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NHS England’s Pause On Hormone Blockers ‘Will Deeply Affect’ Trans Youth, Charity Claims

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NHS England’s decision to stop offering transgender youth puberty blockers has been described as “a blow” to the community by a charity.

Mermaids has criticised the decision, saying trans youth are “no exception” when it comes to universal access to healthcare.

What are puberty blockers?

Puberty blockers stop hormones which trigger irreversible physical changes (such as testosterone and oestrogen), that’s why they have been seen as a lifeline to some trans youth.

According to NHS England’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), puberty blockers are a “physically reversible treatment if stopped”.

However, the website claims it is “not known what the psychological effects may be”.

At the moment, fewer than 100 young people in England are prescribed puberty blockers on the NHS.

What is the new ruling around puberty blockers?

NHS England held a public consultation on their usage last year – 10% of the 4,000 respondents were trans adults, 22% were patients, and 21% were parents.

As of Tuesday this week, puberty blockers will only be available through a mandatory research trial rather than available “routinely”.

But, those currently on puberty blockers will be able to continue their treatment.

Health minister Maria Caulfield praised the announcement, saying “children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount”, describing the move was a “landmark decision” and “in the best interests of the child”.

The ruling also comes weeks before the publication of an independent review into gender identity services in England.

An interim report, published 2022, suggested that there were “gaps in evidence” around the impact of the drugs.

What does Mermaids say?

Trans youth charity, Mermaids, told HuffPost UK: “This announcement is deeply disappointing, and a further restriction of support offered to trans children and young people through the NHS, which is failing trans youth.

“There were virtually no first appointments offered in 2023, with ever-growing waiting lists of over five years.

“Those currently prescribed puberty blockers won’t see any changes to their treatment, and this is a pause on prescribing – not a ban.

“It’s also important to note that puberty blockers can be just one possible part of a young person’s gender journey.

“However, this news still comes as a blow and will deeply affect our communities.”

Mermaids added: “Everyone deserves access to healthcare, and to live happy and healthy lives. Trans youth are no exception.”

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Everything We Know About The Abdul Ezedi Manhunt

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The manhunt for alkaline attack suspect has entered its fifth day, with Abdul Ezedi, 35, who has “significant injuries to the right side of his face”, still on the run. Here’s everything we know so far.

What happened?

Police say a girl and her mother were left with potentially life-changing injuries after they had a corrosive substance thrown on them in south London on Wednesday.

Officers received reports that a man pushed a three-year-old girl to the ground and threw an alkaline substance at her, her eight-year-old sister and the girls’ 31-year-old mother on Lessar Avenue, near Clapham Common, a residential area in south London, on Wednesday evening.

The woman and the three-year-old girl suffered potentially life-changing injuries, the Metropolitan Police said. Police said the suspect was believed to be someone known to the victims, but they did not elaborate.

The suspect made off in his car which crashed nearby. He then left the vehicle and ran off. Twelve people were injured in total in the attack.

The Met has released CCTV video footage of Ezedi in the Tesco on Caledonian Road, where he is seen buying what appears to be water in the self-service checkout before leaving the shop.

Superintendent Gabriel Cameron reading a statement to the media on Lesser Avenue, near Clapham Common, south London.
Superintendent Gabriel Cameron reading a statement to the media on Lesser Avenue, near Clapham Common, south London.

PA Video – PA Images via Getty Images

Who is the suspect?

The Metropolitan Police identified the suspected assailant as 35-year-old Abdul Ezedi and released an image of his last-known sighting, which placed him on Caledonian Road in Islington, north London at 8.48pm on Thursday.

It has been reported that Ezedi, who is from Afghanistan, twice unsuccessfully tried to claim asylum in the UK and has also been convicted of sexual offences.

He was eventually allowed to stay in this country after converting to Christianity.

The Met said it is working with Northumbria Police as the wanted man may be trying to return to Newcastle, where he had been living.

The case has re-ignited the debate about the UK’s asylum system, with former immigration minister Robert Jenrick among those demanding answers.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Today programme presenter Nick Robinson accused Jenrick of “drawing the wrong conclusions” by attacking the asylum system.

What are the police doing?

The manhunt entered its fifth day on Monday with a £20,000 reward in place for anyone with information leading to Ezedi’s arrest.

More than 200 calls have been received from members of the public with potential sightings, but they have since been discounted.

Counter-terrorism officers have been drafted in to help scour hundreds of hours of CCTV in the search for the 35-year-old.

Police at the scene in Lessar Avenue near Clapham Common, south London, where a woman and her two young children have been taken to hospital after a man threw a suspected corrosive substance on Wednesday evening.
Police at the scene in Lessar Avenue near Clapham Common, south London, where a woman and her two young children have been taken to hospital after a man threw a suspected corrosive substance on Wednesday evening.

James Weech – PA Images via Getty Images

Detectives are working on the premise that he is either being hidden by someone or has come to harm.

He was using his bank card to travel around on the Tube network, but the card has not been used since Wednesday.

Ezedi does not have his phone on him – which makes the search more challenging, officers said – as it has been recovered and analysed by police.

Officers arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of assisting an offender on Monday and later released him on bail.

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Prince Harry To Fly Back To UK To Be With King Charles After Father’s Cancer Diagnosis

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Prince Harry is to fly to London to be with his father after the King’s shock cancer diagnosis.

The Duke of Sussex has spoken with King Charles about his condition and will travel to the UK to see him in the coming days, a source close to Prince Harry has said.

Harry and the Duchess of Sussex quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to the US after their suggested “half in-half out” approach to royal life was rejected.

In Harry and Meghan’s primetime Oprah interview in 2021, Harry said Charles stopped taking his calls when he was trying to discuss stepping down as a working royal.

“My father and my brother, they are trapped. They don’t get to leave. And I have huge compassion for that,” Harry told Winfrey.

Harry has a long-running rift with his brother, the Prince of Wales. Charles pleaded with his sons to reconcile at their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021. “Please, boys, don’t make my final years a misery,” Charles allegedly said.

A previously unseen portrait of King Charles taken during a state visit to France last year.
A previously unseen portrait of King Charles taken during a state visit to France last year.

Royal Family

The palace did not go into detail about the kind of cancer the King has, or its severity, but said he has begun treatment.

“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” the palace said in a statement shared with HuffPost.

“Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties.”

The palace made sure to note that the monarch “will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual”.

“The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure,” the palace said, adding that Charles “remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

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King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer, Buckingham Palace Says

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King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Monday.

The palace did not go into detail about the kind of cancer the monarch has, or its severity, but said he has begun treatment.

“During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” the palace said in a statement shared with HuffPost.

“Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties.”

The palace made sure to note that the monarch “will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual”.

“The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure,” the palace said, adding that Charles “remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

Charles underwent surgery last week, after the palace announced in January that he was seeking “treatment for an enlarged prostate”. At the time, the palace described the king’s condition as “benign”.

The king’s diagnosis comes as his daughter-in-law Kate, Princess of Wales, recovers from abdominal surgery that saw her hospitalised for about two weeks. She is “making good progress,” according to a statement from the palace, and returned home to Windsor last week.

Prince Harry, who quit royal duties in 2020 and moved to California, is expected to fly to the UK in the coming days to see his father.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “Wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery. I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time and I know the whole country will be wishing him well.”

Charles departed from royal tradition with his openness about his prostate condition. For centuries Britain’s royal family remained tight-lipped about health matters.

The British public wasn’t told that Charles’ grandfather, King George VI, had lung cancer before his death in February 1952 at the age of 56.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Internet Mocks Trump After $80 Million Defamation Suit Loss

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First, the former president was ordered by a jury to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for damages from defamation, and then he had to suffer the slings and arrows of snarky social media users.

Carroll, a longtime advice columnist, has alleged that she was raped by Trump in 1996 in a dressing room at Manhattan’s Bergdorf Goodman department store.

After she wrote about the experience in 2019, Trump called her a “whack job” and a “fraud,” inspiring her to sue for defamation. That resulted in Trump being found liable for defaming and for sexually abusing Carroll (though not raping her). He was also ordered to pay her $5 million in damages.

Still, that first penalty did not stop Trump from defaming Carroll, which led her to sue him again and Friday’s massive judgment.

Many people on X, formerly Twitter, used the verdict as an excuse for a popular social media activity: busting Trump’s chops.

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Why Are Meteorologists Saying Storm Isha Is ‘Unusual’ And ‘Rare’?

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Storm Isha is on its way – but, as the ninth named storm the UK has faced since summer ended, why are meteorologists calling it “unusual”?

Why is Isha a ‘rare’ storm?

The UK has seen plenty of storms recently, particularly named ones – after all, Storm Henk was only earlier this month.

If a storm has been named, it means they pose a threat to life.

The Met Office names them in alphabetically order. Isha is the ninth storm of the winter season (which technically begins in September) so it is named after the ninth letter.

The Met Office has explained that storm was triggered by the subsiding of the cold Arctic air which had been hanging over the UK – meaning air from the Atlantic came in.

The weather has therefore become much milder in temperature, but it’s much wetter and windier, too.

And that’s why meteorologists keep saying Isha is of particular interest – the UK does not often see storms which see the whole country hit by weather warnings.

According to Sky News, Met Office forecaster Ellie Glaisyer said that the “main thing” about Isha is that it is “very widespread” – and it’s “relatively rare” to have the whole of the UK covered by a warning.

“That’s the main difference to previous storms we have seen,” she said.

Channel 4 weather presenter Liam Dutton echoed this, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Storm Isha is unusual because the disruptive winds cover a very large area.”

What weather will Isha bring?

The Met Office has already issued an amber weather warning for wind for the north and south-west of England, Wales, large parts of Northern Ireland and central and southern Scotland, from Sunday into Monday.

Another warning will be introduced for Sussex and Kent from Monday morning.

Winds of up to 80mph are expected along the UK coasts, and many places will see gusts of 50-60mph inland.

There’s a risk to life in coastal areas, and yellow flood warnings are expected for the next two days.

Ireland’s meteorological service, Met Eireann, has also introduced amber wind warnings for Sunday, which will escalate into a red storm warning for coastal areas in the north of the country on Monday.

Amber means there’s a good chance of power cuts, and other services could be impacts. Buildings may be damaged, journeys may be lengthened or cancelled altogether and some roads and bridges may close.

It also means injuries and danger to life likely from large waves and beach material thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and property.

A red weather warning means people need to seek cover and protect themselves or their properties.

A yellow wind warning will be in place covering Northern Ireland, north Wales, northern England and much of Scotland from Tuesday until midday on Wednesday.

The winds will gradually east throughout Monday, and overnight it should be a “calmer interlude” according to the Met Office – although it will be wet and windy again on Tuesday.

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Judges Make Withering Ruling In Tax Row Over Walkers’ Poppadoms

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Food giant Walkers must pay VAT on its mini poppadoms after judges ruled they are actually more like crisps.

The PepsiCo-owned manufacturer hoped to escape paying the tax on its Sensations Poppadoms because, it argued, they were not made from potato and the product said poppadoms on the packet – meaning they are a food and not a snack that attracts the 20% levy.

But in a win for the taxman, and one that could be costly for the company, a tribunal said they were indeed crisps in all but name since 40% of the ingredients were “potato-derived”.

The judgement, dated January 10, was withering about the name on the packs.

Tribunal judges, Anne Fairpo and Sonia Gable, said: “Nominative determinism is not a characteristic of snack foods: calling a snack food Hula Hoops does not mean that one could twirl that product around one’s midriff, nor is Monster Munch generally reserved as a food for monsters.”

The case has echoes of past battles with HM Revenue and Customs.

McVitie’s successfully argued in the 1990s that Jaffa Cakes are in fact cakes and not biscuits, therefore exempt from VAT.

In 2008, Marks & Spencer won a protracted legal battle on overpaid VAT on its chocolate teacakes, with Europe’s highest court ruling they were cakes and not a biscuit.

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Epstein Accuser Backs Claims He Had ‘Sex Tapes’ Of Trump, Clinton And Prince Andrew

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A Jeffrey Epstein accuser is speaking out about past claims she made that the late pedophile kept video footage of his various friends having sex at his home, saying it’s absolutely true and that she only recanted her story years ago out of fear following threats.

“It’s no secret that everything was recorded,” Sarah Ransome, who settled a civil suit with Epstein and his madam Ghislaine Maxwell in 2018, told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday. “Multiple victims have come forward confirming my account, along with others. I have also seen recordings in his office.”

These recordings supposedly show former President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and British business magnate Richard Branson having sex with an unnamed woman, Ransome claimed in 2016 emails that were published on Monday as part of a defamation lawsuit brought by fellow Epstein accuser, Virginia Giuffre.

A representative for Branson’s company, the Virgin Group, said Ransome’s claims are “baseless and unfounded” while citing a past interview she gave that called the tapes’ existence a work of fiction.

“We categorically reject all allegations made by Sarah Ransome. In 2019 she admitted to The New Yorker that the ‘tapes’ had been ‘invented,’ Any suggestion that Sir Richard Branson was involved in a ‘sex tape’ is entirely false. The allegations are baseless and unfounded,” said the representative in a statement to HuffPost. “The actions of Jeffrey Epstein were abhorrent and we support the right to justice for the many victims impacted by his abuse.”

No such tapes have been made public, nor has evidence supporting their existence.

The court documents published Monday include photos of Ransome, Maxwell, Epstein and other young women on Epstein’s private Caribbean island.

A final batch of seven documents from the court case was unsealed Tuesday.

Sarah Ransome leaves a New York courthouse in 2022 following the sentencing hearing of Ghislaine Maxwell.
Sarah Ransome leaves a New York courthouse in 2022 following the sentencing hearing of Ghislaine Maxwell.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images

Ransome said she recanted the tapes’ existence years ago because Maxwell, “amongst others, regularly enforced that if I ever did come forward, myself and my family would be harmed,” she told Good Morning Britain.

Epstein died in a New York City jail in 2019 while Maxwell is currently behind bars serving out a 20-year sentence related to helping him commit his sex crimes.

Ransome first came forward with her allegations to a New York Post reporter in 2016. She said the woman who allegedly had sex with the men had personally recalled her experiences with Ransome, particularly the woman’s one-on-one time with Trump, according to the court documents.

“She confided in me about her casual ‘friendship’ with Donald,” Ransome wrote of the woman in one email to the Post reporter. “Mr Trump definitely seemed to have a thing for her and she told me how he kept going on about how he liked her ‘pert nipples.’”

She added: “I also know she had sexual relations with Trump at Jeffery’s NY mansion on regular occasions.”

Ransome retracted these claims to the Post reporter shortly after, saying going public would bring “only bad things” and “pain for my family.” The story was not published.

Then in 2019, Ransome told The New Yorker that she entirely invented the video claims. She said she wanted to draw attention to Epstein’s crimes and make him believe that she had “evidence that would come out” if he went after her, according to her interview at the time.

Ransome told Good Morning Britain on Monday that she’d be willing to testify about their existence.

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2023 And 2022 Were The UK’s Hottest Years On Record, Met Office Says

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2023 was the second hottest year since records began in the UK, according to provisional data from the Met Office, with the hottest year still being 2022.

While the UK did not experience same kind of record-breaking heatwave we saw in 2022 – and just dodged the extreme temperatures which hit southern Europe – the weather experts looked at the average mean temperature and found the climate across the two years was not too different.

2023 had a provisional mean temperature of 9.97C, while 2022′s average mean was 10.03C.

The third highest temperature for the UK was not very long ago either – it was in 2014, when the average of 9.88C. In fact, all of the ten warmest years in the UK have occurred since 2003.

The last year was also the warmest year for a minimum temperature, according to the Met Office, and was ranked the second warmed for Central England Temperature – that’s the world’s longest instrumental series dating back to 1659.

When just looking at Wales and Northern Ireland, they had their hottest year ever, while Northern Ireland had its wettest year since 2002.

Eight of the last 12 months were warmer than average for the UK, particularly June – the hottest for the UK on record – and September, when temperatures peaked at 33.5C on September 10.

As the Met Office pointed out, human-induced climate change is behind this.

2023′s temperature would have been around a 1-in-500 year event in a climate unaffected by humans – that’s a 0.2% chance of reaching the same temperature each year.

But, due to human’s carbon emissions, there’s now a 33% chance of reaching that mean temperature each year.

By the end of this century, that likelihood could increase to 79%.

And we already know the damage it is doing to the UK environment and biodiversity – the iconic oak tree is also under threat due to the changing temperatures.

The UK was not alone in seeing temperatures rise last year – 2023 is expected to be the hottest year globally.

Meanwhile, CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are also at their highest for at least two million years, according to the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change.

Met Office senior scientist Mike Kendon said: “The observations of the UK climate are clear.

“Climate change is influencing UK temperature records over the long term, with 2023 going down as another very warm year and the second warmest on record.

“Had the 2023 value occurred during the 20th Century, it would have been, by far, the warmest year on record.”

Of course, the climate crisis isn’t just about rising temperatures.

As Kendon said: “A warmer atmosphere has a greater capacity to hold moisture, so as our climate warms, we expect it to become wetter too and, while there is a large amount of annual variability, that trend is also apparent in the observations.”

We saw 11% more rain than average in 2023, with the UK’s sixth wettest March, July and joint-sixth wettest October, especially after storms like Babet and Ciaran.

December was also a particularly gloomy month – some counties in the UK only enjoyed around one hour per day of sunshine in December, according to the Met Office.

In fact the UK had just 27.9 hours of sunshine across the whole month.

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Why This Iconic English Tree Is Facing Particular Pressure From Climate Change

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The National Trust has warned that an iconic English tree is already struggling due to climate change.

Yes, the English oak, which pops up repeatedly throughout our national history, is said to support more life than any other native tree species in the UK and creates one of the hardest timbers on the planet, is under strain due to our shifting climate.

In fact, climate change is exacerbating a phenomenon already known as acute oat decline, caused by a non-native pest.

The oak processionary moth damages the tree’s foliage and increases its susceptibility to other diseases – and climate change means the pest is sticking around for much longer these days, due to shorter winters.

John Deakin, head of trees and woodland at the National Trust “cold snaps [are] just not long enough to kill off diseases such as oak processionary moth, whose caterpillars infest oak trees, leaving them vulnerable to other threats.”

And the moth’s spread northwards through Europe away from their traditional home in the Mediterranean “is a tangible consequence of our warming climate,” Deakin added.

Deakin explained that growing any new trees – not just oak – is especially difficult in periods of drought, too, with up to 80% of saplings dying in some areas of the country.

While experts have devised techniques using wood mulching and sheep fleeces to help keep moisture in the soil and prevent grass growth, they are now looking at how trees will need different environments in the next 50 years.

For instance, beech trees and woodlands – typically found in the south – may soon only suit the north of England.

Deakin explained: “Our traditional thinking of where certain species like English oak and Sessile oak may thrive geographically is also likely to change as we are already seeing the huge impact of Acute Oak Decline on English oak in the south east and midlands, previously their stronghold, now being compromised.”

Ben McCarthy, head of the Trust’s nature and restoration ecology, also noted that shifting weather patterns in the UK mean many trees were constantly under stress.

Sometimes they can end up producing too much berries and nuts, without the chance to “rest”.

And while these are “incremental shifts”, these changes build up over a decade to cause serious changes in our wildlife.

McCarthy said: “It’s these baseline changes that we’re seeing that are really worrying and what we should be taking more notice of, particularly when combined with extreme weather events, which makes things even more challenging.”

Meanwhile, the national climate change consultant at the Trust, Keith Jones, said the UK must not be “lulled into any sense of false security” when it comes to our weather.

“We are likely to experience a combination of drought and high temperatures as well as high rainfall and floods – and we need to get ready for this new ‘norm’,” Jones explained.

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