be a major factor in deciding whether or not to take a taxi or Uber.
“Ask what are my health risk factors,” said Kuppalli. “The factors that affect safety would be if you have comorbidities, duration of ride, if there are other people in the car, can I wear a mask, etc.”
You should also consider the health status of those in your household and whether your potential exposure could be putting them at risk of serious illness or hospitalisation. And of course, you should not go out in public if you’re feeling sick because you could spread illness to those outside your home as well. Don’t operate under the assumption that you’re exempt from the guidelines in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“It’s important to remember it’s not just the elderly dying,” Delgado said. “For every person who dies, there around four more who make it out alive, but only after one to two weeks in the hospital, and most of those who require hospitalisation are under the age of 65. Hospitalisations are increasing in at least nine states indicating it’s not just due to increased testing.”
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Compare taxi and ride-share options.
Overall, the risks involved in taking a taxi versus an Uber are largely the same, though various companies may have different safety and sanitation policies in place.
“There may be some minor considerations,” Delgado said. “Some taxi companies may have plexiglass barriers between the front and back seat which can reduce exposures between the passengers and the driver. Also, taxis may have more standardised and closely monitored cleaning and sanitation practices.”
“On the other hand, rideshare customers may be able to provide real-time feedback to report drivers who may be displaying symptoms or who have cars that are not well-cleaned,” he continued. “It’s hard to know how this would balance out in terms of risks to customers.”
Wear a mask.
After assessing the risks involved, you may still decide to go forward with your taxi or rideshare journey. If so, it’s important to take steps to protect your health along the way.
“Riders should wear a face covering and request that the driver also wear a covering if he or she is not already doing so and report drivers who are failing to adhere to precautions,” Delgado noted.
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In addition to face masks, eye protection can provide some extra protection. Nagrani also suggested sitting in the seat furthest from the driver.
“If you’re out to run necessary errands, try to consolidate them into one trip to limit your outings,” he added.
Avoid high-touch surfaces.
“It always safest to assume that any surface may be contaminated ― door handle, seat, etc.,” Delgado said. “Riders should clean their hands with hand sanitiser upon getting in the car and should not touch their eyes, face, or mouth when in the car so no eating or drinking. Consider wearing sunglasses or glasses as a physical reminder to avoid touching the eyes and for added protection against any droplets that could be in the air.”
Riders should also sanitise their hands or wash them with soap and water if possible after exiting the vehicle. It’s important to wipe down your phone and any belongings that were placed on surfaces in the car.
Open the windows.
“If the weather is nice, put down the window,” Kuppalli suggested. Doing so maximises ventilation and helps prevent any potentially aerosolised respiratory droplets from hanging in the air for too long.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--25 Of The Funniest Tweets About Married Life

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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Government 'Abandons' Prisoner Release Scheme Despite Spending £4m On Tags

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The government has been accused of “abandoning” a prisoner early release scheme to ease the impact of coronavirus on jails – despite spending almost £4m on electronic tags to carry out the plan.
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In April, the Ministry of Justice pledged to release up to 4,000 low-risk prisoners on temporary licence to ease overcrowding, as well as pregnant inmates and mothers with babies.
But the latest figures show just 153 prisoners have been let out under the End of Custody Temporary Release (ECTR) scheme and compassionate release in light of Covid-19.
The limited number of releases comes despite the department spending £3.8m on 2,000 electronic tags to monitor prisoners, according to a response to a parliamentary question tabled by Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy.
“It is untenable to continue to subject the entire prison population to conditions of what are, in effect, prolonged solitary confinement with no access to education or other meaningful activities.”” - The Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust
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The Ministry of Justice says the prison population has fallen by almost 4,000 inmates since mid-March and points to a “compartmentalisation strategy” that has “saved thousands of lives”. It adds tags can still be used on others.
But prison reform campaigners have now written to the department to complain about the “inhumane and untenable” conditions inmates are being kept in, and are calling for the release of a “substantial” number of prisoners.
A joint letter from the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust to justice secretary Robert Buckland warns of most people in prison being kept in either “prolonged solitary confinement or in overcrowded conditions”.
The organisations write: “Despite the additional resources that have been given to prisons to cope with the crisis, each and every report from the Inspectorate has painted a clear, bleak picture: prisons are devoid of purposeful activity and opportunities for people to make amends.
“The children in prison have had no education, rates of self-harm in women’s prisons have increased and the entire estate has been starved of contact with the outside world. Open prisons no longer serve their function of preparing people for the community.”
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Lammy told HuffPost UK the cost of the tags underlined the “haphazard response to the pandemic”.
He said: “It paid almost £4m for 2,000 extra tags for its early release scheme, most of which it never used.
“Overcrowded prisons are vulnerable to the spread of the virus in this pandemic. The government must not be complacent about the threat of a second wave.”
PA PA
In April, the MoJ signed contracts with Buddi Ltd and Attenti EM UK to provide 2,000 electronic monitoring tags between them. The department has said it is considering “alternative uses” for tags not required for the ECTR scheme.
Cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in 105 out of 117 prisons so far, and 23 inmates have died.
Some 971 prison staff and 502 inmates have tested positive, including those who have recovered.
According to one report, prisoners with coronavirus symptoms were locked in cells for up to two weeks without being allowed out to shower.
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The findings emerged following inspections of conditions in three jails – Wandsworth in south London, Altcourse in Liverpool, and Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey.
In a report published last month, chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said: “The vast majority were locked up for nearly the whole day with usually no more than half an hour out of their cells.
“We found some examples of even greater restrictions. In one prison, a small number of symptomatic prisoners had been isolated in their cells without any opportunity to come out for a shower or exercise for up to 14 days.”
The Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme, introduced in 1999, means inmates can be released with an electronic tag and under a curfew up to four-and-a-half months prior to their scheduled release date. Prisoners jailed for at least three months and less than four years can be considered for release on HDC.
Criminals in several offence categories are either barred or “presumed unsuitable”, including sex offenders, terrorists and foreign national prisoners facing deportation.
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The programme to release up to 4,000 inmates had to be put on hold after six prisoners were released by mistake due to an “administrative error” before being returned to prison. Last month, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales urged the courts to consider the conditions in prison when sentencing, which partly explains the fall in the prison population.
In the letter, the Howard League and Prison Reform Trust write: “Either you must release a substantial number of prisoners so that prisons are less overcrowded and the need for prolonged solitary confinement disappears, or you must take some other urgent step to initiate a humane and meaningful regime in our prisons.
“It is untenable in the medium or indeed short terms to continue to subject the entire prison population to conditions of what are, in effect, prolonged solitary confinement with no access to education or other meaningful activities.”
On tags, the letter said: “It is clear that despite investing almost £4 million in electronic tagging to secure early releases and advising us on 28 April 2020 that you had approved releases of 200 people under the ECTR scheme, that system is effectively abandoned.”
In response to the parliamentary question, prisons minister Lucy Frazer wrote: “Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has worked with individual establishments and local health teams to identify the most appropriate way to implement the compartmentalisation strategy in each prison, in line with national guidance.
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“Full implementation will require around 5,000 to 5,500 additional headroom, from a combination of reduced demand and increased supply of places.
“This is being delivered through a range of means, including a reduction in the population, support for early release schemes, expediting of remand cases, and expansion of the estate.
“Available data shows that since mid-March the overall prison population has fallen by almost 4,000. As at Friday, May 29, 716 temporary accommodation units have been delivered to 23 HMPPS sites and 128 prisoners have been released under the End of Custody Temporary Release Scheme and compassionate release in light of Covid-19.
“We have also brought the former Medway Secure Training Centre back into operation temporarily as an annex to HMP/YOI Rochester. The location will provide temporary accommodation for 70 category D adult males.
“We are currently on track to have fully implemented compartmentalisation across the estate over the next couple of months and continue to work with establishments and review our plans to ensure we are implementing it in the most efficient manner possible.”
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A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “It was only right that we put public protection first and acquired enough tags to fit everyone that could have been released on the scheme.
“This was just one part of our plan to contain the spread of coronavirus in prisons however, alongside creating extra cells isolating those with symptoms and quarantining new arrivals.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--How The ‘Hostile Environment’ Has Made This Pandemic Harder For Doctors Like Me

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As a doctor, I am incredibly privileged to be able to serve my community during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the satisfaction that I feel when working on the frontline is tempered by the knowledge that there remain many people who are not receiving the medical attention that they deserve. Like Elvis, a Filipino migrant whose death in mid-April from suspected Covid-19 was covered by the media, many migrants are at an increased risk of ill-health due to Conservative policies that render healthcare inaccessible to them.
Research published last week by Medact, Migrants Organise and the New Economics Foundation shows that many migrants are too scared to access healthcare for fear of recriminations and charges by the Home Office. Even those with the right to free care are deterred “due to the complex nature of the policies and lack of staff and patient knowledge about eligibility”. I have seen first-hard the impact that the Hostile Environment policy, introduced by Theresa May in 2014 when she was home secretary, is having on our National Health Service – during a global pandemic no less.
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We know that the exemption from charges for migrants with Covid-19 is not working. Some 56% had seen no information from public bodies which raised awareness of migrants’ rights to healthcare during the crisis. Only 9% think that ‘information about charging exemptions is reaching all sections of their communities in an accessible format’. Patients are even being asked to prove their right to healthcare while suffering in hospital with COVID-19 symptoms, a dehumanising and traumatic experience. What’s more, additional barriers like inadequate translation and interpretation services and poor access to digital health information amongst patients are prohibiting us doctors from seeing the patients we desperately need to see.
“My colleagues and I are powerless to ensure that as many patients as possible are being seen and treated. This is completely illogical within the context of a public health crisis.”
Most of the decisions regarding which patients are eligible for care are made behind the scenes by hospital trusts. When I treat my patients, they have already gone through immigration screening checks before they make it to the ward. My colleagues and I are powerless to ensure that as many patients as possible are being seen and treated. This is completely illogical within the context of a public health crisis, as we urgently want to eliminate the possibility of this virus returning and causing more loss in the UK. It is also disheartening to see some of our nation’s most vulnerable populations – many of whom possess social risk factors for infectious diseases including Covid-19 – being policed at point of entry.
These exclusionary policies exist within the context of an NHS that has been victim to at least a decade’s worth of underfunding. This includes public health services that have been at the forefront of managing the coronavirus pandemic. According to a King’s Fund report, there has been an 8% decrease in spending on public health services by local councils between 2013/14 and 2017/18. This drop in funding was continued in 2019/20. In short, our NHS, which was once a symbol of our collective ability to contribute to the common good, is now itself a neglected and sickly patient.
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“As we sit in the midst of a global pandemic, we have an opportune moment to re-evaluate our priorities as a country.”
Modern medical beds for injured in hospital. Resuscitation chamber. Coronavirus, virus concept. COVID-19 identification. Pandemic. Vadym Terelyuk via Getty Images
We need only look to other nations, like Portugal and Ireland, for examples of how to better serve the health needs of everyone in society. Portugal has been praised for its efficient response to the virus; the country also gave all migrants and asylum seekers full citizenship rights, temporarily, as early as 31 March. In Ireland, early on in the crisis, public authorities confirmed the building of a “firewall’ between health and migration authorities to make sure that any undocumented migrant would not be deterred from coming forward and accessing health care or social supports during the Covid-19 crisis. To see our government, instead, disregard the health needs of migrants at such a critical time in public health is frustrating. Immigration controls ought to be kept separate from matters of public health. I’ve seen how combining the two can have a detrimental impact on the health of the citizens of the entire nation.
As we sit in the midst of a global pandemic, we have an opportune moment to re-evaluate our priorities as a country. Universal access to healthcare was a founding principle of the NHS and the moral foundation upon which many of us healthcare professionals have chosen to practise medicine. The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare significant health inequalities that plague every corner of our nation and the need for a public healthcare system that serves us all has never been more vital than now.
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Harun is a physician, public health researcher and a member of Docs Not Cops, an organisation that supports an NHS that is free at the point of use for all


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Black Athletes Like Me Are Shaken. Now We Need Support, And We Need Representation

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Last November, after twenty years of lacing up my running spikes, I retired from competitive athletics. I had given a lot to the sport, both in body and mind, and I left happy to move on to a new life.
This month, though, I have been pulled back into athletics. Not because I’ve been stepping back on the tracks I once ran on, but because I, and Black former teammates, have been left incredibly shaken by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Their deaths have sent a ripple through the entire Black community, and athletes are no exception: for many of us, it’s brought back traumas we have long kept in the back of our minds, under lock and key. Traumas that can no longer be ignored.
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In the wake of these racist killings, I’ve heard people say “it’s an American problem” or “we don’t have racism in the UK”. This is far from true. As a young girl growing up in Liverpool, my parents would always tell me “you’ll have to work twice as hard as your white counterparts” to succeed. Our parents never taught us that that was wrong, it was just what they knew – what they experienced when they arrived on British soil. I guess they didn’t want their children to go through similar situations, so we were given no choice but to excel in any profession. That strong work ethic has shaped my life and career in sport for the better, but it’s tiring. Imagine having to learn about systematic racism as a child? Imagine knowing from a young age that being Black and mediocre has never been an option.
As I navigated my way through my chosen sport, I would have people ask if I was ‘really British’ with a Nigerian name that some struggled to understand (even though they could say names like Borzakovskiy), asking if my natural hair was ‘real’ when I wore it out, and shut me down whenever I’d challenge a team manager. Making myself palatable in white spaces was tiring, as was the ‘code-switching’ to make white people comfortable.
“My job gave me the chance to compete in one incredible country to the next. But this didn’t come without its problems.”
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GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 09: Anyika Onuora of England looks on as she prepares to compete in the Women's 400 metres heats during the Athletics on day five of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Carrara Stadium on April 9, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Cameron Spencer via Getty Images
In my career, I always found joy competing abroad. My job gave me the chance to compete in one incredible country to the next. But this didn’t come without its problems. On one flight to Norway, woke up in my window seat to the male passenger next to me licking my arm. Disgusted and full of rage, he said: “I wanted to know what a black girl tastes like.” Young and fearful, I spent the rest of the flight standing by the restrooms.
A few years later in Italy, I went for a pre-competition warm up before my race. In a street with some grassy lanes not too far from the hotel, going through my usual strides and active drills, I could see an older woman watching from her apartment balcony. This kind of thing happened quite often, but this felt different. As I was about to leave and head back to the hotel, a police car appeared out of nowhere. Two officers got out, and one asked in broken English where I was from, and did I have any ID. They informed me that someone had called to say there was a black girl trespassing. The neighbour has called the police on me.
Frightened, scared and confused, I knew I had to stay calm throughout the ordeal. The officers knew a track meet was being held that day, so once I showed them my accreditation they realised I was an athlete and apologised. I headed back to the hotel, but not without deeply painful feelings over what I had just encountered. The chance of being sat in the back of a police car, or even in jail, over the baseless assumption of a racist neighbour terrified me.
Needless to say, I didn’t perform well that day, and left the track reeling from not just a bad performance but the traumatic experience hours before. For a while after the incident in Italy, I would only do my pre-competition warm up or go to the local supermarket with another athlete who wasn’t black. It sounds trivial, but that is the burden I and other Black athletes have to carry throughout our careers.
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“Our multi billion-pound sporting industry benefits hugely from the talent, hard work and dedication of Black athletes.”
I never told anyone from my federation about those incidents, and here’s why: I felt uncomfortable telling a head coach and staff who were mainly white, and had never faced any form of racial discrimination. Had there been a team leader who was Black, it certainly would have been easier and possibly protected, even safe. I’m sure there are countless Black athletes with similar stories to mine, some even worse.
At the Rio 2016 Olympics, of the 80 athletes on the athletics team, 36 of us (or 45%) were Black. Of the 44 members of support staff, only 11 of those were BAME, or 25%. Despite everything Black athletes have achieved over the years, this goes to show we remain so underrepresented in leadership roles and boardrooms – particularly in sports we dominate.
Black athletes need support from the top down – from people who look like them. ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’ is a saying I’ve heard many times over the years – but our sporting systems have permitted white people to flourish in all sectors, while other races are deprived of the same opportunity.
Posting black boxes on social media is not enough. Organisations across sport should be accountable now, and I implore organisations from The British Olympic Association (BOA) to the Lawn Tennis Association to the FA to step up and create a tangible, rigorous plan of action. We’re not asking them to dismantle white supremacy, and institutional racism being uncomfortable for many – but so is staying silent or, worse, brushing it under the carpet.
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Until then, it’s up to current and former Black athletes like me to stay engaged, to provide solutions and representation at the highest level. Our multi billion-pound sporting industry benefits hugely from the talent, hard work and dedication of Black athletes across Britain. It doesn’t seem much to ask that we have a seat at the leadership table.
Anyika Onuora is a former Olympic track and field athlete and hosts the Hidden Greatness podcast. Follow her on Twitter at @annyonuora


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Working From Home Indefinitely? Here's How To Keep Some Work-Life Balance

The coronavirus pandemic has flipped everyone’s world upside down, forcing us to adjust to new ways of living and working. For those fortunate enough to be working remotely during this crisis, three months of work, life, pyjamas and Zoom calls have whizzed by.
When it feels as though we are living in an ′infinite present’, it’s no wonder many of us are missing aspects of our former work life – from face-to-face social interactions with colleagues at the coffee machine to simply being in a buzzy office environment (yes, really). Or using the lift.
There are perks to working from home, of course – bye bye, stressful commute! – but while we may have gained an hour in bed, that hour can be eaten up worrying about job security or stressed by the increasingly blurred lines of work and home life. Add childcare into the mix and it’s hard to stay level. We know we need work-life balance, but what does that actually look like now?
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Nuthawut Somsuk via Getty Images
One size doesn’t fit all
The challenge of remote working has taken its toll on some more than others. That’s as true of the aches and pains we experience at our desk / kitchen table / ironing board as it is of our relative levels of productivity and procrastination during the work day. We are no longer occupying the same office, and even when we were, everyone’s preferred work style was different. Now we can recognise those differences, there’s an opportunity to cater for them.
“Businesses should step up and provide tools and training for their employees during this difficult period,” says Ritam Gandhi, founder and director of London-based tech developer Studio Graphene. “Importantly, they cannot treat their entire workforce the same, with each member of staff having unique needs and circumstances that they must support.”
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Set your own boundaries
Working from home has its positives and negatives. Many people are finding the lack of commute, slower pace of life, fewer distractions and being away from a stressful – even toxic – work environment is better for their mental health. Others may be feeling lonely, lacking in motivation, and missing the pace.
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It’s good to be as productive as possible – not to be a slave to the man, but so that our work time is work time, and our free time ours to reclaim. “Because work is spilling into home life I think it’s important to have some boundaries,” says Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and Calmer You coach.
“That might be around when you answer emails or phone calls, your lunch break, what time you start and finish work. Remember, you set the expectation to others about what is and isn’t okay with you – if you’re answering work emails at 10pm they may come to expect that.”
Ada Yokota via Getty Images
Boundaries also apply to your physical space – most of us don’t have the luxury of a home office, but it helps to impose clear divides in your home so you have a place where you psychologically feel that you’re ‘at work’. “The more that you move around, the more your home and work boundaries blur,” occupational psychologist at Affinity Health at Work, Rachel Lewis tells HuffPost UK. “Try to keep a routine, so you aim to have as similar a day in the office as possible.”
And when it comes to the weekend, clear your workspace to clear your mind.
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Turn on. Tune in. Log out
Maintaining a good work-life balance not only helps you work better, it’s fundamental to looking after yourself, preventing burnout in the workplace. Feelings of stress, boredom, anxiety and uncertainty are completely normal during this time. One way to counteract them is to reduce your screen time.
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“There’s a lot of online activity going on. We’re probably less critical of it than we were before,” explains Martin Talks, founder of Digital Detoxing.
“Building in digital detoxes in your life is a good idea. We’re straining our eyes with backlit screens, stressing ourselves over work emails and disappearing down a rabbit hole on social media, so clear your mind and keep technology outlook to a minimum.” Does that meeting really need to be on video? Try calling them instead.
Working towards a better future
Working from home has become an organisational necessity. We’ve seen that for many people it’s possible to work remotely and, for many companies, it’s now seen as a realistic – even positive and productive – way to operate.
“The more control we can have about the way we do our work could impact how we do our work better,” says Talks. “It should be less about location and more about what the output is.”
Organisations will benefit from handing over control to the employees – and trusting them to get things done, Lewis adds. “From that, we should see a change in management being more empathetic and compassionate towards its staff as well as a bigger focus for recognition and accomplishments.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Here's How Football Fans Feel About The Return Of The Premier League

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It’s the moment football fans have been waiting for since March: the game is back, with the Premier League resuming on Wednesday June 17.
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For many, football is a lifestyle and not just a game – and it seems absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. “I’m so excited for it to return, it’s a welcome distraction from the stress of daily life and I really didn’t realise how much it meant until it wasn’t there,” Liverpool fan, Glen Hancocks, tells HuffPost UK.
Hancocks will be watching the first game with his dad at home – they’re both Liverpool fans. “As we can’t go to Anfield right now, that’s the next best thing as we used to go together,” he says.
Ahead of the first live kickoff in three months, we spoke to football fans about what the return of the game means to them, plus how they’ll be enjoying it.
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‘Lockdown has proved to me how much I rely on and love football’
James Lawton, 37, from Barnsley, is a Barnsley FC season ticket holder. He’ll have to wait until June 20 to watch his team play in the Championship. He’s “missed football massively” and can’t wait until 6pm when everything kicks off.
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“Not having football in my life has been difficult,” he says. “Lockdown has proved to me how much I rely on and love it. I’ve been watching the BBC rewind programmes and Match of the Day top 10s. It felt like I was watching sport from a past era – when it was only three months ago.”
James Lawton
Lawton plans to watch Wednesday’s first game – Aston Villa vs Sheffield United – at home with a couple of beers.
“My wife may relegate me into my man cave, though, as she’s been overjoyed at there being no football,” he jokes. “I would love to watch it at a boozer, as that’s what I used to do before lockdown, especially on Sundays.”
He notes it’ll be strange to watch a game without any fans in the stadium and is curious to see how players celebrate without them. “I predict the celebrations will be very low key without the buzz of the crowd,” he says.
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‘I’ve missed talking about the matches with people’
Laura McNamee, 28, based in Dublin, is eagerly awaiting Friday, when her team, Norwich City, will play Southampton. She plans to watch their first couple of games at home and will be heading to a friend’s house to watch the Man United match on June 27.
“I’m delighted football is returning,” she says. “I’ve missed talking about the matches with people. No one else in my family watches football, so my dad and I would always talk about the Premier League and the Championship – I support Norwich and he supports Leeds.”
Laura McNamee Laura Mc Namee
McNamee has also missed Fantasy Football, because she had a league at work and it gave her the opportunity to discuss the sport with her colleagues.
“I miss the entertainment, because you never know what’s going to happen in the matches – and Norwich are close to relegation so it was interesting to see how they were doing each week,” she says.
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“It also meant you had something to talk about each weekend because during lockdown, everything starts to get repetitive.”
‘I’m really looking forward to breaking up the monotony of lockdown’
Connor Chambers, 26, from Bedford, is excited to watch a live game for the first time in months, but has mixed feelings about the Premier League’s return due to Covid-19 concerns.
“I don’t really agree with the football coming back too soon, but as a football fan, I’m looking forward to breaking up the monotony of lockdown with the familiar excitement of watching a game,” he says.
“I’m concerned about the wider impact in terms of smaller teams who will struggle financially after not making money for the last few months, with the risk of relegation very much a reality.”
Connor Chambers Connor Chambers (second from left).
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Chambers, who’s a Tottenham supporter, went to as many games as possible before lockdown, but will be watching the first game back at home with family.
“I miss the change of conversation when it comes to football,” he says. “My brothers, Dad and I would usually discuss football on a daily basis – whether it be the scores from the weekend, transfer rumours or general football speculation.
“But there’s only really been one topic to discuss, which was when it would return. I’m looking forward to being able to talk about football again properly.”
‘I’m over the moon that football is coming back’
Jaydan Blake, 24, from Luton, is looking forward to watching his team, Manchester United, in their first game back against Spurs on Friday.
“I’m over the moon that football is coming back, I didn’t think it was going to die to [the] pandemic we are currently in,” he says.
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Jaydan Blake Jaydan Blake
However, he acknowledges the experience of watching the game is going to be unrecognisable. “Usually I would either go to the pub and watch them or a shisha lounge with a few of my friends,” he says. “But due to the situation, I’ll be watching it at home.”
Blake also wonders how the teams will perform without a live crowd. “I think it’ll be different because when a team is losing, the crowd is like an additional man and they are the extra motivation,” he says.
‘I’m eager to see how it unfolds’
Chloe Woolaway, 23, from Canterbury, is excited about the Premier League being back – she’s been filling her time watching the German Bundesliga without it, and is looking forward to seeing how the two compare.
“I’m eager to see how not having spectators in the stadiums will affect the Premier League sides and how individual players will cope not having a certain type of atmosphere they’re so used to playing in,” she says.
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“Players play differently according to certain surroundings, so I’d like to see how those performances are affected. I think all these factors could definitely change things up at both ends of the table, so I’m eager to see how it unfolds.”
Chloe Woolaway
While she’s excited to have the Premier League back, Woolaway is disappointed the Women’s Super League won’t be returning this summer. Instead, it was concluded on points.
The FA says it examined the “logistical, operational and financial challenges the game currently faces” and decided ending the league early was “in the best interest of the women’s game”.
“I look forward to a bigger and better season if that’s the case,” Woolaway says. “I know Chelsea Women were crowned champions based on points per game which is not the way many clubs, including Chelsea, would have wanted things to play out.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--'My Lockdown Baby Weighed 11 Pounds 8 Ounces. I Didn't Even Have Stitches'

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In HuffPost Birth Diaries we hear the extraordinary stories of the everyday miracle of birth. This week, Nikkola Wright shares her story. If you’d like to share yours, email amy.packham@huffpost.com.
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For my fourth child, I really wanted a home birth. But because of lockdown, we were told that wasn’t possible.
I was working from home, finishing off my Masters, and was watching the daily update from the sofa when I found out that pregnant women were at risk. That felt strange – and from then on, appointments were very different. Midwives were suddenly wearing PPE, and it felt like a barrier. I’d had three children before that, but it was an entirely different experience for me this time.
I ended up going a week over my due date. During all my appointments, I was measuring quite big – about 2cm over what I should’ve been. I questioned whether I’d be alright getting the baby out, but they said I’d be fine. I’d had big babies in the past, so no one was worried.
The day everything kicked off, I’d had labour pains since the early hours. I think I’d been in slow labour for a while after I had a sweep, but nothing materialised. Everything was a non-starter. The regular pains stopped around lunchtime, when I went on a long walk up a hill – three miles long – and contractions started up again on the way down. By the time we got home, I was in established labour and it wasn’t long before I was ready to go to hospital.
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By the time I got there, I was already 4cm dilated, so was able to go ahead with a water birth. I was progressing quick, only had gas and air, and my partner was amazing. I did hypnobirthing, concentrating hard on what my partner was saying, and it was a really nice experience – painful, but you expect that.
After giving birth to the head, the shoulders got stuck. All of a sudden, I had to get out the pool and I noticed a lot of people in the room. Walking over to the bed was a challenge – once you’ve given birth to a head, it’s not easy to walk!
My partner had to lift me out of the pool, they helped guide me and I was laid down on the bed. I’m not sure how long my son took to come out. My partner said it was a couple of minutes. I was just pushing, pushing, doing what I was told. They had to dislocate his shoulder to get him out, they later told me. Ronnie was born.
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After the drama of that, things weren’t over. The placenta got stuck. I ended up having massive blood loss – I remember lying on the bed and a load of liquid hitting the floor. They’d been tugging on the placenta because they couldn’t get it out, so a consultant had to come in.
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When he did the examination, it was so painful that I shot up in bed, grabbed the midwife’s arm and just started crying. It was all so overwhelming. The consultant explained in detail what they needed to do – go to theatre and administer a spinal block to get the placenta out. I just needed it to be over.
Thankfully, everything was fine. Miraculously, I had no stitches, even though my son weighed 11 pounds 8! I healed well, and am grateful I managed to spend that time in the pool before things escalated.
Ronnie was perfect, and there was nothing wrong with me either. In fact, the pandemic meant Ronnie had a positive birth. If we’d had him at home as we’d planned, the midwife said it would’ve been a different story. Babies can suffocate if they get stuck, even for just a couple of minutes.
I’m just so glad everything turned out okay.
My birth advice: Going through labour, just try and keep as calm and relaxed as possible. Let your body do the work, listen to the midwife, and try and follow what they’re telling you to do.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-17--Raheem Sterling Hails 'Massive Step' As Players Take A Knee On Premier League’s Return

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Raheem Sterling has said the Premier League has taken a “massive step” as players took a knee as top level football returned in England.
Players and officials took the knee at the start of both matches, between Aston Villa and Sheffield United and Manchester City against Arsenal, and Sterling was pleased to see the act of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
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As will be the case across the Premier League, the players all warmed up in Black Lives Matter movement t-shirts with names on the back of the match shirts replaced with the same message.
Sterling, who scored City’s first goal in a 3-0 win, told Sky Sports: “I see it as a massive step for the Premier League to allow something like that to happen. It shows we’re going in the right direction.
“Little by little we’re seeing change and that’s what everyone is hoping for, not just black players, I think the majority of the country and it’s great to see.”
Manchester City's Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. PA
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Granit Xhaka of Arsenal takes a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal. Pool via Getty Images
City boss Pep Guardiola also believes it was a positive step.
Guardiola added: “We should send one thousand million messages for black people. For centuries, for hundreds of years to do what we do for these lovely people.
“I’m embarrassed, I’m ashamed for what the white people have done for the black people. Just because you are born with another colour of skin, how can people think you are completely different than others.
“All these gestures are good, they are positive but you have to do it with facts. It can’t be solved in a few days but everything we can do we can do. We have to do a lot of things for the black people that we have not done so far.”
Sterling opened the scoring in a routine victory for City at the Etihad, with Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty and Phil Foden’s late strike completing a 3-0 win.
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All players and match officials took a knee at the start of the start of the first re-started match at Villa Park.
Referee Michael Oliver blew the whistle for kick-off, before he and his officials joined all the players in kneeling for around 10 seconds.
Players kneel prior to the start of the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United at Villa Park in Birmingham. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Marc Atkins via Getty Images
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Aston Villa released a statement, which read: “Aston Villa and Sheffield United were proud to stand in solidarity with the actions of the players and coaching staff of both football clubs during the first ten seconds of tonight’s Premier League fixture, expressing our collective support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“In the first Premier League fixture of Project Restart both clubs hope that the act of ‘taking a knee’ will send a strong message of unity and amplify the many messages of support from Premier League players and the wider football family.
“The directors of both clubs, Dean Smith, Chris Wilder, Jack Grealish and Billy Sharp and the players of United and Villa are in full support of this action.