How An ‘Altercation’ Between Two Men Turned Black Friday Into Mass Panic On London’s Oxford St
Panic and confusion descended on Oxford Street on Friday evening as reports of gunfire in one of country’s busiest shopping districts sparked mass evacuations and a huge armed police response.

Police responded “as if [it was] terrorist related” but just after 10pm revealed the incident at Oxford Circus Tube station that sparked the chaos was merely caused by an “altercation” between two men.

And in the 90 or so minutes that the security alert lasted on Black Friday night – one of the year’s busiest shopping days – the 16 people that were treated for minor injuries were actually hurt trying to leave the area.

But the alert, which began just after 4:30pm, was long enough for a national newspaper to report a completely unsubstantiated incident based on a two-week-old tweet…

She told HuffPost UK: “I was walking towards Oxford Street Station and Carnaby Street was just completely empty and everyone was hiding in the stores, no one knew what was going on.

“And then all of a sudden we just saw a flood of people just running. So I quickly just ran into the closest Pret and to begin with everyone was calm but we suddenly just saw more people running down from Carnaby Street.”

On the ground, those caught up in the panic had little idea what was going on and reporters talking to them by phone found themselves in the odd situation of updating them on the situation.

Dotti Irving, who was shopping in Fenwicks on Bond Street at the time, told HuffPost UK: “The doorman instantly shut the door and I thought ’if there’s a bomb or someone coming down Bond Street, I don’t want to be in Fenwicks. So I went out of the side door and just rushed down Bond Street and every so often there would be a raft of 200-300 people rushing down the street shrinking and screaming and falling over, pushing each over. That was the horrible bit.

“I called my daughter and she said ‘get into a building’, so I went into Browns in Maddox Street where they were taking everybody in, everyone was really super. We were really looked after. They didn’t want us to leave until we got the all-clear. It was absolutely coming together, it’s the old Blitz thing isn’t it? People talk to each other when they usually simply don’t in London.

“I saw a lot of people being knocked over by other people, a woman with a horrible gash on her head, somebody else was trampled but her boyfriend picked her up.

We have not located any trace of suspects, evidence of shots fired or casualties. Officers still on scene. If you are in a building stay there, if you are on the street in leave the area. Officers continue to search the area. More updates as soon as we have them — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk)
We are releasing CCTV images of two men we would like to speak with following the incident at Oxford Circus earlier today. Anyone with information, big or small, should get in touch by texting us on 61016. — BTP (@BTP)
It’s disgusting the amount of abuse Olly Murs is receiving, many people, including my brother, also heard what sounded something very similar to gunfire at Oxford Circus. The hysteria was caused prior his tweet, he simply said what he was witnessing like others — Jay Carrington (@PookiepopBlog)
Listen piers! I was shopping and then all of sudden the whole place went mad, I mean crazy people running & screaming towards exits. We found a small office to hide to which loads of staff and people were saying there was shots fired. If you was there you’d have understood mate. — Olly Murs (@ollyofficial)
No you listen Piers.. your comments are unfair mate. It’s Easy to say now it was nothing but in a state of shock and panic I was trying to make people aware of what was happening. Which I was lend to believe by staff and customers that someone was shooting. — Olly Murs (@ollyofficial)

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/oxford-street-tube-incident_uk_5a185f76e4b0cee6c04f7ebd

Danica Roem to Politicians: Don’t Make People Feel Bad, ‘Do Your Job’

The first openly transgender person elected to a state legislature says its time for a new era of respect and responsibility in politics.

www.advocate.com/politics/2017/11/24/danica-roem-politicians-dont-make-people-feel-bad-do-your-job

EU Gives Theresa May 10-Day Deadline Over Brexit Concessions
Theresa May has been given 10 days to offer further concessions on issues including the Brexit divorce bill and the complex matter of the Northern Irish border if she wants European Union leaders to agree to trade talks, reports the Press Association.

The Prime Minister hopes a crunch summit in Brussels next month will give the green light to move on to the next stage of the Brexit process, covering future trading arrangements and a possible implementation period to avoid a cliff-edge for businesses.

Talks on trade will not be allowed to begin until European Union leaders are satisfied that “sufficient progress” has been made on the first round of issues being discussed including the divorce bill the UK will pay to Brussels and the Northern Irish border.

Sufficient progress in #Brexit talks at December #EUCO is possible. But still a huge challenge. We need to see progress from UK within 10 days on all issues, including on Ireland. pic.twitter.com/NKe86zGo17

November 24, 2017
After talks with the Prime Minister, European Council president Donald Tusk said it was “possible” sufficient progress could be made at the December summit but remained a “huge challenge”.

“We need to see progress from UK within 10 days on all issues, including on Ireland,” he said.

As she left a gathering of European leaders in Brussels, May said: “There are still issues across the various matters we are negotiating on to be resolved but there has been a very positive atmosphere in the talks and a genuine feeling that we want to move forward together.”

On the border issue, May is coming under intense pressure from Dublin for fresh assurances there will be no “hard border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warning that deadlock in Brexit negotiations cannot be broken until the issue is resolved.

The Prime Minister insisted “we have the same desire – we want to ensure that movement of people and trade across that border can carry on as now”.

May’s comments came after Downing Street backed away from suggestions that Northern Ireland’s continued membership of the EU customs union could be up for negotiation in Brexit talks.

A Number 10 spokesman told reporters on Friday the UK continued to look for “an innovative way forward” on the issue.

Asked whether Northern Ireland could remain in the customs union following Brexit, the spokesman said: “That is a matter for negotiations.”

But a Downing Street source later insisted the Government’s position that the whole of the UK will leave both the customs union and single market after Brexit has not changed.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Friday it was difficult to see how border checks could be avoided if the UK’s departure from the customs union and single market resulted in “regulatory divergence” between the North and the Republic.

Another good meeting w/ @simoncoveney. I updated on #Brexit state of play. Strong solidarity with #Ireland: Irish issues are EU issues. pic.twitter.com/uqGFSh3Skc — Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) November 24, 2017
Varadkar has previously suggested a “bespoke” arrangement, similar to that operated on the Isle of Man, under which Northern Ireland, or the whole of the UK, would continue to observe the rules of the single market and customs union without necessarily remaining a member of them.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier discussed the situation with Coveney in Brussels ahead of the European Council meeting on December 14-15 which will decide whether talks can progress as May hopes.

Barnier said there was “strong solidarity” with Ireland, adding that “Irish issues are EU issues”.

The Prime Minister said: “In relation to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, we and the Irish government continue to talk about the solution to that.

“But we have the same desire – we want to see that movement of people and trade across that border can carry on as now and that we don’t create any new barriers to trade or the movement of people across that border.

“That’s the outcome that we are both agreed on and that is what we believe is in the best interests of Northern Ireland.”

As well as talks with Tusk and Merkel in Brussels, the Prime Minister also had meetings with Danish premier Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Belgium’s Charles Michel, and Lithuania’s Saulius Skvernelis in the margins of the Eastern Partnership summit.

One of the issues under discussion was thought to be the amount the UK is prepared to offer Brussels following reports that Cabinet ministers agreed to double the sum originally put on the table by May to around £40 billion.

However it is thought she does not want to name a precise figure until she has a clear idea of what kind of trade deal is available with the remaining EU member states in the phase two negotiations.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/theresa-may-brexit_uk_5a188abee4b0cee6c04fc2d7

Trump Calls for Wall, Muslim Travel Ban in Response to Egyptian Mosque Attack

Twitter questioned the logic of the president plugging his travel restrictions and a wall on the American-Mexican border as Egypt reels from violence.

www.advocate.com/crime/2017/11/24/trump-calls-wall-muslim-travel-ban-response-egyptian-mosque-attack

Oxford Circus Incident Sees Mail Online Slammed For Using 10-Day-Old Tweet
The Mail Online has been slammed for “spreading panic” after circulating a 10-day-old tweet while an incident unfolded near Oxford Circus.

Oxford Circus Tube station was evacuated amidst chaotic scenes Friday evening after police were alerted to “a number of reports of shots fired”.

Many people uploading pictures and videos of people running along Oxford Street into Oxford Circus. More @BBCNews pic.twitter.com/ZIBALO8lHt
But after further investigation police issued a statement saying that “to date police have not located any trace of any suspects, evidence of shots fired or causalities”.

The incident was then declared over just after 6pm after a little more than an hour.

A big thank you for bearing with us whilst we and @metpoliceuk responded to #OxfordCircus. Armed officers were quickly on scene, no evidence of gunfire found. The area was searched swiftly and we are working to lift cordons and reopen stations.

November 24, 2017
However, the Mail had earlier tweeted a story which claimed to contain a report of “lorry ploughs into pedestrians”.
Daily Mail one of the UK’s biggest newspaper tweeted about a lorry ploughing into people at Oxford Circus, then deleted it when it turns out to be fake news. Well that’s one way to spread a rumor. pic.twitter.com/nULu0G4lbe

November 24, 2017
#oxfordstreet There is a lorry stopped on the pavement in Oxford street, police all around it and blood on the floor, it’s definitely the aftermath of something maybe just a crash but nothing on the news… Anyone have a clue?

November 14, 2017
This tweet is from 10 days ago this has nothing to do with now
Social media users blamed Mail Online, one of the world’s biggest news websites, for only adding to the mass panic and confusion.
They’ve since deleted it, but @DailyMailUK were straight in there with an unfounded, unconfirmed and ultimately untrue story. Everyone else is trying to contain and reduce panic, Daily Mail actively encouraging it. Bunch of bell ends. t.co/nTOvw3hviZ

November 24, 2017
Just incase anyone thought the daily mail had any credibility this headline was based off a tweet from the 14TH OF NOVEMBER. They feed off panic and lies, its disgusting. pic.twitter.com/EEhR75CjAC

November 24, 2017
TOTALLY UNCONFIRMED Mail Online report that a lorry crashed in Oxford Circus is based on a tweet from 14 NOVEMBER pic.twitter.com/PyE87O1qpm
Daily Mail tweeting about lorry ploughing into people at Oxford Circus, then delete it when it turns out to be unfounded. Talk about unhelpfully spreading rumours… and this from one of our biggest newspapers!

November 24, 2017
Even after this, the Mail seemed to see no irony in criticising pop star Olly Murs for his panicked tweets:
Olly Murs tweets confusion after believing he heard ‘gunshots’ while trapped in Selfridges department store t.co/US868Mmjbu
But he didn’t publish a story based on an old tweet saying a lorry had crashed into pedestrians, to be fair. t.co/zdOaVBHLLC
The incident Met Police including armed officers responded to the incident “as if [it was] terrorist related”.

People in the area were advised to take shelter in buildings.

The only reported casualty was a woman who suffered a minor injury when leaving Oxford Circus tube station, although other eyewitnesses reported seeing people pushed over the rush to get away from the scene.

The incident has now been stood down.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/oxford-circus-incident-mail_uk_5a18509ee4b0649480742255

WATCH: Antigay hate group kicks off event with totally-not-gay rainbow flag dance
Yes, really.

www.queerty.com/watch-antigay-hate-group-kicks-off-event-100-heterosexual-rainbow-flag-dance-20171124?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+queerty2+%28Queerty%29

OK Go’s New Video ‘Obsession’ is So Nuts it Broke YouTube and Comes with a Seizure Warning – WATCH

OK Go is known for the dazzling colorful visuals in their videos, but this one is off the charts.

Writes the band:

“This video has a lot of flashing colors. If you’re susceptible to seizures, be careful, please. Your viewing experience will look significantly better if you manually set your YouTube resolution settings to 1440p or 2160p (for desktop, click the gear icon in the lower right). Just leaving it on “Auto HD” results in some pretty intense distortion during a few sections, because when the the colors and patterns get crazy, there’s actually just too much information flying by for YouTube’s normal HD compression. We broke the matrix. The good people of YouTube have been working with us to solve this (it’s a bit rate limitation issue) over the last 24 hours, but there’s no quick fix, and now it’s Thanksgiving in the US, and we’re all with our families.”

Watch

The post OK Go’s New Video ‘Obsession’ is So Nuts it Broke YouTube and Comes with a Seizure Warning – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

OK Go’s New Video ‘Obsession’ is So Nuts it Broke YouTube and Comes with a Seizure Warning – WATCH

Has The New British Vogue Changed The Media Landscape?
The first time Vogue came on my radar was in 1999. I was 22, pretty much fresh out of university and I had landed a job at a small fashion PR consultancy, a stone’s throw from Vogue House.

I was so ill-equipped for the job, that in hindsight, I think I was like the Andy-experiment from The Devil Wears Prada film. I didn’t have the clothes, the connections, or the curve-less figure. But I did have a degree from a top university, drive and determination, and I LOVED magazines. I got the job by calling the consultancy directly and asking if they had any jobs – and my boss told me that it showed I could do PR. Fashion demanded perfection though. And I’ll never forget the time a colleague and I accidentally sent out an email with King Regards, instead of Kind Regards. We walked on eggshells for the entire day waiting to be given a dressing down. But, I digress.

For a girl like me, from an ordinary family of Caribbean immigrants, Vogue was not coffee table reading. I remember once we had a list of journalist names in the office, and I asked my colleague: “Who’s Alexandra Shulman?” Well, my boss heard that and exploded. How could I not know that was the editor of Vogue? She was completely stunned. That was one of the most important pieces of information I had to learn.

Note to self: learn the journalists’ names. So, I did. And when Vogue fashion director, Lucinda Chambers, came into the office to view the collections we represented, I was in awe. She arrived with a colleague, almost as if floating on the ether, dripping in fur and diamonds.

I remember feeling so inadequate the whole time I worked there, as I wore clothes that often cost £5 from the cheap shops in Harrow. My colleague had to show me how to hold a handbag, and I always looked a bit stiff and corporate. It took a couple of years before I learned how to dress like a media professional.

The gossip often turned back to the girl who had made it, someone called Marie Cre’ache. She was once just like us, I was told – a junior at the consultancy. Yet, she became a fashion features writer at Vogue. That was seen as mecca, and that was the jewel-encrusted carrot that was meant to get us through long days for little pay.

Yes, there is a reason why the fashion set are often whippet thin. The pay doesn’t leave much money for food, if you have to pay for rent and the latest labels.

I kept feeling that I didn’t fit in. Well, it wasn’t so much of a feeling, as a sledgehammer of unhappiness and displacement. I was relieved when I switched sides and went to work as a journalist for a less exclusive demographic.

Vogue was always something unattainable. Not something for me, despite my love of fashion, and style, and culture, and art. It was for girls who holidayed in Barbados, ate at The Ivy, and lived in Hampstead or Mayfair (at least that was what the fashion set, that I knew, were doing back in 1999).

But the #NewVogue under Edward Enninful’s watchful eye has changed all of that. There’s no longer a one-size-fits all ideal fashionista. Cover girl Adwoa Aboah may be from fashion royalty, but she’s mixed-race, outspoken and real, without the glossy veneer that the old Vogue was at pains to protect.

It feels that it’s no longer just about old money, or what labels you wear, but about your creativity, your resilience, and your ability to rise from the ashes. It’s about style that encompasses all colours, and all creeds. And not just one view of what it means to be black, or from an ethnic minority.

Last week, I stood in line at Conde Nast News International to meet the main man and pick up a signed, hardback copy of his first issue. The day was inclusive in every way. Edward Enninful greeted me warmly, and thanked me for coming. The only designer label on me was my Lulu Guinness rucksack gifted to me by my fashion-insider sister. I was, and am, resolutely high street with a bit of vintage, and I truly saw a democracy of fashion taking place. I felt included, and that there was a seat at the table for me.

#NewVogue is a place where an immigrant can rise through the ranks, and where public schooling is no longer the be-all and end-all. It’s come not a moment too soon. I’m proud to be a Vogue subscriber for the first time in more than 15 years. And proud that I’m seeing the changing face of magazine publishing with my own eyes.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/has-the-new-british-vogue-changed-the-media-landscape_uk_5a15dc16e4b0250a107bfd53