UPDATE: Thames Valley Police state that the incident was a &#8220;terrorist incident.&#8221;
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🚨| UPDATE- Murder investigation Reading<a href="https://twitter.com/TerrorismPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TerrorismPolice</a> can now confirm that the stabbing incident that happened in Reading last night has now been declared a terrorist incident.
We continue to work together with Counter Terrorism Policing SE.
➡ <a href="https://t.co/CMkzwE6crv">https://t.co/CMkzwE6crv</a> <a href="https://t.co/MQeQr8XLe5">pic.twitter.com/MQeQr8XLe5</a>
&mdash; Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThamesVP/status/1274648274100723720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, Senior National Coordinator for the Counter Terrorism Policing network, has this morning declared the incident a terrorist incident, and CTPSE will be taking over the investigation,&#8221; Thames Valley Police <a href="https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/news/thames-valley/news/2020/june/15-06-2020/update-murder-investigation---reading/">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;A 25-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder last night, remains in police custody at this time.&#8221;
Chief Constable John Campbell of Thames Valley Police said: “I am deeply saddened by the events of last night. This was a truly tragic incident and the thoughts of Thames Valley Police are with all those who have been affected. Incidents of this nature are very rare, though I know that will be of little comfort to those involved and understand the concern that this incident will have caused amongst our local community.  We will be working closely with our partners over the coming days and weeks to support the Reading community during this time, as well as with CTPSE as they progress their investigation.”
ORIGINAL:
Law enforcement officials and paramedics responded to a &#8220;serious incident&#8221; late on Saturday afternoon in the British town of Reading where there were reportedly multiple victims that sustained serious injures.
The Thames Valley Police said that they were investigating the incident and that they have already arrested a man who was on scene.
The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/06/20/reading-stabbing-three-dead-two-hospital-attack-forbury-gardens/">reported</a> that a source indicated that three people have died from the incident and two were transferred to a near by emergency room.
&#8220;Security sources have told the BBC a man arrested at the scene is thought to be Libyan,&#8221; the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-53123975">reported</a>. &#8220;Counter terrorism officers are at the scene, but the motive for the attack has not yet been confirmed.&#8221;
&#8220;A number of people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital,&#8221; the Thames Valley Police added. &#8220;A police cordon is in place in Forbury Gardens as officers investigate. We are asking the public to avoid the area at this time.&#8221;
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A number of people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.
A police cordon is in place in Forbury Gardens as officers investigate. 
We are asking the public to avoid the area at this time.
&mdash; Thames Valley Police (@ThamesVP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThamesVP/status/1274444898100490244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Deeply concerned to hear reports of an incident in Reading,&#8221; UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said. &#8220;My thoughts are with everyone involved, including police and emergency responders at the scene.&#8221;
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: &#8220;My thoughts are with all of those affected by the appalling incident in Reading and my thanks to the emergency services on the scene.&#8221;
This is a breaking news story, refresh the page for update.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

2015 General Election &#8211; Crime And Policing

Police Responding To ‘Serious Incident’ In U.K., Multiple People Reportedly Stabbed

England

Stabbing

United Kingdom

Even as American cities are struggling with whether to release coronavirus-related restrictions altogether, now that most major cities have seen thousand-individual protest that, in most cases, flouted social distancing recommendations and defied shelter-in-place orders, the United Kingdom is continuing to crack down on interpersonal contact, hoping to stop the spread of COVID-19 in its tracks.
<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-sex-lockdown-illegal-093127804.html">According to Yahoo News UK</a>, on Monday, a new set of provisions went into effect criminalizing gatherings of two or more between persons of different households, effectively declaring sex between two people who do not live together illegal.
&#8220;At 11:30 am on Monday, a change to the law was introduced that bans two people from different households in England gathering in an indoor, private place during the coronavirus lockdown,&#8221; the outlet reported, adding that the new amendment to the government&#8217;s &#8220;Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Bill&#8221; bans any &#8220;gathering which takes place in a public or private place indoors, and consists of two or more persons,&#8221; where there is no &#8220;reasonable excuse.&#8221;
The bill adds that &#8220;No person may, without reasonable excuse, stay overnight at any place other than the place where they are living.”
&#8220;An exception has not been made for couples who do not live together, meaning that they can spend time together outdoors but not inside,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-sex-lockdown-law-couples-indoors-england-a9542171.html">U.K.&#8217;s Independent added</a>. &#8220;People who have sex outside can be punished under pre-existing laws on outraging public decency and indecent exposure.&#8221;
Previously, the government prohibited all unnecessary and unreasonable travel, making this change something of a loosening overall. But, at the same time, the bill closes a loophole that left only visitors criminally liable for breaking the coronavirus lockdown and not their hosts.
That loophole caused a number of high profile issues in recent weeks.
Neil Ferguson, the U.K.&#8217;s coronavirus advisor whose Imperial model predicted millions of deaths from the novel coronavirus if strict restrictions were not put into place, was forced to resign from his position after it was revealed that he broke his own recommended lockdown to visit with his &#8220;married lover,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/uk/neil-ferguson-imperial-coronavirus-sage-gbr-intl/index.html">per CNN</a>. And last week, one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson&#8217;s top advisors caused a nationwide scandal after he admitted to breaking his boss&#8217;s lockdown to visit family hundreds of miles from his home.
Many legal experts were left speechless by the new rule.
“I can’t believe I’m about to tweet this,&#8221; one human rights lawyer posted to social media. “From tomorrow sex between two (or more) people in a private place who do not live in the same household is a ‘gathering’ between 2 or more people and is therefore illegal.”
In a later interview with the Independent, he added that the amendment “effectively restricted ordinary contact by people in relationships who do not live together,&#8221; and called the measure &#8220;a significant restriction on our rights to privacy and family life, even though it may be justified by the severity of the public health risk.&#8221;
Fortunately for lovers who simply cannot be apart, the punishment for leaving home is minimal. Violators face a $125 fine. If the fine is paid within 14 days, it&#8217;s lowered to $75. Police have also said they do not intend to go into private homes to enforce the amendment.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

messy bed

U.K. Cracks Down, Declares Sex With Individuals From Outside Your Household ‘Illegal’ Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is once again embroiled in controversy after one of his senior aides, Dominic Cummings, was discovered to have broken the PM&#8217;s lockdown order just days after it went into effect, traveling &#8220;260 miles from London to Durham, northern England in March,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/26/dominic-cummings-uk-faces-political-crisis-as-scotland-minister-quits.html">according to CNBC</a>.
Cummings has refused to step down, but the furor and frustration is so great that a &#8220;junior minister in Boris Johnson&#8217;s government resigned on Tuesday,&#8221; because he could not, in good conscience, defend the lockdown measures to his constituents, after the senior advisor&#8217;s actions.
Politicians on both sides of the pond have openly flouted lockdown rules. Most recently, in the U.S., Michigan&#8217;s Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer fell under scrutiny after a marina owner in the northern part of the state claimed her husband demanded his boat be put into the water at the couple&#8217;s vacation home, even though Whitmer had stressed, repeatedly, to Michigan residents, to avoid travel and stay home over the Memorial Day holiday.
Illinois governor, J.B. Prizker&#8217;s wife and children traveled to the family &#8220;horse estate&#8221; in Florida to wait out the shelter-in-place restrictions and only recently returned to Illinois &#8212; but then, only for a short time, decamping to Wisconsin, to another of the Pritzker&#8217;s horse estates.
Neither Michigan nor Illinois had strict lockdown measures that absolutely prevented travel, though both governors stressed the importance of avoiding movement in order to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. In the U.K., PM Johnson had instituted a strict set of regulations barring travel for all but &#8220;exceptional&#8221; situations &#8212; and Cummings still apparently flouted the rule.
&#8220;In a press conference,&#8221; CNBC reports, &#8220;Cummings said his trip to family in Durham was within the scope of the restrictions because he needed to seek child care in case he and his wife fell ill. This, he argued, was one of the &#8216;exceptional circumstances&#8217; allowed under the government’s lockdown measures.&#8221;
At the time Cummings took his road trip, his wife was showing symptoms of COVID-19, lending some creedence to his excuse, but he failed to expain why the only option was travel.
In a bid to protect the Prime Minister, Cummings admitted that he did not inform Johnson of his plans or discuss his travel, which he says was &#8220;arguably&#8221; a mistake. Cummings says he does not intend to resign his position, regardless.
Minister Douglas Ross, who resigned on Tuesday, told media that he felt Cummings took advantage of his position.
“I have constituents who didn’t get to say goodbye to loved ones; families who could not mourn together; people who didn’t visit sick relatives because they followed the guidance of the government,” he said in a statement. “I cannot in good faith tell them they were all wrong and one senior advisor to the government was right.”
Johnson&#8217;s office said only that, “The prime minister would like to thank Douglas Ross for his service to government and regrets his decision to stand down as parliamentary under secretary of state for Scotland.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Boris Johnson

U.K. Government In Uproar As Senior Advisor To PM Who Defied Lockdown Orders Refuses To Step Down

The British Isles have a new plan to stem the spread of COVID-19: Require all international travelers except those from Ireland to quarantine for 14 days upon arriving in the United Kingdom.
The CEO of Ryanair thinks that&#8217;s a terrible plan.
“It’s idiotic and it’s unimplementable,” Michael O’Leary said Monday on BBC’s “Today” radio program.
&#8220;This government is telling you that you can&#8217;t fly unless you isolate for 14 days, yet you can go on the London Underground and you don&#8217;t have to isolate for 14 days,” O&#8217;Leary said, according to the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/18/travel-restrictions-live-britons-will-ignore-two-week-quarantine/">Daily Telegraph</a>. “They&#8217;re making this stuff up as they go along, and none of it has any basis in science.&#8221;
O’Leary said it would be more effective to require “everybody” to wear masks to stem the spread of the virus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week outlined the plan, saying incoming air travelers will be asked to give officials the address of where they will be isolating for their first 14 days. Violating the rule will bring hefty fines.
O’Leary also ripped the plan to block middle seats on airplanes, calling the plan “kind of an idiotic idea that doesn’t achieve anything anyway,” he told the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ddb067bd-c54d-49cd-be1c-bda77f8b8527" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Financial Times</a>.
The plan has been enacted in some U.S. states, including Hawaii.
Last week, a tourist from New York was arrested in Hawaii after he allegedly violated state regulations that require travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Tarique Peters, 23, of the Bronx, arrived in Honolulu last Monday. He then posted photographs on Instagram photos showing himself sunbathing at the beach and carrying a surfboard, state officials said.
“He allegedly left his hotel room the day he arrived and traveled many places using public transportation. Authorities became aware of his social media posts from citizens who saw posts of him — on the beach with a surfboard, sunbathing, and walking around Waikiki at night,&#8221; said a news release from the Hawaii COVID-19 Joint Information Center. &#8220;This morning agents were able to confirm with hotel personnel that had seen Peters leave his room and the premises on numerous occasions this week,&#8221; the statement said.
&#8220;Agents from the state attorney general’s office arrested him Friday morning. Hotel staff told the agents they saw Peters leave his room and the hotel numerous times,&#8221; The <a href="https://apnews.com/2f4aec2d064ab28d9e9bc883151478bf">Associated Press</a> reported.
&#8220;Travelers in quarantine aren’t allowed to leave hotel rooms or residences for any reason except medical emergencies. Hotel guests don’t receive housekeeping services and must arrange for food to be delivered to them,&#8221; the AP said. Peters was booked, and his bail was set at $4,000.
Peters was charged with &#8220;unsworn falsification to authority.&#8221;
Hawaii now requires tourists to list their contact and lodging information, and all visitors must sign an agreement that they will spend the next 14 days in self-quarantine. &#8220;By signing the legal document, they acknowledge they understand violating the order is a criminal offense and they are subject to a $5,000 fine and/or a year imprisonment,&#8221; according to the state&#8217;s department of transportation.  The state&#8217;s mandatory quarantine runs through the end of June, Gov. David Ige said last week.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">member</a>.

Passengers Disembark Diamond Princess Cruise Ship After Quarantine Ends

‘They’re Making This Stuff Up As They Go Along’: Airline CEO Rips ‘Idiotic’ Air Travel Plans

The United Kingdom&#8217;s Prince Harry is at the center of another firestorm, this time over whether British media have exaggerated the severity of the country&#8217;s coronavirus pandemic.
U.K. health officials erupted over the weekend after Prince Harry, who escaped the U.K. and now lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife, former actress Meghan Markle, and one year old son, told a podcast that the situation in Britain is &#8220;better than we are led to believe through ­certain corners of the media,&#8221; <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/lifestyleroyals/row-as-prince-harry-claims-uks-coronavirus-crisis-is-better-than-we-are-led-to-believe-by-the-media-unqualified-dukes-comments-are-branded-outrageous-by-health-experts-who-say-he-is-deserting-his-country-in-its-hour-of-need/ar-BB12SyR0">according to the Daily Mail</a>.
&#8220;I think what has happened especially in the UK is the very best of the human spirit and it&#8217;s proving that things are better than we are led to believe through certain corners of the media,&#8221; Harry told the &#8220;Declassified&#8221; podcast.
&#8220;Certainly when you&#8217;re in isolation it can be very worrying when you&#8217;re sitting there and the only information you&#8217;re getting is from certain news channels, but then if you&#8217;re out and about and you&#8217;re on the right platforms you can really sense this human spirit coming to the forefront,&#8221; he added.
Health officials, including one former advisor to the U.K.&#8217;s government, called the remarks &#8220;outrageous,&#8221; particularly given that members of Prince Harry&#8217;s own family &#8212; his father Prince Charles &#8212; was struck with COVID-19.
The head of the U.K.&#8217;s  National Care Association complained that Prince Harry &#8220;hasn&#8217;t seen all the evidence,&#8221; and although there are heartwarming stories of people enduring coronavirus-related lockdowns, raising money for the U.K.&#8217;s National Health Service, and even miraculously recovering from the virus, the effects of the disease are devastating, both on patients and health care workers.
Others interpreted Prince Harry&#8217;s words less as an attack on the NHS and health care workers and more of an attack on the press &#8212; part of a war he and his wife, Meghan, are waging against certain members of the British media.
On Monday, Harry and Meghan announced, in an extended statement emailed directly to members of the press, that they would no longer speak to at least four of the U.K.&#8217;s largest media outlets, including the Daily Mail, over concerns about reporting quality.
&#8220;The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have watched people they know — as well as complete strangers — have their lives completely pulled apart for no good reason, other than the fact that salacious gossip boosts advertising revenue,&#8221; they said in their letter.
The pair have long claimed they are the victims of a sustained attack from the media that threatens to infringe on their right to privacy, though the targeted outlets seem to among those most critical of the pair, who divorced themselves from the British Royal Family back in February. Monday&#8217;s announcement served to reiterate that they plan to carefully manage their public relations.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Prince Harry

U.K. Doctors ERUPT After Prince Harry Declares Coronavirus Crisis Is ‘Better Than We Are Led To Believe’

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned home from the hospital on Easter Sunday morning, and revealed in a video, posted to social media, just how close he came to losing his life to the novel coronavirus.
&#8220;It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life,&#8221; Johnson said on Twitter. &#8220;It could have gone either way.&#8221;
WATCH:
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It is hard to find the words to express my debt to the NHS for saving my life.
The efforts of millions of people across this country to stay home are worth it. Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayHomeSaveLives?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayHomeSaveLives</a> <a href="https://t.co/HK7Ch8BMB5">pic.twitter.com/HK7Ch8BMB5</a>
&mdash; Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1249336590482243585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Johnson revealed that, when he was rushed to the intensive care unit of a local hospital late last week, he was likely near death and, without the dedicated attention of nurses and doctors, he may have been one of the U.K.&#8217;s many victims of coronavirus.
&#8220;Mr Johnson, 55, was taken to London&#8217;s St Thomas&#8217; Hospital on Sunday &#8211; 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19,&#8221; the BBC reported Sunday morning. &#8220;He had three nights in intensive care before returning to a ward on Thursday.&#8221;
Johnson was lucky enough to avoid being placed on a ventilator, according to reports from last week, and received oxygen treatment instead, while being closely monitored by hospital staff for any changes in his condition.
In the Twitter video, Johnson says he witnessed the &#8220;personal courage&#8221; of everyone from nurses and doctors to hospital attendants and custodians who, he said, &#8220;kept putting themselves in harm&#8217;s way, kept rising this deadly virus.&#8221; He went on to name a dozen of his caretakers whom he credits with saving his life.
He also thanked Britons who are staying home to &#8220;flatten the curve,&#8221; telling them that, &#8220;I want you to know that this Easter Sunday, I do believe your efforts are worth it.&#8221;
&#8220;I thank you because so many millions and millions of people across this country have been doing the right thing, millions going through the hardship of self-isolation faithfully, patiently, and with thought and care for others as well as themselves,&#8221; Johnson said.
&#8220;Together we will overcome this challenge, as we have overcome so many challenges in the past,&#8221; he added.
Johnson&#8217;s fiance released her own statement on social media Sunday, revealing that, &#8220;[t]here were times last week that were very dark indeed. My heart goes out to all those in similar situations, worried sick about their loved ones.&#8221;
The Prime Minister&#8217;s office told the BBC Sunday that Johnson is still recovering and that it may be some time before he returns to work. Instead, he will spend the next few weeks recovering at his country home.
&#8220;On the advice of his medical team, the PM will not be immediately returning to work. He wishes to thank everybody at St Thomas&#8217; for the brilliant care he has received,&#8221; Number Ten Downing Street, the PM&#8217;s official residence, said in a statement. &#8220;All of his thoughts are with those affected by this illness.&#8221;
Fox News reports that the U.K. has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
&#8220;Figures later Sunday are expected to show that over 10,000 people in the U.K. have died after testing positive for coronavirus,&#8221; the outlet reported. &#8220;On Saturday, Britain reported 917 new coronavirus-related deaths.&#8221;

U.K. PM Boris Johnson Thanks Hospitals For Saving His Life In Easter Video: ‘It Could Have Gone Either Way’

English soccer star Kyle Walker is among the ranks of countless other celebrities who have been actively encouraging the public to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Amidst Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s <a href="http://nytimes.com/2020/03/24/world/europe/britain-coronavirus-lockdown.html">call</a> for the country to self-quarantine at home for the next three weeks, the Manchester City star asked his Twitter followers to stay home and avoid physically visiting loved ones, and opt for virtual check-ins instead.
“On a serious note though, please everyone stay home, look after one another through this difficult time and check in on loved ones but don’t visit them,” tweeted Walker in late-March.
But according to a new report, Walker wasn’t exactly following social-distancing guidelines himself.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/11329263/kyle-walker-sex-party-hookers-coronavirus-lockdown/">The Sun</a>, 21-year-old escort Louise McNamara said that she and another escort visited Walker at his lavish apartment for a late-night session with him and one of his friends.
“I didn’t know who he was at the time,” said McNamara, who told the news agency that she was first alerted to the soccer star’s identity by the other escort during a smoke break on the balcony.
McNamara claimed that she took “a few photos of him” in his underwear, and that the two men paid the equivalent of over $2,500 dollars for the three-hour session.
“Kyle really should know better,” said McNamara. “On the one hand, he’s inviting strangers round to his house for sex, and the next day he’s lecturing everyone on the need to stay safe.”
The news agency reports that the following day, Walker was once again urging the public to adhere to social distancing protocols: “It’s been tough, but first and foremost, we have to think about other people’s health and protecting the elderly and family members that can spread it.”
In a statement to The Sun, Walker apologized for unspecified actions, and for advocating in favor of public health policies he was not following himself. The soccer star did not deny holding the sex party.
“There are heroes out there making a vital difference to society at the moment, and I have been keen to help support and highlight their amazing sacrifices and life-saving work over the past week. My actions are in direct contrast to what I should have been doing regarding the lockdown,” said Walker.
According to <a href="https://www.offtheball.com/soccer/manchester-city-issue-statement-alleged-kyle-walker-lockdown-sex-party-995249">Off The Ball</a>, Manchester City also released a statement announcing that they would start an “internal disciplinary procedure” shortly.
“Footballers are global role models, and our staff and players have been working to support the incredible efforts of the NHS and other key workers in fighting the effects of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, in any way we can. Kyle’s actions in this matter have directly contravened these efforts,” said the statement.
“We are disappointed to hear the allegations, note Kyle’s swift statement and apology, and will be conducting an internal disciplinary procedure in the coming days,” continued the statement.
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/05/world/europe/coronavirus-queen-elizabeth-speech.html">The New York Times</a>, Queen Elizabeth addressed the nation for the fourth time in her 68-year reign, encouraging the public to remain strong in a time of great disruption.
“I hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge,” said the queen, “and those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humored resolve, and of fellow-feeling still characterize this country.”
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/04/05/queen-elizabeth-rare-and-historic-coronavirus-address/2950200001/">USA Today</a> reports that Queen Elizabeth last issued a similar address after the death of her mother in 2002.

Manchester City v Newcastle United &#8211; Premier League

English Soccer Star Urged Public To Avoid Visiting Loved Ones. Report Claims He Hosted Two Escorts.

COVID-19

Kyle Walker

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the hospital on Sunday after continuing to experience symptoms from the coronavirus after testing positive 10 days ago.
A spokesperson for Johnson <a href="https://www.axios.com/boris-johnson-hospital-coronavirus-9928d983-45cf-4b12-88b2-f28ee1d62342.html">said</a> in a statement, &#8220;On the advice of his doctor, the Prime Minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The Prime Minister thanks NHS staff for all of their incredible hard work and urges the public to continue to follow the Government’s advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: British Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BorisJohnson</a> admitted to hospital tonight for tests due to persistent <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> symptoms 10 days after testing positive. Worrying development &#8211; he&#39;s looked worse each time we&#39;ve seen him, poor guy. Wish him well. <a href="https://t.co/NiDPAHb5JU">pic.twitter.com/NiDPAHb5JU</a>
&mdash; Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1246894160445149185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The news of Johnson&#8217;s hospitalization comes as the U.K. has continued to deal with a growing outbreak of the coronavirus, which originated in China, in their country.
A Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker reported on Sunday that the U.K. had over 48,000 cases of the coronavirus and nearly 5,000 deaths.
Carrie Symonds, Johnson&#8217;s pregnant fiancée, has reportedly been recovering from symptoms of coronavirus.
&#8220;I’ve spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of Coronavirus,&#8221; Symonds tweeted on Saturday. &#8220;I haven’t needed to be tested and, after seven days of rest, I feel stronger and I’m on the mend.&#8221;
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I’ve spent the past week in bed with the main symptoms of Coronavirus. I haven’t needed to be tested and, after seven days of rest, I feel stronger and I’m on the mend.
&mdash; Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) <a href="https://twitter.com/carriesymonds/status/1246471777741688839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Bloomberg News reported last week that U.S. intelligence officials confirmed to President Donald Trump that communist China was lying about the extent of the outbreak that originated in their country.
“China’s public reporting on cases and deaths is intentionally incomplete,” Bloomberg News <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-01/china-concealed-extent-of-virus-outbreak-u-s-intelligence-says">reported</a>, according to three U.S. officials that it spoke to. “Two of the officials said the report concludes that China’s numbers are fake.”
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/04/02/chinas-deadly-coronavirus-lie-co-conspirator-the-world-health-organization/">highlighted</a> China&#8217;s lies and cover-up of the outbreak:
<blockquote>The fog of war obscures much about the novel coronavirus pandemic. But two facts seem absolutely certain. First, China’s Communist authorities have lied, concealed and misled about the origins of the epidemic and the toll of the virus in China. Second, the World Health Organization has acted as Beijing’s handmaid.
&#8230;
Independent Chinese journalists have detailed the Wuhan coverup: They report that a Chinese lab isolated and identified the strange new virus last December — but that the authorities ­ordered it to stop its work, get rid of its specimens and keep quiet. It took almost another month for the government to acknowledge that a SARS-like contagion, spread by human contact, was exploding in Hubei province.
When the late Dr. Li Wenliang, the heroic whistleblower, tried to warn the public about the coronavirus, he was detained, charged with “spreading false rumors” and accused of “seriously disrupting social order.” All discussion about the virus is now censored.</blockquote>
An analysis from The Washington Post <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/washington-post-evidence-coming-out-of-wuhan-suggests-real-death-toll-over-40000">estimated</a> that based on &#8220;evidence,&#8221; the real outbreak numbers out of Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak, was 16 times higher than what China reported.
Despite its drastic measures to stop the spread of the virus, China has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-begins-mass-quarantines-again-after-failing-to-stop-coronavirus">failed</a> to contain it and is now dealing with another outbreak in its country and recently had to quarantine a county of more than 600,000 people.
This report has been updated to include additional information.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Admitted To Hospital Over Coronavirus

The United Kingdom&#8217;s government, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is reportedly &#8220;furious&#8221; with China, and has pledged a &#8220;reckoning&#8221; for the country&#8217;s &#8220;disinformation campaign,&#8221; which U.K. officials believe downplayed the number of Chinese coronavirus cases by &#8220;15 to 40&#8221; times.
<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-boris-johnsons-government-reportedly-furious-with-china-2020-3">Business Insider reports</a> that Johnson&#8217;s government is the first to suggest that China could face economic consequences for the coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
&#8220;UK government officials are accusing China of spreading disinformation about the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in its borders,&#8221; the outlet says, adding that officials believe China&#8217;s reported number of coronavirus cases &#8212; just over 81,000 &#8212; is far too low, and that the real number of cases could be &#8220;15 to 40 times&#8221; official Chinese reports.
In the United States, a battle has raged in &#8220;woker&#8221; circles over whether it is appropriate to refer to the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, as a &#8220;Chinese&#8221; virus, a &#8220;Wuhan&#8221; virus, or the &#8220;Chinese coronavirus.&#8221; But certain officials in the United Kingom say China&#8217;s involvement in the global pandemic should be front and center, especially as the world deals with an incredible economic fallout from lockdowns and other measures designed to curb the spread of the disease.
&#8220;It was the case … [that] the first case of coronavirus in China was established in December of last year, but it was also the case that some of the reporting from China was not clear about the scale, the nature, the infectiousness of this,&#8221; the U.K.&#8217;s Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove told the BBC late last week.
&#8220;It is going to be back to the diplomatic drawing board after this,&#8221; a Johnson administration official, who declined to give a name, <a href="https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/wuhan-deaths-03272020182846.html">told Radio Free Asia</a>. &#8220;Rethink is an understatement.&#8221;
&#8220;There has to be a reckoning when this is over,&#8221; another said. A third added, &#8220;the anger goes right to the top,&#8221; suggesting that Johnson himself is making plans to alter official policy towards China in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, the U.K. announced that Chinese telecommunications company Huawei would be given a role in developing the nation&#8217;s 5G mobile phone network &#8212; an agreement that shocked the world, given China&#8217;s penchant for widespread espionage and its lack of concern for privacy. That agreement, though, could be first on the chopping block after the coronavirus smoke clears, per BI.
&#8220;We&#8217;re allowing companies like Huawei not just into our economy, but to be a crucial part of our infrastructure. This needs to be reviewed urgently, as does any strategically important infrastructure that relies on Chinese supply chains,&#8221; a British cabinet minister reportedly told the British weekly, Mail on Sunday.
China has tried to ingratiate itself to a suffering Europe by offering Chinese-made medical supplies, including masks, personal protective equipment, and even coronavirus tests to struggling countries like Italy, France, and Spain. But, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52092395">the BBC reports</a>, thousands of Chinese-made tests have proven unreliable, and hundreds of thousands of masks and other pieces of PPE are now on their way back to China after countries like the Netherlands discovered the masks lacked filters and did not fit properly.

boris johnson

U.K.’s Boris Johnson ‘Furious’ With China, Says There Could Be A ‘Reckoning’ For China’s Coronavirus ‘Disinformation Campaign’

China

In an interview with BBC radio on Monday, the United Kingdom&#8217;s leading epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, who headed up the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf">Imperial College study</a> that significantly influenced the British government&#8217;s COVID-19 response, presented two positive messages: his team believes the epidemic is &#8220;just about slowing in the UK&#8221; after the country implemented social distancing measures, and an antibody test that will show who has developed immunity to the virus will likely be available sooner than previously expected.
“We think the epidemic is just about slowing in the UK right now,” Ferguson told BBC radio Monday, as reported by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-epidemic/uk-epidemic-is-slowing-and-antibody-test-could-be-ready-in-days-top-epidemiologist-says-idUSKBN21H0SA">Reuters</a>.
&#8220;Ferguson said a third or even 40% of people do not get any symptoms. He said perhaps 2% to 3% of the United Kingdom’s population had been infected,&#8221; Reuters reports. &#8220;But Ferguson cautioned that the data was not good enough to make firm extrapolations.&#8221;
The epidemiologist said that the COVID-19 antibody tests, which will provide the crucial information of who has already contracted the virus and developed immunity, are in the final stages of validation and will hopefully be ready in &#8220;days rather than weeks,&#8221; the news agency reported.
As reported by <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/29/germany-will-issue-coronavirus-antibody-certificates-allow-quarantined/">The Telegraph</a> on Sunday, German researchers plan to introduce coronavirus &#8220;immunity certificates&#8221; for those who take antibody tests and are confirmed to have had the virus, healed and developed antibodies to combat it. Those with &#8220;immunity certificates&#8221; would be allowed to &#8220;transition into post-lockdown life.&#8221;
The much-cited <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf">Imperial College study</a>, which was headed up by Ferguson, presented dire potential consequences of allowing the virus to spread without action in the U.K., projecting as many as half-a-million coronavirus-related deaths in the country if the virus was allowed to go unchecked.
After initially taking a more hands-off approach to the pandemic, shortly after the release of the study, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed strict social-distancing measures. With those measures in place, Ferguson explained last week, their model projects that <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238578-uk-has-enough-intensive-care-units-for-coronavirus-expert-predicts/">20,000 or fewer</a> people will die as a result of the virus.
<div>
The latest data from U.K. health officials is that a little over 1,200 patients in the U.K. have died thus far after testing positive for the virus. Nearly 130,000 people have been tested for the virus in the U.K., of which around 108,000 (over 80%) have tested negative. A little under 20,000 have tested positive.
Reuters also notes that along with working on the antibody test, the U.K. has begun to employ antigen tests for healthcare workers to allow them to determine if they have been infected or are safe to work, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/27/frontline-nhs-staff-first-to-receive-new-covid-19-antigen-tests">The Guardian</a> reported Friday.
&#8220;Michael Gove – standing in for the prime minister at the daily briefing after Boris Johnson was diagnosed with Covid-19 – said the testing was being trialled immediately, and that hundreds were expected to be able to access the tests over the weekend,&#8221; The Guardian reported. &#8220;The country would see a &#8216;dramatic&#8217; increase in testing next week, he added.&#8221;
&#8220;Increasing our testing capacity is absolutely crucial in our response to and our fight against coronavirus,&#8221; Gove said. &#8220;This is a particular priority for those who work in the health and social care sector and are working so hard to keep us all safe.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-pathologist-heres-why-covid-19s-death-rate-may-be-lower-than-we-feared">British Pathologist: Why COVID-19’s Death Rate May Be Lower Than We Feared</a>
</div>

UK’s Top Expert: Epidemic ‘Just About Slowing,’ Antibody Test May Be Ready In ‘Days Rather Than Weeks’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in a video statement posted on social media Friday that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
The 55-year-old Conservative Party leader announced in the video that after developing mild symptoms over the last 24 hours, including &#8220;a temperature and a persistent cough,&#8221; he tested positive for COVID-19. His plan now is to work from home and self-isolate, as he encouraged others to do to continue to &#8220;protect&#8221; the National Health Service (NHS) from being overwhelmed.
&#8220;Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,&#8221; Johnson wrote in a tweet that includes the video statement. &#8220;I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this.&#8221;
&#8220;Hi, folks, I want to bring you up to to speed on something that is happening today, which is that I developed mild symptoms of coronavirus — that is to say, a temperature and a persistent cough,&#8221; Johnson announced in the video (below). &#8220;And on the advice of the chief medical officer, I have taken the test and it has come out positive.&#8221;
&#8220;So, I am working from home and self-isolating, and that&#8217;s entirely the right thing to do,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But, be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight-back against coronavirus.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to thank everybody involved and, of course, our amazing NHS staff,&#8221; Johnson stressed. &#8220;It was very moving to join last night in that national clap for the NHS,&#8221; he said in reference to a celebration of national healthcare workers Thursday.
&#8220;But it&#8217;s not just the NHS, it&#8217;s our police, our social care workers, our teachers, everybody who works in schools, and DWP staff,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Amazing national effort by the public services, but also by every member of the British public volunteering. Incredible response. 600,000 people volunteered to take part in a great national effort to protect people from the consequences of coronavirus.&#8221;
Johnson concluded the statement by encouraging the nation that if they &#8220;stay at home and protect the NHS,&#8221; they will &#8220;beat&#8221; the epidemic and &#8220;bounce back.&#8221;
&#8220;We will get through it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And the way we will get through it is, of course, by applying the measures that you&#8217;ve heard so much about. And the more effectively we all comply with those measures, the faster our country will come through this epidemic and the faster we&#8217;ll bounce back. Thank you to everybody who is doing what I&#8217;m doing and working from home to stop the spread of the virus from household to household. That&#8217;s the way we&#8217;re going to win, we&#8217;re going to beat it, and we&#8217;re going to beat it together. Stay at home and protect the NHS and save lives.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.
I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.
Together we will beat this. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayHomeSaveLives?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayHomeSaveLives</a> <a href="https://t.co/9Te6aFP0Ri">pic.twitter.com/9Te6aFP0Ri</a>
&mdash; Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1243496858095411200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Johnson&#8217;s optimistic message follows updated forecasts by British epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, one of the co-authors of the highly influential Imperial College London coronavirus model, which initially predicted that if no action were taken to curb the spread of the virus, some 500,000 people would die in the U.K. and 2.2 million would die in the U.S. With social distancing measures, like those taken by the British and American governments, Ferguson&#8217;s updated potential death toll in the U.K. has now been downgraded to <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2238578-uk-has-enough-intensive-care-units-for-coronavirus-expert-predicts/">20,000 or fewer</a>.

WATCH: British Prime Minister Announces He Tested Positive For Coronavirus

Great Britain

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered his fellow citizens to stay home and only travel outside when necessary, making the United Kingdom the latest country to embrace lockdown efforts to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
According to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-52014472">BBC</a>, Johnson limited all public gatherings in Britain to just two people while advising residents to leave their homes once a day for exercise and to travel only when &#8220;absolutely necessary,&#8221; to get groceries or needed medication. All non-essential businesses (bars, in-dining restaurants, etc.) have been closed until further notice.
Should people ignore these orders, police have been given the power to disperse gatherings and issue fines. In three weeks time, the government will consider a relaxation on rules in effect. Johnson made the announcement after a weekend where people were seen crowding the beaches, parks, markets, and other areas of Britain.
&#8220;To put it simply, if too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it &#8211; meaning more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well,&#8221; Boris Johnson said.
Though Health Secretary Matt Hancock said employers should see to it that employees can work from home, he ultimately stated,  &#8220;I want to be absolutely clear, when people absolutely can not work from home they can still go to work &#8211; indeed it&#8217;s important that they do to keep the country running.&#8221;
Here are the new guidelines, as outlined by the BBC:
<ul class="story-body__unordered-list">
<li class="story-body__list-item">Shopping for basic necessities such as food and medicine. Shopping trips should be as infrequent as possible</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item">One form of exercise a day such as a run, walk or cycle. This should be done alone or only with people you live with</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item">Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. This includes moving children under the age of 18 between their parents&#8217; homes, where applicable. Key workers or those with children identified as vulnerable can continue to take their children to school</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item">Travelling to and from work, but only where work absolutely cannot be done from home</li>
<li class="story-body__list-item">Even when following the above guidance, people should minimise the amount of time spent out of their homes and should keep two metres (6ft) away from people they do not live with.</li>
</ul>
Boris Johnson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/mar/12/trumps-travel-ban-wont-have-much-impact-on-spread-of-coronavirus-says-rishi-sunak-live-news">has previously said the pandemic</a> could be the “worst public health crisis for a generation,” warning that citizens could lose loved ones as a result.
“This is the worst public crisis for a generation, some people compare it to seasonal flu, alas that is not right,” Johnson told reporters at an emergency COBRA meeting of top Cabinet officials. “Owing to the lack of immunity, this disease is more dangerous, and it’s going to spread further.”
“I must level with the British public, many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time,” he added.
Last week, the royal family <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/queen-elizabeth-moves-up-easter-holiday-cancels-royal-events-amid-coronavirus-concerns">also announced</a> that Queen Elizabeth would be moving up her planned Easter holiday a full week so that she could leave Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle. Though the queen canceled large events, she will still be granting audience to specific people. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is expected to take over many of the Queen&#8217;s public duties in her absence as Prince Charles is also in the most vulnerable age bracket for the disease.
“As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, a number of changes are being made to The Queen’s diary,” the royal family announced on its <a href="https://www.royal.uk/announcement-regarding-changes-queens-diary" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a> last Tuesday. “Audiences due to take place this week at Buckingham Palace will go ahead as planned. These include receiving the Prime Minister, the Commanding Officer of HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and the Bishop of Hereford. Future Audiences will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, in line with the appropriate advice.”

Lockdown

Boris Johnson Locks Down U.K.: Britons ‘Must Stay Home’

The United Kingdom&#8217;s National Health Service (NHS) announced Tuesday that, under new rules for the agency coming in April, medical care providers can refuse to give non-critical care to patients who are &#8220;racist,&#8221; sexist,&#8221; &#8220;homophobic,&#8221; or are otherwise insulting and aggressive towards hospital staff.
Right now, the NHS can refuse to treat anyone who are &#8220;aggressive&#8221; or &#8220;violent&#8221; out of concern for the well-being of health care workers, but the new rules, set to take effect in April of 2020, expand who the NHS can turn away &#8212; though it&#8217;s not entirely clear how the NHS would know a possible patient was &#8220;racist,&#8221; sexist,&#8221; or &#8220;homophobic,&#8221; or whether there are procedures in place to separate the truly mentally ill from the merely problematic.
Sky News reports that much of the decision may be made by front-line hospital workers: &#8220;these protections will extend to any harassment, bullying or discrimination, including homophobic, sexist or racist remarks.&#8221;
The UK&#8217;s Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a conservative serving under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, told NHS employees that &#8220;no act of violence or abuse is minor,&#8221; in a statement made earlier this week and that &#8220;[b]eing assaulted or abused is not part of the job.&#8221;
The NHS already allows medical workers to refuse to treat patients who are aggressive or violent and, theoretically, this rule would simply extend that allowance to cover those patients who are overtly insulting to staff, perhaps indicating that they do not want treatment from a woman or someone with specific religious garb, if what ails that patient is non life-threatening.
Hancock&#8217;s statement, though, seems to indicate that staff will make value judgements about patients even in emergency situations.
&#8220;Far too often I hear stories that the people you are trying to help lash out. I&#8217;ve seen it for myself in A&amp;Es, on night shifts, and on ambulances,&#8221; Hancock said, referring to UK hospitals&#8217; &#8220;accidents and emergency&#8221; departments, the equivalent of American ERs and EDs. Hancock added that he is &#8220;horrified that any member of the public would abuse or physically assault a member of our NHS staff but it happens too often.&#8221;
While the rule poses a host of problems, including who might be placed in charge of determining what behavior is considered racist, sexist, and homophobic, and what might constitute verbal harassment or abuse, the biggest concern appears to be for the mentally ill, who may seek treatment, even for non life-threatening ailments, but be unable to control their behavior. If they are labeled &#8220;abusive,&#8221; &#8220;aggressive,&#8221; or &#8220;harmful,&#8221; they will be turned away from medical care.
According to a study taken by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman last year, Sky News says, the issue is already a problem for the NHS: &#8220;one in five mental health patients do not feel safe in NHS care,&#8221; the study reported, and &#8220;[m]ore than half of people with mental health problems in England also said their treatment was delayed, while 42% said they were diagnosed too late.&#8221;
Johnson&#8217;s government is trying to get a handle, overall, on problem &#8212; specifically financial problems &#8212; that are threatening the longevity of the UK&#8217;s national health service, and the new rules are part of a plan to help stabilize the system, but they make come too little too late. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/health-42572110">According to the BBC</a>, the NHS&#8217;s budget has exploded and 30% of Britain&#8217;s domestic spending now goes to public health.

Report: U.K.’s National Health Service Can Refuse To Treat ‘Racist,’ ‘Sexist,’ And ‘Homophobic’ Patients Under New Rules

Racism

Sexism

A rash of knife attacks by recently released terrorists has put Britain on edge and serves as a reminder that the United States needs to do more itself to prepare for the imminent release from prison of convicted terrorists. In order to avoid the current problems of the British government, which is rushing to pass emergency legislation, American lawmakers should take advantage of our federalist system to bring state and local resources to play in tracking released terrorists.
The British government is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/02/streatham-attacker-was-released-terror-offender-sudesh-amman">struggling to address</a> the threat from dozens of convicted jihadi terrorists who are due to be released within months. Britain has seen several high-profile attacks from freed terrorists who received early release before serving even half their sentences.
Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/03/wave-jihadi-terrorists-due-freed-early-release-within-months/">20-year old Sudesh Amman</a> strapped on a fake explosive vest before launching a knife attack on Streatham High Road in London. Despite being under direct police surveillance during the attack, the jihadist critically wounded one person. Amman had previously been sentenced to three years and four months in prison for multiple terrorism offenses in November 2018 <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-46592539">related to distributing Islamic State propaganda</a>.
The attack methodology of a fake suicide bomb vest and knives directly mirrored that of Usman Khan, another convicted terrorist, who in November 2019 <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50653191">killed two people</a> on London Bridge. Prior to the attack, authorities had considered Khan <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50653191">a model</a> rehabilitated prisoner. Khan was attending a deradicalization conference minutes before he launched his attack.
Official data show that the British government has reconvicted <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/12/six-terrorists-freed-from-jail-committed-further-terror-act-figures-reveal">an additional six British jihadi terrorists</a> released from prison between 2013 and 2019.
This newest wave of attacks is a reminder that the U.S. also faces a risk from previously convicted terrorists who are released; various “rehabilitation” schemes are highly suspect.
Aimen Dean, a former al-Qaeda member who later spied for Britain’s MI6, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/al-qaeda-spied-mi6-know-deradicalisation-doesnt-work/">told The Telegraph</a>, “there is no such thing as a rehabilitated jihadist.” Morton Storm, a Danish former al-Qaeda member who later helped to betray terrorist leader Anwar al-Awlaki to the CIA, agrees. Rehabilitation efforts, he says, ignore that jihadis are not confused or mentally ill, <a href="https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/joseph-perticone/denmark-aims-rehabilitate-not-punish-returning-jihadists">but are adherents of an ideology</a> to which they are committed. “[D]eradicalizing the jihadists doesn’t work, because they’re religiously motivated,” Storm told the Associated Press in 2017, in response to a Danish rehabilitation program.
Nearly two decades after 9/11, even high-level terrorist leaders facing long sentences are becoming eligible for parole and may even complete their full sentences. While there is very little information available on recidivism rates among convicted terrorists, the recidivism rate of jihadist fighters released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility was nearly 17% in 2018, with another 13% also suspected of returning to active terrorism.
In 2017, a National Counterterrorism Center <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/the-troubling-us-post-prison-experiment-to-rehabilitate-an-isis-supporter">report noted,</a> “more than 90 homegrown violent extremists incarcerated in the U.S. who are due to be released in the next five years will probably re-engage in terrorist activity.”
In order to address this challenge, U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement need tools in order to prepare for released terrorists. One such tool would be a terrorism registry, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-needs-a-national-terrorist-registry-to-keep-us-safe">which would provide law enforcement</a> the ability to track the location of former terrorists in the same way police and the public can keep tabs on sex offenders — with legal sanction for failure to register. Louisiana successfully passed the first terrorism offender registry law in 2019, and several states have expressed interest in following suit.
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-needs-a-national-terrorist-registry-to-keep-us-safe">A nation-wide network</a> has also been proposed by Patrick Dunleavy, a specialist on terrorist activity in the prison system. Realistically, such a proposal requires both federal assistance with information-sharing, as well as state laws to establish the registries and allow state authorities to enforce them.
A nationwide system of state terrorism registries would also take advantage of American federalism, utilizing state and local law enforcement to help prevent federal counterterrorism agents from being overwhelmed with keeping tabs on prior offenders.
Public registries protect and empower the individual citizen without need for government controls. The Department of Justice maintains a <a href="https://www.nsopw.gov/">public sex offender registry</a>, which private companies often use as a database for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsp.android.h&amp;hl=en">websites and apps that alert citizens</a> about rapists, stalkers, and molesters living in their neighborhoods.
Pseudoscience models of rehabilitation treat convicted terrorists as emotionally stunted unfortunates rather than committed ideologues willing to use violence for a political purpose. This has proven to be a disaster. Instead, the U.S. should implement a registry system for terrorists, bringing state and local law enforcement resources, as well as private enterprise, to bear and improving communication and cooperation for law enforcement in order to ensure that terrorist re-offenders do not slip through the net.
&nbsp;
Kyle Shideler is the Director and Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy.

London

SHIDELER: Stop Releasing Jihadists From Prison

Al Qaeda

Islamic State (ISIS)

Jail

Prison

Radical Islam

Radical Islamic Terror

The United Kingdom now says it will end an &#8220;early release&#8221; program in place for individuals convicted of &#8220;terror offenses&#8221; after two people were wounded in a second attack committed by someone granted leniency under the early release rules.
According to <a href="https://apnews.com/bee3f1d416f1de836ba26fa04f025f4f">the Associated Press</a>, the UK has been employing a rule which allows those convicted of planning terror attacks to serve a fraction of their prison sentence before being automatically paroled without a hearing. The rule, introduced ten years ago by the Labour Party, is meant to show mercy to those who may have been targeted for radicalization and to keep terror cells from recruiting in prisons. In the last decade, around 70 people have walked free because of the rule.
Sunday, Sudesh Amman, one of the parolees, &#8220;strapped on a fake bomb and stabbed two people on a busy street before being shot dead by police,&#8221; per the AP. It was the second such attack by a former prisoner in less than six months.
Amman was sentenced to just three years for &#8220;publishing graphic terrorist videos online and had stockpiled instructions on bomb making and knife attacks,&#8221; but got out of jail after only around 18 months &#8212; half his sentence. In November, Usman Khan killed two people near the London Bridge while out on conditional release.
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the British Parliament on Monday that he will propose a slate of new rules, curbing the state&#8217;s ability to allow terror offenders to walk free.
&#8220;We cannot have the situation, as we saw tragically in yesterday&#8217;s case, where an offender &#8211; a known risk to innocent members of the public &#8211; is released early by automatic process of law without any oversight by the Parole Board,&#8221; Buckland said in a speech Monday morning.
The new rules would ensure that terror prisoners serve at least two thirds of their sentence before being considered for early parole. And instead of an automatic release, each prisoner will have to demonstrate rehabilitation.  Because, Buckland added, this is &#8220;an unprecedented situation of severe gravity,&#8221; the rule will apply to the approximately 200 prisoners currently serving time on terror-related charges.
&#8216;This is a liberal country, it is a tolerant country,″ Prime Minister Boris Johnson added in his own interview. “But I think the idea of automatic early release for people who obviously continue to pose a threat to the public has come to the end of its useful life.”
&#8220;Now that I am prime minister I&#8217;m going to take steps to make sure that people are not released early when they commit&#8230; serious sexual, violent or terrorist offences,&#8221; <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50618744">he told the BBC</a>. &#8220;I absolutely deplore the that fact that this man was out on the streets&#8230;and we are going to take action against it.&#8221;
The new slate of rules will likely include measures requiring that law enforcement officials closely monitor those convicted on terrorism charges and then released for a certain period of time.
“We are going to have to accept that we have to be much more skeptical and robust about dealing with the risk of harm,″ one expert told the AP. “We may need to accept that there are certain people who are so dangerous they must be kept in prison indefinitely.”
Leftists in the UK were unhappy at the news. Labour Party leaders blamed law enforcement &#8220;budget cuts&#8221; for the rise in terrorist activities, not the early release program, and a &#8220;human rights activist&#8221; <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51364047">told the BBC that the new rules</a> present &#8220;civil rights concerns.&#8221;
&#8220;From last month&#8217;s knee-jerk lie detector proposal, to today&#8217;s threat to break the law by changing people&#8217;s sentences retrospectively, continuing to introduce measures without review or evidence is dangerous and will create more problems than it solves,&#8221; he said.

uk terror

Finally: UK Will End ‘Early Release’ Program For Convicted Terrorists After Latest Attack

Terrorism

The royal exit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is predictably causing heartache within Prince Harry&#8217;s immediate family.
Earlier this month, Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle announced their intentions to relinquish their royal duties and work to become financially independent. The decision has left brother Prince William and wife Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, &#8220;reeling.&#8221;
&#8220;According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, William and Kate are only just coming to terms with the new makeup of the royal family,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-prince-harry-megxit-william-kate-middleton-reeling">Fox News</a> reported Friday.
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<div id="google_ads_iframe_/4145/fnc/entertainment_1__container__">“I think the severity of what’s happened has had a huge impact on his brother, on his sister-in-law,” Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight.</div>
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Prince William and Kate &#8220;are still reeling from the news, coming to terms with the reality of this situation,&#8221; the royal expert said.
“The past week must have been incredibly hard. With William busy performing royal duties, he&#8217;s not got his brother by his side right now and his father, Prince Charles, has returned to Scotland,&#8221; Nicholl added.
As a consequence of Harry and Meghan&#8217;s decision to split off from the royal institution, Prince William and Kate have been left with intensified media scrutiny and more responsibility.
The warm public reception of the the couple has helped with the change, Nicholl previously told OK! “The warm reception William and Kate received has given them a huge boost,” the expert said. “They&#8217;ve stuck to the tried-and-tested approach, promoting a united royal family and it&#8217;s a success.”
Two weeks ago, according to a report from <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prince-william-on-harry-and-meghan-crisis-i-ve-put-my-arm-around-my-brother-all-our-lives-i-can-t-do-it-any-more-75822g7sq">The Sunday Times</a> (U.K.), Prince William was left devastated by the news of his brother&#8217;s departure.
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“As the Queen called emergency peace talks tomorrow at Sandringham to end the Windsors’ civil war, The Sunday Times can reveal that Prince William has said he feels sorrow that he and Prince Harry are now ‘separate entities’ and expressed hope that they might pull together again in future,” the outlet reported.
“I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that any more; we’re separate entities,” Prince William <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prince-william-responds-to-harry-and-meghans-royal-split-ive-put-my-arm-around-my-brother-i-cant-do-that-anymore">told</a> a friend.
“I’m sad about that. All we can do, and all I can do, is try and support them and hope that the time comes when we’re all singing from the same page. I want everyone to play on the team,” Prince William reportedly said.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” Harry and Meghan said in the bombshell joint statement announcing their plans to abandon their royal duties.
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“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support her majesty the queen,” the couple added.
On Sunday, Harry, for the first time publicly, addressed his split, telling a room full of supporters of the Sentebale charity in London that he and his wife Meghan Markle had “no other option” than to break away. According to the 35-year-old, he tried to “support” Queen Elizabeth II, his grandmother, without receiving public funds, but that situation was undoable.

Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle

Kate Middleton ‘Reeling’ In Wake Of Harry And Meghan’s Royal Split

Meghan Markle

After polls showed that Canadians were overwhelmingly opposed to paying for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle&#8217;s security should they relocate to the country, over 80,000 citizens have signed a petition demanding that the royals foot the bill themselves.
According to <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/01/22/80k-canadians-sign-petition-for-prince-harry-meghan-markle-to-pay-for-their-security/">Page Six</a>, the fiscally conservative Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF) launched the <a href="https://www.taxpayer.com/media/No-Taxpayers-Money-For-Meghan-and-Harry.html">petition</a> last week by arguing that Harry and Meghan are welcome to seek financial independence apart from the royal family so long as Canadian taxpayers don&#8217;t supplement their security costs.
“Everyone wishes Meghan and Harry all the best in becoming financially independent, but we need to be clear about one thing: Canadian taxpayers shouldn’t have to cover their bills,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is launching this petition to make sure Prime Minister Justin Trudeau knows that Canadians are happy to welcome the couple as long as they pay their own way.”
“True financial independence cannot be achieved if Canadian taxpayers are still paying the bills,” continued Wudrick. “Canadians are already on the hook for the unlimited, unaccountable expenses of retired governors general and they should not be responsible for funding the private lifestyle decisions of members of the royal family.”
The 80,000 signatures were delivered to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau&#8217;s office on Tuesday.
According to <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-security-in-canada-for-meghan-harry-could-cost-over-10-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Globe and Mail,</a> experts say Prince Harry and Meghan Markle&#8217;s security detail could cost upwards of $10 million annually. Chris Mathers, formerly of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said security measures have changed drastically over the years and that the royal couple would have little say in how much or how little is required. Their residence alone would require &#8220;fences, explosive-detection dogs, closed-circuit television surveillance, alarms and a security team on the ground&#8221; as well as &#8220;a team to accompany them when they leave their residence.&#8221;
“They want to live their own life as best they can and they decided this is a place that will allow them to do that. You really can’t take that away from them,” Mathers told the outlet. “They need personal body guards all the time. You have to pay those peoples’ salaries. You’ve got to pay for the vehicles they travel in and the aircraft they travel in. You have to pay for the communications equipment they require because it has to be sophisticated so that you can’t listen to it.&#8221;
However, Bruce Hallsor of the Monarchist League of Canada <a href="https://vancouversun.com/news/welcome-canadian-taxpayers-federation-has-welcome-basket-for-meghan-and-harry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told the Vancouver Sun</a> that no expectation exists that the royals “are going to receive any money from the Canadian taxpayer.”
“Regardless of whether they’re a public figure or not, I honestly think the best thing to do is leave that to the RCMP to determine what’s appropriate,” said Hallsor. “I think if they’re not going to be performing public duties they shouldn’t draw any kind of public resources. But if there’s a security threat to any Canadian resident, then police need to assess that and deal with that appropriately.”
According to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/megxit-canadians-overwhelmingly-against-paying-for-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-to-live-there">new poll last week</a> from the Angus Reid Institute, only 5% of Canadian taxpayers are okay with footing the bill for Harry and Meghan’s stay in the country, despite having a generally positive attitude about the migration.

REPORT: Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Are A ‘Public Relations Disaster’

PETITION: 80,000 Canadians Demand Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Pay Their Own Security

Canada

Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle, duke and duchess of Sussex, have already stumbled upon a snag in Canadian living.
The exiting royals issued a cease and desist letter to British media outlets threatening legal action following Meghan and baby Archie being photographed in a public park in Canada, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2020/01/21/meghan-markle-cease-desist-letter-photos-archie-canada-paparazzi-legal-action/">TMZ</a> reported Tuesday.
In England, Harry and Meghan were protected from being photographed in public outside of official appearances, TMZ noted.
“There are serious safety concerns about how the paparazzi are driving and the risk to life they pose,” the cease and desist letter reads, according to the outlet.
The couple’s legal team claimed in the letter that the photographs of Meghan and her infant son were taken while photographers hid in the bushes. “The letter took special issue with the commentary around the pictures that suggested they had been taken with Meghan’s consent,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/world/canada/meghan-and-archie-photos.html">The New York Times</a> reported.
According to the Times, The Daily Mail and The Sun posted the photos in question.
“Harry and Meghan have taken their privacy very seriously from the start of their relationshp, and even sued a UK tabloid last year for alleged misuse of private information,” TMZ reported. “In England, strict privacy laws protect even the Royals from being photographed in public when they’re not making official appearances.”
According to privacy law specialist David Elder, the couple could potentially bring a lawsuit forward under the under British Columbia’s Privacy Act, the Times reported. However, Elder noted, “the legislation contains many exemptions intended for news media, as does Canada’s constitution, and that Canadian courts have generally ruled that people in public places and public figures have little expectation of privacy.”
The privacy law specialist added that it “is unlikely to be a slam-dunk and, in fact, may be a difficult claim to make out successfully.”
Earlier this month, Harry and Meghan announced their intentions to step away from their royal duties and become financially independent.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the couple announced in a joint statement.
On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, pulled the trigger on the exiting royals, outing the new conditions of the split. For example, “His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness” titles from Harry and Meghan were stripped and the couple will be financially cut off from royal funds, effective this spring.
“Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” the Queen said in a statement, noting her support for their “independent” life.
According to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/duke-duchess-sussex-longer-working-members-royal-family/story?id=68372425&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">ABC News</a>, “Prince Harry is losing his military titles and patronages including Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant Royal Air Force Honington and Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command: Commodore in Chief. He will also no longer be a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Harry and Meghan will keep their roles at the Queen’s Commonwealth Truth – Harry serves as president and Meghan is vice-president.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghans-sister-rips-her-for-destroying-royals-treatment-of-father-chasing-fame-and-fortune">Meghan’s Sister RIPS Her For Destroying Royals, Treatment Of Father: CHASING ‘FAME AND FORTUNE’</a>

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle

Harry And Meghan Already Find Snag In Canadian Living, Take Legal Action

Another member of Meghan Markle&#8217;s family has come forward to express harsh criticism of the existing royal.
On the heels of father <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-with-a-crown-meghans-father-rips-daughter-for-cheapening-royals-choosing-money-over-family">Thomas Markle</a> ridiculing Meghan for &#8220;cheapening&#8221; the royal family to &#8220;Walmart with a crown,&#8221; sister Samantha Markle recently penned an op-ed taking Meghan to task for treating their sickly father poorly and destroying the royals in pursuit of &#8220;fame and fortune.&#8221;
&#8220;Meghan knew the social requirements of joining the royal family,&#8221; Samantha outlined in an op-ed published at <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10775155/samantha-markle-meghan-harry-never-find-happiness/">The Sun</a> on Monday. &#8220;She should have asked herself if she was willing and able to behave in accordance with the expectations.&#8221;
Samantha said Meghan had her friends leak negative stories about the royal family, highlighting a report that claimed the duchess found the royal lifestyle &#8220;toxic.&#8221; The estranged sister also accused Meghan of allowing &#8220;damage to be done against our family via friends and P.R. advisers.&#8221;
&#8220;She watched the media taunt and torture my dad, never springing to his defence like a true humanitarian would,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;Thomas was an incredible dad. He paid every penny of her education and cared greatly for her. He is now frail, with a heart condition. He doesn’t have a P.R. team to spin him a good story.&#8221;
&#8220;She knows how Harry leaving has affected&#8221; the royal family, she added, &#8220;but she hasn’t spoken up in their defense.&#8221;
&#8220;She could have expressed her thanks for the kindness of the Queen and Prince Charles,&#8221; wrote Samantha. &#8220;She could have expressed gratitude to her own father or her first husband, Trevor, who gave her career opportunities.
&#8220;My sister has become a totally different person, choosing wealth and fortune over family,&#8221; charged Samantha.
The sister suggested Meghan and Prince Harry&#8217;s claim to want a quiet, private life is suspect.
&#8220;My fear is Meghan’s decision isn’t about moving to Canada for a quiet life as a young mother,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;Nothing about their actions so far suggest they truly desire a private life out the limelight. They have paraded themselves on the red carpet, tried to make deals with Disney, and become pals with the Clooneys and other A-list stars. Smooching up to Vogue magazine, to fashion and to the film industry is not consistent with taking a step back.&#8221;
&#8220;Their objective is fame and fortune — to be Hollywood,&#8221; Samantha added.
The narrative that Meghan was pushed out for racial reasons was also dissected.
&#8220;Her decision to leave is nothing to do with the behaviour of the royals, or race,&#8221; Samantha said. &#8220;Her marriage to Prince Harry was so symbolic of ethnic unity. &#8230; The royals &#8230; welcomed Meghan into their lives, into the culture, and allowed her to promote people of all races. I have never heard anything racist coming out of the Windsors about my sister.&#8221;
The sister signed off: &#8220;I am worried that Meghan and Harry will never find true ­happiness. They could not find contentment with the Royal Family, will they be able to find it away from them?&#8221;
As reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-fame-fortune-sister-says">The Daily Wire</a> over the weekend, Mr. Markle told Channel 5 news he was disappointed in his daughter.
“This is, like, one of the greatest long-living institutions ever,” he said. “They are destroying it; they are cheapening it; they’re making it shabby.”
Harry and Meghan “are turning it into a Walmart with a crown of it now,” continued Mr. Markle, who has been estranged from Meghan since her wedding in 2018. “It is something that is ridiculous. They shouldn’t be doing this.”
Earlier this month, Duke and Duchess of Sussex Harry and Meghan dropped the bombshell announcement that they were planning to step away from royal duties and work to become financially independent.
“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the couple announced in a joint statement. 
Queen Elizabeth II announced Saturday that the exiting royals will have their “His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness” titles stripped, as well as be financially cut off from royal funds, effective this spring.
“Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved members of my family,” the queen said in a statement, noting her support for their “independent” life.
“Prince Harry is losing his military titles and patronages including Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant Royal Air Force Honington and Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command: Commodore in Chief. He will also no longer be a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Harry and Meghan will keep their roles at the Queen’s Commonwealth Truth – Harry serves as president and Meghan is vice-president,&#8221; <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/duke-duchess-sussex-longer-working-members-royal-family/story?id=68372425&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">ABC News</a> reported.

Meghan’s Sister RIPS Her For Destroying Royals, Treatment Of Father: CHASING ‘FAME AND FORTUNE’

Men and women are both capable of holding the title “Crazy Ex,” and for one young woman in the South East England county of Ken, her crazy ex ended up getting her and her family arrested.
Charlotte Clark-Hughes, 26, ended her years-long relationship with Tristan Smith, whom she’d met in January 2014 while they both attended the University of Kent. Clark-Hughes <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/controlling-cop-framed-ex-fake-21308260?_ga=2.86682136.1661900252.1579619141-amp--Bpwee6TTVPZ40uLAp14SA">told The Mirror</a> that Smith at first appeared to be the “perfect gentleman.”
“We were both in a Facebook freshers group and got chatting. He was lovely, friendly and we started dating months later,” she told the outlet.
About six months later, however, Smith became verbally abusive.
“We were arguing and he shouted that he wished my family dead. I was upset but hoped it was just a row,” Clark-Hughes said. She told the Mirror that Smith then “guessed my passwords and started to check my Snapchat and texts regularly, knowing I didn’t like it.”
About the time Smith started mistreating Clark-Hughes, he also started working with the Kent Police department as a volunteer special constable.
“He did 20 hours a week as he saw it as a potential career,” Clark-Hughes told the Mirror. “He talked a lot about what actions constituted crimes. Looking back, it’s sick.”
Nearly two years into their relationship, in December 2015, falsely accused Clark-Hughes stepfather of beating her disable mother. Two months later he claimed Clark-Hughes was cheating on him and told her to stop seeing her friends, the Mirror reported.
“My self-esteem was so low I did,” she says. “He always put me down. He’d scream, ‘I wish you’d die in a fire’ – then apologise with chocolates.”
In September 2017, Clark-Hughes tried to break up with Smith while visiting her family.
“He pinned me down, screamed in my face, then bit me on the shoulder and tried to set fire to the dog bed,” she told the Mirror. “I was terrified. The next day, he bought me flowers.”
Three weeks later, Clark-Hughes broke up with Smith by text and then fled to Spain.
“I had to get away,” she told the outlet. “He sent 50 voicemails begging me to come back. I ignored them.”
“A few weeks later he sent an email declaring his love for me. I replied saying if he contacted me again I would call the police,” she added.
Smith would tell his brother in October 2017 that he wanted to “tear apart” his ex’s family for revenge – and he attempted to do just that.
He claimed Clark-Hughes’ mom and stepdad (who were no longer together at that point) sent him a threatening text message, which Smith actually sent himself. Before it was discovered that Smith lied, Clark-Hughes’ stepdad was arrested and kept in jail for 20 hours, while her mom was taken the next day. Her mother spent 10 days in the hospital after the ordeal because the stress caused her neuromuscular disease to flare up, the Mirror reported.
The two were cleared after it was discovered they couldn’t have sent the text – since one of their phones was broken and the other was lost in Spain at the time.
Smith then accused Clark-Hughes of sending threatening messages to his former flatmate. Clark-Hughes was arrested but later released pending further investigation when she explained she couldn’t have sent the messages because she was not near her phone when they were sent. Police later determined Smith sent the messages himself after hacking into Clark-Hughes’ accounts.
After she was released from prison, Clark-Hughes found emails from Facebook warning her that someone was trying to access her account from a different location.
Smith then started to claim Clark-Hughes was stalking and harassing him. To really sell the lie, he installed a panic alarm and CCTV and told police he had to fight armed intruders in his home. Police watched the videos from Smiths home and determined he lied about the attacks. He was arrested on “six charges of perverting the course of justice, one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one of gaining unauthorised access to a computer with intent to commit an offence,” the Mirror reported.
He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to more than four years in prison.

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United Kingdom

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Boris Johnson Locks Down U.K.: Britons ‘Must Stay Home’

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British Volunteer Police Officer Frames Ex-Girlfriend But Surveillance Cameras Proved He Lied

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United Kingdom

Police Responding To ‘Serious Incident’ In U.K., Multiple People Reportedly Stabbed

U.K. Cracks Down, Declares Sex With Individuals From Outside Your Household ‘Illegal’ Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

U.K. Government In Uproar As Senior Advisor To PM Who Defied Lockdown Orders Refuses To Step Down

‘They’re Making This Stuff Up As They Go Along’: Airline CEO Rips ‘Idiotic’ Air Travel Plans

U.K. Doctors ERUPT After Prince Harry Declares Coronavirus Crisis Is ‘Better Than We Are Led To Believe’

U.K. PM Boris Johnson Thanks Hospitals For Saving His Life In Easter Video: ‘It Could Have Gone Either Way’

English Soccer Star Urged Public To Avoid Visiting Loved Ones. Report Claims He Hosted Two Escorts.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Admitted To Hospital Over Coronavirus

U.K.’s Boris Johnson ‘Furious’ With China, Says There Could Be A ‘Reckoning’ For China’s Coronavirus ‘Disinformation Campaign’

UK’s Top Expert: Epidemic ‘Just About Slowing,’ Antibody Test May Be Ready In ‘Days Rather Than Weeks’

WATCH: British Prime Minister Announces He Tested Positive For Coronavirus

Boris Johnson Locks Down U.K.: Britons ‘Must Stay Home’

Report: U.K.’s National Health Service Can Refuse To Treat ‘Racist,’ ‘Sexist,’ And ‘Homophobic’ Patients Under New Rules

SHIDELER: Stop Releasing Jihadists From Prison

Finally: UK Will End ‘Early Release’ Program For Convicted Terrorists After Latest Attack

Kate Middleton ‘Reeling’ In Wake Of Harry And Meghan’s Royal Split

PETITION: 80,000 Canadians Demand Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Pay Their Own Security

Harry And Meghan Already Find Snag In Canadian Living, Take Legal Action

Meghan’s Sister RIPS Her For Destroying Royals, Treatment Of Father: CHASING ‘FAME AND FORTUNE’

British Volunteer Police Officer Frames Ex-Girlfriend But Surveillance Cameras Proved He Lied

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