thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--After Three Miscarriages, We’ve Decided To Stop Trying For More – And I’m Okay With That

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Last winter, I was a broken woman. Recurrent miscarriage had devastated my husband and I, but HuffPost UK offered me a platform, a lifeline, to share my pain and hopefully help other women going through the same thing feel a little less alone.
Recently I have been reflecting a lot on that miscarriage feature. One year on, my family and I are in a very different place.
Advertisement
This time last year, if you had asked when my husband and I were planning to try for another child, I would most likely have felt the world shrink around me and offered a very quiet and introverted response of uncertainty, fighting back tears. My husband’s response would not have been much different.
Ask us now, two years on from our last miscarriage, and we would confidently explain our perfect daughter keeps us on our toes more than enough and we couldn’t be happier as our unit of three.
A part of me will always feel an immense amount of guilt, sorrow, confusion and a combination of anger and devastation when I think about the children I will not get to comfort, that my husband will never embrace in the type of hug only he can give. I think about the siblings our daughter will not get to play with.
“Now is not the time to dwell on those feelings. Now is the time to appreciate what we have.”
Advertisement
But now is not the time to dwell on those feelings. Now is the time to appreciate what we have. We are extremely lucky and blessed to have our daughter, after all, and enjoy life rather than living in a world of what could have been.
Recently, we had a candid talk about having more children. When he told me he did not want to try again, a part of me felt crushed. How could we close that chapter of our lives and leave behind the children I will always feel I failed? How do we move on from always having the longing for what could have been hanging over us? I wasn’t quite ready to let go.
Over the following weeks I thought about his answer a lot. And the more I thought about it, the more I agreed with him. The less we thought about trying again, the more the lingering tension between us disappeared. We were getting on better than ever, laughing together in a way I hadn’t noticed we no longer had been. As I watched our daughter play and interact with others, I noticed how confident she had become and how much she was laughing again too. The more I felt better and distanced myself from the past, the more I felt her relax.
During the dark times that followed my miscarriages, I was emotionally battered. I became distant from everything and everyone around me, became disengaged with my day-to-day life. The bond I had cemented with my daughter felt as though it was becoming strained, and that feeling was worse than anything else.
Once we decided to not go down the pregnancy road again, I felt the haze lift almost immediately, as though I finally had my life back. I had been putting so much pressure on myself to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared to try again as soon as we felt ready, everything I did, said, ate, drank all came back to making sure I would be okay if I got pregnant again – which, as you can imagine, did little for my already frazzled mental health.
Advertisement
But now, I feel I have so much more energy and focus for everything in my life and can allow myself to be the best parent I can be to our daughter. We can give her, and each other, everything we all deserve, and more.
“The children we lost will always be a big part of our family... But no matter how much I wish it wasn’t true, I cannot do anything to bring them into this world.”
When we tell people we are content with our one perfect child, some have said it’s unfair for us to let her grow up an only child. Personally, I take quite a lot of umbrage to this viewpoint. Who’s to say because she is an only child she will be lonely? She will have friends and family who love her dearly; she already has friends and cousins with mutual adoration ever present.
Whenever someone outside of our close family and friends asks us when will we try again, or how we can possibly feel it is right to have just one child, we will always remain confident with our decision to continue as a happy, strong family of three. And wonder, too, how on earth it is anyone else’s business.
Accompanying this new zest for life and the haze that has disappeared, is the guilt I feel for the children we lost. Am I letting them down again by allowing us to move on? What sort of mother, or person, does it make me? How can it be fair that I get to move on when they never can?
Advertisement
Like I said, I am learning to not be so hard on myself, but these things take time. Baby steps, if you will.
The children we lost will always be a big part of our family and in my heart I know had they been born, they would have been so loved. But no matter how much I wish it wasn’t true, I cannot do anything to bring them into this world and the best thing for us as a family now, is to close that chapter of our lives, always cherishing the memory and hopes we had for our angel babies, while looking forward to what, I hope, will be a bright future for us all.
There is a light at the end of the emotional, chaotic tunnel of miscarriage. I feel stronger than ever in so many different ways and I know now, the love I feel for all my children will always be with me.
Not even miscarriage can take that away from me.
Rebecca Weller is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Twitter at @RebeccaWeller13
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-11--Three-Tier Lockdown System To Determine Local Coronavirus Restrictions

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through @ @ @ @ @ similar technologies , to display personalised ads and content , for ad and content measurement @ @ @ @ @ development .
Your personal data that may be used • Information about your device and @ @ @ @ @ IP address • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps Find @ @ @ @ @ use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .
To enable Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ your personal data select ' I agree ' , or select 'Manage settings ' for @ @ @ @ @ your choices .
You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy @ @

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A new three-tier system will see different parts of England split into “medium, “high” or “very high” local Covid alert areas, the government is set to announce.
Under the proposed system, different parts of the country would be placed in different categories, with areas in the highest level expected to face the toughest restrictions.
Advertisement
The classification of areas will determine what kind of “appropriate interventions” will be introduced to tackle the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in each area.
These measures could force pubs and restaurants to shut as millions of people in the north of England are facing a possible ban on mixing indoors and outdoors from Monday.
Merseyside is expected to be among the areas subjected to Tier 3 restrictions –and a statement from leaders across the Liverpool City Region says the Army is being drafted in, the Liverpool Echo reported.
But there is still disagreement about a financial support package for the area should harsh measures be imposed.
Advertisement
A statement from seven local leaders, including Metro mayor Steve Rotheram and Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, said: “We made it clear we do not feel that the Furlough scheme announced recently is adequate and that businesses in the Region especially those in the hospitality sector and those serving it will be damaged and many will suffer long term damage or close for good”.
The new lockdown system of “Local Covid Alert Levels” will be unveiled by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday. He is expected to chair a top level COBRA committee meeting on Monday “to determine the final interventions” that he will put to Parliament. MPs will be asked to debate and vote on the measures later this week.
Johnson is also set to hold a press conference in Downing Street with Chancellor Rishi Sunak and the chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty on the same day.
The government’s announcement will follow warnings that the UK is now at a “tipping point” in the fight against Covid-19.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said the country was at a point similar to the first wave of coronavirus, but that history could be prevented from repeating itself.
Advertisement
He said the best way to keep transmission low and stop the NHS being overwhelmed was for people to follow self-isolation guidance, wash their hands, wear face coverings and social distance.
He added: “Earlier in the year, we were fighting a semi-invisible disease, about which we had little knowledge, and it seeded in the community at great speed.
“Now we know where it is and how to tackle it – let’s grasp this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.”
One leading scientist went further on Sunday, saying a second national lockdown is a possibility and stringent measures are needed to avoid it at all costs.
Professor Peter Horby, of the University of Oxford, told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that the country was in a “precarious position” with rising coronavirus case numbers, hospital admissions and deaths.
Advertisement
It comes as the number of people in hospital with coronavirus increased across every part of England on Saturday – rising to 1,167 in the north west from 725 previous week.
A further 15,166 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK were reported on Saturday, and 81 more deaths were confirmed of people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have now been 58,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Our primary focus has always been to protect lives and livelihoods while controlling the spread of the virus and these measures will help achieve that aim.
“We must do everything we can to protect the NHS and make sure it can continue to deliver the essential services that so many people rely on.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--25-Year-Old Man Had Covid-19 Twice In The Space Of Two Months

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A 25-year-old man living in Nevada is thought to be the first confirmed case of Covid-19 reinfection in North America.
The patient was infected with two variants of the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, within a 48-day timeframe, according to details published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Advertisement
In between both infections, he tested negative for the virus, according to his case report. When he caught Covid-19 again, his symptoms were more severe and he ended up in hospital needing oxygen support.
There are two concerns raised by the case report. The first is that we now know a second infection can occur within a short timeframe and can be more severe.
The second is that such findings indicate that exposure to Covid-19 may not translate to guaranteed total immunity. That said, further research is needed to determine how common an occurrence this is.
Advertisement
Malte Mueller via Getty Images
A timeline of the patient’s illness
In April 2020, the man, from Washoe County, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after turning up to a community testing event with a sore throat, cough, headache, nausea, and diarrhoea. His symptoms had started on March 25.
He had no known immune disorders or underlying conditions. During isolation, the patient’s symptoms resolved and he continued to feel well until May 28.
On May 31, the man sought help at an urgent care centre with self-reported fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea, and diarrhoea. Chest radiography was done and he was discharged home.
Five days later, on June 5, he presented to a primary care doctor where he was found to have low levels of oxygen in his body, and was struggling with shortness of breath. He was sent to hospital and tested positive for a second time.
The patient has since been discharged from hospital and has recovered from the second infection.
The genomes of the patient’s virus samples were sequenced in April and June, displaying significant genetic differences between the two cases, implying the patient was infected twice by two distinct SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Advertisement
What does it all mean?
Lead researcher Mark Pandori, from the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory, located at the University of Nevada, pointed out that there are still “many unknowns” about SARS-CoV-2 infections and the immune system’s response.
“But our findings signal that a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection may not necessarily protect against future infection,” he warned. “It is important to note this is a singular finding and does not provide generalisability of this phenomenon.”
He pointed out the need for more research in this area, but in the meantime said the “possibility of reinfections could have significant implications for our understanding of Covid-19 immunity, especially in the absence of an effective vaccine”.
The findings also reinforce the need to take extra care to avoid contracting the virus. He urged people who have previously had Covid-19 “to take serious precautions when it comes to the virus, including social distancing, wearing face masks, and hand-washing”.
At least four other reinfection cases have been confirmed globally in Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Ecuador. However, only the Ecuador reinfection case displayed worse disease outcomes than the first infection.
Advertisement
The world’s first official case of Covid-19 reinfection was confirmed in Hong Kong in August. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) department of microbiology said the “apparently young and healthy patient” had a second episode of Covid-19 infection, which was diagnosed four and a half months after the first.
The second time, he had no symptoms and his infection was only picked up because of screening tests at Hong Kong airport. Genetic sequencing of the virus later showed he had been infected twice by different strains of Covid-19.
“We need more research to understand how long immunity may last for people exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and why some of these second infections, while rare, are presenting as more severe,” Pandori said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Scientists 3, Johnson 0. Has The PM Finally Met His Match On Covid?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
It started with a crunching tackle from Jonathan Van Tam. It continued with Chris Whitty’s pressing game. And it ended with the whole of SAGE launching a pitch invasion that ensured one Number 10 striker couldn’t score. In the match of Boris Johnson v The Scientists there was only one winner on Monday, and it wasn’t the PM.
Advertisement
This was meant to be the day prime minister unveiled his new three-tiered structure of local lockdowns for dealing with the Covid pandemic. But while some welcomed the measures as a step forward, many were wondering whether it wasn’t all just an incoherent mess, a combination of dithering and indecision rather than leadership.
Right at the start of the day, with his own startling televised briefing, the deputy chief medical officer Van Tam set out how the virus was spreading across the whole of the country, how the over-60s were increasingly at risk of hospitalisation and how the rate of spread was as alarming in the south as the north.
And in another burst of no-nonsense candour (similar to his verdict earlier this year that Dominic Cummings should have followed the rules like everyone else), JVT (as his fans now know him) pointed to why Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester had been doing so badly. “Disease levels in the North West never dropped as far in the summer as they did in the south,” he said.
Yes, that appeared to back up the charge made by not just people like Andy Burnham but also local public health chiefs: that the government this summer acted too early in releasing their area from the lockdown, on the basis of London’s plunging case rates. Burnham has pointed out that his mayoral area rates were 7 times as high as London when schools were ordered back in June, and 4 times as high when pubs were reopened in July.
Advertisement
In his statement to the Commons, a hassled-looking Johnson was notably harangued by MPs on both sides of the House, failing to fend off the claim that those on the minimum wage were looking at losing a third of their already low income thanks to no fault of their own. At one stage he even appeared to suggest that the current R number being above 1 was a relative success, compared to the ‘natural’ R of upto 3 for the virus left unchecked.
At his press conference, the PM was slightly more bullish, saying his tiered structure would lead to a “simplifying, standardising, toughening” of the Covid rules across England. In fact, his plan risks failing on each count: more confusing complexity (having to key in your postcode to a government website is hardly clarity), strange anomalies (Nottingham has a higher case rate than Liverpool but is in a lower tier), and a set of curbs that are just not tough enough at all.
And, as is frequently the case, after all the politicians’ spin and obfuscation, it was left to Whitty at the No.10 press conference to add a dollop of unvarnished truth telling. “I am not confident, and nor is anybody confident, that the tier 3 proposals for the highest rates, if we did the absolute base case and nothing more, would be enough to get on top of it,” he said.
Johnson, who always loves to be loved and hates telling the public bad news, was notably coy about the kind of thing that this could mean. But within an hour of the press conference ending, we found out perhaps why he was so coy and once more it was the scientists on the case. The bombshell minutes from the September 21 meeting of SAGE [the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies] exposed that the PM had simply not taken their advice on tougher curbs.
The day before Johnson’s last big statement – his new 10pm pub curfew – SAGE had advised the “immediate introduction” of a list of measures, including: a “circuit breaker”; a ban on households mixing, closure of pubs, restaurants, hairdressers; work from home; and all university teaching to be online only. He only went ahead with the work from home U-turn, plus the curfew which we now learn the scientists assessed was “likely to have a marginal impact”.
Advertisement
Of course, it’s worth remembering that the PM and Cummings felt the scientists got things wrong at the start of the pandemic (not advising on a swifter lockdown), so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised they now want to weight up economic advice as much as medical advice on any new restrictions.
But maybe Johnson should finally level with the public that he really has disregarded some key scientific advice. When challenged today on the claim that his summer desire to lift lockdown was driven by London at the North West’s expense, he said he didn’t accept that at all. Yet he did offer this defence: “We took measures on a national basis then, at every stage, and on the basis of the scientific advice…”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Boris Johnson Ignored Plea From Government's Scientific Advisers For Two-Week National Lockdown

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Ministers ignored a plea from the government’s top scientific advisers to introduce a two-week shutdown among a package of strict measures to halt the spread of Covid-19.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) last month called for a short “circuit-breaker” as well as banning all contact between different households and closing all bars, restaurants and gyms.
Advertisement
They warned single interventions are “unlikely” to stop the exponential rise in coronavirus cases.
In the event, Boris Johnson opted only to introduce one of the proposals –namely reversing advice to work from the office if possible.
Minutes of Sage’s September 21 meeting were published on the same day as the prime minister set out a new three-tier system of alert levels for England, with some parts of the country facing stricter measures than others.
Pubs and bars across Merseyside will close unless they serve food and alcohol as part of a sit-down meal as the Liverpool city region moves into a “very high” Covid alert level under the new system.
At a press conference to accompany the announcement, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said he is “not confident” that even the toughest local lockdown level announced by the government can control Covid-19.
Advertisement
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “The revelations in this paper are alarming.
“The fact that the prime minister chose to publish it an hour after his press conference is yet more evidence that he is treating the British people with contempt.
“Labour warned earlier that the restrictions announced by the Prime Minister may not be sufficient.
“The government now needs to urgently explain why it ignored its own scientists and what it will be doing to get control of the virus.”
The Sage minutes stated: “A package of interventions will need to be adopted to prevent this exponential rise in cases.
“Single interventions are unlikely to be able to reduce incidence. If schools are to remain open, then a wide range of other measures will be required.
Advertisement
“The shortlist of non-pharmaceutical interventions that should be considered for immediate introduction include:
“A circuit-breaker (short period of lockdown) to return incidence to low levels. o Advice to work from home for all those that can.
“Banning all contact within the home with members of other households (except members of a support bubble).
“Closure of all bars, restaurants, cafes, indoor gyms, and personal services (e.g. hairdressers).
“All university and college teaching to be online unless absolutely essential.”
Includes this key Sage recommendation "for immediate introduction".
Of these, the only one that @BorisJohnson went with was reversing his 'go to the office' advice. pic.twitter.com/iUObk75irx — Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) October 12, 2020
Attendees of the September 21 meeting, held via Zoom, included Whitty and the government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.
Advertisement
The document says that both local and national measures are needed, adding: “Measures should not be applied in too specific a geographical area.”
On Monday evening, Sage scientist Professor Calum Semple warned the new restrictions announced by the PM had come too late and a “circuit-breaker” could be needed within weeks.
Asked if the level of response announced for London is sufficient for the threat, the University of Liverpool academic told BBC Radio 4’s PM: “I’m going to be difficult and say no, I think we’re a little late to react.”
He said there is a three-to-four-week delay before interventions see benefits in hospitals.
“I and other people who were advocating for quite stringent severe local interventions where necessary three to four weeks ago, our fear is now that we’re in another place now,” he said.
“And that we’re going to need a much firmer intervention perhaps, the so-called circuit-breaker, in the matter of weeks.
Advertisement
“The outbreak is a bit like a super-tanker, you put the brakes on but it takes a long time before you see the effect.”
A full lockdown was introduced on March 23, but some scientists have since argued that more lives could have been saved if restrictions had been imposed earlier.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Toughest Local Lockdowns Could Still Fail To Control Covid-19, Says Chris Whitty

LOADING ERROR LOADING
England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty has said he is “not confident” that even the toughest local lockdown level announced by the government can control Covid-19.
It comes after prime minister Boris Johnson announced the country will be split up into “medium”, “high” or “very high” – tiers one, two and three – local coronavirus alert areas.
Advertisement
But Whitty said there was a “professional view” that the “base” of the most stringent tier three – on top of which local leaders can introduce additional measures – may not be enough to “get on top of” outbreaks.
It comes as the Liverpool city region was placed in tier three, meaning pubs, gyms and casinos must close, while numerous other parts of the north, where hospitalisation and lab-confirmed case numbers are spiking, were placed in tier 2.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, alongside Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak on Monday night, Whitty said he was “very confident” that the measures in place “are helping to slow” the second wave.
However, he continued: “I am not confident, and nor is anybody confident, that the tier 3 proposals for the highest rates, if we did the absolute base case and nothing more, would be enough to get on top of it.
Advertisement
“And that is why there is a lot of flexibility in the tier 3 level for local authorities, guided by the directors of public health who are absolutely superb around the country, to actually go up that range so they can do significantly more than the base, because the base will not be sufficient.
Chief medical officer for England Chris Whitty ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I think that is very clearly the professional view. There are quite a lot more additional things that can be done within that with local guidance.”
Whitty said that the number of people with Covid-19 in England has been increasing since the start of September.
Johnson, meanwhile, said a full national lockdown would be “extreme” and that the government was taking a “moderate” approach.
Advertisement
“There is already clear evidence of spread around the country, but at this point in time it is heavily centred on the areas of intervention,” he said.
He also acknowledged that restrictions can be imposed “without causing harm is an illusion”, but admitted that “significantly more” may be coming.
“We’re going to have to do more, that’s the whole point of what the prime minister has just announced, and probably in some areas significantly more.
“The balancing act here, and in a sense that’s reflected by the fact the Chancellor and I are standing here, is doing things which pull down the virus to the point which the R goes down below one but with a minimal impact on the economy that you can get away with.
“But none of us have any illusions about this and I would like to be really clear about this because I think we should not have any illusions.
Advertisement
“The idea that we can do this without causing harm is an illusion.
“It is a balancing act between two harms: a harm for society and the economy on the one hand and a harm for health on the other hand.”
Johnson also denied claims that the first national lockdown was eased too quickly and allowed the virus to resurge in the north.
He said: “I don’t accept that at all. I think the difference between this bout of the pandemic and the first one is how much more localised it is.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--The Sexism At The Heart Of American Politics. Listen To Running Mate, Our US Election Podcast For Br

The Sexism At The Heart Of American Politics. Listen To Running Mate, Our US Election Podcast For Brits

Running Mate is a US election podcast – just for Brits. In our eighth episode, we look at the sexism ingrained in politics in America, which has never had a female president or vice president despite other countries being run by women for decades.
Host Graeme Demianyk speaks to HuffPost reporters Alanna Vagianos and Marina Fang about the misogyny that blighted Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency in 2016 – and how Donald Trump is using the same tropes against Democratic Party vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Will there ever be a female president when America punishes women for traits that voters accept – or even like – in male politicians?
Advertisement
We also chatted with Daniel Marans, another HuffPost reporter, about last week’s vice presidential debate between Harris and Mike Pence, and how Trump’s right-hand man attempted to put a professional politician’s gloss over the administration’s failings. And we also talked about the fly.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Tory MP Charles Walker Says Government Can't Stop Elderly Dying From Coronavirus

ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images
A senior Conservative MP has accused the government of mistakenly thinking it can “abolish death” by imposing new coronavirus lockdown measures across the country.
Charles Walker, the vice-chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, said on Monday “the fact is people in their 80s and 90s die”.
Advertisement
“We just can’t save every life,” he told BBC Radio 4′s PM programme. “Because the cost to the living is too high.”
The MP for Broxbourne said the threat of the virus had been overplayed.
“The pandemic is not rampant,” he said. “This is an illness that very sadly really afflicts the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
“Our focus should be on protecting them, not limiting the life chances of young people and people of middle age who are responsible for running and owning businesses.”
Walker said the economic impact of strict lockdown rules risked bankrupting the economy and pushing younger people into unemployment.
Advertisement
“First world public services do require a first world economy,” he said.
He accused scientists on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) committee of choosing to “ramp up” the “fear factor” with warnings about the disease.
“It does seem the government, for the best of reasons, but mistaken reasons, is trying to abolish death,” Walker said. “You can’t abolish death. The fact is people in their 80s and 90s die.”
He said the “only guarantee” anyone had when they were born was that “at some stage in your 80s or 90s you are going to die”.
Walker added: “My real concern is these decisions are mostly being made by the middle aged and well-heeled, paid out of the public purse, so they’re not really going to bear the consequences off these decisions.”
It came after Boris Johnson announced the closure of pubs and bars across Merseyside as he battled to gain control over the coronavirus outbreak.
Advertisement
The prime minister launched a three-tier system of local alert levels for England, with the Liverpool city region placed in the most serious “very high” risk category from Wednesday.
Johnson told MPs that the coming weeks and months would “test the mettle” of the country as it faced a second wave of Covid-19 cases.
Johnson’s Commons statement came after a public presentation of the latest data led by England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--These Are The New Coronavirus Lockdown Rules In Your Area Of England

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Boris Johnson announced a new three-tier local lockdown system earlier in October in a bid to wrestle back control of coronavirus amid a surge in infections.
Each area in England has now been allocated a Covid alert level – medium, high or very high – and asked to follow rules that correspond to each level.
Advertisement
Confused about the rules and what applies in your area? We’ve got you covered.
Local Covid alert level: Medium
Existing national measures including the rule of six and 10pm curfew for hospitality venues to close.
This alert level applies to:
England - all areas, excluding those listed below
Local Covid alert level: High
Existing national measures plus:
A ban on households and support bubbles mixing indoors.
People can meet outside in groups no bigger than six, including in gardens or other outdoor space.
People should aim to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible. They should walk or cycle where possible or plan ahead to avoid busy times on public transport.
The “high” tier applies to:
Berkshire
Slough
Cheshire
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Cumbria
Barrow-in-Furness
Derbyshire
Chesterfield
Erewash
High Peak ‒ the wards of: Tintwistle Padfield Dinting St John’s Old Glossop Whitfield Simmondley Gamesley Howard Town Hadfield South Hadfield North
North East Derbyshire
Durham
Durham
Essex
Basildon
Braintree
Brentwood
Castle Point
Chelmsford
Colchester
Epping Forest
Harlow
Maldon
Rochford
Tendring
Uttlesford
Leicestershire
Leicester
Oadby and Wigston
London
All 32 boroughs plus the City of London
Northumberland
Northumberland
North Yorkshire
York
Staffordshire
Stoke-on-Trent
Surrey
Elmbridge
Tees Valley
Darlington
Hartlepool
Middlesbrough
Redcar and Cleveland
Stockton-on-Tees
Tyne and Wear
Gateshead
Newcastle
North Tyneside
South Tyneside
Sunderland
West Midlands
Birmingham
Coventry
Sandwell
Solihull
Walsall
Wolverhampton
West Yorkshire
The following areas are currently in tier 2, but will move into tier 3 on Monday, November 2.
Bradford
Calderdale
Kirklees
Leeds
Wakefield
Local Covid alert level: Very High
Households and support bubbles are banned from mixing indoors or outdoors, except in open public spaces like parks and beaches, where the rule of six will apply.
The closure of pubs and bars unless they serve substantial meals, like lunch or dinner. Alcohol can only be served as part of a meal.
Wedding receptions are banned.
Households and support bubbles are banned from mixing indoors or outdoors, except in open public spaces like parks and beaches, where the rule of six will apply.
People are advised not to travel out of their local area, or to travel into a “very high” area from outside. Overnight stays should be avoided.
Ministers can work with local leaders to decide if more closures are required – for example, of all pubs, gyms or casinos.
Advertisement
This applies to:
Cheshire
Warrington
Greater Manchester
Bolton
Bury
Manchester
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Stockport
Tameside
Trafford
Wigan
Lancashire
Blackburn with Darwen
Blackpool
Burnley
Chorley
Fylde
Hyndburn
Lancaster
Pendle
Preston
Ribble Valley
Rossendale
South Ribble
West Lancashire
Wyre
Liverpool City Region
Halton
Knowsley
Liverpool
Sefton
St Helens
Wirral
Nottinghamshire
Ashfield
Bassetlaw
Broxtowe
Gedling
Mansfield
Newark & Sherwood
Nottingham City
Rushcliffe
South Yorkshire
Barnsley
Doncaster
Rotherham
Sheffield


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Chlorinated Chicken Could Be The Norm If MPs Aren't Given Stronger Powers Over Trade

Lohman Brown chickens at Packsfield Farm in Fakenham, Norfolk. The NFU warns that existing high standards of British food production could be undercut by the US if MPs can't stand up for farmers on trade deals. PA
How would you feel if you settled down to eat your favourite meal, only to find out that your beef had been pumped with antibiotics and growth hormones, or your chicken was reared in such cramped, unhealthy conditions it had to be washed with chlorine to remove bacteria before it was safe to eat, or that your bread was made using grains that had been sprayed with pesticides banned in the UK?
On Monday there is a really important debate happening in Parliament as the Agriculture Bill returns to the House of Commons.
Advertisement
For the first time in almost 50 years, we have the opportunity to develop our own agricultural policy, and we need to see MPs doing everything they can to ensure we have the foundation to continue to build a sustainable food and farming sector.
At a time when we are fundamentally reassessing our trading relationship with the world, we have to ask ourselves: what do we want for the future of food production in this country?
Do we want a food and farming industry that is renowned around the world for its quality products and its first class welfare and climate-friendly production?
Or do we want to be known on the world stage as a country that betrays its values in the pursuit of trade deals?
Advertisement
For me, it’s a no-brainer. But with trade discussions already ongoing with multiple countries including the likes of Australia, New Zealand and, of course, the US, and only 81 days until the end if the transition period, the government is running out of time to make its stance clear in legislation. We’re getting to crunch time.
Our children and grandchildren are going to inherit the legacy of the decisions we make about our food this week.
Will they thank us for waving away our own high food standards in the pursuit of trade deals that could see food imported into the UK it would be illegal to produce here?
Farmers in this country take great pride in producing food to some of the highest standards of animal welfare, environmental protection and food safety in the world, and we know the people who buy our food trust and value the quality we place under the Union Jack.
As well as being president of the NFU, I am also a beef farmer; I know the time, care and attention it takes to rear top quality, climate-friendly meat. Simply put, I take care of my animals and I look after the land around me. This is what our customers rightly expect and as food producers we don’t want to deliver anything less.
Advertisement
But not everywhere in the world has the same values we do, and not everywhere in the world produces food to the same standard.
Chlorinated chicken and hormone treated beef are just a couple of examples of practices not allowed here. But the reality is that you could be eating them in the coming years. It’s the reality we face if our elected MPs aren’t given stronger powers to properly scrutinise new trade deals.
It’s essential that the newly formed Trade and Agriculture Commission is given the formal role to advise Parliament on the impact of any new trade deal. If the government continues to oppose this, there will be no meaningful opportunity for scrutiny over what these deals will mean for the way the food on our plates is produced.
And I know this is an issue that matters massively to people.
Back in June, more than a million of you made your voices heard by signing our petition, which called for a trade commission to be set up to oversee new trade deals – and ensure imported food, produced to standards that would be illegal here, is kept out. Given a million people believe this issue is so important, their elected MP must be able to have their say.
British food and farming has a fantastic story to tell but warm words will not protect our farmers or shoppers if trade deals are struck that undermine our standards, the very foundations on which we have built our world-leading reputation.
Advertisement
Giving the commission a formal role, to scrutinise trade deals and report back to parliament before they can be signed, will.
So in the debate on Monday, we need to see MPs recognising the importance of strengthening the Commission’s role, and pushing for a solution to ensure they have a voice in future trade deals.
Because it’s not just their voice that matters, but the constituents they represent who want to be able to tuck in to their favourite meal with confidence.
Minette Batters is president of the National Farmers’ Union.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Pubs In England Can Stay Open Under Toughest Lockdown... If They Serve Meals

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Restaurants and pubs that serve substantial meals will be spared from closure even under the toughest local lockdowns in England.
Boris Johnson has announced a new three-tier system for local coronavirus restrictions in England.
The prime minister revealed the details of what restrictions apply at which Covid alert level – called medium, high, and very high – in the Commons on Monday.
Advertisement
THE FULL LIST These Are The New Coronavirus Lockdown Rules In Your Area Of England
He revealed pubs and bars will close if they fall within areas covered by the strictest restrictions in the “very high” level. Betting shops, gyms and casinos will also shut.
But PA Media reports restaurants and pubs that serve meals will be spared from closure even under the strictest restrictions in the “very high” level. Customers will need to buy a meal to be served alcohol.
People at that level of lockdown will be advised that they should not travel to other areas. It is understood that Johnson is happy for travel restrictions to apply only as guidance rather than law after seeing how people Leicester complied with the measure during the city’s lockdown.
Restrictions at the “very high” level can be tightened if the government and local leaders decide more venues need to close.
Advertisement
Around £1bn of “new financial support” will also be provided to local authorities for local contact tracing and enforcement of the rules, the PM announced.
It has been widely reported that Merseyside will enter the “very high” level of restrictions from Wednesday, with additional closures of gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos after an agreement with local leaders.
But HuffPost UK understands that local MPs were told by health secretary Matt Hancock that Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire would avoid the harshest restrictions, instead being placed in the “high” tier, which largely reflects current local lockdown measures and includes a ban on households mixing indoors.
However, Johnson said talks with leaders in the north-west, north-east and Yorkshire and the Humber were “ongoing”.
Nottinghamshire, which has been hit by a huge surge in infection rates, will be placed in the “high” level. Nottingham itself now has an average 715.8 infections per 100,000 people, by far the highest level anywhere in England, according to latest NHS data.
Advertisement
Every area in England will be allocated a Covid alert level, with the full list set to be published later on Monday.
PM Boris Johnson sets out new three-tier system for England
He says the medium level, which will cover most of the country, consists of current national measures - including the 'rule of six' and the closure of hospitality at 10pmhttps://t.co/9JxARV5Ihz pic.twitter.com/Veb7AM8xDD — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 12, 2020
A postcode checker will be launched on the government’s website to advise people what guidance applies to their area.
The broad level of restrictions will apply as follows from Wednesday and will initially apply for four weeks before a review:
Medium: Existing national measures including the rule of six and 10pm curfew for hospitality venues to close. High: A ban on households mixing indoors. Areas subject to current local restrictions will automatically move into this. Very high: A ban on social mixing indoors and in gardens, and the closure of pubs and bars unless they serve substantial meals. Ministers can work with local leaders to decide if more closures are required – for example, of all pubs, gyms or casinos, which Johnson said would happen in Liverpool. Non-essential retail, schools and universities will remain open. Two households will be able to meet outside in a public space, for example a park, as long as they adhere to the rule of six. They will not be able to meet in gardens, hospitality or ticketed events. People will be advised not to travel out of their local area.
Johnson said the R rate – the average number of people an infected person passes Covid-19 on to – was between 1.2 and 1.5, but that without restrictions it will go up to between 2.7 to 3.
The PM said he was introducing the measures to further bring the R rate down to 1 or below, and had devised the three-tier system to try and simplify an approach which had become “complex to understand and to enforce”.
He rejected a full national lockdown, telling MPs: “We would not only be depriving our children of their education, we would do such damage to our economy as to erode our long-term ability to fund the NHS and other crucial public services.”
But he also dismissed suggestions that younger people should be removed from restrictions entirely because they are at a low risk of dying from Covid-19, arguing that the NHS would become overwhelmed in an “uncontrolled second spike”.
Advertisement
He said: “It is no answer to say we could let the virus take hold among the young and fit while shielding the elderly and vulnerable because the virus would spread with such velocity in the general population that there would be no way of stopping it from spreading among the elderly.
“And even if the virus is less lethal for the under-60s, there would still be many younger people for whom, alas, it remains lethal.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer said he is “sceptical” whether the government has a plan to get control of the virus.
“The question today is whether the restrictions announced by the PM can bring the country back from the brink”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says it "feels like the prime minister is several steps behind the curve and running to catch up with the virus”https://t.co/ZeqPD07th4 pic.twitter.com/MaaTFvLaHM — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 12, 2020
The Labour leader said: “Nobody should be under any illusion about where this is heading, or of the need for decisive action.
Advertisement
“The question today is whether the restrictions announced by the prime minister can bring the country back from the brink, whether they can regain control of the virus and provide the support and confidence that local businesses and communities need. That is how high the stakes now are.
“So we will consider the package, we will look at the small print of the prime minister’s statement, we will discuss them with local mayors, councillors and leaders in the areas most affected and we’ll scrutinise the economic package that sits alongside them.
“But I have to say to the prime minister, I am now deeply sceptical that the government has actually got a plan to get control of this virus, to protect jobs or retain public trust.”
The PM’s announcement came after NHS England medical director Stephen Powis announced that temporary Nightingale hospitals in Manchester, Harrogate and Sunderland have been asked to mobilise to deal with a rise in coronavirus patients.
England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam meanwhile told the same No.10 briefing there had clearly been a “marked pick-up” in coronavirus cases, which would result in more deaths.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--Tom Parker Supported By Fellow Stars After The Wanted Singer Reveals Brain Tumour Diagnosis

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The former Wanted singer opened up about his diagnosis in an interview with his wife Kelsey in OK magazine on Monday.
Advertisement
Tom told of how he was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma in August after being taken to hospital following a seizure during a family break.
After the 32 year old also posted about his condition on Instagram, he received a number of supportive messages from names across the entertainment industry.
Former One Direction star Liam Payne commented: “Sending you love in this really tough time.”
TOWIE’s James ‘Arg Argent’ wrote: “We love you Tom! We got this brother, No doubt about it!”
His co-star Vas J Morgan sent a single heart emoji, while Charlie King added: “Sending every positive, strong , healing vibe possible !! You can and will beat this.”
Advertisement
Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington said: “Sending so much love and support always.”
Tom’s fellow The Wanted star Jay McGuiness commented: “You’ve always been one in a million. I love you Tom, tet’s get popping.”
Max George dedicated a post to his bandmate on his own page, sharing a montage of pictures.
Max wrote: “There is nothing that he has ever given up on and has never taken no for an answer. His heart is the size of a lions, and it is his drive and passion that has always lead The Wanted and made sure we are looked after the right way.
“Speaking as a brother, a friend and a band mate.. I know that you will conquer this as you have every other challenge you have ever faced. We are all on this journey together... and I can’t wait to get back on the stage with you and the boys and have a proper celebration when you’re better.
“You got this my man. I love you, Kels and all the family with all my heart and I’ll be right here.”
Advertisement
On Twitter, Olly Murs tweeted Tom’s OK magazine interview, adding: “Really hard to read this, stay strong Tom. Sending my love to you and your family.”
Rylan Clark-Neal, who appeared with Tom on Celebrity Masterchef, shared a photo of them with some of the other contestants from the BBC series, tweeting: “Sending love to @TomParker a gent and a good one. Always the ‘cock of the walk!’ Xxx.”
Really hard to read this, stay strong Tom. Sending my love to you and your family 😪❤ https://t.co/DHw1ifHlUI — Olly Murs (@ollymurs) October 12, 2020
Sending love to @TomParker a gent and a good one. ❤ always the “cock of the walk!” Xxx pic.twitter.com/TqkVNbmOVB — Rylan Clark-Neal (@Rylan) October 12, 2020
In his own Instagram post, Tom explained he and Kelsey had decided to speak about his diagnosis to “lay out all the details and let everyone know the facts in our own way”.
Advertisement
“We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way,” he said. “We don’t want your sadness, we just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options.
“It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this.”
Tom with The Wanted bandmates Nathan Sykes, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran and Jay McGuiness in 2013 SIPA USA/PA Images
Tom’s wife Kelsey is currently 36 weeks pregnant with their second child and was unable to be with him in hospital when he received his diagnosis in August.
She told OK magazine: “It was horrendous. They rang me and told me over the phone. They said, ‘It’s a tumour and it’s worst-case scenario’.
“They also told us it was inoperable and what the treatment would be. I was in a complete state.
“It was like everything stopped. Obviously being told you have any tumour is bad, but to be told you have the worst one is a lot to take in. All I could think was, ‘What’s going to happen and what is our life now?’”
Advertisement
Tom has declined to know his prognosis, and is currently undergoing back-to-back chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for six weeks, with the weekends off.
In the interview, the couple, who are also parents to 15-month-old daughter Aurelia, also told of the support Tom’s former The Wanted bandmates have offered.
He said: “Obviously all the boys were as shocked as we were. They are gutted by the news, but they’ve been incredibly supportive.
“Jay [McGuiness] has been round to see us a few times since we got the news and is reading up on everything he can and Max [George] was here last week.
“Siva [Kaneswaran] and Nathan [Sykes] obviously live a lot further away, but all four of the boys have been texting regularly and sending through different articles and possible treatments and therapies that they’re all reading about.”
Advertisement
The full interview with Tom and Kelsey appears in this week’s OK magazine.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--UK Has The Fourth Highest Rise In Covid Cases In The World

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The UK is now ranked fourth worst in the world for the rise in Covid cases, a World Health Organisation doctor has said.
Dr Margaret Harris said Britain had also overtaken France to become the European nation worst-hit by the second wave.
Advertisement
The UK follows India, the US and Brazil in the grim list of countries who are seeing lab-confirmed case climb.
Harris told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “You are certainly not on your own.
“We are seeing very, very large outbreaks around the world – only last week India led the number of new cases, 504,000, followed by the US with 327,000 and then Brazil.
“But the United Kingdom is number four and what we are seeing is that, in Europe particularly, in more and more countries we’re seeing a bigger change in the number of cases.”
Asked how the UK compared to other European nations, Harris confirmed that the UK was slightly ahead of France.
Advertisement
She said: “The UK recorded 110,827 to us last week and France reported 110,065 – you’re essentially on parity with France at the moment.
“Russia also recorded a large number, as did Spain but we’re seeing upticks in many countries across Europe, particularly as I said in France and Spain but also we’ve seen changes in Italy and more of the eastern European countries.”
It comes as fresh lockdown measures are set to be imposed in England.
Prime minister Boris Johnson is due to give a statement to the Commons and hold a press conference on Monday, when he is expected to say different parts of the country will be split up into “medium”, “high” or “very high” local coronavirus alert areas.
Liverpool and Greater Manchester are set for some of the tightest restrictions, as the number of hospitalisations are high and there are fears for the NHS.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson also confirmed on Monday that GCSEs and A-Level exams will be delayed next year by three weeks, as he admitted students will need more time to prepare.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-12--The Sexism At The Heart Of US Politics

The Sexism At The Heart Of US Politics

The Sexism At The Heart Of US Politics
The 2016 race will go down in history for many reasons but one key motif has often been overlooked: America’s sexism. Hilary Clinton’s run for president seemed to be held back by her sex, her campaign bringing into stark focus the boys club that is American politics. So why is the deck still so stacked against female politicians in the US, when other countries have been led by women for decades? And will there ever be a female president when America punishes women for traits that voters accept - or even like - in male politicians?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Jeremy Clarkson Attacks Nicola Sturgeon In Rant About Covid Restrictions During Grand Tour Filming

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Jeremy Clarkson has attacked Nicola Sturgeon in a column venting his frustrations at coronavirus restrictions during filming for the latest series of The Grand Tour.
The presenter accused Scotland’s first minister of appearing to be “driven solely by a deep-seated hatred of the English” in a piece for The Sunday Times.
Advertisement
Clarkson bemoaned the fact that “Covid control freaks are running our show” as he recalled heading to Scotland over the summer to film scenes for the Amazon Prime motoring series, which he co-hosts with Richard Hammond and James May.
Jeremy Clarkson Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/Shutterstock
“My God, the rules of engagement [Amazon] supplied were dizzying,” he wrote. We were to take our own testing lab on the 1,000-mile journey and the key players were to be tested every day, after filling out an online form that began by asking if we’d been tested before. ‘Yes. Yesterday.’”
Detailing a number of measures including social distancing, sanitising things people had touched, having to hire out a whole hotel rather than rooms as well as flying on their own plane, Jeremy said: “The cost of meeting all these requirements was enormous... I didn’t think there was a hope in hell we’d get started, let alone finished.
Advertisement
“And that’s before we get to the problem with Scotland,” he continued.
Nicola Sturgeon FRASER BREMNER/Daily Mail/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce
“Nicola Sturgeon seems to be driven solely by a deep-seated hatred of the English, so we were expecting her to close the border at any moment. Which would have meant throwing away all the money that had been spent.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Just Four Police Forces In England Have Issued Face Mask Fines During The Pandemic

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Just four police forces in England have issued fines to people not wearing face coverings, new figures reveal.
With face coverings mandatory on public transport, the British Transport Police (BTP) gave out by far the largest number of fixed penalty notices – with 51 issued throughout the summer.
Advertisement
Digital marketing agency Reboot sent Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England in August asking how many fines had been issued since face coverings and masks were made compulsory in shops (July 24) and indoor locations (August 8).
Face masks have been compulsory on public transport since June 15. BTP said its officers had stopped 50,729 people between June 10 and September 8, and had carried out more than 5,000 “interventions” – where officers approached passengers not wearing face coverings and asked them to get off.
The force said it had dished out £5,100 in penalties up to August 18.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) came in second, issuing six fines – five of which were for £100 and one for £200. Lancashire had issued two fines, totalling £200, and officers in Lincolnshire had given out just one £100 fine.
Just three of England’s 34 police forces – Northumbria, Nottinghamshire and Sussex – did not respond to the FOI request.
Advertisement
There have long been concerns that the new laws would be unenforceable in practice, with already-stretched police warning that there would not be enough officers to monitor the public.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told the BBC’s Today programme back in July that mandatory face mask rules would be “nigh on impossible for enforcement” as shop owners had no powers to detain anyone not wearing a mask and there were not enough officers to patrol every shop.
In the wake of face coverings being made mandatory in indoor settings, including public transport, a number of social media posts claiming police had no powers to enforce the law went viral, but these claims were quickly debunked.
Officers have the power to issue £200 fines (reduced to £100 if payed within 14 days) to anyone not wearing a mask where it is compulsory, unless they have a medical exception.
Repeat offenders will face increased fines, doubling every time after the first offence. Someone receiving a fixed penalty notice a second time would be fined £400 and so on – all the way up to £6,400.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Britain's Got Talent's Christmas Special Shuts Down Filming After Covid Outbreak

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Britain’s Got Talent has been forced to shut down filming of its Christmas special after a Covid-19 outbreak.
A rep for the ITV show confirmed that someone working on the festive edition had returned a positive test, with a number of crew members now being forced into self-isolation.
Advertisement
As a result of the outbreak, filming has been postponed.
David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Ashley Banjo on Britain's Got Talent Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock
The BGT spokesperson told The Sun: “As a result of a positive Covid-19 result received yesterday we have implemented our protocols and a number of crew members are self-isolating at home.
“As a result, we are unable to continue filming our BGT Christmas Special today and have taken the decision to postpone.
“The safety of all those involved in the show is our number one priority and we follow extensive Covid-19 related procedures to adhere to all government guidelines.”
Advertisement
The BGT Christmas special is set to see a number of well-loved former contestants return to work together in a bid to impress the audience.
Diversity and Susan Boyle, who appeared on the show in 2009, are thought to be returning Ken McKay/Shutterstock
It has been reported the likes of dance troupe Diversity and singers Susan Boyle and Paul Potts are in line to appear.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Lewis Capaldi’s Mortifying Camera Roll Story Is The Stuff Of Nightmares

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Handing over your phone to a complete stranger for repair is always a bit of a worrying moment, but spare a thought for Lewis Capaldi who’s recent experience is the stuff of actual nightmares.
The chart-topping star had some next-level concerns about the contents of his camera roll, which he only realised after he’d already dropped off his phone at the Apple Store to fix a smashed screen.
Advertisement
Lewis was left fretting that the phone engineer was about to get an eyeful of something very unexpected, should they have decided to snoop through his iPhone.
Lewis Capaldi shared the story on Instagram in typical Lewis Capaldi fashion Instagram
The Someone You Loved singer detailed the episode on his Instagram Story, and let’s just say the whole thing was very Lewis Capaldi.
We’ll let him take it from here...
He began: “So I’ve just handed my phone to the Apple Store cos I smashed the screen and stuff.
“This really horrible feeling dawned on me as I was walking back to my Air BnB, which was that a few months ago, I took pictures to see if I had haemorrhoids – the butt hole – and I’m a bit concerned I did not delete those pictures.
Advertisement
“I don’t know, I’m sure they’re all consulate professionals, but if someone goes, ‘oh it’s Lewis Capaldi, let’s look through his pictures,’ they’re going to see a picture of my arsehole.
“By the way, I did have haemorrhoids, I did have haemorrhoids.”
He continued: “I’ve got to pick my phone up in an hour or so, I’ll let you know what the man says. He was a lovely chap, so if he looks at me [normally] and goes, ‘here’s your phone’, I can wipe the sweat off my brow and live another day knowing that a stranger that works for Apple hasn’t seen my butthole.
“But if he looks at me and goes [looks sheepish], ‘there’s your phone’ or maybe he’s wrapped up in one of those tinfoil blankets that people use when they’re in shock, then I’ll know that guy’s had an eyeful of my hole. Wish me luck.”
He added: “We’ve all been there though, eh guys?... It’s one of life’s funny little things that happens, eh?”
So far, there’s been no update from Lewis on the outcome of the situation, but you can be rest assured we’ll let you know when we get to the bottom of it.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Hailey Bieber Breaks With Trump-Loving Dad Stephen Baldwin Again And Backs Biden

LOADING ERROR LOADING
As her uncle Alec Baldwin lampoons President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live and her father, Stephen Baldwin, regularly retweets him on Twitter, Hailey Bieber is still making her own decisions on politics.
The model endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden over the weekend in an Instagram post that also honoured World Mental Health Day.
Advertisement
“It’s World Mental Health Day, and something that has affected my mental health is the state of our country and the future of our country,” she wrote. “I have hope, but we need to collectively make the change we want for our future and that means getting out there to VOTE!!!”
Hailey backed up her words with a blue tie-dye “concert tee” supporting the former vice president.
Biden shared a photo of Hailey in the same shirt on his Instagram page, writing in the caption, “One of the things @HaileyBieber and I agree on — voting never goes out of style.”
Meanwhile, her husband, pop star Justin Bieber, who’s been critical of Trump in the past, has yet to speak out in the runup to the election.
Advertisement
Hailey’s post was quickly flooded with responses from famous friends, including Elaine Welteroth, Addison Rae and Miley Cyrus, who wrote, “Bieber X Biden ... my dream!”
Perhaps most notable was the response from another Baldwin uncle, Billy.
“Thanks Hailey,” he wrote. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
The flood of support likely didn’t sit well with Hailey’s father, a born-again Christian and staunch conservative who is one of the most vocal Trump supporters in Hollywood.
After her post, Stephen Baldwin made his political allegiances clear once again.
don’t talk much about family pray 4 everyone every day!
in my ❤beauty of🇺🇸
“land of #free home of #brave” is ... reverence 4 our freedom, importance of clarity of vote?
(vision goal truth intent)
Many are called, few are chosen! Gospel is truth
battle already won ✝#Trump2020 — Psalm 91 / Stephen Baldwin (@StephenBaldwin7) October 10, 2020
The father and daughter have clashed over politics before with Hailey backing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
In a 2017 interview with The Times, she commented on her politically split family, admitting it had been a struggle to stay close with her father.
Advertisement
“We didn’t see eye to eye,” she said back then. “It was a very big issue for me, but my dad’s still my dad. I would never let politics get in the way of family. It’s over now, and his opinions have changed with how everything’s now unfolding. Every day, the news freaks me out. It’s terrifying.”
Except Stephen only doubled down on his support for Trump in succeeding years, dividing the family even further.
“That was a very hurtful situation for me. I love my father, he’s an amazing dad, but we so strongly disagreed on [the election],” she said of the fallout from the 2018 midterm elections. “He and my sister strongly disagreed on it. My sister’s husband, like everyone on our side, just doesn’t agree with him. We don’t talk about it now. It’s not worth the argument.”
While the daughter and dad might never agree politically, Stephen did give a shoutout to her husband’s clothing line, Drew, over the weekend, signaling that there’s still plenty of love to go around.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Government Quietly Adds Extra Places To Lockdown List – After Mixing Up Northern Regions

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The government’s attempt to “simplify and standardise” local lockdown rules with a three tier system has already fallen short after it was forced to quietly update an incomplete list of Tier 2 lockdown zones.
On Monday afternoon the “high alert” listings for Lancashire were released by Downing Street as:
Lancashire
Lancashire
Blackpool
Preston
Blackburn with Darwen
Burnley
The repeated appearance of “Lancashire” in the list was an error that HuffPost UK was told, after querying it, should have read “Lancaster”.
Advertisement
But by Tuesday morning the list had also grown without any announcement to include Chorley, Fylde, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley, Rossendale, South Ribble, West Lancashire and Wyre.
It means the entire county of Lancashire, including unitary authorities within its footprint, is now under tier 2 lockdown.
Middlesbrough had also been misspelled “Middlesborough” elsewhere in the list, though that too has now been corrected.
It came after a number of MPs missed out on lockdown briefings, seemingly because the government had not understood where their constituencies were.
Advertisement
Labour MP for Wigan and shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy tweeted: “Just learnt Greater Manchester will be placed into tier 2 restrictions via twitter. Apparently there was a government briefing for GM MPs but I can’t provide details because I wasn’t invited. I suspect this is because they don’t know where Wigan is. What an absolute shambles.”
Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols was also invited to two different briefings as the government tried desperately to establish where Warrington actually was.
Don't know how many times we have to go through this: Warrington is not in Merseyside, it is not in the Liverpool City Region, it never has been and if you're going to make decisions that affect us the very least you could do is recognise that fact 🤬 pic.twitter.com/7J6NKYPAMY — Charlotte Nichols (@charlotte2153) October 12, 2020
It is a regrettable string of errors by a government that has struggled in recent weeks to convince northern leaders they haven’t been left behind by an out-of-touch London-centric operation. Local chiefs in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Preston, Warrington, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool all told us last week of their dismay that their areas hadn’t been given more say over lockdowns.
Just learnt Greater Manchester will be placed into tier 2 restrictions via twitter. Apparently there was a government briefing for GM MPs but I can’t provide details because I wasn’t invited. I suspect this is because they don’t know where Wigan is. What an absolute shambles — Lisa Nandy (@lisanandy) October 12, 2020
Advertisement
Boris Johnson’s plan for tackling coronavirus was voted on by MPs after documents revealed he had rejected recommendations from his scientific advisers for a “circuit-breaker” lockdown.
Official papers showed the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) suggested introducing a national lockdown in September lasting between two and three weeks to halt the rapid spread of the virus, with the government’s failure to act on the advice branded “alarming” by Labour.
I think we might be in shitshow territory. pic.twitter.com/L7sbtDm3Xd — Alan White (@aljwhite) October 12, 2020
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “MPs and local areas are routinely informed of changes to local restrictions in advance of public announcements to make sure they aware of the impact of measures on their areas.
“When it was discovered that a small number of MPs had not been invited, alternative arrangements were made so that they could receive a briefing.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--The Three-Tier System: All Your Questions, Answered

LOADING ERROR LOADING
England has been divided into a new, three-tier system in a bid to wrestle back control of the pandemic. While the finer details continue to be discussed with local leaders in some areas, there are now some general rules we all have to follow, depending on our postcodes.
The system – which categorises areas as “medium”, “high” or “very high” risk – is supposedly designed to simplify the rules and tackle the virus at a local level. But following its inception, social media was full of questions about the system, suggesting yet more confusion across the country.
Advertisement
To help you make sense of the rules, we’ve trawled through the government guidelines to answer some of the most common questions people have. Be sure to also check restrictions in your area, though, as local lockdown measures are subject to change.
SolStock via Getty Images
Where can I find out what tier I’m in?
The government has launched an online postcode checker on its website, where you’ll be able to enter your details and view the exact restrictions in your area.
Before making any big life plans or changes, you should also check your local authority’s website for more information, as added restrictions may be implemented in some areas.
Advertisement
Can you travel between tiers to see friends and family?
Would we be allowed to travel between tiers? ie I drive from tier 1 to meet up with friends in tier 3. — Steve young (@Dadyoung2) October 10, 2020
It’s not recommended. The guidelines state you should avoid travelling to “any part of the country subject to higher local Covid alert levels”. This means a person in a medium area should avoid travel to a high area where possible.
The rules are stricter in very high alert areas. The guidelines say people should not travel in or out of these areas, with a few exceptions: if you need to travel for work, education, to access youth services, or because of caring responsibilities.
“You may also do so where necessary as part of a longer journey – such as when a journey between lower risk areas passes through a very high alert level area, or when going to an airport, port or international rail terminal to travel abroad,” the guidelines state.
You can also travel to a very high alert area for a wedding or funeral.
But what about my support bubble?
Serious Q.
Tier 2. Are social bubbles still a thing? No mention that I can see...
Does anyone know? #socialbubble #supportbubble — Olly Houldsworth (@ollyhouldsworth) October 12, 2020
Advertisement
For those who live alone, maintaining your support bubble is relatively simple if you all live in the same area tier as your bubbled household.
If you live in a medium alert area, the rule of six still applies and you can still meet with your bubble as usual, indoors or outdoors. In high risk areas or very high risk areas, your bubble can stay in place, too. The guidelines state: “Households in that support bubble can still visit each other, stay overnight, and visit public places together.”
Things are a little tricker if you don’t live in the same tier as your bubble, though. The government advice is to form a support bubble with a household that lives locally wherever possible. “This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where there might be a higher rate of infection,” it says.
It’s worth noting that “caring responsibilities” are an exception for the travel rules – even in very high risk areas. So if you’ve formed a bubble with an elderly relative, for example, and you still need to visit them to provide crucial support, that’s permitted.
What are the rules on childcare?
So can my mum still assist with childcare whilst my child stays in school and I continue to work in retail whilst placed in Tier 3? Will this be exempt? No mention of childcare so far... Shambles — LauraJade (@LauraJSheakey) October 12, 2020
Advertisement
Formal childcare settings remain open and there are some exemptions written into the guidelines to make informal childcare possible. In all three tiers, families are allowed to form “childcare bubbles” with relatives who help them with childcare.
“A childcare bubble is where someone in one household provides informal (unpaid and unregistered) childcare to a child aged 13 or under in another household,” the guidelines explain. “For any given childcare bubble, this must always be between the same two households.”
The rules if you’re all in the same tier are simple enough, but HuffPost UK has contacted the government to check if you’re allowed to travel across tiers to provide informal childcare. We will update this article when we receive a response.
So, what’s happening to weddings?
What does Tier 2 restrictions mean for weddings happening in the next couple of weeks? Asking for a friend 🤷🏻♀ — Rebecca Boam 🤍 (@rboamx) October 12, 2020
In areas under medium and high alert levels, weddings, civil partnerships and receptions can go ahead with 15 people. Receptions should be sit down meals to ensure “people can keep their distance from each other and mustn’t take place in private dwellings”, the guidelines state.
Advertisement
Things differ in areas under the very high alert level, however. While weddings in these areas are generally permitted to go ahead with 15 people, receptions are not allowed at all.
It’s also worth highlighting that the guidelines for very high areas set out by the government are “baseline” agreements. The government says it is also seeking to agree additional interventions in consultation with local authorities, so check the specific restrictions in the area of your wedding venue.
Guests can still travel to weddings when the venue is outside their area or tier, but there are some restrictions in place.
Travel from a medium alert area to a high alert area is permitted to attend a wedding, but the guidelines say guests “must not meet with another household indoors” when they’re outside of the Covid-secure venue (e.g you can’t pop into your aunt’s house for a cuppa while you’re in the area).
If the venue is in a very high alert area, guests can still travel to the ceremony, but the guidelines state that you must not meet with another household in a private home or garden and that you can’t stay in the area overnight.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--The 2.2 Million People Most Vulnerable To Covid Won't Have To ‘Shield’ This Winter

Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries PA
The UK’s 2.2 million people with health conditions most vulnerable to Covid will not be required to undergo strict stay-at-home “shielding” this winter, new government guidance has stated.
In a big shift from advice earlier in the pandemic, those with cancer, respiratory or other serious illness will be told to maintain their distance from others and meet socially outdoors if possible but they will not have to effectively quarantine themselves.
Advertisement
A return to home isolation practice will only apply if the spread of the virus becomes exceptionally bad in specific “high risk” areas of the country, and even then for a short period of time rather than months as previously.
The new advice, issued by deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries, is a “softer” approach to the harder measures seen at the height of the coronavirus outbreak and reflects confidence that mask-wearing and the “rule of six” limiting social contact are having an impact.
The decision follows concerns that many of those most at risk “overinterpreted” the guidance in March and April, taking it as an instruction or requirement rather than guidance.
Many of those involved didn’t leave home for many months until the system was paused on August 1 and some felt “imprisoned”, which was never the intention of the guidance, insiders said.
Advertisement
The government wants to ensure that those shielding, many of whom are elderly, are not left feeling socially isolated and that they continue to access vital healthcare appointments with GPs and hospitals.
The guidance will be tied into the new Local Covid Alert Levels framework, meaning those at the highest risk of serious illness from the virus will receive specific advice depending on the level of risk in their local area, as coronavirus rates continue to rise.
The “clinically extremely vulnerable” group includes those with conditions affecting the immune system, certain cancers and organ transplant recipients, amongst others.
A return to a formal shielding programme will only occur in very specific circumstances, at the request of chief medical officer Chris Whitty and only for a very short period of time for a tightly defined group of people.
It may even be specific areas within a “high risk” area in local lockdown, rather than the whole region, and personalised letters would be sent to those involved.
Advertisement
Shielding advice will not automatically be triggered by an area going into Local Covid Alert Level: Very High, but will be considered as an additional intervention, agreed by ministers under advice from local public health experts and the chief medical officer.
Almost all people in the extremely vulnerable category, who will remain on a register and who will be sent personal letters of any changes in advice, left “shielding” requirements last week.
Many can now travel and go to work in Covid-secure workplaces, the government believes, and evidence has shown that Covid-vulnerable young children in particular can go to school with little risk.
Harries said: “Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a sharp increase in the prevalence of the virus across the country and we know those who are clinically extremely vulnerable are looking for practical advice on how they can carry on their lives while the virus remains in our communities.
“The new system will provide clarity on how best those in this group can keep themselves as safe as possible depending on the rates of transmission in their local area. Whilst advisory, I would urge all those affected to follow the guidance wherever they can and to continue to access health services for their medical conditions.
Advertisement
“We will continue to monitor the evidence closely and fine-tune this approach to make sure everyone in this group is clear about the safest way to go about their daily lives, particularly over the coming winter months.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Wellness Culture Is Ableism In Sheep’s Clothing

When I got ill in 2014, my biggest prerogative was to cure myself.
By then, I had lived with unexplained symptoms for almost 10 years, so a diagnosis – stage 4 endometriosis – came as a relief. It wasn’t “just” painful periods or IBS or me being melodramatic. In fact, it turned out to be closer to a benign form of invasive cancer, overtaking my pelvic organs and bowel.
A diagnosis was something concrete to hold onto. Finally, I had a tangible problem that I was determined I could fix. And of course, why couldn’t I fix it?
Advertisement
When I was diagnosed, wellness culture was booming. Everyone was talking about the power of superfoods, and the gut-brain connection, and holistic therapies.
The idea that I could take control of my endometriosis – something that seemed to be so poorly understood by the doctors I had encountered, and so woefully under-researched by the wider medical community – felt empowering.
HuffPost UK Chronic podcast
Chronic is a brand new podcast from HuffPost UK on how to live well when you’re chronically unwell. Subscribe here.
After all, Ella Mills of Deliciously Ella fame had managed it. She’d outsmarted her own POTS diagnosis with a radical change in diet and lifestyle.
And so I tried it. I bought into those marketing messages with all my earning power and the naivety of someone who hadn’t yet had much life experience. I went vegan and started taking a cocktail of supplements to “support my immune system”. I threw myself into yoga and meditation. I gave up gluten and sugar.
I ploughed all my energies into fixing what was broken, almost bankrupting myself in the process. And it didn’t work.
Within a year of diagnosis, I was back in hospital for a second, extensive surgery, followed by months of radical hormone treatment. But the pain kept getting worse and more incapacitating.
The weight of this realisation was crushing. What did this say about me if my body refused to mend itself? And what would it mean for my life, my job and my relationships?
Advertisement
“Democratising our conversations around health and what it means to live well is long overdue.”
It was only in the years of grief that came with accepting that I probably wouldn’t get better that I started questioning the messages I had internalised about health and wellness, in a society that values productivity over everything else.
When my foray into wellness culture didn’t work, it had felt like a personal failure. What I should have felt was that I had been mis-sold something. What struck me looking back was how self-punishing I had been in my drive for “wellbeing”. Why hadn’t I questioned how self-blaming it is for an industry to put responsibility for illness on the individual? And how convenient it is for those marketing fix-all balms and powders to turn a blind eye to our socioeconomic circumstances?
“The wellness industry offers up a solution to those whose suffering has historically fallen on deaf ears – often women, with chronic pain, fatigue, infertility.”
This increasing commodification of wellness, above and beyond the basic principles of eating well, sleeping enough and getting some exercise, exploits those in the most desperate of situations.
Advertisement
The global wellness industry is now worth £3.45tn, so it’s hardly a surprise that its messaging is so seductive. It occupies a position in the market where the medical establishment fails, offering up a solution to those whose suffering has historically fallen on deaf ears – often women, with chronic pain, fatigue, infertility.
But its sermon of constantly striving to “fix” something, and asking you to part with money in order to do so, is inherently ableist. It sells the idea that if we are ill we are broken, and that health is a lifestyle choice.
And of course, we know that not to be true. In the six years since my diagnosis, I’ve met some incredibly talented, powerful, successful people with amazing stories to tell, who live full, happy lives. They also happen to have chronic illnesses. No one could describe them as broken.
“Where are the tales of success from chronic illness sufferers? I want to hear more of those, too.”
But there’s no room for these people’s voices in our conversations around living well. When I was reevaluating how I could live and work with chronic illness, I was surprised by the dearth of resources on the subject. Yes, there were self-care tips, and legal advice, but I wanted a blueprint for how to live unapologetically in my “new normal”. I wanted to know how I could retain my ambition in my career – but work in a way that took into account I was ill. I wanted to know how to thrive in my relationship, even though I was sometimes bedbound, sometimes often. How could I keep up with my friends if I didn’t or couldn’t go out much anymore? I still wanted all these things for my life, I just knew I needed to do things differently.
Advertisement
Where were the tales of success from chronic illness sufferers? I wanted to hear more of those, too. I knew there must be a way of living well with imperfect health that wasn’t all doom and gloom – after all, 15m people in the UK live with some kind of chronic condition.
So I decided to seek out those stories for myself in a brand new podcast for HuffPost UK, Chronic.
Each week, I’ll be speaking with the writers, thinkers, activists and dreamers who live with chronic illness on what adapted wellbeing looks like for them. And this won’t be a podcast about health hacks, or finding a cure – I don’t want to play into the narrative that so many of us carry, that being ill means you’re somehow less.
Instead, Chronic will be a celebration of acceptance, of perseverance, of the things that do work, for all different people from all different walks of life. It feels vital to democratise the conversation around living well, even if – especially if –that looks different from how Gwyneth Paltrow does it on Goop.
So take a listen to the trailer, here, and join me for the first episode on October 21. I knew I wanted to hear these stories, so I hope others like me will find them just as valuable.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Minister Claims Firms Have 'Head In The Sand' Over Brexit As UK Heads For December Cliff-Edge

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A senior Tory minister is facing a backlash after accusing businesses of having their “heads in the sand” about getting ready for the end of the Brexit transition.
Cabinet Office minister Lord Agnew told company bosses “it’s their businesses at stake” if they fail to get ready for new border checks when the transition ends on December 31.
Advertisement
He said firms were slow to get ready due to coronavirus and the subsequent recession, and after being stung by two “false alarms” when the government missed deadlines to leave the EU on March 29 and October 31, 2019.
Agnew rejected suggestions he was trying to blame companies but urged bosses to be more “energetic” about getting ready for Brexit proper.
The comments sparked an immediate backlash, given many government border systems are not yet ready and businesses have been pleading for clarity about what to actually prepare for, with negotiations on a trade deal looking likely to continue into November.
Firms face a huge change in the way they trade with Europe because the UK is leaving the EU customs union and single market, which allow for seamless cross-border trade.
Advertisement
Last month, Michael Gove published a reasonable worst case scenario which warned there could be queues of 7,000 lorries in Kent if not enough businesses prepare for new border checks and requirements, and just 24% do so in time.
With less than three months to go before the end of the transition, Agnew told the Commons Treasury committee: “There has been a head in the sand approach by traders which has been compounded by what I would call the quadruple whammy of two false alarms, so two extensions at the very last minute, then followed by Covid, and now followed by the recession.
“The traders are not as ready as they should be.
“And if there’s one headline I hope that comes out of this appearance today it’s to send another shot over traders’ bows to warn them that it’s their businesses that are at stake from January 1 and they really must engage in a more energetic way.”
The comments sparked immediate criticism, with Food and Drink Federation chief operating officer Tim Rycroft remarking: “A ‘head in the sand approach by traders’? That’ll go down well.”
A ‘head in the sand approach by traders’? That’ll go down well. — Tim_FDF (@TimRycroft_FDF) October 13, 2020
Advertisement
Labour peer Stewart Wood said Agnew’s characterisation was “spectacularly unfair”, insisting traders had been pleading with the government for clarity on the rules.
He said: “A ‘head in the sand approach by traders’ to the upcoming end to Brexit transition is a spectacularly unfair characterisation.
“The many traders, entrepreneurs and businesses we have spoken to in our Lords EU committee work have been pleading for guidance, clarity and timelines for months.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Donald Trump Returns To Campaigning After Coronavirus

Donald Trump Returns To Campaigning After Coronavirus
President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail following treatment for coronavirus. In the rally in Florida, Trump tried to overcome Joe Biden's poll lead by downplaying the effects of the virus and mocking Biden's cautiousness.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Ikea Will Buy Back Your Old Furniture. Here's How It Works.

LOADING ERROR LOADING
People looking to get rid of old Ikea furniture can earn pennies in the process, as the Swedish retailer has finally launched its much anticipated ‘Buy Back’ scheme.
The initiative was originally scheduled to launch in November 2020, but was postponed due to the second national lockdown.
Advertisement
Ikea stores in England can now buy back unwanted Ikea furniture, with customers earning up to £250 per returned item. This will be offered in the form of a voucher to spend on more items in store.
The returned furniture will be resold in stores as secondhand items – meaning cheaper furniture for other customers, and a more sustainable model for the retail giant, which is working towards a goal of becoming a “fully circular and climate positive” business by 2030.
So how does it work?
The Buy Back service is available in full-sized Ikea stores nationwide, excluding order and collection points in Tottenham Court Road, Norwich and Aberdeen. Buy Back will launch in Reading and Belfast on May 17.
But before you scramble to your nearest branch with a chest of drawers hanging out of your boot, listen up. Customers who want to sell back their furniture will need to go to the retailer’s website first and submit items for consideration by filling out an online offer request.
Advertisement
The tool will automatically generate a preliminary offer and customers will then be invited to bring the fully assembled product and preliminary offer to the Returns & Exchanges desk in their nearest store.
Once you’ve handed it over, you’ll receive an Ikea voucher which you can spend in store on new items. Depending on the condition of the furniture traded in, the voucher could be worth as much as 50% of the original price.
As new – no scratches: 50% of the original price
Very good – minor scratches: 40% of original price
Well-used – several scratches: 30% of original price
The voucher you’re given – or ‘refund card’ in Ikea terminology – will have no expiry date to encourage customers to buy items only when they’re needed.
The furniture sold back to Ikea will be available to buy as secondhand items in stores. These can be found in the As-Is Area of stores (previously known as Bargain Corner). Anything that cannot be resold will be recycled.
Advertisement
What items can I return?
Products that can be ‘bought back’ by the retailer include: dressers; office drawer cabinets; small structures with drawers; display storage and sideboards; bookcases and shelf units; small tables; multimedia furniture; cabinets; dining tables and desks; chairs and stools without upholstery; chests of drawers; and children’s products (excluding baby items and PAX accessories).
Ikea hopes the initiative will encourage customers to take a stand against excessive consumption. Hege Sæbjørnsen, sustainability manager at Ikea UK & Ireland, previously said: “Currently, 45% of total global carbon emissions come from the way the world produces and uses everyday products, so Buy Back represents an opportunity to address unsustainable consumption and its impact on climate change.”
Thousands of people in the UK throw away unwanted furniture each year – a survey by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found 30% of people have thrown away items that could have been re-used, sold or donated. And 19% of people said they didn’t know how to donate or recycle furniture and homeware.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-13--Putin Could Still Help Trump In The US Election. Here's What We Know

LOADING ERROR LOADING
With just three weeks before the US election, one major question remains unanswered: What does Russian dictator Vladimir Putin have up his sleeve to help President Donald Trump?
“I don’t think they want to miss this opportunity, to poke the United States one more time,” said Miles Taylor, once the chief of staff at Trump’s Department of Homeland Security and now a fierce Trump critic.
Advertisement
FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress last month that Russia is already interfering in the 2020 election by “actively” spreading propaganda through social media and friendly news outlets “primarily to denigrate (former) Vice President (Joe) Biden,” Trump’s Democratic rival.
What’s unclear is if that is the extent of the effort, or if something else is in the works for the campaign’s closing days. Four years ago, Russia was releasing emails stolen from Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign on a daily basis through its ally, WikiLeaks, and Trump was citing them at his rallies as proof of his opponent’s “corruption.”
“We love WikiLeaks,” he said repeatedly.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump after the final presidential debate during the 2016 US election. ROBYN BECK via Getty Images
Taylor said that campaigns have gotten more careful about online security since 2016, but that it was possible Russia still plans some type of propaganda dump targeting Biden in the coming weeks. He said Putin could also be planning something to disrupt the election itself – sabotaging key polling places in swing states, or taking down the power grid in a major city – although something that dramatic was less likely.
Advertisement
More important, Taylor said, is Trump’s attitude toward Putin. “There’s a concern that the president is passively welcoming that assistance from the Russians.”
Trump has been open to foreign help before
Trump has over the past four years repeatedly shown his willingness to receive foreign help to win and his unwillingness to tell Putin to stay out of US elections.
In 2016, he solicited help from Russia, and then centered his entire campaign during the final month on that material stolen by Russian spies – even though he had been told it had been stolen by Russian spies.
In 2018, Trump refused to warn Putin against interfering in the midterm elections, even though his top national security officials were asking him to do so. “He failed to do it. He actively declined,” Taylor said.
And in 2019, Trump tried to extort Ukraine’s new president into smearing Biden – the Democrat he feared most as a 2020 opponent – based on a conspiracy theory being pushed by Russian intelligence. Trump wound up getting impeached for his actions, but all save one Republican senator voted to acquit him, letting him remain in office.
Advertisement
An official at the Russian embassy in Washington denied that the country’s government had helped Trump in 2016, and claimed it was the US that was interfering with Russia. “The time has come to stop poisoning the atmosphere of relations with baseless allegations,” the official said.
“As Joe Biden has said for months, it is absolutely clear who Vladimir Putin wants to win this election — because Donald Trump's foreign policy has been a gift to the Kremlin” - Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden's presidential campaign.
The White House did not respond to queries on the matter, continuing a pattern that began in 2017. No White House or Trump campaign official has ever provided an answer as to why Trump accepted Russian help, knowing that it was Russian help, with the exception of his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. He told HuffPost in 2018 that the stolen emails that Trump touted daily from October 10 through 2016′s Election Day were “sort of like a gift.”
One National Security Council official, who would speak only on condition of anonymity to defend Trump, said: “As the president has said, the United States will not tolerate foreign interference in our electoral processes and will respond to malicious foreign threats that target our democratic institutions.” The official claimed that Trump had said this during a March 2018 news conference.
However, a review of Trump’s news conferences that month found only one in which Trump addressed the issue, on March 6 during a joint appearance with Sweden’s prime minister. Asked whether he was worried about Russia interfering in the coming midterms, Trump answered: “No, because we’ll counteract whatever they do. We’ll counteract it very strongly. And we are having strong backup systems.”
Advertisement
Trump and Putin at what became an infamous joint press conference in Helsinki on July 16, 2018. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
Russians tried to meddle in the midterms
Two months later, after the intelligence community found evidence that Russia was, in fact, trying to interfere in the November vote, national security officials urged Trump to specifically tell Russia to back off or face consequences. Not only did he refuse to do so, but he did the exact opposite in July, at a news conference in Helsinki standing beside Putin himself.
Asked whether he believed his intelligence community about Putin’s 2016 involvement in his own election or Putin’s denials, Trump sided with Putin. “President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” he said.
The Russians did wind up trying to interfere in the 2018 election against candidates it deemed unfriendly, leading to officials in the national security agencies – sometimes under the radar of the White House – to take action on their own, Taylor said.
Sanctions were imposed by the Treasury Department in September 2019 against the operators of the “troll factory” that worked to influence the 2018 election. On one occasion, sanctions against Russians received Trump’s sign-off after a document that required his signature was inserted into a larger stack of paperwork he had to sign, Taylor said.
Advertisement
The Treasury Department more recently sanctioned a Ukrainian lawmaker who had been working with Giuliani to spread unsubstantiated corruption allegations against Biden, describing Andrii Derkach as a Russian intelligence operative. Those claims had been the basis of Trump’s own groundless allegations against Biden, the pursuit of which ultimately led to his impeachment.