thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--A Secret Love: We're Not Sure We're Emotionally Ready For Netflix's Heartwarming New Documentary

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It doesn’t take much to make us feel a bit weepy right now, so we’re not sure we’re prepared for the emotional tsunami of Netflix’s new documentary A Secret Love.
The streaming service’s latest factual offering tells the powerful and heartwarming 65-year love story of Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, a couple who are now settling into a retirement home.
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The two women began their relationship in secret after meeting in 1947 – a time when the world was less accepting of LGBTQ people – and the documentary highlights the evolution of queer rights over the ensuing years.
Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel's relationship is the subject of Netflix's A Secret Love Netflix
At this time, Terry played baseball professionally as a catcher in All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which many may remember was the subject of the 1992 film A League Of Their Own, starring Madonna and Geena Davis.
The trailer for A Secret Love debuted on social media on Wednesday evening, and had many people feeling emotional as Terry and Pat discussed how they were forced to conduct their relationship covertly.
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Their love story spans more than 60 years.
So did their secret — until now.
A Secret Love premieres April 29 pic.twitter.com/UwYy2pHufF — Netflix (@netflix) April 22, 2020
“We always wore dresses, makeup,” Terry explained in the two-minute clip. “The whole thing. Anybody who was not gay, they simply didn’t know.”
Having grown up in a conservative family, Pat believed she’d be forced to spend her adult years “living a lie.”
“I loved my mother, but she would’ve disowned me,” she added.
there’s a whole forest in my eye pic.twitter.com/rZ9QhcY9GR — day (@daylr) April 22, 2020
"You kind of broke the rules your whole life."
"Yes, I have. That's why I'm happy."
it is 12:30AM and i am sobbing — from_m (@michellemmanese) April 22, 2020
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well, there goes the twenty minutes a day that I'm not already crying. — Mike Morrison 🏳🌈 (@mikesbloggity) April 22, 2020
oh man I am HURTING over “she means everything to me” pic.twitter.com/fP8jpbDwdm — megan 🧚🏻♀ (@manbunkoo) April 22, 2020
A Secret Love story was produced by Ryan Murphy, who has been prolific in telling the stories of LGBTQ people in a number of dramas, including Pose, The Politician and The Assassination Of Gianni Versace.
The documentary is also directed by Terry and Pat’s great-nephew, Chris Bolan, who hopes that viewers will come away from it “having seen parts of their family, their loved ones, their lives reflected” in some capacity.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Love On The Border: The Elderly Couple Who Meet for Tea

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Love On The Border: The Elderly Couple Who Meet for Tea
Two octogenarian lovers, one living in Denmark and the other in Germany, are determined to keep meeting every day for a picnic and a chat on either side of the border, which has been shut to help curb the spread of coronavirus. Inga Rasmussen, 85, who lives in Gallehus on the Danish side, met Karsten Tuechsen Hansen, 89, two years ago. Both widowed, they quickly fell in love. Like many lovers around the world in this time of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on free movement, they face obstacles in meeting up but they are not easily deterred.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--The Big Night In: What To Look Out For During The One-Off BBC Event

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The BBC’s Big Night In event is almost here and if it all goes to plan, we could be in for a night of brilliant entertainment from some of the UK’s best loved TV stars and comedians.
Kicking off at 7pm on Thursday (no, we’re not sure why they’re doing it on a Thursday either, but never mind), the one-off broadcast marks the first time charities Children In Need and Comic Relief have teamed up, and will feature live music, comedy sketches and a few surprises too.
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Billed as a way of celebrating the UK’s “resilience” while we’re all on lockdown, there will also be an opportunity for viewers to donate money to help those “of all ages and backgrounds across the UK” who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s what to look out for over the course of the evening...
Some reliable favourites on presenting duties
Like the recent Together At Home concert, they’ll be hosting from two different studios, with Sir Lenny, Davina and Matt in one and Zoe and Paddy in another. Of course, they’ll also be adhering to social distancing guidelines and remaining two metres away from one another.
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A mass Live Lounge performance
Dua Lipa performing on The Tonight Show last year NBC via Getty Images
Some of the biggest names in music have teamed up for an almighty cover of the Foo Fighters’ Times Like This, in a very special edition of the Radio 1 Live Lounge. Expect figures from across different genres to appear during the performance, including Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, chart-topping singer Dua Lipa and dancehall star Sean Paul.
Each artist recorded their portion of the song from home, with British producer Fraser T Smith – whose past credits include Adele, Sam Smith and Stormzy – helping make the song sound as seamless as possible.
And a few more musical guests
Gary Barlow Isabel Infantes - PA Images via Getty Images
Gary Barlow will also be putting together a performance with a few famous friends, including Leona Lewis, Katherine Jenkins, Gregory Porter and Liam Payne.
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Ian Beale’s Queen Vic pub quiz
Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale BBC
Putting our Zoom efforts to shame, Adam Woodyatt will be hosting a pub quiz with a difference during the event, in character as Ian Beale in the Queen Vic.
The stars of Strictly Come Dancing get the nation on their feet
In the last week, the BBC launched the Keep Dancing challenge, which has seen the Strictly Come Dancing professionals teaching fans a small portion of a dance routine each day. Viewers who have recorded themselves performing the complete dance will be shown during the Big Night In, so we can all get a taste of what it’s like to be taught by the Strictly pros (and how easy it is to pick up their choreo!).
A Doctor Who event like no other
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In what’s been billed as a salute to the NHS workers on the frontline, Doctor Who stars past and present will team up for a video message that’s sure to be a stand-out moment of the broadcast.
Already confirmed to be appearing include former Doctors David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy and Jo Martin, who appeared as a new incarnation of the Doctor earlier this year.
Oh, and Jodie Whittaker, obv, who already did a brilliant job with her message of hope for Doctor Who fans last month (as seen above).
Catherine Tate brings back her classic teenager character
Catherine Tate BBC
Famed for her catchphrase “am I bovvered?”, Bafta-nominated comic Catherine Tate will reprise one of her most iconic characters, Lauren The Teenager, for a new sketch filmed at her home.
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Little is known about the scene, other than the fact it will see Lauren struggling with her home education while schools are on lockdown, and it will also reunite her with her old teacher, played by David Tennant.
Not to mention one more holy reunion
Yes, it’s been five years since we last saw Dawn French in the dog collar, but she’s set to don it once again as part of the Big Night In celebrations, as she reprises her most famous character, Geraldine Granger from the Vicar Of Dibley.
And these two will be back in action...
Matt Lucas and David Walliams Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Yes, following the success of their Little Brexit radio play last year, David Walliams and Matt Lucas are teaming up for their first TV venture since Come Fly With Me came to an end in 2011.
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Again, the pair’s plans are being kept fairly under wraps, although we can think of a few characters they probably won’t be bringing back in 2020. We can probably count on a spontaneous rendition of Thank You Baked Potato too.
An almighty reprise of (Is This The Way To) Amarillo?
Peter Kay BBC
It’s been 15 years since Tony Christie last topped the charts with (Is This The Way To) Amarillo, with a helping hand from Peter Kay and that music video, which first debuted on Comic Relief.
Rather than celebrities, it sounds like Peter will this time be joined by members of the public for a recreation of the clip.
Of course, a short interlude at 8pm
An hour into the broadcast, the BBC will pause the proceedings so the public can go outside and take part in the Clap For Carers demonstration, showing their appreciation and support for those frontline workers who are helping out in the pandemic.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Captain Tom Moore’s New Single With The NHS Choir

Captain Tom Moore’s New Single With The NHS Choir
Captain Tom Moore, the 99-year-old British war veteran who has raised more than £28 million pounds for the NHS is topping the charts with his new charity single, singing alongside the NHS Voice of Care Choir and Michael Ball, singing the 1963 hit ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Almost Half Of Europe's Coronavirus Deaths Are In Care Homes, Says WHO Official

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The number of people dying from coronavirus in Europe’s care homes has been described as an “unimaginable human tragedy”, as new estimates suggest they make up nearly half of all deaths from the disease.
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The World Health Organisation’s regional director for Europe told a press conference on Thursday there was a “deeply concerning picture” emerging regarding those in long-term care.
Dr Hans Kluge said: “According to estimates from countries in the European region, up to half of those who have died from Covid-19 were resident in long-term care facilities.”
While Kluge didn’t provide a country-by-country breakdown for the estimates, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, admitted on Wednesday that the number of UK deaths in care facilities is likely to be an “underestimate”.
Current figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest 1,043 people have died in care homes after contracting Covid-19, compared with 18,100 in hospitals.
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It comes after the government and Care Quality Commission (CQC) said on Wednesday that deaths in England’s care homes during a five-day period could be double the total figure already reported.
Prof Whitty told reporters that the 826 care home deaths reported in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the week ending April 10 were “an underestimate”.
“The numbers that have been ascribed to Covid directly in ONS statistics are still relatively modest,” Prof Whitty said.
“But I have said repeatedly in data – the fact that the ONS said in their last weekly report 826 deaths – every one of them a tragedy, but I think that will be an underestimate.”
A nurse in PPE speaks to a resident at the Wren Hall care home in Nottingham, Monday, April 20. ASSOCIATED PRESS


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus Today

Watch: Here’s The Latest On Coronavirus Today
Without a vaccine or effective drugs the UK has warned social distancing measures could last until the end of the year. Despite showing support for anti-lockdown protesters, U.S. President Trump has criticized the governor of Georgia for reopening too soon. The United Nations warned that the coronavirus pandemic risks becoming a human rights crisis because of what U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said was “the rise of hate speech, the targeting of vulnerable groups, and the risks of heavy-handed security responses undermining the health response.” Australia is calling for G20 countries to evaluate the safety of wet markets - calling them a "biosecurity and human health risk." Some reports claim that covid-19 originated in a wet market that sold wild animals in Wuhan, China. And an elderly couple in their 80s who live on either side of the German and Danish border have managed to keep their love alive despite lockdown measures - by, literally, meeting in the middle for tea and Schnapps.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Should We Be Taking Vitamin D Supplements During Lockdown?

NKTN via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
With lockdown stretching on into spring, and possibly even the summer months, Brits are being urged to consider taking daily vitamin D supplements.
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The NHS has updated its guidance on vitamin D due to the coronavirus outbreak, based on recommendations from Public Health England (PHE). Usually, it’s only recommended we take vitamin D during winter due to the lack of sunlight.
Dr Alison Tedstone, the health body’s chief nutritionist, said: “With the nation staying in to save lives and protect the NHS, many people are spending more time indoors and may not get all the vitamin D they need from sunlight.”
To protect bone and muscle health, people should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D, she said.
A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children. In adults it can cause bone pain, a result of a condition called osteomalacia. It’s thought around one in five adults and one in six children in the UK may have a profound vitamin D deficiency.
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While there’s no sufficient evidence to support the recommendation of vitamin D for reducing the risk of Covid-19, public health experts agree that people should continue to take it for general health purposes if they aren’t getting outdoors as much as they usually would.
Where do we get vitamin D from?
In the spring and summer months, most of us can get enough vitamin D naturally. Our bodies generate it from direct sunlight on the skin when we’re outdoors and it’s also found in a small number of foods such as oily fish, red meat, liver, egg yolks and fortified foods (like cereal).
But obviously, with people spending longer periods indoors due to the UK lockdown, there’s a concern we aren’t getting enough sunlight to make sufficient levels of vitamin D. PHE and the NHS, therefore, recommend buying supplements throughout lockdown.
You can buy these at most pharmacies and supermarkets, however “do not buy more than you need,” says the NHS. Women and children who qualify for the Healthy Start scheme can get free supplements.
How much vitamin D should you have?
Breastfed babies (from birth to one year of age) should be given a daily supplement containing 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D, the Department of Health and Social Care recommends.
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Formula-fed babies should not be given a vitamin D supplement until they’re having less than 500ml (about a pint) of infant formula a day, as infant formula is fortified with vitamin D.
Children aged one to four years old should be given a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D.
Everyone else (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D, particularly if they aren’t getting outdoors as much.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--All The Independent Bookshops Still Delivering During Lockdown, Mapped

Thinglass via Getty Images The Open Book in Richmond is just one of the many bookshops still doing delivery.
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Nothing provides escapism quite like getting lost in a good book. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one in three of us is reading more since Boris Johnson issued the UK lockdown order, according to a new survey from the Reading Agency.
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It’s like Rachel Revesz wrote in our weekly How I Cope series: “Life may be short but reading material is infinite. I want to chip away at this world, one book at a time, from my own bookshelf. It helps me feel, especially right now, like I’m not losing out on the outside world.”
But if you’re rapidly making your way through your shelves, you’ll probably be looking to broaden your horizons with some fresh reads in the near future.
Thankfully, it’s got easier to do so while supporting small businesses that really need your custom right now – thanks to a new online map of all the independent bookshops doing deliveries.
The map was created by a book fan named Stephen, writing for indiebookshops.com and contains the details of more than 160 bookshops across the UK that are still – safely – delivering during the outbreak.
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Stephen had been watching the Covid-19 crisis unfold from self-isolation and says he was impressed by the way bookshops were rising to the challenge, adapting the ways they work to keep their businesses going, providing comfort to those isolating in the process.
“There had been many posts on social media. I had dutifully reposted those and commented on some, but it wasn’t until The Snug Bookshop [near Somerset] suggested that an interactive map showing the locality of independents offering extra services would be a good idea that I realised I could do more,” he writes.
To use the map, simply zoom in, hover over your area and access details of a local bookshop.
Because we all need a break right now, right?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Gogglebox Explains Why Sisters Ellie And Izzi Are Still Filming Together After Lockdown Backlash

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Gogglebox bosses have responded to the backlash the show has faced after sisters Ellie and Izzi Warner were allowed to continue filming together amid the government’s strict lockdown rules.
The Channel 4 show faced criticism on social media for their most recent episode last Friday when Izzi travelled to her sister’s house to film.
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It has since been revealed that TV watchdog Ofcom has received 163 complaints about their apparent breaking of the lockdown rules.
Izzi had previously missed an episode of Gogglebox during the lockdown, where she was replaced by Ellie’s boyfriend Nat, hence why many questioned her return to the show.
Ellie and Izzi have still filmed Gogglebox despite not living together Channel 4
A Gogglebox spokesperson has offered something of an explanation, insisting that while the sisters do not live together, they are obeying the two-metre distance rule during filming.
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A rep said in a statement: “Most of the families live together but where they don’t, they are complying with PHE [Public Health England] social distancing guidelines.
“Gogglebox will only film with families where it’s safe to do so. The health and safety of our cast and crew is paramount.”
As is standard procedure, Ofcom will now assess all the complaints about the show before deciding whether or not to investigate.
Ellie with boyfriend Nat on Gogglebox Channel 4
Earlier this week, the BBC faced similar criticism online after they used three hosts in a studio to front coverage of the One World: Together At Home concert.
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The broadcaster defended the decision to have Dermot O’Leary, Claudia Winkleman and Clara Amfo presenting the show together – albeit from a safe distance from each other – insisting it was “safer for the production team to work in a single controlled space that operates within the government guidelines of social distancing than to have multiple recording locations for the presenters”.
Shows like Good Morning Britain and This Morning have been allowed to carry on filming with two presenters in the studio as they are classed as an essential service, offering news and advice on the coronavirus outbreak. However, hosts have to remain two metres apart.
Last month, Gogglebox makers announced that they had taken measures to allow “the families to take part without any contact from crew” with their homes fitted with remote cameras.
Lee Riley previously revealed he has actually moved into co-star and best mate Jenny Newby’s caravan so they can continue to film the Channel 4 show together without breaking social distancing rules.
Gogglebox boss Tania Alexander also revealed how narrator Craig Cash had been recording his voiceover in a makeshift studio at home.
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She later added: “It ain’t easy making this at the mo but worth it to hear that you all enjoyed it.”
Gogglebox continues next Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Trump Reportedly Wants Out Of The White House And Everyone’s Making The Same Jokes

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President Donald Trump is reportedly “frustrated” about being holed up in the White House as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds.
Aside from a March 28 trip to Norfolk, Virginia to see the USNS Comfort depart for New York, Trump has been in Washington since a March 6-9 visit to Florida for fundraisers and golf. On Wednesday, NBC News reported that Trump’s aides were working on a plan to get him some time out of town, perhaps in the form of a visit to see health care workers or first responders.
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“Like many Americans, the president is looking to travel when it is safe to do so,” an unnamed senior administration official told NBC News.
On social media, Trump’s critics offered some suggestions about how he can get out of town, but they were looking to give the president more of a one-way trip:
Has he considered resigning?
He can cut and paste this: pic.twitter.com/29ppjQX35g — Speculawyer 🇳🇴-American (@speculawyer) April 22, 2020
I mean....it will fit within a tweet. — Speculawyer 🇳🇴-American (@speculawyer) April 22, 2020
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I for one am willing to help https://t.co/10k9nkdgkl — George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 22, 2020
It's a deal, on the condition he never goes back. — Michael Marshall Smith (@ememess) April 22, 2020
He could resign. Has he considered that? — Marc Goldstein (@marcgoldstein_) April 22, 2020
He is free to resign and move to Florida. — Art Martin (@gartmartin9) April 22, 2020
Him leave forever in the January if you is do you job and make vote for the Joe. https://t.co/OZsSmyA6JV — Rogue Melania🍸🍸🍸🍸 (@RogueFirstLady) April 23, 2020
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He’ll quit 100% — Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) April 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--How To Deal With A Boss Who Micromanages Your Work From Home

z_wei via Getty Images Open-ended questions can help you figure out why your boss has become so controlling about how you do your job.
The coronavirus pandemic is causing people to feel understandably stressed about their job security, health and safety. Some employees also have to contend with the stress of their boss suddenly turning into a remote micromanager when they transitioned to working from home.
Such bosses are “monitoring instead of managing,” said Alison Green, founder of the workplace advice website Ask A Manager. “Because they don’t know how to effectively manage people who are remote, they don’t feel like they have enough control, and they’re getting very anxious about accountability, and whether people are taking advantage of them, and they’re micromanaging.“
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Green said she has heard from trusted high performers who have worked for their managers for years but are now suddenly dealing with their boss’s extra scrutiny. Others have complained of being told to stay on video calls all day as they work.
Newly remote bosses often want reassurance that their employees are being productive at home, but some are even turning to digital surveillance tools. Software makers like ActivTrak are seeing increased sales from employers seeking screen monitoring and productivity metrics, Bloomberg News reported. Others have demanded that their employees now keep them informed of every single break they take:
.@wsj wants to make sure nobody is having too much fun working from home pic.twitter.com/hbxBU0qG54 — Ben Smith (@benyt) March 13, 2020
Here’s advice from career experts on what you can do to fight back against the demands for constant check-ins and the stress of increased micromanaging.
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First, try to understand why your boss is now a micromanager.
There are many reasons why your boss is behaving irrationally and is monitoring your performance more right now, said Lara Hogan, author of “Resilient Management” and former vice president of engineering at Kickstarter.
“They might be worried about their reputation and so they want to make sure their team is delivering; they might be worried about a deadline because they so crave certainty right now,” Hogan said, noting that neither scenario is a good reason for this behaviour.
“Most managers are running on fear that they can’t control what’s going on, so they are trying to control productivity,” said Elaine Varelas, managing partner of human capital consulting firm Keystone Partners.
Accusing your boss of being a micromanager can put them on the defensive and make your conversation less productive, but open-ended questions can help you find out the source of your boss’ change in behaviour. Hogan suggested what/why questions that don’t assume an answer, such as, “What, if anything, are you especially worried about right now?”
Once you understand their reasoning, frame your response in the language that they care about. Hogan said that could be like, “Hey, I know you really care about this deadline. Checking in this often is taking away my focus on the project, which is not going to help me hit this deadline. Maybe instead we can ... ”
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Try to suggest a new way of reporting to them.
How to discuss your manager’s micromanaging tendencies depends on your track record and your relationship. But if you can afford to be straightforward, Green said you can suggest what you want in a matter-of-fact way, like, “‘I know that working from home has been new for all of us, but now that we’ve been doing this for a few weeks, can we go back to more of the autonomy that we had when we were in the office, because I think I work more effectively that way ... Can we say for the next week, we are going to change the ... reporting system that we’re using? If it doesn’t work, we can address that.’”
Suggesting what you want as an experiment, rather than saying you want to change a system forever, may make it more likely to get your “yes,” Green said.
Coming in with a proposal to your manager, Green said, is also a good idea “because clearly their ideas and solutions have failed them so far.” The goal is to frame your concern as something that is taking away from your ability to do your job well.
Varelas said employees should also be proactive about keeping their micromanager informed. That could take the form of a written report that says “Here are the things I’ve done this week, here are the things I’ve brought forward, and maybe even here are a list of things I’d appreciate talking about in our one-on-one,” Vareals said.
If you have a shared calendar with your manager, keep it filled with your projects, so you can give your manager insight into what it is that you do and how they can help, Varelas said.
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“Someone who asks for something as ridiculous as wanting to see you on video all day long, that is someone who is telling you they do not know how to manage.” - Alison Green, founder of Ask A Manager website
And if your boss is still asking to see you on video at all times even after you discuss your request, use WiFi issues as an excuse.
“I don’t think that there’s an ethical issue with just saying, ‘My data plan is not supporting that,’” Green said.
How you tell your manager about this matters, too.
Consider the medium of how you usually bring up sensitive issues to your boss. That’s the medium you want to use with this. Green says people often hope these kinds of conversations can be done in an email, but she suggests a real-time conversation in which you can clarify what you are saying and have the context of tone.
“If you get an email from someone saying they feel micromanaged, it’s hard to not feel defensive by that, even if you’re pretty well-intentioned,” Green said. “A conversation is warmer and doesn’t feel quite as chilly.”
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Don’t let their check-ins get under your skin.
Often the reason your boss has become a micromanager has nothing to do with your performance, so don’t let their unwanted check-ins change how you see your capabilities.
When you are feeling annoyed and frustrated by a micromanager’s surveillance, it can help to know that their actions are not usually about you, but are a poor reflection of their ability to manage.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Piers Morgan Wants A Part In Line Of Duty After Interview With MP Helen Whately Sparks 2000 Ofcom Co

Piers Morgan Wants A Part In Line Of Duty After Interview With MP Helen Whately Sparks 2000 Ofcom Complaints

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Piers Morgan is after a role in Line Of Duty after the BBC drama’s showrunner jokingly endorsed his interview technique.
Jed Mercurio, who is behind the police series, shared a clip of Piers interrogating Care Minister Helen Whately on Good Morning Britain, joking that Adrian Dunbar’s character, Superintendent Ted Hastings, needs to channel the presenter.
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“If Emily Maitlis was channelling Kate Fleming, then in #LineofDuty6 Ted Hastings needs to channel @piersmorgan,” Jed tweeted.
If Emily Maitlis was channelling Kate Fleming, then in #LineofDuty6 Ted Hastings needs to channel @piersmorgan https://t.co/VCEI9zeNaN — Jed Mercurio (@jed_mercurio) April 22, 2020
The tweet was liked by Vicky McClure, who plays Kate Fleming in the series, and it didn’t take Piers long to notice and to start a campaign for him to be cast.
Speaking on Thursday’s GMB, Piers said: “So, yesterday Jed Mercurio pops up on Twitter. He was watching our exchange with Helen Whately yesterday and he suddenly realised my interrogating skills reminded him of his own show.
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“He wanted Detective Hasting to take on my style. I love that. And it was liked by Vicky McClure. I think there’s a bandwagon to get me into Line Of Duty. I am available.”
Piers has also urged viewers to back him after his fiery exchanges with Helen Whately sparked more than 2000 complaints in total to TV watchdog Ofcom.
Piers Morgan interviews with Helen Whately On Good Morning Britain have sparked over 2000 complaints in total. ITV/Shutterstock
On Wednesday’s edition of Good Morning Britain, Piers called out the Conservative MP after it was revealed the number of coronavirus tests given in the UK had decreased, and were well away from the target of 100,000 tests a day.
After insisting everyone was working as hard as possible to ensure there was adequate testing available, she called out Piers for talking over her.
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“I’ve been quite straight with you and others I have spoken to that we know people are dying in care homes and we know more people than usual are dying in care homes,” she said. “The problem is, you just keep on interrupting me.”
Their latest clash came after Piers called out the MP for awkwardly laughing when discussing the reported figures of care home deaths that have gone unreported. The exchange led to 1910 complaints being filed about Piers to Ofcom.
Responding to the complaints on Wednesday, Piers tweeted: “Apparently nearly 2000 people have now complained to @Ofcom about me grilling Care minister Helen Whateley [sic] too ‘unfairly’ when she couldn’t answer even basic questions.
“If you think I should continue grilling ministers in the way I’ve been doing, please tell @OFCOM. Thanks.”
Apparently nearly 2000 people have now complained to @Ofcom about me grilling Care minister Helen Whateley too 'unfairly' when she couldn't answer even basic questions.
If you think I should continue grilling ministers in the way I've been doing, please tell @OFCOM. Thanks. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) April 22, 2020
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Some viewers have accused Piers of “bullying”, while others said the presenter was doing his job and holding the minister “to account”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Prince Louis Looks Adorable In Colourful 2nd Birthday Portraits

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Kate Middleton and Prince William rang in Prince Louis’ second birthday by giving royal fans the best gift possible: new photos of the little one.
And it’s hard to believe just how grown up he is!
“Sharing a sneak peek of Prince Louis’s handiwork ahead of his second birthday!” Kensington Palace said on Instagram Wednesday. “We are pleased to share images ahead of Prince Louis’s second birthday tomorrow, taken by The Duchess this April.”
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The next day, Kensington Palace shared another “Instagram vs reality” shot, showing Louis with paint all over his face... because he is a toddler, after all.
Instagram Vs Reality
Thank you for your lovely messages on Prince Louis’s second birthday 🌈. pic.twitter.com/42IauvVpEB — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 23, 2020
Louis is spending his birthday, which falls on Thursday, with his family at home, and staying occupied by playing outside, baking, and likely listening to his mum and dad homeschool his siblings.
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He’ll also probably get some birthday wishes over the phone, as Kate and William revealed in an interview with BBC Breakfast last week that they’ve begun video chatting with family members.
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“It’s been a really good way of keeping in touch and seeing each other,” William told BBC, while Kate added, “I think your father, and my parents and our families ... have really loved keeping in touch with the children, because they know it’s really hard.”
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The last time we saw little Louis, he was standing alongside Prince George and Princess Charlotte in a sweet video made as part of the Clap For Our Carers campaign, which thanks those on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19.
On Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her 94th birthday, but without the pomp and circumstance of years past.
Usually, flags are raised and there is a ceremonial gun salute to honour Her Majesty, but all of that was canceled this year, as the monarch continues to self-isolate at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip.
Nevertheless, Buckingham Palace still posted a birthday message on behalf of Queen Elizabeth and shared footage of her as a young girl, playing with her sister Princess Margaret:
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Obama Takes A Not-So-Subtle Swipe At Trump's Coronavirus Response

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Former President Barack Obama joined in with the growing chorus of criticism being levelled at President Donald Trump over his administration’s slow and sloppy response to the coronavirus crisis, commenting on Twitter about the lack of “a coherent national plan to navigate this pandemic.”
Obama did not mention Trump by name in his tweet on Wednesday in which he pointed out how “states like Massachusetts are beginning to adopt their own public health plans to combat this virus – before it’s too late.”
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But for many tweeters, it was crystal clear who Obama’s ire was toward:
While we continue to wait for a coherent national plan to navigate this pandemic, states like Massachusetts are beginning to adopt their own public health plans to combat this virus––before it's too late. https://t.co/Eb2Hz8H8vU — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 22, 2020
For weeks, Trump and his administration (buoyed by Fox News’ most-watched personalities including Sean Hannity) initially downplayed the threat of the contagion that has now killed more than 47,000 people nationwide. The US is now the epicentre of the virus, with almost 850,000 confirmed cases.
Trump has also used his daily coronavirus task force briefings to hype unproven cures and attack journalists, while also trying to blame the Obama administration.
Obama last month similarly criticised Trump over his pandemic response with the tweet below, urging voters to “demand better of our government.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Sad Bulldog Big Poppa Prompts Meme And Sob-Fest Over Devastating Isolation Pic

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Social media users are pledging their lives, and endless hugs, to Big Poppa the bulldog after his owner shared a picture of his heartbreaking lonely moment in quarantine.
His owner, Rashida Ellis, posted a picture of Big Poppa looking glum on the balcony at her Atlanta home. She said he used to love playing with kids in the building, but due to stay-at-home measures imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic, all he can do is watch them from the balcony.
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The picture raked in more than 500,000 likes on Twitter, nearly 12,000 on Instagram, and attracted hundreds of comments and memes showering the little guy with love and support.
Big Poppa has been so sad today, I think he miss playing with the kids in the building. He just watches them from the patio pic.twitter.com/gVooqvZ5oI — Rae Elle (@RaeElle) April 22, 2020
Fortunately, it sounds like his moment of fame has helped. Ellis told HuffPost on Wednesday that Pop was occupying himself with his stuffed animals.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, Ellis said Pop is a social guy and has a tough time with social distancing.
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“When he’s inside, he just walks out to the patio looking for people,” Ellis said. “He’s sleeping more. He’s a little sluggish. I can tell he’s not as happy and excited as he usually is. He’s probably tired of just me playing with him.”
Twitter users couldn’t cope.
not being dramatic but I would literally die for big poppa — Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) April 22, 2020
"We must get through this, for Big Poppa."- the world https://t.co/8Vhyczcw3O — Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) April 22, 2020
didn’t even know who Big Poppa was this morning and now I’d die for him https://t.co/VU1OEP6q3M — shauna (@goldengateblond) April 22, 2020
I am not a dog person but I have thought about Big Poppa all day. — roxane gay (@rgay) April 23, 2020
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I would throw myself in front of the virus if it meant Big Poppa could go play with the kids. https://t.co/OYbAC3O8Xs — mike mulloy (@fakemikemulloy) April 22, 2020
Sitting here with my morning coffee, wondering how we can get big poppa a friend to play with. pic.twitter.com/YGko6Eapwr — SaysSarcastically 🍒 (@SaysSarcastic) April 22, 2020
I detest the world that hurt Big Poppa https://t.co/s58xlBV8ZE — JP (@jpbrammer) April 22, 2020
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Please practice social distancing so we can beat this thing and Big Poppa can go play with his buddies again. https://t.co/8qc1nHE9vA — Adam Best (@adamcbest) April 22, 2020
Stay inside. Flatten this curve. Do it for Big Poppa. https://t.co/q2c9GYZMgN — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) April 22, 2020
For anyone else feeling lonely in quarantine, or devastated after viewing the previous images of Pop, here are some pictures that will hopefully cheer you up.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Eight Things You Need To Know About Coronavirus Today

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
The US president has played down the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus, while in Britain members of the public will be offered home-testing and the government recruits an ‘army’ of contact tracers.
According to the latest figures:
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The number of people who have died in hospitals across England, Scotland and Wales after contracting coronavirus has risen by 589 in 24 hours.
The number of people who have tested positive in the UK has reached 133,495.
Statista
Here’s the latest on Covid-19:
Almost half of Europe’s coronavirus deaths in care homes, says WHO official
The number of people dying from coronavirus in Europe’s care homes has been described as an “unimaginable human tragedy”, as new estimates suggest they make up nearly half of all deaths from the disease.
The World Health Organisation’s regional director for Europe told a press conference on Thursday there was a “deeply concerning picture” emerging regarding those in long-term care.
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Dr Hans Kluge said: “According to estimates from countries in the European region, up to half of those who have died from Covid-19 were resident in long-term care facilities.”
While Kluge didn’t provide a country-by-country breakdown for the estimates, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, admitted on Wednesday that the number of UK deaths in care facilities is likely to be an “underestimate”.
Current figures suggest 1,043 people have died in care homes after contracting Covid-19 out of a total of 18,100.
Nurses who cared for Boris Johnson say it was ‘surreal’
The nurses who cared for Boris Johnson while he fought for his life in intensive care said the situation was “surreal” but added: “He was a patient like any other.” Luis Pitarma and Jenny McGee were singled out for praise by the Prime Minister after treating him at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London when he was admitted with persistent coronavirus symptoms.
Luis Pitarma. Statista
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He is currently recuperating at Chequers, his countryside residence, with Carrie Symonds, his pregnant fiancee.
Pitarma and McGee, from Portugal and New Zealand respectively, were lauded by Johnson for standing “by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way”. Pitarma, 29, who revealed he had been inspired by Florence Nightingale, said he was “nervous” after being told he would be caring for the Prime Minister, but said his first conversation with his famous patient put him at ease.
Jenny McGee. Statista
In a statement, Pitarma said: “I asked how he would like to be addressed and he said to call him Boris. “That made me feel less nervous because he took away any formality. He just wanted to be looked after like anyone else. “Knowing that I was watching over the Prime Minister felt quite strange because I’ve never looked after someone high profile before. “But he was also a patient like any other patient, a life like any other life. It was a big responsibility and I gave it the same respect as I would with any other patient.”
Government hands out £2.8bn to stricken businesses
UK businesses struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic have so far been lent more than £2.8bn as part of a government-backed scheme.
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Total lending doubled in the week to Tuesday, UK Finance reported, with more than 9,000 loans for £1.45bn being provided over the seven days.
Over 36,000 completed applications have been sent to lenders so far, with 16,624 approved to date, and others still being processed.
Separately, the government’s furlough scheme has received 87,000 applications since it launched on Monday, representing 2.8m employees whose wages will be paid by the Treasury if bids are successful.
And business secretary Alok Sharma told a select committee that as of April 19 a third scheme had seen almost half a million businesses receive grants of £10,000 or £25,000 distributed by local authorities – totalling just over £6bn.
More than a quarter – 27% – of Britain’s workforce was furloughed across 6,150 businesses that were still trading or who had paused trading by April 5, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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Donald Trump dismisses second coronavirus wave
President Donald Trump has played down the possibility the coronavirus could be worse this winter, despite medical experts warning Covid-19 could combine with the flu to make a more complicated return to the United States.
Trump, who has been pushing for states to begin reopening their economies, batted down notions that Covid-19 could return in large waves, as has happened in previous pandemics.
Health experts and members of the White House coronavirus task force have warned of a possible comeback for the virus next fall.
“It’s not going to be what we’ve gone through, in any way, shape or form,” Trump said flatly at Wednesday’s White House coronavirus briefing.
He continued: “If it comes back, though, it won’t be coming back in the form that it was. It will be coming back in smaller doses that we can contain.
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“You could have some embers of corona … (but) we will not go through what we went through for the last two months.”
Trump then turned to Dr Deborah Birx, coordinator of the coronavirus task force, and asked: “Doctor, wouldn’t you say there’s a good chance that Covid will not come back?”
“We don’t know,” Dr Birx responded.
Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said later in the same briefing: “We will have coronavirus in the fall. I am convinced of that.”
He stressed that in the autumn, the nation would be better prepared to manage it.
“Whether or not it’s going to be big or small is going to depend on our response,” Dr Fauci said.
Schools could reopen June 1 at the very earliest
The very earliest schools could reopen is June 1, the head teachers’ leader Geoff Barton has said, but “planning would need to begin very soon” if it were to happen.
The government has so far refused to give a firm date and schools have been closed to all children except those who are vulnerable or of key workers for over a month now.
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Speaking at the daily press conference at the weekend, education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “People are anxious to know when we’re going to relax restrictions, when schools are likely to be fully back and open again.
“Of course, I want nothing more than to see schools back, get them back to normal, make sure the children are sat around learning, and experiencing the joy of being at school.
“But I can’t give you a date. Because before we do, we need to meet five tests.”
Thousands offered coronavirus home-testing to help track spread of outbreak
The government wants up to around 300,000 people to take part in a new study tracking coronavirus in the population to try to understand the current rate of infection and how many have developed antibodies to the virus.
Some 20,000 households in England are being contacted to take part in the first-wave of the research, with initial findings expected in early May.
All participants will provide a nose and throat swab to test for whether or not they currently have the virus, while adults in some 1,000 of the households will provide a blood sample to find out what proportion of the population has developed antibodies to Covid-19.
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Elsewhere, The Times reports that thousands of coronavirus contact tracers are to be trained in a bid to stop the spread of the virus
The paper says council staff and civil servants are among those drafted as part of a three-tier system that will trace every infected person and is isolate them before they can pass the virus on to others.
Missing Chinese journalist reappears claiming to have been forcibly quarantined
A Chinese citizen journalist who went missing in Wuhan after taking photos of overwhelmed hospitals and corpses piled in a minibus, has reappeared.
Li Zehua claims to have been detained by police and forcibly quarantined for almost two months.
He was last heard from on February 26 in a video he posted online showing him being chased by a white SUV. The hours-long livestream ended when several government agents entered his apartment.
The virus first emerged in Wuhan in late December, sickening tens of thousands and upending life in the industrial city of 11 million people in central China.
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China’s censorship policies have come under scrutiny since the virus outbreak amid allegations from online critics and local media that they potentially obscured the seriousness of the outbreak in its early stages.
Cats test positive for coronavirus
Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the US, federal officials said.
The cats, which had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover, are thought to have contracted the virus from people in their households or neighbourhoods, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the federal Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The finding, which comes after positive tests in some tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals worldwide, PA Media reports.
US authorities say while it appears some animals can catch the virus from people, there is no indication pets are transmitting it to human beings.
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“We don’t want people to panic. We don’t want people to be afraid of pets” or to rush to test them en masse, said Dr Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC official who works on human-animal health connections.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Olympian’s Mind-Blowing Waterless Swim Workout Goes Viral

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No workout equipment at home? Russian swimmer Yuliya Efimova has a monster workout that only requires a kitchen counter and abs of steel.
The controversial three-time Olympic medalist uploaded a video of her “swim” drills out of the pool earlier this month and reminded followers to stay home. The video was viewed more than 11 million times after it was shared on Twitter this week.
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With a helper holding down her feet on the kitchen countertop, the athlete cycled through the breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and most impressively, butterfly.
Olympic swimmer Julia Evimova training at home. Unreal level of core strength 🤯
pic.twitter.com/WSwHHrbk2Y — 7Olympics (@7olympics) April 21, 2020
Efimova is known for her finger-wagging feud with American gold medalist Lilly King at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, over Efimova’s doping scandal.
Efimova served a 16-month ban from swimming in 2014 and 2015 after testing positive for a banned steroid. She failed another drug test in 2016 but was allowed to compete after a temporary suspension because swimming governing body FINA deemed it unclear if she’d taken the supplement before it was banned.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Marianne Faithful Thanks NHS For ‘Saving Her Life’ As Singer Is Discharged From Hospital After Fight

Marianne Faithful Thanks NHS For ‘Saving Her Life’ As Singer Is Discharged From Hospital After Fighting Coronavirus

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Marianne Faithful has been discharged from hospital after being admitted with coronavirus symptoms.
The 73-year-old singer-songwriter will now recuperate in London after spending 22 days in hospital.
A message on her official Twitter account thanked well-wishers for their messages and praised the NHS for “saving her life”.
Marianne Faithfull Dominique Charriau via Getty Images
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The tweet reads: “We are really happy to say that Marianne has been discharged from hospital today, 22 days after being admitted suffering from the symptoms of Covid-19. She will continue to recuperate in London.
“Marianne thanks you all for your kind messages of concern which have meant a great deal through what is a such a difficult time for so many. She is also very grateful to all the NHS staff who cared for her at the hospital and, without doubt, saved her life.”
We are really happy to say that Marianne has been discharged from hospital today, 22 days after being admitted suffering from the symptoms of Covid-19. She will continue to recuperate in London. — Marianne Faithfull (@Faithfull_M) April 22, 2020
Marianne thanks you all for your kind messages of concern which have meant a great deal through what is a such a difficult time for so many. She is also very grateful to all the NHS staff who cared for her at the hospital and, without doubt, saved her life. — Marianne Faithfull (@Faithfull_M) April 22, 2020
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Marianne was admitted to hospital in early April where she tested positive for Covid-19 and later contracted pneumonia.
At the time, her management said she was “stable and responding to treatment”.
Stars including JK Rowling and Piers Morgan sent their best wishes to the singer following the news that she was on the road to recovery.
Some good news at last! Lots of love to Marianne from all of us. xxx pic.twitter.com/ePeiGLypo3 — Pulp (@pulp2011) April 22, 2020
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In 2006, Marianne was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent successful surgery. A year later, she announced she had hepatitis C, which had been diagnosed 12 years previously.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Rishi Sunak: How The Coronavirus Chancellor Hit The Big Time – And What Could Bring Him Down

Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
If a crisis as devastating as coronavirus can have a political star, few would doubt that Rishi Sunak has shone the brightest.
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His “whatever it takes” press conference in which he announced a £330bn plan to help businesses through the coronavirus lockdown helped reassure an increasingly nervous public and left even some of his political opponents asking if he could be the next prime minister.
Sunak had only been chancellor for a month before being thrown head first into the biggest peacetime crisis in a century.
The press conference in question was also Sunak’s first: he is said to have been nervous about media appearances ever since being elevated to the cabinet last summer.
The speed of his response and assuredness of his performance was unsurprising to MPs, officials and insiders, some of who see him “hyper intelligent” and even the “top brain in parliament”.
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But to his critics, Sunak is simply a “technocrat” carrying out “Treasury crisis 101” – an MP with fewer than five years’ experience who simply has not had time to make errors or enemies. His predecessor Sajid Javid went so far as to say in February that “no self-respecting minister” would have taken the job of chancellor after Boris Johnson cut all the Treasury’s advisers.
So who is the man many are tipping to one day be prime minister?
‘He’s not a nerd’
Since the pandemic took hold in the UK, Sunak has worked solid 17-hour days, including some weekends.
He has not even been back to his Richmond constituency in North Yorkshire to see his wife Akshata Murthy, the daughter of one of India’s richest men, or his two children.
The £350bn support package, which would normally have taken months to devise due to its scale and intricacy, was put together in a matter of days, and Sunak’s final statement was still being printed moments before he left the Treasury to announce it at the press conference.
But one insider told HuffPost UK that taking questions from some of the nation’s top journalists was not a problem for a details-focused chancellor who always “takes the long brief instead of the short one”.
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“He understands things very quickly,” Thirsk and Malton MP, and Sunak’s good friend, Kevin Hollinrake says. “He’s very analytical and doesn’t mind getting into the detail.
“He will spend hours reading something.
“He is hyper intelligent and doesn’t get bored easily – he seeks to understand.”
Robert Goodwill, who tipped Sunak as a future PM more than two years ago, agrees: “If anybody is going to be thrown in the deep end and swim, it’s Rishi.”
Just don’t call him a nerd.
Hollinrake goes on: “He’s not nerdish at all.
“I said to him one day: ‘I’ve got to take my kids to watch Justin Bieber this weekend. I can’t think of anything bloody worse.’
“He said: ‘Justin Bieber? He’s absolutely brilliant.’
“He started singing ′my mama don’t like you...’!
“He’s into films, he likes Star Wars, he’s into music, he’s good fun, he’s a laugh, he likes going out – he doesn’t drink, but he’s really good company.”
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Rarely for a politician, the clean-cut chancellor also wears his big brain lightly.
“He seems to combine being very, very able with very, very pleasant and self-effacing and not arrogant,” says Goodwill.
Officials, meanwhile, praise Sunak’s kindness during these gruelling days.
“He is fiercely hardworking and bright, but he’s also kind and empathetic,” says a source close to the chancellor.
“Treasury officials are working at such speed in these unprecedented circumstances and the chancellor never forgets to thank them.”
Another Whitehall official describes the chancellor as a “good listener – someone that takes time to take other people’s opinions on board”.
“It gives a lot of confidence knowing the person making decisions is as knowledgeable as he is,” they add.
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‘Technocrat’
One senior Tory MP who has been less close to Sunak during his meteoric rise also notes that he is “essentially a nice guy” who has “always been well liked”.
But noting their own cynicism, they add: “If you add to that the fact that he hasn’t been around for that long, I think very few people have had any time to work up a reason not to like him or hold a grudge against him.”
Another MP from a similar Tory generation says he “instinctively likes Rishi” but wonders how he will fare in “peacetime” having flown under the radar all the way to the top of the Treasury.
They describe Sunak as “fundamentally a technocrat” who Boris Johnson favoured because he was not a political threat.
“Being a technocrat has obvious advantages – at a time of crisis, people just go: ‘That’s somebody not trying to make political capital, just a nice person trying to do a good job.’ At times of crisis, that really helps you.
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“At peacetime, I think it can mean running into trouble.
“I have watched very carefully what the Treasury has done on the self employed and other things, I think that they have succumbed to ‘Treasury orthodoxy 101’.
“They haven’t done anything that the Treasury wouldn’t do.
“It tells me you are dealing with a technocrat – and he never spends any time in parliament, never spends time with colleagues.”
Javid said at the time of his resignation in February that “no self-respecting minister” would have accepted the terms demanded by the PM: that the chancellor give up all the Treasury’s special advisers and instead share a central team with No.10
A source close to the chancellor insists the Treasury still “has its independence” under Sunak. But sure enough, some feel Sunak is a man who has done well precisely because he doesn’t make that kind of political fuss and isn’t a threat.
The more junior MP said: “I fundamentally think Rishi is a technocrat and that is why the Boris team were always comfortable with him.
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“Because if you were really political they would never have been comfortable with him.
“The reason why he’s chancellor is because he backed Boris, they fell out with Saj, and then they had to have him.
“But imagine a world where Saj had accepted it, Rishi would be chief secretary today.
“So it’s important not to over-interpret.”
Yet Sunak’s allies point to his support for Brexit and passionate backing against Treasury orthodoxy of freeports – a type of port where standard tax and customs laws don’t apply, meant to encourage economic growth in a particular place – as evidence that he is not simply following orders.”
“Rishi is very focused on the economy, marketplaces, market forces and the benefits of free markets – and he thinks the European Union has no part to play,” Hollinrake says.
Some insiders describe Sunak as a libertarian and a deficit hawk who will have found it “difficult” to impose massive state intervention to keep the economy on life support.
Hollinrake adds: “I think if this had been a normal recession he’d probably have been a lot less interventionist than other chancellors would have been.
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“I think he’d have thought [businesses failing] is a natural thing that happens in recessions.
“I argued this out with him very early on, that this is something really unusual, and I think he got that straight away.”
Sunak giving his first ever press conference on March 17, to announce £350bn support for business hit by coronavirus PA
Ultimately, the early praise for Sunak will fade away if his promise to do “whatever it takes” does not turn into proper action.
“He and the government got a lot of kudos for a swift response,” says the senior Tory.
“But what most MPs have been busy with over the last couple of weeks has been a steady flow of people saying: ‘It’s great we’ve got this package of support, but it doesn’t appear to work for me or my business.’
“So I think there will be some form of general view at the end of this which will either be: ‘Due to the swift and bold action of the chancellor the economic damage of this crisis is much less than would have been the case,’ or it will be: ‘In spite of the early promise of great largesse the actual experience of large numbers of businesses was that relief came too late or they were excluded for whatever reason.’
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“That remains to be seen.”
A hard act to follow
Sunak has battled against the odds since the beginning of his political career.
Pitching up to the candidate selection in William Hague’s former safe seat as the privately educated hedge funder son of an Indian doctor and pharmacist, Hollinrake gave him little chance.
But he beat two “good local candidates” with more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
“I know lots of people who went to that meeting thinking: ‘We’re not going to end up picking an Asian chap. We want William Hague, a Yorkshire lad.’
“And it shows how good he is that he just completely stole the show.”
Southampton-born Sunak then embarked on a charm offensive, visiting farms and milking cows, as he sought to win over the constituency,
“It raised a few eyebrows,” says Hollinrake.
“I know a lot of people up there who were ‘not sure about this’ – and then he won them over really quickly.”
Quick Budget prep break making tea for the team. Nothing like a good Yorkshire brew. pic.twitter.com/zhoQM9Ksho — Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 21, 2020
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Sunak was immediately ambitious after his election in 2015, privately expressing annoyance to a minister that he was not handed a parliamentary private secretary role in David Cameron’s first reshuffle after winning a majority.
“He was a bit upset about that,” says Hollinrake.
“I think he took it a bit personally – we talked about it.
“He was always ambitious, lots of people are, but he was never nakedly ambitious.
“He wasn’t churlish about it, he wasn’t childish about it, he was honest about it.”
Nevertheless, Sunak “kept his nose to the grindstone” and was eventually promoted to local government minister by Theresa May in 2018.
Labour veteran and Commons local government committee chair Clive Betts described his first appearance in front of the MPs as “the most impressive performance on his first time out they had seen of any minister”, according to Hollinrake.
Sunak did not join fellow Leavers in quitting the government in protest at May’s derided Brexit deal, which allies put down to his pragmatism.
And when she was toppled, he was an early and influential backer of Johnson for the leadership, and was rewarded with a promotion to chief secretary to the Treasury.
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He presided over a spending review that boosted Whitehall budgets by £13bn, whittled down from £55bn-worth of bids, and was regularly sent in to bat on the airwaves for a government gripped by the Brexit chaos of 2019.
Ultimately, the prime minister came to trust him so much that he was ordered to stand in for him during debates in the winter election.
Many saw his ascent to chancellor as inevitable by the time Javid quit in February’s reshuffle. Weeks later, Sunak was delivering what was effectively an emergency Budget.
Sunak outside 11 Downing Street, London, before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his Budget. PA
“In the natural run of events a very swift rise, as he’s had, will probably provoke some jealousy in some quarters,” the senior Tory notes.
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“But I think generally at the moment people have been very impressed by how he’s carried it off.”
Goodwill retorts: “These will be the same colleagues who are always complaining about the civil service and dead man’s shoes.
“We should definitely promote on ability and Rishi has got there by ability, not by any other means.”
And Hollinrake adds: “He doesn’t need to show off – he’s not one of these flashy people who tries to win friends by saying the right things to the right people.
“He doesn’t go glad-handing around the tea room,” he said, referring to the bustling Commons cafe where MPs socialise, share gossip and forge friendships and pacts.
A future PM?
For the young Tory MP, who sees Sunak as a technocrat, his refusal to play the Westminster game may stop him from becoming PM.
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“You advantage in politics is often your disadvantage – so if the advantage is that you’re not around the tea room and all the rest of it, that’s fine, but when things go awry politically nobody tells you.
“Ask Philip Hammond – he’ll tell you all about it.
“It’s a disadvantage if you are trying to understand the real political impact of what you are trying to achieve or become prime minister.”
The MP uses the example of Gordon Brown, who spent years brooding in the shadow of Tony Blair before he eventually got the top job.
Brown was “not a tea room glad-hander” but had an operation that meant he “knew what everybody was up to”.
“What you’ve got with Rishi is someone who doesn’t have an operation because he was plucked to become chancellor.
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“For Sajid to become chancellor he has had to go through all these different jobs – build up support, running for leader.
“You do this over a period of years and that’s how you become chancellor.
“Rishi has been plucked from nowhere and so doesn’t have that and now to acquire that it’s quite hard.”
The senior Tory wonders whether Sunak’s rise may be a flash in the pan.
“There is not a power base but certainly lots of people having suddenly seen him are saying: ‘Wow, the next prime minister,’” the MP says.
“But we can think of lots of people they have said that about.
“We can all remember Cleggmania, and the public and parliamentary colleagues can be fickle.”
But while he may not have the party, he is certainly winning over admirers in public – topping opinion polls and seeing the nickname “Dishy Rishi” going Twitter mainstream after he was pictured apparently working from home in a grey hoodie, in a post officials insist was not at all staged.
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In any case, Sunak may have to wait, with Johnson clearly eyeing up a decade in office despite his dangerous brush with Covid-19.
And in the meantime many Tory MPs will be looking to Sunak to articulate their fears about the economy collapsing in the huge upcoming cabinet debate about when to lift the lockdown.
“I’m sure people are and I know I am,” the junior MP says.
“I think, bloody hell, if he’s not doing it then we’re screwed, basically.”
Given his rapid rise, is he strong enough?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Parents Are Naming Their Babies After COVID-19 In These Pandemic Times

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Some new parents giving birth during this global pandemic want to make sure their kid never forgets it.
That’s what one couple in India just did. The father, Omveer Singh, said that this was the couple’s way of contributing. “Whenever people will talk of corona, they will remember that it was sanitiser that saved them,” the proud dad told the Deccan Herald.
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And other likeminded new parents are also finding novel names to pay tribute to their newborn’s entry into the world at such a dramatic moment in history.
Roger Wright via Getty Images
Covid and Corona
Also in India, tiny twins, born March 27, were recently named Covid and Corona. According to a report in Global News, it was hospital staff who delivered the babies who began using the names, and the parents just decided to go with it.
“The delivery happened after facing several difficulties, and therefore, me and my husband wanted to make the day memorable,” said the mother, Preeti Verma. “We finally decided to name them after the pandemic.”
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Lockdown
Lockdown. This one has a bit of a ring to it. You can see a future businessperson striding into the conference room, doling out firm handshakes and making multimillion-dollar deals with a power name like that.
An Indian couple took their cues from the global Covid-19 crisis to come up with their little bundle’s moniker. According to news outlet NDTV, The father, said:
“I named him after Lockdown as we all are reeling under [the] Covid-19 pandemic. In my view, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the right step to impose lockdown in the entire nation to save us from the deadly virus. My boy will remind everyone to take precautions against Covid-19, to save themselves and the nation.”
Covid Bryant
One mother in the Philippines named her newborn Covid Bryant, both as a nod to the deadly pandemic and the former NBA star Kobe Bryant, who tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in January.
Pandemic-inspired options abound
They’re not quite as original, but other names to mark the era are a hot topic right now on parenting forums. Suggestions on Mumsnet include Tina (short for quarantine), Demi (short for pandemic) and Rhona, a traditional Celtic girl’s name that means powerful.
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One suggestion is the Welsh girl’s name Enfys, which means “rainbow.” The rainbow, has of course, become a symbol of hope in the artwork kids have been displaying from their windows, while staying home to flatten the curve. Iris is another name with this meaning.
Linda Raymond via Getty Images Children's rainbow drawings inspire hope and cheer up weary neighbours during the pandemic.
And over on the parenting site Babycentre, one commenter suggests names that signify strength and optimism, since we all need it in spades right now. On the list were Nadine, Audrey, Aaron and Ethan. A new mother shares why she called her pandemic baby Stella: “I liked the idea that she is a light in the darkness of these times,” the mum wrote. “She was born just as we went into lockdown and I had to give birth alone, so quite the dramatic entry to the world!”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Lockdown Changes How Britain’s Muslims Observe Ramadan

Lockdown Changes How Britain’s Muslims Observe Ramadan
The holy month of Ramadan is considered one of the five pillars of Islam, as commerations of the prophet Muhammad’s first revelation through fasting, prayer, reflection and community are observed. With lockdowns due to coronavirus however, many Muslims across the world are having a very different Ramadan to ones they usually have. Mohammed Ali Amla and his family tell us how they will be using the lockdown period to connect more with God.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Why Young And Healthy People Can Get Severe Cases Of Coronavirus, Too

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The novel coronavirus has affected hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. And while the majority of Covid-19 cases continue to largely affect older adults or those with preexisting health conditions, experts stress that the coronavirus can be extremely dangerous for the young and healthy, too.
“We’ve unfortunately seen very young people have severe cases of coronavirus,” said Aaron Glatt, chairman of infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Hewlett, New York. “There are people who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and certainly in their 50s who are unfortunately getting very sick. It is myth that healthy young people have nothing to be concerned about.”
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Here’s why young and/or healthy people should be concerned about coronavirus, and what to do about it:
Early data is what led experts to believe young people weren’t as susceptible
Covid-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that we’re experiencing, making any data experts have to examine extremely limited.
“Early tracking reports of coronavirus from China showed that young people tended to get milder cases of the disease,” said Seema Sarin, director of lifestyle medicine for EHE Health in New York. “But we now know as we experience the virus first-hand there are cases of young adults and children getting extremely sick and even dying of the virus.”
Original guidelines showed that the focus should be on elderly and those who are immunocompromised, added Janette Nesheiwat, a family and emergency doctor based in New York. And it’s true that those individuals are the ones who are at risk the most and need protecting.
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Because of that guideline, however, many people who are not in vulnerable groups dismissed the threat of coronavirus early on in the pandemic. Even now, many are calling for the removal of stay-at-home orders.
But as the virus continues to spread, there’s more data on who has severe Covid-19 infections. And young and/or healthy individuals are not as invincible as they may think.
“The CDC reported in March that 38% people who had been hospitalised due to coronavirus were between 20 and 54 years old,” Sarin said. “Half of the intensive care patients admitted during the CDC’s report period were under age 65.”
Young adults may have lifestyle habits that put them at risk for infection
“Data is still being collected, but it suggests that even though about 80% of coronavirus deaths are among older adults, young people can be at risk due to behaviours that can damage their lungs, like vaping,” Sarin said.
This supports a study published in the Chinese Medical Journal that found those diagnosed with coronavirus who were smokers were 14 times more likely to have pneumonia.
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Alcohol can also weaken a person’s immune system, which may put them at a higher risk for infections.
The other factor that comes into play for any age group is whether a person is following CDC and state guidelines. Things like not practicing social distancing, skimping on good hand washing and not wearing a mask can all increase personal risk, no matter how young or old you are.
“Some people may also be asymptomatic carriers who can then unknowingly spread coronavirus to others who are more vulnerable,” Nesheiwat said.
upixa via Getty Images
Why young people are affected is still somewhat of a mystery
Here’s the kicker: experts can use the latest data and research to speculate on why young people are dying from coronavirus, but the virus is still too new to determine specific causes yet. But they do have a few theories.
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“There are a lot of unknowns, and while it may be because a young person has an underlying disease and doesn’t know it, there are also instances where the patient was otherwise healthy,” Glatt said.
Molecular makeup and genetics may play a small role, Nesheiwat added, but it’s still unclear.
“It’s similar to when a young, healthy person dies from the flu and doctors can’t pinpoint a reason to why,” she said.
Even if cases aren’t severe, young and healthy people can still cause damage by spreading Covid-19 to others
It’s crucial that we reopen our society, but many are cautious that right now it comes at a risk to public health. It’s vital that everyone takes the disease seriously, no matter your age and health status.
As a young and/or healthy person ― even if you don’t end up in the hospital ― you risk transmitting coronavirus to someone else who then could wind up as a fatality. And this doesn’t just mean your grandparents ― young people often have invisible health conditions you don’t know about.
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“Young people could not only infect older, at-risk relatives, but their younger friends who are at risk because of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and kidney disease,” Sarin said. Other issues you can’t “see” ― such as autoimmune disorders like lupus or those who recently had cancer treatment ― also put people at a higher risk.
“Research from South Korea and Italy shows that although the majority of young people may not be getting sick enough to end up in the (intensive care unity), up to 30% of the people spreading coronavirus could be socially-active young adults ages 20-29,” Sarin said.
That’s why it’s important to remember that social distancing and following expert guidelines aren’t just for you ― they’re for everyone. Or, if you need to think about it as it relates to you, know that being young or healthy doesn’t automatically put you in the clear from getting coronavirus (be it be a mild or severe case).
And if you know you’re sick, take the appropriate actions.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--Ramadan During Lockdown: ‘We Might Not Be In The Same House But We Can Still Eat Together'

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Muslims around the world will be observing the holy month of Ramadan – which sees them fasting during daylight hours – differently this year in lockdown.
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Social distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic mean people can no longer eat or pray together outside their own homes. Prominent figures including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, actor Riz Ahmed and presenter and author Konnie Huq all feature in a video released this week encouraging people to spend #RamadanAtHome.
But while lockdown restrictions will bring challenges during the period, many British Muslims tell HuffPost UK they will be focusing on the positives, even though they can’t take part in the traditional social gatherings.
Some have pledged to embrace technology and social media to virtually “share” a meal with friends and family at iftar – the daily meal to break the fast – despite being in different homes.
Others have vowed to spend quality time with their immediate family, connecting more deeply on a spiritual level during the religious period and focusing on what is important.
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BURCU ATALAY TANKUT via Getty Images
Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and usually a very social time, as families and communities gather in the evenings to eat together and visit their local mosques for the taraweeh prayers, to hear the Quran recited and share communal meals.
Mosques, alongside churches and other religious buildings, remain closed during lockdown so there will be no congregational acts of worship, nor will people be able to visit each other’s houses or community centres for iftar.
But Ruby Patel, a primary school teacher in Preston, tells HuffPost UK that although Ramadan will be a completely different experience this year, she welcomes a slowing down to her usual pace of her life during this period.
“Ramadan is usually very hectic for me,” she says. “Normally I am rushing to work and rushing back and trying to fit in cooking, praying and sleeping around school. I have to work out when to wake up to eat before the start of fasting and then I go to work and fit in everything around it.
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“But I think this year, it will be a more chilled Ramadan. Although I am still working from home as a teacher and giving the children work to do online, I can slow down and fit in time to sleep and pray and prepare food.”
Ruby Patel: 'I think this year, it will be a more chilled Ramadan.'
Patel says that although some Muslim men might feel deprived of going to the mosque to pray and seeing their friends due to the coronavirus lockdown, they should view it as an opportunity for more family time.
“Some Muslim women have been joking, saying: ‘Finally, the men can do the washing up because they have not got the excuse that they are going to the mosque!’” she says. “But this Ramadan is a real opportunity to have quality family time by praying together, eating together and preparing food together.”
Food is an important part of Ramadan. Although people abstain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset, the evening meal is usually a time to enjoy delicious dishes.
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There is concern among some Muslims that there may be a shortage of food. People are limiting their shopping trips during lockdown and are advised to avoid stock-piling to make sure everyone is able to buy what they need.
Patel says she will use what food she already has and can get hold of during Ramadan, but admits she will miss “proper mangoes”.
“Mangoes from Pakistan or India are the best as they are the sweetest.” she says. “At the moment, you can’t go to Asian food shops as often so I am going to have a simpler regime for food this year. But a date and mango is a traditional part of Ramadan and opening the fast. So I will miss them.”
Ruby Patel A lamb dish prepared by Ruby Patel
The Muslim Council of Britain has published guidance for Ramadan 2020 under lockdown, saying that it “will be a very different experience for Muslims this year as we adapt to changing circumstances during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
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It is unlikely there will be “congregational acts of worship for Muslims outside of the home”, the guidance states. Muslims are instructed to follow the government’s social distancing rules by sharing iftars digitally, using video platforms such as FaceTime instead of seeing family and friends in person.
“The message for this Ramadan is clear: fast and pray at home... this is the way to save lives.” - Harun Khan, Muslim Council of Britain
People are advised to organise taraweeh prayers at home as a family and stream Islamic lectures or prayers into their homes, either live or pre-recorded. They are also encouraged to plan their iftar menus in advance to limit multiple shopping trips.
Harun Khan, secretary general at the Muslim Council of Britain, says: “The message for this Ramadan is clear: fast and pray at home and share Ramadan digitally. This is the way to help save lives.”
He adds: “We will all be seeking to adapt to these changes while still enjoying the spiritual lift and community spirit that Ramadan provides. It is important to use this time to reconsider, to reflect on the way we live our lives and the way we relate to our creator, our communities and those in need.”
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Ali Amla Ali Amla: 'What is of paramount importance is being safe.'
Ali Amla, 40, a father-of-two who lives near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, says he has seen a right wing narrative emerging about Muslims spreading coronavirus by going to mosques. However, he says that most mosques had stopped congregational gatherings a week before the UK lockdown and that Muslims are keen to respect the guidelines to ensure everyone is safe.
He tells HuffPost UK that although Ramadan is usually a community occasion, the lockdown is an opportunity for people to step away and concentrate on spirituality and introspection.
“It is an opportunity for people to step away from normal life... a chance for a deeper connection with family on a spiritual level.” - Ali Amla
“It’s refreshing to see social distancing and pragmatism taking place,” he says.
“Mosques are always busier during Ramadan as people go for the taraweeh prayers,” he says. ”A lot of people are worried that they will miss out on extra spirituality during Ramadan in lockdown and it will certainly be a different experience this year as the social aspect will not be there.
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“But I believe it is an opportunity for people to step away from normal life and experience spiritual purification and it is a chance for a deeper connection with their family on a spiritual level.”
Ali, who has a daughter Rahimah, nine and son Zayn, eight, says he and his family will be making the most of Ramadan in lockdown by connecting with God, the Quran and focusing on what is important. He loves the concept of virtual iftars, he says, as a way of staying in touch with others during lockdown.
“People can share meals together without being in the same house,” he says. “Although nothing can replace being physically together and people are going to miss the social aspect of Ramadan such as eating together and the communal prayers, what is of paramount importance is being safe and that requires being separate and social distancing.”
Ali Amla Ali Amla with his daughter Rahimah and son Zayn in Orgiva, Spain.
Amla, who spent Eid ul Adha in Spain last August, tells HuffPost UK the biggest challenge will be celebrating Eid ul Fitr, the festival at the end of Ramadan.
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“Being realistic, we will probably still be in lockdown then,” he says. ”That’s when people will really feel the impact of missing out on seeing extended family and friends, as it is usually a time of great togetherness with a real sense of community.”
Patel says similar. “During Ramadan, you can cocoon yourself and hide away and become spiritual,” she reflects. “But Eid is about celebration and the coming together of people so that will be very different during lockdown.”
For Mussarat Rahman, 45, from Bradford, Ramadan itself will be a very different experience. She lives alone, while the rest of her family are self-isolating.
The community artist and development worker tells HuffPost UK: “Normally, I would open iftar with family and friends and go to people’s houses and mosques and colleges would usually be opened up for community events.”
Many community groups will be using social media to stay in touch during Ramadan, she says, and to support people through the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Organisations such as BIASAN – Bradford Immigration And Asylum Seekers Support and Advice Network – are doing great work, she says, putting together food packs for vulnerable people and delivering them throughout Ramadan.
Islamic Relief’s annual Ramadan fundraising appeal is also going ahead, the charity says. Following social distancing guidelines, it will distribute food parcels in countries including Syria, Yemen, Bangladesh and Somalia, while also partnering with mosques and community in vulnerable communities in the UK.
Atallah Fitzgibbon, the charity’s Faith Partnership Advisor, says: ‘In times of crisis, religious practices can be adapted and we need to communicate this to keep people safe. Islamic law, like humanitarian work, is based on the broader principle of ‘do no harm’.”
Mussarat Rahman Mussarat Rahman
“The most important thing during Ramadan is to help people in need,” says Rahman. “This pandemic has shown how many vulnerable people there are in society.”
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Despite living on her own, she has plans to keep herself busy, too: “I am focusing on my art to avoid miserable energies and darkness. I have got some funding from Bradford Council for an art project about coronavirus,” she says.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--13 Cancer Warning Signs You Should See Your GP About – Even In Lockdown

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People are being urged to seek help for potential symptoms of cancer after it emerged that fewer are coming forward during the pandemic.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that the latest NHS data for England shows fewer people are being referred for help for lung cancer and urological cancers because they are not coming forward for help.
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Data for November 2020 shows that while most referrals for suspected cancer were similar to 2019 levels, referrals for lung cancer were at 71% and urological cancers were at 85% compared to the previous year.
As a result the Health Secretary and NHS clinical director for cancer are calling on the public to speak to their GP if they are worried about symptoms.
They stressed that cancer diagnosed at an earlier stage is more likely to be successfully treated. The NHS has robust measures in place to protect cancer patients, and those being screened for cancer, from Covid-19, DHSC said.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “If you notice any unusual symptoms which last more than a few weeks, however mild you think they might be, please come forward and discuss it with your GP.
“The sooner you speak to your GP, the sooner a diagnosis can be made, the sooner treatment can start, and the more lives we can save.
“I also urge anyone with cancer in the clinically extremely vulnerable category to ensure you get your Covid-19 jab when you get the call, so we can ensure all of the most vulnerable in society are protected from this devastating virus.”
So, what are the warning signs you really shouldn’t ignore?
If you have any of the following, you should call your GP to book an appointment – either face-to-face, over the phone or via video conference:
A lump in your breast or a lump that’s rapidly increasing in size elsewhere on your body. Coughing, chest pain and breathlessness for more than three weeks – call your GP first, as these are also symptoms of coronavirus. Changes in bowel habits that have lasted more than a few weeks – these include blood in your poo, diarrhoea or constipation, pain in your abdomen or anus, persistent bloating, a feeling of not having fully emptied your bowels after going for a poo. Unexplained bleeding, such as blood in your wee, bleeding between your periods, bleeding from your bottom or finding blood in your poo, coughing up blood, bloody vomit, or bleeding moles. A new mole or changes to an existing mole meaning it: changes shape or looks uneven; changes colour; starts itching, crusting, flaking or bleeding; gets larger or more raised from the skin. Unexplained weight loss – losing weight over a period of a few months but not as a result of changes to your diet, exercise or stress. Very heavy night sweats. A sore that does not heal after a week or so. An unexplained ache or pain that won’t go away. A tongue or mouth ulcer that lasts more than three weeks. Croaky voice or hoarseness that won’t go away. Persistent heartburn or indigestion. Persistent difficulty swallowing.
Professor Peter Johnson, NHS clinical director for cancer, said: “We cannot let Covid become a reason for people not to get checked for cancer. NHS staff up and down the country have worked very hard to make sure that tests and treatment can go ahead quickly and safely.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--The Difference Between Use By And Best Before Dates – And What's Safe To Eat

iatsun via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
We’re all trying to avoid the supermarket and waste less food during lockdown and, in doing so, we’re rediscovering long-forgotten tins and stock items at the back of our cupboards. But are they safe to eat?
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It all depends on whether they display a “use by” or “best before” date.
Use by dates are pretty non-negotiable as they relate to food safety. They’re usually found on fresh foods such as meat, fish, pre-prepared salads and dairy. To avoid food poisoning, the Food Standards Authority says you should stick to use by dates rigidly.
“After the use by date, don’t eat it, cook it or freeze it,” it says. “The food could be unsafe to eat or drink, even if it has been stored correctly and looks and smells fine.”
If you have food approaching its use by date, consider freezing it and using it later down the line. Helen White, special advisor at Love Food Hate Waste, recommends labelling your freezer food with a date so you can keep track of how long it’s been in there.
“Your food in theory can stay in the freezer as long as you need, but the quality will start to deteriorate after about 3–6 months, so keep an eye on those dates,” she previously told HuffPost UK. Best before dates, on the other hand, are more flexible as they relate to food quality, rather than food safety. The date is a guarantee that the food will have certain properties – such as flavour and texture – at least until that date. It’s not illegal to sell food past its best before date.
“Provided the food is unopened and has been stored correctly by following the storage instructions on the label, it should still be safe to eat after its best before date but its flavour, texture and other quality attributes might not be at their best,” food safety consultant Sarah Howarth tells HuffPost UK.
There’s “no black and white rule” concerning how many months (or years!) you can safely consume food beyond its best before date, she adds. This will depend on the specific food formulation, storage and the health or “risk profile” of the person eating it – which is impossible to determine without an in-person risk assessment.
However, she does note that best before foods are more likely to make you ill if they haven’t been stored properly or the package integrity has been broken. This may the case if:
Packs have been opened and partially used
Cans have dents in them
Products have been left in the sunlight and/or varying temperatures which can lead to moisture inside the pack
There’s evidence of pests in the storage environment
Dry products haven’t been stored under dry conditions and water has entered the food package.
Just like use by foods, you can also freeze some best before foods to extend their lifespan – check individual packets for instructions.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-04-23--I’ve Started Dating Someone While In Self-Isolation. Here’s How It's Going

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I’ve not had much luck in love over the past few years. But, dare I say it, coronavirus might just be the thing to change my relationship status.
In the grand scheme of things, dating isn’t all that important right now but it’s nice to think that covid-19 may bring something besides death and disaster (which it undoubtedly and tragically has). Dating aside, it has reminded the human race as a whole of the importance of social interaction.
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While in self-isolation recovering from a fever, cough and pneumonia brought on by the aforementioned virus, I was having a gander on a dating app when I matched with a man, who we’ll call Matt. I didn’t think much of it, and as a rather cynical millennial, who like most women has endured the many perils of online dating – ghosting, dick pics, the works – I assumed our chat would fizzle out, especially given the country is in lockdown. Research even shows that unless you decide to meet up or at the very least exchange numbers within the first few messages, it’s unlikely you will ever have a date in real life.
But lo and behold, it’s nearly three weeks later, and Matt and I have had over a dozen video dates and talk for hours every night.
Our first date set the tone. We chatted for five hours, got far too drunk and things got steamy on video. The second date escalated to full-blown video sex – not all that surprising when you consider we’re both cooped up, alone and horny, in our respective flats.
“For all intents and purposes, we’re in the first stages of dating, except for one very important fact: we haven’t actually met yet.”
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But sex is only a part of what we do. We have movie nights, play games on Houseparty, run through quizzes to learn more about each other, and share intimate details about our families, our past relationships, work, and more. We text each other every morning to check in, and already have silly private jokes. If either of us is having a bad day, we’ll talk it through together – like when I received news about a seriously ill friend, Matt let me unload on him.
For all intents and purposes, we’re in the first stages of dating, except for one very important fact: we haven’t actually met yet.
I’ve been in similar situations in the past, including chatting to a man for six weeks while he was at sea, then having our first date and realising that he was completely different in person (personality-wise, he didn’t catfish me). In general, I also prefer to get the first date out of the way quickly, because I hate idle chit-chat on dating apps or on text (it’s so tiring to repeat what I do/where I’m from/what I like) so I’d rather find out if we’re a real life match as soon as possible.
But oddly, I’m not too worried about that this time around.
I know what you’re thinking: ‘Be realistic, you might not like each other when you meet, this will have been a waste of time or this is insane’. I agree – this may end up being a pointless endeavour, but then again we take that risk regardless of how we date.
“We’ve even had our first argument, which in hindsight was ridiculous, because it happened out of nowhere.”
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However, the downside to virtual dating is that it can become very intense very quickly, and you’re not always certain which parts of your connection are authentic. It’s also hard at times to interpret the subtext behind texts, which is why we prefer to video chat.
Matt and I both lead busy lives, and we have admitted that it would have taken us weeks or even months to get to this same level of intimacy offline, if at all. We’ve even had our first argument, which in hindsight was ridiculous, because it happened out of nowhere as a result of us joking about who would fall in love with the other first. After that, we decided to cut down on our calls a bit, but it’s been a positive move as we simply needed to cool things down slightly. Like I said, feelings seem more intense in the current climate.
Maybe it’s because we’re both bored at home and there are no other distractions, and so we are willing to put more energy into getting to know each other, or maybe it’s the fact that there’s no physical aspect yet – though there has been a lot of creative video sex – but our unusual way of dating is working for now.
There is a chance that this could just be a great virtual match, a random occurrence that will end as soon as we meet – as soon as lockdown allows us to, that is.
But for now, I’m willing to take that chance.
Almara Abgarian is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Twitter at @almaraabgarian