If further Covid restrictions are needed, the debate could get uglier this time | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian

From Austria to Latvia, the current wave of Covid is seeing a backlash against unvaccinated people, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

============================================

This all rests with why people get vaccinated and to some extent why wearing face covering, previously this was down to people just safeguarding themselves, but with COVID there is now the question of safeguarding others.

As, by being vaccinated and with face coverings there is an element of not only reducing the catching of COVID, but, if you do, by being vaccinated and also wearing a face covering you will also be mitigating the risk of passing onto others.

Thereby, being looking to safeguard the community as well as oneself. We are not alone and the reason why excess vaccines should be sent to other nations to reduce the risk in those other countries and by doing so reducing the extent of mutations of COVID.

We all have Human Rights and by adhering to some others are affected, so consideration is of prime importance.

We all need to be considerate of others.

If further Covid restrictions are needed, the debate could get uglier this time | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian

Meghan Markle says victory in Mail on Sunday privacy case should ‘reshape tabloids that profit from lies’

The Mail On Sunday has lost its Court of Appeal challenge against a ruling in favour of the Duchess of Sussex over publication of the letter to her estranged father Thomas Markle

---

A legal judgement has been made and you may or may not agree with the outcome for numerous reasons. But, I feel a major one will be on your views of Meghan Markle, for you either like Meghan or not, but in reality none of this is our business. However, it is showing how the law is on Grandparents rights and press freedoms.

Re Grandparents they have no legal rights to see or have any other controls on their Grandchildren, as this is solely down to the parents and in many instances mainly with the mother, unless it can be proved that the mother is not legally capable.

So all this blustering by Thomas Markle is down to either a misguided understanding of his Rights or more than likely his overblown insistence of his own importance. If he really wishes to see his Grandchildren he is by his own actions making it even less possible that he will. For he needs to show understanding of both Meghan’s and Harrys points of view and not throw a tantrum when his wishes are not granted.

By releasing the letter from his daughter to the Press, he has again shown misjudgement and it is now, if it was ever to be, that he will see his grandchildren.

As to the Press again they are guilty of showing their own importance and, as there are many instances, where the actions of the Press are seen to far exceed their assumed Rights, they have been brought down, but perhaps they have money to waste on legal matters.

 

Source: Meghan Markle says victory in Mail on Sunday privacy case should ‘reshape tabloids that profit from lies’

Government imposes new restrictions to fight Omicron as first cases found in UK | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Masks made mandatory in shops and on buses and trains, while new arrivals must take PCR tests

============================================

The wearing of masks in shops and on buses and trains was never officially withdrawn, but the mandatory aspect was. However, some transport operatives made their own rules, such as, Transport for London, where they stated it was a requirement to travel on their buses and the Tube, but was it ever legally enforceable. Perhaps it was not, but the public should have respected the wishes of the operators.

In other parts of the UK, except England, Scotland and others did retain the mandatory aspect. I feel it was a grave mistake from Boris Johnson, one of many, when the mandatory aspect was withdrawn. For those not wearing masks are not acting with respect to their fellow travellers.

In fact, in many aspects social distancing should also have been retained.

The coming of Omicron is a great worry, as should be the coninuance of COVID in England, but this appears to nhave been ignored by many in England, so please do not ignore Omicron, for if you do Lockdowns will have to be reimposed. In fact, the reimposition has never gone away and would always be brought in, but perhaps, too late, as other measurers have been.

At least, the mandatory reintroduction was not delayed and the travel restrictions also.

Yes, we have to learn to live with COVID, but not at the expense of lives lost. Lives are much more important than refusing to live with a few restrictions. So accept the restrictions and in doing so save lives.

The same is also relevant in having the COVID vaccinations and where eligible the COVID booster and any others which will come along.

 

Source: Government imposes new restrictions to fight Omicron as first cases found in UK | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Channel deaths: Priti Patel disinvited to meeting with France | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

I implore both the UK and France, being Johnson and Macron to stop their ‘childish’ behaviours, and behave as they should be doing in a respectable manner for the Migrant crisis and even more so Channel crossings is not only urgent, but innocent lives are being lost.

This is so much more important than the squabbles between 2 countries as there is a ‘Duty of Care’ on both parties and even the EU. For if the EU wishes to be viewed as a responsible organisation it should be them who bring France and the UK together.

The migrant crisis needs to be sorted NOW as it has gone on for far too long.

Nothing can be decided until all parties are together, so Macron and Johnson act as the adults both of you should be.

 

Source: Channel deaths: Priti Patel disinvited to meeting with France | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian

More than 5,000 homes in England approved to be built in flood zones | Housing | The Guardian

Insurers raise alarm but builders say housing crisis leaves them with no choice

============================================

No choice, of course there is always a choice for these homes could become uninsurable, unless builders build with sufficient flood defenses as the costs of dealing with floods should not be borne by householders and insurers.

Builders should have a ‘Duty of Care’ to their customers and if they are unwilling to abide by duty of care then legislate for them to do so.

Source: More than 5,000 homes in England approved to be built in flood zones | Housing | The Guardian

Royals at war with BBC over ‘tittle tattle’ documentary: The Queen, Charles and Cambridges unite in threat to boycott corporation over show alleging ‘briefing wars between William and Harry’ | Daily Mail Online

Who Cares

 

Source: The Queen, Charles and Cambridges unite in threat to boycott BBC over ‘tittle tattle’ documentary | Daily Mail Online

US teenager acquitted of all charges in Kenosha shootings | Euronews

All in the name of assumed democracy and free speech, but if it wasn’t for the gun, Rittenhouse would not have been there.

The gun laws of America and the assumed rights to carry have a lot to answer for.

The other major problem is the question of racial tensions in America, for many in the Southern states wish for slavery to be brought back and the Confederacy by the way Confederate flags are used. But that should be all in the past, but Trump and his associates and supporters are re-raising these and for some Brexit in the UK has brought racists out of the undergrowth. They have always been there but did not have the full confidence to show themselves.

Human rights are there for everyone not just persons of white origins. No one is wanting more rights, just the means to exercise theirs and not be condemned for doing so.

Equal Rights for All.

 

Source: US teenager acquitted of all charges in Kenosha shootings | Euronews

Wheelchair User ‘Pushed From Brighton’s Legends Club Dancefloor’

This is not a ‘one-off’ as many venues are inaccessible and of those that are not all areas will be. You maybe able to get in the building, but not access the dance floor, or even toilets. Then if toilets are accessible will they be disability aware, with required adaptations.

I fear they will not be many nightclubs that conduct a full disability assessment and this should be a requirement. Then the results of the assessment should then be published in all media regarding the nightclubs.

We have had numerous Disability Acts, being Disability Discrimination Act 1995, then as amended in 2005 and the Equality Act 2010 .But none of them went far enough and gave too much time in which to comply. But many didn’t well not fully as there were too many areas, which could be avoided for many reasons. One of which was cost, and many others.

This is not how persons with disabilities should be treated, for all they are asking for is for them to lead a reasonable life with the same rights as others.
But to do so there needs to be adaptations and it is these that not all businesses and organisations adhere to. They may go part of the way, but not fully, but if they are not fully complying then they are not complying at all.

There should be no half measures.

Same Difference

A wheelchair user has expressed anger after claiming his chair was pushed off a dancefloor by nightclub staff.

Tyler Paul, 29, was on a basement dancefloor at Legends in Brighton when he said he was asked to leave.

A video on social media appears to show a bouncer grabbing his wheelchair to escort him off the dancefloor.

Legends apologised, but said the video only showed a “snapshot”. It also said its basement was not wheelchair-accessible due to fire regulations.

Mr Paul, from Worthing, has cerebral palsy. He uses a wheelchair, but can walk with support.

‘Unacceptable’

He visited the nightclub on Saturday, and walked downstairs to the basement dancefloor with the help of friends during the evening.

He said he was initially asked to sign a document saying he was happy to be downstairs.

But ten minutes later, Mr Paul said another bouncer asked him to leave.

He said when…

View original post 238 more words

Furious northern leaders demand free vote on slashed rail plans | The Independent

‘Everybody in the north is getting a bargain-basement solution’ says South Yorkshire mayor Dan Jarvis

==========================================

Once again the North is getting less than promised and the East even more so than the West.

For the West is getting the full HS2 while the East is getting none and the Midlands is also getting everything. But neither the West or the East are getting HS3.

If this was London and the South both would have been proceeded with, for the South get while the North does not.

This is no where ‘levelling up’, the North have been the poor relations of the South for far too long and the West has always been better treated that the East. This is expressly so for the Old Midland line from Leeds through Sheffield down to London. For under British Rail it was always subjected to Third Hand rolling stock, no Electrification and much more while the West received. Only with the arrival of EMR was there new rolling stock, station improvements and others, etc

Network Rail the public arm of the railways are still not as ‘fit for purpose’ as they should be, which HS2 would have solved, but will the watered down version be.

From past experience I doubt it.

 

Source: Furious northern leaders demand free vote on slashed rail plans | The Independent

Here’s the irony of racial progress in Britain – it’s now harder to call out racism | Nesrine Malik | The Guardian

Complacency means scandals involving Yorkshire cricket, the Home Office, and the police are dismissed as anomalies, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

===========================================

Unfortunately Racism will always be with us to one degree or another no matter what is being done. However, that is no excuse to do nothing for there needs to be a ‘Zero’ tolerance in regards to racism. The degrees of racism could well be improving, but even one act of racism is one too many, for it is an act of abuse and no forms of abuse should be tolerated no matter where it occurs and by whom.

A response by some who are commenting on racism is for them to say they have not seen any, but what do they mean, surely not that if they have not seen or heard it then no racism has occurred.

Again, unfortunately there are some people who, no matter how blatant the racism is will not recognise it, for they may not realise what is and what isn’t racism or they may not care, but racism is there whether not seen or heard and it is very upsetting and demeaning for those who it has been cast against.

Some will say it is banter, but who agrees with this for it is not banter if it is not what the person to whom it is subjected to objects to it, so to be sure do not take part in banter. Also no one should be forced to accept banter and some will not show they object for fear of even being subjected to more banter or worse.

Legal actions need to be taken to any degrees of racism whether intended or not.

 

Source: Here’s the irony of racial progress in Britain – it’s now harder to call out racism | Nesrine Malik | The Guardian