thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Jim Carrey Raises Eyebrows With Inappropriate Response To Journalist's Bucket List Question

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Jim Carrey has raised eyebrows following an inappropriate response he gave in a recent interview.
The Hollywood star was being interviewed by Heat magazine journalist Charlotte Long on the publicity trail for his new film Sonic The Hedgehog, when talk turned to his achievements as an actor.
Asked if there was “anything left on his bucket list”, Carrey looked at Long and responded: “Just you... That’s it. It’s all done now.”
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“Oh wow,” Long responded with a laugh. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
“Just own it,” Carrey told her.
The reporter joked she was “owning it” before taking a moment as she tried to get the interview back on track.
Watch the moment below (from 1.44 mark)...
After the full interview was published on Heat’s YouTube channel, Long shared a clip of the moment on Twitter in a now-deleted tweet on Wednesday.
“Didn’t expect this when I asked Jim Carrey about bucket lists,” she wrote.
It prompted a lot of comment on social media, with Carrey coming in for criticism.
Why is it ever necessary to do this? It’s so creepy, sleazy and unfair to someone conducting an official interview. There are those like him out there who think it flatters-sleazeballs dont realise it’s perceived in most cases as vomit worthy. I’ve gone right off him. — Saffina Ellahi #PTI (@SaffinaEllahi1) February 12, 2020
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Whyyy is this kind of thing still going on? Well handled, you're a legend x — Claire Gregory (@ScoopDoggSky) February 12, 2020
Please apologize @JimCarrey this is not funny by any standards. Infact it's very creepy. https://t.co/EEEWiLoDZ0 — Renison Pereira #TimesUpIndia (@Renison007) February 12, 2020
Such a huge of @JimCarrey but lost respect for him today. This is really unacceptable, I wish and hope he apologizes to you. But you handled it really well, more Power to you! I ✊✊✊ — Renison Pereira #TimesUpIndia (@Renison007) February 12, 2020
... I am speechless. WHY and HOW is still happening? https://t.co/s2WpixOH2t — Rebecca Lewis (@bexlewis361) February 12, 2020
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Did he... not realise the camera was still on? https://t.co/JVCrSl40kI — Rachael Venables (@rachaelvenables) February 12, 2020
Oh, no. No. — Callum Crumlish (@CallumC_) February 12, 2020
Long also won praise for how she handled Carrey’s response.
Bloody well handled! — Josh Rom (@JoshRomOnAir) February 12, 2020
Kudos for keeping your composure so well! — RichieMills (@RichieMills2) February 12, 2020
Well handled 👍🏻 — Hannah Sherry (@HannahLSherry) February 12, 2020
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HuffPost UK has contacted a representative for Jim Carrey and is awaiting a response.
It is the second time in as many weeks that the actor has been called out for his comments in an interview situation.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, viewers labelled him “rude” and “patronising” for a joke he made about fellow guest Margot Robbie’s looks and talent.
Carrey is currently promoting the Sonic The Hedgehog film, in which he voices villain Dr Ivo Robotnik.
The release of its first trailer last April was pretty much universally panned, largely due to the design of the titular hedgehog.
So severe was the backlash that the film’s release was pushed back so they could tweak the design of the character.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--How Much Will The Coronavirus Outbreak Cost?

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How Much Will The Coronavirus Outbreak Cost?
The human cost of the coronavirus outbreak in China continues to grow, but what will the economic cost be? China has the second largest GDP and one of the fastest-growing economies so the financial impact of the outbreak is likely to be felt around the world. We speak to economist Dr Jan Knoerich from King’s College London about just how big a shockwave this is likely to cause and what it means for the UK’s economy.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Jennifer Aniston And Courteney Cox Look Like Sisters In Birthday Celebration Snap

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Courteney Cox celebrated her Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston’s 51st birthday on Tuesday by posting this snap on Instagram of the pair looking very much alike:
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“No matter how hard you might try... there’s only one Jennifer Aniston,” Courteney (aka Monica Geller in the hit sitcom) captioned the picture that Jennifer (who played Rachel Green) clearly enjoyed seeing on her feed:
Jennifer, meanwhile, marked her special day with an Instagram post thanking Interview magazine for using photographs of her on its front page.
“I had no idea this would be coming out today. Feeling proud and honoured to be celebrating with this cover,” Jennifer wrote. “Thanks to the Interview team for celebrating women at every age... turns out 51 is pretty fun.”
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Other Friends stars also wished Jennifer a happy birthday on Instagram.
Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay, described her as “always beautiful and keeps getting more beautiful.”
And Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) dedicated his fourth-ever post on the picture-sharing network that he only joined last week to the actor:
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Exclusive: Rebecca Long-Bailey Pledges To Keep Corbyn Tax Rates For Her Labour Leadership | The Waug

Exclusive: Rebecca Long-Bailey Pledges To Keep Corbyn Tax Rates For Her Labour Leadership | The Waugh Zone
Salford and Eccles Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey sits down with Paul Waugh to discuss her leadership bid. Touted as Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred successor, Long-Bailey discusses Labour’s general election loss and what the party needs to do to once again connect with voters across the UK.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Rebecca Long-Bailey Commits To Keep Corbyn Pledges On Taxing The Rich, Banning Arms Sales And Ending

Rebecca Long-Bailey Commits To Keep Corbyn Pledges On Taxing The Rich, Banning Arms Sales And Ending Gender Pay Gap

Rebecca Long-Bailey has moved to outflank Keir Starmer in the Labour leadership race by committing to keep Jeremy Corbyn’s pledges on taxing the rich, banning arms sales, tackling climate change and ending the gender pay gap.
The shadow business secretary told HuffPost UK that she would stick firmly to a range of specific targets set out in the 2019 manifesto because it was important to “never give up” on Corbyn’s roadmap for reform.
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And she insisted she was on course to beat Starmer by tapping into the mass membership who are “political”, but who do not turn up to the local party meetings that have so far given Starmer a big lead in nominations.
In a wide-ranging interview, she also:
Vowed not to appoint any new peers because it’s “not right” for party leaders to give places in the House of Lords to people they know or their staff
Revealed she was spurred to become active in the Labour party after hearing centrist members talk about means testing NHS hospital meals
Offered to consult party members on whether proportional representation should be used for local and general elections
Said Labour suffered in the last election because its own MPs had criticised Corbyn for the past four years
Joked about her and flatmate Angela Rayner sharing their late-night Pot Noodle supplies
Starmer, Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Emily Thornberry are still in the race to succeed Corbyn, with the winner due to be announced on April 4.
Speaking ahead of the first televised hustings in the leadership race on Wednesday night, Long-Bailey moved to create “clear red water” between herself and frontrunner Starmer by binding herself more closely to the 2019 manifesto.
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Starmer has set out his own 10 Pledges to unite Labour, but Long-Bailey allies swiftly pounced on some notable omissions or alternative approaches in the list.
On tax, the shadow Brexit secretary says he would “increase income tax on the top 5% of earners” on salaries of more than £80,000 a year, but is understood to want to determine the specific tax bands nearer the next election.
He backs the “Green New Deal” plan to decarbonise the economy, but has decided not to commit to the party’s pledge to set a path to net zero emissions by 2030.
On equalities, Starmer wants to end the gender pay gap as soon as possible but is not explicitly any longer signed up to ending it within a decade as the manifesto promised.
Similarly, he has pledged to “review” all arms sales, rather than repeat the pledge to “immediately suspend” sales of arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen or arms to Israel used in human rights abuses of Palestinians.
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Allies of Starmer insist that while his pledges show he won’t backtrack on Labour’s “radical values”, losing the election means that some specific pledges will have to be reexamined.
But Long-Bailey told HuffPost UK she was committed to the party’s plan to put a 45% tax on people earning more than £80,000 and a 50% tax on people earning more than £125,000 a year.
“It’s important to make sure that you’ve got a tax base that’s capable of being able to deliver the investment that [public] services need, and it’s not unfair to expect that those with the broad shoulders should pay more.
“By using that tax and taxing fairly that’s reinvested, but it also ensures that those people who are on a 45p or 50p tax rate, they’ll do better in the future, because we’ll have a better functioning economy… There’s no plan to deviate from those tax rates at the moment.”
On arms sales, she said she would stick to the current manifesto pledge “because we need to have a moral defence strategy and arms sales strategy.”
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“Arm sales end in people being injured or killed. And I think we need to take a moral responsibility in that - ethical business,” she said.
Long-Bailey said that a firm pledge to end the gender pay gap and to get to net zero emissions by 2030 were key to showing Labour had not given up its core beliefs.
“[The gender pay pledge] is so important and it’s not unlike tackling the climate crisis. We can’t just sit on our hands for the next few years waiting for the next general election, because life for our communities could potentially get very bad.
“So we’ve got to use our influence within parliament but also outside of parliament by building campaigns and a movement around these two issues to push as much action from the government as we can possibly see before 2024.
“Because I suspect if they don’t do anything at all, by the time it gets to 2024 the gender pay gap will be even bigger than it is now.”
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Writing for HuffPost UK today on why “after 120 years it is time that Labour finally elects a woman as leader”, Long-Bailey added: “We cannot retreat from this ambitious agenda – that would be to let women down.”
As of Wednesday morning, Starmer had a healthy lead in nominations by local constituency Labour parties, with 312 to Long-Bailey’s 138. Nandy had 59 and Thornberry 23.
But in the interview, Long-Bailey said she was “not concerned” by the figures because in many cases - as in Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituency - she had come second by just a few votes, but also because lots of members hadn’t voted at all.
“What I would say about my campaign is that I wasn’t ready and out of the blocks as soon as the general election was called.
“I spent quite a long time over Christmas deciding whether this was the right thing to do for me and my family, whether it was right for the party so I think we’ve always been a little bit behind the other campaigns in that regard, but we’re making ground now.”
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The Salford MP said that the numbers at attending nomination meetings “represents a tiny proportion of our membership because a lot of people don’t go to their meetings”.
“You might get 50 to 100 people at a meeting if you’re lucky, some constituencies more. But, to give Salford as an example, we had about 100 people come to our nomination meeting. We’ve got nearly 2000 members, who potentially are all going to vote.
“So a lot of people that you’re trying to reach won’t be active party members. They’ll be political, but they won’t be directly involved in your party locally. I think I’m going to win. Obviously.”
She stressed that she was the candidate for those members who flocked to Corbyn, but who since the election had doubted themselves.
“Many of our members have been going through what I can only describe as a grieving process,” she said.
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“And they felt that what we’ve believed in for the last five years, maybe wasn’t possible anymore. And what I’m saying, and one of the reasons why I’m standing, is that it is possible. We should never give up on wanting aspiration for our communities and wanting that better quality of life, because we had a roadmap to get there.
“We didn’t explain it very well. And we’ve packaged it in in a kind of incoherent way sometimes, but we can still have that if we’ve got the right leader with the right messaging. So that’s what I’m trying to say to our members. But It’s understandable that they’re questioning what the right thing to do would be.
In what appeared to be a dig at Starmer supporters who say he looks the most prime ministerial of the candidates, she added: “It’s not enough to just put a suit on and think that you can look prime ministerial and wander into Downing Street.
“That’s never happened how Labour wins elections, it’s about telling people what their children’s lives and their grandchildren’s lives again to be like and that they’re always going to be better than their own.”
The daughter of working class parents, who went on to university, a career in law and a house in Cheshire (though she now lives back in her Salford constituency), Long-Bailey is herself in many ways the embodiment of the social mobility that Labour has pursued.
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“I don’t like talking in terms of class. To be honest, I am working class and I’ll always feel working class but people will try and pigeonhole me to either be working class or, you know, middle class whatever you want to call it,” she says.
Although she was political in her youth, Long-Bailey didn’t join Labour until 2010 when she was in her thirties. Labour’s defeat prompted her to join, as it is prompting many following the 2019 defeat.
But she reveals that the real spur was more close to home. “My mum had retired, and she was driving my dad around the bend at home because she didn’t have any hobbies and because she’s only ever been into politics and watching the news, she didn’t do like knitting or like crafts and things like that.
“So I said to her, ’We’ve got to get you a hobby. Why don’t we both join the Labour Party and I’ll come to some meetings with you? I was living near my mum and dad at the time. And I said I’ll go and then when you’ve made friends I’ll leave you to it.
“And we went to that first meeting, and I remember there was one member there, who said how he thought it was a really good idea to means test hospital meals. And a few other people in the meeting went ‘yeah that’s really good, if you can afford to pay you should afford to pay’. And I could feel the anger building up inside [me].
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“This is how far we’ve come in five years you see. I remember driving back from the meeting and they’re saying to my mum ’I know I said I was gonna leave you to it, but unless I get involved and sort this out then we’re all doomed.
“And that’s when I started trying to influence within my local party, to get involved in campaigns and things like that and still even then, I never expected to become an MP I was quite happy to to just do what I could in my local area.”
Amid reports that Corbyn has nominated former Speaker John Bercow, ex deputy leader Tom Watson and chief of staff Karie Murphy for peerages, Long-Bailey was adamant that if she became leader the practice would end.
“I’d abolish the House of Lords, so I don’t really think we should be appointing anybody to be honest. I want them all to be democratically elected.
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“Some of them [current peers] are brilliant by the way and they do a great job so I’m not undermining the work they do. But they’ve been appointed either for doing great things in their community, being experts in a particular area or because the opposition or the government have decided to appoint them because they know them or they’ve worked for them.
“And that’s not right. And that’s why we’ve got to have an elected senate outside of London.”
HuffPost UK reported this weekend that up to 40 MPs were threatening to quit the party if Long-Bailey became leader this spring. How did she react to that?
“I hope it’s not true. And I hope that when I win the leadership, if I’m lucky enough to, that they realise what it is I stand for, and they want to respect the democratic views of our members.
“I don’t want anybody to go, I think we’re a broad church, and that’s what makes us so strong. It’s good to have the debates and the arguments, but we do it in private. And once we’ve reached an agreement we move on, we get behind whoever the leader is.
“I’ll get behind whoever the leader is if it’s not me. And then we try to win a general election but what we don’t do is have our rows in public because nobody wants to vote for a party that’s rowing with itself.”
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She said that Labour MPs shared some responsibility for the fact that voters saw the party as divided.
“We weren’t united, we haven’t been united for four years. And if people are out there on the media saying negative things about the leader or indeed other colleagues, it doesn’t set us in a good place and it’s quite destructive.”
LONG-BAILEY ON... what she’s learned about herself in the leadership race “You know I’m actually more relaxed about it than I thought I was going to be, because I expected to get an onslaught from certain elements of the media, and I expected to be scrutinised and I expected hostility from certain quarters and warmth and love from others. But I didn’t think that I’d be this calm about it. You’ve just got to get on with it, say what your vision is. If people don’t like it, that’s fine somebody else will be leader.” LONG-BAILEY ON... Richard Burgon’s ‘peace pledge’ (to give Labour members a vote on whether to launch military action) “I want us to be a democratic party and for our members to have a more forceful and positive role in policymaking. But I think it’s important to note that, particularly in matters of war, whilst it’s possible to get the view of members you couldn’t rely on them being your first point before you made your decision, because quite often a lot of these decisions have to be taken very quickly by a prime minister.
“I’d never have a problem going out to the members and asking their opinion on any policy, whether that’s war or economic policy... I think asking for views of the membership rather than asking for a vote on every single policy issue, because it could become quite cumbersome.” LONG-BAILEY ON... consulting members about electoral reform “I think we should. We’re going to abolish the House of Lords under Rebecca Long-Bailey leadership. And we’re going to replace it with an elected senate outside of London. That will be elected by way of a proportional voting system. So I think we’ve got the opportunity to see how it works in practice.
“One of the concerns I’ve always had about proportional voting, and this is one of the things that’s come out of the Brexit election as well, is that it’s so important to have MP rooted in communities and accountable to local communities, and sometimes proportional voting doesn’t allow that to happen. If there was some system that we could look at that would allow that I’d be far more comfortable with it. That I think that’s the circle that we’ve got to square.
“I think the House of Lords idea is one way that we could experiment but I think, potentially looking at local government could be another one. It’s a discussion that we’ve got to have within the party because there’s certainly a lot of talk about it at the moment.” LONG-BAILEY ON... living with Angela Rayner “We don’t back until really late, most nights. Most of time we just talk about what we are having for tea. We haven’t had veg for ages, we’ve not had time. All we’ve got in the house at the minute are Pot Noodles. I had Angela’s last Pot Noodle the other day because there was literally no food. I texted her and said ‘can I have your chicken and mushroom Pot Noodle?’ And she said that’s fine, what’s mine is yours.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Lords' Inflation-Busting Pay Rise To £323 A Day Is 'Odd', Boris Johnson Says

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Boris Johnson has criticised the House of Lords for giving unelected members a tax-free pay rise that means they will earn £323 a day.
The prime minister said it was “odd” that peers are in line for an inflation-busting 3.1% increase in April.
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The hike will give peers a tax-free income of more than £48,000 if they attend all 150 days the Lords typically sits in a year.
Johnson was quizzed on the pay hike after he reportedly nominated a string of Tory donors as well as ex-cabinet ministers Philip Hammond and Ken Clarke for peerages.
At prime minister’s questions in the Commons, SNP MP Kirsten Oswald said: “The new daily allowance for the unelected and unaccountable peers being stuffed into the House of Lords by the prime minister is set to rise to £323.
“The monthly allowance for a single person over-25 on universal credit is £317.82.
“Is that the levelling up the prime minister keeps talking about?”
Johnson replied: “I hate agreeing with these people – actually, I do find [...] that it is odd that the House of Lords has chosen to do that, but it is a decision for them.”
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The Lords pay increase stems from a 2018 decision to link increases in the daily allowance to the method used by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) for increasing the salaries of MPs, which rise in line with public sector earnings.
The PM’s comments came as former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said she would give “serious consideration” to joining the Lords if offered a peerage.
Davidson stood down as leader last August due to a “conflict” she felt over Brexit having campaigned for Remain, and to spend more time with her son.
But Johnson is said to be lining Davidson up for a peerage.
She told DC Thomson’s The Stooshie podcast it was “flattering to be considered” for a seat in the Lords but dismissed the idea that this could be a route to government office for her.
Davidson said: “In terms of ‘do I want to sit in a ministerial office in London and leave my son?’ then no I don’t.”
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Regarding the possibility of her joining the House of Lords, she said: “I don’t know if this is being offered – but if it is, I would need to give it serious consideration.”
Davidson said the role of the Lords is to “scrutinise legislation which has already been drafted in the House of Commons”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--After 120 Years It Is Time Labour Finally Elects A Woman Leader

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Socialist women have been at the forefront of struggles for liberation for over a century. In Salford I have been lucky enough to have been surrounded by the history of pioneering suffragettes from Mary Clarke to Elizabeth Wolstenholme as I grew up, and that socialist feminism has shaped my politics.
After 120 years it is time that Labour finally elects a woman as leader, not just to tick a box but because of what I stand for.
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I know that I was one of the lucky women from where I grew up who has done well, but that’s not good enough. Feminism must always be about much more than individual women doing well simply because they are lucky like I was; it is about changing the system to ensure that all women in all our diversity succeed. Not just tinkering around the edges. I don’t want to see an increase in women CEOs if it doesn’t also mean the end of women being the majority of those locked into low-paid, insecure work.
I am proud that women are now just over half of elected Labour MPs and in recent years women have been half the Shadow Cabinet. As Labour leader I will make sure that women in all our diversity and strength are represented at every level of our party, participating and making decisions. It means ensuring our party, its structures and events are accessible. And I want women to see our party as having their interests, their equality and liberation at its heart, and coming up with the answers to the challenges they face.
Entrenched ideas of a woman’s role still permeates society. I am often asked how I manage being a mother to a young child, an MP and in the Shadow Cabinet. There is no denying it is hard juggling different responsibilities, as many women know but I wonder how often my male colleagues and counterparts are asked such questions. It is part of the same spectrum that leads to 54,000 women a year losing their jobs for being pregnant, and many more find they are sidelined at work and fewer opportunities for promotion appear.
“There is no path to power which does not have the equality and freedom of all women at its heart.” - Rebecca Long-Bailey
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Take the care industry, for example - when it’s paid employment, caring is undervalued, low paid and insecure – and yet it is emotionally and physically demanding, and much needed. As social care has become ever more restricted and childcare more expensive it is women who have by and large picked up these responsibilities: caring for older relatives and young children. Why is that a woman’s role and why is it not valued? These are structural issues which must be pulled down.
It is clear in this, and a multiplicity of other ways, that as a society and country the potential and aspirations of millions are left unfulfilled – and that things have got worse in recent years, not better. Amnesty International have said that the burden of cuts and austerity – 86 per cent of which has fallen on women ―have left women in a “precarious” position, with Black and Asian women, disabled women and single mothers being hit hardest. The impact of austerity and cuts has been to limit women’s voices and choices even further at every turn.
It is why so-called ‘women’s issues’ can never be seen as a separate interest to the broader questions of how we redistribute power and wealth in our society, and how we solve the connected crises we face as a country; the crisis in our living standards, our climate, our democracy and in our public services. As a movement we must have a goal of changing society to one where women are able to have control and choices over their lives and bodies. I fully support a woman’s right to choose and defending women’s reproductive rights.
The cuts to social security and the very design of Universal Credit penalises women. The cuts to our NHS and public services hurt women as they are the majority of public sector workers, women need those services more, and cuts to public transport have impacted women’s feeling of safety.
I want a society where girls and women are free from violence and abuse. This means fighting for cultural change and holding the government to account for the nearly £7 million cuts between 2010 and 2018 made to women’s life-saving services such as refuges. Cuts to our police services, the criminal justice system and women’s specialist support services are letting women down. At present the conviction rate for rape cases is currently at 1.4%.
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This has led to the End Violence Against Women and Girls Coalition and the Victim’s Commissioner to state that ‘rape has been decriminalised’ and that men can rape with impunity. Recently the media shone a light on the failures of the criminal justice system in Cyprus, but we have a similar crisis here in the UK. Despite more women coming forward, powered by the #MeToo movement, only a small percentage of these cases will result in a conviction and, due to cuts, survivors are forced to wait months for therapy.
In building a society where all women live free from violence and are equal we must ensure we are fighting for the rights of all women, seeing off the rise of the far right and racism, supporting the rights of migrant women and calling for the closure of Yarl’s Wood and cruel detention centres, and supporting the rights of trans women.
But we all know it is not enough to simply end the cuts. It is why some of Labour’s most far reaching and ambitious policies were about going further than we have done ever before to achieve equality. As Labour leader I will keep these, for example, our target of ending the gender pay gap by 2030. We cannot retreat from this ambitious agenda – that would be to let women down. It is why the elected Senate I want to replace the House of Lords would be tasked with assessing legislation against how it contributes towards equality.
I am proud of the Green Industrial Revolution policies I developed to remake our economy so it is sustainable and delivers social justice, creating good quality unionised jobs in each and every local community – and for the whole community. It is an invitation to break down the gender and other occupational segregation that remains in place. We should continue to push for equality audits that take action to end the gender, race and disability gaps that exist in recruitment, pay and promotion. We need cultural change to end the gender stereotyping of roles that continue to narrow and restrict the hopes and dreams of young girls.
There is no path to power which does not have the equality and freedom of all women at its heart. It is striking that at the last election Labour polled higher among women than men in every age group — amongst 18 to 24 year olds there was a 19 point lead amongst women. This is something we got right – and we need to develop further, not retreat from.
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We have a mountain to climb over the next few years and we need to be fighting the Tories now to begin to meet that challenge. Over the past few weeks during this leadership election I have faced attacks on my background, my family and my faith. I have experienced a tiny fraction of what Diane Abbott has experienced for years.
Last week my colleague Tracy Brabin faced a vitriolic tide of abuse on her ability to do her job and her personality simply because of her choice in clothes: questions that are rarely hurled at a Prime Minister who makes a virtue of being permanently dishevelled. We have always been stronger than the bully boys, our voices won’t be silenced and we won’t stop taking the actions needed for women’s collective empowerment. It is why I am standing for Labour leader and why I believe it is time we had a woman leader.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Chloe Haines: Jet2 Air Rage Passenger Who Tried To Open Door Mid-Flight Jailed For Two Years

Chloe Haines PA
A woman with “insane strength” who assaulted an airline steward while drunk and tried to open the doors of a plane mid-flight has been jailed for two years.
Chloe Haines, 26, pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of an aircraft and assault by beating after an incident that saw a passenger plane to Turkey forced to divert back to Stansted Airport.
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Yelling “I’m going to kill you all”, she was so violent that two RAF jets were scrambled to escort the Jet2 plane back to Britain on June 22.
Haines was accused by the airline of a “catalogue of aggressive, abusive and dangerous behaviour” on a flight bound for Dalaman in Turkey, including trying to open the aircraft doors during the flight.
She also admitted assaulting cabin crew member Charley Coombe during an appearance at Chelmsford Crown Court in December.
Yeah they were terrified she was going mental an hour into the flight..they had to restrain her until they landed at Stansted and police come on board pic.twitter.com/sj5qpLk5ST — Michele (@Michele__Walker) June 22, 2019
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She later said she “blacked out and didn’t really remember what happened” after mixing alcohol with medication, said prosecutor Michael Crimp.
Haines was said to have been restrained by both crew and customers while the two Typhoon fighter jets chaperoned the plane back to Stansted.
The aircraft caused a sonic boom as they flew to meet the plane and escort it.
Judge Charles Gratwicke, sentencing Haines on Wednesday, said: “Those that are trapped in the confined space of the aircraft will inevitably be distressed, frightened and petrified by the actions of those who in a drunken state endanger their lives.
“For some it will be their worst nightmare come true.”
Haines, dressed in a white shirt and black top, with her blonde hair in a ponytail, sobbed through much of the hearing.
An ex-bouncer on board the flight told The Sun of Haines’ “insane strength” as he wrestled her to the floor during the incident.
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Steven Brown, 58, said: “She was punching, kicking and screaming at the stewards. They were trying to stop her but they had no chance.
“She was only petite but she had the strength of a fully-grown man. The only time I’ve seen anything like that was when someone had just dropped acid. She had super strength.”
Haines, of Maidenhead in Berkshire, was arrested by Essex Police upon landing on suspicion of assault, criminal damage and endangering an aircraft.
Jet2 calculated that the incident cost it £86,000, the court heard.
Crimp said Haines had “lunged” at a door handle on the plane, which had 206 people on board.
One passenger later told police he “really feared she would open the door”, Crimp said, adding: “He said: ‘I honestly thought I was going to die.’”
Haines said “I want to die” and “I’m going to kill you all” as cabin crew and passengers restrained her.
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“She continued to shout in a similar way,” said Crimp. “She was kicking and punching.”
A passenger had seen her drinking from a bottle in the overhead locker, he said, and a 200ml bottle of gin was later found in a duty free bag with around a quarter of its contents gone.
Haines said she had also been drinking in the airport, the prosecutor said.
Crimp said it was impossible to open the exit door mid-flight but many passengers did not know this.
The risk arose from all of the cabin crew dealing with the incident, he said, leaving them unable to deal with any further emergency or to be briefed by the pilot.
He added that the RAF jets were sent “in error”.
Haines had previously been convicted of a drink-driving offence and three counts of assaulting an emergency worker, which all happened in April 2019, 17 days before the incident.
Oliver Saxby QC, mitigating, said Haines has been diagnosed with mental ill health and has not touched alcohol since the day of the incident.
“She wasn’t just drunk, she was unwell,” he said.
He added: “She’s appalled, she’s ashamed, she’s deeply embarrassed by what she did.
“She’s disgusted with herself.”
He said Haines is unemployed with no savings and goes to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings up to four times a week.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Macaulay Culkin Recalls Uncomfortable Conversation With James Franco About Michael Jackson Documenta

Macaulay Culkin Recalls Uncomfortable Conversation With James Franco About Michael Jackson Documentary

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Macaulay Culkin has recalled an awkward conversation about the recent Michael Jackson documentary he had with James Franco, after bumping into the actor on a plane.
As a boy, the Home Alone star was one of a number of children who befriended Jackson, with many going on to allege they were abused by the singer (Culkin has always maintained that he was never abused by Jackson).
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Two accounts of allegations – which Jackson and his estate have always denied – were detailed in the two-part 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which led many to re-examine the musician’s revered position within pop culture.
In a new interview with Esquire, Culkin has revealed he had an uncomfortable encounter with James Franco when he brought up the documentary on a flight.
Macaulay Culkin Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
“I ran into James Franco on a plane,” Culkin said. “I’d bumped into him two or three times over the years.
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“I give him a little nod as we’re putting our bags overhead. Hey, how you doing? Good, how ya doing? And it was right after the Leaving Neverland documentary came out, and he goes, ‘So, that documentary!’ And that was all he said. I was like, ‘Uh-huh.’ Silence.”
Culkin continued: “So then he goes, ‘So what do you think?’ And I turned to him and I go, ’Do you wanna talk about your dead friend?’ And he sheepishly went, ‘No, I don’t.’ So I said, ‘Cool, man, it was nice to see you.’ ”
James Franco Taylor Hill via Getty Images
Asked about his relationship with Michael Jackson, he noted: “I’m gonna begin with the line—it’s not a line, it’s the truth: He never did anything to me. I never saw him do anything. And especially at this flash point in time, I’d have no reason to hold anything back. The guy has passed on.
“If anything—I’m not gonna say it would be stylish or anything like that, but right now is a good time to speak up. And if I had something to speak up about, I would totally do it. But no, I never saw anything; he never did anything.”
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Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin in 1991 Ernie Mccreight/Shutterstock
Jackson’s estate previously described Leaving Neverland as “yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson”.
The late artist was acquitted of all charges in 2005 following a high-profile trial.
He died in 2009, at the age of 50, while preparing for a series of 50 concerts that were scheduled to take place at London’s O2 Arena.
The cause of death was found to be an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Cultivating A Mindfulness Habit Is Easier Than You Think

With the NHS advocating mindfulness to ’help us enjoy life more and understand ourselves better’ it’s clearly something that’s worth building into our daily lives. But don’t think of it as just another thing you have to do or schedule. Here’s how to work the practice into your everyday routine so it quickly becomes a beneficial habit you won’t want to do without.
Zach Louw / EyeEm via Getty Images
Mindfulness in minutes
Any time you feel the pressure of daily life rising, take a minute out to focus on your breath and bring yourself back to the present moment – you can do this waiting for the lift, by the watercooler, in a meeting hiatus. Breathe in and out normally, appreciating the time taken for each inhalation and exhalation, and feeling your lungs expanding and deflating with each breath cycle. When those pesky pressures try to pop back into your mind, bring your attention back to your breath.
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You can also perform a mini, three-minute version of the body scan exercise. To be aware of your body and its sensations, close your eyes and, starting with your feet, gradually scan upwards through your body to your head. What sensations can you feel? Do your legs feel heavy? Does your back or neck ache? Can you breathe easily? Move the scan to your hands and fingers, then out to your surrounding environment. Open your eyes. You’ll feel calmer and more grounded.
Mindful listening and speaking
Author Fran Lebowitz once said, ‘The opposite of talking isn’t listening – it’s waiting.’ We all know someone who waits, glassy-eyed, to have their say while you have yours, talks over you before you’ve finished speaking, then complains they ‘can’t get a word in edgeways’ otherwise. Don’t be that person. Cultivate mindful listening and speaking every day.
Give the person you’re conversing with your full attention during a conversation. Instead of mentally rehearsing what you’re going to say next, let go of those thoughts, really focus on the other person and hear what they’re saying. You may find the conversation moves onto a more interesting track than the one you had in your head.
Before you respond, pause, think before you speak, breathe and contribute something interesting and relevant. If you didn’t understand something, ask, then repeat back your understanding; this shows you were really listening. In this way, conversation becomes less of a breathless, like-for-like trading of random thoughts, and more relational: a real exchange that enriches both sides and demonstrates that the art of conversation is not dead.
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Mindful walking
Most of us walk around at some point during our day; we may as well do it mindfully. Paradoxically, the busier our day, the more slowly we should walk, ignoring that inner voice nagging us to ‘hurry, hurry, hurry’. To walk mindfully, slow right down. Be aware of the soles of your feet – how they contact the floor, and the sensations in your leg muscles as you move. When your mind wanders to your to-do list, bring your attention back to these sensations of walking, and the present moment.
Mindful walking can also take in the sounds, sensations and experience of your immediate environment, particularly if you can get outside into the open air. Feel the breeze on your face, hear the city sounds, the countryside birdsong, the children in a nearby playground. Connect these to your sensations of walking to feel completely part of the moment.
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Mindful eating
Too many of us grab a sandwich, scoff it rapidly at our desk while we focus on some knotty spreadsheet data, then wonder why we feel unsatisfied and dyspeptic. Meal breaks should be exactly that – a break, and the ideal time for some daily mindfulness. Our food comes via some extraordinary processes: farming, picking, processing, cooking, packaging and transport. Appreciate and celebrate its provenance by eating it mindfully.
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When you choose your food, choose it mindfully too. Think about what is in it, and what impact it will have. Is it nutritionally healthy? Is it ethically sourced? Is the packaging minimal, or at least recyclable? If you feel you sometimes don’t eat as balanced a diet as you’d like, you may wish to consider taking a multivitamin supplement. Mindfully taking care of your health shows appreciation for your amazing body and all that it allows you to do.
When you have a meal break, share that time with others who are also eating, and doing nothing but eating. Research shows that sharing meals can contribute to increased happiness.
Eat slowly, take an interest in each other’s food, engage in conversation and connect with each other. When you eat mindfully, focusing on your food and listening to your body, you’ll feel when you are full and be less inclined to overeat.
Matt Dutile via Getty Images Colleagues in office sharing lunch
Micronutrients made easy
To help support your health and well-being outside and in, Centrum has partnered with HuffPost to help you make small but yet effective changes.*
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Centrum wants to motivate you to boost your health in a simple, enjoyable and sustainable way. Working with leading experts, nutritionists, exercise and wellness brands, we have curated a wealth of tip-packed, easy-to-follow content from healthy eating ideas, to on-trend activities and ways to de-stress and relax. Centrum’s range of multivitamins is specially tailored to help support your nutritional needs every day based on your age, gender and lifestyle.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-12--Church Of England 'Still Institutionally Racist', Says Archbishop Of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral. PA Wire/PA Images
The Archbishop of Canterbury has admitted that the Church of England is still “institutionally racist”.
Speaking at the General Synod, the church’s national assembly, Justin Welby said he was “ashamed” of its history of racism.
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The clergyman’s remarks came as members unanimously backed a motion to apologise for racism encountered by “countless” Black, Asian and minority ethnic people since the Windrush migration in 1948.
Many sought to worship at the Church of England and were met with hostility.
“Personally, I am sorry and ashamed. I’m ashamed of our history and I’m ashamed of our failure. I’m ashamed of our lack of witness to Christ,” Welby said.
“We did not do justice in the past, we do not do justice now, and unless we are radical and decisive in this area in the future, we will still be having this conversation in 20 years time and still doing injustice - the few of us that remain, deservedly.
“We have damaged the Church, we have damaged the image of God and most of all, we have damaged those we victimised, unconsciously very often”.
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Synod has apologised for the racism experienced by black and minority ethnic people in the Church of England since the arrival of the Windrush generation.
Members of #Synod unanimously voted to redouble efforts to combat racism.
Read more:https://t.co/D6gO7zIFKo — The Church of England (@churchofengland) February 11, 2020
Welby’s comments came in response to Synod member Reverend Andrew Moughtin-Mumby, from Southwark Diocese, highlighting the experiences of the family of his parishioner, Doreen Browne.
Her mother, father and sibling were barred in 1961 from entering St Peter’s Church in Walworth, south London, “due to the plain fact of the colour of their black skin”, he said.
“They eventually found a home in a nearby parish church - but we know that many cradle Anglicans from the Caribbean did not, and simply left the church of England: that is a scandal of our own,” he said.
“Doreen’s family suffered a horrible, humiliating racism which still affects Doreen’s relationship with the church even today.”
Moughtin-Mumby had introduced a motion for the Synod to “stamp out” racism with “great effort and urgency”, as well as apologising for past incidents. This move was unanimously backed.
In 2018, former home secretary Sajid Javid issued apologies to Windrush immigrants who wrongly faced deportation. The archbishop drew a comparison, stating that the church had been a “hostile environment” to those people.
During a podcast for The Voice newspaper published earlier this month, columnist and BBC radio broadcaster Dotun Adebayo and Lover’s Rock singer Carroll Thompson, discussed how the rise of Britain’s Black church came as a result of racism in the Church of England.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Sajid Javid Resigns From Government As Boris Johnson Reshuffles Cabinet

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Sajid Javid has unexpectedly resigned as chancellor amid Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle, and said “no self-respecting minister” would accept the ultimatum handed to him by the prime minister that undermined his authority.
The prime minister sacked five senior ministers on Thursday morning but Javid had widely been expected to remain in post.
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Rishi Sunak, who had been serving as chief secretary to the Treasury, has been appointed chancellor in his place. He said he was “delighted” and had “a lot to get on with”.
It was understood Javid objected to No.10 seeking to take more control over the Treasury, a move that seemed to be confirmed when Downing Street said said a new joint team of special advisers was being established in between the two departments.
Speaking after the bombshell resignation for the first time, Javid made plain that the proposal was unpalatable.
He said: “I was unable to accept those conditions and I do not believe any self-respecting minister would accept those conditions.”
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It has been a privilege to serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Prime Minister & government will continue to have my full support from the backbenches. pic.twitter.com/cFo0fuaqv2 — Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) February 13, 2020
When asked whether the conditions were put forward by Boris Johnson’s special adviser Dominic Cummings, he said they were imposed “by the prime minister”.
He soon after posted his resignation on Twitter, and made a thinly-veiled attack on appointing loyalists by warning: “It is crucial for the effectiveness of government that you have people around you who can give you clear and candid advice.”
Javid has for weeks been at loggerheads with Cummings, the mastermind of the successful Vote Leave campaign brought in by the new prime minister to head his No 10 operation.
Last year HuffPost UK revealed Cummings had fired one of Javid’s advisers.
John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said the shock resignation showed the government was “in crisis after just over two months in power”.
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“Dominic Cummings has clearly won the battle to take absolute control of the Treasury and install his stooge as chancellor,” he said.
Former chancellor Sajid Javid, new chancellor Rishi Sunak PA
Elsewhere during a dramatic day, Julian Smith was fired as Northern Ireland secretary, despite him having recently helped secure a power-sharing deal at Stormont. He was replaced by party chairman Brandon Lewis.
Esther McVey has been fired as housing minister. Andrea Leadsom has been sacked as business secretary.
Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general, has been removed from his post and said it had been a privilege to serve during “recent turbulent political times”.
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In a post on Facebook, Theresa Villiers said the prime minister told her she had to “make way for someone new” as she lost her job as environment secretary.
It is the first cabinet reshuffle since Johnson won a comfortable majority at the general election in December.
Suella Braverman, a leading Brexiteer, has been appointed attorney general.
Alok Sharma has been promoted from the international development job to business secretary, replacing Leadsom.
He has also been handed the job of minister for COP26, the UN climate change summit taking place in the UK later this year.
Oliver Dowden is the new culture secretary, replacing Nicky Morgan.
Former Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay has been appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Amanda Milling has been appointed Conservative Party chairman.
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Priti Patel remains as home secretary and Dominic Raab remains as foreign secretary, Downing Street has confirmed.
Matt Hancock stays as health secretary and Liz Truss remains as international trade secretary.
Ben Wallace has kept his job as defence secretary - despite reports he was set to be fired.
Therese Coffey is staying in post as work and pensions secretary.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan has been promoted to international development secretary. George Eustice has been promoted to environment secretary.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--I've Never Had A Solid Sense Of Self. Motherhood Didn't Fix Me – But It Helped

HuffPost UK
Ever since becoming a parent, I’ve read countless articles about motherhood swallowing a grown woman whole, saddling her with the majority of the parental load, and gradually eroding the identity she had before she became a parent.
In my case, though, it was only after I became a mother that I felt my sense of identity beginning to firm up around the edges. I don’t want to suggest, of course, that motherhood somehow “completes” me, or should be anyone else’s path to enlightenment. What I do know is this.
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Five years ago, I gave birth to my older son son via emergency C-section after we both developed sepsis during labour. Recovering from major surgery was tricky enough, but I was also riddled with postnatal depression and PTSD from the birth, had no family of my own, and had recently left all my friends and the city I’d called home for 20 years to relocate to my husband’s provincial home-town where I barely knew anyone. Raising a child amid all this required dredging up reserves of strength and ingenuity I didn’t know I had.
It’s the same sort of test of personal power you might undergo should you ever find yourself navigating an emergency in a country where you don’t speak the language; or – and I don’t mean to be indelicate – if you are on the loo with virulent food poisoning and suddenly become aware that you must, as a matter of urgency, locate or fashion a secondary receptacle.
We all have the challenges that make us, and apparently motherhood is mine.
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The truth is, I’ve never had a very solid sense of who I am – largely because I never truly felt I could rely on myself. Academically I either performed brilliantly or abysmally, and I seemed to have no control over the outcome. And very quickly I learned that ambition was pointless because, where my peers could, say, set a goal and gradually work towards it, it seemed that the very act of wanting something meant that I would find myself moving erratically away from it, as though carried away by a runaway donkey.
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Like many people with poor self-image, I progressed unevenly through life, never really settling on a path – I’ve been a session musician, stage manager, web designer, technology journalist, children’s entertainer, and possibly the world’s worst barmaid – though I haven’t done any of these particularly well.
And, like many people with poor self-image, I have spent a great deal of time worrying about what other people think of me. I am a short woman with the round face and general demeanour of a cartoon baby chipmunk lost in a big city. So I developed a habit of pre-empting this by mentioning my wayward, purple-haired, chemically altered past (“I played guitar in bands, you know. Indie bands!”), lest people were tempted to mansplain train tickets, or how to order food in a restaurant, which happens more frequently than you might imagine.
“I’ve begun to realise that if my kids are happy and healthy, I can’t be as awful as I think I am.”
Parenthood, however has wrought two major changes in me. Firstly, I’ve started to realise that I can, in some instances, rely on myself – if I ignore the loud, panicky voice in my head that’s constantly telling me I’m going to fail, and listen out for the quieter, much more reasonable voice.
This is the voice that persuaded me to seek a third opinion on my son’s “eczema” that turned out to be chickenpox, and to avoid turning the buggy down a side-street just before a fight broke out there. It’s the voice that, while I was visiting a friend, told me to put down my coffee and run down the hall to the bathroom, where I discovered my three-year-old son who was nanoseconds from applying my friend’s Gillette Venus razor to his peachy little face. Turns out, I have instincts.
Secondly, I’ve begun to realise that if my kids are happy and healthy, I can’t be as awful as I think I am – even if to see me make coffee is to see me, not long after, tipping that coffee down myself.
It’s realisations like this that have led me to my diagnosis, in adulthood, of several chronic conditions, including ADHD, that I’ve lived with – undiagnosed and untreated – for all my life, and which explain away most of my struggles as trying to apply square-peg thinking to a round-hole existence.
Motherhood hasn’t fixed me, exactly, but it has created an environment where I can examine myself, and now every day I get to know myself a bit better. At the risk of sounding like an inspirational quote on Instagram, I am a work in progress. And one thing I’m particularly enjoying is that I still don’t know what I think about everything – and often I won’t find out until my kids ask me about it – and then we explore it together, which is very fulfilling.
And I’m not so worried about what people think of me anymore. If someone sees my chipmunk-face and starts mansplaining the metric system, or whatever, I’m more able to laugh it off and move on. Because I know what I think of myself; I say it every night as I go upstairs with my hot water bottle and mug of Sleepy Time Tea.
“You used to play in bands,” I whisper to myself. “Indie bands!” And I’m asleep by 8pm.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Here's What Sleep Doctors Do When They Can't Fall Asleep At Night

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We all deal with sleepless nights from time to time ― and yes, that includes experts like sleep doctors.
Though having trouble falling (or staying) asleep can be distressing, it may be comforting to know that it’s a common problem. According to a 2016 Consumer Reports survey, 68% struggle with sleep at least once a week.
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“It’s perfectly normal for all of us to have poor sleep or insomnia, but it becomes more of an issue for people that begin to become anxious and fixated on their sleep,” Ruchir P. Patel, medical director of the Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona, told HuffPost. “Remember, if you have a bad night here or there, it’s normal. The more you stress about your sleep, the less it will return back towards normal.”
We asked sleep doctors to share the tips, tricks or other advice they follow when they personally have trouble sleeping. Some you can implement during the day as preventive measures; others you can try on a sleepless night.
Carol Yepes via Getty Images
1. They don’t look at the clock.
“When I am up in the middle of the night, I try my hardest not to stare at the clock because clock watching is an easy way to have anxiety about the sleep loss and make the insomnia worse.” —Raj Dasgupta, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine
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2. They listen to soothing music.
“I will listen to Max Richter’s ‘Sleep’ in the background, as this is very unique classical music where he worked with neuroscientists to create music utilizing tones that can help to relax the mind and assist with sleep. My wife and I also use it for our 15-month-old baby since he was born and [it] has helped him too.” —Patel
3. They try to find some enjoyment in quiet, cozy time in bed.
“I have learned to enjoy being awake in my bed. It’s a pleasure to have quiet, comfortable time to reflect, plan, muse and simply be present. When you treat the situation as ‘a living nightmare,’ as one patient put it, you’ve already lost the battle.” —W. Chris Winter, president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and author of “The Sleep Solution”
“When you treat the situation as ‘a living nightmare,’ as one patient put it, you’ve already lost the battle.” - W. Chris Winter, author of “The Sleep Solution”
4. They remind themselves that they can always sleep in on the weekend.
“It helps me to not worry that I did not sleep well last night or that I’m tired today.” ―Patel
5. They don’t look at their phone.
“I try my hardest not to grab my cellphone because once I open my phone, I’m suddenly answering emails, checking my Instagram and watching ‘The Mandalorian’ on Disney+.” —Dasgupta
6. They move to another room and read something dull.
“If ultimately I have a very difficult time initiating sleep (greater than 30 minutes), then getting out of bed and going to a different part of the house, using dim light and reading something boring on paper can help to distract my mind that I have not fallen asleep. Then, I return to bed as soon as I get drowsy.” ―Patel
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7. They try not to take a sleep aid if they can help it.
“I generally do not take anything for sleep as it is a slippery slope. It’s very easy to become accustomed to taking something to ‘help me sleep.’” ―Patel
8. But if they really need it, they take a small dose of melatonin.
“Rarely, I have taken melatonin, 3 to 5 mg as needed.” —Anupama Ramalingam, sleep medicine physician at the Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona
McMillan Digital Art via Getty Images Starting your day with some time outdoors can help realign your circadian rhythms.
9. They go outside in the morning.
“Bright light exposure can be accomplished by going for a walk or having breakfast outside on a sunny day, or by using a light therapy box for 30 minutes.” ―Stacey Gunn, sleep medicine physician at the Insomnia and Sleep Institute of Arizona
10. They focus on resting rather than sleeping.
“I know that restful meditation is a restorative process, much like sleep. Unlike sleep, resting is something I have complete control over. I choose to focus on what I can control.” —Winter
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11. They make time for exercise during the day.
“To help with sleep, I get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day, whether it’s just me on the elliptical at the local gym or the whole family taking a walk outside or at the park.” ―Dasgupta
12. They tell themselves it’s not a big deal if they have a night of poor sleep.
“I keep reminding myself that it is OK if I don’t get enough sleep tonight and that it’s not the end of the world. This helps me to not get worked up, which in turn is going to take you longer to fall asleep. I also journal my thoughts, which helps.” —Ramalingam
13. They avoid sugar and caffeine later in the day.
“I try to eat smart before going to bed, which is not easy at all. I love junk food and Sour Patch Kids, but as a general rule I try to avoid high carbohydrate meals and things with lots of sugar or caffeine.” —Dasgupta
14. They create their own bedtime rituals.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--RuPaul's Drag Race UK Champ The Vivienne Blasts Divina De Campo For Trying To 'Discredit Her Win'

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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne has publicly put runner-up Divina De Campo on blast, over comments the latter made in a recent interview.
The Vivienne has accused Divina of being “fake” after she suggested she didn’t win the show because she’s not a “smash your kneecaps in” type.
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“I don’t think I fit the model that RuPaul likes,” Divina recently told QX Magazine. “He likes people who are cut-throat and will smash your kneecaps in, in order to win – that’s not me.”
After seeing Divina’s interview, The Vivienne tweeted: “Smash your knee caps in, in order to win. I won that show Fair and Square.”
Drag Race UK finalists The Vivienne and Divina De Campo BBC
She also accused Divina of “constantly discrediting my win”, adding: “GROW UP.”
In a subsequent tweet, The Vivienne claimed it felt as if a “weight” had been “lifted”, noting: “I’ve never entertained fake friendships in my life. Not going to start now. Sorry it was public, but had to get it off my chest.”
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Smash your knee caps in, in order to win. I won that show Fair and Square. Constantly discrediting my win.
GROW UP https://t.co/1qcuB5qMGt — TheVivienne (@THEVIVIENNEUK) February 12, 2020
Weight lifted. I’ve never entertained fake friendships in my life. Not going to start now. Sorry it was public, but had to get it off my chest — TheVivienne (@THEVIVIENNEUK) February 12, 2020
Divina has not yet publicly responded to The Vivienne’s comments.
The Vivienne was crowned the UK’s first ever Drag Race superstar during the BBC Three show’s final back in November, ahead of Divina and fellow finalist Baga Chipz.
A second series is set to begin filming soon, with RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Alan Carr and Graham Norton all returning as judges.
It’s set to be a huge year for Drag Race, with another series of the US show debuting later this month, before a fifth All Stars run and even a celebrity version coming later in 2020.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--The Murky World Of CBD Is Facing New Regulations – Here's Why

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You shouldn’t be consuming CBD products if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking any medication, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised.
Healthy adults are also urged to “think carefully” before taking CBD, as well as having no more than 70mg a day (about 28 drops of 5% CBD) unless under medical direction. These recommendations form part of the FSA’s first ever safety advice to consumers on CBD products.
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CBD, which is short for cannabidiol, is an extract of the cannabis plant that has taking over the wellness sector. CBD oils, supplements and hand creams are being sold everywhere from Holland and Barrett to John Lewis. And as the industry booms, they’re being joined by an increasingly eclectic line-up of products, from CBD-infused cold brew coffee to CBD tampons.
At its current rate of growth, the CBD industry is predicted to be worth almost £1 billion per annum by 2025, eclipsing sales of vitamin D and vitamin C. Advocates suggest CBD has a host of health benefits, from easing anxiety and acne to soothing chronic pain.
So why is the FSA cracking down?
Put simply, we don’t know enough about CBD to consume it at the rate we currently are. Critics have long pointed out that the CBD wellness industry is largely unregulated, with “little evidence” these products work.
Last June, the first major third-party testing of CBD wellness products in the UK found many products didn’t include the ingredients listed on their labels. The research, conducted by the Centre for Medical Cannabis, blind tested 29 oil products available in the UK, both online and in stores.
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Only 11 out of 29 (38%) of the products were within 10% of the advertised CBD content, and 11 out of 29 products had less than 50% of the advertised CBD content. One product, from a well-known high street pharmacy, was found to contain 0% CBD.
Despite this, research from YouGov suggests 9% of the UK population has already tried a CBD product, the equivalent of nearly six million people. Among those who are yet to sample CBD, a further 28% said they’d consider it.
“There is so much press around the potential benefits of CBD, customers are trying them without clear understanding of the products or the potential quality of the products,” Dr Sarah Gaunt, from the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) told HuffPost UK ahead of the FSA announcement.
The lack of regulation around CBD until now has meant it’s “difficult to know the responsible brands from the cowboys,” she added.
viennetta via Getty Images
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But isn’t CBD used for medical conditions?
CBD products available on the high street are very different from the CBD-based medicines now available on the NHS for conditions such as epilepsy.
“These [wellness products] typically contain low concentrations of CBD mixed in with other cannabinoids, and there are wide variations in what they contain,” Professor Philip McGuire, an expert in psychiatry and cognitive neuroscience at King’s College London, previously told HuffPost UK.
“It’s often difficult to know what the concentration of the different ingredients in these preparations is from just looking at the product label.”
Some medical trials have began looking at CBD in relation to multiple sclerosis and anxiety, with some positive results – but more research is needed. The results from such studies, however, can not be translated to the CBD available on the high street.
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Could CBD on the high street be harmful, then?
The new precautionary advice from the FSA is based on recent findings by the government’s Committee on Toxicity (COT), which reviewed the limited research available on CBD and warned of some negative health outcomes.
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“Potential effects [could] include damage to the liver, adverse effects during pregnancy and in young children, sedation/somnolence and interference with the action of some medicines, leading to drug interactions,” Professor Alan Boobis, chairman of COT told HuffPost UK ahead of the FSA announcement.
“CBD used in food/supplements is often of lower purity than the medical-grade CBD used in the clinical studies. It is possible that there are impurities in non-medical CBD that could lead to side effects in addition to the ones listed.”
Boobis said it’s “always a possibility” that the positive reviews from CBD wellness products are the result of a placebo response.
What regulations could CBD sellers face?
To help consumers make safer choices, the FSA has also announced a crackdown on CBD sellers, on top of the precautionary advice to consumers.
Last year, ingestible CBD products were reclassified as “novel foods” under EU law, meaning they should be evaluated on the basis of their claims and safety before being authorised to be sold. However, no immediate action was taken to remove existing products from shelves.
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Now though, the FSA is giving the CBD industry a deadline of 31 March 2021 to submit valid novel food authorisation applications. After 31 March next year, only CBD sellers who have submitted a valid application will be allowed to keep their products on the market – others will face being removed from shelves.
These new rules will only impact CBD products that are designed to be ingested, though, and will not tackle the growing world of CBD cosmetics, or the rise of CBD tampons purporting to tackle period pain.
In relation to the latter, gynaecologist Dr Brooke Vandermolen told HuffPost UK consumers should be cautious. “There is little to no evidence about CBD, period pain and the impact on the vagina and its ecosystem,” she said.
“It’s unclear what the short or long term risks are and if the potential benefits would justify these. It would be advisable to be wary of products designed for use in the vagina that contain medication without discussion with your doctor in the context of your own medical history.”
The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry would like to see clearer regulatory marking on CBD products so consumers can make informed choices. “We need government regulators to endorse or adopt a self-regulated kite-mark,” Dr Andy Yates, a pharmacist working with the ACI, told HuffPost.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Bill Turnbull To Reunite With Susanna Reid As He Covers For Piers Morgan On Good Morning Britain

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The 64-year-old, who is living with prostate cancer, will sit alongside his ex co-presenter on the ITV breakfast show for three mornings later this month.
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In a statement, Bill said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Susanna again and really looking forward to being on Good Morning Britain.
“We didn’t work together long enough and we got on so well. I was sad when she left at short notice. So for her to ask me to sit alongside her is very exciting.”
Bill Turnbull and Susanna Reid worked together on BBC Breakfast BBC
Bill has appeared as a guest on GMB on a few occasions since leaving BBC Breakfast in 2016.
Susanna said of teaming up with her former co-star once again: “When Bill came into GMB, he joked about filling in for Piers – and now he is!
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“It will be lovely to work alongside him again. I expect Bill presenting a breakfast show again will be like a duck taking to water - if the early alarm call isn’t too much of a shock.”
Bill added: “I’m in two minds about the early mornings! On the one hand, it’s great to be back doing live television. The other part of me thinks, ‘What on earth am I doing?’, having sworn never to do breakfast television again!
“But here I am doing it and it’s only in the short term, I’m in for three mornings.”
Bill will be standing in for Susanna's regular co-host Piers Morgan Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Asked if his presenting style will differ to the famously-outspoken Piers, Bill said: “Answering that would put me on thin ice, on deep water! But I can say, I don’t have such strong opinions as Piers has and I don’t voice them as much as he likes to. There are quite a few differences between us.”
Bill and Susanna worked together on BBC Breakfast until she defected to ITV to launch GMB in 2014.
He stepped down from his role on the rival breakfast show two years later, after 15 years at the helm.
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Since then, he has been diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer, and recently tried out some different products derived from cannabis for a Channel 4 documentary, Bill Turnbull: Staying Alive.
Bill has been living with incurable prostate cancer since 2017 BBC
Giving an update about his health, Bill said he was “OK at the moment”.
“When you have cancer, it’s always there,” he said. “But currently I feel really good, most of the time.
“I have changed my diet considerably and in the past few months I have felt healthier than I have in a long time. The only thing I do have is, because I’m on a hormone treatment, I do get hot flushes sometimes. I’m a bit nervous as it could be slightly awkward in the studio.
“Normally what happens if I get a hot flush, I get all red in the face and I take my jacket off and cool down. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do that. We may need to get a little fan.”
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Bill Turnbull hosts Good Morning Britain on 24-26 February from 6am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Kelvin Fletcher Addresses Marriage Speculation After Wife Is Pictured Without Wedding Ring

Strictly Come Dancing winner Kelvin Fletcher has spoken out amid tabloid speculation over his marriage to his wife of four years, Eliza Marsland.
Last week, the former Emmerdale star was photographed going for drinks with his former Strictly partner Oti Mabuse, and in the days that followed, Eliza was pictured not wearing her wedding ring.
Many media outlets were quick to piece the two things together, with Kelvin admitting he’s a little “bewildered” by all the scrutiny his relationship is facing.
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He’s also insisted that “everything” in his relationship remains “amazing”.
Kelvin Fletcher Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
“I am just a little bit bewildered by all the attention,” he told The Sun. “But I am sure it will all blow over.”
Earlier this week, Eliza maintained there was “no drama” with regards to her marriage, and that she simply wasn’t wearing her wedding ring because it is “heavy”.
“That ring is heavy. It only comes out on special occasions. Oh, and it was fake tan day. #Nodramahere,” she wrote in a post on her Instagram story.
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A screengrab of Eliza's post Eliza Marsland / Instagram
Kelvin and Eliza married in 2015, and have two children together, three-year-old Marnie and one-year-old Milo.
He landed Oti her first ever Strictly Come Dancing win in December last year, having only been invited to take part in the show as a last-minute replacement for reality star Jamie Laing.
Following his win, Kelvin thanked Oti for “the most amazing experience of my life,” saying: “I think this show represents everything that is amazing with this country, I think the people personify what is great and it’s just been an absolute privilege.”
Oti, who is married to Romanian dancer Marius Lepure, told him: “I’ve been on this show for five years and I have never ever met any celeb who gives his heart, his soul… for me that is the best gift and the best ending to my year.”
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Since bagging the Glitterball Trophy, Kelvin has been on the road on the Strictly tour, where he was partnered with Janette Manrara, while Oti filmed the BBC One series The Greatest Dancer.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Cabinet Reshuffle Latest: Smith, Leadsom, McVey, Cox And Villiers Have Been Sacked

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Boris Johnson has sacked five senior ministers, as he begun reshuffling his cabinet on Thursday morning.
The prime minister removed Julian Smith as Northern Ireland secretary despite him having recently helped secure a power-sharing deal at Stormont.
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Esther McVey has been fired as housing minister. Andrea Leadsom has been sacked as business secretary.
Geoffrey Cox, the attorney general, has been removed from his post as has environment secretary Theresa Villiers.
In a post on Facebook, Villiers said the prime minister told her she had to “make way for someone new”.
Serving the people of Northern Ireland has been the biggest privilege. I am extremely grateful to @BorisJohnson for giving me the chance to serve this amazing part of our country. The warmth & support from people across NI has been incredible. Thank you so much. — Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) February 13, 2020
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I’m very sorry to be relieved of my duties as Housing Minister
I wish my successor the very best & every success
I’m very grateful to the Prime Minister for having given me the opportunity to serve in his government & he will continue to have my support from the back benches — Esther McVey (@EstherMcVey1) February 13, 2020
It has been a real privilege to serve in Government for the last six years, and in @beisgovuk for six months. I now look forward to focusing on my constituents and on my 20+ year campaign to see every baby get the best start in life. (1/) — Andrea Leadsom MP (@andrealeadsom) February 13, 2020
I have been truly privileged to have served as Attorney General during the recent turbulent political times. I am now leaving the Government at the PM’s request. I shall continue to represent and stand up strongly for the interests of Torridge and West Devon. pic.twitter.com/Fo9SHLIe5i — Geoffrey Cox QC MP (@Geoffrey_Cox) February 13, 2020
Senior ministers including chancellor Sajid Javid, home secretary Priti Patel and foreign secretary Dominic Raab look as if they will remain in place.
It is the first cabinet reshuffle since Johnson won a comfortable majority at the general election in December.
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Alok Sharma is expected to be promoted from his current international development job, while paymaster general Oliver Dowden is rumoured to be the new culture secretary.
There are currently only eight women in Johnson’s 31-strong cabinet team and it has suggested this figure could actually go down rather than up.
Female MPs that are in line for promotion include defence minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan, prisons minister Lucy Frazer, former Brexit minister Suella Braverman and Chichester MP Gillian Keegan.
Downing Street has indicated the most junior ministerial rank – parliamentary under-secretary of state level – is likely to have a 50-50 gender split after the reshuffle.
Other factors at play in this reshuffle include filling the vacant role in charge of the Cop26 UN climate summit, with Michael Gove’s name having been floated.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--The Story Behind One Of Harry And Meghan's Most Viral Videos

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If you’ve watched a viral video about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry lately, there’s a very high chance it’s from the Twitter account @ddarveyy.
HuffPost spoke with Michelle, the 20-year-old Australian behind the account who only uses her first name online, about her latest highly successful video, which shows Harry fixing Meghan’s ponytail or smoothing out her hair at various events.
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“The most attentive husband,” the tweet text says, alongside a 24-second video that shows the couple in Morocco in February 2019, Nyanga township in Cape Town in 2019, New Zealand in 2018, and Meghan launching her cookbook at the Hubb Community Kitchen in September 2018.
The video, which has racked up 168,000 retweets and 730,000 likes, has an astounding 28.9 million views. To put that in perspective, only 23.6 million people tuned in to the Oscars.
the most attentive husband ☺💫 pic.twitter.com/3yEyYeGdMu — michelle (@ddarveyy) February 2, 2020
The tweet even earned a like from Rihanna ― who has only ever liked 1,022 tweets since she joined Twitter in 2009.
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A screenshot showing that Rihanna liked the recent viral video of Harry and Meghan. Getty Images
Michelle told HuffPost that she was a fan of Meghan “long before she met Prince Harry.” The more she learned about the actor, the more she liked her, she said.
“I came to see the genuine and kindhearted person she is. I was specifically impressed with all that she has achieved throughout her life and all the humanitarian work she has dedicated herself [to],” Michelle said via direct message on Feb. 5. “She was (and still is) somebody who really cares about not only the work she completes, but also the people who follow it.”
But even with her acting and involvement in many charities, Meghan still found time to interact with fans, helping to spur an online community of supporters that grew stronger as Meghan’s celebrity soared.
“Back when she had her own personal social media, she would constantly interact with her followers and even had built relationships with a few of them,” Michelle said.
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One of Michelle’s other extremely successful videos is from one from a 2016 AOL Build talk. During the interview, Meghan notices and gives a letter to a fan, Emily, whom she’d built a relationship with on Twitter. (AOL was HuffPost’s parent company at the time).
“Don’t forget Meghan did this,” Michelle tweeted in January 2020 alongside a clip of the interaction, garnering 9 million views and 443,000 likes. “This is the kind of person she is.”
dont forget meghan did this.
this is the kind of person she is pic.twitter.com/Izqgp9Z95T — michelle (@ddarveyy) January 12, 2020
Michelle is part of the SussexSquad community, the ever-growing group of online defenders speaking up on behalf of the Sussexes. Meghan especially has been the frequent target of racist coverage and online abuse by the British tabloid press and on Twitter, which is roundly regarded as a hotbed of hate.
Though Meghan couldn’t ― and didn’t ― hit back at trolls or tabloids directly as a working member of the royal family, her SussexSquad supporters gave the duchess a voice and defended her in real time.
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Michelle follows 158 accounts on Twitter, the majority of which prominently support the royal couple. She says her account is a “way for me to connect with other individuals who also share similar interests” and celebrate major Harry and Meghan events ― like the royal wedding and their son Archie’s birth.
Michelle told HuffPost that she creates content for her account whenever she gets “a sudden spark of creativity, or notice something from their engagements that is consistent” and wants to share it with people.
“When you follow each of their engagements, it’s not that hard to see the love and positivity they spread which makes coming up with content easy,” she said. “There is a lot of negative and unfair press against them, specifically Meghan, which is a shame and really disappointing.”
The creator said that she never intends for her work to go viral, but when it does, it’s “very overwhelming.”
“But I enjoy it because it helps spread the love and word on Harry and Meghan,” she said, adding that the SussexSquad always has a positive reaction to the content and that the “overwhelming majority” of comments she gets are positive.
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“When you follow each of their engagements, it’s not that hard to see the love and positivity they spread.” - Michelle, video creator and member of SussexSquad
In addition to posting cute moments or interactions between the couple, Michelle also uses her platform to highlight Meghan’s past humanitarian work.
“I made a thread on Twitter once highlighting Meghan’s pre-royal life achievements and that was a post that did get a lot of love,” Michelle wrote.
meghan markle -
thread of pre royal life achievements; — michelle (@ddarveyy) July 27, 2019
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📌 At the age of 11, meghan lobbied a dishwasher soap manufacturer to change its sexist TV commercial.
link: https://t.co/eyge9TT8zT pic.twitter.com/DJVJxzTSPZ — michelle (@ddarveyy) July 27, 2019
📌 Counsellor for international charity One Young World.
Participating in the One Young World 2014 Summit in which she joined a panel for the 'Bridging the Gap' session.
visit OYW: https://t.co/M5GijZBITR pic.twitter.com/P3m8BUSdq2 — michelle (@ddarveyy) July 27, 2019
📌 Visited Afghanistan with the United Service Organisations (USO) which supports the military and their families.
“In gratitude to our troops, and the opportunity to thank them personally for their sacrifice and service.
"Such an honor and feeling very very blessed. #USOtour" pic.twitter.com/MbRgPkkRph — michelle (@ddarveyy) July 27, 2019
📌 Advocate for Political Participation and Leadership - UN women.
listen to her 2015 speech here: https://t.co/XNg111bK3W pic.twitter.com/3tobhiElTt — michelle (@ddarveyy) July 27, 2019
“I had one person comment on it about how she knew Meghan was politically active and philanthropic but she had no idea it was this prolific,” Michelle said.
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But Michelle ― and the rest of the SussexSquad ― have also used their social media accounts to make a tangible impact on the world. Michelle highlighted a few campaigns she’s promoted with fellow accounts that have really taken off.
“We’ve had a #HappyFathersDayPrinceHarry which raised over $10,000 for two charities supported by Harry, including Scotty’s Little Soldiers and the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust,” Michelle said, adding that the group’s #GlobalSussexBabyShower push after Archie was born in May 2019 raised over $100,000 for various organisations.
Currently, the online community is running the hashtag campaign #SussexGreatForest, which aims to plant 100,000 trees by Archie’s first birthday.
“Harry and Meghan really inspire us to participate and help support good causes and I think that’s really important for people who have such a large platform,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Katherine Ryan Speaks Out After Awkward On-Stage Encounter With Slowthai At NME Awards

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British rapper Slowthai left the NME Awards abruptly on Wednesday night, after an on-stage clash with host Katherine Ryan and a subsequent incident involving an audience member.
Video footage from the night showed Slowthai walking on stage in the middle of the ceremony, seemingly to speak to host Julie Adenuga, with Katherine intervening.
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As he got up in Katherine’s face, he repeatedly referred to her as “baby girl” inviting her to “smell his cologne” and saying into her microphone: “She wants me to tend to her flowers.”
There was an incident at #NMEAwards2020 last night. British Rapper Slowthai, invaded host Katherine Ryan's space on stage and began making lewd & misogynist comments. Slowthai then began fighting with the audience. The amazing @Kathbum handled it like a pro, seemingly unphased. x pic.twitter.com/TdeV0lDHWI — Stand Up Fanatic (@standup_fanatic) February 13, 2020
Katherine then dismissively told him: “You are, like, the hottest guy I’ve ever seen… I’m so thirsty for your cock.
“Thank you for the attention. Let’s hear it for him! So hot! I’m so wet I’m going to slip off these stairs any minute.”
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Slowthai on stage with Katherine Ryan David M. Benett via Getty Images
Shortly after the incident, Slowthai was awarded Hero Of The Year, during which a member of the crowd shouted that he was a “misogynist”, apparently referencing his exchange with Katherine on stage.
“Thank you for ruining my speech, thank you very much,” Slowthai said back, after which a microphone and a full glass were thrown in the rapper’s direction.
Slowthai and Mura Masa on stage together David M. Benett via Getty Images
In retaliation, he threw a glass down into the crowd, before launching himself off the stage, at which point security intervened, and Katherine Ryan could be seen on stage attempting to cool the situation down.
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NME then reported that Slowthai had been “escorted from the stage” and had “left the NME Awards… following an altercation with the crowd”, but did not specify whether or not it was his choice to leave the venue completely.
It’s just kicked off at the NME Awards #Slowthai 😬 just after he won hero of the year #NMEAwards2020 pic.twitter.com/rKmUOXSuhB — Vinesh (@V1nesh) February 12, 2020
HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Slowthai for comment.
Shortly after the ceremony, Katherine also spoke out, insisting Slowthai “didn’t make [her] feel uncomfortable”.
“This is why we need women in positions of power,” she tweeted. “I knew he had lost [the fight] from the moment he opened his mouth like any heckler coming up against a COMIC - not a woman - a COMIC. I was operating 2/10. What a sweet boy. I defused it. Tonight was fun!”
He didn’t make me uncomfortable.
This is why we need women in positions of power. I knew he had lost from the moment he opened his mouth like any heckler coming up against a COMIC - not a woman - a COMIC. I was operating 2/10. What a sweet boy. I defused it.
Tonight was fun! ❤ https://t.co/BBMPZpIvhy — Katherine Ryan (@Kathbum) February 13, 2020
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Slowthai released his debut album Nothing Great About Britain in 2019, featuring collaborations with Skepta, Mura Masa and the punk band Slaves.
Nothing Great About Britain went on to be nominated for the Mercury Prize, with Slowthai making headlines during the ceremony when he performed holding a dummy of Boris Johnson’s head.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Coronavirus Latest: This Is What We Know About The Spike In Deaths And Cases

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The number of coronavirus-related deaths has soared to record highs in China’s Hubei province - the epicentre of the outbreak.
Health officials confirmed that some 242 people had died from the flu-like virus on Wednesday, the fastest rise in the daily count since the pathogen was identified in December, and taking the total number of deaths to more than 1,350.
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But the rise comes after officials in Hubei province began using a new diagnostic test to look for signs of the virus.
One expert believes the new procedure could explain the spike in deaths.
At the same time, World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday the number of cases of infection in China had stabilised but it was too early to say the epidemic was slowing.
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, workers produce face masks in the workshop of a textile company in Jimo District of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“This outbreak could still go in any direction,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a briefing in Geneva.
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Reports in state-run media said provincial Communist Party boss Jiang Chaoliang had been sacked as secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee, and Ma Guoqiang had been removed as party chief in the provincial capital Wuhan.
The reports did not give a reason for the dismissals but the two are the most high-profile Chinese officials to be removed from duty following the coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan late last year.
“Thank you Communist Party. It should have been done earlier,” Wuhan resident Wang You told Reuters.
About 60,000 people have now been confirmed to have the virus, the vast majority in China. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dozens of low-level health officials across the country have also lost their jobs for failing to contain the epidemic, which is believed to have emerged from a market in Wuhan where wildlife was traded illegally.
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What is the new test?
Hubei had previously only allowed infections to be confirmed by RNA tests, which can take days to process. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, carries genetic information allowing for identification of organisms like viruses.
Using quicker CT scans that reveal lung infections would help patients get treatment more quickly and improve chances of recovery, the Hubei health commission said.
The new diagnostic procedure could explain the spike in deaths, according to Raina McIntyre, head of biosecurity research at the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales.
“Presumably, there are deaths which occurred in people who did not have a lab diagnosis but did have a CT. It is important that these also be counted,” she told Reuters.
The new testing methodology is only being used in Hubei province, Chinese officials said.
Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, remains under virtual lockdown, and other major Chinese cities are facing severe travel restrictions. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Chinese scientists are testing two antiviral drugs and preliminary clinical trial results are weeks away but a vaccine could take 18 months to develop.
Another 14,840 cases were reported in Hubei alone on Thursday, from 2,015 new cases nationwide a day earlier, after provincial officials started using computerised tomography (CT) scans to look for signs of the virus.
About 60,000 people have now been confirmed to have the virus, the vast majority in China.
Global developments
This comes as a case of coronavirus was diagnosed in London for the first time on Wednesday. Health authorities confirmed a ninth person in the UK has tested positive for the virus.
Virology expert John Oxford suggested that people stop hugging each other as concerns heighten around the virus spreading.
“What we need to do is less of the hand-shaking, hugging, kissing and all that sort of a thing because this virus looks like it’s spread by ordinary tidal breathing, not necessarily sneezing and coughing,” he told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
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Hundreds of infections have been reported in more than two dozen other countries and territories, but only two people have died from the virus outside mainland China - one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines.
Forty-four more people have tested positive for the coronavirus known as Covid-19 on board a quarantined cruise ship off Japan, authorities have said.
The country’s health ministry said 218 people of the 713 tested on board the Diamond Princess have been infected by the virus.
The ship, which is still carrying more than 3,500 passengers and crew members, returned to the Yokohama Port on February 3 and has been in quarantine since.
“Just seeing land was such a breathtaking moment,” Angela Jones, an American tourist on the ship, told Reuters. “I thought: Is this real?”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-13--Natalie Portman Speaks Out After Rose McGowan Labels Her A ‘Fraud’ Over ‘Deeply Offensive’ Oscars Ca

Natalie Portman Speaks Out After Rose McGowan Labels Her A ‘Fraud’ Over ‘Deeply Offensive’ Oscars Cape

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Natalie Portman has responded after fellow actor Rose McGowan labelled her a “fraud” for wearing a cape to the Oscars which was embroidered with the names of female filmmakers ignored by the Academy.
The Black Swan star arrived on the red carpet at Sunday’s Oscars wearing a black Dior cape featuring the names of female directors who have released movies in the last 12 months, after the Academy recognised only men in the Best Director category this year.
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They included Hustlers director Lorene Scafaria, The Farewell’s Lulu Wang, Little Women’s Greta Gerwig, A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood’s Marielle Heller, Honey Boy’s Alma Har’el, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire’s Celine Sciamma, Atlantic’s Mati Diop and Queen & Slim’s Melina Matsoukas.
Natalie Portman arrives at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 09, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) Steve Granitz via Getty Images
Portman told the LA Times: “I wanted to recognise the women who were not recognised for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way.”
However, activist and actor McGowan dismissed the gesture as a “protest that gets rave reviews from the mainstream media” but which was “more like an actress acting the part of someone who cares. As so many of them do”.
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Writing on Facebook, McGowan added: “I find Portman’s type of activism deeply offensive to those of us who actually do the work.”
Oscar-winner Portman has now issued a statement in response insisting her cape was intended to be a “simple nod” to “incredible films” by female directors and she did not want it to “distract from their great achievements”.
The 38-year-old said she agreed with McGowan that it would be wrong to call her “brave,” saying she associates the term with the women testifying in court against disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein.
McGowan was one of the first women to publicly accuse Weinstein of sexual assault.
In her Facebook post, McGowan implied Portman was not serious about working with female filmmakers, noting she had only worked with a few over her career.
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Actress Rose McGowan speaks during a press conference, after Harvey Weinstein arrived at State Supreme Court in Manhattan January 6, 2020 on the first day of his criminal trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images
Israeli-American actress Portman conceded it was true she had only made “a few” films with women and appeared to blame the lack of female-directed projects, saying women encounter greater difficulties getting movies made by men.
Portman said she has had experience of helping female filmmakers get hired on projects only for them to be “forced out” because “of the conditions they faced at work”.
She added: “After they are made, female-directed films face difficulty getting into festivals, getting distribution and getting accolades because of the gatekeepers at every level.”
She finished her statement by saying: “I have tried, and I will keep trying. While I have not yet been successful, I am hopeful that we are stepping into a new day.”