thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--I’m A White Teacher. This Is How I’m Bringing Anti-Racism Into My Classroom

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Schools across the UK this month make the transition from virtual classrooms to ‘the new normal’, and concerns around the pandemic are rife.
As a primary school teacher I have my own worries about how best to support pupils and their families after lockdown, while negotiating safety for all and social distancing in a small classroom. At the start of term, my school provided three days of staff training regarding the recovery curriculum, safeguarding and Covid-19 hygiene measures.
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This was all necessary and important. But something was missing, and it was troubling me. Throughout the three days, not one member of the (all-white) senior leadership team made reference to the recent surge in the Black Lives Matter movement and the urgent conversation we must have on the crucial role schools have in dismantling institutionalised racism. I don’t doubt that it is on their mind, but perhaps they are not ready to admit that the school, where the majority of our pupils are Black or people of colour, is racist.
This academic year is my fourth at this school. When I started there as a Teach First participant, I was keen to change the world. I was of course a little naive about how schools, and the larger institutions they are part of, work. It quickly became clear that I had a huge amount to learn and that, despite my best intentions, I was unaware of the racism that I was perpetuating in my classroom.
“We do not reflect the diversity of our students and, to my knowledge, this has never been widely acknowledged by the school.”
Racist language from pupils was expected to be reported, but was rarely addressed. The curriculum and many resources were mostly limited to representations of white people and white history, with Black History Month consisting of a token nod to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. The staff body, the board of governors and the visitors we have in school, are mostly white. We do not reflect the diversity of our students and, to my knowledge, this has never been widely acknowledged by the school. In practice, this means our Black students do not get to make meaningful school-based connections with adults who look like them and thus, reinforcing the same racial hierarchy our society needs to dismantle.
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This will not do.
Doing the work to be an anti-racist educator is the same as doing the work to be an anti-racist person, and then some. I’m determined to detach our school systems from their colonial legacies and redefine them with restorative justice and progressive practices at the heart whilst acknowledging my privilege and removing my ego from the process. Even my training, with its seemingly progressive emphasis on ‘grit’ and ‘growth mindset’ enabling all students to succeed, ignores and thereby reinforces structural inequalities and is rooted in white supremacy. There will be difficulties in making radical changes to education in this country, but there are no excuses.
A container full of pencils is pictured in a classroom at Watlington Primary School during the last day of school, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Watlington , Britain, July 17, 2020. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh Eddie Keogh / reuters
Despite no guidance from my leadership team, I am aware that it is ultimately my responsibility to undo the racist procedures in my classroom. When I met my new class this week, I explained that the school behaviour systems they were used to would be different this year.
Most primary schools use a behaviour management system (or a variation of) called ‘Stay On Green’. All children start each day with a green card next to their name and they can receive silver or gold cards as rewards and yellow, blue or red cards as sanctions. There seem to be no agreed consequences of a silver/gold card, but a yellow card results in some lost playtime and a blue card means you are sent out of the classroom.
“sending a child out of the classroom and excluding them for their learning never helps. Worse, it contributes to systemic racism”
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A red card means that you are sent to the head teacher, who, despite being progressive-ish for a white, middle-aged Catholic, is pretty punitive when it comes to punishment. What I have come to understand is that sending a child out of the classroom and excluding them for their learning never helps. Worse, it contributes to systemic racism. Research has shown that Black Caribbean and biracial Caribbean-white children are three times more likely to be excluded than their white peers, and that this cycle of exclusion can start early.
I asked my new class how they feel if they are sent out of a lesson. ‘I’m sad’, ‘I feel embarrassed’ and it ‘makes me more angry’ were their responses. When a cycle of shame sets in for a child, it can be hard to break. So what is the answer? Together, we decided that if they are struggling or angry, they can take time in the book corner and focus on some deep breathing. When they are ready to talk about what happened, we will work together to find an outcome that values them and any other children involved. This won’t be easy – teacher time is split between up to 30 children and resources are sparse – but I know it’s a step in the necessary direction.
Overhauling a school behaviour policy can take years. That considered, there are some simple ways to start making the classroom an anti-racist place: books featuring positive portrayals of people of colour should not just be in the book corner but used to plan lessons too; making resources that are intersectional takes no longer than it would to make one that was not – it is just a question of mindset; asking the office to buy blue or transparent plasters is important so that children are not given a ‘skin-coloured’ plaster nothing like the colour of their skin.
I know first-hand how much teachers already do for the children and young people they teach. This may already include some anti-racist practices and so I imagine many (namely white teachers) will have a hurdle in acknowledging that they need to do more. But in education there is love. And in love, there is a way.
Ivy Barnes is a primary school teacher from London, writing under a pseudonym
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Oregon Wildfires Are Decimating Homes Near Me And I'm Terrified About What's Next

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Water continues to flow from a pipe amid the charred remains of homes and businesses after the passage of the Santiam fire in Gates, Oregon, on Sept. 10. KATHRYN ELSESSER via Getty Images
It’s been hard for me to sleep this week ― because there’s been a steady storm of evacuation notices at all hours of the day and night, as catastrophic wildfires ravage Oregon. Hundreds of thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes ― or to get ready to ― including neighbourhoods in the town next to mine.
I spend my midnight hours refreshing the sheriff’s page for the latest evacuation map and scrolling through the unending stream of heart-wrenching news ― haunted by the images of charred homes and ashen ghost towns that were decimated by the fires just up the river from us.
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I lie awake listening for the jarring alarm of an official emergency alert, notifying us of the newest parts of our county that need to leave their homes immediately.
“Make sure your cell phone is turned way up at night,” my firefighting friend advised me when I asked her if I should start packing a bag myself, as I watched the evacuation zones spread across the county map like spilled paint ― sometimes going from green to red in less than two hours.
“And, yes, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a bag ready,” she said.
Her advice was guided by the reality that things can rapidly change with the current fire situation across the West. Climate change has ushered in hotter and drier conditions that have turned our forests into a tinderbox and extended our fire seasons into the fall months. The lush vegetation that coats the ground has browned from the lack of rain and the scorching heat, and water-starved grass crunches beneath your feet. The land is primed and ready to ignite into a roaring fire.
A rogue spark or a downed power line that hits the crisp earth can quickly escalate into an uncontrollable and devastating blaze ― something that’s happened all over the state in the last week ― fuelled by hot and furious winds from the east. Oregon went from a few small fires to one million acres actively burning ― a swath of land larger than Rhode Island steamrolled by uncontainable wildfires in a matter of days.
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So, I decided to pack a go bag full of the necessities I would need if the blaze continued to grow toward us ― or if a new one started in the forested hills of our neighbourhood. I grabbed extra clothes, dog food for my pandemic puppy, a sleeping bag, and my handful of prescriptions. And I made sure my car’s gas tank was full, in case we got stuck in evacuation traffic or unexpectedly rerouted by fire ― new blazes have been shutting down major highways and sections of the interstate all week.
Where we would go with our packed bags and full tank of gas is punctuated with a question mark, as I’m sure it has been for the thousands of displaced families who have already been forced to abandon their homes.
In this aerial view from a drone, homes destroyed by wildfire are seen on Sept. 12 in Talent, Oregon. Hundreds of homes in Talent and nearby towns have been lost due to wildfire. David Ryder via Getty Images
A thick plume of toxic smoke is choking most of the state right now ― and the entire West Coast. You can barely see the end of our street through the heavy haze, and ash has been falling from the sky like grey rain, coating our house and everything outside of it with a thick layer of ominous soot.
When I open the door to let my puppy out to pee, I am walloped with the smell of a smouldering campfire. It lingers in my hair and all over my clothes when I duck back inside my house. I’ve barely stepped outside in the last four days because the air is so toxic ― some of the most hazardous air in the world is smothering Oregon.
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We’ve tried to seal ourselves off from it, but it seeps into the slender crack beneath our front door. My eyes sting with dryness, my head pounds, and my throat burns like I smoked a pack of cigarettes for breakfast. The homemade air filter that we run all day and night is coated in an alarming amount of dark debris.
During other fire seasons, we’ve escaped the heavy smoke that settles over the valley by fleeing to the coast or a higher town for fresh air. But clean air and blue skies are an elusive thing in Oregon right now. The air quality map advertises hazardous skies from Mexico to Canada. You’d have to drive for hundreds of miles to find refuge from the wildfires.
So, I don’t really know where we’d go, but we’re packed just in case we have to.
I also packed a bag of my most sentimental items because that’s what I would really want to save from a fire ― the things that I would be gutted to lose forever ― including cherished belongings of my late mother, years of journals and handwritten cards, and the coffee mug from my first trail race in Oregon. As I delicately placed everything into a huge duffel, I was grateful for the luxury of time to pack these irreplaceable things, something many people in my community did not have as they woke up to emergency responders banging on their door in the middle of the night telling them to go! Go! Go!
As I moved methodically through my house, deciding what to take and what to leave, I imagined losing it all in a fleeting moment ― a horrendous reality that I’d never really considered until this week. I’m sure many of the Oregonians who have seen their lives upended and their homes scorched by these fires probably felt the same way.
“As I delicately placed everything into a huge duffel, I was grateful for the luxury of time to pack these irreplaceable things, something many people in my community did not have as they woke up to emergency responders banging on their door in the middle of the night telling them to go! Go! Go!”
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It struck me how fragile so much of life is: our homes, our health, our loved ones, our earth, our own lives. We can lose just about anything or anyone without much notice at all. It’s something that’s always been true, but feels persistently more threatening in a year defined by so much loss, so many devastating disasters, and so many blazing red flags that the climate crisis is getting worse and worse all over the world.
I glance out the window at the blood orange sun burning behind the chalky sky. It’s an apocalyptic landscape. I wonder when we will see blue skies again. When we will be able to take a deep breath and not worry about the damage to our lungs.
I think foolishly of my last run through the wilderness around Oregon’s Mount Jefferson, a mountain north of us that’s currently engulfed in flames. On that day, a storm obscured the views of its most scenic spots, where alpine meadows spill into sweeping views of the glaciated volcano.
“It’s okay, it’s not like it’s going anywhere,” I told my friend, as we darted through the rain and clouds. “I’ll see it next time.”
Now we’re inhaling shards of the trees that once dotted that iconic landscape.
Some of life’s fragility is out of our control ― a painful and cruel reality that sits especially heavy in a year when I’ve lost two family members to cancer.
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But, some of the huge losses that we’re experiencing right now are things we can influence. The climate crisis that’s fuelling the wildfire devastation across the west is one of them.
It’s likely that Oregon is going to see more casualties caused by these wildfires than ever before, and a historic number of homes, structures, and miles of wilderness scorched by these destructive blazes. It’s also likely that these losses will just get worse in Oregon ― and across the entire West ― if we choose to let our climate crisis continue to spiral out of control instead of doing something about it.
Oregon residents evacuate north along highway Highway 213 on Sept. 9 near Oregon City, Oregon. Multiple wildfires grew by hundreds of thousands of acres Thursday, prompting large-scale evacuations throughout the state. Nathan Howard via Getty Images
This is not my first fire season in Oregon, but it is the first time that I’ve legitimately feared losing my home. The first time that I’ve texted several friends and neighbours asking them if they are packed and ready to flee. The first time I’ve studied evacuation maps and wind patterns and fire acreage during a sleepless night. And it’s the first time that I’ve cried over wildfire news coverage ― over entire towns wiped out and stories of people who didn’t make it out in time. The grief of the widespread loss across Oregon knocks me over like an angry linebacker.
It’s gutting that so many people have already suffered so much destruction. I feel lucky that all I’ve had to do is pack a bag and take shallower breaths all week, but the massive losses happening all around Oregon have fuelled my fear for future fire seasons ― for my friends and community, for land and people across the west. It’s terrifying to imagine what it would look like for things to get much worse.
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But I know things will get worse without aggressive climate action. I know more go bags will get packed. More homes will be decimated. More wilderness will be singed. And more lives will be unnecessarily lost ― unless we do something to stop it.
Emily Halnon lives and writes in Eugene, Oregon. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--When Will We Be Able To Stop Wearing Face Masks?

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Every Monday we’ll answer your questions on Covid-19 and health in a feature published online. You can submit a question here.
This week, HuffPost UK reader Alison asked: “When will face masks be a thing of the past?”
Wearing a face mask in shops, hair salons, as we enter the pub or on public transport has become second nature for many of us in recent months. But with Covid-19 cases rising in the UK, some experts believe we should be wearing them even more frequently.
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Dr Jenna Macciochi, an immunologist based at the University of Sussex, previously told HuffPost UK those living in tier 1 areas may even want to consider wearing masks when visiting a loved one’s home (indoor visits are completely banned in tier 2 and 3 already).
It begs the question: will we ever stop wearing face masks? Or should we accept they’re part of life from now on? Sadly, none of us have a crystal ball with the answer, but we asked experts for their best predictions.
The Good Brigade via Getty Images
Arpana Verma, a professor of public health and epidemiology at the University of Manchester, says she can imagine a time where face masks are no longer needed – but it’s hard to put a timescale on it.
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“I would hope we return to a time when circulating coronavirus levels are wiped out,” she tells HuffPost UK. “But, like with some cultures where they have repeated coronavirus outbreaks, mask-wearing for some is the norm.”
Dr Julian Tang, a consultant virologist and professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences at University of Leicester, agrees masks won’t be here forever, but it’s likely to be a long haul.
“Just like with the 2009 pandemic flu virus, I think SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes Covid-19] will gradually become more human-adapted,” he explains. “So more transmissible, less lethal, which will increase our overall herd immunity slowly. This may reduce the need for masks, except in specific elderly/vulnerable groups.”
Herd immunity is a when a large percentage of the population has developed immunity to a virus, making it harder for the virus to spread. SARS-CoV-2 mutates more slowly than flu, adds Dr Tang, so the road to herd immunity is likely to be longer.
“Of course, if an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is found and widely used, this will increase overall herd immunity much more quickly to limit the spread of the virus further,” he says.
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There’s been much discussion on when a vaccine will become available and whether life will “get back to normal” by Christmas. Prof. Verma thinks the timescale for vaccines – and a possible end to face masks – will be much longer. “I think spring 2021 will be a time of hope when we have much more evidence and effective [solutions],” she says.
But even with a vaccine, Dr Tang warns that herd immunity could take a long time to establish.
“Looking at the increasing rate of SARS-CoV-2 spread globally through susceptible populations – some with sporadic interventions of variable effectiveness – without a vaccine, it might take five to 10 years to reach a level of naturally acquired herd immunity,” he says.
“With an effective and widely accessible vaccine – again, depending on how quickly this can be distributed and administered within specific populations, in conjunction with the evolution of the virus to a more transmissible, less lethal form, and naturally acquired immunity – perhaps three to five years.”
One challenge is that scientists still don’t know for certain how long immunity lasts, whether it’s acquired naturally or via a vaccine.
“Ironically, the more effective the infection control interventions (masking, social distancing, lockdown, etc.), the longer they may have to stay in place, as they will also reduce the rate of acquisition of herd immunity,” adds Dr Tang.
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So, are we doomed to wear masks for the next decade? No necessarily, Dr Tang adds. Governments may decide to implement a “masks on, masks off” approach, by reacting to local virus levels. This would at least limit the environmental waste generated by masks.
“Some countries like New Zealand have very few cases of Covid-19 per million people, so you could argue that masks are not needed below a certain Covid-19 threshold incidence/prevalence rate,” he says.
“But you will need a very efficient, effective, coordinated and rapid testing/reporting system to keep these incidences updated and accurate, to decide when universal masking is needed again.”
Such a programme wouldn’t be “easy or cheap to set up or maintain”, he says, and would require regular testing within the community – not just those coming to hospital.
In short: you won’t be able to ditch your mask anytime soon. Our best hope lies in an effective vaccine, boosted by an efficient track and trace system. For now, invest in a comfy, reusable mask that impacts your life – and the environment – as little as possible.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--This Simple Mexican Cornbread Recipe Is A Healthy Dessert For Kids

HuffPost UK Supplied
Cooking With Kids is a weekly recipe series on getting creative in the kitchen with the family.
If you like baking up a storm with the little ones, try something new with head chef and owner of London-based Mexican restaurant, Santo Remedio, Edson Diaz-Fuentes’s Pan de Elote Dulce – aka Mexican cornbread – recipe.
The seasonal sweetcorn makes the cake so fluffy and delicious that it’ll melt in your mouth. Diaz Fuentes’s five-year-old son, Sebastian, loves to get involved by helping weigh items and learn about the ingredients.
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“It is incredible to use British sweetcorn during these months,” he explains. “In Mexico, we don’t use sweet corn as we have over 100 varieties or native corn that is completely different in flavour.”
Kids can stay engaged in the entire cooking process by putting things in the blender and lend a helping hand in the jam-making.
“If I have an earliest memory of cooking, this is probably the first one,” adds the chef. “It’s a simple recipe my mum has done for many years in her attempt to provide her children with a healthy and homemade dessert.”
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Pan de Elote Dulce / Mexican Cornbread with Hibiscus Jam
Serves: 10 | Prep time: 10 mins | Bake time: 50 minutes | Cook time: 30 mins
Edson Diaz-Fuentes Pan de Elote Dulce / Corn Cake with Hibiscus Jam
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Ingredients:
For the corn cake:
225g butter (can be substituted with margarine or coconut oil)
4 eggs
50g brown sugar
700g cooked corn kernels
100ml whole milk (can be substituted for alternative milk)
15ml Mexican vanilla extract (we use Papantla Veracruz vanilla originated in Mexico, but good quality vanilla works well).
For the hibiscus jam:
50g hibiscus flower
500ml water
50ml orange juice
200g sugar jam
1x cinnamon stick
5g ginger, shaved.
Method:
1. Start by using a blender to slowly mix the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar, 500g of the sweetcorn kernels (200g should be reserved to mix with the dough later to provide extra texture on the cake), vanilla extract, and milk.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, including the last 200g of corn kernels, the flour and the baking powder – making sure all ingredients are incorporated and mixed properly.
3. Leave it to rest for a few minutes so we can start with the hibiscus jam. Preheat the oven to 170°c.
4. Wash the hibiscus flowers quickly under running cold water to remove dust and small particles. Leave to drain and bring some water to the boil, while adding the cinnamon and ginger.
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5. Add the hibiscus flowers and sugar jam, while you keep boiling it on medium heat for the next 30 minutes (approx). Add the orange juice at the end.
6. While the hibiscus jam is on the stove, with the help of a spatula, remove all mixed ingredients from the blender and pour it into a cake mould, prepared with oil and dusted with flour. Put this into the oven at 170°C for 50 minutes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--My Child Is A Bully. What Should I Do?

My Child Is A Bully. What Should I Do?

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Nobody wants their child to suffer at the hands of a bully. But what if the bully in question is your child? In many ways, this dilemma can seem like the final taboo – nobody has sympathy for a mean kid, and if you’re the parent of a mean kid, it can be devastating.
*Sam, 41, who has two children, noticed her son acting differently to other kids when he was just a toddler. “He’d push and shove other children out the way at a baby and toddler group,” she said. “He’s tall for his age and looks older than he is. If he doesn’t get his way at home, he screams and cries and takes ages to calm down – or he’ll attack his little brother by jumping on him or sitting on him. There’s just no reasoning with him.”
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Child psychologist Amanda Gummer says when a child starts being mean to another child, it doesn’t usually come out of the blue. “It’s a learned behaviour,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Kids learn what works. If they’re a bit mean to a child and they end up getting what they want, they’re likely to do it again. They hone new skills. It usually comes from a place of insecurity, where they’re trying to prove they’re bigger or more clever or powerful.”
nadia_bormotova via Getty Images
But, says Gummer, even if a child is exhibiting signs of aggressive or unkind behaviour, it’s usually just a phase. “And, if dealt with well, it won’t last long,” she says. “There’s a big difference between being a bit mean to test out boundaries, and being a persistent bully.”
It’s important for parents to think about how to build up their child’s self-esteem, whilst, crucially, not accepting their bullying behaviour, she adds. “Sometimes, parents and carers can be complicit. We can say, ‘oh, just give it to him’, when a child is making a fuss, which reinforces if a child is mean and demands stuff, he or she can get what they want.”
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Dr Gummer says in some cases, a child can lack an empathetic characteristic, which means they won’t appreciate the impact of their behaviour on another child. “Most bullies don’t understand what they’re doing, and aren’t able to empathise with their victim,” she says.
“Kids might lack empathy, and at four or five, they’re naturally quite ego-centric; but as they get older, most develop the ability to think about how others are feeling. Empathy is like a muscle. If it’s used, it gets stronger – if it’s not, it withers and doesn’t grow.”
Gummer says parents can have a tendency to disempower children and tell them “what to eat, where to go and what to wear”. That’s not great for their decision-making skills or self esteem. “We need to give our children agency over their lives, as much as we can,” she says. “Children need to feel secure and loved, no matter what. It’s okay not to love the behaviour, but it’s important to remember: it’s the behaviour, not the person.”
Ponomariova_Maria via Getty Images
If your child is exhibiting bullying behaviours, there are a few things you can do to deal with it.
Firstly, don’t over-react.
“It’s important not to over-react at the first sign of a child being mean,” says Gummer, “because they might not realise what they’re doing. Reacting strongly also gets them attention, she adds, which is what many children want – and they may keep on doing the negative behaviour to get the attention.
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You should, however, address the behaviour calmly. It’s important to have an open channel of communication with your child. If they’ve done something mean, it’s vital parents talk about why they think they did it, says Gummer, and to ask them, “how would you feel if that happened to you?”
One of the first things you might also want to do is look close to home – is there anything going on that might spark bad behaviour? “Some kids copy older siblings, or parents,” says Gummer. “Is there any behaviour you need to address there, first?”
Promote empathy through storytelling and role play.
Try reading your child a story and ask them to consider the way the characters might be feeling – or try to promote and practise empathy. Gummer suggests telling your child about Goldilocks and the three bears – extrapolate it to how the bears might feel when Goldilocks ate their porridge. “Ask your child, ‘How do you think the bears feel? And how would you feel?’”
You could also try doing this through role play. “Playing with dolls and role-playing making decisions or talking through differences of opinion can be really useful,” Dr Gummer says. “Let the child lead the scenario, but you can also follow up with asking the child how they think the toys feel, too. Help them develop the imagination to put themselves in another person’s shoes.”
fizkes via Getty Images
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Make sure you set clear boundaries.
Kids respond well to firm and clear boundaries – such as making it clear that hitting a sibling is not allowed. “If that’s a family rule, that needs to be enforced,” says Gummer. “If the child can’t stick to that rule, make sure they know there will be consequences – but make those natural consequences, connected to the incident itself, as much as possible.
“For example, if they ruin their sister’s drawing, they don’t get to draw, either.” Dr Gummer warns if it’s a punishment for punishment’s sake, without room for learning, that can leave a child feeling disempowered. “The younger the child, the shorter and more immediate the punishment should be,” she adds.
One way to set boundaries could be to introduce a traffic-light system. This means giving a child two warnings, followed by a final warning if they do it again. “They will understand more than if they do something once and you blow up at them,” she says.
Assess their behaviour over time – and seek help.
If a child is a persistent bully, Dr Gummer says: stick to your guns, stick to your boundaries, put a pin in it and assess the situation in three months time. “If it’s still an issue, maybe get some help,” she advises. “In rare cases, it might be a development issue, such as autism, where the child can’t understand the full impact of their actions. But first, give your strategy time to work.”
You could also speak to your child’s school to find out if there’s a problem. If you’re really concerned, make an appointment to discuss it with your GP.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-13--'Hundreds Of Thousands' Of Redundancies In UK Likely Over Autumn, Study Warns

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The UK is likely to face hundreds of thousands of redundancies over the autumn – the highest level in a generation, a new study has warned.
An analysis by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) found it was likely the UK will be hit by around 450,000 redundancies in the coming months.
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However, analysts warned that redundancies could exceed 700,000 if job loss notifications continue to rise.
If half a million jobs are lost, it will be the highest level since at least the mid-1990s, the think tank said, calling for urgent measures to support those affected.
Between May and July 2020, employers notified the government of nearly 380,000 staff at risk of redundancy – more than double the peak reached in the financial crisis a decade ago, the IES said.
IES director Tony Wilson said: “This data lays bare the scale of the jobs crisis that we’re facing in the autumn, with half a million people likely to lose their jobs in the coming months.
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“The sad reality is that this restructuring cannot be averted entirely, but we can do a lot more to minimise the job losses and support those who are most at risk.
“Our top priority must be to support those facing the prospect of losing their jobs to find new, secure and good quality work as quickly as possible.”
Hundreds of thousands of redundancies could be announced in the autumn, the highest level in a generation, a study suggests. PA
Meanwhile, the UK must realise that not all of the redundancies are inevitable, Wilson said.
“Although most of those who were furloughed by their employers are now back at work, there are still many parts of the economy where perfectly viable businesses cannot bring people back because of the ongoing disruption caused by the pandemic.
“So we need tightly targeted support to help these firms ride out the next few months, where they can commit to not laying staff off.”
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Responding to the study, a government spokesperson said supporting jobs was an “absolute priority”.
“Which is why we’ve set out a comprehensive Plan for Jobs to protect, create and support jobs across the UK by providing significant, targeted support where it is needed the most.
“We are continuing to support livelihoods and incomes through our £2 billion Kickstart scheme, creating incentives for training and apprenticeships, a £1,000 retention bonus for businesses that can bring furloughed employees back to work, and doubling the number of frontline work coaches to help people find work.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-13--29 TV Picks Coming Later In 2020 That Will Help Staying In Feel More Bearable

BBC/ITV/Netflix/Channel 4/Disney
After spending most of the first half of 2020 cooped up indoors, the prospect of autumn – meaning trips to the park are looking less inviting, as is enjoying some sun in a family member’s garden – might not be the most welcome to a lot of people.
What could help cushion the blow even just a little, though, is the fact there’s some great new TV to get into over the coming weeks and months, catering to a whole range of different tastes.
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Here’s a round-up of our top TV picks for the rest of 2020 that might just take the edge off stopping in...
I Hate Suzie
Available now to watch on Now TV, with new episodes on Sky Atlantic every Thursday
I Hate Suzie Sky Atlantic
What is it? Billie Piper takes the lead in this new black comedy, which centres around the titular Suzie, a minor celeb who suddenly finds herself back in the headlines when personal photos of her are leaked online.
Described as “excruciatingly honest”, the series pulls precisely zero punches, with each episode presented in a completely different I May Destroy You-esque fashion from the one before it.
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I Hate Suzie also reunites its star with Lucy Prebble, who previously penned Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, and with its frank approach to taboo themes, it will appeal to a lot of the same audiences.
Watch it if you liked: I May Destroy You, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Fleabag
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things
Available to stream on Netflix now
Im Thinking Of Ending Things Mary Cybulski/NETFLIX
What is it? A new psychological horror film starring Jessie Buckley and Toni Collette, the film centres around a young woman who, unenthused about her new relationship, agrees to accompany him to meet his parents, who just happen to live in the middle of nowhere.
From there, things all start to unravel.
Directed by Charlie Kauffman, whose past writing credits include Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Being John Malcovich, it doesn’t take a detective to work out that it doesn’t take long before things take an unsettling turn.
It’s definitely a bizarre watch, but also a thoroughly depressing one, so maybe have an episode of Friends or Love Island to treat yourself to afterwards, especially if you’re watching before bed.
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Watch it if you liked: Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Midsommar, Russian Doll
Britain’s Got Talent
Airing every Saturday night on ITV
Britain's Got Talent Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock
What is it? For obvious reasons, things are running a little differently than usual during this year’s Britain’s Got Talent semi-finals.
With the show having been on pause since the spring, this year’s semi-finals are now underway, with weekly pre-recorded shows airing on a Saturday night. Former champion Ashley Banjo is also a new addition to the panel, filling in for Simon Cowell, who recently injured himself in an electric bike accident.
At this stage, you already know whether or not BGT is your cup of tea, but for those who’ve turned their nose up at the talent format in the past, surely right now is the perfect moment to give it another go?
Watch it if you liked: The X Factor, The Greatest Dancer, Strictly Come Dancing
I’ll Be Gone In The Dark
Available to watch on Now TV now, with new episodes on Sky Crime every Sunday night
I'll Be Gone In The Dark Sky Crime
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What is it? A definite must-watch for any fans of true crime, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark is a new documentary based on the critically-acclaimed book of the same name by Michelle McNamara.
The series tells the story not just of the Golden State Killer – who committed at least 50 rapes and murdered at least 13 people in the 1970s and 80s – but also Michelle’s quest to find the killer’s true identity decades later, which sadly ended in tragedy.
Fans of the book should definitely tune in, though, as the series includes plenty of details not included in Michelle’s book, including events that have transpired since it was published.
Watch if you liked: Making A Murderer, The Jinx, Unsolved Mysteries
Mulan
Available to purchase for Disney+ subscribers
Mulan Disney
What is it? The latest in a long line of Disney’s live-action remakes, this is the much-awaited re-imagining of the animated classic Mulan, given a more grown-up twist by director Niki Caro, who has stripped the film of its original songs and the main character’s dragon sidekick, Mushu.
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Instead, the new Mulan is a film more focussed on “realism”, intended as an epic the whole family can enjoy.
However, the film did take some heat earlier this year following comments made by its leading actor Yifei Liu, while the decision for Disney to charge existing subscribers to watch a film on a service they were already paying for was met with a mixed response.
Watch if you liked: Aladdin, A Wrinkle In Time, Pirates Of The Caribbean
EastEnders
Now airing on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer
EastEnders PA Entertainment
What is it? What do you mean “what is it?”. It’s literally EastEnders.
The long-running BBC soap came off air for the first time in its 35-year history back in June, but with production now up and running again (albeit with huge changes, due to social distancing guidelines), the show is finally back on our screens.
Rather than picking up exactly where we left off, though, Walford is a rather different to when we last paid it a visit, with three months having passed for both us and the residents of Albert Square.
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How has time changed things for the characters we know and love? We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?
Watch it if you liked: EastEnders (before it went off air in the first place), Coronation Street, Holby City
Love Island USA
Airing now on ITV2
Love Island USA ITV
What is it? The US version of the much-loved British reality show usually takes place in a villa in Fiji, but due to the pandemic, producers have had to think on their feet, instead moving the whole thing to a luxury hotel in Las Vegas.
Once you get over the fact the horizon is peppered with bright lights and skyscrapers – and the “bants” are a lot more American than you’re used to – it’s pretty much business as usual for Love Island, which should be music to the ears of anyone who missed their usual fix this summer.
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Watch if you liked: Love Island, Too Hot To Handle, Love Is Blind
Des
Debuts on ITV on 15 September
Des ITV/Shutterstock
What is it? ITV is continuing its long line of true crime miniseries based on infamous British murder cases, following in the footsteps of recent offerings like Appropriate Adult, Dark Angel and The Pembrokeshire Murders.
This new three-parter sees David Tennant in the lead role of Dennis Nilsen, who murdered at least 12 young men and boys in North London in the late 1970s and early 80s.
Des will almost certainly not be one for the faint of heart, given the truly horrific nature of Nilsen’s crimes, but for true crime devotees, this will be a must-watch.
Watch it if you liked: Broadchurch, Appropriate Adult, The Pembrokeshire Murders
Criminal
Debuts on Netflix on 16 September
Criminal Colin Hutton/Netflix
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What is it? Alternatively, for those who like a crime drama that’s a little more detached from reality, Netflix has you covered with brand new episodes of Criminal, the police-based miniseries that debuted last year.
Katherine Kelly is once again leading the cast, with Netflix pulling it out of the bag in terms of guest stars, including Kit Harington in his first post-Game Of Thrones role, Catastrophe star Sharon Horgan, Kunal Nayyar of The Big Bang Theory fame and Sophie Okonedo, soon to be seen in Ratched and Death On The Nile.
For anyone who loves the interview room sequences in Line Of Duty but finds the rest of the show a bit heavy, this short-and-sweet series is well worth a stream.
Watch it if you liked: The Stranger, Line Of Duty, Silent Witness
Ratched
Debuts on Netflix on 18 September
Ratched SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX
What is it? Ryan Murphy has been well and truly on a roll with his Netflix output in 2020, debuting Hollywood (one of our favourite shows of the year) as well as a second series of The Politician, not to mention documentaries he produced like Circus Of Books and A Secret Love.
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However, with American Horror Story on ice for the time being, Ratched is the series that Ryan Murphy fans who prefer when he takes a walk on the dark side have been most looking forward to.
Putting his frequent collaborator Sarah Paulson in the leading role, the show serves as an origin story for Nurse Ratched of the classic book One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
And as if Sarah in a leading role wasn’t enticing enough, the supporting cast boasts Cynthia Nixon, Rosanna Arquette and Sharon Stone, as well as past players from the Murphy-verse like Charlie Carver, Jon Jon Briones and Finn Wittrock. We are ready.
Watch if you liked: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, American Horror Story: Asylum, Girl, Interrupted
Five Guys A Week
Series two begins on 18 September, with the first series available to watch on All 4
Five Guys A Week Channel 4
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What is it? One of our favourite shows of the first half of 2020 is already back for a second series, and it can not come soon enough.
This dating show has a simple enough premise, with a woman moving five guys into her home for a week, and kicking the ones she doesn’t fancy out one by one until she finds her match.
Compared to other dating shows – like Love Island, Too Hot To Handle or even its Channel 4 neighbour First Dates – Five Guys A Week feels a lot more low-fi and less glossy, but that’s what makes for such compelling and addictive viewing.
The contestants very much feel like real people of all ages and backgrounds living ordinary lives, giving it more of a Gogglebox, Don’t Tell The Bride or Come Dine With Me-esque feel than the dating shows we’ve become used to in recent years.
Watch if you liked: First Dates, Come Dine With Me, Celebs Go Dating
Drag Race Holland
Debuts on WOW Presents Plus on 18 September
Drag Race Holland World Of Wonder
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What is it? 2020 has been a rough year for everyone, but one thing we definitely can’t complain about is not having enough Drag Race to watch.
As soon as series 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race came to an end near the beginning of lockdown, we were treated to the fifth All Stars run (not to overlook RuPaul’s *whispers* Secret Celebrity Drag Race in the middle of all of that, too). And by the time Shea Couleé took her place in the Hall Of Fame, the first series of Canada’s Drag Race got underway.
Now that’s over, did you think that we were done with Drag Race for another? Well, think again.
WOW Presents Plus subscribers will soon have access to the first ever run of Drag Race Holland – so get ready for some niche Dutch pop culture references that will go straight over your head, an obligatory Vengaboys lip sync and a whole lot more phoned-in messages from RuPaul, because even though we done already done had ourses, there’s still more to come.
Watch if you liked: RuPaul’s Drag Race (in its various incarnations), Drag SOS, Glow Up
Us
Debuts on BBC One on 20 September
Us BBC/Drama Republic/Colin Hutton
What is it? Based on the much-loved novel by David Nicholls (of Starter For 10 and One Day fame), Us tells the story of a middle-aged couple, whose marriage hits a bump in the road when their 18-year-old son leaves for university.
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When mum Connie tells Douglas, her husband of almost 25 years, that she’s fed up and wants to leave him, he convinces her to let him take her and their son on one last family holiday, which just happens to be a “grand tour” of Europe.
Expect lots of awkwardness, set against some beautiful backdrops.
Watch if you liked: Normal People, One Day, Life Begins
Great British Bake Off
Returns on 22 September on Channel 4
Great British Bake Off Channel 4
What is it? Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many feared the Great British Bake Off would not be able to go ahead in 2020, at a time when what the nation really needs is some bakery-based escapism, a few softly-spoken innuendos and a nice bit of colour blocking from Prue Leith.
Fortunately, those sneaky Channel 4 bosses managed to film a whole series in secret without telling anyone, the results of which are about to be revealed.
Quite how it’ll go ahead with new host Matt Lucas and a whole lot of coronavirus restrictions (we’re guessing Hollywood handshakes are out the window) remains to be seen, but we’ll definitely be tuning in to find out.
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Watch if you liked: The Great Pottery Throwdown, The Great British Sewing Bee, Strictly Come Dancing
Enola Holmes
Debuts on Netflix on 23 September
Enola Holmes Netflix
What is it? This new film centres Enola, the younger sister of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, who has to put her family’s skills for solving mysteries into effect when her beloved mother goes missing.
Enola Holmes boasts an all-star cast including Henry Caville, Helena Bonham-Carter and Millie Bobby Brown, in her first leading role outside of Stranger Things.
And while it’s a family comedy, it was also helmed by Harry Bradbeer, best known for his work with Phoebe Waller-Bridge on more grown-up shows like Fleabag and Killing Eve, so maybe don’t write it off on that basis.
Watch if you liked: Sherlock, Killing Eve, Stranger Things
Little Mix The Search
Debuting on BBC One on 26 September
Little Mix The Search BBC
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What is it? Another TV show hit hard by the pandemic, the frustratingly-titled Little Mix The Search was supposed to be done and dusted by now, and instead we haven’t seen a single episode. Fortunately, the auditions will be coming to us before long, and Little Mix fans will finally get their fix of one of the biggest acts in the UK today.
The Search has a fairly simple premise, that sees Little Mix putting together new bands, mentoring them and offering the winning band a supporting spot on their next tour (whenever that may end up being).
Probably not the most challenging of watches, admittedly but who doesn’t love watching Little Mix having some fun together?
Watch if you liked: The Voice, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent
The Boys In The Band
Streaming on Netflix from 30 September
The Boys In The Band Scott Everett White/NETFLIX
What is it? Yet another offering from super-producer Ryan Murphy, this is a new feature-length film directed by Joe Mantello.
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The Boys In The Band is based on the play of the same name, and features the very impressive cast of a 2018 Broadway revival, including Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto, Andrew Rannells and Michael Benjamin Washington.
Set in the late 1960s, when the original play first debuted, The Boys In The Band features around a group of gay men, who gather together to celebrate one of their birthdays, with tempers quickly flaring as they revisit their past.
Watch if you liked: American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, Looking, Hollywood
Honour
Debuts on ITV later in the autumn
Honour ITV
What is it? Keeley Hawes takes the lead in this new ITV drama, which she’s also produced, in which she plays real-life detective chief inspector Caroline Goode, who fought for justice in the Banaz Mahmod “honour killing” case.
Honour has already faced controversy, with many – including Banaz’s own family – criticising the decision to centre the story on Keeley’s character, claiming it perpetuates a white saviour narrative.
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Keeley later said of the show: “With something like this – and especially with this – we were all so mindful that we were dealing with real people. Banaz, Caroline, their families, everybody involved, the team, so there is that element of course, and with this, even more so. Much more so, probably, than anything I’ve ever worked on.
“But the responsibility is huge. It’s huge. I felt it every day. I’ve felt it every day since. I really have.”
Watch if you liked: Bodyguard, Line Of Duty, Mrs Wilson
The Haunting Of Bly Manor
Streaming on Netflix from 9 October
The Haunting Of Bly Manor EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX
What is it? *shudders* It’s taken us since 2018 to get over the trauma of watching The Haunting Of Hill House, and now there’s a brand new horror series to give us nightmares.
Although The Haunting Of Bly Manor is from the same team as Hill House and features many of the same cast, Netflix is taking a leaf out of American Horror Story’s book with this one, setting the new story in a completely different universe, and with returning stars playing brand new characters.
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Instead, The Haunting Of Bly Manor is based on the Victorian novella The Turn Of The Screw, telling the story of a young governess who experiences some supernatural goings on when she arrives at a new country manor.
Frankly, it sounds absolutely chilling, but we’re probably going to have binged the whole thing by Halloween, let’s be honest.
Watch if you liked: The Haunting Of Hill House, American Horror Story: Roanoke, Paranormal Activity
Small Axe
Debuts on BBC One later this year
Small Axe BBC
What is it? Steve McQueen’s first TV project has been six years in the making (it was first announced in January 2014!), but by all accounts, it’s going to be well worth the wait.
Small Axe is an anthology series made up of five short films, telling the story of a West Indian community in London spread across three decades.
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And the Oscar-winning director has truly assembled an absolutely epic group of actors to bring it all to life. Among the show’s stellar cast are Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, Star Wars’ John Boyega and Malachi Kirby, who previously appeared in Roots and the Black Mirror episode Men Against Fire.
Watch if you liked: Sitting In Limbo, Widows, Top Boy
The Undoing
Debuts on 26 October on Sky Atlantic
The Undoing Sky Atlantic
What is it? Nicole Kidman’s latest TV venture doesn’t sound like it’s a million miles away from her award-winning stint in Big Little Lies, which is no bad thing for fans of the hit drama.
She plays a hugely successful New York City, whose life is changed overnight by “a violent death”, “a missing husband” and a subsequent “chain of terrible revelations”.
She’s joined in the new series by Hugh Grant (who’d have thought Paddington 2 would give his career the jolt it needed) and, fingers crossed, at least one or two fabulous wigs.
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Watch if you liked: Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, The Night Manager
The Mandalorian
New episodes on Disney+ from 30 October
The Mandalorian Disney
What is it? Having to wait for a new episode every week, despite the fact it had already been seen in the US months earlier, rather took the shine off The Mandalorian when Disney+ launched back in March. But this time around, we’re getting it at the same time as our American cousins, so it’ll be much easier to avoid spoilers.
The Star Wars spin-off is our only contact with that galaxy far, far away now the most recent trilogy is done and dusted, and we can’t wait to see what’s transpired since we last checked in.
And by that we, of course, mean… what kind of scrapes is Baby Yoda going to get himself into this time around?
Watch if you liked: Star Trek: Discovery, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Guardians Of The Galaxy
Strictly Come Dancing
Returns to our screens in the autumn
Strictly Come Dancing BBC/Guy Levy
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What is it? It’s still not clear (including to the BBC, apparently) exactly what form Strictly Come Dancing is going to take in 2020, but times are hard, and we’ll take whatever sparkle we can get at the moment, quite frankly.
What’s interesting to us is that Strictly has managed to get its best line-up in years under such strange circumstances, with Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, former home secretary Jacqui Smith and comedian Bill Bailey among the contestants we’re most excited to see on the dance floor.
And if nothing else, this year’s Strictly will be appointment viewing when Nicola Adams makes history as one half of the show’s first ever same-sex couple.
Watch if you liked: Dancing On Ice, Great British Bake Off, Britain’s Got Talent
We Are Who We Are
Debuts on BBC Three later this year
We Are Who We Are BBC
What is it? After a summer that saw so few of us actually able to enjoy a holiday abroad, who doesn’t fancy losing themselves in sunnier climes as autumn approaches?
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Enter: Luca Guadagnino.
The director perfected sun-drenched romance in Call Me By Your Name, and it looks like he could be about to do it again in We Are Who We Are, a new limited series about two American teenagers who find themselves on a military base in Italy.
“With We Are Who We Are we are attempting to portray the here and now of two families, few generations, many exciting people,” Luca explained. Count us in.
Watch if you liked: Call Me By Your Name, Euphoria, Waves
The Crown
Series four debuts on Netflix on 15 November
The Crown Courtesy of Sophie Mutevelian / Netflix
What is it? As much as we’d watch Olivia Colman do pretty much anything at this point, the most recent series of The Crown did feel like it largely set the scene for what’s coming next.
And now, our patience is finally about to be rewarded. Because series four of The Crown finally sees the arrival of Princess Diana, played by newcomer to the show Emma Corrin.
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Fans should also ready themselves for one of the series’ most controversial introductions to date, with Sex Education’s Gillian Anderson joining the cast as prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Watch if you liked: The Queen, The Iron Lady, The Tudors
I’m A Celebrity
Returns to ITV this autumn
I'm A Celebrity ITV/Shutterstock
What is it? After almost 20 years, I’m A Celebrity is ditching the jungle for something a little closer to home, with this year’s contestants setting up camp in a spooky castle in Wales.
Admittedly, this measure is ITV’s response to coronavirus restrictions, but we have to say, we think this could bring something fresh to I’m A Celebrity that we’re looking forward to checking out.
Watch if you liked: Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls, The Crystal Maze
Industry
Debuts on BBC Two later this year
Industry BBC
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What is it? Set in the fast-paced financial district of London, Industry is a new eight-part series looking into the fast-paced world of international finance, as seen through the eyes of a group of young trainees.
If the show rings a bell, that’s probably because of its famous director, Girls co-creator Lena Dunham, who spent time living in Cardiff during production (and, if you recall, got weirdly hooked on Love Island).
Watch if you liked: Girls, Normal People, The Apprentice
Adult Material
Adult Material Channel 4
What is it? Channel 4′s big new drama for the final quarter of 2020 is Adult Material, focussing on the porn industry, starring Hayley Squires and Rupert Everett.
Hayley plays Jolene, a run-of-the-mill mum of three, who also happens to be one of the UK’s most famous porn stars. According to Channel 4, the show hones in on “Jolene’s world... a place that influences all of our lives, whether we know it or not, but none of us ever truly see”.
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Perhaps not one for sitting down with the whole family to watch of an evening, but one we can’t wait to devour all the same.
Watch if you liked: Shameless, Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Footballers’ Wives
Debuts on Channel 4 later this year
The Circle
Returns to Channel 4 later this year
The Circle Channel 4
What is it? One of our most surprising reality TV obsessions of last year, we were over the moon when The Circle (which kind of introduced the world to social distancing before it was cool, just saying) announced it would be back for a third series in 2020.
And not only that – Channel 4 is also going to be throwing a load of famous faces into the mix for a separate celebrity mix. After seeing Richard Madeley’s all-singing, all-dancing, all-twerking stint in last year’s regular series, we can’t wait to see who they can rope in for the celeb series, and how it all plays out...
Watch if you liked: Love Is Blind, Big Brother, Love Island


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Great British Bake Off 2020: Meet The Stars Of This Year's Series

With just a week to go until the new series of the Great British Bake Off gets going, Channel 4 has introduced us to the new bunch of amateur bakers.
The upcoming series was filmed in total secret over the summer, with 12 brand new contestants joining the “Bake Off bubble” and competing in that famous tent for the seal of approval from Prue Leith and... whatever the pandemic equivalent of a handshake from Paul Hollywood is.
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Fancy getting to know them a little better before the series begins? Oh, go on then…
David
David mark bourdillon
Age: 30
Job: Armoured guard
From: Hampshire
Baking speciality: Bread (pretzels, brioche rolls and baguettes are apparently his special favourites)
Best memory from filming: “I remember meeting Matt Lucas and realising that he was as nervous as I was being there. Meeting Noel was a lifelong dream so meeting him was something I won’t forget!”
Anything else we should know: David apparently likes to listen to punk rock music to get in the baking mood, a tip he apparently picked up from Mary Berry (yeah alright, we made up that last bit).
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Hermine
Hermine mark bourdillon
Age: 39
Job: Accountant
From: Benin, now lives in London
Baking speciality: High-end patisserie (especially intricate offerings like millefeuille, éclairs and entremets)
Best memory from filming: “Getting to know the other bakers and forming bonds.”
Anything else we should know: Hermine describes herself as “a notorious feeder with an infectious laugh”, which we can’t wait to hear, frankly.
Laura
Laura mark bourdillon
Age: 31
Job: Digital manager
From: Kent
Baking speciality: Her decoration is her strong suit, and is “proud to have mastered the art of piped buttercream flowers”.
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Best memory from filming: “My fondest memory was also my most stressful one! When I ran out of ganache – Sura came to my rescue and helped me with about a minute to spare. She was amazing and I knew there and then I had a friend for life.”
Anything else we should know: Laura is a huge musical theatre fan, and got a little starstruck when she met Bake Off host Matt Lucas, who she’d seen in Les Misérables a year before filming. “I made a bit of a fool out of myself,” she recalls. “I think my first words to him were ‘OMG I LOVE YOU’.”
Linda
Linda mark bourdillon
Age: 61
Job: Living team leader
From: East Sussex
Baking speciality: Sausage rolls
Best memory from filming: “Meeting the other contestants on the first day, we were all there to compete for the coveted accolade yet I didn’t feel we were in competition with each other. I felt grateful and privileged to be in the mighty tent with so many talented bakers and a bit star struck meeting Prue, Paul, Noel and lovely Matt. I couldn’t believe I was there, it could only be my love of baking and how it pleases me to feed others that shone through at the auditions!”
Anything else we should know: Linda’s love of baking dates back to her childhood, when she would pay a visit to her aunt’s dairy farm. After milking the family cows, she’d use the milk in her early bakes.
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Loriea
Loriea mark bourdillon
Age: 27
Job: Diagnostic radiographer
From: Jamaica, but now lives in Durham
Baking speciality: Jamaican patties
Best memory from filming: “How supportive we all were to each other, despite coming from various backgrounds. Basically, it was like catching up with long lost friends.”
Anything else we should know: Loriea admits she rarely follows a recipe without putting her own spin on it, and loves adding “coconut, chillies and cinnamon” into her bakes.
Lottie
Lottie mark bourdillon
Age: 31
Job: Pantomime producer
From: West Sussex
Best memory from filming: “We were all nervous about making a cake bust of our celebrity heroes and knowing that we were all in the same boat was really reassuring! As a group we got really close really quickly because we were all living together and that made it feel extra special.”
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Anything else we should know: Lottie says it’s important for her to incorporate as much of her “dark sense of humour” in her baking as possible.
Makbul
Makbul mark bourdillon
Age: 51
Job: Accountant
From: Greater Manchester
Baking speciality: Puff pastry and traditional Asian nankhatai biscuits
Best memory from filming: “My fondest memory of week one would be firstly getting together as a group and how we all clicked. At last getting to meet all the people on the bake off team and the amazing support and friendship they gave me.”
Anything else we should know: Makbul is also a beekeeper, and uses honey from his hives in his own baking at home.
Mark
Mark mark bourdillon
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Age: 32
Job: Project manager
From: Northern Ireland, but now lives in Liverpool
Baking speciality: Multi-tiered wedding cakes
Best memory from filming: “The best has to be the moment when I met all the other bakers. After months and months of waiting, it was brilliant when we all eventually got to meet each other. We all bonded really quickly in the first week.”
Anything else we should know: Mark fell in love with baking at a pie shop when he was at uni in Edinburgh, eventually paying them a visit every day to sample their mac and cheese pie.
Peter
Peter mark bourdillon
Age: 20
Job: Accountancy student
From: Edinburgh
Baking speciality: Anything use ingredients like berries, whisky, oats and honey from his native Scotland
Best memory from filming: “Just being in the tent with the judges, presenters and other bakers and realising that I was ON THE BAKE OFF!!!”
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Anything else we should know: Peter has been a badminton player for the last decade, and has represented his county in the sport since 2012.
Marc
Marc mark bourdillon
Age: 51
Job: Bronze resin sculptor
From: Born in Leicester, he now lives in Cornwall
Baking speciality: Bread and “any dough-based recipes”
Best memory from filming: “Being surrounded by 11 other great people, all in the competition with me, and I just remember feeling the very positive and exciting energy in the tent.”
Anything else we should know: A single dad, Marc says he wanted to take part in Bake Off “to show his daughters that even when life throws obstacles at you, you can rise to new challenges and develop new passions”.
Rowan
Rowan mark bourdillon
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Age: 55
Job: Music teacher
From: Worcestershire
Baking speciality: “Fine, complex, layered cakes.”
Best memory from filming: “The joy and satisfaction of working alongside other lovely bakers… [and] a gin and tonic afterwards.”
Anything else we should know: Is there literally anything Rowan can’t do? Aside from being a keen baker, musician and gardener, he’s also a fitness fanatic who swims a mile most mornings and has a passion for “all things 1700s”.
Sura
Sura mark bourdillon
Age: 31
Job: Pharmacy dispenser
From: London
Baking speciality: “Small and dainty bakes”
Best memory from filming: “I was looking forward to meeting Prue the most. I have watched her for many years on TV and I just loved her passion for food and flavours and her immense knowledge on it all. She inspired a lot of my baking in my early 20s.”
Anything else we should know: Sura says her Middle Eastern and Asian heritage has led her to experiment with a lot of flavour in her baking, and now lives in London with her husband and grandmother.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Just WTF Does Boris Johnson Think He’s Doing? On Brexit And On Covid?

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Reality bites
Boris Johnson was always going to win the second reading of his controversial Internal Market Bill. With a working majority of more than 90 (thanks to his new-found friends in the DUP), the result was never seriously in question. And despite some uncomfortable Tory abstentions and criticism, the eventual majority of 77 may even reassure the PM he’s in a strong position.
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But the wider issue is just what damage is he doing to his own reputation, to that of his MPs, his party and his country in the process? Moreover, it’s difficult to see just how the bill’s “nuclear option” of breaking international law helps with his negotiations with Brussels, or even how he sells any eventual collapse in talks.
Ed Miliband certainly took lumps out of Johnson in his opening speech for the Opposition, ridiculing the PM for not having read either his own Brexit deal or his own break-the-law bill. His best line was about ‘the Johnson Rule’: “one rule for the British people, another rule for this government..pioneered by Cummings, implemented by Johnson”.
Miliband perhaps missed a trick however in not citing Johnson’s own words back at him from 2018, when he wrote in the Telegraph of Theresa May’s own deal: “Of all the lies that are currently being peddled, the worst is that this agreement can somehow be remedied in the next stage of the talks”.
Still, it was obvious from the PM’s grumpy demeanour that he didn’t enjoy the barbs lobbed his way from the shadow business secretary (standing in for Keir Starmer): “For the first time in his life, it is time to take responsibility. It is time to ’fess up: either he was not straight with the country about the deal in the first place, or he did not understand it.”
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Johnson’s ‘oven ready’ deal was indeed roasted by Miliband. But despite political Twitter breaking into adulation last seen during Milifandom (remember how much the public really cared about that?), it was actually the speech by Tory 1922 committee vice chairman Sir Charles Walker, one of the abstainers, that ought to worry No.10.
Walker first attacked the “profoundly un-Conservative” idea of net curtain twitchers being encouraged to inform on neighbours’ minor breaches of lockdown (because “granny has followed grandad into a family home of five”). But he also warned the PM that backbenchers were sick of being taken for granted.
In a clear reference to Dominic Cummings’ dripping contempt for many Tory MPs, Walker said: “We are all Members of Parliament and we deserve to be taken seriously.” And although the PM has long lost any real capacity to be embarrassed or feel shame about anything, many of his MPs do not like to be made fools of. Those who tried to defend their government - over the A-levels fiasco, Cummings’ eye-sight test drive, over the Brexit deal itself or free school meals plans - feel unloved and unconsulted.
On Monday, neither Johnson nor Michael Gove, who wound up the debate, seemed to take those concerns seriously. Johnson suggested that ministers would allow a Commons vote on any powers they took to break the law, though No.10 sources seemed as unclear as he was about what was actually in the legislation. Gove said that rebel Bob Neill was “onto something” but failed to specify how he would remedy that “something”.
As it happens, many experts believe that Neill’s own amendment is badly drafted and so any government compromise could help both sides out over the next week, before the crunch vote is held in Committee Stage.
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The wider issue is the political capital burned up by this whole row. Charles Walker is not alone in being genuinely baffled by the government’s tactics of late on a range of issues from possible tax rises to planning reforms. Not for nothing is the newest Tory backbench WhatsApp group called ‘wtfisgoingon?’
There was no greater illustration of that when HuffPost revealed that shooting and hunting would be among the exempt activities on the Covid ‘Rule of Six’. Gove had actually thought this was so important that he had scheduled a meeting on Saturday with one item on the agenda for the all-powerful Covid Operations committee: “exemption: shooting/hunting”.
Several Tory MP got in touch with me to question on what planet that was a real priority for Cabinet minister. You can have Christmas with your grandparents after all - just make sure you all go on a pheasant shoot on a country estate. Not exactly a Red Wall reassuring message, especially when Johnson was said to have “de-snobbified” the Tory brand among working people.
But the real “WTF is going on?” question should centre on growing test-and-trace failures. The most shocking news on Monday was that there were no tests available - walk-in, drive-through, home kits - for any of the people in Bolton, Salford, Bradford, Blackburn, Oldham, Preston, Pendle, Rochdale, Tameside or Manchester. And these are supposed to be the areas getting test priority.
If Starmer is still in isolation on Wednesday, it may fall to deputy Angela Rayner (a Greater Manchester MP) to get her teeth into Johnson at PMQs. I’d be amazed if rows over Brexit amendments made it into Labour’s attack lines then. And if the PM fails to show any humility again, or fails to have some answers, his own MPs really will have reason to ask what the hell is going on in No.10.
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Quote Of The Day
“If you keep whacking a dog, don’t be surprised if it bites you back.”
Tory backbencher Sir Charles Walker
Monday Cheat Sheet
A raft of Tory MPs abstained on the second reading of the Internal Market Bill. But the government won the vote with a majority of 77 by 340 to 263.
Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said people “should” ring the 101 police line if they spot neighbours breaching the ‘rule of six’ limits that came into force from midnight Sunday.
Labour leader Keir Starmer is self-isolating at home after a member of his family reported possible coronavirus symptoms.
Starmer will tell the TUC (via video link) on Tuesday that the Tories must outlaw controversial “fire and re-hire” working practices and act to avoid the “scarring effect” of mass unemployment with a replacement for the furlough jobs scheme.
The government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has said he was rebuked for arguing strongly in favour of imposing Covid lockdown restrictions earlier this year, a BBC freedom of information request revealed.
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What I’m Reading


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Has Extremism Taken Over US Politics? Listen To Running Mate, Our US Election Podcast For Brits

Running Mate is a US election podcast – just for Brits. In our fourth episode, we look at the rising tide of extremism in the US.
Host Graeme Demianyk speaks to Andy Campbell and Chris Mathias, HuffPost reporters in the US who cover the extremism beat, to find out more about nationalist and radical groups – such as the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer – who have risen to prominence during Donald Trump’s presidency.
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They describe how his first term saw Trump portray white nationalists as “very fine people” after some of them ran over and killed a woman in Charlottesville in 2017 during a far-right rally that both reported on.
Fast forward three years, and the president is indulging QAnon, the viral pro-Trump conspiracy theory movement, and extremists are set to be elected in November – which is why, they say, these groups and ideas should not be dismissed as fringe.
We also hear from Jiore Craig, a digital specialist advising Democrat campaigns, on why social media companies aren’t doing more to fight online political disinformation campaigns.
Listen to the second episode of Running Mate above. There’ll be a new episode to download every Monday – find it by searching for Running Mate on any good podcast platform, and get involved in the conversation on social media by using our hashtag #HPRunningMate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Keir Starmer To Tell Boris Johnson To Outlaw 'Fire And Re-Hire' Working Practices

Labour leader Keir Starmer Jacob King - PA Images via Getty Images
Boris Johnson must outlaw controversial “fire and re-hire” working practices and act to avoid the “scarring effect” of mass unemployment, Keir Starmer is set to say.
The Labour leader will say firms like British Airways and Centrica should be banned from forcing staff to choose between joblessness and a new contract with inferior pay and conditions.
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Calling the practice “not just wrong but against British values,” he will use a speech to the TUC Congress to call on the PM to act by banning it with new laws, saying: “These tactics punish good employers, hit working people hard and harm our economy.
“After a decade of pay restraint – that’s the last thing working people need, and in the middle of a deep recession – it’s the last thing our economy needs.”
It comes after TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady told HuffPost UK firms were using the pandemic to “squeeze more out of staff” by forcing new contracts on them.
The opposition leader will warn of the “scarring effect mass unemployment will have on communities and families across the country” and renew demands for a “genuine national plan” to protect jobs when the furlough scheme closes at the end of October.
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The state has supported around 9.6 million jobs through the furlough scheme since the country went lockdown in March.
Starmer, who accepts the scheme cannot continue indefinitely, will argue that with “a bit of imagination” the government can continue to help those most at risk of losing their jobs.
He will urge ministers to target sectors under the greatest pressure – including aviation and retail, as well as businesses in areas hit by local lockdowns.
He will also call for an expansion of part-time working – rewarding employers who give people hours rather than cut jobs – and the provision of training and support for those unable to return to work full-time.
“At this moment of national crisis we should take inspiration from our past,” he is expected to say.
“Be willing to put party differences aside and work together in the interest of the country.
“Imagine how powerful it would be if we could form a genuine national plan to protect jobs, create new ones and investing in skills and training?
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“I’m making an open offer to the prime minister – work with us to keep millions of people in work.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Boris Johnson’s Shooting Exception Shows Us Where His Priorities Lie

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Do you remember the Boris Johnson who loved animals? I know an hour is a long time in politics these days but during last year’s leadership and general election campaigns, our would-be emperor was dressing in almost vegan clothes. He promised again and again that he would promote “animal welfare” as prime minister.
As an animal rights activist I follow the issues closely, and this was the first time I’d heard the leader of a major party speak so enthusiastically about the plight of animals. He seemed to confirm his commitment in his first speech as prime minister when he said: “Let’s promote the welfare of animals that has always been so close to the hearts of the British people”.
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It seems he meant the opposite. Today, his government announced new rules that exempt grouse shooting and other cruel ‘sports’ from the ‘rule of six’ coronavirus restrictions. As of today, you can’t have a five-a-side kickabout in the park with your friends, but groups of up to 30 can go hunting with guns.
This mind-boggling exception comes only days after it was revealed that a Tory council has bailed out a group of fox hunters with £50,000 of public funds. With so many people killed by coronavirus and many more struggling with no government help at all, again and again this Tory government shows see where their priorities lie.
“Perhaps I was naïve but I did hope Johnson would stick to his commitment to help animals... But they say a leopard doesn’t change his spots.”
Reuters Photographer / Reuters
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Perhaps I was naïve but I did hope Johnson would stick to his commitment to help animals. After all, his fiancée, Carrie Symonds, is a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation and has been described as a “passionate animal rights defender”.
But they say a leopard doesn’t change his spots, and Boris’s real position on animal welfare has been clear for a long time. In a 2005 article for The Spectator, he said he “loved” hunting with dogs, partly because of a “semi-sexual relation with the horse” and the “military-style pleasure” he derived from the experience.
Writing about the former Labour government’s ban on fox hunting, the old Etonian said it was “not about cruelty” to animals but “a Marxian attack” on the upper classes. He described the ban as “tyrannical” and “revolting”. He has supported animal abuse overseas, too. At a 2017 dinner to celebrate Anglo-Spanish relations, he said that Spain’s partial ban on bullfighting was “political correctness gone mad”.
Little wonder, then, that he reverted to type once he’d settled into Number Ten. He described veganism as a “crime against cheese lovers” and has already dropped his electoral promise not to import chlorinated chicken after Brexit. Now, amid a spike of Covid-19 infections and job losses, he’s spending his time making up special loopholes for hunters.
“Johnson's done this so often now, to people and animals alike, I wonder if this is what he thinks animal equality means.”
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During the national lockdown, it was one rule for Dominic Cummings and another for the rest of us. This time, the exemption will be for Johnson’s hunting pals. There is a crossover: Sir Humphry Wakefield, father-in-law of Cummings, allows shoots on his Chillingham Castle estate in Northumberland, and has reportedly said: “I love shooting, hunting”. What an absolute bunch they are.
We shouldn’t be surprised that Johnson feels an affinity with stuck-up twits who ride roughshod over everything, stray onto private land and knock things over without really noticing let alone caring. This is how he lives his life. Even on his summer holidays he didn’t think there would be a problem when he pitched his tent in someone else’s field.
Neither should we be surprised that another set of promises he made to get his way have now been dropped. To hell with the vulnerable beings he pledged to protect. He’s done this so often now, to people and animals alike, I wonder if this is what he thinks animal equality means. He just lies about everything.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Donald Trump Instigates 'Lock Him Up' Chant For Barack Obama At Rally

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President Donald Trump incited the crowd at his rally in Nevada on Sunday to chant “lock him up” about former president Barack Obama.
Trump repeated his evidence-free claim that Obama “got caught spying on my campaign” during his speech in Henderson. He added: “We have him cold. Now let’s see what happens.”
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Trump then hesitated, looked into the crowd and pointed.
In an instant they were chanting “lock him up” — a new riff on Trump’s 2016 election refrain, when he and his fans chanted “lock her up,” referring to Hillary Clinton.
Trump claimed Clinton should have been imprisoned for using a personal email server while she was secretary of state. His daughter, White House adviser Ivanka Trump, has used her personal email account for government business hundreds of times. First lady Melania Trump also reportedly used private email for government business.
The President says President Obama got caught spying on his campaign and the crowd chants lock him up? pic.twitter.com/mDYAWBO0n2 — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) September 14, 2020
As for Obama, the Justice Department’s own inspector general told the Senate late last year that neither the former president nor former vice president Joe Biden had any involvement in the decision to launch an investigation into possible collusion by the Trump campaign into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Here's WTF Is Going On In The Latest Big Brexit Row

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Brexit is very much back on the agenda and it’s all feeling a bit 2019, with Tories rebelling against Boris Johnson and a big parliamentary showdown looming.
This being Brexit, the substance of the row over the Internal Market Bill is also quite complicated.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the government doing?
The government’s Internal Market Bill contains a highly controversial section that seeks to give UK ministers, and UK ministers alone, powers to go back on parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement (WA) Johnson agreed with the EU last year.
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The WA triggered the standstill transition period which the UK and EU now find themselves in until December 31, when Brussels rules will largely no longer apply here unless agreed otherwise.
It also dealt with the so-called “divorce bill”, citizens’ rights, and the thorny issue of maintaining an invisible land border between Northern Ireland (in the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (in the EU), as physical frontier posts were a target for attacks during the Troubles.
The WA did this by making Northern Ireland follow EU rules in some areas where the rest of the UK would not, creating the need for some checks between the province and the British mainland (instead of north and south on the island of Ireland).
Despite proclaiming the deal “oven ready” during December’s election, the prime minister now wants to take powers to go back on key sections of the WA and give the UK the ability to decide how key aspects of trade in Northern Ireland work.
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Why does Boris Johnson want to go back on his own Brexit deal?
PA
This is where things get complicated, but stay with us.
Downing Street insists the Bill is simply a “safety net” to govern key areas of trade in Northern Ireland if the UK and EU cannot agree how it will work through the so-called joint committee set up by WA.
Talks in the joint committee have been going on all year, led by Michael Gove on the UK side and Maros Sefcovic on the EU side, but they have failed to agree so far.
In the event of those talks failing to reach a conclusion, the UK wants to use the Bill’s powers to decide on its own what constitutes state aid – government subsidies for businesses or industries in Northern Ireland – and therefore must be notified to Brussels.
This Bill also gives ministers powers to disapply the need for exit summary declarations (as required under EU customs code) for goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
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The government has argued it needs to bring in the measures to ensure Northern Ireland is not cut adrift from the rest of the UK. It also fears that the EU could use state aid rules that apply to the province to bind the government’s hands across the whole UK.
But some have questioned whether it could be a negotiating tactic with negotiations on a big overarching trade deal stalled.
And there have also been suggestions that Johnson is trying to correct mistakes he himself made in the rushed negotiations by signing up to the WA without being fully aware of its consequences.
Why are people angry?
Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis was forced to admit last week the Bill does “break international law”.
It has sparked a Tory backlash and all five of the UK’s living former prime ministers have now sharply criticised the government.
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"Yes, this does break international law in a very specific and limited way."
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis says the UK's plan for possible changes to the Withdrawal Agreement would go against international law but that "there are clear precedents" to do so. pic.twitter.com/9IsJf40jVV — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) September 8, 2020
Much of the concern centres around the UK’s global reputation for upholding the rules.
Critics argue that going back on a deal signed just eight months ago would imperil this reputation, and could damage the economy because the UK is a leader in sectors from accounting to finance to law precisely because it is trusted to follow the rules.
There are also deep concerns that it could undermine the UK’s foreign policy when it is trying to hold aggressive states like Russia, China and Iran accountable to international law.
But does it break the law?
The government’s line has since evolved, with justice secretary Robert Buckland insisting that international law would only be broken if the powers in the Bill, which he described as an “insurance policy”, are actually used by ministers.
According to the Institute for Government even if the powers in the Bill are not used, simply passing the legislation through parliament would breach Article 4 of the WA, which requires the UK to give full legal effect to that deal.
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On ministers’ powers, the IfG’s Raphael Hogarth has written: “However, unless the powers were actually used, the UK would not be in breach of the state aid and customs provisions of the Northern Ireland protocol.
“The Bill is nevertheless concerning: it breaches international law, lays the ground for much more extensive breaches of international law, and tries to insulate ministers from judicial scrutiny at home.”
"If I see the rule of law being broken in a way that I find unacceptable then of course I will go," says Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, about the government’s internal market bill which could breach international law#Marr https://t.co/Qoevttrfze pic.twitter.com/9vawyPqPmG — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 13, 2020
How has the EU reacted?
Not well. It has given Johnson an end-of-the month deadline to drop the legislation or face the potential of negotiations on a trade deal collapsing due to the loss of “trust”.
Meanwhile, the rising tensions spilled over into a very public Twitter spat between the UK and EU’s chief negotiators David Frost and Michel Barnier over food imports, although No.10 has blamed Brussels for starting the row.
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1/7 I would like to make a few comments and state a few facts, in my capacity as the PM's negotiator in the current and last autumn's talks. https://t.co/qJ2hGUf5RM — David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) September 13, 2020
So is the prime minister going to lose in the Commons?
One Tory told HuffPost UK there were “definitely more than 40 angry” Tories who could join Labour in voting against the government’s wishes, putting the PM at risk of a first Commons defeat since December’s election.
Rebels are coalescing around an amendment proposed by senior Tory and Commons justice committee chair Bob Neill, which would give MPs a veto over powers in the Bill coming into force.
But some hardened opponents of the plans do not even believe that amendment, to be voted on next week, goes far enough.
One Tory predicted as many as 20 to 30 Tories could oppose the Bill outright at second reading, its first Commons stage, on Monday night.
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A further 20 could abstain, they suggested, putting the Bill at risk of defeat in its first vote.
But other observers feel many rebels will largely keep their powder dry until next week’s vote on Neill’s amendment, and possibly others.
If the DUP backs the government, as seems likely given that the Bill is designed to ensure Northern Ireland remains closer to the rest of the UK than envisaged in the WA, it will make it harder for the rebels to win.
And don’t rule out a government compromise if the rebellion continues to grow.
Johnson has already been holding talks with unhappy MPs and will address the Commons on Monday in a surprise appearance.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Possible Sign Of Life Discovered On Venus, Scientists Announce

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Scientists may have detected signs of life in the harshly acidic clouds of Venus, they announced on Monday.
Although they did not discover actual life forms, the UK-led team said a gas called phosphine – which on Earth is only produced by bacteria thriving in oxygen-starved environments – is a tantalising sign of potential life.
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The international scientific team first spotted the phosphine using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and confirmed it using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope in Chile.
“I was very surprised - stunned, in fact,” said astronomer Jane Greaves of Cardiff University in Wales, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
3quarks via Getty Images
The existence of extraterrestrial life long has been one of the paramount questions of science. Scientists have used probes and telescopes to seek “biosignatures” - indirect signs of life - on other planets and moons in our solar system and beyond, Reuters reports.
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“With what we currently know of Venus, the most plausible explanation for phosphine, as fantastical as it might sound, is life,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology molecular astrophysicist and study co-author Clara Sousa-Silva.
“I should emphasise that life, as an explanation for our discovery, should be, as always, the last resort,” Sousa-Silva added. “This is important because, if it is phosphine, and if it is life, it means that we are not alone. It also means that life itself must be very common, and there must be many other inhabited planets throughout our galaxy.”
The planet Venus is seen in this photograph taken by the Galileo spacecraft?s Solid State Imaging System on February 14, 1990. via REUTERS
Phosphine - a phosphorus atom with three hydrogen atoms attached - is highly toxic to people.
Earth-based telescopes like those used in this research help scientists study the chemistry and other characteristics of celestial objects.
Phosphine was seen at 20 parts-per-billion in the Venusian atmosphere, a trace concentration. Greaves said the researchers examined potential non-biological sources such as volcanism, meteorites, lightning and various types of chemical reactions, but none appeared viable. The research continues to either confirm the presence of life or find an alternative explanation.
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Venus is Earth’s closest planetary neighbour. Similar in structure but slightly smaller than Earth, it is the second planet from the sun. Earth is the third. Venus is wrapped in a thick, toxic atmosphere that traps in heat. Surface temperatures reach a scorching 880 degrees Fahrenheit (471 degrees Celsius), hot enough to melt lead.
“I can only speculate on what life might survive on Venus, if indeed it is there. No life would be able to survive on the surface of Venus, because it is completely inhospitable, even for biochemistries completely different from ours,” Sousa-Silva said.
“But a long time ago, Venus could have had life on its surface, before a runaway greenhouse effect left the majority of the planet completely uninhabitable.”
The acid test
Some scientists have suspected that the Venusian high clouds, with mild temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, could harbour aerial microbes that could endure extreme acidity. These clouds are around 90% sulphuric acid. Earth microbes could not survive that acidity.
“If it’s microorganisms, they would have access to some sunlight and water, and maybe live in liquid droplets to stop themselves dehydrating, but they would need some unknown mechanism to protect against corrosion by acid,” Greaves said.
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On Earth, microorganisms in “anaerobic” environments - ecosystems that do not rely on oxygen - produce phosphine. These include sewage plants, swamps, rice fields, marshlands, lake sediments and the excrements and intestinal tracts of many animals. Phosphine also arises non-biologically in certain industrial settings.
The planet Venus at the start of its transit of the Sun, June 5, 2012. Reuters
To produce phosphine, Earth bacteria take up phosphate from minerals or biological material and add hydrogen.
“We have done our very best to explain this discovery without the need for a biological process. With our current knowledge of phosphine, and Venus, and geochemistry, we cannot explain the presence of phosphine in the clouds of Venus. That doesn’t mean it is life. It just means that some exotic process is producing phosphine, and our understanding of Venus needs work,” Clara Sousa-Silva said.
Venus should be hostile to phosphine. Its surface and atmosphere are rich in oxygen compounds that would rapidly react with and destroy phosphine.
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“Something must be creating the phosphine on Venus as fast as it is being destroyed,” said study co-author Anita Richards, an astrophysicist associated with the University of Manchester in England.
While previous robotic spacecraft have visited Venus, a new probe may be needed to confirm life.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Piers Morgan Goes Off On BGT Diversity Complainers

Piers Morgan Goes Off On BGT Diversity Complainers
Piers Morgan has voiced his support for Diversity’s BLM-themed performance on Britain’s Got Talent, after the dance troupe’s performance received thousands of complaints. Diversity’s routine, inspired by the events of 2020, included references to the killing of George Floyd, and the following global protests.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-14--Boris Johnson To Make Surprise Speech In Bid To Subdue Tory Brexit Rebellion

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Boris Johnson will make a direct appeal to Tory rebels to back his “critical” Brexit plans despite them breaking international law.
The prime minister’s proposals to give ministers the power to go back on key sections of the “oven ready” withdrawal agreement he negotiated and signed have sparked a major backlash from his own MPs.
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On Monday, Rehman Chishti quit as the PM’s religion envoy, with the Brexiteer former barrister insisting that “if we give our word, then we must honour it”. His resignation will add pressure to the PM, as rebels threaten to derail his Internal Market Bill, which comes to the Commons later today.
One MP told HuffPost UK there were “definitely more than 40 angry” Tories who could join Labour in voting against the government’s wishes, putting the PM at risk of a first Commons defeat since December’s election.
The PM has responded to the rebellion by choosing to open the debate on the Bill on Monday afternoon, instead of business secretary Alok Sharma, and to take questions from rebellious backbenchers.
Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband will respond for Labour after Keir Starmer had to self isolate, after a member of his household showed symptoms of coronavirus.
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Johnson attempted to calm Tory rebels in a Zoom chat on Friday but the backlash has grown over the weekend, with ex-PM David Cameron and his former attorney general Geoffrey Cox sharply criticising the plans.
The other living former prime ministers - Tories Sir John Major and Theresa May, and Labour’s Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, have also voiced opposition to the plans.
Asked why the PM had decided to replace Sharma in opening the debate, his official spokesperson said: “It is a critical piece of legislation for the United Kingdom and as the prime minister has been doing over the course of the last week he will be setting that out to the House of Commons.”
Rebels are coalescing around an amendment proposed by senior Tory and Commons justice committee chair Bob Neill, which would give MPs a veto over powers in the Bill coming into force.
But some hardened opponents of the plans do not even believe that amendment, to be voted on next week, goes far enough.
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One Tory predicted as many as 20-30 Tories could oppose the Bill outright at second reading, its first Commons stage, tonight.
A further 20 could abstain, they suggested, putting the Bill at risk of defeat in its first vote.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-15--10-Year-Old Won Drum Battle Against Dave Grohl, So He Wrote Her A Superhero Theme Song

A 10-year-old drummer from Ipswich is fast on her way to achieving Rock God status.
Nandi Bushell – who you might recognise from last year’s Argos Christmas advert – took part in an epic drum-off with Dave Grohl to the song ‘Dead End Friends’ by his band, Them Crooked Vultures. And he was so impressed by her performance, he’s written a superhero theme tune especially for her.
Following their battle last week, Nandi said it was an “honour” to be able to drum with “the most awesome, fun, kind and legendary Dave Grohl”.
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When Grohl declared she’d won the battle, he tweeted a hint that there was more to come: “You win round one... but it ain’t over yet! Buckle up, cuz I have something special in mind.”
And he didn’t disappoint. On Monday, he shared a video on the Foo Fighters Twitter account of him singing a song that he’d written and performed especially for Nandi – or, as Grohl describes her, “the number one drummer girl, the best drummer in the world”.
“Every superhero needs a theme song,” Grohl tweeted to the 10-year-old. “Here’s one for you!”
I cant believe Mr. Grohl wrote a song about me!?! This is so so so #EPIC!! I think its the best song EVER, in the WORLD, EVER!!! Thank you so much Dave. You have raised the stakes to all instruments! I accept your next challenge! Thank you to the whole Grohl family! @foofighters pic.twitter.com/rWgTBwEtyb — Nandi Bushell (@Nandi_Bushell) September 14, 2020
Not one to hide his talents, Grohl can be seen singing, drumming and playing guitar in the track, while his daughters (the Grohlettes) provide backing vocals, singing Nandi’s name throughout.
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The song describes how Nandi is “always right on time” and a “hero wunderkind”.
“She’s got the power, she’s got the sound,” Grohl sings. “Nandi on the drums makes the world go round.”
Nandi was absolutely thrilled by the tune and can be seen clutching her face, wide-eyed and awestruck, as she watches Grohl perform.
“I can’t believe Mr. Grohl wrote a song about me!?!” she tweeted. “This is so so so #EPIC!! I think it’s the best song EVER, in the WORLD, EVER!!! Thank you so much Dave. You have raised the stakes to all instruments! I accept your next challenge!”