thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--‘When Will It Cease?’ Grieving Mum Who Accused Police And CPS Of Institutional Racism Speaks Out

Alina Joseph Virgo Consultancy
The grieving mother of a 13-year-old who drowned after being pushed into a river has described her anguish at the Crown Prosecution Service’s failure to prosecute anyone.
Speaking exclusively to HuffPost UK, Alina Joseph slammed the authorities for not bringing Christopher Kapessa’s killer to justice – and accused them of institutional racism.
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The 40-year-old says she is “mentally and physically broken” as the family now gears up to take legal action with a judicial review into the CPS’ decision not to prosecute.
“I would never ever wish what we’re going through on anybody at all. To have a child and one minute he’s there, the next minute he’s taken away from you, it’s just terrible,” Alina said.
Christopher’s body was pulled from the River Cynon in South Wales on July 1, 2019, after he and others were out by the river.
The teenager, who couldn’t swim, was pronounced dead shortly after his body was recovered by emergency services.
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An initial investigation by South Wales Police concluded that his death was as a result of a “tragic accident”.
But after concerns were raised, the force’s major crime investigation team was brought in. The case has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is still deciding whether or not the police acted correctly.
“Everyone deserves to be protected in the same manner. A thorough investigation is supposed to be carried out for everybody who dies in suspicious circumstances” - Alina Joseph
Meanwhile, the force submitted evidence to the CPS, which on February 19 wrote to Christopher’s family to say that prosecuting the main suspect was “not in the public interest”.
The letter read: “There was sufficient evidence to support a charge of unlawful act of manslaughter [but] a suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons as he is a youth, should not be charged with an offence of manslaughter.”
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The CPS noted in the letter that the suspect had no convictions or cautions and has never come to the attention of the police.
“When considering the public interest test, there are a number of factors to take into account because the suspect was 14 years of age at the time of the alleged offence and is now 15 years of age,” it said.
“The suspect is described as mature and intelligent for his age, in normal education and has a good school record without any issues of bad behaviour recorded.”
According to the letter, the CPS had complied with section 44 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding “consideration for the welfare of the child as stated above”.
The young people initially interviewed stated that Christopher “slipped and fell” into the river.
But the CPS subsequently admitted to the family that it now believes he was pushed “with two hands”.
Christopher Kapessa Family photo
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“When I read [the letter] I didn’t digest it at first,” said Alina. “It took a couple of minutes after it was read out then it started to sink in. It took me back to day one when the South Wales Police, as far as I’m concerned, wanted nothing to do with finding out how my son came to his death.
“And then to hear the CPS decision – it kind of echoed that, and to us, as a family, it sends the message that Christopher’s life was of no value.”
Alina believes that if Christopher were white the outcome of the initial police investigation and CPS enquiry would have reached entirely different conclusions.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “How is it even justified? As far as the public interest tool, how do they even measure justice? I don’t know. I still cant digest it.
“Every time I talk about it, I feel very sick. We feel demoralised. We feel our voices or our experiences don’t even matter. When will it cease?”
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Renewed accusations of institutional racism within the judiciary system come 21 years after the pivotal Macpherson report, which found racial prejudice in London’s Metropolitan Police had helped allow the murderers of Stephen Lawrence to evade justice.
Lawrence, an 18-year-old student, was fatally attacked in south London in 1993. The 350-page report, often credited for changing the course of race relations in the UK, was published in 1999, and made a number of clear recommendations for how to repair relations with the Black community.
Stephen Lawrence HuffPost UK
“The justice system has a duty in regards to finding out what happened and this was pushed to one side,” said Alina. “So what name does one give that? Is this a justifiable bias? They are protecting one human being over another. You can’t justify that.
“Everyone deserves to be protected in the same manner. A thorough investigation is supposed to be carried out for everybody who dies in suspicious circumstances.
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“As Christopher’s mother, I was left with no other reason than to believe that there was a racial context behind the decision. [...] If the tables were turned [with a white victim] we wouldn’t be in this situation. I wouldn’t be having to be fighting – one minute grieving and, the next, trying to get justice for Christopher.”
“If the tables were turned and Christopher were white, we wouldn’t be in this situation” - Alina Joseph
The family has launched a crowd fundraising campaign to assist with legal fees.
“I am optimistic about justice prevailing because of the one God that I do believe in,” Alina told HuffPost UK. “He will carry me through and everybody who’s responsible will have something to answer for.
“I’ve come across, from the day Christopher died up until now, amazing people who have been extremely supportive.
“I also want to raise awareness that we can’t keep going on like this, as a society. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s even raising eyebrows with my 10 year old. It’s having impact.”
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Cardiff Stand Up To Racism said: “Stand Up to Racism supports the call by Race Alliance Wales and The Monitoring Group to launch a new legal challenge, and will continue to demand justice for this family who are grieving the loss of their son.”
Reflecting on her son’s “vibrant” personality, Alina said: “He was so full of life, I’m telling you. Sometimes I can’t express how his presence is missed.
“I know he would’ve felt really shy by just hearing me saying: ‘I miss my baby boy everywhere.’ He’d want to be a bit macho and say: ‘Mum, I’m a big boy now, you can’t be saying things like that.’”
A “fabulous” football player, Christopher would often teach his little brother the sport and he also loved to dance.
Like most growing lads, the teenager loved to eat. Now, his mother says she has to throw away excess food thinking how he would’ve enjoyed it.
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“Just last night I had a talk with my youngest daughter about Christopher. It was hurtful to see my daughter say: ‘Mum, I miss him just being here and annoying me.’ Just having him nearby to annoy them. They would rather that than go through this emptiness. It’s so sad.”
“Every time I talk about it, I feel very sick. We feel demoralised. We feel our voices or our experiences don’t even matter” - Alina Joseph
Hilary Brown, CEO of the legal firm representing the family – Virgo Consultancy – said: “The decision of the CPS is disappointing in light of the fact that they confirmed that the evidential threshold was met for bringing a charge of manslaughter against a young man whose actions were responsible for the death of Christopher Kapessa.
“Christopher’s family and their legal team are now vindicated for insisting that South Wales Police undertake a new and thorough investigation to establish the facts of how Christopher died, and the truth is now out.
“Christopher died not as a result of a ‘tragic accident’ as South Wales Police initially concluded, but as a consequence and direct result of being pushed into the river.”
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Chief Superintendent Dorian Lloyd of South Wales Police told HuffPost UK: “We note the decision of the CPS and, at this very difficult time, we recognise the pain and grief still endured by Christopher’s family who lost their young boy in the most traumatic of circumstances.
“Our support for them continues as it has done throughout the investigation.”
A CPS spokesperson said: “In coming to our decision, careful consideration was given to the law regarding the prosecution of youths, and the public interest test was not met.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Man Jailed For At Least 31 Years Over Murder Of Pensioner With Crossbow Outside His Home

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Handout file photo issued by North Wales Police of Terence Whall, 39, who was sentenced for the murder of Gerald Corrigan, 74. PA
A crossbow murderer who shot a pensioner outside his own home has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 31 years.
Gerald Corrigan, 74, was hit while adjusting the satellite dish outside his Anglesey house in the early hours of Good Friday, April 19, last year.
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Terence Whall, 39, of Bryngwran in Anglesey, denied ever having met his victim and pleaded not guilty to his murder at Mold Crown Court in September 2019, but was convicted following a trial.
Whall was also sentenced to six years on Friday for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by plotting to set fire to his Land Rover Discovery. The burnt-out vehicle’s GPS showed he had been in the vicinity of the victim’s home on the night in question.
He claimed he was in the area because he was having a sexual encounter with a friend.
But the court heard he hid outside the father-of-two’s remote home and waited for him to leave after the Sky signal was interfered with before shooting him with the archaic weapon.
Whall showed no reaction as he was sentenced by judge Mrs Justice Jefford at Mold Crown Court.
The bolt passed through his upper body, narrowly missing his heart, and his right arm.
Corrigan worked as a lecturer in photography and video in Lancashire before retiring to Anglesey more than 20 years ago.
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Following the conviction, Mr Corrigan’s partner Marie Bailey, 64, called for Whall to reveal why he carried out the murder.
She said: “To that sad, twisted, broken soul who murdered him, I say if you have an ounce of humanity, any sense of decency, then you would tell us now why you have done this.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Coronavirus: British Cruise Ship Passenger Reportedly Dies In Japan

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A British man who was aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama has died from coronavirus, the first death of a UK citizen during the outbreak.
The Japanese health ministry said the man – who has not been named – was the first foreigner from the ship to die of Covid-19.
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Confirming the news, an FCO spokesperson said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Japan and are in contact with local authorities.
“Our sympathies and thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”
A guard stands at a restricted area in front of the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama SIPA USA/PA Images
It comes as another case was confirmed in the UK brining the total to 20.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said in a statement that the virus was passed on in the UK but the original source of the virus was “unclear”.
It added that there was no “immediately identifiable link” to overseas travel.
Boris Johnson said the coronavirus was now the government’s top priority and told Sky News on Friday that he had met with the health secretary and chief medical officers to discuss the preparations.
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He said: “On the issue of coronavirus, which obviously is a great concern to people, I just want to reassure everybody and say that the NHS is making every possible preparation.”
Johnson said that people were right to be concerned about the virus but the best thing they could do was regularly wash their hands with soap and water.
But he confirmed that “further advice” from ministers would be coming next week, including how the government would deal with a further spread of the virus across the UK.
PM @BorisJohnson on the public health advice for coronavirus prevention. pic.twitter.com/XvwVeb1uMM — UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) February 28, 2020
In other developments:
About 83,800 people around the globe have now been infected with Covid-19, while 2,867 people have died after contracting the virus.
The World Health Organisation has upgraded the global risk of the virus spreading to its highest level
There have been 20 confirmed cases in the UK, with more than 7,000 people having been tested.
There have been 18 cases diagnosed in England, one in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
Although several schools have sent pupils home over fears of Covid-19 contact, Public Health England’s general advice is for them not to close.
Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire, was closed on Thursday because of a case diagnosed in a parent.
Tokyo Disneyland will be closed from Saturday to March 15 due to concerns about coronavirus infections spreading in Japan
The FTSE 100 index of leading British companies has fallen faster this week than at any time since the financial crisis in 2008 – wiping £200bn off its value.
Downing Street confirmed a Cobra meeting would be convened following a sharp increase in the number of cases of Covid-19 in mainland Europe – prompting fears it is only a matter of time before they start rising in the UK.
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth was heavily critical of the decision to delay the meeting until Monday.
He said: “Our part-time Prime Minister needs to get a grip of this escalating situation quickly.
“It shouldn’t take another three days for this meeting to take place.”
The Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama under quarantine after a passenger who had left the cruise tested positive for coronavirus.
With 705 confirmed cases among passengers and crew, it represents the place with the third-highest number Covid-19 cases in the world, behind China and South Korea.
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To date, six people who were on board the ship have reportedly died from coronavirus.
A spokeswoman for Princess Cruises, which operates the Diamond Princess ship that the British man had been holidaying on, said: “All of us at Princess Cruises, including the crew of Diamond Princess, offer our sincere condolences to family members and friends for their loss.
“Our dedicated care team are on hand to provide support.”
Scientists are racing to find a treatment, health crews are scrubbing everything from money to buses, and quarantines are being enforced in places from a beachfront resort in the Atlantic to an uninhabited island in the Pacific as the world battles the spread of a new virus.
Concern is also growing over the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak, with work at many factories halted, trade routes frozen and tourism crippled, while a growing list of countries brace for the illness to claim new territory.
Even the Tokyo Olympics, five months away, are not far enough off to keep people from wondering if they will go ahead as planned, PA Media reports.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Prince Harry And Bon Jovi Is The Musical Collaboration We Didn't Know We Needed

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Here’s something you won’t have expected to hear today – Prince Harry has been in the recording studio with Jon Bon Jovi.
The Duke of Sussex returned to the UK from Canada this week to team up with the rocker as he records a charity single for the royal’s Invictus Games Foundation.
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Harry and Bon Jovi were pictured at the world famous Abbey Road Studios on Friday, where the prince couldn’t resist getting behind the mic.
Prince Harry meets Jon Bon Jovi during his visit Abbey Road Studios PA
Harry posted a video on the Sussex Royal Instagram account showing them together in the recording booth with headphones on and Bon Jovi on guitar.
But just before they started to sing, the video ended.
Harry teased: “I said I’ll give it a shot... Stay tuned for more to come later...”
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The duke was also heard joking with an engineer: “We’ve been gargling next door, so we’re ready to go.”
Engineer Obie O’Brien, Jon’s long-term friend and producer, was waiting to talk the prince through the process of re-recording the 2019 Bon Jovi single Unbroken with the Invictus Games Choir.
The single is in aid of the Invictus Games Foundation which oversees the development of the Invictus Games, the international multi-sport event for injured or sick military personnel founded by Harry.
Unbroken was created by Jon Bon Jovi to shine a spotlight on veterans living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and honour their service.
The musician has a close affinity with the military as both his parents served in the US Marine Corps.
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Harry and Bon Jovi in the studio HANNAH MCKAY via Getty Images
Harry met members of the Invictus Games Choir as they recorded a single for the Invictus Games Foundation WPA Pool via Getty Images
Harry’s appearance at the Abbey Road Studios – where The Beatles famously recorded during the 1960s – forms part of a series of royal engagements, which are likely to be his last before he steps down from royal duties on 31 March.
At an event on Wednesday on behalf of his sustainable travel initiative, Travalyst, the prince insisted on just being introduced as just “Harry”, rather than his royal title.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--New York Times Editor Discovers Lady Gaga's New ‘Mystery Man’ Is Actually Her Ex

For example: Instead of wearing an old dress, she purchased an expensive new one for an event.
Because “why should I accept less than Lady Gaga?”
And the changes didn’t stop there. She got her makeup and lashes done, upgraded her coffee order, forwarded praise she received to her boss and accepted a daunting work presentation ― why should she allow herself to grow complacent, she wondered, when “Lady Gaga continues to challenge herself, to try new things, to thrive”?
Finally, the editor reflected on how we all behave online, dropping a little spice with her final line:
Recently someone sent me a photo of my fiancé and me dancing at a wedding, and I posted it on Instagram. I saw Lady Gaga’s boyfriend in the views, and I realized we’re actually all the same: strangers, smiling on a screen.
The piece was met with praise online for being an incredibly healthy take on fame, moving on, self-improvement and living in an age when it’s nearly impossible to unplug from social media.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--David Beckham Says He's Proud Of Friend Prince Harry 'For Growing Up'

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David Beckham spoke about his friend Prince Harry’s experience with being a young father during a new interview with ET Online.
However, the former footballer denied talking to the Duke of Sussex about anything involving his royal step back and subsequent move to Canada alongside his wife, Meghan Markle.
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“I haven’t spoken to Harry about him moving. We speak as friends and that’s the most important thing for me,” David said.
“I think he’s enjoying being a young father for the first time and that’s what we always spoke about. When you are a parent, it changes everything for you. He always needs to be happy.”
David Beckham Miami Herald via Getty Images
David and his wife Victoria have been close with both Harry and Meghan for some time and were among the guests at their royal wedding back in May 2018.
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“We love him and he’s an amazing person ― and that’s the most important thing ― but I’m proud to see him growing up as an individual and being that person that every father wants to be,” David explained.
“Every father wants to be loving to their children and that’s what I see with him.”
Prince William (left) and Prince Harry flank David Beckham at a reception in Johannesburg on June 19, 2010, in honor of the 2010 Football FIFA World Cup. Owen Humphreys - PA Images via Getty Images
Harry is currently back in the UK, carrying out the last of his engagements before his time as a working royal ends on 31 March.
At an event on Wednesday on behalf of his sustainable travel initiative, Travalyst, the prince insisted on just being introduced as just “Harry”, rather than his royal title.
Meanwhile, his older brother, Prince William, and wife Kate Middleton are also back to work this week, after taking last week off to spend time with their children, as Prince George and Princess Charlotte were on their half-term break.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Here's What Happens When You Call NHS 111 About Coronavirus

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NHS 111 is swiftly transforming into a coronavirus hotline as more and more people call up with concerns about the virus – known as Covid-19.
People with symptoms or those who have come into contact with others who tested positive for the virus are being urged to call the helpline rather than heading to GP surgeries and risking spreading the illness further.
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An NHS spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost UK the service is “understandably busy” at present and “people may have to wait longer than usual” to speak to someone.
Extra call handlers have been recruited to support those already working around the clock to give advice to callers on coronavirus and other medical concerns. “All calls are being responded to thanks to hard working NHS staff,” the spokesperson said.
Labour councillor Alev Cazimoglu said she called NHS 111 after returning from northern Italy with a sore throat and had to wait a day for a callback. She confirmed to HuffPost UK that she was told by NHS 111 it could take up to three days to get tested.
“What about people with caring responsibilities?” she tweeted of the delays in testing, urging health secretary Matt Hancock to “speed things up”.
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It is imperative to follow guidance on isolation whilst waiting for coronavirus test but I’ve just been told it could take upto 3 days to get tested!What about people with caring responsibilities. Speed things up @MattHancock — Alev Cazimoglu (@alevcazim) February 26, 2020
What happens when you call NHS 111?
As cases surge worldwide – there have been at least 80,000 global cases confirmed and more than 2,800 people have died – so too have calls to NHS 111, which has become the front line for coronavirus.
In the UK, 17 cases have been confirmed as of 28 February. While the figures are still relatively small, health secretary Matt Hancock said the government is expecting further cases in the UK. There are even concerns it could take just 72 hours for an outbreak the size of Italy’s to take hold here on home soil.
But what can you actually expect when you call NHS 111 if you feel unwell and believe it might be coronavirus? And how quickly can you get tested?
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bortonia via Getty Images
The service is automated to begin with and will take you through a series of steps to determine whether you need further help. You will be asked whether you’ve been out of the UK in the past 14 days or have come into contact with someone with a confirmed case of Covid-19.
A series of automated steps follows. If you’ve returned from one of the places severely impacted by coronavirus (such as China, Iran and the group of towns on lockdown in northern Italy); are displaying symptoms – a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath; or have come into contact with someone with the virus, you should be put through to a call handler who can offer advice.
The advice will be to ‘self-isolate’ – this means staying at home (ie. not going to work, school or other public areas; and not using public transport or taxis) and avoiding having visitors other than friends or family members who need to carry out errands for you. You may be advised to self-isolate for up to 14 days to stop the virus from spreading.
NHS 111 works on a regional basis, so in the event of an increased demand on a particular region, the extra demand will be re-routed to another region. Call-handlers have been trained to follow carefully designed instructions that satisfy both the travel and symptom criteria, updated as and when necessary following advice from Public Health England (PHE).
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What about coronavirus testing?
The NHS call handler should also tell you what the next steps are in regards to testing. At this stage you will be classified as a ‘possible case’. After your details have been recorded and the possibility of needing an immediate emergency response has been eliminated, you will be passed to a clinician for a full assessment and offered appropriate advice on what happens next.
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Any callers to NHS 111 deemed eligible for testing are likely to be directed to a community testing location where a health protection team will take samples to test for coronavirus. These may include mucus from the nose, throat or lungs; blood, and a stool sample.
In London, the NHS is also trialling ‘drive through’ coronavirus testing and at-home testing, where NHS staff, including nurses and paramedics, will visit people in their own homes rather than them having to travel.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--The NHS Isn't Ready For Coronavirus –  Trust Me, I Know

The NHS isn't ready for coronavirus, Dr Dominic Pimenta writes Getty Creative
I used to work as the medical registrar at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, at one of the worst ever winters recorded in the NHS. The medical registrar sees all the sickest patients being admitted to the hospital and on one particular day my pager beeped so frequently it had its own rhythm. We admitted 60 patients in 12 hours. Several went to intensive care and two had to be transferred out for emergency specialist care. I remember feeling physically beaten. The next day and nearly every day after was exactly the same. That was three years ago.
Since then things have only gotten worse. By every metric, the NHS is running well beyond maximum capacity as it is: A&E waiting times, bed occupancy, operation waiting times. It was a four-week wait to take my daughter to see our GP.
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For several winters now we have been “lucky” with the other major determinant in emergency admissions: influenza. Meanwhile, the background infrastructure has eroded away. The whole system has inched closer and closer to the edge, just waiting to tip. And now comes Covid-19, colloquially known as coronavirus.
We’ve seen scary viruses before, SARS and MERS for example. I’ve personally seen only the latter in a young man flying in from Saudi. Covid-19 looks worse. It reportedly has a long period between catching the virus and it causing any symptoms (up to 24 day incubation period) but is still infectious. That means many people have no signs of illness, and can still infect others, making it very difficult to track and quarantine. Up to 80% will have symptoms so mild they might not even recognise them anyway. It could also survive on surfaces for up to nine days, according to some reports, again making its spread to others harder to halt.
“There is no cavalry coming. The cavalry has been propping us up for years already.”
So far, the bulk of the UK cases have been limited to import from elsewhere, but the front has marched closer already: from China to Singapore and now Italy and Tenerife.
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Right now, on the ground, coronavirus is a spectre on the horizon: we had a “mask fitting” at my trust a few weeks ago, we’ve discussed it in passing, but for now, it’s just on our minds, not on our wards.
A few years ago we had a spate of a virus-related heart disease called myocarditis, three or four cases that came in nearly at the same time, and it really felt like we were in the midst of an epidemic. Only two survived. With only those four patients, our ITU reached capacity. In retrospect, it didn’t take much at all.
There has been a lot of comparison to flu and in some ways that is useful: an infectious virus with a small risk of death and critical respiratory illness. Flu is a serious problem every year in hospitals, and many healthcare workers dutifully get the vaccine each year, myself included. But coronavirus has a 2-3% mortality rate, around 20-30 times the rate of influenza (0.1%), and there is currently no vaccine. Around 5% of reported cases need intensive care, predominantly older adults with existing health conditions.
The problem is, despite our best efforts, even a modest rise in demand for intensive care will completely overwhelm the NHS. We have some advantages: as a national organisation we can coordinate well between hospitals, and our staff are incredibly dedicated. I’m sure we could try to fill extra shifts to create more capacity. But we already have one of the lowest numbers of intensive care beds in the developed world at around 4,000 adult beds in England, and some of the fewest doctors and nurses. Many of these departments are run at 80% capacity routinely and regularly utilise “bank” nurses and doctors to fill long-term staff gaps. We can’t fly them in, we can’t train them “quick”, we can’t magic them up. There is no cavalry coming. The cavalry has been propping us up for years already.
At worst, some estimates show up to 60% of the UK could be infected with Covid-19 – that’s 42 million people, with 2.1 million needing intensive care. That’s the mother of all nightmare scenarios.
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A much more hopeful 1% estimate would mean less than 700,000 people would be infected, and 35,000 would need intensive care – that’s still nine times as many beds as we have now. That’s still a nightmare scenario.
Even at a probably unrealistic 0.1% national infection rate, we would still need double our current bed numbers, in a system already running at over 80%. To contain the initial outbreak, China built a 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan in just 10 days. Resources we could never come close to mobilising.
The only way the NHS could be “ready” for coronavirus is if the pandemic is contained to just a handful of cases and we went back in time and rebuilt the infrastructure we have lost, the capacity we should be offering in extreme emergencies. We aren’t ready for coronavirus and we never would have been. Wash your hands, stay home if you are sick, wash your hands again, and don’t travel needlessly. That’s all we’ve got right now.
The government certainly can’t be blamed for a coronavirus pandemic, but I couldn’t imagine a worst starting point to try to deal with it. Perhaps this crisis might highlight how far and deep cuts to the service have gone, and what we need to do to start to fix it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Michelle Visage Lands Her Own BBC Show Following Drag Race UK Success

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Following the success of the first ever UK series last year, RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage has landed her own BBC chat show.
Michelle – who also appeared in the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing – will front her own series for BBC Three later this year, which will mix celebrity interviews with self-help and make-over segments.
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Titled Get Off Your Ass (because of course), the show will see Michelle joined by a celebrity guest “for a spot of real talk each week, as they help answer problems from the studio audience.
In addition to this, every episode will see Michelle and Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne teaming up to give one viewer “in need of a little extra boost” a bit of sparkle in their lives.
Michelle Visage Rodin Eckenroth via Getty Images
She’ll give them the “M.V.T.” – Michelle Visage Treatment, obv – which apparently consists of some helpful tips from the host, as well as some class of “immersive challenge”.
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Michelle said: “I am thrilled to be bringing my kind of chat to a show on the amazing BBC Three in the country that literally owns my own heart!
“It’s 2020 and we can no longer sit back and complain, it’s time to stand up and Get Off Your Ass with Michelle Visage! See you soon on the iPlayer nearest you.”
Yes, that's right, @MichelleVisage has her own show called 'Get Off Your Ass' and she wants YOU to be in it. pic.twitter.com/nXPeR5cFtN — RuPaul's Drag Race UK (@dragraceukbbc) February 28, 2020
Dishing out life advice is an area Michelle already has experience in, having released a self-help book in 2015 titled The Diva Rules.
As well as Get Off Your Ass, Michelle will also be appearing in the second series of Drag Race UK later this year, as well as the 12th series of the US version, the first episode of which will debut on Netflix on Saturday morning.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--'Our House Is On Fire': Greta Thunberg's Most Inspiring Quotes

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Greta Thunberg will join thousands of school children on the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate today – ending a busy week in the UK, which included a meeting with Malala Yousafzai at Oxford University.
It’s unknown exactly how many pupils will join the 17-year-old environmental activist on the march, but 16,000 turned out in Bristol for a strike in September.
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The campaigner’s powerful words on the topic of climate change have no doubt inspired many to get involved.
Ahead of the strike, here are six of her most inspiring quotes.
Ronald Patrick via Getty Images
1. “You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal.”
Thunberg delivered a powerful rebuke to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Action Summit last September, telling them they had “stolen” her childhood with their “empty words”. She added: “The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say, we will never forgive you.”
2. “The climate movement does not need any more awards. What we need is for our politicians and the people in power to listen to the current, best available science.”
At just 16 years old, Thunberg was named the winner of the Nordic Council’s Environment Award. But she turned it down to keep public focus on the big issues, rather than her as an individual.
3. “Our house is still on fire.”
The short phrase stood out during during Thunberg’s 2019 speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos because it echoed the speech she’d made one year earlier – signalling our lack of progress. She also told the audience: “Planting trees is good, of course, but it’s nowhere near enough,” which some interpreted as a thinly-veiled rebuke to a pledge made in Davos by US president Donald Trump.
Sarah Silbiger via Getty Images
4. “Please save your praise. We don’t want it. Don’t invite us here to just tell us how inspiring we are without actually doing anything about it because it doesn’t lead to anything.”
The teen didn’t hold back when she addressed a task force of US Senate Democrats in September 2019. She added: “I know you are trying, but just not hard enough. Sorry.”
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5. “There are no grey areas when it comes to survival.”
In No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference, a collection of speeches and essays by Thunberg, she said the solution to climate change is so simple, “even a small child can understand it”.
“We have to stop our emissions of greenhouse gases,” she added. “And either we do that or we don’t. You say that nothing in life is black or white. But that is a lie. A very dangerous lie.”
6. “Being different is a gift.”
Speaking to Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in April 2019, Thunberg said Asperger’s syndrome has enabled her activism.
“It makes me different, and being different is a gift, I would say,” she said. “It also makes me see things from outside the box. I don’t easily fall for lies, I can see through things.
“If I had been like everyone else, I wouldn’t have started the school strike. I don’t think I would be interested in the climate at all.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--15 Clever Ways Vinegar Can Work Magic Around Your House

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There are many amazing things you can do with common household products, including cooking ingredients. Like bicarbonate of soda, vinegar has amazing cleaning and deodorising capabilities. Some people even use it as a beauty product.
We scoured the internet and spoke to cleaning expert and author Becky Rapinchuk, aka “Clean Mama,” to put together a list of the many amazing uses for this trusty product.
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Read on for 15 amazing uses for vinegar around the house. While most involve traditional white vinegar, others specify apple cider vinegar.
Softening Clothes
Ordinary white vinegar can work wonders when it comes to laundry. Rapinchuk uses it as a natural alternative to conventional fabric softeners.
“I use 1/4 cup in each load of laundry as a natural fabric softener,” she said. “It softens clothes, keeps the washer clean and it doesn’t smell like a pickle.”
Cleaning Coffee Makers
One way to give a coffee maker a good cleaning is to make a cleaning solution with equal parts water and white vinegar.
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The mixture can decalcify the machine, which is susceptible to hard water mineral buildup. Caffeine lovers can also use vinegar and water to clean their Keurig coffee makers or espresso machines. Note: It may take multiple cycles.
Cleaning Carpets
“I use a ratio of 50:50 white vinegar to hot water to clean carpets in a carpet cleaning machine,” Rapinchuk said. “This was suggested by a professional carpet cleaner to me years ago.”
If you have a stain on your carpet, you can also pour a little vinegar and sprinkle baking soda on top to create a reaction that can help extract the strain.
Catching Fruit Flies
They say “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,” but that doesn’t seem to be the case with fruit flies.
Many natural fruit fly traps use apple cider vinegar, either with a bowl of vinegar covered with perforated plastic wrap or a dish of vinegar with a few drops of dish soap.
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Wiping Appliances
Rapinchuk uses white vinegar to keep her kitchen sparkling.
“I pour it on a microfibre cloth and wipe stainless steel appliances,” she said. You can also pour it into a spray bottle to spray the cloth or surface.
belchonock via Getty Images Make sure you use white vinegar -- not other types -- when cleaning appliances.
Cleaning Toilets
White vinegar is a common ingredient for DIY toilet cleaning.
You can pour 1/2 cup into the toilet bowl, let it sit for an hour, swish it around with a brush and flush. Other methods involve borax or baking soda.
Removing Stickers
Vinegar is a great tool for removing stubborn stickers, from price stickers to laptop decorations.
The key is to lightly paint the surface with white vinegar, let it sit for five minutes, wipe the excess and then try to scrape the sticker away.
Cleaning Showers
Rapinchuk likes to use vinegar to clean her shower, as well. “You can mix baking soda with a little lemon juice or vinegar, and it helps get in the crevices of a drain,” she said.
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Scrubbing the walls with vinegar can remove the soap scum. You can also mix it with baking soda and a teaspoon of salt to create a soap scum-removing paste. Be sure to rinse with water when you’re done.
Killing Weeds
“You can spray vinegar on weeds to kill them,” Rapinchuk said.
Indeed, some people like to combine vinegar with dish soap or salt, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and attack the weeds in their garden as a natural herbicide. However, some experts caution against this method because it could cause environmental damage or bodily harm if you trade up for vinegars with higher concentrations of acetic acid.
Toning Your Face
“Apple cider vinegar is a great astringent!” Rapinchuk noted.
There are many DIY facial toner recipes made with apple cider vinegar ― along with many positive testimonials ― available online. Of course, everyone’s skin is different, so you’ll have to test it to see if it works for you.
Cleaning Bins
You can use white vinegar to clean out your bins.
Rapinchuk recommends pouring 1/4 cup into the disposal, letting it sit for a few minutes, running cold water and then turning it on to clean it all out.
Another method is to make vinegar ice cubes, toss them down the disposal and turn it on.
Removing Odours
If you’ve been handling onions, fish or other stinky ingredients, you can get the odour out of your hands by washing them with white vinegar.
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You can do the same with containers that have a persistent smell.
Some believe that pouring vinegar in a small bowl and leaving it in a room overnight helps to remove bad odours.
Cleaning Washing Machines
“I use vinegar to clean the washer and dishwasher,” Rapinchuk said.
In addition to working as a fabric softener for laundry, vinegar has a cleansing effect on the washing machine itself. One way to put it to use is to put half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of water in the detergent drawer or the basin itself and run through a normal cycle. Once done, use a wet cloth to wipe the door seal and keep it open to air it out.
Removing Candle Wax
An easy way to remove stubborn candle wax is to heat and soften the wax with a hairdryer and wipe it away. But if that doesn’t work, mix vinegar and water, dip a paper towel in the solution and try wiping again.
Scrubbing Surfaces
“I scrub bathtubs, tile, laminate, solid-surface counters, refrigerator/freezers with cleansers made with vinegar,” Rapinchuk noted. “I also use it in most DIY cleaners but not on any stone ― marble, quartz, granite.”
One easy way to make such a scrub is to combine vinegar, baking soda and essential oil to make a paste that will clean and disinfect surfaces. You can also combine vinegar, water and essential oil for an all-purpose spray cleaner for all sorts of household areas and items (including baby toys).


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Three New Cases Of Coronavirus Confirmed In UK, Including First In Wales

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Wales has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 19.
Dr Frank Atherton, the chief medical officer of Wales, said the patient who had tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) had travelled back from northern Italy, where the virus was contracted.
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Public Health Wales said medics were trying to trace people who had been in close contact with the patient.
Two further patients in England also tested positive for coronavirus, it was revealed on Friday.
Chief medical officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty said: “The virus was passed on in Iran and the patients have been transferred to specialist NHS infection centres at the Royal Free Hospital.
“The total number of cases in England is now 17. Following confirmed cases in Northern Ireland and Wales, the total number of UK cases is 19.”
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People who sat within two rows of the coronavirus patient from Northern Ireland on the plane from northern Italy to Dublin have been contacted, health authorities said.
The latest cases came after Whitty had warned it was “just a matter of time” until coronavirus spreads further in the UK.
Schools could close for two months and sports fixtures cancelled, experts have warned.
Whitty said on Thursday that there could be a “social cost” if the virus intensifies, telling the Nuffield Trust summit: “One of the things that’s really clear with this virus, much more so than flu, is that anything we do we’re going to have to do for quite a long period of time, probably more than two months.”
So far in the UK, 7,690 people have been tested for the virus and of the 16 to have tested positive, eight have so far been discharged from hospital.
The Northern Ireland patient had recently returned from northern Italy, while a parent at a primary school in Derbyshire contracted the virus in Tenerife, where 168 Britons are being kept in a hotel on the south west of the island.
Burbage Primary School remains shut on Friday, with patients at Buxton Medical Practice – a two minute drive away – were told not to attend appointments on Thursday.
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Speaking at a press conference in Belfast, Dr Michael McBride, chief medical officer for Northern Ireland, said the country had been planning for its first positive case, and it had been “a question of when not if”.
He added: “We have robust infection control measures in place which enable us to respond immediately.
“Our health service is used to managing infections and would assure the public that we are prepared.”
A special unit has been established at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for isolating those suffering from the virus but the health authorities were unable to confirm where the patient is being treated.
One of the patients in England has been taken to the specialist infectious diseases centre at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the other to the Royal Free Hospital in London.
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Meanwhile, 168 Britons remain confined to the H10 Costa Adeje Palace in Tenerife after four guests tested positive for the virus, but sources within the hotel told PA that around 50 people have been told they are allowed to leave if they wish to do so.
The Minister of Health in Tenerife said around 130 guests from 11 different countries will be able to leave the hotel if they arrived on Monday, after infected guests had already left.
But airline Jet2 has said it will not fly back any people who have been staying at the hotel until they have tested negative for the illness.
British Airways has confirmed it will cancel some flights to and from Italy, Singapore and South Korea, as a result of reduced demand for travel to the areas due to coronavirus outbreaks.
British Airways said on Thursday it would cancel 56 roundtrip flights from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Italian destinations including Milan, Bologna, Venice and Turin between March 14 and March 28.
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Flights to Seoul, which are usually daily from Heathrow, will now be every other day, and BA said it was also cancelling six roundtrip flights from Heathrow to Singapore every other day from March 15, although there will still be one flight daily.
The airline said it would be contacting customers on cancelled flights to discuss their options, which would include rebooking onto other carriers if possible, full refunds or booking for a later travel date.
Two Britons were among eight people being monitored on board a cruise ship that was turned back by the Dominican Republic.
A joint statement by the Public Health Ministry and Port Authority on the island said the captain of the Braemar, which is carrying around 1,500 people, reported four Filipinos, two British citizens and two US citizens were under medical observation for symptoms such as fever, coughing, or breathing difficulty.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said: “This virus has pandemic potential. This is not a time for fear.
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“This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now.”
Financial markets have plunged as the number of new cases outside China continued to grow.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Newborn Baby Makes Epic Face In Birth Photo

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A C-section birth photo is having a viral moment, thanks to the epic expression on the newborn’s face.
On Feb. 15, Brazilian photographer Rodrigo Kuntsmann shared pictures from the birth of Isabela Pereira de Jesus on Facebook. In one striking image, the baby girl appears to be glaring at the medical team in the operating room.
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“The obstetrician was bringing the baby to the mother to kiss her, and during this movement, I managed to capture this moment,” Kuntsmann told HuffPost.
Rodrigo Kuntsmann Kuntsmann's viral birth photo quickly became a meme.
The photo quickly reached internet fame and thousands of reactions rolled in.
“Each person wanted to describe in the photo caption what the baby was thinking with that strong expression,” said Kuntsmann, who’s been photographing births for four years. “I think that’s why it went viral.”
Funny caption suggestions included “put me back now!” and “Do NOT disturb my sleep for this!”
When Isabela’s picture started receiving so much attention, the photographer worried about her parents’ reaction.
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“I asked how they were feeling, and, to my surprise, they loved the idea of their daughter becoming a meme,” Kuntsmann said, adding that he feels “very blessed” for all the positive feedback.
Isabela’s mother, Daiane Pereira da Rocha, told Brazilian outlet G1 that she had a “peaceful pregnancy” and that the photo showcases Isabela’s strong personality.
Ultimately, Kuntsmann said he hopes his viral photo inspires expectant parents to consider having their birth photographed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Quaden Bayles' Family Forgoes Crowdfunded Disneyland Trip To Help Charities

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After a whirlwind week in which 9-year-old Quaden Bayles garnered global headlines, celebrity support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, his family has declined a crowdfunded trip to Disneyland, asking instead for the sum to be divided between selected charities.
Quaden was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, and his story went viral last week when his mother, Yarraka Bayles, shared a video of her son’s heartbreaking response to being bullied at school in Brisbane, Australia.
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US comedian Brad Williams was moved to establish a GoFundMe campaign for Quaden to raise $10,000 to “send a wonderful kid to Disneyland.” The fund eventually received more than $474,000 in donations.
Now, a week after live streaming the video to Facebook in a bid to call attention to the effects of bullying, Quaden’s family has decided the full sum should go to community organisations.
Quaden’s mom has been a vocal advocate for Indigenous issues and disability awareness, and the family has earmarked two organisations – Dwarfism Awareness Australia and Balunu Healing Foundation, a nonprofit that works with Indigenous youth – as groups they’d like to see benefit from the crowdfunding.
Quaden Bayles leads the Indigenous All Stars on to the field with captain Joel Thompson prior to the NRL Indigenous All-Stars vs Maori Kiwis match. David Hunt/AAP Image via AP
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Quaden’s aunt Mundanara Bayles said that while family members are moved by the outpouring of goodwill, they’d prefer to see the money go toward the bigger issue. They are in discussions with Williams about getting the funding to their selected groups.
“We want the money to go to community organisations that really need it. They know what the money should be spent on. So as much as we want to go to Disneyland, I think our community would far off benefit from that,” she told Australia’s National Indigenous Television News in an exclusive interview.
“We need to come together and work out how to make sure young people like Quaden don’t have to deal with what they have been dealing with.”
Despite the support from around the world, Quaden’s family was also targeted by online trolls who pushed absurd, false conspiracy theories that Quaden was 18 years old. This prompted Yarraka Bayles to remove the video and make her and her son’s social media accounts, which she had previously used to promote her activism, private.
Mundanara Bayles said Quaden is in “high spirits” as she thanked all those around the world who had defended her nephew and the rest of the family.
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Quaden’s mom said she’s been working on a package, tentatively titled “Quaden’s Law,” that aims to build emotional resilience and work with kids who demonstrate traits and patterns of bullying. She hopes that it can be mandated under Australian school curriculums and has already met with representatives from Quaden’s Carina State School and the Queensland state government.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Jimmy Kimmel Asks Republicans To Name A Country On A Map And It Doesn't Go Well

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Jimmy Kimmel trolled US senator for Texas Ted Cruz and exposed some Republican voters’ lack of geographical knowledge at the same time on Wednesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
Cruz last week retweeted footage of what he suggested showed supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) failing to name any country on a map:
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This is Bernie’s base—the same folks who tell pollsters that socialism is great because free stuff is cool & they have no idea how many countries have tried it and utterly failed. The antidote: facts, truth & substance. https://t.co/zQhrvwRkmz — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 18, 2020
Kimmel, however, pointed out the clip actually emanated from an episode of his show in 2018 and the political affiliation of the participants wasn’t known.
So, he revisited the prank in honor of Cruz ― and only asked confirmed Republicans the question.
It did not go well.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Jane McDonald Quits Channel 5 Cruising Show, And No, We're Not OK

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Sometimes when it comes to bad news, it’s best not to sugar-coat things, so we’re just going to get this over with.
*deep breath*
Jane McDonald has announced that her hit TV show Cruising With Jane McDonald has come to an end.
We know this will come as a shock and a blow to many, but we are going to get through this.
The former cruise ship singer made the devastating announcement on Friday morning, revealing she was putting the brakes on her TV career to spend more time in the UK, and focus on her music.
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Jane McDonald Channel 5
She explained: “It has been a privilege to call this a ‘job’. After so many years filming abroad I am looking forward to some much needed time in the UK and to focus on my music and tours and exciting new projects.
“Thank you Channel 5 for some great trips and many fabulous memories.”
In a separate blog post, Jane clarified that she was “stepping away from her shows on Channel 5”, suggesting her talk show Jane And Friends will also be coming to an end.
“It’s been a total joy to work with everyone and thank you very much to everyone who has watched and supported the shows,” she wrote. “I have had a blast!”
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Jane McDonald with her TV Bafta in 2018 Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Having initially risen to prominence as a singer on the documentary series The Cruise, and later as a panellist on Loose Women, Jane landed her own Channel 5 travel show in 2017.
Cruising With Jane McDonald has since gone on to become one of the broadcaster’s biggest shows, even earning Channel 5 its first ever Bafta in 2018.
The good news is, Jane is apparently recording her last ever series of Cruising, so at least there’ll still be a few more laughs at sea – not to mention ridiculous musical numbers – before it sets sail for good.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--New Yorker Slaps Donald Trump With Sarcastic Coronavirus Cover

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The New Yorker takes a sarcastic swipe at President Donald Trump over the way his administration is tackling the coronavirus outbreak with its latest cover.
Trump screams ― with a surgical mask on his eyes ― in artist Brian Stauffer’s front page image for the Mar. 9 issue, which is titled “Under Control.”
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An early look at next week’s cover, “Under Control,” by Brian Stauffer: https://t.co/jbWDbmDyRl pic.twitter.com/mBpv1VYMsX — The New Yorker (@NewYorker) February 27, 2020
“Coronavirus claimed its first victims in China, and the illness has now appeared in at least forty-eight countries, with cases soaring in Europe and the Middle East,” wrote Françoise Mouly, the magazine’s art editor, in explaining the image.
“On Wednesday, in response to criticism about his Administration’s response, President Trump held a press conference addressing the epidemic,” Mouly added. “His performance—as Brian Stauffer’s cover for next week’s magazine suggests—was not entirely persuasive.”
Trump on Wednesday appointed Vice President Mike Pence to take charge of the response to the outbreak, a move that was widely chided, as he warned there was a chance the spread of the virus “could get fairly, substantially worse.” Federal health officials have warned its spreading in the US is now highly likely.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--How Long Can Coronavirus Live On Surfaces, And Does Disinfecting Work?

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When it comes to the new coronavirus going around (aka COVID-19), good hygiene seems to be our best line of defence. Because the virus has only been on our radar for a couple of months, we don’t have a preventive vaccine yet, nor do we have an effective way to treat the respiratory illness the virus causes. And though researchers are getting close to putting potential vaccines to the test, it’ll likely be about a year before they’re ready for us.
That doesn’t mean you should panic. Though some people’s illnesses will be severe, the vast majority of COVID-19 illnesses are probably going to be relatively mild, even asymptomatic (a recent report from China looking at over 72,000 infected people shows 80% of cases are mild).
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Now’s the time to up your personal hygiene habits, according to health experts.
Here’s how long the coronavirus can survive and spread.
FotoDuets via Getty Images Never reuse a disinfecting wipe, or you risk spreading bacteria around.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty about how we can protect ourselves, let’s chat about how COVID-19 spreads and how long it may be able to survive on surfaces.
Early evidence suggests the coronavirus mainly spreads through respiratory droplets that float through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those droplets can either land on you ― making you sick ― or they can fall onto a surface and take up residency for some time.
Exactly how long remains unclear, but early evidence suspects the virus can survive up to nine days at a comfy room temperature.
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Newer research suggests that COVID-19 may also spread through people’s faeces. A person doesn’t wipe efficiently, traces of poop cling onto their hands, they touch a doorknob, and boom, the virus has a new home.
Do disinfectant wipes work to eliminate the virus?
If you’ve been following coronavirus news, you’ve probably heard by now that you should be washing down all the public surfaces you come across every day — at work, at school, at the airport, train station and so on and so forth.
Public surfaces are known hotspots for dangerous bacteria and germs. A study from 2018 found that contagious, disease-causing bacteria from people’s guts and faeces can be found on most public touch screens.
Most disinfecting wipes claim they can kill up to 99.9% of germs, and in a perfect world, they’re right. COVID-19 is a lipid-containing virus, which means it can be easily killed with wipes, according to Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Arizona and consultant for the restroom hygiene company Enviro-Master.
But we don’t live in a perfect world, and people misuse wipes, demolishing their effectiveness. One study found that while disinfectant wipes clear off most bacteria from surfaces, it stays on the wipe — and if it’s reused, that bacteria is transferred to the new location. To prevent this, use one wipe, then toss it.
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Health experts are also recommending using ethanol or bleach-based wipes rather than benzalkonium chloride or hydrogen peroxide disinfectants. Most people don’t give bleach enough time to work its magic, though, so make a point to apply it, let it sit for a while, then wipe it clean, says Dr. Robert Amler, the dean of the school of health sciences and practice at New York Medical College and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief medical officer.
Though you can’t overdo it with the disinfecting per se, Gerba said “people who clean more are germier because they move everything around.”
Disinfecting surfaces one to three times daily is all you really need to do to have a big impact, Gerba added.
Here’s how to properly sanitise and stay healthy.
Delmaine Donson via Getty Images When washing your hands, scrub for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. Don't miss your thumbs, fingertips, and in between fingers. Then dry your hands off.
Now that we know COVID-19 spreads through faeces, we’ve got to talk about flushing. When we flush a toilet, it essentially “sneezes” and sprays tiny spurts of water all over the place — that water (which includes microscopic particles of urine, faeces, bacteria, and viruses) can shoot out a couple of feet and may hit your pants and splatter on the doors, surfaces and sinks around you.
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Basically, bathrooms are a danger zone and you gotta be smart about how you use the toilet. Put the seat down, take a step back, cover your face (especially your mouth and eyes), then wash your hands.
Use a disinfectant wipe in the bowl, another on the seat, and another on the lid if you are cleaning the toiler. There are also bleach-based toilet-bowl cleaners that can reduce the number of organisms expelled from a flush.
Additionally, our hands are the biggest culprit for transferring bacteria to others. Think about it: All day long, we touch our face — our eyes, nose, mouth— all the areas that can invite a virus into the body, according to Amler. It’s estimated we touch our face up to 23 times per hour.
That’s why thorough, solid hand-washing is the No. 1 way to cut your risk of getting sick. Scrub for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. Most people, he added, often miss their thumbs, fingertips, and in between fingers.
“It’s not just a question of dipping your hands in the water, drying them off and moving on,” Amler said. “What we’re asking is you scrub your hands, really scrub and lather with the soap.”
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Don’t forget to dry your hands, as the virus can linger on wet hands. Hand sanitiser (that’s at least 60% alcohol) is not as good as hand-washing, but it’s the next best thing, Amler said. Again, you really need to lather it on and rub it in and around your hands and fingers to destroy all the bacteria.
Some other tips from Gerba: Wash your laundry with hot water, use liquid soap as opposed to a bar, and dry your hands with paper towels, not cloth towels, to avoid spreading microorganisms around. And don’t bother with the face masks. Health experts largely agree they won’t help — unless you’re already sick, in which case they can shield people around you from your own coughs and sneezes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Greta Thunberg Is In Bristol For A Climate Protest - Here's What You Need To Know

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Thousands of people are expected to join teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg at a youth strike in Bristol on Friday.
It was announced at the weekend that Thunberg would be taking part in the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate, and anticipation has been mounting ever since.
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Organisers of the event said on Wednesday that they had “no time for being patronised” after police contacted parents of local schoolchildren in order to warn them of potential safety concerns.
Avon and Somerset Police has warned of the potential for protesters to be hurt from “tripping, falling or being crushed by the crowds” given the anticipated popularity of the event.
In response to #BBC article. We've got...
✅ 60 metres of festival barriers
✅ 2 events companies supplying gear
✅ A safe zone at the front sectioned off for young children
✅ 80+ stewards
✅ An accessibility area
and
✅ No time for being patronisedhttps://t.co/jvvLWN7lrh — Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate (@bristolYS4C) February 26, 2020
Greta is due to join protesters, including school pupils, on a march through Bristol city centre.
She tweeted: “Heading for the UK! This Friday, the 28th, I’m looking forward to joining the school strike in Bristol! We meet up at College Green 11am! See you there!”
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The number of people attending the march is unknown, though 16,000 turned out in Bristol for a strike in September.
What time is it starting?
The event itself is expected to start at 11am, but with thousands expected to arrive it is expected that crowds will start to gather on College Green much earlier.
A schedule released by organisers states that the first speakers will take to the stage at 11.15am, with Greta’s talk to start at 11.45am.
Other speakers include Mya-Rose Craig, 17, who recently became the youngest person to be awarded an honorary doctorate in the UK.
She received the honour, from Bristol University, for using her platform as a world-leading ornithologist to promote greater diversity in the wildlife and conservation sectors.
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Speaking before the event, she told the PA news agency: “I am enormously excited and honoured to be sharing a stage with Greta as well as demanding immediate and substantial action from governments around the world on climate and species extinction, as well as the need to interest young people of all ethnicities in the fight to save the planet.”
A huge march is expected to set off around the centre of Bristol at 12pm.
A mural of Greta Thunberg in Bristol. Peter Nicholls / Reuters
What route will the march take?
A number of major routes throughout the city have been preemptively closed between 9pm and 5pm in order to minimise disruption as the march proceeds.
The march will follow the same route as has been previously used during the school strikes, with the crowd moving from College Green through the Broadmead shopping area to Cabot Circus, and then return to College Green via Castle Park.
After the march, it is hoped Greta will head to the Southville area of Bristol to view a mural of herself.
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The work, by local artist Jody Thomas, was previously used by Greta as her profile picture on Instagram and Facebook.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Lady Gaga's Stupid Love Music Video Is Suitably Camp And Totally Bonkers

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After a long absence, Lady Gaga has returned to the pop world with the release of her new single Stupid Love, and true to form, the Oscar-winning star knows how to make an entrance.
Gaga released her new track Stupid Love on Friday morning, also debuting the over-the-top music video for the high-energy track at the same time, and if you like your Gaga weird and wonderful, then trust us when we say this is definitely one for you.
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The video mixes 80s sci-fi with Japanese video game imagery (Gaga did confess to being a Bayonetta fan back in 2018), and sees Gaga playing a supposed “Kindess punk” on a planet called “Chromatica”, which fans have also speculated may be the name of her new album.
As the Star Wars-esque introductory text explains at the beginning of the video: “The world rots in conflict. Many tribes battle for dominance. While the Spiritual ones pray and sleep for peace, the Kindess punks fight for Chromatica.”
Lady Gaga in her Stupid Love music video Vevo
From there, we’re introduced to Gaga in all her over-the-top pink-clad glory as she and her fellow “Kindness punks” attempt to save the world… mainly through choreography, apparently, with the singer showing off her best moves as the video unfolds.
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Multi-talented as ever, she also throws a man to the floor using just telekinetic powers, before dancing her way to the end of the video.
If Carrie had fled the prom and become a Grimes fan, this is what we'd be left with Vevo
Considering her new song is called Stupid Love, it’s a relief to see Gaga leaning into her more ridiculous sensibilities again, particularly after taking us down a more serious route in the last couple of years.
Watch the Stupid Love vide in full below:
Stupid Love was co-written by Bloodpop, who she previously worked with on her last album, as well as Max Martin, the super-producer behind monster hits like Britney Spears’ ...Baby One More Time, Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl and Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off.
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Daniel Askill, best known for his work with Sia, directed the video, which was actually shot entirely on an iPhone, definitely putting the shaky gig footage we post on our Instagram Story to shame.
The song is the first single to be taken from Lady Gaga’s upcoming sixth studio album, her first since the country-inspired Joanne in 2016.
During that time, Gaga did appear in the film A Star Is Born and its accompanying soundtrack, which landed her a number one single on both sides of the Atlantic and an Oscar win.
Stupid Love previously got the thumbs up from Gaga fans when it leaked online last month, but let’s not dwell on that, shall we not?
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Coronavirus Latest: 'Just A Matter Of Time' Until Covid-19 Spreads In UK, Chief Medical Officer Warn

Coronavirus Latest: 'Just A Matter Of Time' Until Covid-19 Spreads In UK, Chief Medical Officer Warns

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It’s “just a matter of time” until coronavirus spreads in the UK, England’s chief medical officer has said as the number of confirmed cases in the country jumped to 16.
Three people tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK on Thursday, including the first confirmed case in Northern Ireland.
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Schools could close for two months and sports fixtures cancelled, experts have warned.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer, said on Thursday that there could be a “social cost” if the virus intensifies, telling the Nuffield Trust summit: “One of the things that’s really clear with this virus, much more so than flu, is that anything we do we’re going to have to do for quite a long period of time, probably more than two months.”
So far in the UK, 7,690 people have been tested for the virus and of the 16 to have tested positive, eight have so far been discharged from hospital.
The Northern Ireland patient had recently returned from northern Italy, while a parent at a primary school in Derbyshire contracted the virus in Tenerife, where 168 Britons are being kept in a hotel on the south west of the island.
Burbage Primary School remains shut on Friday, with patients at Buxton Medical Practice – a two minute drive away – were told not to attend appointments on Thursday.
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Speaking at a press conference in Belfast, Dr Michael McBride, chief medical officer for Northern Ireland, said the country had been planning for its first positive case, and it had been “a question of when not if.”
He added: “We have robust infection control measures in place which enable us to respond immediately.
“Our health service is used to managing infections and would assure the public that we are prepared.”
A special unit has been established at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for isolating those suffering from the virus but the health authorities were unable to confirm where the patient is being treated.
One of the patients in England has been taken to the specialist infectious diseases centre at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the other to the Royal Free Hospital in London.
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Meanwhile, 168 Britons remain confined to the H10 Costa Adeje Palace in Tenerife after four guests tested positive for the virus, but sources within the hotel told PA that around 50 people have been told they are allowed to leave if they wish to do so.
The Minister of Health in Tenerife said around 130 guests from 11 different countries will be able to leave the hotel if they arrived on Monday, after infected guests had already left.
But airline Jet2 has said it will not fly back any people who have been staying at the hotel until they have tested negative for the illness.
British Airways has confirmed it will cancel some flights to and from Italy, Singapore and South Korea, as a result of reduced demand for travel to the areas due to coronavirus outbreaks.
British Airways said on Thursday it would cancel 56 roundtrip flights from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Italian destinations including Milan, Bologna, Venice and Turin between March 14 and March 28.
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Flights to Seoul, which are usually daily from Heathrow, will now be every other day, and BA said it was also cancelling six roundtrip flights from Heathrow to Singapore every other day from March 15, although there will still be one flight daily.
The airline said it would be contacting customers on cancelled flights to discuss their options, which would include rebooking onto other carriers if possible, full refunds or booking for a later travel date.
Two Britons were among eight people being monitored on board a cruise ship that was turned back by the Dominican Republic.
A joint statement by the Public Health Ministry and Port Authority on the island said the captain of the Braemar, which is carrying around 1,500 people, reported four Filipinos, two British citizens and two US citizens were under medical observation for symptoms such as fever, coughing, or breathing difficulty.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said: “This virus has pandemic potential. This is not a time for fear.
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“This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now.”
Financial markets have plunged as the number of new cases outside China continued to grow.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--15 Soap Actors You Didn't Realise Have Played Different Characters On The Same Show

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With a limited amount of soaps on our screens, we often see stars swap Albert Square for t’cobbles or Down Under for the Dales – but what is less common is playing a brand new character in the same show.
However, as this lot prove, it is still possible to pop up years (or sometimes just a matter of months) after your former alias has said their last goodbyes to soapland...
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Diane Parish – EastEnders
Lola Christie (1998); Denise Fox (2006-present)
BBC
Diane is one of EastEnders’ longest-serving characters among the current cast, but her role as Denise Fox was actually her second on the soap, having previously played Lola Christie for six months back in 1998.
Lola was introduced as a singer who auditioned for Mick McFarlane’s (Sylvester Williams) jazz band. The pair embarked upon a romance, but Lola lef the Square when she was offered a solo recording contract.
In a 2002 interview, Diane said she “hated” appearing in a soap because she found it “cliquey” and “lost her anonymity” due to the public’s interest in the show. But just four years later, she signed up to play Denise, insisting that the frenzy was “calmer” second time around.
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Brian Capron – Coronation Street
Donald Worthington (1981-1986); Richard Hillman (2001-2003)
ITV
Brain Capron will forever be remembered by Coronation Street fans as cobbles killer Richard Hillman, who claimed the life of long-standing character Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw) and attempted to murder wife Gail (Helen Worth) and her whole family.
But the role of Tricky Dicky was actually Brian’s second turn on the Street, as he’d played social worker Don Worthington on 14 occasions between 1981 and 1986.
Don was first introduced when he interviewed Len and Rita Fairclough (Peter Adamson and Barbara Knox) as prospective foster parents.
He was also the one who broke the news to Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews) that her mother had been killed in 1986.
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Alan Fletcher – Neighbours
Greg Cooper (1987); Karl Kennedy (1994-present)
Network Ten
Alan Fletcher is synonymous with everyone’s favourite Aussie soap Neighbours, having appeared as Ramsay Street’s resident doctor for the past 25 years.
But prior to moving in to number 28 with wife Susan (Jackie Woodburn) and their family, Alan had enjoyed a short stint in 1987 as boxer Greg Cooper, who worked in Jim Robinson’s (Alan Dale) garage alongside none other than Kylie Minogue, who played Charlene Mitchell.
Linda Henry – EastEnders
Lorraine Stevens (1991-1992); Shirley Carter (2006-present)
BBC
Snarling Shirley Carter has become one of the greatest characters in EastEnders since her arrival in Walford in 2006.
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But it was actually 15 years prior when actor Linda Henry first appeared on the soap, playing sex worker Lorraine Stevens, who was taken in by Pat and Frank Butcher.
Lorraine’s daughter, Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton), was later introduced, with the pair having a complicated history that had seen Mandy spend years in care.
Linda left EastEnders as Lorraine in 1992, but in 2011 she was reunited with former on-screen daughter when Nicola reprised her role as Mandy.
When the character of Lorraine was reintroduced in 2012 as part of Mandy’s storyline, she was played by Linda’s former Bad Girls co-star Victoria Alcock (aka one of the Two Julies!).
Linus Roache – Coronation Street
Peter Barlow (1973-1975); Lawrence Cunningham (2010)
ITV
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Linus Roache is the real-life son of Coronation Street legend Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow.
Back in the 1970s, their father-son relationship spilled onto the soap as Linus became the fourth child actor to play Ken’s son Peter Barlow.
Fast forward to 2010, Linus appeared alongside his dad again, but this time in the role of Lawrence Cunningham, who it transpired was Ken’s long-lost son from his relationship with Susan Cunningham (Patricia Shakesby) in 1961.
Linus was also brought face-to-face with the character he previously played when he shared scenes with the current Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoigne).
Malcolm Hebden – Coronation Street
Carlos (1974); Norris Cole (1994-present)
ITV
Having been on the show intermittently for the last 25 years, it’s hard to imagine Malcolm Hebden playing anyone other than the loveable curmudgeon Norris Cole.
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However, 20 years before his first appearance as the newsagent, he played a character 1000 miles away from Norris when he starred as Carlos, the Spanish neighbour of Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), who served as a love interest for Mavis Riley (Thelma Barlow).
Alison King – Coronation Street
Mrs Fanshaw (2004); Carla Connor (2006-present)
ITV
Nearly three years before Alison King took on the role of Underworld boss Carla Connor, she appeared in Corrie as a saucy housewife who was a customer of builders Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward) and Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas).
A scantily-clad Mrs Fanshaw successfully seduced Jason when he attended her property to fix a faulty thermostat in her bedroom.
Lorraine Stanley – EastEnders
Thelma Bragg (2016); Karen Taylor (2017-present)
BBC
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Lorraine Stanley first appeared in EastEnders as landlady Thelma Bragg for eight episodes over three months in 2016. As well as being the mother of Jay Mitchell’s love interest Linzi, she was the owner of rival pub to The Vic, The Rat And Ferret.
Thelma clashed with Linda Carter at an event for East London Lady Publicans, and further wound up the Vic landlady when she offered her children Nancy and Lee trial shifts at her pub.
She was also the one who called the police on Jay when it was revealed he had been dating Linzi, not realising she was only 14, leading to him having to go on the sex offenders register.
Lorraine returned to EastEnders less than a year later, this time playing the regular role of Karen Taylor.
However, she also has yet another connection to the show, as Lorraine also played a young Mo Harris in the 2004 EastEnders spin-off Pat and Mo, which looked at the origins of the character’s history with Pat Butcher.
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Sarah Lancashire – Coronation Street
Wendy Farmer (1987); Raquel Watts (1991-1996)
Shutterstock/ITV
Since leaving her role as ditzy barmaid Raquel Watts, Sarah Lancashire has gone on to become one of the country’s most respected and well-loved actors.
And while for many she will still always be Raquel, the character was actually not the first Sarah played on Corrie, as four years prior to pulling pints behind the Rovers bar, she appeared in one episode as Wendy Farmer.
Wendy was a young nurse interested in renting Jack and Vera Duckworth’s (Bill Tarmy and Liz Dawn) spare room.
Bruno Langley – Coronation Street
Darren Michaels (2000); Todd Grimshaw (2001-2017)
ITV
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Todd Grimshaw was a groundbreaking character for Coronation Street, being the soap’s first openly gay character who also responsible for the show’s first same-sex kiss in 2003.
Prior to coming out, Todd dated Sarah-Louise Platt (Tina O’Brien) and Candice Stowe (Nikki Sanderson), but it was not the first time Corrie bosses had paired Bruno and Nikki up on the soap.
Back in August 2000, he played Candice’s teenage boyfriend Darren Michaels.
When the character reappeared in March 2001, he was played by Nicholas Zabel, dumping Candice when he found out that she was also dating Todd. This moment saw Bruno appear alongside the character he previously played.
Bruno was axed from the soap in 2017 after he was accused of two counts of sexual assault, to which he later pleaded guilty in court.
Leslie Schofield – EastEnders
Brian Wicks (1988-1989); Jeff Healy (1997-2000)
BBC
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EastEnders fans most likely recall Leslie as Jeff Healy, the father of Mel Owen, who was played by Tamzin Outhwaite.
During his time on the Square, he had a relationship with Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard), which ended when he proposed and she declined.
However, he previously appeared in the soap as Brian Wicks, the second husband of Pat Butcher (Pam St Clements).
The character was only seen twice on screen between 1988 and 1989, but was regularly mentioned prior to his first appearance as it was written into the show’s backstory that he’d had an affair with Pat 20 years earlier while she was still married to Peter Beale (Peter Dean).
A particularly explosive storyline saw Pat reveal to son Simon that Brian was actually his real father, having grown up only knowing him as his adoptive father.
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Ian Mercer – Coronation Street
Pete Jackson (1987); Gary Mallett (1995-2000)
Shutterstock/ITV
Ian played family man Gary Mallett, who moved to Weatherfield with his wife Judy (Gaynor Faye) in 1995, but was left a single father to their two nine-month old children when she was killed in a road accident caused by Terry Duckworth (Nigel Pivaro).
The pair famously had a showdown where Gary punched Terry on Christmas Day, blaming Jack and Vera’s no-good son for Judy’s death.
But the actors had previously appeared on the soap together when Ian played an army mate of Terry’s, Pete Jackson, between April and June of 1987.
Maggie Jones – Coronation Street
Police officer (1961); Maggie Monks (1967); Blanche Hunt (1974-2009)
ITV
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With her quick wit and acerbic tongue, Maggie Jones made the role of Diedre’s mother Blanche Hunt her own when she took over from previous actor Patricia Cutts who sadly took her own life after just two episodes in 1974.
But Maggie had already appeared not once, but twice before on the show, first playing a police officer who arrived to take details from Harry and Lucille Hewitt (Ivan Beavis and Jennifer Moss) about a runaway child in 1961, before returning as shoplifter Maggie Monks, who Annie Walker (Doris Speed) met in police detention after breaking a shop window in 1967.
Shaun Williamson – EastEnders
Paramedic (1994); Barry Evans (1994-2004)
BBC
A few months prior to his debut as Walford buffoon Barry Evans, who was the son of Pat Butcher’s fourth husband Roy Evans, Shaun appeared as a paramedic in 1994.
Madeleine West – Neighbours
Dee Bliss (2000-2003, 2019); Andrea Somers (2017-2019)
Network Ten
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Madeleine is best known for playing tragic bride Dee Bliss on Neighbours, who famously met a watery grave (or so we thought) on her wedding day when husband Toadie Rebecchi (Ryan Maloney) accidentally drove their car off a cliff.
If you haven’t watched Neighbours in a while then you might not know that nearly 14 years later, Madeleine was back on Ramsay Street playing who we were led to believe was Dee having returned from the dead. However, she was actually a Dee look-a-like called Andrea Somers who was trying to con Toadie out of his life savings.
But in another complicated twist, Madeleine then ended up playing two characters at the same time in 2019, when Dee really did return from the dead (she’d been living covertly for 16 years after witnessing a gang murder) for a clifftop showdown with Andrea. It was later revealed the two were actually twin sisters separated at birth by a misguided nun.
Yes, the storyline really was every bit as batshit crazy as it sounds.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-28--Exclusive: Labour Faces Calls To Suspend Activist Reported To Fraud Police Over £90,000 Debt

Dorinda Duncan and, right, dancers at Macadam School of Dance, Darlington HuffPost UK
A Momentum activist who was reported to anti-fraud police over her talent agency business is facing calls for her suspension from a key post within the Labour party.
Dorinda Duncan, who currently sits on Labour’s London regional board, is being investigated by the party over claims that her firm left families tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, HuffPost UK can reveal.
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Her agency, Connect Your Talent (CYT), is accused of taking more than £90,000 from the parents of child dancers in Scotland and the North East who had been promised trips to California that never happened. No refunds have been paid.
One parent and dance teacher, Sonya Bree, said breaking the news to her young students that they wouldn’t be going to the US after months of rehearsals and fundraising was “absolutely devastating”.
“They had worked so hard,” she said. “To tell them three weeks before we were supposed to get on a plane was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
Duncan said that she had offered all the families the chance to reschedule their trips and hoped to reach a “happy ending” by working with them.
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Elected to the board as part of a Momentum slate of candidates last year, Duncan is also the chair of Greenwich Momentum and describes herself as “a passionate grassroots activist supporting the fight against injustice in our society”.
But she is facing heavy criticism over the talent agency she ran with her daughter Anastasia Palikeras – another Momentum activist.
Connect Your Talent organised the California excursions with an itinerary that included specialist dance training in the Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles and a dance routine performance at Disneyland. The package covered hotel accommodation and flights.
“They had worked so hard... To tell them three weeks before we were supposed to get on a plane was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do”
HuffPost UK has seen bank statements showing parents paid into Palikeras’s bank account in monthly instalments for over two years.
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The agency’s company emails had boasted of “amazing training and performance in top locations”, catering for young dancers, actors, singers and models.
But just weeks before they were due to fly out last autumn the parents discovered that no flights or hotels had been booked.
When they complained, they were told the trip had been cancelled.
Scores of children, including some studying at dance schools in Coatbridge near Glasgow and in Darlington and Newton Aycliffe in the north-east of England, found out just days beforehand that the excursion was cancelled.
Many of them burst into tears when they were told their “trip of a lifetime” would not go ahead.
Duncan and Palikeras were reported by furious parents to the City of London’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, local trading standards and Police Scotland.
Dorinda Duncan and Jeremy Corbyn Twitter
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Another 16-strong group of young dancers in Essex had also booked a trip to California this April. Their dance studio has been left £16,000 out of pocket after Connect Your Talent failed to pay any refunds when asked.
Following complaints, CYT said at the time it would instead try to rearrange the trips for new dates. The parents said that response was unacceptable and impractical.
The agency has since disappeared, with its website, Facebook page and email contact address all being disabled, leaving parents finding it difficult to contact Duncan or her daughter.
HuffPost UK was able to track down Duncan using a private email address, separate from the one given out to parents.
One Labour MP said: “All members have an obligation to act within the spirit and rules of the Labour Party and to do nothing that would damage it or bring it into disrepute.
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“There is no question she should be suspended immediately from the party and the board pending a full investigation”
“There is no question she should be suspended immediately from the party and the board pending a full investigation into these allegations, and there are serious questions to be asked as to why she hasn’t been already.”
Diane Macadam, who runs the Macadam School of Dance in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, told HuffPost UK how shocked she was at the way families were treated by Duncan.
“I don’t know how she can sleep at night, basically,” she said. “It was all the kids – they were so excited. They were supposed to be performing at Disney. They had done all the rehearsals, and we had booked it two years in advance. Telling the kids was the worst.
“We are £63,000 out of pocket. Dorinda just keeps disappearing – changing her email address, then we all individually email her, but still nothing.”
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Macadam added: “We were a group of 80 going on the trip. Some of them are families of five, so they are more than £4,000 down.
“It was only because one of our parents had a baby and she contacted the hotel about a cot that we discovered there was no actual booking at the hotel they told us we were staying at. They had booked nothing – that or the flights.
“They kept trying to change it to Easter. We said: ‘What about those who can’t go? Will you give them a refund?’ and they said they wouldn’t refund anybody. We said: ‘As a group we are all demanding the refund back.’”
“They took people’s hard earned money... That can’t be allowed to continue. That’s why the police have got to investigate”
Macadam added: “They took people’s hard earned money. When they don’t come up with what they promised, and have left children broken-hearted, that can’t be allowed to continue. That’s why the police have got to investigate.”
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In emails to Macadam, Connect Your Talent suggested the problem had in part arisen because Duncan had been unwell. “Dorinda has been ill for some time and not able to work,” one read. “She was taking care of your group and this has impacted on our normal service.”
Another email, sent to Macadam by one of Duncan’s colleagues, asked her to “tell the parents I am working on flights and have contracts for the hotels coming in, and it will all be sorted very soon. Just need time for all of the strands to come together as this is what Dorinda does normally. With her out of action we are a bit stretched!”
A later email stated that “we will not be looking at refunds” because “we will be able to accommodate everyone with a new date”.
When Macadam objected and warned that parents would be taking the matter to police and trading standards, the agency replied: “We are committed to providing you with an event and will put our case to any legal action following our terms and conditions.”
Children at Disneyland, California Allen J. Schaben via Getty Images
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Another email stated: “As per our terms and conditions that everyone that booked onto the trip agreed to, we are within our terms to postpone an event and run at a different time.”
The families of seven young dancers from Sonya Marie Academy of Dance in Darlington had also been paying in instalments for a trip over 18 months. Sonya Bree, who runs the school, had paid £885 to go on the trip, as a teacher, with her son.
Connect Your Talent told the academy it had organised professional American dance teachers and booked a slot for a performance at Disneyland itself. But Bree discovered that no such booking had been made.
“We have families that are not that privileged and this was the trip of a lifetime,” she said.
“It’s been absolutely devastating. I told my seven students all together.”
She added: “Dorinda was the one who organised it all.”
Colin Skinner, whose daughter Natalie runs the Firebird dance studio in Coatbridge that also booked with Connect Your Talent, told HuffPost UK each family paid more than a thousand pounds. Collectively they are nearly £30,000 out of pocket.
“They met Dorinda over Facebook,” he said. “Everything seemed OK. They had started agreeing to make various payments into her account of roughly £100 a month or so.
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“There were 28 parents who all paid her this sum of money. Two days before they were due to leave, my daughter was getting rather anxious – they still hadn’t got confirmed flight times or anything.”
Skinner added: “They [CYT] said that another dance school had dropped out and the trip wasn’t going to be possible and she would be moving the Firebirds trip to February.
″[My daughter] said: ‘No, everybody has taken a week’s holiday and we need to go now.’ It was as much use as a chocolate watch.
“Once the deal fell through there has been no contact verbally... No offer of a refund”
“No flights had been booked for our trip – we checked with American Airlines. And once the deal fell through there has been no contact verbally with Dorinda Duncan or Anastasia Palikeras. No offer of a refund.”
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A spokesperson for Labour refused to comment but a senior source familiar with the matter said the party was investigating it.
In a statement to HuffPost UK, Duncan said: “As stated in our terms and conditions and contracts, sometimes event dates have to be rescheduled.
“We are keen to ensure all children who were booked in with us do have their time to shine in LA. We have offered the schools alternative dates and are willing to be as flexible as possible to find dates suitable to the schedules of all children involved.
“We understand and regret the unhappiness caused to anyone as a result of the postponement of the trip. We hope schools will collaborate with us to find a happy ending.”
A spokesperson for City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau confirmed that it had a file on the case that was recorded as an “intelligence report”.
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Anastasia Palikeras Twitter
Amanda Colbecki, who runs the Bailar Dance studio in Essex, told HuffPost UK she had had similar experiences with Duncan and Connect Your Talent.
Colbecki had booked 16 children to go on a trip to California this April, but became concerned when she hadn’t received any confirmations for bookings.
“We were only halfway through making the payments when I logged into the dance teacher forum and saw the messages from Diane and Natalie who were meant to have travelled in October.
“We were in a similar situation. I had paid £16,000 through the deposit and monthly payments. Dorinda Duncan was the main contact but it was Anastasia Palikeras’s bank account details you were given.”
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Colbecki arranged to meet Duncan in person in Greenwich at the beginning of November to convey her concerns.
“She said nothing was going to go wrong, and we needed to trust her and we needed to pay her and so on. I said to her I’d like proof of where my money is or I’d like proof of the reservations if indeed you have made the reservations,” she said.
“I said I’ve got 16 kids and three adults meant to be going on this trip and so far nothing is going on. I said you need to give me proof of where my kids’ money is or you need to give me solid reservation numbers that I can then phone American Airlines, the Hyatt [LA], Disney.
“She communicated for about a week after that and then just went absolutely silent”
“She said: ‘I don’t need to give you that. You need to understand things don’t get booked in advance.’ I said that’s fine but you’ve still got that money somewhere. You need to show me the money.”
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“She communicated for about a week after that and then just went absolutely silent.”
Colbecki reported the incident to the police National Fraud Reporting Centre, also citing a reference number given to Macadam’s own complaint about Connect Your Talent. She is still waiting for the police to respond to her queries as to why no action has yet been taken.
“My bank said they couldn’t do anything unless she was prosecuted for fraud,” she said. “No one can say it’s fraud unless apparently the [police] central fraud department say it’s fraud,” Colbecki said. “How are we going to stop her from doing this again and again?”
Colbecki said that, in her opinion, “to just disappear and to be taking money regularly seems like someone being fraudulent or running a scam or it’s theft –you took the money and didn’t provide me with what you said.”