thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-02--Senior Tory MP Accused Of Rape Will Not Be Suspended From Party

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Labour has said it is “shocking” that a senior Tory MP reportedly under investigation over rape allegations has not had the whip suspended.
According to reports, a Conservative MP was arrested on Saturday after being accused of rape, sexual assault and coercive control.
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The ex-minister, who has not been named, is alleged to have assaulted a woman and forced her to have sex, the Sunday Times and Mail on Sunday said.
A spokesperson for the Conservative whips office told Sky News: “These are serious allegations and it is right that they are investigated fully. The whip has not been suspended.
“This decision will be reviewed once the police investigation has been concluded.”
Shadow safeguarding minister Jess Phillips criticised the Tories for failing to suspend the whip from the Tory MP in question, a move that would effectively eject him from the party.
Speaking to Times Radio, the Labour MP said: “It is very difficult to comment on the case itself, because it is quite rightly in front of the criminal justice system.
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“But what I would say in this matter, is in any organisation – especially one like Members of Parliament who every day work with vulnerable people, young activists, members of staff – in any other organisation, were this police investigation to be going on, somebody would be suspended while the investigation was taking place.”
Calling the lack of action “shocking”, Phillips said it sent a “terrible message” that senior figures were still able to secure “protection” from their Westminster status.
She added: “While pending a police investigation for a sexual crime, I think it is only right that the whip is withdrawn.”
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said he did not know the name of the MP involved, but added that he was “confident” the party was taking the matter seriously.
“I’ve read the accusations in the newspapers this morning but I don’t know more than you do in that respect,” the Cabinet minister told Times Radio.
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“These are very serious allegations and they should be investigated.
“They’re in the hands of the police, so I don’t think I can comment any more than that.”
Asked whether he personally wanted to see the Tory whip removed from the MP under police investigation, Jenrick said: “We need to take allegations of this nature very seriously and I’m confident that the party is, and will do.”
The Metropolitan Police said they received allegations on Friday of sexual offences and assault relating to four separate incidents at addresses between July last year and January this year.
A spokesman for the Met said: “The Met has launched an investigation into the allegations.”
A man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of rape and was taken into custody at an east London police station, the force added.
He has been released on bail to a date in mid-August.
The papers said the allegations were raised with Tory chief whip Mark Spencer, and the complainant also spoke to him, but no action was taken.
The PA news agency understands Spencer advised her to make a formal complaint to the authorities, who would be able to investigate the claims.
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A spokesman for Spencer said: “The Chief Whip takes all allegations of harassment and abuse extremely seriously and has strongly encouraged anybody who has approached him to contact the appropriate authorities, including Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme, which can formally carry out independent and confidential investigations.”
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “We take all allegations of this nature extremely seriously.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Penny Lancaster Moving Between Rooms To Show Off Her House On Loose Women Is A Total Lockdown Mood

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We’ve made no secret of how much we’ve enjoyed nosing around the homes of the rich and famous as they’ve broadcasted from home during lockdown.
However, Penny Lancaster went to whole new lengths to impress viewers as she returned to Loose Women on Monday.
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Penny, who is married to rocker Rod Stewart, was back on the panel of the ITV daytime show after nearly seven months off, dialling into the studio from the couple’s UK home.
But instead of settling for just one background that showed off her house on the video call, Penny kept switching rooms between commercial breaks to really give viewers a feel of her palatial abode.
Penny Lancaster started out Monday's Loose Women in her study ITV
Penny then moved to a seating area ITV
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Her antics did not go unnoticed by her co-stars Andrea McLean, Stacey Solomon and Denise Welch either.
We're loving Penny's rapidly changing video call backgrounds 😉
Will she move rooms for each part of Monday's #LooseWomen?
Watch ➡https://t.co/uhvdBHpCHB pic.twitter.com/0o5Gr5PyKn — Loose Women (@loosewomen) August 3, 2020
After picking up on her first move, Stacey commented: “Can we just appreciate... Penny have you moved rooms? Are you going to be in a different room for each part?”
“I do my best,” she laughed.
When Penny then relocated to the bedroom, Denise was confused by her regal boudoir.
“Penny, do you live in Blenheim Palace or somewhere?!” she asked.
Penny later showed off her regal bedroom ITV
Penny then perched in front of a piano during an interview with Stephen Mulhern ITV
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During her return to the show, Penny opened up about entering the menopause during lockdown.
She admitted she had initially confused the symptoms with those of Covid-19, explaining: “I was getting these severe, hot sweats and I thought, ‘I’ve got a temperature, that’s it, I’m going to pass it on to all the family’. Then I was getting freezing cold, then hot, on top of the covers, under the covers and was like, ’ah, this is the menopause’.
'I was getting freezing cold, then hot and then cold... it was very confusing.'
Penny tells the #LooseWomen how she coped with stress, anxiety and the start of the menopause in lockdown.
Watch the chat 👉 https://t.co/uhvdBHpCHB pic.twitter.com/KYtvcR4vAB — Loose Women (@loosewomen) August 3, 2020
“So I was in lockdown entering menopause – my last period was March – so I guess I am officially that age now.
“It’s very confusing,” she added.
Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--London And Other Areas Could Face Travel Lockdown, No.10 Confirms

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Travel in and out of London and other areas across England could be halted to curb a second wave of Covid-19.
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No.10 confirmed the government could move to shutdown local transport networks and stop travel if any “localised area” was “badly affected”.
It comes amid a flurry of reports that airports in the capital could be frozen and other travel stopped.
Asked to clarify whether such a lockdown could happen in London, Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson did not rule it out and said other places could face a similar ban.
They said: “If you look at the Contain strategy which we published just over two weeks ago, it sets out within there the possibility of putting in place restrictions on travel, if there is an area that is particularly badly affected, and one of the steps within that potentially includes closing down local transport networks.
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“So, it’s there, it’s contained in the document. It’s not a new thing.
“We’ve informed the public and politicians of that being a potential action that we can take.
“But to be clear it is not something specific to London or anywhere else, it is something which would be used if there was a specific outbreak in a town or city or localised area.”
Hunton Bridge, UK - February 23, 2020: Evening traffic on busiest British motorway M25 Jaroslaw Kilian via Getty Images
Last week, Downing Street reimposed some lockdown measures in Manchester and parts of the north as new data revealed a surge in positive tests for the virus.
Since then, a major incident has been declared in Manchester.
Reports have also emerged that the government is weighing up plans to introduce shielding measures for the over-50s.
It is also thought fresh restrictions on households meeting could be on the cards.
Appearing on LBC radio on Monday, business minister Nadhim Zahawi also refused to rule out a London lockdown.
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He said: “We constantly look at how the virus is behaving.
“If we see the virus spreading in a particular way in London, as we‘ve seen in Manchester and West Yorkshire, where it’s spreading through people coming into another person’s home and that’s the way it’s spread, then we will discuss that with the police and we will not hesitate to act.”
Zahawi was repeatedly asked if this meant nobody going in or out of the capital.
He said: “Look, I don’t want to speculate and set hares running in any way on your programme.
“What I would say is look at the way we’re dealing with it, whether in Leicester or Manchester and West Yorkshire and East Lancashire or elsewhere.
“We will actually follow how the virus is behaving and how it is being transmitted between people and then act accordingly.”
Number 10 also warned that people must stick to the social distancing rules.
The PM’s spokesperson said: “At the moment, the restrictions on social contact are limited to specific parts of the country which have seen localised flare-ups but everybody needs to continue the social distancing guidance.
“We need to keep monitoring the situation, make sure everybody has access to testing and ensure that if we do see localised spikes in any part of England then we need to take action to deal with them.”
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Asked if Johnson agreed with comments made by Professor Graham Medley, a member of SAGE, that pubs may be forced to shut in order to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission and allow schools to open, the spokesperson said: “Our approach is a localised one where you would assess the situation on the ground and take whatever steps were required to slow the spread of the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Trump's Personal Banker Under Investigation For Buying Flat Linked To President's Son-In-Law

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Deutsche Bank is investigating the longtime personal banker of Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner over her purchase of a flat in New York from a company partly owned by Kushner, according to two news reports.
The connection emerged in personal financial disclosures filed recently by Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, who hold jobs as White House senior advisers.
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Trump’s daughter and her husband received $1m to $5m from Bergel 715 in 2019, according to the couple’s required financial disclosures, which they filed on Friday. It was the first time Bergel 715 had appeared in their filings.
A source familiar with the business arrangement told the New York Times that Kushner owns a stake in Bergel 715, and did so when Vrablic bought the flat. But the income reported from Bergel 715 was not linked to the banker’s purchase, according to the source.
The Deutsche Bank investigation will determine if Vrablic acted improperly by buying the property, according to The Hill. It’s typically against policy at banks for employees to do business – other than banking – with clients to avoid conflicts of interest, the Times noted.
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“The bank will closely examine the information that came to light on Friday and the [facts] from 2013,” bank spokesperson Daniel Hunter said in a statement.
Kushner and Donald Trump were Vrablic’s clients when the banker bought the flat. Kushner introduced Vrablic to the future US president in 2011 when Trump was having a hard time finding a bank that would loan him money after his repeated bankruptcies and loan defaults, including one to Deutsche Bank, the New York Times noted.
By 2013, the men had received about $190m (about £161m in 2020 terms) in Deutsche Bank loans with Vrablic’s help – and hundreds of millions after that, according to the New York Times.
Trump borrowed $175m (£151m in 2020) for his Trump National Doral golf resort in Florida, and for the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago in 2012. The bank later financed the Trump International Hotel in Washington, the New York Times reported.
Deutsche Bank is Trump’s biggest creditor. It has loaned the Trump Organisation some $2bn (£1.54m) since 1998, and there are currently an estimated $350m (£269m) in loans outstanding, according to the New York Times. The loans are reportedly backed by a personal guarantee from Trump himself.
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Christopher Smith, the general counsel for Kushner’s family firm Kushner Companies, told The Hill in a statement: “Kushner is not the managing partner of that entity and has no involvement with the sales of the apartments.”
It’s not clear how large a stake Kushner holds in the company.
Vrablic could not be reached for comment.
Deutsche Bank was fined a total of $630m in 2017 in the US and Britain over a $10bn Russian money-laundering scheme. It was recently hit with a $150m penalty for the bank’s lack of oversight in dealings with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The US Department of Justice last year launched another probe into Deutsche Bank’s compliance with regulations to prevent money laundering. The investigation included a review of suspicious activity, including some linked to Kushner, sources told the New York Times. Amid the probe, the president’s Trump Organisation was reportedly pressing to postpone its bank loan payments.
The sticky situation underscored the unique power of Trump as president to manoeuvre a deal for his business, particularly with a bank under investigation by his own administration.
David Enrich, a New York Times business reporter who recently wrote a book on Deutsche Bank, Dark Towers, told NPR the bank has been “worried” about a situation like this.
Bank officials are now “forced to choose between doing what seems like it’s financially right for the bank and for its regulators, versus doing what’s right to protect the relationship with someone who has the ability to inflict enormous damage on the institution if he is so inclined,” Enrich explained.
The scenario is the “absolute nightmare that someone (ahem) warned about” when Trump took office, Walter Shaub, the former head of the US Office of Government Ethics under both Barack Obama and Trump, tweeted.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--What Does The Coronavirus Financial Crisis Mean For Employment?

What Does The Coronavirus Financial Crisis Mean For Employment?
The UK economy has been badly hit by the coronavirus epidemic and is predicted to contract by 11.5% by the end of the year. With many businesses closing down and the furlough scheme ending in October, unemployment is expected to soar to record highs. Here we speak with Edward Cartwright, professor of economics at De Montfort University about the future prospects for workers in the UK and hear from Ryan Ward who was recently let go from his job in Glasgow despite being on the furlough scheme.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--BBC News' George Alagiah Says He's 'Learnt To Live With Uncertainty' During Cancer Fight

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BBC newsreader George Alagiah has told of how he has “learnt to live with the uncertainty” during his fight against cancer.
The 64-year-old was first diagnosed with an advanced form of bowel cancer that spread to his liver in 2014, but the disease returned in 2018 and has since spread to his lungs.
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George Alagiah Simone Padovani/Awakening via Getty Images
George is now undergoing intensive rounds of chemotherapy, which leaves him having a “shit week” of feeling “totally wiped out”.
However, he has told The Times (£) that he no longer worries about his illness.
“Just after the first diagnosis it was easy to get overwhelmed by dark thoughts in the early hours, but I’ve learnt to live with the uncertainty,” he said in a first-person piece for the paper.
“Do I worry? No point. Every night I lie in bed and ask myself, are you going to be around tomorrow? Yes, I am.
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“That’s a nice thought to have as I’m falling asleep.”
George previously revealed how “doctors have never used the word ‘chronic’ or ‘cure’” about his cancer.
In another interview with The Times after he was told the cancer had spread to his lungs, he said: “They’ve never used the word ‘terminal’ either. I’ve always said to my oncologist, ‘Tell me when I need to sort my affairs out’, and he’s not told me that.”
George is continuing to work on BBC News as he receives treatment PA/BBC
News his cancer had spread came shortly after George had tested positive for Covid-19 in March.
Reflecting on his experience with the virus in his recent Times piece, George said originally doctors had thought his symptoms were a side effect of his cancer drugs.
He said: “The fact that I’m being treated for cancer means that I should have been shielding, but I also contracted Covid and beat it, so I’ve been able to carry on working in between my chemo sessions.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Instead Of Saying 'Hey, Guys!' At Work, Try These Gender-Neutral Alternatives

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“Hey, guys!” It’s the greeting that launched a thousand meetings and Zoom calls.
Etymologists trace the term “guys” to the historical figure Guy Fawkes. It’s evolved from the name of one man who attempted to assassinate King James I in 1605 to an informal address for a group of people in contemporary American English.
But when used to address your colleagues, it’s a gendered greeting that could be sending signals about who is ― and isn’t ― included in your workplace.
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The Case Against Using “Hey, Guys”
The problem with “guys” is that it is a “masculine word,” according to Amy Jeffers, an organisational development specialist in diversity, equity and inclusion. There are better alternatives, such as “Hey, everyone” or “Hey, folks” that are not gender-assuming, Jeffers added.
Alternatives to "Hey guys"
hey team
hey crew
hey all
hey folks
hey people
hey peeps
hey y'all
hey everyone
hey pals
hey friends
hey — Kim Rees (they/she) (@krees) March 15, 2019
Sociologist Sherryl Kleinman wrote an essay in the journal Qualitative Sociology against terms such as “you guys” in 2002, pointing out that they reinforce a language that already privileges men. Kleinman cited words such as chairman, postman and freshman as other examples.
”‘Get over it,’ some people say,” she wrote. “Those words are generic. They apply to everyone. But then how come so-called generics are always male?”
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GLSEN, an education organisation that advocates for policies designed to protect LGBTQ students and students of marginalised identities, advised defaulting to gender-neutral language such as “friends,” “folks,” or “all” rather than “brothers and sisters” or “guys,” “ladies,” “ma’am” or “sir.”
Gendered language creeps into work communication in other insidious ways. Think about how you describe colleagues you don’t know. Do you default to “that guy” or “that woman?” GLSEN’s guide suggested that when you have not been introduced to people and don’t know their pronouns or gender identity, use descriptive language such as, “Can you give this paper to the person across the room with the white T-shirt and short brown hair?”
Using gender-neutral language is not about using “he” or “she” equally but asking yourself, “Why are we using he or she at all? Couldn’t we just be using ‘they’?” Jeffers said.
How To Correct Yourself Without Making It All About You
Mistakes are a part of learning. But it’s important not to make your moment of learning someone else’s hurtful experience.
Lily Zheng, a researcher on gender ambiguity in the workplace who is transgender, recounted this kind of experience in a 2019 podcast for the Harvard Business Review. Zheng recalled a time a colleague misgendered them, then spent the next 10 minutes apologising about it.
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“What ended up happening was I had to be their therapist. I had to say, ’No, it’s OK. It’s all right,’” Zheng said. “That experience was awful, and I had to tell this person, ’Next time, look, if you keep responding like this when I correct you, I won’t correct you. Me correcting misgendering is a courtesy to you. I’m letting you know that I trust you enough to get better.’”
Being better means apologising when you are called out without becoming the centre of the apology.
“I hear a lot of people complain, ‘It’s just so hard. I’m used to [other language],’” Jeffers said. People need to avoid defending their intentions in their apology, Jeffers added. Instead, they should focus on acknowledging that they are wrong and will be better.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Painkillers 'Should Not Be Prescribed For Chronic Pain'

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Painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin and opioids should not be prescribed to treat primary chronic pain, health officials have said.
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Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said there was “little or no evidence” the commonly used drugs for chronic pain made any difference to people’s quality of life, pain or psychological distress.
But the draft guidance, published on Monday, said there was evidence they can cause harm, including addiction.
Chairman of the guidance committee, Nick Kosky, said while patients expected a clear diagnosis and effective treatment, the complexity of the condition means GPs and specialists can find it very “challenging” to manage.
The consultant psychiatrist at Dorset HealthCare NHS University Foundation Trust said: “This guideline, by fostering a clearer understanding of the evidence for the effectiveness of chronic pain treatments, will help to improve the confidence of healthcare professionals in their conversations with patients.”
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Enis Aksoy via Getty Images
Chronic primary pain is a condition in itself which cannot be accounted for by another diagnosis or as a symptom of an underlying condition, NICE said.
It is characterised by significant emotional distress and functional disability with examples including chronic widespread pain and chronic musculoskeletal pain, it added.
NICE said an estimated third to half of the population may be affected by chronic pain, while almost half of people with the condition have a diagnosis of depression and two-thirds are unable to work because of it.
The draft guidance, which is open to public consultation until September 14, said that people with the condition should be offered supervised group exercise programmes, some types of psychological therapy, or acupuncture.
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It also recommends that some antidepressants can be considered for people with chronic primary pain.
Rawpixel via Getty Images
But it said that paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, benzodiazepines or opioids should not be offered because there was “little or no evidence” that they helped.
The draft guideline also said antiepileptic drugs including gabapentinoids, local anaesthetics, ketamine, corticosteroids and antipsychotics should not be offered to people to manage chronic primary pain because, again, there was little or no evidence that these treatments work but could have possible harms.
Paul Chrisp, director of the centre for guidelines at NICE, said: “It is important to get an understanding of how pain is affecting a person’s life and those around them because knowing what is important to the person is the first step in developing an effective care plan.
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“Importantly the draft guideline also acknowledges the need for further research across the range of possible treatment options, reflecting both the lack of evidence in this area and the need to provide further choice for people with the condition.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Mini Doctor's Uniform Eases Hospital Anxiety For 7-Year-Old With Autism

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We might be in the middle of a pandemic but that hasn’t stopped one learning disability nurse from going above and beyond to help a child feel more comfortable during a trip to hospital.
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Seven-year-old Jessica was extremely anxious about her upcoming hospital appointment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
So, to ease her worries, Emily Kavanagh, who works in the outpatients department, asked if Jessica wanted to be a nurse for the day instead.
Supplied by NHS Jessica wearing her mini uniform to her hospital appointment.
The seven-year-old took her own doctor’s kit and was given a mini uniform, provided by the NHS, so she could feel like a member of staff rather than a patient.
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Kavanagh tells HuffPost UK it “transformed” Jessica’s trip to the hospital.
“Her role as nurse for the day worked incredibly well,” the nurse tells HuffPost UK. “Her family discussed previous appointments when she had been scared, frightened and unable to engage with health professionals.
“She became part of our team for the day; she described her symptoms and chatted with the team. We were all extremely proud of how she responded and engaged in her appointment.”
Yesterday my patient was so anxious about coming into hospital her mum didn’t know if she would be able to bring her. But today with the help of the #MiniUniforms my patient became a Dr for the day and skipped out of her appointment #ReasonableAdjustments #AutismAwareness pic.twitter.com/L0BqC2RZ9H — Emily Kavanagh (@emchlokav) July 23, 2020
The day before the appointment, Kavanagh had spoken to Jessica and her mum Rebecca in a virtual consultation about how to support her – they chatted about her needs, likes, dislikes and any reasonable adjustments that could be provided to make her feel more comfortable.
“We agreed that I could be her link person and I introduced myself via a video consultation,” says Kavanagh. “I explained everything that would be expected of her during the appointment, including any examinations that would be required by the doctor.”
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Over the course of the conversation, she learned that Jessica loved playing doctors with her younger brother and that she wanted to be a nurse when she was older.
Jessica said she had her own toy doctor’s kit, so Kavanagh encouraged her to bring it along to the appointment. On the day she provided a miniature uniform for her so she could feel like one of the staff, shifting the dynamic and instantly putting her at ease.
Rather than being anxious about her time in hospital, Rebecca says her daughter was very keen to go and see Emily, which was “unusual”.
She is incredibly thankful of the support shown to her daughter, who has since said she wants to be like Kavanagh when she grows up, because “she is kind and plays with the children”.
Supplied by the NHS Emily Kavanagh
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The mini uniform scheme is a relatively new initiative set up by Ruth May, the chief nursing officer for England, with a view to inspiring children and young people to take up a career in nursing and midwifery. But it turns out it’s also a successful way to ease children’s anxieties over going to hospital.
May tells HuffPost UK: “I know that attending hospital can be a really stressful experience for lots of young people, but especially those with learning disabilities or autism, so I’m delighted that our mini uniforms are coming in handy in reducing anxiety for some.
“This is another example of how rewarding being a nurse can be.”
It was the first time the mini uniform scheme had been used in Kavanagh’s department but they’re now keen to try it more often, to allow children and young people to feel part of their care.
“I think it would be amazing if they were available for children who are anxious in every hospital, or even just for play and distraction when waiting for appointments,” she says.
“It is important that we endeavour to listen to our children, young people, families and carers to ensure that often the very smallest of changes to what we do can have enormous effects on their experiences.
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“Simple adjustments like the use of the mini uniforms help to improve the patient’s experience and enable equal access to healthcare for everyone.”
As for May, she’s already lining Jessica up for a job.
“We’d be proud to have Jessica join our ranks when she’s old enough, but in the meantime, with vacancies and places on university courses available across the country,” she says.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Couple Celebrate 65th Wedding Anniversary Physically-Distanced With Whisky And Cuddle Cushions

Big Partnership/PA Andy Davidson and his cuddle cushion
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Two great-grandparents separated over lockdown celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a physically-distanced outdoor lunch at a care home.
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Andy Davidson, an 88-year-old resident at Jesmond Care Home in Aberdeen, and his 86-year-old wife Margaret, enjoyed some food and a whisky while separated by a Perspex screen as they marked the milestone.
Their daughter Brenda had cushions made with pictures of their faces on them “so they can cuddle up together” while care home visiting remains restricted.
She also organised a cake, while Andy made a picture for his wife with a blue heart to represent their sapphire anniversary.
Big Partnership/PA Andy Davidson
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When asked for the secret to a long and happy marriage, Andy said they “have just always gotten along fine”.
The couple met at work in 1951 and married on July 30 four years later at New Deer South Church in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.
Andy worked for a local builder’s firm before carrying out national service for two years, and when he returned his future wife was the new office clerk.
They were formally introduced by her brother Gordon at a dance – with Andy proposing at another dance in New Deer which eventually became their wedding venue.
Big Partnership/PA Margaret and Andy Davidson on their wedding day.
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Margaret said: “Andy was always a quiet man. We were walking along the road and he turned to me and said ‘Let’s get married’.”
As well as daughter Brenda, the couple are parents to son Andrew, grandparents to three children and have one great-grandchild.
Andy said he “couldn’t believe” they have been married 65 years, while care home staff said they were impressed at the constant compliments he gives his wife, telling her she “looked really good”.
Jade McGowan, activities co-ordinator at the Renaissance Care home, said: “It was great to be able to help set the anniversary celebration up for Andy and Margaret.
“Lockdown has been tough for all of our residents’ loved ones and it’s been fantastic seeing them reunite over the last few weeks.
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“But to mark 65 years of love between the pair was extra special.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Andrew Lloyd Webber Criticises Cats Director Tom Hooper, Calling Film Adaptation 'Ridiculous'

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Andrew Lloyd Webber has given his verdict on the Cats film adaptation – and it doesn’t sound like he was a fan.
The musical maestro has branded last year’s big-screen version of his stage show “ridiculous”, hitting out at director Tom Hooper.
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Speaking to the Sunday Times magazine: “The problem with the film was that Tom Hooper decided, as he had with Les Mis, that he didn’t want anybody involved in it who was involved in the original show.
“The whole thing was ridiculous.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
It was the first time Andrew has directly criticised the film, but earlier this year he did appear to take a swipe at James Corden’s “unfunny” depiction of Bustopher Jones.
During a YouTube live commentary of a 1998 film version of the stage show, Andrew said: “Bustopher without interruption, as I wrote it. Do not be beguiled by other versions.
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“Other versions with unfunny interpolations which I begged to be cut out. I did manage to get the worst of them removed. I cannot tell you how absolutely un-Eliot it all was in this song... He certainly didn’t hang around on a seesaw.”
James Corden played Bustopher in the film adaptation Universal
Cats – which also starred Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo and Taylor Swift – was mauled by critics upon its release in December.
During a skit with Justin Bieber on his US talk show, James said: “I had the loveliest time making that film. It took me six days and I loved every single second of it. So, I think you gotta decide things on your own personal experience, and I had a really great time.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Kate Garraway Reveals ‘Kind’ Jeremy Kyle Has Helped Out As Her Husband Remains In Intensive Care

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Kate Garraway has revealed how Jeremy Kyle has stepped in to help as her husband Derek Draper continues to be treated for the effects of Covid-19.
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The former host of The Jeremy Kyle Show, which was axed last year, gave Kate the use of his driver to take the couple’s children, Billy and Darcey, to their grandparent’s home after she put stringent safety measures in place to keep them all safe.
Kate Garraway and Jeremy Kyle Rex
Speaking on Monday’s Good Morning Britain, Kate said: “My children for the first time are staying away from home. They’ve gone to stay with Derek’s mum and dad.
“They’ve been shielding since the beginning of March because they both feel vulnerable so this is a very big deal to have the children stay.
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“One of the things we did was plan over several weeks what to do. They isolated the days before they needed to travel. I washed and packed clothes and sealed them.
“They travelled up not with me, because they’ve not even had contact with Derek’s sisters, so I didn’t want to be an extra person coming into their lives.
“So thanks to Jeremy Kyle they travelled up because he said my driver has been isolating and keeping the car very clean so I’ll take the children up.”
She added: “Very, very kind of him, thank you very much Jeremy.”
Derek is still in intensive care following his coronavirus battle and remains stable. On Monday’s Good Morning Britain, Kate revealed he had missed their son’s birthday.
Derek and Kate in Australia last year, shortly after she left the I'm A Celebrity jungle James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock
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“I did go and see him yesterday and it was quite a tough visit,” Kate said.
“He’s had a tough couple of weeks and you know it’s the first birthday he has missed. It’s Billy’s birthday today so I think I was extra emotional.
“And you think of you know, he was there when (Billy) was born and how Derek would like to be present today.”
She added that doctors had assured her Derek’s condition had not worsened.
“They said sometimes a day when nothing has gone backwards, and nothing has gone wrong is a positive day.
“I am desperate for a step forward and I’m sure he is always too. But it’s always lovely to see him and so it’s wonderful to have the chance to do that.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Remember Tracy Beaker? Well, The Kids' TV Character Is Returning – This Time As A Mum

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Kids of the 00s, prepare to feel old – Tracy Beaker is returning, but this time as a mum.
The character will return in a new CBBC series My Mum Tracy Beaker, which will follow the next chapter of her life as she tackles motherhood.
Actor Dani Harmer, 31, is reprising her role as Tracy, who she first started playing in 2002.
Tracy Beaker as she appeared in the original series BBC
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“I can’t wait to return again to the role of Tracy,” she told The Sun.
“I’m a fan myself and want to know what happens next and where this journey takes her. Being a mother, I know how much it changes you.
“So I’m looking forward to seeing how it has changed Tracy but still keeping her the same feisty, strong female lead that people know and love.”
Bosses are now casting for a young actor to play Tracy’s 12-year-old daughter.
The original CBBC series The Story of Tracy Beaker – based on the Jacqueline Wilson novels of the same name – originally ran from 2002 to 2005.
Dani Harmer is now 31 and a mum of one herself David M. Benett via Getty Images
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Spin-off series Tracy Beaker Returns aired from 2010 to 2012, while a separate series focusing on the new generation of kids in the care home, The Dumping Ground, ran from 2013 to 2018.
Dani appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, where she was paired with Vincent Simone and finished fourth in the competition.
She previously admitted she still gets stopped in the street by people who actually think she’s the fictional character.
She said: “I do have the odd occasion where people actually think I am Tracy Beaker in real life and the whole thing is real.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Dave And Sir David Attenborough Teaming Up For New Planet Earth TV Special

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Dave and Sir David Attenborough are teaming up to “lift viewers’ spirits” on a new episode of Planet Earth.
The Brit Award-winning rapper will play the grand piano with the BBC Concert Orchestra for the soundtrack of Planet Earth: A Celebration.
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The TV special will be voiced by Sir David with the BBC saying it aims to cheer up viewers at “a time of international uncertainty”.
Dave and Sir David Attenborough Shutterstock
It will feature eight sequences of animals overcoming adversity taken from Planet Earth II and Blue Planet II.
Composer Hans Zimmer has created new compositions and rearranged the original scores.
Highlights will include the famous scene in which a newly-hatched marine iguana is chased by snakes, as well as an octopus fighting off a shark by pushing their arms into the gills to suffocate the predator.
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Dave said of his involvement with the show: “I’ve always been a fan of powerful natural history documentaries. This is a programme where nature and music come together, so it was only right that I lent my talent, my time, and my attention to this project.
“It was a pleasure to work alongside Sir David Attenborough and Hans Zimmer.”
Dave and the orchestra were filmed for the programme in the Lyndhurst Hall at Air Studios, London.
Dave plays the grand piano with the BBC Concert Orchestra on the Planet Earth special BBC/Des Willie
Orchestra director Andrew Connolly also said: “To bring the Concert Orchestra out of lockdown in order to create new music with Dave and Hans Zimmer for Planet Earth: A Celebration was very special, and that feeling of coming together is at the heart of our performance.”
BBC director general Lord Tony Hall added: “This thrilling journey around the world promises to lift everyone’s spirits.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--I've Been Shielding For The Past 4 Months – And I'm Not Stopping Now

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One hundred and twenty seven days ago, over two million people in the UK were classed as highly vulnerable to Coronavirus and instructed to shield; not going out at all and limiting contact to only those who were shielding with them.
Having been born with Cystic Fibrosis, and lucky enough to have received a lifesaving double lung transplant in 2017, I was one of these people.
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For the past four months, myself, my husband and our dog have largely been leaving the house only for dog walks at anti-social times to avoid people, relying on online shopping orders for all our needs and existing within our one-bedroom flat.
Following a slight step down in guidance at the end of June we have recently seen a few people at a distance in quiet areas, following strict precautions, wearing masks and keeping socially distanced, but it’s a far cry from the first six months of marriage we might have expected!
While we are obviously grateful to stay healthy, and are aware of the huge sacrifices made by others, it has become increasingly frustrating in recent weeks to see that some people have almost forgotten that the last four months occurred; ignoring social distancing, flouting rules or arguing that wearing masks makes breathing impossible or in some way compromises their human rights.
This weekend, the guidance that vulnerable group should shield, ended in England and Scotland.
But what does this mean practically? And how many people within this group are still inclined to follow and trust this government advice?
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Personally, we intend to change very little. The risk is not going to have disappeared overnight and the sudden switch from extreme caution to very little guidance at all seems like a high-risk strategy for a group of people whose health is highly vulnerable.
From an outsider’s perspective, it seems little surprise that on “reopening” the UK over the last few weeks infection rates are rising. While I understand that the country could not remain in lockdown forever, and I certainly don’t want to remain inside any longer than I need to, the shift simply seems too quick.
Justin Paget via Getty Images
It is alarming to see various pockets in the UK having to be put in local lockdowns, accompanied by a total lack of clarity in terms of what these changes mean for both the general population and the more at risk.
For those who are vulnerable, instructions to rely on your healthcare team to help formulate an approach are contradicted by the legal and practical reality. These organisations simply cannot give the guidance than many people are looking for.
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In response to rising numbers of infection, recent statements by Chris Whitty that we have reached our limit in terms of easing restrictions, and the prime minister’s statements around squeezing on brake pedals, seem contradictory to allowing the most vulnerable across England to essentially abandon the controls they have previously been following.
It also seems, concerningly, that the disparity in views expressed between the health experts and the politicians are casting confusion and doubt.
Having spoken to others in similar situations to myself I know I am not alone in feeling concern. While official guidance now suggests we can enter shops, supermarkets and even pubs I know very few people within the previously shielding group who will be doing this any time soon.
What is more concerning though is the move from the government to seemingly place responsibility back on the individual, despite us having only minimal information.
So what? It is a personal choice for everyone and not the government’s to make. Maybe it is unfair to expect specific guidance around something that is a step into the unknown for everyone? While this might be the case, the removal of protection for this vulnerable group is in fact a lot more problematic than if they are able to go to the shops or not.
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An example of this is in the workplace. Official lines state people previously shielding should return to work if their workplace is “Covid Secure” but what does that even mean? What if an individual doesn’t feel their workplace, or employers, can deliver this? What rights do you have to insist they remain working from home without risking your job? The guidance online is generic at best and while thankfully, as someone who works remotely, this specific issue isn’t something that I have had to worry about, I know others for whom sadly this is not the case and may now have to choose between protecting their health and their jobs.
It is difficult to predict what will happen in the next few weeks. This week though does not personally seem like the big turning point it might be perceived by some.
It would be amazing to be able to return to a life more “normal” while shielding has been paused, but for most people grouped as vulnerable, and only too aware of their health, many will be cautious to risk that without being completely certain it is safe. With the fear that as we move into the winter, shielding may be reinstated, this may be the only chance we have but for me the risks are simply too high. So, for now, little will change in our household as we sit and wait to see what unfolds.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Navy SEALS Investigate Video Of Dogs Attacking Colin Kaepernick Stand-In

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The US Naval Special Warfare Command is investigating a video that surfaced on Sunday, showing dogs attacking a person in a Colin Kaepernick jersey.
The video’s caption suggests that the video was filmed during a demonstration at the Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida. It was originally posted to Instagram in January 2019, but it went viral over the weekend after it was shared on Twitter.
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In a pair of videos from the event, men outfitted in military gear send several dogs to attack a man wearing Kaepernick’s San Francisco 49ers jersey over protective gear while a crowd of people watches.
Once the man in the jersey is pulled to the grown, two men approach him with guns and detain him in a reenactment. The man in the jersey can be heard saying, “Oh man, I will stand,” which prompts the crowd to laugh.
The demonstration was apparently mocking Kaepernick’s peaceful protests against systematic racism and police brutality, which involves kneeling during the national anthem.
Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce used “Colin Kaepernick stand-in" for K-9 demonstration at fundraiser last year #BecauseFlorida https://t.co/COHFCeJ3GN pic.twitter.com/EpcELHxrSe — Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) August 2, 2020
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In another video, after “Navy SEALs and Navy SEAL dogs take down Colin Kaepernick for not standing during National Anthem,” he moans something like, "Oh man, I will stand” #BecauseFlorida https://t.co/uZ3ervZguB pic.twitter.com/6vi1uCGIt5 — Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) August 2, 2020
The Naval Special Warfare Command tweeted a statement on Sunday condemning the video.
“The inherent message of this video is completely inconsistent with the values and ethos of Naval Special Warfare and the US Navy,” the statement read.
The command, which oversees the Navy SEALS, said that an “independent organisation” was responsible for the event and noted that there were no active-duty service members who took part in the demonstration.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Our Post-Pandemic Future Depends On Putting Young People First In Any Recovery Plan

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When previous generations passed into adulthood, rites of passage signalled the start of a new and hopeful horizon, whether learning to drive, going to university, getting your first full-time job or taking time out to travel the world.
But sadly for young people today the world they are emerging into is one where instability, uncertainty and sparse opportunity is the new normal.
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Having grown up in the shadow of the 2008 crash and austerity, young people now face the daunting prospect of starting their adult lives in the wake of a global pandemic and subsequent global recession, which expects to see one million young people facing unemployment as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
I surveyed thousands of people aged between 16-24 year olds for a major study for HOPE not hate and found widespread pessimism and high levels of anxiety.
There was a bleakness for the future with half of young people not expecting to be in a good job or have somewhere decent to live in five years time. A majority feel that the coronavirus outbreak has limited their options for the future.
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Lockdown has already taken a toll, particularly for young people from low income backgrounds, in precarious work or living independently, struggling financially. 12% of young people in households with an income of £10,000 or less have got into debt, 11% have lost their jobs, 10% have struggled to pay their rent, and 9% have applied for Universal Credit. For young people living in house or flat shares, 26% had dipped into their savings, 24% had been furloughed, and 18% had struggled to pay their rent.
So it’s unsurprising that the pressures of everyday life weigh heavy for young people. More than half state mental health in the three greatest issues they personally face, with young women most likely to feel concerned; 65% say the coronavirus outbreak has had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing.
Moreover, many young people are feeling alienated, distanced from a political system which they don’t feel represents them. The costs of the coronavirus outbreak are fuelling the risk for widespread youth disaffection. Our research showed how anxieties about the post-pandemic future are opening up generational divides. A majority (67%) of young people agree that their generation will pay the price for a pandemic that has mostly affected older people; just 8% disagreed with this.
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But there are also divisions among young people which could spill over as the economic impacts hit, and inequalities widen. While around half of young people fall into groups with overtly progressive values, with some more politically active and others driven by their own interests, around a quarter are more apathetic, but another quarter hold more reactionary or small ‘c’ conservative views.
While comfortable young graduates might be feeling uneasy about the future, other research suggests that their suffering in recessions is short lived compared with those with few qualifications or from low income backgrounds. The divisions we see in broader society are amplified among a generation who have grown up online, where some are finding refuge by playing on identity politics through a frustrated sense of entitlement – rejecting “political correctness”, embracing anti-feminism and nursing a sense of nationalistic victimhood.
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There is a clear need for a recovery plan to support young people through the Covid-19 pandemic, and the long-term consequences it will have. This not only needs to address the economic impact on young people’s employment and financial security, but also on their wellbeing and their ability to feel valued in society.
Social divisions are not simply generational, it’s not as clear cut as young “snowflakes” attacking “out-of-touch” Boomers. Divisions are built on the unequal foundations of what we think we can expect in life, a combination of what we feel entitled to and the opportunities available to us to get there.
Young people are facing a perfect storm of disaffection which will only widen social divisions. A recovery plan that prioritises the ability for all young people to thrive is critical.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Linda And Anne Nolan Reveal They Have Both Been Diagnosed With Cancer

Linda and Anne Nolan have revealed they are both receiving treatment for cancer after being diagnosed within days of each other.
The siblings – who are part of the famous Nolan Sisters – have been undergoing chemotherapy together during lockdown at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital.
Linda and Anne Nolan Shutterstock/ITV
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Anne, 69, has breast cancer, which she has been told is at stage three – the most serious being stage four. It is the second time she has been told she has breast cancer, previously being diagnosed in 2000.
Just days after Anne’s diagnosis in May, Linda was told she has incurable cancer in her liver, which is the fourth time she has had the disease.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, cellulitis and lymphoedema in her arm in 2007, and secondary cancer on her pelvis in 2017, which was discovered after she broke her hip during a fall at home.
The pair opened up about their fight against the disease in an interview with The Sun, where they revealed they have both lost their hair as a result of their chemo treatment.
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They recalled telling their sisters – Denise, Maureen and Loose Women star Coleen – of their diagnosis, with Linda, 61, saying: “We laughed and we cried really. It’s hysterical.
“Forget the Chemical Brothers, we’ve become the Chemo Sisters.”
Both also told of their fear of dying after they lost their sister Bernie to cancer in 2013 at the age of 52, but remain determined to beat it.
Linda and Anne doing a Walk the Walk Moonwalk charity walk with a T shirt showing their sister Bernie who died of breast cancer in 2013 Paul Brown/Shutterstock
Linda said: “It’s just really hard and I’m scared of dying. I don’t want to die.
“I want to be around and see my great nieces and nephews grow up, and that’s why I’m putting everything I’ve got into trying to get well.”
Anne’s treatment has proved particularly difficult, as she spent 11 days in hospital after the chemo made her ill.
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She also revealed she has been suffering with anxiety attacks as a result of the added stresses of the pandemic, which mean she has not been able to see her daughters and grandchildren.
“I’ve not touched them, I’ve not been able to hug them or kiss them, and I think that’s what makes me more sad than anything,” she said.
The Nolan Sisters: (L-R) Denise, Linda, Anne, Coleen, Bernie and Maureen Ted Blackbrow/ANL/Shutterstock
Both sisters are undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy, with Anne finishing her’s first on 11 September.
She has been told she will have either a mastectomy or lumpectomy, most likely followed by radiotherapy.
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Linda faces living with cancer for the rest of her life, but she has been told if she responds to treatment, she could have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years.
She said: “By that time I’ll be an old woman. I’ll be 75 in 15 years, and I would’ve had a great life. So that’s why I’m again, for the third time, going to give it everything I’ve got.”
Coleen Nolan publicly supported her sisters as their interview was published on Sunday night, with her management posting a statement on her Twitter account.
They’ve beaten it before - they can beat it again ❤ Coleen’s brave sisters Linda and Anne sadly reveal they both have cancer again In tomorrows papers, here is a preview below. Please keep them in your thoughts and well wishes X https://t.co/AHAVAnWJtC — Coleen Nolan The Nolans Go Cruising Tues Quest Red (@NolanColeen) August 2, 2020
“They’ve beaten it before – they can beat it again,” it read. “Please keep them in your thoughts and well wishes.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--People Are Convinced Trump Wants TikTok Banned Because A Comedian Is Mocking Him On It

There’s a new conspiracy theory in town: Donald Trump wants TikTok drop-kicked out of the US because he can’t stand comedian Sarah Cooper’s blistering presidential impersonations.
Trump told reporters on Friday that he plans to ban the Chinese-owned short-form video-sharing app from operating in the US “As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States,” he declared aboard Air Force One. The president claimed he could use emergency economic powers to ban the app — possibly as early as Saturday.
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Trump says he has security concerns about TikTok becasue it’s owned by the Chinese. But perhaps not so coincidentally many users have forged a strong anti-Trump identity.
TikTok users in June flooded the Trump campaign with fake requests for seat reservations at the president’s Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally, and proudly took a bow for the thousands of empty seats on the big day.
More recently, they savaged the Trump campaign app with vicious reviews to hit back at the president following his first announcement last month — after the Tulsa rally — that he was going to shut TikTok down.
Cooper was back trolling Trump on Friday over his threats against TikTok in a skit called “How to tick tock” on YouTube (see the video up top), and “How to tick tack” on Twitter. “This wasn’t made with TikTok,” Cooper smirked when reposting another skit Friday about Trump’s cognitive abilities.
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How to tick tack pic.twitter.com/1Mn8nk363f — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) July 31, 2020
That’s just what Trump doesn’t appreciate, Cooper fans responded.
Who else thinks that Donald Trump wants to ban TickTock because of Sarah Cooper’s hilarious videos? — HippieChick (@DetHippieChick) July 31, 2020
I think it's because of the TikTok kids that signed up for Tulsa rally tickets — DCPeskin 💙 🇺🇸 🌊 🏳🌈 🤦🏻♀ (@DCPeskin) July 31, 2020
BREAKING: Trump says he's issuing an executive order to ban TikTok in the United States and we all know it's because Sarah Cooper made fun of him. — Brandon Besserer (@BrandonBesserer) August 1, 2020
Trump: Sarah Cooper is being mean to me! I don’t like it when girls are mean to me! Ban Tik Tok because girls are mean to me! — Meredith Lee (@meralee727) August 1, 2020
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I don't think banning TikTok is going to slow Sarah Cooper down one bit! Nice try, Chump. 😆🤣 — Strictly BLM (@christoq) August 1, 2020
Sarah Cooper is the real reason Trump is banning TikTok https://t.co/VBXT9SBoE5 — Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) August 1, 2020
Literally the ONLY way I can listen to his voice. — BillH (@mrhortywho) July 31, 2020
Trump wants to get rid of
• The Post Office
• Moms in Portland
• Obama
• Sarah Cooper
• TikTok
Trump doesn't want to get rid of
• The KKK
• Ghislaine Maxwell
• Coronavirus — JRehling (@JRehling) August 1, 2020
Sarah Cooper now occupies the first floor of trump’s head. — Baligubadle (@Baligubadle1) August 1, 2020
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Trump can try & ban TikTok but one thing he can't undo is the fact that the platform helped fuel the fame & success of one particular comedian, Sarah Cooper, whose work consistently exposes the absurdity & stupidity of so much of what Trump says & does! — MURRAY 🗽 (@murray_nyc) August 1, 2020
Y’all Sarah Cooper is great. But please stop treating Trump like a joke. First time people did that he became president. He’s not just banning TikTok because she upsets him. Zuckerburg is literally rolling out a competitor next month. — Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) August 1, 2020
Microsoft was rumored to be in discussions with TikTok owner ByteDance to buy the app. But Trump reportedly made it clear he is not in favor of allowing a U.S. company to purchase it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--New 90-Minute Coronavirus Tests For Care Homes And Hospitals

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New tests which can detect coronavirus and flu will be made available in hospitals, care homes and laboratories from next week.
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The swab and DNA tests promise to deliver results in 90 minutes and will help clinicians and NHS Test and Trace to differentiate between Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses, the Department of Health said.
About half a million of the new rapid swab tests will be available from next week, with millions more to be rolled out later in the year.
Thousands of DNA test machines, which are already being used in eight London hospitals and can analyse nose swabs, will be rolled out across NHS hospitals from September.
The new swab and DNA tests promise to deliver results in 90 minutes. RyanKing999 via Getty Images
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Health secretary Matt Hancock described the tests as “life-saving” and said they would be “hugely beneficial” over the winter.
“Millions of new rapid coronavirus tests will provide on-the-spot results in under 90 minutes, helping us to break chains of transmission quickly,” he said.
“The fact these tests can detect flu as well as Covid-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others.”
There are currently two main tests used to detect the virus: nasal/throat swabs and finger-prick blood tests.
While both tests have been useful, the swab test can be invasive and uncomfortable, and there are concerns over the accuracy of the antibody tests.
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They also take a significant amount of time to be processed – between 24 and 72 hours.
The announcement comes as the Department of Health denied it had abandoned its promise to regularly test care home residents through the summer.
Care home residents and staff were meant to receive regular testing from July 6, but will now be pushed back to September 7 for older people and those with dementia, the PA news agency reported.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Kids Will Flip Out Over This Banana Pancake Recipe

Cooking With Kids is our new weekly recipe series on getting creative in the kitchen with the family.
There’s always time for pancakes, just ask chef Adam Rawson, who loves to turn overripe, blackened bananas into sweet, fluffy American-style pancakes with his son.
“It’s a pretty simple, straightforward recipe to make with kids so it works really well,” Rawson, who is executive chef at Double Standard and Isla at The Standard restaurants in London, tells HuffPost UK. “There’s lots for kids to get involved with – anything from the weighing, whisking, mixing, squeezing the banana pulp, cooking, and, of course, flipping the pancakes!”
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Besides perfecting tossing skills, there are plenty of things little ones can learn about from this recipe. From weighing out ingredients to the timing of the pan when cooking and teaching them the importance of appearance – just because fruit and vegetables look wonky doesn’t mean they won’t taste amazing.
“My little boy loves cooking, and just seeing him wearing his little apron, getting his hands dirty, mixing things, (carefully) helping with the cooking and then eating what he just made, is really special,” Rawson explains. “He loves the banana trick especially when it comes to squeezing it after. And of course, what kid doesn’t like pancakes?”
Banana Pancakes
Serves: 12-16 pancakes | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 10-15 mins
Charlie McKay Banana Pancakes
Ingredients:
For the batter:
350g plain flour
10g bicarbonate of soda
15g baking powder
40g caster sugar
200g buttermilk
400g whole milk
2 eggs
150g butter (melted)
2 frozen bananas
For the sticky banana topping:
butter for the frying pan
2 fresh bananas, chopped
maple syrup
sprinkle of Maldon salt
Method:
1. The day before, you’ll need to freeze 2 bananas (you can also keep a few in the freezer for any other baking). Once frozen, defrost the bananas either at room temperature or in the microwave. They will turn black and mushy but the flavour and texture are perfect for baking. By freezing and defrosting, the banana cooks inside its skin, whilst retaining its raw flavour.
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2. For the sticky banana topping use a non-stick frying pan, bring the maple syrup to a boil with a touch of butter and a pinch of Maldon salt.
3. Once boiling, add the fresh bananas and glaze until the banana becomes sticky. Set aside while you work on the pancakes.
4. In a large bowl, sieve all the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated. Pour in your milk and buttermilk and stir the mixture.
5. Squeeze the black banana until all of the pulp is out of the skin. With the whisk, mash the banana pulp into the pancake batter. Add your eggs, followed by the melted butter.
6. In one of the frying pans, melt a thumb of butter on medium heat until it starts foaming.
7. Carefully ladle some of the pancake mix and cook slowly until the pancake mix almost dries up on the surface, then flip it and cook for another minute or so.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--I Only Found Out I Was Pregnant At Seven Months

Courtesy of the author The author, with her daughter after giving birth
When I felt a flurry of alien movement in my stomach last year, movement which felt peculiar and unlike anything I’d experienced before, my first thought wasn’t pregnancy. You had to be far along in order to feel a baby kicking, after all. The idea was so implausible that I didn’t allow myself to think it: I’d had no morning sickness, no sore breasts, no baby bump, and I’d felt as energetic as my usual self for months.
After consideration and clouded conversations with myself, I took a pregnancy test at work the next morning, just to settle my doubts. To my utter astonishment and disbelief, I was faced with what claimed to be a positive test.
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I returned to my desk in a state of pure confusion. I’d been on birth control for years, and never contemplated that the choice to fall pregnant would be taken away from me. I thought everyone made the decision and went through each week with excitement, finding out the sex, choosing a name, all in their own time. I had never imagined a child would be almost thrust into my arms, my immediate responsibility. More urgently, at 23 years old I didn’t feel even remotely prepared to birth, let alone raise, another human. I was in unequivocal shock, and those ripples of movement in my stomach were only growing more frequent.
A doctor confirmed my pregnancy the next day. And not only that – after performing an ultrasound, they confirmed that my baby was at seven months gestation. 30 weeks. My third trimester.
“As a teenager, I always imagined the moment I found out I was expecting. I never dreamt I would find out, alone in a doctor’s office, that I was seven months along.”
I kicked the bed out of indignation, and struggled to breathe. As a teenager, I always imagined the moment I found out I was expecting. I’d jump for joy and call family members, revelling in the news. I never dreamt I would find out, alone in a doctor’s office, that I was seven months along – and that I had just two months to prepare for becoming a mum.
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I had what’s known medically as a ‘cryptic pregnancy’, where a woman doesn’t know she’s pregnant for 20 weeks or beyond. Some women only find out when they give birth. The way your brain reacts to this kind of news is inexplicable – I was bombarded with a multitude of emotions, could’ve even been dreaming as far as I knew, found myself speechless for the first time in my life. I realised there were trivial moments that I dismissed, where my body was trying to tell me I was pregnant: I’d fainted on the tube for no apparent reason; I’d had a small patch leak out of my nipple the month before I found out; and I’d taken a day off work because I felt drained, back in what I now knew was my first trimester.
But none of those pointers ever led me towards pregnancy. I questioned my own ignorance: how could I be a good mother if I didn’t even know I was carrying my daughter? How would I cope as a young mother with a full-time job? Would I even connect with my unborn child?
My first instinct was to call my mum, who was just as stunned – at the time I was living with her and my three sisters, and no one had even thought for a moment that I looked pregnant. Her reassurance was the only thing that kept me going as reality sank in as I began to come to terms with the path chosen for me. “You can do this,” she said over and over as I stared blankly at her. “I can’t”, I remember replying.
But, as I’ve come to learn, mothers are always right.
Courtesy of the author The author with her child, Savannah
What transpired over the following two months was existential. Without even realising, I fell completely head over heels in love with the baby I was carrying. People around me said I was ‘born to be a mother’ – something I’d never said about myself, yet now felt myself embodying. My partner and I actively looked forward to every scan; our family and friends celebrated every milestone; and we felt electrified with every kick as we picked out a name, a cot, a pram. I even found myself eager for labour.
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Still, those two months were fleeting. We squeezed nine months into two, partially feeling robbed of the beautiful moments you’re ‘meant’ to cherish so deeply along the way, but mostly on autopilot. All we knew was that we had to bring this baby girl into a world full of stability, love and ease. She couldn’t be met by parents who were panicked, ungrateful.
My daughter was so strong-willed, she overcame the minuscule chances of conception and hid herself in my womb for 30 weeks, waiting for us to find her. I changed my perception from feeling sad I didn’t get a choice in this, to realising that she chose us. How could I do anything but honour her choice?
“Your baby will guide you. Your bond will grow to be unbreakable. And your instinct to protect them will override any ounce of fear.”
When she was born, we felt complete – a feeling I hadn’t expected. I was so sure on that first day that this was an ’inconvenience’, but how wrong I was: it was our biggest blessing.
Though it wasn’t planned, and though it took us on a path we never expected, I’d say to any woman who goes through an experience similar to mine that it will turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you. Your baby will guide you. Your bond will grow to be unbreakable. And your instinct to protect them will override any ounce of fear.
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I thank my daughter every day for giving me the chance to raise her, and I am eternally proud to call myself a mother.
Daisy Leigh is a PR executive and mother to Savannah. Follow her on Instagram at @daisyaleigh


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Coronavirus Is A Minefield. We’ll Help You Understand It.

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Why does singing spread coronavirus? How does a face mask protect me? Can having the vaccine stop the spread of the virus?
If someone had mentioned Covid-19 at the start of 2020, you would’ve looked at them wide-eyed, wondering what on earth they were talking about.
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Since then, it’s become the subject of daily conversation and our lives have fundamentally changed because of it.
In a relatively short space of time, we’ve gone from knowing virtually nothing about this new virus to watching as scientists across the world unearthed its many secrets – including creating vaccines at break-neck speed.
You have lots of questions about what’s going on, and what it all means, which is why we launched a Q&A series on HuffPost UK Life in August, where experts across the UK answer reader questions related to Covid-19 and health.
We’ve spent five months answering such questions – and in 2021, we’ll continue to do so.
Drazen Zigic via Getty Images
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There’s a lot we still don’t know about the virus, but there’s also plenty of information emerging on a weekly basis that can inform how we look after ourselves in the coming days, months and years.
So, if you’ve got a burning question that remains unanswered, submit it via this form and we’ll work with experts to answer it for you.
Whether you want to know about face masks, symptoms of the virus, long-term effects, the recovery process, insights on testing, vaccine updates – you name it – we’ll speak to experts in the field to get straight-talking answers and break down the science into manageable chunks.
We’ll aim to answer one question a week every Monday. You can also go back and see which questions we’ve already answered.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--'I'm Getting Panic Attacks': How Shielders Feel About Returning To Work

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Sarah, 39, is a care home worker from Lincolnshire, who has relapsing multiple sclerosis. This week, she’ll return to work in one of the industries most affected by coronavirus.
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Despite needing to shield since March, Sarah was refused furlough and has instead been receiving statutory sick pay (SSP), which has left her struggling financially. SSP is set at just £95.85 per week – £600 a month less than Sarah would have received if she was furloughed.
But with the shielding period – and her entitlement to sick pay – ending on August 1, like thousands across the UK, Sarah is being forced back to work. “I have no choice but to return to work as the government stopped the SSP for shielders, so I’m being forced to choose between my health and earning some money,” Sarah, who supports the MS Society, tells HuffPost UK.
She’s heard nothing from her employer, and says the only guidance she can find about working safely is to “keep a two metre distance”, which she can’t do. “I have so many questions and no answers from the government,” she says. “I haven’t been able to sleep for weeks and I’m getting terrible panic attacks.”
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The are 2.2 million people in England who are considered “clinically extremely vulnerable” and were advised to shield, according to the Office for National Statistics. Over half a million of those people (595,000) usually work.
Since August 1, shielders in England are now told by the government: “You can go to work, as long as the workplace is Covid-secure – but carry on working from home if you can.”
For those who are unable to work from home, the government states: “Some employers may be able to offer different types of leave. Beyond your statutory leave entitlements, this will be at your employer’s discretion.”
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Concerned about the situation, a coalition of 15 charities across the UK have called on the government to protect the jobs of workers who have been shielding. The charities – including Macmillan Cancer Support, Age UK, Asthma UK, Diabetes UK and Parkinson’s UK, to name a few – have written an open letter asking for the furlough scheme to be extended for those shielding.
An online petition echoing the letter has received more than 17,000 signatures.
The charities are concerned employees may be forced to leave their jobs or, as redundancies continue across the country, those shielding may be worst hit.
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A survey by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation found one in seven workers with a lung condition said they will refuse to return to their workplace, even if this means they lose their job.
Mark, 56, from West Sussex, is considering handing in his resignation. He usually works part-time as an activities coordinator in a care home, but has been furloughed, and is worried what will happen when the scheme ends. He has multiple illnesses that cause him to be classified as high-risk, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes breathing difficulties.
“My employer has hassled me since the beginning, suggesting she would stop my pay, as well as constantly asking me when I can go back to work, but I have always pointed her to government guidance and law,” he says.
“I am thinking of resigning because I don’t think any care home environment can every be fully Covid-safe, and social distancing isn’t practical there either.”
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Mark doesn’t want to resign, but he sees no other option and wants to protect himself and his family, as well as ensuring residents are given good care.
“I love my work, but I can see no way I can keep my distance from the residents when my work is so close to them,” he says. “I am at a loss what to do now.”
Some employers, though, have been working hard to help their employees feel comfortable returning to the workplace after months of shielding. Another Mark, 49, from Lincolnshire, who has been shielding with severe asthma, is “cautiously happy” to be returning to his job in the operations department for a shipping company this week.
He’s had positive meetings with his employer where they’ve discussed how the workplace has been adapted to make it Covid-secure. Mark hasn’t enjoyed being furloughed and is looking forward to regaining some routine.
“Not knowing what was happening at work and having to shield was tough,” he says. “I had no structure to my days – I couldn’t work, go to the shops or visit family or friends. I felt pretty down and a lack of social interaction, fresh air and exercise saw my asthma suffer as well.”
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Mark says he felt worse when he saw people on the news breaking lockdown and going to the beach. “I was jealous and angry,” he adds. “I also felt guilty I couldn’t work while my colleagues and friends were having to battle on as they were classed as key workers.”
“Most people are getting used to this different world – and I’m just about to start.” - Mark, 49, from Lincolnshire
While he’s excited to be reunited with his team, Mark does have some nerves. “For four months I’ve only been in three buildings: my house, the hospital and a dental surgery. Now virtually overnight I’m straight back to work and suddenly allowed to go shopping and meet friends,” he says.
“I basically have no ‘Covid etiquette’. Most people are getting used to this different world – and I’m just about to start.”
When asked about the support for shielders returning to the workplace, a government spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “We understand how challenging the outbreak pandemic has been for the clinically vulnerable and we have worked tirelessly to support them. Employers must ensure the safety of those with such conditions when considering working arrangements, including whether work can be completed remotely.”
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They stated that a package worth £160 billion has been available to date, including the furlough scheme, “which has paid the wages of 9.5 million people at a cost of £31.7bn and will run for 8 months in total”.
“We are also encouraging businesses to retain staff through the job retention bonus,” the spokesperson added. “As the economy re-opens, we must look at how to adjust our support in a way that ensures people can get back to work to support the UK’s economic recovery.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--After Ten Days In A Coma, I Had To Relearn Everything. Here's What My Life Is Like Now

Courtesy of Brooke Knisley The author in a coma at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center after her fall from a tree in August 2015.
In 2015, I fell 20 to 25 feet out of a tree.
All of my medical records list different heights since no one knew the precise distance — that detail feels important to me. The person I had been climbing with said we were near the top of a redwood on the University of California, Santa Cruz’s campus when I turned to her and said, “I have to get down. Now.” Then, without waiting for a response, I scrambled downward until I was out of sight. A moment later, she heard two smacks followed by a thud.
Before I fell out of the redwood, I was drinking alcohol every day. In fact, I had been drinking pretty consistently since the age of 14. To say I simply had a “drinking problem” would be a gross understatement.
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Often, I’d get Cs (or lower) in classes at UC Santa Cruz simply because I’d forget to turn in an assignment or get hammered and decide not to write an essay. One teacher’s assistant, after grading a paper I had managed to get in on time, handed it back to me, marked with an A, and gave me a line similar to the one Dr. Octavius gave Peter Parker in Spider-Man 2: “You’re brilliant when you turn things in. Imagine if you were more diligent.”
In my head, I translated this to: “Imagine if you weren’t depressed, ... if you weren’t a drunk, ... if you were just a better person.”
Instead of being a better person, I’d get drunk and climb trees. Usually, I avoided redwoods when I was three sheets to the wind, but I had a tolerance — a couple of beers wouldn’t stop me from climbing. The friend I was with on that fateful day said I had only had two beers. I can’t confirm or deny this because I have no memory of my fall or the entire day that preceded it.
“My family wasn’t given a specific prognosis because chances were that I wouldn’t wake up.”
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For ten days following my fall, I was in a coma, my vitals monitored at every moment at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California. My family wasn’t given a specific prognosis because chances were that I wouldn’t wake up.
Comas aren’t what Hollywood would have you think they’re like. The media glosses over two main things when it comes to comas: the (un)consciousness of a coma — you’re dead to the world — and the immediacy of your uselessness upon waking. Every inactive day causes your muscles to atrophy. Your vocal cords may be paralysed because of intubation (one of mine was), and you can’t swallow without aspirating (accidentally letting food or liquid enter your lungs, risking pneumonia).
On top of these standard coma difficulties, I had a severe traumatic brain injury that affected nearly every aspect of my body. For example, I must’ve landed on my backside because the heft of the damage was located in the occipital lobe — that’s the lobe at the back of your head that controls vision. Because of this, I had diplopia (double vision), which required eye muscle surgery to be corrected (but that surgery wouldn’t happen for another nine months).
Because my injury was closed-head (my skull wasn’t penetrated), my brain bounced around inside of my skull, ricocheting against the hard surfaces and sending reverberations to many different regions. This is referred to as a diffuse axonal injury.
For me, my deficits revealed what other parts of my brain received damage. My balance problems (ataxia), lack of fine motor skills and poor grip strength indicated my cerebellum had been hurt. At first, my body also had issues regulating its temperature, signalling some damage to the brain stem. My fits of laughter and inability to remember anything longer than a few moments meant frontal lobe damage.
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Courtesy of Brooke Knisley A chart the author made to explain which parts of her brain were injured by her fall, as well as how those injuries affected her brain.
A medical social worker, at this point, staged an intervention about my drinking. She asked my mom to show me a picture of me in my coma, hooked up to machines. When I saw the photo and started laughing, the social worker told my mom, “This is just her injury.” She turned to me and said, “You almost died, and your drinking contributed to it — don’t you care?” When I didn’t stop laughing, my mom told the therapist, “She’s always been like this.”
It’s hard for professionals to determine which parts of you are pathological and which parts are damage sometimes. It’s also hard for family members not to be dismissive when they’re upset with you.
On top of that, I had to relearn everything. My speech therapist taught me how to swallow and gave me memory techniques to improve my recollection of details. My occupational therapist showed me how to navigate a kitchen, accompanied me into the shower to explain how to safely bathe myself in a precarious environment (aka the shower) and went over strategies to remember if I had completed a task or not. (“Have I shampooed? How many times? Did I put conditioner in my hair?” “How long have I been stirring these eggs?”) My physical therapist helped me work on my core strength for balance and worked with me on how to swing my arms correctly so I looked like a human being instead of a robot.
But relearning was difficult when my short-term memory was as impaired as it was. It didn’t end up coming back at all until a couple of weeks after I woke up from my coma. Apparently, I had already been doing speech, occupational and physical therapy for a while before I had any memories of doing any sort of therapy. It would take a few more days for me to remember the names of all of my therapists or to navigate the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Unit (in my wheelchair).
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“My occupational therapist showed me how to navigate a kitchen, accompanied me into the shower to explain how to safely bathe myself in a precarious environment (aka the shower) and went over strategies to remember if I had completed a task or not. (“Have I shampooed? How many times? Did I put conditioner in my hair?” “How long have I been stirring these eggs?”)”
I also contracted Clostridium difficile (commonly referred to as C. diff) toward the end of my stay. It’s very contagious and common in hospital settings, and patients often take a rigorous course of antibiotics to treat it. The antibiotics kill the good gut bacteria that fends off the bacterium that causes C. diff. Considering the number of antibiotics I was prescribed while I had a bolt inserted in my head to relieve pressure caused by fluids in my brain, it was only a matter of time before I contracted C. diff. Although I was treated, and the C. diff eradicated, my gut health plunged, and my digestion tanked. I lost more weight in addition to the weight I had lost during my coma.
During this entire time, I was benignly resigned and vaguely amused. My doctors recorded my blasé comments (“Oh, I get to cook eggs? I like eggs.”), but my nearly illegible handwriting from that time tells a slightly different story. On a piece of notebook paper dated Sept. 5, 2015, I wrote, “I don’t know how I feel about the future. What is life if you can’t remember it?”
After a month and a half, I was released from Santa Clara Valley Medical Center under orders to use an arm crutch for all ambulation (walking). But my rehabilitation was far from over. Once I returned to my parents’ home in San Diego, I would attend a brain injury day-treatment program five days a week from 8am. until 3:30pm. This programme took up where the other left off: I continued to practice writing by hand and doing eye exercises, build core muscles and correct my abnormal gait and complete logic puzzles and plan my life to improve the executive function, courtesy of the frontal lobe.
After two and a half months, I was only required to attend three days a week. I could walk without a crutch or a gait belt (which I wore so therapists could grab it if I started to fall). After four months, I was discharged and finished the last units for my bachelor’s degree at UC San Diego while I awaited my eye muscle surgery (this meant I had to close one eye to read anything, both in and out of class).
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Courtesy of Brooke Knisley A photo of the author a week after having eye surgery in May 2016.
During the summer of 2016, a year out from my accident, I was told this was the most I would recover. The tacit addition was that it was all downhill from there. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 52% of people who suffer a severe traumatic brain injury will further decline or die within five years of their injuries. Medical professionals were pleased I was doing well — I started working as a production assistant at an academic publisher, commuted independently on the train and was applying to grad school to get better health insurance — but everyone waited for a decline.
The real problem through all of this was that I looked fine. You can’t tell a person has a brain injury just by looking at them, and you certainly can’t discern the difficulty with which they’re holding themselves together in front of you. Even my own mother, who had been there throughout my coma, thought it was a good idea to take me out on a boat to go whale watching a few weeks after I was released from Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.
Nearly five years out from my fall, problems persist. Although I am lucky to function at such a high level considering the severity of my injury, I am permanently disabled but don’t look it. My body doesn’t listen to my brain very well, and my cognition falls short when it comes to mental math and my working memory (whiteboards line my room with scrawled reminders and notices held by magnets).
My long-term memory is intact: I remember my childhood and my family, but it’s the processing speed that causes issues. Sometimes it takes me a moment to recognise a place or a person or to place a person in their context. Sometimes I lose my words, can’t recover them (aphasia) and simply have to find a workaround or give up.
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“People ask for my seat on the subway, and I feel too tired and embarrassed to say I need it — to explain my damage — so I cling to a pole and arrive at my destination shaking from the exertion.”
Some days are worse than others. Sometimes I have phantom pains in my extremities, and I still can’t write by hand for prolonged periods, i.e., more than a few sentences. Often, people are annoyed when I ask them to write something for me or if I can’t take the stairs. I’ve had baristas roll their eyes at me when I request a lid because I can’t carry a cup of liquid without sloshing it (“They’re on the condiment bar,” the baristas insist). People ask for my seat on the subway, and I feel too tired and embarrassed to say I need it ― to explain my damage ― so I cling to a pole and arrive at my destination shaking from the exertion.
I’m still an alcoholic. I’ll always be an alcoholic, but my coma served as a detox period. My disability prevented me from going to bars or obtaining alcohol in the beginning, enabling me to put the “white knuckle” approach to use. Of course, since then, I have relapsed, but I get cut off after a drink because my ataxia gives me a permanent wobble. Luckily, explaining I have brain damage just invites raised eyebrows and no beer. I know if I start drinking again, it’ll kill me. Instead of imbibing, I go to therapy and write stories — more productive pursuits.
Courtesy of Brooke Knisley The author in 2020.
And in the big scheme of things, my current deficits are just quibbles: My depression is medicated, and I’m sober. I teach at a college that respects my viewpoint and limitations — my students understand and are patient, as is the majority of my colleagues. I’m happier now than I ever was before falling out of the tree.
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I’m not sentimental — I don’t think everything happens for a “higher reason.” But I do believe in physics — in gravity — and I do understand the weight of my actions. I’m sorry for the grief my accident caused, but I’m not sorry it happened.
Brooke Knisley is an instructor in Emerson College’s Writing Studies Program. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--Coronavirus Second Wave Fear Unless NHS Test And Trace Expanded

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The NHS Test and Trace programme needs to be scaled up in order to reopen schools safely, researchers have said.
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A new modelling study has implied that reopening schools in September must be combined with a high-coverage test-trace-isolate strategy to avoid a second wave of Covid-19 later this year.
The study comes as Australian research found there were “low” levels of coronavirus transmission in schools and nurseries.
The modelling study – which simulates various scenarios – examined the possible implications of schools reopening in the UK coupled with broader reopening of society, such as more parents returning to the workplace and increased socialising within the community.
The authors found that “with increased levels of testing… and effective contact tracing and isolation, an epidemic rebound might be prevented”.
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But in a worst-case scenario, a second wave could be 2.3 times higher than the first, according to the study published in The Lancet Child And Adolescent Health.
The modelling comes after suggestions that pubs may need to be shut, or social freedoms curbed, in order to allow schools to reopen while keeping the spread of Covid-19 down.
In other developments:
– The government came under criticism after admitting laws underpinning new lockdown restrictions for Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire are yet to be implemented four days after the rules were introduced.
– Downing Street said powers to ban movement in and out of coronavirus hotspots could be used to curb the spread of Covid-19.
– Trade unions criticised the government’s decision to press on with measures to get people back into the office on the first weekday since the guidance changed.
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– Britons began dining out at a discount under the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme to try to boost the ailing economy.
In the new study, researchers from UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) simulated what would happen in an “optimistic” scenario assuming 68% of contacts of people who tested positive could be traced. In the more pessimistic scenario the system had 40% coverage.
But one of the authors, Chris Bonell, professor of public health sociology at LSHTM, said the current testing system has “about 50% coverage”.
“Our findings suggests that it might be possible [to avoid] a secondary epidemic wave in the UK, if enough people with symptomatic infection can be diagnosed and their contacts traced and effectively isolated,” he said.
“Reopening schools fully in September, alongside reopening workplaces in society, without an effective test, trace, isolating (TTI) strategy could result in a second wave of infections between two and 2.3 times the size of the original wave.
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“Currently, TTI is not achieving the levels that we modelled. Looking at the NHS reports from the TTI system, it looks like it’s about 50% coverage.”
The authors said that without appropriate levels of testing and contact tracing, reopening of schools together with gradual relaxing of the lockdown measures are “likely to induce a second wave that would peak in December 2020 if schools open full-time in September”.
The model assumes that around 70% of people would return to workplaces once their children returned to school and up to a 90% increase of mixing within the community with schools reopening.
Dr Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, senior research fellow and lecturer in mathematical modelling, at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL, added: “Our result show that reopening schools fully in September will not lead to a second wave if accompanied by a comprehensive test, trace and isolate strategy.”
The research from Australia, also published in the same journal, examined real world data from the first wave of Covid-19 in New South Wales.
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The data from January to April examined lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in educational settings.
Researchers investigated onwards transmission.
Data from 15 schools and 10 nurseries showed that although 27 children or teachers went to school or nursery while infectious, only an additional 18 people later became infected.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-03--A Farm Worker Police Feared Was Murdered Has Been Found Alive After Five Years

A file photo issued by Cambridgeshire Police of Ricardas Puisys, who police feared had been murdered. He has been found alive almost five years after he went missing. PA
A missing farm worker who police feared had been murdered has been found living in the woods – almost five years after he went missing.
Ricardas Puisys was 35 when he was last seen at the Nightlayer Leek Company, where he worked in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire on September 26, 2015.
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Cambridgeshire Police launched a murder probe, but officers could find no trace of the Lithuanian national despite a string of public appeals.
Detective chief inspector Rob Hall, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said the case had been a “complete mystery” until photographs of Puisys were posted to a Facebook account in his name last summer.
And on July 1 this year he was found in a “very well concealed” location following a search of a wooded area in Wisbech, where he had been living hidden in the undergrowth.
Ricardas Puisys. PA
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Detectives now believe Puisys ran away after becoming a victim of crime and an investigation into his potential exploitation has been launched.
Hall said: “A team of investigators worked tirelessly following up a number of inquiries, none leading to the discovery of Ricardas.
“That was until we received information that Ricardas may have been alive and still in the Wisbech area.
“Following a search of wooded area in Harecroft Road, Ricardas was eventually found living in undergrowth, very well concealed after having deliberately hidden and having not spoken with anyone for some time.
“We made the decision not to publicly announce we had found Ricardas alive until now in order to protect him and put safeguarding measures in place.
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“He is safe and we are working very closely with him to ensure he remains safe, but also to ensure he gets the support he needs after having lived through extremely difficult circumstances during the last five or more years.”
Ricardas Puisys. PA
Puisys was employed through an agency when he worked at the Nightlayer Leek Company, in Dean Grove, and was believed to have been with other Lithuanian men on the night he vanished.
Hall said: “There were genuine concerns Ricardas came to harm that evening.